Capital campers on move again
A group of homeless campers was on the move again Friday after being told to leave Oak Bay’s Cattle Point or risk being arrested.
Camp leader Chrissy Brett said the group was headed to Songhees Point Park behind Ocean Pointe Resort in Vic West.
By early Friday evening, one tent was pitched near a totem pole on a rocky outcropping beside the Songhees Walkway.
Earlier, Oak Bay police said the campers were told to vacate Cattle Point by the end of the day.
“We’re working closely with them to try to make sure we treat them respectfully and fairly and understand there are some logistic efforts they need to address,” said Deputy Police Chief Ray Bernoties.
Yellow police tape surrounded the Cattle Point encampment, which was located in a gravel parking lot between the oceanfront park and Beach Drive.
The popular park, designated the first urban sky park in Western Canada, was closed to most vehicle traffic, although people with boats were being allowed to park and use the boat launch. About eight Oak Bay officers and several Saanich police officers kept an eye on the roving protest camp.
On Thursday, the District of Oak Bay served a trespass notice at the camp, telling the 20-or-so remaining campers they had to leave or be arrested.
“This morning, we received another request from the district to enforce that order,” Bernoties said Friday.
“We’ve been down there this morning now for a couple of hours and informed the campers that they have to vacate the property. The campers are currently peacefully packing up their belongings.”
Police were prepared to be reasonable, but would not allow for the prolonged 12-hour dismantling of a tent, he said. They were also hoping not to arrest anyone.
“Obviously, that’s not the outcome we would like. We believe everyone will move peacefully and they seem to be co-operating right now,” he said.
“Everyone in this community would expect nothing less than a patient, respectful, professional approach, but also ensuring that the law is enforced.”
The Oak Bay parks department has to get in and clean up the area with the help of a hazardous materials team.
The deputy chief said he hasn’t had a close look at how the campers were treating the park.
“They’ve been here a short time, but certainly we’ve seen from past instances in Oak Bay where needles and human feces have been located. We take this quite seriously. We don’t want any children or pets to come into contact with any of those items,” he said.
The last time the camp came to Oak Bay, in October 2017, crime in the district had the highest spike in three years.
This year, the police department received fewer complaints from the public, although neighbours are concerned.
A nearby business reported an unusual theft Wednesday night. A fence had been removed to get to a large amount of recycling, said Bernoties.
Despite his assertion that the situation at the camp was peaceful, several campers appeared angry. Police would not let reporters into the encampment. The campers did not speak to the press.
Since April, the campers have set up camp in Rudd Park and Ravine Way in Saanich, Goldstream Provincial Park, which has just reopened to the public, private property on West Saanich Road and provincial land off the Patricia Bay Highway near Saanich’s municipal hall.