A group of former tent city occupants faced considerable discrimination on Friday during a temporary stay at Rudd Park in Saanich.
Saanich Police enforced last weekB次元官网网址檚 injunction and evicted everyone from Camp Namegans tent city at Regina Park as of Thursday night. As of Friday afternoon those their hadnB次元官网网址檛 made any decisions as to where they might stay Friday night.
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Drivers who passed by honked and yelled, construction workers from a nearby site spent their smoke breaks gawking and even yelling at them. It was all too demeaning for Don and Deedee, who already suffer from mental health issues and say life on the streets is a grind on their wellbeing.
B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e compliant, we left Regina because we donB次元官网网址檛 want to be arrested, we donB次元官网网址檛 want any trouble,B次元官网网址� Deedee said.
While Saanich Police released an update on crime numbers on Friday - citing a spike in reports for that neighbourhood specifically - Deedee said sheB次元官网网址檚 not a criminal and neither are 90-something per cent of the residents at tent city.
B次元官网网址淢ost of us donB次元官网网址檛 want to be here, we donB次元官网网址檛 have friends who have places to give us,B次元官网网址� Deedee said. B次元官网网址淲e have a friend who works and heB次元官网网址檚 couch surfing until he can find a place.B次元官网网址�
Deedee suffers from PTSD, depression, colitis and diabetes and Don lives with bi-polar syndrome. Neither can work and both receive disability assistance.
B次元官网网址淚t wears on me badly,B次元官网网址� Don said. B次元官网网址淚 take medication at night to help keep my mind slowed down, to keep me on the even keel. WeB次元官网网址檙e trying to get our lives sorted out, get our feet on the ground, get settled.B次元官网网址�
The group remains united in their quest for housing and support services said Blair, who lived at Regina Park this summer, now in his second year of experiencing homelessness.
Thursday night Blair and his partner Lynne went made the trek downtown to a shelter but Lynne had a hygiene accident and they were thrown out around 11 p.m., Blair said.
B次元官网网址淪o we came back here.B次元官网网址�
Saanich Police, which fenced off Regina Park and clamped down on anyone entering or exiting, permitted tent city occupants to return between 10 and 2 p.m. on Friday to retrieve any belongings they had left behind.
Among those who are concerned about their presence at Rudd Park is the Gorge Soccer Club. President Brad Hlasny said the club uses the field at Rudd Park weekly for its youth soccer programs.
ItB次元官网网址檚 not the first time people have camped at Rudd or on a Gorge-run field, Hlasny said.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 a hard situation, certainly this group of people need help,B次元官网网址� Hlasny said. B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檝e had parents say they wonB次元官网网址檛 be bringing their kids to soccer if the camp is there.B次元官网网址�
Overall, the feelings that Don and Deedee, and Blair and Lynne have felt, is disheartening, they said.
B次元官网网址淭he response weB次元官网网址檝e gotten from society since [joining] tent city is horrible,B次元官网网址� Don said. B次元官网网址淪ociety is treating us very badly. ItB次元官网网址檚 horrible and stressful. People yell B次元官网网址榞et a job,B次元官网网址� B次元官网网址榞o home.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淲ho are you to talk to me that way? What if it was you on this side of the fence and me on that side, you think IB次元官网网址檓 going to be a dick about it? No. IB次元官网网址檓 going to say B次元官网网址楬ey, so sorry youB次元官网网址檙e down on your luck.B次元官网网址� IB次元官网网址檇 be one of those people to honk their horn in support, not saying, B次元官网网址榞et out of here.B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址�
