While the B.C. Supreme Court has ruled a complete ban on overnight sheltering in parks violates the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, it is still possible to forbid homeless camps on a site-by-site basis, one B.C. community has determined.
In Langley City, a second site is about to become off-limits, with overnight camping banned in Rotary Centennial Park off 208th Street and Fraser Highway.
A proposed ban was given preliminary approval by council during their June 10 meeting, who passed it unanimously with no discussion.
After the high court ruled against a ban on overnight sheltering in parks, a number of municipalities adopted bylaws that allow camping in parks, but set limits on how long individuals may use the parks for overnight stays, as well as prohibiting overnight stays in specific parks that are determined to be 乌鸦传媒渋nappropriate乌鸦传媒� for that purpose.
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When Langley City council banned overnight camping in Douglas Park last year, it noted the park was next to a school.
In the case of Rotary Centennial Park, issues cited include the park乌鸦传媒檚 proximity to high density housing 乌鸦传媒渋ncluding low-income families with children who play in the park乌鸦传媒� as well as the large number of Syrian refugees who live in the neighbourhood and are described as 乌鸦传媒渧ulnerable with limited English language skills.乌鸦传媒�
It was welcome news to those who use or live near Rotary, but one of the people who camp there said the ban will mean one less safe place for her to sleep at night.
Josey, who did not want to give her last name, said Rotary was a preferred place to camp because it is away from traffic, which meant homeless were less likely to attract unwelcome attention.
She has been evicted from the park more than once.
乌鸦传媒淎nywhere there乌鸦传媒檚 any kind of popular gathering place [for homeless] they will ban it,乌鸦传媒� Josey said.
Rather than moving homeless people around by imposing camping bans, she would like to have a place where camping is allowed.
乌鸦传媒淭ell us where to go and we乌鸦传媒檒l go there,乌鸦传媒� Josey said.
Josey gave her age as 61 and estimated she has been homeless for four years.
乌鸦传媒淚 was a businessperson,乌鸦传媒� she said.
乌鸦传媒淸Now] all I do every day is move my stuff and try to stay ahead of the bylaw [officers],乌鸦传媒� Josey related.
乌鸦传媒淭he average person is just one paycheque away from where I am.乌鸦传媒�
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Doreen Mercer, a disabled woman in a wheelchair whose apartment faces the park, said she has made as many as 80 calls in a year about bad behaviour by homeless people.
乌鸦传媒淲e乌鸦传媒檝e got one guy who comes around here and he trips out something fierce,乌鸦传媒� Mercer recounted.
乌鸦传媒淚乌鸦传媒檝e seen him do a strip tease and run around naked. We乌鸦传媒檝e got kids here. They don乌鸦传媒檛 need to see it.乌鸦传媒�
Mercer said her husband, who is blind, uses the park every day and she acts as his spotter, telling him where the homeless are so he can avoid them.
乌鸦传媒淗e almost tripped over a lady who was crashed on the sidewalk,乌鸦传媒� Mercer described.
A hypodermic syringe has been found in the children乌鸦传媒檚 play park, and the public bathroom has been closed, with massive concrete blocks installed in front of the doors, because homeless people were sleeping in it, she said.
A water fountain was taken out, and residents of her housing complex have had their garbage gone through with waste strewn all over.
乌鸦传媒淚 realize they乌鸦传媒檝e got to have somewhere to stay,乌鸦传媒� Mercer continued.
乌鸦传媒淕et a big hunk of land, fence it off, put in a picnic shelter, cement benches and tables and let them have their tents out there.乌鸦传媒�
Peter Sinclair, a park regular, said the homeless haven乌鸦传媒檛 bothered him, but their numbers can be substantial.
乌鸦传媒淚乌鸦传媒檝e seen, like, 20 of them. They got their little pup tents. The police will shoo them away, then, two days later, they乌鸦传媒檙e back,乌鸦传媒� Sinclair related.
乌鸦传媒淵ou do see some needles occasionally.乌鸦传媒�
Isaac Dobal, who lives nearby, said he often sees campers sleeping in the park when he walks through it on his way to work in the morning.
He hasn乌鸦传媒檛 had any problems.
乌鸦传媒淭hey乌鸦传媒檙e always good,乌鸦传媒� Dobal noted.
乌鸦传媒淚 personally think if they乌鸦传媒檙e not littering, if they乌鸦传媒檙e not bothering anybody or making noise [there乌鸦传媒檚 no reason to move them].乌鸦传媒�
Another park regular, Dennis St. Pierre said he has 乌鸦传媒渘o problems乌鸦传媒� with the homeless, but he does look carefully before he sits on the grass to avoid needles.
A mother with young children, who lives near the park, reported finding needles and drug paraphernalia.
乌鸦传媒淚乌鸦传媒檓 not anti-homeless, just anti-drugs in the park where children are playing,乌鸦传媒� said the woman, who asked not to be identified.
乌鸦传媒淣ot all homeless are malicious, but you can乌鸦传媒檛 pick and choose.乌鸦传媒�
A second mom was pleased to hear about the impending ban.
乌鸦传媒淭hat would be great,乌鸦传媒� said the woman, who also insisted on remaining anonymous.
乌鸦传媒淢y five-year-old found a needle,乌鸦传媒� she said.
乌鸦传媒淚 feel bad for the homeless people, but I don乌鸦传媒檛 want it here.乌鸦传媒�
A visitor who often babysits her grandchildren said she can hear them yelling at night, but during the day she has witnessed others trying to tidy up.
乌鸦传媒淭here乌鸦传媒檚 one homeless guy with a dog, who is out here cleaning up,乌鸦传媒� she said. 乌鸦传媒淗e乌鸦传媒檚 such a sweet man.乌鸦传媒�
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Francis Cheung, Langley City chief administrative officer, said the costs of homelessness to the City, in terms of cleanups, repairs and other expenses is 乌鸦传媒渟till quite significant.乌鸦传媒�
乌鸦传媒淲e have, unfortunately, seen an increase in the number of homeless people in the community,乌鸦传媒� Cheung said.
In a report to council, City community safety manager Dave Selvage said in 2018, the City spent $85,000 on homeless-related costs. In the first three months of 2019, it spent nearly $14,000.
According to the 2017 homeless count, 206 homeless people were living in the Langley area.
Selvage said the current number is likely higher by 50 to 100 people.
Last year, there was a jump in the number of reports to the City about homeless people, from a little more than 2,700 in 2017, to a little more than 4,000 in 2018.
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Email: dan.ferguson@langleyadvancetimes.com
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