Parking lot campers evicted from Vancouver beach after occupying spaces for months
Months after threatening action, Vancouver’s park board has evicted campervans and motorhomes parked illegally at a beach on the city’s west side.
The operation started early Tuesday morning at Spanish Banks, with park rangers knocking on doors to give occupants a final warning that their vehicles had to leave. A tow truck arrived at 8:30 a.m.
The number of vehicles parked at the/ location rose sharply at the end of the summer, upwards of 50 were there overnight despite the lots closing at 10 p.m. Warnings were handed out in October with owners told they would be fined and have their vehicles towed – but that never happened.
In an email to CTV News Tuesday, a spokesperson for the Vancouver Park Board said 187 notices had been issued since October, reminding vehicles owners of the parking rules. Just a few days ago there were still around two dozen vehicles parked overnight.
CTV News spoke with one of the owners, Tony, who declined to give his last name.
“I just kind of came home yesterday and the gates were locked and there was a note on the windshield that said there was an event coming so you have to move your vehicle,” he said, adding he knew of a few other places he could park instead.
CTV News has learned the event is a film production, with the parking lots booked for what’s known as ‘the circus’.
Tony had been living in the lot for about two months because he “thought it would be a fun idea to save some money (and) it’s cheaper than rent.”
Another vehicle owner, Lucas Phillips, needed to have his motorhome towed as it had broken down. Though he wasn’t too concerned.
“It feels like, OK, I (was) here for a while and I was happy – good view, good people, good community. So, that’s good for me,” Phillips said.
Phillips also drives a white Tesla, which he uses to make a living through Uber. He said people are often “confused” and “surprised” that he drives the luxury EV and lives in a motorhome.
“I’m living my dream so it’s OK,” he said.
Many of the owners moved their vehicles willingly after receiving notices to vacate, others accepted the offer to have vehicles towed out of the lots – though the vehicles were only moved down the road to on-street parking. It’s not known if other parking rules will be enforced at the new location.
As of noon Tuesday only four vehicles were left, with rangers unable to find the owners. The park board's spokesperson said if they were not removed by 5 p.m., they would be towed.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
It's no secret that spring can be a tumultuous time for Canadian weather, and as an unseasonably mild El Nino winter gives way to summer, there's bound to be a few swings in temperature that seem out of the ordinary. From Ontario to the Atlantic, though, this week is about to feel a little erratic.
What do weight loss drugs mean for a diet industry built on eating less and exercising more?
Recent injected drugs like Wegovy and its predecessor, the diabetes medication Ozempic, are reshaping the health and fitness industries.
He replaced Mickey Mantle. Now baseball's oldest living major leaguer is turning 100
The oldest living former major leaguer, Art Schallock turns 100 on Thursday and is being celebrated in the Bay Area and beyond as the milestone approaches.
What a urologist wants you to know about male infertility
When opposite sex couples are trying and failing to get pregnant, the attention often focuses on the woman. That’s not always the case.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Made-in-Newfoundland vodka claims top prize at worldwide competition
A Newfoundland-made vodka has been named one of the world’s best by judges at this year’s World Vodka Awards.