Campers march to new site as tent city eviction looms
Posted June 27, 2017 6:31 pm.
Last Updated June 27, 2017 7:47 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – People living at a tent city on Main St have packed up and marched to a new site, ahead of tomorrow’s eviction deadline.
The “Ten Year Tent City” camp, near Pacific Central Station, was set up in late April. The BC Supreme Court has granted an injunction to evict the campers, and they need to be out by 12 p.m. Wednesday.
Residents and supporters have marched up Main St and East Hastings this afternoon, to speak out against the eviction, as well as to call on the government for better support.
They’ve headed to a new site in East Vancouver, between Powell Street and Franklin Street at Glen Drive, which is being dubbed “Sugar Mountain.”
The dozens who rallied say they want homes, not shelters or rooming houses. Advocate Ron Kuehlke say he’s shocked at the lack of support available for the homeless population in Vancouver.
“This is not a world-class city anymore. I thought that’s what we were supposed to be, I thought that’s why I’m living here.”
Lama Mugabo says tent cities offer safety and sense of community, while shelters place many restrictions on the homeless.
“You have to pack everything in the morning and roam the city with all your belongings. It’s not a dignified way to live.”
