Campers living in Vancouver's CRAB Park relocated Monday for cleanup
All 30 people who were living in tents in Vancouver's CRAB Park have now been relocated, the park board confirmed on Monday.
Most of them were moved a few metres away in the same park to allow city crews to clean up the area. Once that’s completed, in about a week, they will be allowed to move back.
Even though the plans were announced mid-March, and the city said it gave plenty of notice, park rangers and police were met with hostility Monday morning.
Nerves were frayed, and shouting could be heard, but the event was not violent.
"We've engaged very carefully," said Steve Jackson, general manager of the Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation.
"We've given a lot of time, we've shared as transparently as we possibly could all of our plans," he said.
The park board said in January an assessment found that the area couldn't be cleaned by hand. The dangers inside the camp were said to include debris, propane tanks, needles, feces and a rat infestation.
On Sunday and Monday morning, both advocates and campers told CTV News that there is growing frustration as many feel a disconnect between them and the city.
"I think it's a bit ridiculous but we don't get much of a say in the matter," said Justice Raines, a camper.
"The mood is that people are very frustrated by this entire process. There have been numerous inconsistencies; lack of information and it's extremely not consultative. It's absolutely not been respected," said Fiona York, a longtime advocate for the campers.
York has not disputed that the area needs a clean up, but says the process has been rushed and that residents' feedback has not been properly addressed. Last week, she explained that over two dozen campers did their own cleaning of the encampment, and collected a total of 176 bins of garbage and about 600 kilograms of scrap.
A 2022 B.C. Supreme Court decision allows for people to shelter in a designated section of CRAB Park 24/7, unlike in other Vancouver parks where people have to pack up and leave every morning.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NEW This Canadian scientist combines passion for history, archeology and genetics to solve ancient and modern-day DNA puzzles
Turi King takes pride in her work solving ancient and modern-day DNA puzzles – including a centuries-old mystery involving an infamous British king.
Do this once a month and extend your life by up to 10 years. No gym required
Research shows that art experiences, whether as a maker or a beholder, transform our biology by rewiring our brains and triggering the release of neurochemicals, hormones and endorphins.
Oilers advance to Stanley Cup final by beating Stars in Game 6
The Edmonton Oilers rode their special teams and goaltender to victory on Sunday, beating the Dallas Stars 2-1 to win the National Hockey League's Western Conference and earn a berth in the Stanley Cup final against the Florida Panthers.
Bathroom break nearly derails $22-million project at city council meeting
A brief break during Wednesday's city council meeting in Saskatoon nearly cost the city dearly.
Mackenzie Hughes 'gutted' after falling short at RBC Canadian Open
Mackenzie Hughes had the dream scenario of winning the RBC Canadian Open in his hometown within reach but then it all slipped away.
Motorcycle doing wheelies, weaving in, out of traffic caught on Highway 417
A motorcycle driver is facing charges after being caught on Highway 417 doing wheelies and weaving in and out of traffic, the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says.
'Rotten rock': Climate change altering the face of Canadian mountaineering
The Abbot Pass hut stood for decades in a rugged saddle between two iconic peaks, overlooking the limpid turquoise of Banff National Park's Lake Louise — a destination for alpinists from around the world until the ground melted beneath it and forced its closure.
North Korea says it will stop sending trash balloons as South Korea vows strong retaliation
South Korea said Sunday it’ll soon take retaliatory steps against North Korea over its launch of trash-carrying balloons across the border and other provocations.
'The legacy I want to leave:' Mother with Stage 4 cancer advocates for survivors
People around the world are observing National Cancer Survivor Day, an annual celebration held to honour patients who have been through the often difficult and traumatic experience of living with cancer.