Tent-city demonstration sparks counter-protest

A 16-year-old who organized a small protest on the steps of the legislature in the hope of pressuring authorities into quicker solutions for tent city, saw his message all but drowned out by counter-protesters.

Nathan Vieites, 16, hopes to help his aunt, who lives across the street from tent city. She has asthma and has been unable to sit outside on her balcony because of the constant smoke from a fire burning at the encampment.

Vieites, who has gathered about 80 names on an online petition, used social media to advertise a rally for April 29 on the steps of the legislature.

His message to the province and the city: Tent city should be a high priority and needs to be resolved.

“I feel there needs to be a permanent homeless plan put into place, where they either have a designated camping ground where they can follow strict certain rules — keep it clean and tidy, certain noise restrictions — and I know with the 24-7 ceremonial fire, maybe certain restrictions on that,” he told reporters, adding that supervised-injection sites should be set up for people who want to live rough and use drugs.

“So they are able to do what they like, but it also keeps the community around [in] a safe environment.”

Only a handful of people had showed up when more than a dozen chanting tent-city supporters marched across the legislature lawn carrying a banner and signs.

The pro-tent city protesters apparently mistakenly believed the rally was being put on by the Mad As Hell community group, which wants the courthouse encampment to be removed.