Saanich homeless camp vows to fight district's move to evict residents

Occupants of a homeless camp on Vancouver Island are denouncing the District of Saanich's decisionto seek an injunctiontoremovethe camp.

The settlement,which residents are calling CampNamegans, is situated inRegina Park, a grassy space alongside Highway 1 at the edge of a residential area a few blocks north of the Victoria boundary.

Blair Este lives with his girlfriend at CampNamegansand says it's their only option for shelter after they were "renovicted" 18 months ago.

"My girlfriend has special needs.We were thrown into a homeless shelter system that does not deal with couples and is not very effective at dealing with special needs people," Este said.

"Being here, we are able to be together and this is really our only option as a couple."

Homeless count

Este is one of about 90 residents at the camp.

News of the injunction application came just as the results of the 2018 Everyone Countshomeless surveywere revealed, showing that more than 1,500 people in the Greater Victoria region do not have a place to call home.

Mike Innes, who has been a resident of Victoria for nearly four decades, says he recently became homeless after his landlord's son assaulted him and he was kicked out of the house.

"This is my first time being homeless in 40 years.It's not because I can't work I have two jobs," he said.

Ashley Mollison, who works with Alliance for Displacement, an organization that has been supporting the camp, described the injunction plans as a "tried and failed strategy."

"For three months, this Indigenous-led tent city has been doing the work of the government to provide home, community and a space of healing," Mollison said.

"Saanich is sending a clear message that they do not care about the lives and futures of homeless people that live on this land."

Issue of safety

But Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing SelinaRobinsonsays safety is the crux of the issue.

"We strongly believe that sleeping on the side of a highway is no way to live.It's not only unsafe but it's difficult to get ahead in life if you are continually worried about your safety," she said.

The ministry is looking for ways to move campers into safer housing, Robinson said, and is working with Saanich on plans to build modular housing.

Those housing units would be available within a matter of months once land is secured, she said.

Modular housing hopes

Chrissy Brett, the main organizer of CampNamegans, says any effort by officials to evict the campers would be "an act of war."

But she recognized the potential for finding a better housing solution.

"The hopes for modular housing for people here could create a more pure led and run housing option," Brett said.

Brett's family recently lost their own housing and so her two sons David,12,and Jake, 14 are staying with close friends and family members while she is occupied with her work at the camp.

Jake said being separatedfrom his mother is takinga toll.

"We did have to sacrifice a lot of time with her but it's worth it because we're trying our best to get everyone into a house," he said.

With files from Deborah Wilson, On The Island and All Points West

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