Vancouver councillor threatened at homeless camp

VANCOUVER — There are rising tensions in a Vancouver neighbourhood where an encampment sprung up months ago, with one city councilor calling on the province to step in after he says he was threatened.

Councillor Pete Fry, who lives in Vancouver’s Strathcona neighbourhood, was threatened by a man on Friday morning after he says he stepped in to protect a neighbour. The man threatened to stab him and threw a punch, which he was able to block, Fry said.

“This is a fairly regular occurrence of late,” he said in an interview on Saturday, alleging that children have been threatened, families have faced violence and a handgun was found at a playground in the park.

Vancouver police did not return requests for comment on whether they were investigating the incident or on if there was a spike in crime since the encampment started.

Kim Allen, a neighbour who caught part of the confrontation on video, said it shows the level of tension in the neighbourhood.

It’s not known whether the man was a member of the homeless encampment, but Allen said she’s frustrated. “We’re on the edge. We’ve just had enough. And that altercation is not a single thing. It’s a common thing,” she said.

Fry said he believes the issues facing the encampment, involving addiction and housing, fall outside of the city’s jurisdiction and require support from more senior levels of government.

Navigation centres, for which the B.C. government allocated $50 million in funding over the next three years toward in its prepandemic budget, would be a good first step, he said.

Such centres would have beds, support and wraparound services to help people with addictions and other health issues find more permanent housing.

Minister of Social Development and Poverty Reduction Shane Simpson said in a statement that he appreciates the concerns raised by Fry and other residents.

“We’re asking the federal government to step up and join us in providing funding for housing. I’m also encouraging the police to increase their efforts around community safety in light of the concerns we’ve heard from Strathcona residents,” he said.