Park rangers remove tents, belongings from Oppenheimer Park

Vancouver park rangers, flanked by police, were removing tents and belongings from an encampment Oppenheimer Park in the Downtown Eastside on Tuesday.

Park rangers arrived in the morning to enforce the city bylaw that allows camping overnight, but requires people sheltering in parks to pack up their belongings and leave during the daytime.

“People want to keep their structures up because taking them down damages the tents,” said Ryan Sudds, organizer at Stop The Sweeps.

“It helps protect them during the rain, during the snow, during the cold,” he said.

CTV News watched park rangers standing by as people packed up their stuff.

Anyone who was away from the encampment when the enforcement began had their tents and belongings put in the back of a truck by park rangers.

“We don't have any place to go, so we have to figure that out, we have to have a shelter,” said Maninder Singh, who was told to pack up and leave.

The Vancouver Police Department told CTV News it had officers “standing by” at the Park Board’s request. 

There were about 28 structures set up in Oppenheimer Park when city crews and police arrived.

In a statement to CTV News, the Vancouver Park Board said its rangers “visit Oppenheimer Park daily seeking compliance with the park control bylaw.”

“Park Rangers will continue to work with those sheltering in the park daily to reach full compliance and provide a list of warming shelters that people can access,” the statement continued.

By early afternoon, most the of the park was clear. But only hours after rangers and police officers left, tents were being put up again.