The owner of a West Saanich property wants to evict the 20 people who moved there from Goldstream Provincial Park on Tuesday.
David Shebib, who has been living at 5090 West Saanich Rd., the former site of his Free Store, invited the remaining 20 to 25 homeless campers that were evicted from Goldstream to stay until Oct. 20. Most of the group has been together since the tent city at Regina Park and wanted to stay together. They moved in Tuesday afternoon and set up camp next to the house.
Chrissy Brett, spokesperson with group of campers, said on Tuesday they expected to stay until Oct. 20.
However, Shebib is not the owner, and is not even listed as a tenant, said Sam Seera, who co-owns the property with Gurpal Aujla. ShebibB次元官网网址檚 son, Andrew McLean, is the listed tenant on a month to month agreement, Seera said.
Seera was unaware of the invitation to the campers and has called the city, the police, and planned to visit the local Residential Tenancy Branch. He says he posted an eviction notice to somebody who was living in the house on Wednesday morning.
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B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 trying to do everything I can to get these people off,B次元官网网址� said Seera, who lives elsewhere in Saanich. B次元官网网址淲ho is going to pay if there is damage and garbage left at the property, if there is soil contamination like there was at Regina Park.B次元官网网址�
Shebib, who is running for mayor in Saanich, has been on the property for nearly a decade. In 2011 his Free Store was shut down by Saanich. Shebib told the Saanich B次元官网网址 on Tuesday that he was headed to his property in Bella Coola on Tuesday with no intentions of posting any signs for the election campaign (though he says heB次元官网网址檒l authorize and reward anyone who posts a creative election sign on his behalf).
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B次元官网网址淭his is a political move and IB次元官网网址檓 caught in the middle, and I am frustrated,B次元官网网址� Seera said. B次元官网网址淚 thought IB次元官网网址檇 just call the police and say theyB次元官网网址檙e trespassing but thatB次元官网网址檚 not the case. I have to go through these residency channels and it could be a long time.B次元官网网址�
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As of Wednesday Seera was unable to contact McLean.
Shebib has a long history for as an activist and a disruptor in the region.
In the fall of 2011 Shebib was arrested while running Saanich mayor for not paying a CRD (improper washing of his truck bed at the Hartland Dump). He then ran for mayor in all 13 Greater Victoria municipalities in 2014. In the past he called out organizers for not inviting him to all-candidates meetings though this year he said he is not likely to be attending any.
His time as an activist for homeless sheltering precedes that. On Feb. 11 of 2009, Shebib and David Arthur Johnston (the long time homeless advocate who is running for mayor of Victoria this year) were arrested for tenting in Centennial Square. It was a protest of the Feb. 5 City of Victoria bylaw approval that prohibited camping in parks between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m.
Known as the Garbage Guru, ShebibB次元官网网址檚 Free Store at 5090 West Saanich Rd. property was shut down in 2012. What neighbours considered trash was strewn across the yard, as Shebib was using the property to sort the materials he salvaged through his work hauling trash.
B次元官网网址淭hereB次元官网网址檚 been close to $900 in bylaw tickets that IB次元官网网址檝e passed on to [McLean and Shebib],B次元官网网址� Seera said. B次元官网网址淭he neighbours call bylaw and then bylaw always calls me. The tickets get paid. They clean up and then what can you do? The rent is always paid.B次元官网网址�
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