Victoria's Topaz Park may become permanent homeless camp

Homeless people in Victoria could have a more permanent place to set up camp starting this fall.

The City of Victoria is looking intosetting up what some are calling a tent city in a local park. Topaz Park, which isjust north of downtown,is at thetop of the list.

The goal is toestablish an official place for homeless people to campwhere they could leave their tents up all day.

In 2009, theB.C. Court of Appeal ruled homeless peoplehad the right to camp in parks if there are no shelter beds available.

But in Victoria,tents have to be removed during the day.

Details of how the city will manage the tent site are still in the works.

"To make a tent city operate there have to be a lot of standards of behaviour, a lot of rules," said Coun.GeoffYoung.

"It will take a lot of services,in terms of not just water, sewer, etc,but also people tomanage it."

Young says the local community will be consulted.

GoogleMaps: Topaz Park, Victoria