SQUAMISH, B.C. – All but three sites (four people) have moved to alternative locations following the winter closure of the Squamish municipal campground. Squamish Helping Hands, Sea to Sky Community Services, BC Housing, with support from the District of Squamish and Squamish RCMP have been working closely since the beginning of November to offer alternatives to help relocate the campers due to the deteriorating site. Work continues with the remaining individuals who have thus far declined the support that has been offered. The campground accommodated 35 sites at full capacity.
“It’s important for us to assure the community that we have made every effort, with our community partners, to provide support and alternatives for those in need, and have helped to provide many of them with better options than what they were facing at the municipal campground over winter,” says District of Squamish Mayor Karen Elliott. “Our local and provincial agencies have been compassionate, responsive and creative with the solutions and assistance they have provided as options over the last seven weeks.”
Some of the outcomes have seen campers move to other local private campsites or a hotel and are now receiving rent supplements from BC Housing to address affordability; several have moved into the supportive housing system; others have chosen to park elsewhere in the District; and some have relocated out of the community and in some cases returned to where they have connections. Outreach teams have gone to such lengths as arranging for repairs of broken down vehicles to help individuals to move.
“This Council, and this community recognize the ongoing challenges caused by the lack of supportive housing as well as affordable rental housing that results in some of our residents resorting to living in vehicles,” continues Elliott. “We are working to better understand who is living in vehicles in Squamish and why, and create more sustainable policies that address different groups including those with complex needs, those who are employed and wanting access to affordable housing, and those who are van dwelling visitors. This is a multifaceted and complex problem that is not easy to address in Squamish or in any other community grappling with the same challenge.”
A report on vehicle dwelling in Squamish is in its final stages of development and is due to come to Council in the New Year. The report will look at the current vehicle dwelling situation across the community and outline options for community and Council consideration.
Squamish aims to be a liveable and supportive community that balances the needs of all residents. Local agencies, with support from the District and BC Housing, have a number of programs already in place to help those in need. This is evidenced by the recent opening of Under One Roof, the temporary Bridge to Housing project earlier this spring, the under-construction Buckley Avenue affordable rental building and Westwinds senior living building, and work continues to press forward to find additional supportive housing and affordable rental solutions.
December 18, 2020
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Comments
Avila Dec 20, 2020, 12:12 PM (4 years ago)
As someone who lived at the campground and someone who has sent emails to communicate with the district of squamish, I am shocked to see “We are working to better understand who is living in vehicles in Squamish and why,” -Karen Elliot as we have been continuously sending in information to answer many of these questions and received no response or very delayed generic response. The most recent one starting with “ This note acknowledges that I got your email message and took time to read it. ” -Kevin French. But continues to disregard everything that I had said in my email, and an equivalent email has been sent as a response to many others.
Under one Roof is an amazing community tool for helping the people most at risk in the community. How ever there is still a huge gap in help for anyone between under one roof and someone who can afford to pay rent in squamish. The campground could be a fantastic stepping stone to bridge that gap!
Raymond Gillis Dec 19, 2020, 9:19 AM (4 years ago)
I have read all of the comments posted to the website and I find that I have some difficulty trying to understand the caustic comments saying that this council does not have any heart. The campground was opened after a lengthy closure under Provincial Health orders and it was designed to be a temporary measure to assist many different individuals to get through this pandemic due to economic circumstances or for other reasons. I find the comments directed to the current council and acting as is they have alligator skin, they have no compassion for the individuals involved, remember they are people and they also have feelings and truly are only trying to do the best job they believe for their community which they all truly believe in otherwise they would not have committed to running for office and having many individuals take pot shots at them with no consideration of all of the circumstances. I found many of the comments were directed in a way to achieve an end result, to which they have a vested interest in, to assist and push forward their particular agenda.
I truly hope that we do not wish to emulate our cousins below to the south of us and engage in soul destroying vengeance politics that will only exist to tear the community apart. The individuals who do remain in the campgrounds I believe are being taken advantage of by groups or individuals who wish to achieve their own agenda. People make decisions to live a lifestyle what ever that may be and that comes with certain obligations which they will need to attend to. I really do love this community and it concerns me to see messages of this type posted with so much threatening towards individuals who have stood to be judged by and elected by this community to have people who do not always have all of the facts and or wish to post their own agendas make such harsh judgement of them. Please be respectful and walk in the shoes of these individuals we as a community elected them to make decisions regarding our community to which I am certain all of them are completely committed to. Remember “Fake News” with fake details can be very misleading. Be sure you have all of the details and facts before you sign in to supporting statements which to me only seem to wish to inflame or polarize us as a community. Stay safe, healthy and hope you have an enjoyable but I am sure quite holidays.
Luc Mcleish Dec 18, 2020, 5:46 PM (4 years ago)
This is a disgrace. Threatening to tow people's homes a week before Christmas. You couldn't make it up! I keep reading about "options" that have been presented to the current residents. What are they? I've heard about shelters (that are full) and towering to Chilliwack which stinks of 'not in my backyard'. The mayor and the current administration have lost a lot of goodwill from the local community and I fully expect that to be shown at the next election. I implore all involved to rethink and show a slither of humanity. Shame on all involved in making this decision
Rodney Moule Dec 18, 2020, 6:44 PM (4 years ago)
As a tenant of the campsite thank you for your support ii managed to find a spot but I'm still behind the 2 couple's that are left there there was more threats than there was help. And thank you to all the other people of squamish that have shown their support of this problem with the way the district handles things
Robert Snauzer Dec 18, 2020, 5:25 PM (4 years ago)
DOS please stop kicking people when they are already down.
Christina Metherall Dec 18, 2020, 2:57 PM (4 years ago)
I encourage the District to re-evaluate this decision and to provide the campground space for winter use for vehicle residents. The costs are low (and are likely even lower than originally estimated) and the need is clearly high - particularly in a pandemic and the winter.
