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
There's actually no such thing as vegetables. Here's why you should eat them anyway
The rumours are true: Vegetables aren't real — that is, in botany, anyway. While the term fruit is recognized botanically as anything that contains a seed or seeds, vegetable is actually a broad umbrella term.
'It looked so legit': Ontario man pays $7,700 for luxury villa found on Booking.com, but the listing was fake
An Ontario man says he paid more than $7,700 for a luxury villa he found on a popular travel website -- but the listing was fake.
The Met Gala was in full bloom with Zendaya, Jennifer Lopez, Mindy Kaling among the standout stars
The Met Gala and its fashionista A-listers on Monday included Jennifer Lopez, Zendaya and a parade of others in a swirl of flora and fauna looks on a green-tinged carpet lined by live foliage.
Israeli forces seize Rafah border crossing in Gaza, putting ceasefire talks on knife's edge
Israeli tanks seized control of Gaza's vital Rafah border crossing on Tuesday as Israel brushed off urgent warnings from close allies and moved into the southern city even as cease-fire negotiations with Hamas remained on a knife's edge.
Canadian cadets rock mullets and place second at U.S. military competition
Sporting mullets, Canadian Armed Forces officer cadets placed second in an annual military skills competition in the U.S.
Highlights from the 2024 Met Gala exhibit: Sleeping Beauty would wake up for these gowns
Sure, she was a royal princess and all. But there’s no way Sleeping Beauty — either before or after her nap — ever had quite the fabulous wardrobe that’s been assembled at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Noelia Voigt resigns as Miss USA, citing her mental health
Noelia Voigt, who was crowned Miss USA in November 2023, has announced she is resigning from her role, saying the decision is in the best interest of her mental health.
Putin begins his fifth term as president, more in control of Russia than ever
Vladimir Putin began his fifth term Tuesday as Russian leader at a glittering Kremlin inauguration, setting out on another six years in office after destroying his political opponents, launching a devastating war in Ukraine and concentrating all power in his hands.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.