Evacuation deadline given to campers in Oppenheimer Park
Credit to Author: Dan Fumano| Date: Mon, 19 Aug 2019 16:45:23 +0000
The Vancouver Park Board issued notice Monday morning instructing campers living in Oppenheimer Park to remove their tents and structures by Wednesday evening.
A tent city in Oppenheimer Park has been growing in size in recent months, and there are currently more than 100 tents in the park.
A two-page notice posted to the outside of the Oppenheimer Park field house Monday morning advised those living in the park that they are in breach of Vancouver’s parks control bylaw, which says no one shall build “any tent, building, shelter pavilion or other construction whatsoever” in parks without the permission of the Park Board’s general manager.
“Our priority is to support you with moving into safe, secure and stable accommodation,” says the notice, which has Monday’s date and is signed by Malcolm Bromley, general manager of the Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation. “Carnegie Outreach team members will be in the park and can explain your options and next steps.”
People in the park Monday morning said there was a heavy police presence on site keeping the peace, along with staff from the park board and fire department.
The city of Vancouver says the order was issued in response to ongoing health and life safety risks in the park and in light of housing options being secured for those living there.
The city says there have been 17 fires in the park since February and police have expressed concern regarding the number of violent incidents occurring in the park.
“The safety of the people sleeping in Oppenheimer Park continues to be our top priority and we are strongly encouraging everyone to work with Carnegie Outreach to move into safe and stable accommodation,” the said in a statement.
More to come
With files from Scott Brown