Most importantly, the Squamish I love, is one where we are compassionate and community-minded, and where everyone belongs - not matter how big (or small) their pay cheque - and the size (or type) of their home.
We are clearly a unique town with an enterprising, outdoorsy community and serious housing crisis. I encourage the District to work with the community, and in particular, the Squamish Vehicle Resident's Advocacy Group that has done a great job of identifying policy alternatives.
It's time to stop viewing the people who work and live in this town in vehicles as 'problems' - but rather as creative and innovative community members, and start working together using a collaborative, solutions-oriented approach.
thomasina pidgeon Dec 18, 2020, 1:45 PM (4 years ago)
The statement is a sham. The District has failed because the solutions they found were neither inclusive, compassionate, or creative. To say that their solutions are “better options than what they were facing at the municipal campground over winter” is paternalistic and fails to recognize their right to access public lands when there is a lack of inclusive policy in place that suits the needs of vehicle residents. This is not a housing issue. This is a failure on part of the State to recognize alternative ways of living, and providing the inclusive policy for these homes on wheels. Vehicles residents need LAND - a safe place to park them without being subject to the continuous stigma, marginalization and imposition of other world views. We need inclusive policy before evictions, towing, and arrest.
By staying on this publicly owned land, the residents are asserting their rights under s. 7 of the Charter to stay on the property in order to protect their health and safety. Per Abbotsford (City) v. Shantz, 2015 BCSC 1909 shelter beds are not accessible to many people, housing must be qualitatively suitable not just quantitative. Shelters beds are not “Adequate housing” as defined under international treaty. Furthermore, our Public Health Officer has recognized that disbursing encampments can increase safety risks during COVID-19.Displacing unhoused people into shelters or to nowhere is counter to the government’s human rights obligations and inhumane.
Being offered the shelter (currently full for couples and with recent cases of covid), or to be towed to Chilliwack or Sechelt which the people have no connection to, does not solve the problem. Campers have been refused by local campgrounds for various reasons, or they are full. And while the outreach team may have found a way to fix a vehicle, why is it that when the owner of said vehicle arrives back at the campground there is RCMP, bylaw and a tow truck ready to tow his home away to a designation he was not told, and no option presented but “you are leaving now”. If people had not shown up in support - he would have arrived at the campground and his home would have been GONE.
The District did not come to meet their needs, but to enforce its will through coercion and power like it always has. Take the limited options we give you or be towed and arrested for trespassing. This District letter does not acknowledge the reality that people who have chosen to park elsewhere are subject to parking bylaws and wanted to keep paying to stay so they could have the security of this campsite, and the community that it had formed.
However, did the District ever ask them if they wanted to stay? NO.
Terri Kroeker Dec 18, 2020, 1:45 PM (4 years ago)
This is a perfect location as it’s close to amenities. Some tenants don’t drive. As a community we can come together and help make this site safe. If it’s money then let us raise funds to help.
Nick Gottlieb Dec 18, 2020, 1:12 PM (4 years ago)
This press release is disgusting.
Last night, the RCMP -- at the District's behest, with bylaw officers and a tow truck -- attempted an armed eviction of the remaining campground residents. After dark, during a storm, a week before Christmas, and during a global pandemic.
This morning, the District released this puff piece to try to stave off any negative coverage about what occurred last night.
I am honestly flabbergasted. This statement is extremely misleading, and its timing makes it clear that it is deliberately intended as propaganda, an attempt to pre-empt any negative coverage of their failed police action.
The "options" that the District has "given," so generously, to the campground residents are not viable. One resident said the "solution" the District offered him was to move to a private campground for $1200/month (6x the municipal campground rate), 25 minutes walk from public transit.
Another option they generously gave to a campground resident? A free tow to a campground in Chilliwack. How would you like to be dumped in Chilliwack in winter, during a pandemic, 2 hours away from your community -- and your job?
The residents who've left the campground so far didn't leave because of the options given to them by the District. They left because RCMP were harassing them every single day telling them they weren't welcome there and had to leave. They left and tried staying in various parts of town, but they're harassed there -- daily -- by RCMP and bylaw, thanks to the camping ban that the District passed under cover of the pandemic this summer. Those that are able have either left or started sleeping outside the municipality and commuting in to work every day.
On top of this, the very reason that the campground closed in the first place was premised on inaccurate information. Deliberate or not, I can't say. Council voted earlier this fall to close the campground because the cost of winterization -- allegedly $30,000 -- was too much. Value judgments about that decision aside, it was based on a cost estimate that we now know to be wrong. The $30,000 was supposed to be for a) winterizing the water supply, b) winterizing the portapotties, and c) gravelling and grading the site.
-- There is an already winterized water supply just behind the campground that residents are actively using
-- GFL has informed us that winterizing portapotties is no extra cost over normal service (and also, just google "winterize portapotty" -- you add some salt or alcohol. There is no way it costs $10,000)
-- community members have offered to donate gravel and grading services
Winterizing the campground could happen at no cost. So, great -- let's vote on it again.
Manipulative messaging like this press release makes one wonder whether the real reason for closing the campground had anything to do with money after all.
District of Squamish Dec 18, 2020, 6:07 PM (4 years ago)
There has never been any attempt of an 'armed eviction', nor under the cover of darkness. The RCMP and Bylaw have always been on site in a way that is a pure liaison role. This comment is misleading.
Rachael Dudley Dec 18, 2020, 11:57 AM (4 years ago)
These people are members of our community and I cannot support criminalizing homelessness. Raiding the campground is totally unacceptable and heartless. Squamish needs to remember what makes it unique. We live here for the community spirit. Let these people be.
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