Injunction failure comes as no surprise to resident living near homeless camp

The City’s homeless encampment injunction that recently failed has received a wide range of responses from community members.

While the George Street encampment was ordered to be removed, the request to remove the one on Patricia Boulevard, otherwise known as “Moccasin Flats” has failed, and the BC Supreme Court ordered it may remain in place until alternative housing is available.

The Canadian Mental Health Association described the ruling as a Band-Aid solution in a recent interview with MyPGNow.com, while the BC Assembly of First Nations Regional Chief Terry Teegee praised the Supreme Court for their decision.

Prior to the injunction failing, a petition was created urging for the removal of the site by residents in the Millar Addition that live near the Lower Patricia Boulevard location.

They claimed increasing amounts of crime including theft, violence and even sexual assaults were being reported since the encampment was settled back in the springtime.

One resident, Diane Nakamura lives nearby the encampment, she says the injunction failing came as no surprise due to the lack of alternative resources for homeless residents in PG.

“There isn’t suitable housing for these folks to go to. So closing down the camp without places for them to go would be inhumane. However, I don’t think that a lot of the information about what’s going on in our neighbourhood was adequately conveyed in court. That’s not my understanding like there have been some serious issues that have happened in our neighbourhood and I don’t think the severity of our situation was brought forward fully.”

She adds there was a lot of work that went into the injunction.

Nakamura also noted that residents generally expect to see a degree of criminal activity because of the community’s close proximity to the downtown area, however, the encampment settlement has only exacerbated the issue.

“We’ve tolerated a lot of things but when the camp popped up in the spring we saw a noticeable increase in criminal activity. And for somebody that doesn’t live in our neighbourhood to say that didn’t happen is convenient for them to say that but unless you live in this neighbourhood that you really truly feel the scope of what’s going on.”

She says the issue has completely divided the community, as many residents don’t feel safe in their homes anymore, but many people are also fearful of going public with their concerns due to the sensitive nature of the topic.

“It has been a big conversation about the injunction failing. I think that it just deflated a lot of people because what’s happening in our neighbourhood is not good and we don’t want to be looked upon as nimby jerks because we’re not. I just don’t think that it’s wrong to speak out when you don’t feel safe in your neighbourhood,” Nakamura stated.

Nakamura adds she feels like the community has been painted in a negative light for bringing the issue public, and she wants people to understand that living in or near a homeless encampment isn’t an ideal situation for anyone.

She now hopes the city will work quickly to address the issue because homeless residents are still members of the Prince George community and they shouldn’t have to survive outdoors in the cold winter months that are approaching.

“I want the city to remain involved, not to say that they haven’t been involved but you know as the saying goes, the squeaky wheel gets the grease, if our neighbourhood has been silenced about this nothing would’ve happened,” she stated.