A move to have Linear Park added Jan. 1, 2018 to a list of Vernon parks where temporary shelters are banned could happen.
Vernon council originally defeated a motion Monday by Coun. Scott Anderson to add the park off 25th Avenue, where a very visible homeless camp has been set up since the end of August, by a margin of 4-3. Councillors. Bob Spiers, Catherine Lord and Juliette Cunningham, and Mayor Akbal Mund, were opposed.
However, Coun. Brian Quiring made a second motion to include the park but only between certain spots along its corridor. Like between the Real Canadian Wholesale Club and the old Interior Freight and Bottle Depot building, or between The People Place and the bridge that crosses BX Creek.
“Could we take a deep breath so we’re clear what streets we are going to put these people?” asked Cunningham, who wanted to defer Quiring’s motion to the next regular council meeting, “so we’ll have a clear idea what the parameters would be.”
The city has received a number of complaints about the homeless camp since it moved from the back trails of Polson Park at the end of August to the more visible Linear Park just a few blocks away from downtown Vernon. People and businesses said they have been affected by the camp; that they’re too scared to walk near it; that illegal activity has been witnessed.
“It’s too late this year to do much about it,” said Anderson, who got support for his motion from Quiring and Coun. Dalvir Nahal.
“I think it’s a good motion. It’s continuing a path we’ve started,” said Quiring, referring to Vernon’s bylaw where there are no temporary shelters permitted in parks between 9 p.m. and 9 a.m. “There won’t be people living there (Linear Park) in January, or I doubt there will be. I do not see this as heavy handed at all. It buys us quite a bit of time. It’s not going to impact people until February or March and I’m hoping we’re working toward a better situation.
“This is a crisis and we’re working on it.”
Said Nahal: “It’s a proactive solution, but I don’t think it’s the solution.”
Lord said the city is dealing with a complex issue but would not support adding the park to its park list that bans temporary shelters.
“I think it’s premature to do that,” she said. “There’s a lot of activity happening behind the scene that the public is not aware of. We’re trying to get more shelters. I’d like to wait and see if we get results from that.”
Mund took part in a business walk last week, talking to about 25 different downtown businesses located close to Linear Park. To a person, he said, all of the people he spoke to said business was either up or steady.
“The problem is there is no solution,” he said. “We were going to move the camp (from Polson Park). We knew that. It’s not just Linear Park. There are other camps. It did what we wanted in Polson Park. It could move to Hidden Park (off 34th Street), which is surrounded by houses and not far from downtown either. It may move to other areas behind the Vernon Lodge or Becker Park. That’s not a solution.
“What I hear today, because the camp is visible, is it makes safety that much more of an issue. The general public doesn’t like it, I get that. People here are scared but I can’t support banning Linear Park.”
Cunningham’s motion to defer Quiring’s request to the next regular meeting Oct. 23 was passed with Anderson opposed.
Council did pass a motion to amend wording in its parks and public places bylaw that allows temporary shelters now from dusk until 9 a.m. It used to read between 9 p.m. and 9 a.m.