The city of Kelowna closed a growing tent city in the city center on Tuesday morning and informed the people living there that they can set up camp in two parks a few kilometers away.
Buses and police arrived at the camp on Leon Avenue Tuesday morning to help people move their belongings to two parks on the north end of town outside the city center, where portable toilets have been set up and people can store their belongings while of the day.
Corporations in downtown Kelowna have been putting increasing pressure on the city to find a solution to the homelessness problem, similar to other downtown areas that are also dealing with the problem.
Kelowna’s shelters are full, which led the city to designate Leon Avenue as a place where people could legally pitch tents earlier this year. The fire brigade has now classified the camp as “too dangerous”, which prompted the move to the two designated parks on Tuesday.
People are no longer allowed to sleep in tents on Leon Avenue.
Police and city workers helped people on Leon Avenue on Tuesday pack their belongings to move to two parks where the city allows them to sleep in tents at night. (Brady Strachan / CBC)
The early morning announcement came as a surprise to the people who lived in the camp as well as the people who lived near the two parks near Knox Mountain. Some said the city is only moving the problem from one part of the city to another.
“It’s not a solution to a problem. It just transfers it to us,” said Brent Smith, owner of Knox Mountain Market, which is located near both parks.
Camping is now permitted in a designated area at the base of Knox Mountain Park near Poplar Point Road and in a park just off Recreation Avenue in a gated area behind the Kelowna Curling Club.
No tents had been pitched at the Knox Mountain site by Tuesday night, as everyone had chosen to pitch tents behind the Kelowna Curling Club, which is a mile closer to Leon Avenue, said city security director Darren Caul.
However, many residents of Knox Mountain Park are concerned about the possibility of a tent city in their local park.
Almost 40 people who live in the area showed up Tuesday evening to protest the move. Most say they are upset about the lack of advice.
‘It’s not a solution to a problem. It just transfers it to us, ”said Brent Smith, owner of Knox Mountain Market, which is located near both parks where people are being relocated. (Brady Strachan / CBC)
People who camp in the parks have to dismantle their tents and store their belongings during the day.
Both parks are about a 30-minute walk from Leon Avenue, which is where many of the city’s support services and shelters are – like the Gospel Mission and Cornerstone.
Distance from these services is a concern for some homeless people.
“”[Leon Avenue] is the only place I can shower every two or three days, where I can have my meals and stay warm during the winter day, “said Rick Calvert as he packed his tent on Tuesday Kelowna fell to -8 ° C.
The city says they moved people who slept in tents on Leon Avenue for security reasons. (Brady Strachan / CBC)
The city and the fire department said the move was necessary for safety reasons.
Travis Whiting, Kelowna fire chief, said in a statement that the close grouping of tents was of particular concern in connection with the observed use of unsafe heaters on Leon Avenue.
The city hopes the parks will allow more space between the tents and reduce the risk of fire between them.
Homeless people pitched their tents in the park behind the Kelowna Curling Club Tuesday afternoon after moving from Leon Avenue. (Brady Strachan / CBC)
About 20 people lived in tents on downtown street during the summer, but the number recently peaked at over 100, Caul said.
Despite the funds available from BC Housing, the city has still not found a location for winter shelter. The city said in a press release that BC law requires people to have temporary night shelters in designated parks or public spaces when there isn’t enough housing or shelter for the homeless.
Gary Baker, who lived in the Leon Avenue warehouse, believes moving will make everyone safer and being able to lock things up at work will help.
“I think it’s for the best,” he told CBC’s Brady Strachan. “We’ll be farther apart. So if a fire breaks out in a tent, none of us get it. We all have propane tanks in our tents.
Neighborhood protest
A combination of security guards, statutes and RCMP will patrol the area. Two security personnel monitor the locations daily between 6:00 p.m. and 10:00 a.m.
Nearly 40 people who live in the Knox Mountain area gathered Tuesday evening to protest against the city, which allowed homeless people to set up camp in the neighborhood. (Chris Walker / CBC) 
Some people at the protest brought signs like this one. (Chris Walker / CBC)
Nolan Hyde, who has lived in the neighborhood for a year and a half, told CBC earlier in the day that the news was unexpected.
“We had people, passing people, doing weird things at Knox Mountain Park all summer. It’s just scary,” he said. “Everyone freaked out.”
Caul said the move to the parks is a temporary solution and the city’s priority is to work with BC Housing to build more supportive housing units for 150 more people by 2021.
