The gates remain closed at Goldstream Park provincial campground and questions abound about why only some essential health care providers are allowed in to visit the 32 campers who have taken refuge there since being evicted from the Regina Park tent city.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 intense, we have no idea how long weB次元官网网址檙e here for,B次元官网网址� said group organizer Chrissy Brett. B次元官网网址淲e went from being given a 24-hour notice to 14 days to indefinitely. We keep asking what that means, before or after 14 days, but nobody will answer.B次元官网网址�
Goldstream Park is normally open to camping year round but since last week has been closed to all members of the public except for the 32 members of the homeless camp. The group arrived from Saanich on Tuesday, after a four-night stay across from Uptown shopping centre on the land between Carey Road, Ravine Way and Highway 17.
Lindsay Byers, media relations for the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing, said that the park was closed to new campers to ensure safety and that B.C. Parks is ensuring outreach service workers have access to the camp.
B次元官网网址淭his has included staff from Pacifica Housing, BC Housing and the Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction outreach, as well as other non-profit groups providing supports to the campers,B次元官网网址� she wrote. B次元官网网址淧acifica Housing has brought in food and other supplies as needed.
Byers also said that everyone inside Goldstream has undergone a vulnerability assessments to identify short and longer-term housing options.
Lawyer John Heaney represented the tent city group against Saanich in court and continues to represent them out of Goldstream Park.
Heaney was permitted in on Sunday and brought food. He said heB次元官网网址檚 trying to work with the province and persuade them that there isnB次元官网网址檛 any harm in allowing people to come in to provide support.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 a bit frustrating, no one will identify the person making the decisions of who can go in,B次元官网网址� Heaney said. B次元官网网址淎s a lawyer, my request to speak to someone making these decisions about who is on the list seems like a reasonable question to ask.B次元官网网址�
RELATED: West Shore residents hold forum regarding homeless camping at Goldstream
Among those whoB次元官网网址檝e been turned away were members of the local Pauquachin Nation (one of four W瘫S脕NE膯 Nations on the Peninsula) who had brought food, and posted their rebuff in a Facebook video. BrettB次元官网网址檚 own children visited and werenB次元官网网址檛 allowed in.
Pastor John Overholt of Encounter Church in Victoria had visited the previous tent city as an outreach pastor since it started at Regina Park, he said.
On Sunday he posted about his attempt to offer spiritual service, only to be turned away.
B次元官网网址淚 went to [Goldstream Park] today, showed my ministerial credentials but was refused entrance,B次元官网网址� Overholt wrote. B次元官网网址淚 was told that only a few essential services were being permitted to enter. I presume that spiritual support is not one of them. I will return on Tuesday to find out if I will be approved to be put on the list.B次元官网网址�
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On Sunday, Langford Mayor Stew Young met with residents from the neighbourhood at Ma MillerB次元官网网址檚 Pub.
Young asked attendees to avoid generalizations about the homeless residents. B次元官网网址淣ot everybody in the camp is doing drugs,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淣ot everybody is criminal.B次元官网网址�
This came just a few days after Young criticized the criminal element of the homeless campers at Goldstream.
Brett said she met with two Langford representatives and through them, she invited Young to the camp.
B次元官网网址淛ust claiming that thereB次元官网网址檚 such a criminal element here and demeaning everyone, telling people to stay away is dangerous [and promotes discrimination],B次元官网网址� Brett said. B次元官网网址淭o classify everyone in one group just because theyB次元官网网址檙e homeless when there are people who are not drug addicted here, people who donB次元官网网址檛 use needles here, like me, that is exactly like I would expect from Stew Young, Doug Ford or Donald Trump.B次元官网网址�
Brett said she has a standing invitation to Young, Premier John Horgan, and Selina Robinson, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, to visit the site.
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