It's unclear when or if a solution may be in sight for residents frustrated by a homeless encampment on the right of way of Garden Bay Road.
PHARA told removal efforts enroute
Pender Harbour and Area Residents Association (PHARA) president Peter Robson says that efforts to remove the encampment appear to be enroute and “just a matter of logistics." On Feb. 28 he told Coast Reporter he had been advised a meeting of the local authorities that would be involved in the removal of the encampment had been arranged for “this week." He declined to identify his information source and could not provide any other details.
Robson said he hoped that meeting “would be the final step before the issuance of the eviction notice” to the occupants of the collection of recreational vehicles and temporary structures that have been set up on the road right of way, near the Meadow Creek bridge for a period of about two years.
However, no official government services or contractors have confirmed that action with Coast Reporter.
An email from the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure (MOTI) that same date said that ministry staff had been in contact with "residents of the area" and that a plan to “coordinate efforts” to address the encampment was progressing. That correspondence confirmed that it has the ability under the Trespass Act and the Transportation Act to have parked vehicles and other structures removed from provincial right-of-way. It also stated it has “taken a collaborative approach with the people in this encampment, working with provincial agencies to engage in outreach with those currently occupying the site to ensure all available supports for those experiencing homelessness are provided."
'It’s up to MOTI to take the lead': PHARA
PHARA wrote to Minister Rob Fleming on Feb. 6, “respectfully requesting that MOTI take immediate action against this illegal encampment." That letter laid out specific concerns the association had heard from residents about the illegal encampment. Those ranged from issues with road safety, the potential for environmental damage from untreated human waste and debris, and that the site was being associated with illegal harvesting and sale of firewood as well as an uptick in crime in the area. Impacts on property values and negative impressions of the community that the site portrays to visitors were also cited.
“Allowing the encampment to continue sets a precedent that we do not want. As time goes on, the squatters are extending their footprint and settling in with more permanence… This situation would not be tolerated on a road allowance in Sechelt or Gibsons, and Pender Harbour residents are unwilling to permit it in our community,” the letter stated.
As of Feb. 28, no response beyond an email acknowledgement of the correspondence has been received by the association, said Robson.
While PHARA has not been included in any in-person meetings with MOTI on the issue, Robson said that they have been “talking to the police, to the natural resource officer, Vancouver Coastal Health, Fisheries and Oceans and they are all pointing the finger and saying it is up to MOTI to take the lead."
“We have kept [Area A Director] Len Lee in the loop and he is trying to do his best from his position, but really it is not a regional district matter.” He also confirmed that local Member of the Legislative Assembly Nicholas Simons and Member of Parliament Patrick Weiler have been contacted by PHARA but have not provided comment.
Site clean up
MOTI’s email also confirmed that once the site has been vacated, ministry staff and other related agencies will assess the scope of the clean-up required.
Spokesperson for MOTI local contractor, Capilano Highways, Tyler Lambert advised Coast Reporter as of Feb. 27, he had “heard nothing on the subject” of an eviction order or a future site clean-up effort. He said they are aware of the concerns and that those are issues that they continue to monitor.
