Dallas Paulsen, who lives at the homeless camp in Nelson, says he has enough problems without people driving by and throwing rocks or worse.

乌鸦传媒淲e乌鸦传媒檝e had bear bangers launched at us, and fireworks,乌鸦传媒� he says. 乌鸦传媒淲e乌鸦传媒檝e had cars full of kids throwing rocks as they drive by, yelling out the windows.乌鸦传媒�

Paulsen says diesel trucks drive up the road and, when passing the camp, blow their horns and rev their engines.

Lucy (which is not her real name, at her request) lives in the woods near the camp. She says it乌鸦传媒檚 common to hear drivers screeching their tires in the middle of the night when she is trying to sleep.

乌鸦传媒淥ne night they came and tried to knock over the outhouse (a portable toilet provided by the city),乌鸦传媒� Lucy says.

But it乌鸦传媒檚 not all bad, says Paulsen, because a few people are supportive, bringing pizza or sandwiches to the camp.

The encampment has been a fixture in the woods between Government Road and Highway 3A in the Kootenays town for several years, with a mix of tents, tarps, shopping carts, personal belongings, and large collections of bottles and cans.

Chris Johnson, the City of Nelson乌鸦传媒檚 general manager of community planning, climate and infrastructure is the city乌鸦传媒檚 point person on issues related to homelessness. He wants people to be more respectful of the people living on Government Road.

He reports contractors dumping their construction garbage there. Someone dropped off an old freezer one day, he says.

In September, the city moved a group of about eight people out of a sheltered area they were occupying on Edgewood Avenue across Cedar Street from the Scout Hall.

Johnson says there were complaints from the residential neighbours about trespassing, noise, theft, and drug dealing, as well as break-ins and drug paraphernalia at the Scout Hall.

Asked if it was illegal to live in that public area on Edgewood, Johnson says, 乌鸦传媒淲e didn乌鸦传媒檛 explore the legality. What we were concerned with was, when people are tying criminal things back to that location and the people staying there, then that becomes a bigger issue.乌鸦传媒�

乌鸦传媒淲e reluctantly moved people along,乌鸦传媒� Johnson adds, 乌鸦传媒渦nderstanding that there乌鸦传媒檚 not really a lot of better options for them currently.乌鸦传媒�

Street outreach worker Jeremy Kelly says he and his colleagues helped the city with the eviction because the camp was not working for anyone. He said the occupants were given two weeks notice.

乌鸦传媒淏asically they were told they had to leave, and they understood that. They knew it wasn乌鸦传媒檛 working 乌鸦传媒� They just couldn乌鸦传媒檛 abide by good neighbour policy. And the city turned a blind eye for a really long time 乌鸦传媒� but it got out of hand.乌鸦传媒�

The street outreach workers told the Nelson Star that some of the campers from the Edgewood location may have moved to the Government Road location or to other locations in the city.

Winter shelter options

Where will people without homes in Nelson spend the winter?

There might be a limited number of beds at Stepping Stones, Kelly says, although many people are excluded from service there because of 乌鸦传媒渧arious acts of either violence or vandalism or threatening behaviour toward staff.乌鸦传媒�

Nelson CARES executive director Jac Nobiss said her organization is in discussions with the Nelson Committee on Homelessness about shelter for homeless people in the coming winter, but location and staffing are two obstacles.

Another possibility is 12 emergency weather beds 乌鸦传媒� sleeping mats on the floor with coffee in the morning 乌鸦传媒� available between 8 p.m. and 8 a.m., which last year were located at the St. Saviour乌鸦传媒檚 Pro-Cathedral. Kelly says various agencies are now looking for a new location for those beds while faced with staffing shortages.

The Government Road camp is one possibility.

The city, assisted by the street outreach workers, have put considerable effort into that location over the summer, responding to fire risk, providing a toilet, collecting garbage, and doing the occasional cleanup.

Paulsen says he appreciates this, but said it has not always gone well. On one of the days the Nelson Star visited the camp, there was a heated discussion between Paulsen and a city worker who was there to prepare for a garbage pickup later in the day. Paulsen accused the city of taking things that were not garbage in a recent cleanup, including furniture. The city worker apologized and pointed out a specific area where the garbage should be placed so it could be identified as such.

The outreach workers returned to the camp later that day to assist with this process.

What the city actually wants, Johnson says, only the province can provide: housing, mental health support, addiction support, and recovery services, considering that most of the people living outside in Nelson are dealing with addiction and/or mental health issues.

He points out that the only two overdose prevention sites in the Kootenay-Boundary region are in Nelson. He wants to see a regional approach with various services spread across the region, not just one community.

Family abuse

Lucy says she has been homeless off and on for three years. She has a home in a rural community nearby, 乌鸦传媒渂ut it乌鸦传媒檚 really abusive. So I run away and come here. I乌鸦传媒檇 rather be homeless than live at home. 乌鸦传媒� I know a lot of girls who are in the same situation.乌鸦传媒�

She has a tent a short distance from the camp, in the forest, but often visits the camp to eat and socialize. She says she doesn乌鸦传媒檛 like to live inside the camp 乌鸦传媒渂ecause of the mess乌鸦传媒� and because there is a lot of theft.

Living off to the side as she does, she says the people in the camp treat her well and she feels like it乌鸦传媒檚 a community.

乌鸦传媒淭here乌鸦传媒檚 bad apples, of course. But you can sense which ones aren乌鸦传媒檛 good to be around. And there乌鸦传媒檚 a lot of drug use. I use drugs too, but I乌鸦传媒檓 not on fentanyl. And it乌鸦传媒檚 scary. For a lot of these people, I want to be around them to make sure that they don乌鸦传媒檛 overdose.乌鸦传媒�

Paulsen agrees there is a sense of community but it only goes so far.

乌鸦传媒淎t the same time, if they乌鸦传媒檙e hurting and you have something shiny and expensive, chances are they乌鸦传媒檙e going to take it because they need dope.乌鸦传媒�

Paulsen says almost everyone there does fentanyl, but he does crystal meth.

He thinks the city should provide housing and sanitation services for homeless people.

Lucy dismisses this idea, saying that until the residents clean up the camp themselves, no one will want to help them.

乌鸦传媒淭he biggest beef I have is that it乌鸦传媒檚 just destroyed, you know, there乌鸦传媒檚 garbage everywhere. Joe Blow down the street, when he comes by, he乌鸦传媒檚 not going to say, 乌鸦传媒楬ey, let me help you.乌鸦传媒� They乌鸦传媒檙e not going to do that. Because they乌鸦传媒檙e angry. Nelson is a beautiful community.乌鸦传媒�

Lucy has lived outside in the winter before and is prepared to do so again.

乌鸦传媒淭he big one is staying dry and trying to keep warm, and not setting your tent on fire.乌鸦传媒�

Paulsen has lived in Nelson for 10 years and been homeless for three, and has lived at Government Road for a year.

He worked at two different coffee shops in the region, became homeless when COVID-19 shut everything down, and was never able to get back on his feet.

乌鸦传媒淚 like to make an honest living, and every time I just get pushed down, knocked around. Nothing ever works out for me.乌鸦传媒�

Johnson says he grew up in Nelson and has known some of the people in the camps for much of his life. In his interview with the Nelson Star he often came back to his annoyance at the rock-throwing and other abuse by people driving by the Government Road site.

乌鸦传媒淭reat them with respect,乌鸦传媒� he says. 乌鸦传媒淚 can乌鸦传媒檛 tell you how furious it makes me to hear some of that stuff that happens there.乌鸦传媒�

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