A controversial encampment on a steep slope next to Nanaimo’s Millstone River, in the middle of the downtown area, is being removed this week.
Two shootings have taken place near the homeless camp this year, including one in March that sent auto-repair shop owner Clint Smith to hospital with serious injuries after he tried to retrieve allegedly stolen property from the site.
Nanaimo RCMP and community-safety officers hired by the city are overseeing the activity and “keeping the peace,” said RCMP Reserve Const. Gary O’Brien.
Nanaimo Mayor Leonard Krog said Tuesday that this isn’t the first time the camp has been removed due to safety concerns. A similar effort was undertaken last October.
He said the current cleanup is a “very necessary” step that is costing up to $10,000 or more. The Ministry of Transportation owns the land and is providing funds for the cleanup, along with the city.
“The neighbourhood has been asking for this,” Krog said. “It’s literally dangerous to go there.”
The number of people typically using the camp is estimated at 12 to 20.
Residents held a rally in June calling for a ban on camping at the location.
Krog said the slope makes clearing the site difficult and requires “a tremendous amount of organization.”
A barge could be brought in to take some of the debris away by water, but it hasn’t been needed so far. One lane of adjacent Terminal Avenue could also be shut down if needed during the operation.
“It is not a small undertaking,” Krog said. “It is not something where you say: ‘We’re going to do this next week or tomorrow.’ ”
Collen Middleton, president of the Nanaimo Area Public Safety Association, applauded the dismantling of the camp.
“I can certainly understand that it’s a complex operation,” he said. “It’s not only quite precarious, but the structures are protected by the campers.
“My hope is that they figure out a way to prevent people from just coming back. That tends to be what happens.”
At other locations around the city where camps have been cleared, Middleton said, “within 12 hours they’re just back as if nothing ever happened.”
O’Brien said the city is looking at ways to make the riverside property “not compatible with camping.”
Whether that includes fencing or other measures has not been determined.
