Vancouver confirms CRAB Park temporary sheltering area will close next week
The City of Vancouver says the remaining seven residents of an encampment at a Downtown Eastside park have a week to pack up their belongings and leave, or they must remove their tents each day as the area returns to regular daytime use.
A statement from the city says people may continue sheltering at CRAB Park overnight, but structures must be taken down by 8 a.m. each day starting Nov. 7.
It says reserved shelter spaces will be available for those who choose to leave.
The city says it confirmed the date of the upcoming closure of the designated area for sheltering in the park and a return to regular daytime use by the general public following a week of consultation with the encampment residents.
The joint statement with the Vancouver Park Board says each of the seven people has housing, health services, income supports and transition plans in place, developed alongside city outreach workers, B.C.'s housing provider and others.
The city says workers are now focused on supporting residents in the move away from the waterfront park.
In a statement earlier this month, the city said seven people living in the encampment had been offered shelter previously, but they declined.
The earlier statement said "ongoing non-compliance" at the encampment continued to pose health and safety risks, as well as an "unsustainable" strain on the park board's resources, and concern was growing as winter approaches.
The Crab Park encampment began in 2021, and remained in place in 2022 when a B.C. Supreme Court judge set aside eviction notices, partially because the city didn't have enough indoor shelter spaces to accommodate those living at the camp.
The city had previously forced people out of the encampment in March to clean up the area, and residents were allowed to return to the designated area in April.
The park board has said CRAB Park serves about 6,000 people within a 10-minute walk in an area with very few other green spaces nearby.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 1, 2024.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Auto theft probe leads to arrest of 59 suspects, recovery of more than 300 stolen vehicles: Toronto police
Toronto police say 59 suspects are facing a total of 300 charges in connection with an auto theft and re-vinning probe.
WATCH 'It's mind-boggling': Drought reveals U.S. town submerged in the 1940s
Hundreds of people are flocking to see a rare site in Pennsylvania: remnants of a historic town that is usually underwater.
Ont. woman posed as registered nurse in Simcoe County for 4 years: OPP
An Ontario woman is facing serious charges after police allege she pretended to be a registered nurse at several Simcoe County facilities, despite being unqualified.
Democrats Abroad Canada warns U.S. voters to take action ahead of possible Canada Post strike
Democrats Abroad Canada is warning Americans that a potential postal workers strike this weekend could affect the ability to vote in next week's election.
B.C. mayor's 'luxury' trip to Dubai climate conference was against ethics rules: commissioner
New Westminster Mayor Patrick Johnstone's all-expenses-paid trip to Dubai for a climate conference last December violated the city's Code of Conduct for Council Members and the Community Charter, the city's ethics commissioner has ruled.
Caught on camera: Edmonton police run over woman during welfare call
An Edmonton Police Service officer was caught on camera running over a woman with a marked cruiser last month.
Bradley Barton's sentence upheld by appeals court in 2011 death of Cindy Gladue
An appeal has been denied to extend the sentence of an Ontario trucker who killed a woman in his Edmonton hotel room in 2011.
Secret Service report offers new details on failures during Trump assassination attempt
A new Secret Service report into the July assassination attempt against former U.S. president Donald Trump said multiple staffers knew about clear line-of-sight risks but found them 'acceptable' and that farm equipment intended to obstruct the view from the nearby building where the gunman opened fire was never used.
Meet Decoy Ohtani, perhaps the most valuable pet of the World Series
The Dodgers' most valuable pet: Decoy Ohtani, dog of Shohei, has become a fixture of Dodgers — and dog — fandom.