The deadline has past and there are still homeless people residing on land in an area of Vernon that falls under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure.
Citing safety concerns, the ministry gave those occupying land on Highway 97 north of 48th Avenue until noon Thursday to remove themselves, personal property and other possessions.
A notice was posted near the site Oct. 19.
RELATED: Vernon homeless camp decommissioned
“In order to protect and preserve the integrity of the provincial public highway, and to prevent the ongoing trespass, all occupants are hereby given notice…that any and all occupants personal property and other possessions must be removed from the land,” said the notice.
As of Friday morning, there were still plenty of possessions off the highway, and smoke could be seen coming from either a small campfire or propane heating element.
In an e-mail to The Morning Star, the ministry said peoples’ safety is its top priority, and this includes individuals or groups located near provincial roadways.
“The top of the letter clearly states that Highway 97 and 48th Avenue is the location of the camp that this letter was posted for,” said the ministry. “Camps in this area are at high risk as winter approaches due to the distance that snow is thrown when cleared by highway plowing.”
To ensure clarity, ministry staff met with the occupants on-site to ensure the intent of the notice was clear.
“As this encampment is situated on a ministry right-of-way close to a busy highway, we have given the occupants sufficient notice to remove themselves and their property. The notice was provided by ministry staff and RCMP on October 19th, with a removal deadline of noon on October 25th.”
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Land adjacent to Highway 97 and 27th Street is also mentioned in the letter as a general reference to the area where homeless camps have occurred in the past. The two sites are relatively close (approximately one kilometre) and the rural nature of the area has many sites that have previously been used for camps.
Ministry staff will continue to work closely with the RCMP and social service providers in Vernon to find these individuals suitable housing.
A homeless camp in the exact same location was decommissioned by the ministry in January.
roger@vernonmorningstar.com
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