By The Canadian Press

B.C. government in Supreme Court seeking to shut down Victoria’s homeless camp

Mar 11, 2016 | 3:19 PM

VICTORIA — British Columbia government lawyers were in court Friday arguing to remove a homeless camp on the grounds of the Victoria’s law courts, saying the tent city is smoky, messy and scary.

The provincial government is seeking an injunction in B.C. Supreme Court to shut down the camp that has seen more than 100 people living in tents on the courthouse lawn since last spring. The hearing is scheduled to last three days.

Homeless people from the camp packed the courtroom and at one point turned their backs on Chief Justice Christopher Hinkson when he entered the court.

One of the province’s highest ranking judges permitted some courtroom spectators, most of whom were from the homeless camp, to ask questions and make statements from the floor, which caused the hearing to resemble a public hearing.

Jesika Knutson, who was not called to testify as a witness, spoke to the court while the Crown was outlining housing options the government has made available to the campers.

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She said she left the camp to live in a government shelter that was a former youth jail, but the building is undergoing renovations and she’s sleeping in a government-provided tent on the jail grounds.

“I’m still outside in a tent,” said Knutson. “They are moving slowly.”

The injunction application says people living in the camp are trespassing and have defied requests and orders to leave the property, despite the government offering other housing.

It alleges the campers have compromised health and safety in the area by creating fire hazards, defecating in and around the camp, leaving used needles and syringes in the area, and engaging in criminal activity, such as drug trafficking.

Crown lawyer Tyna Mason said the camp is not sustainable as a long-term housing option and it poses health and safety risks. She said people in the neighbourhood complain about smoke from fires while others say they are afraid to access the courthouse.

“The lawn at the courthouse has been completely destroyed,” she said. “The tent city has dominated the space.”

The B.C. government estimated it will cost $350,000 to clean up and restore the site.

Victoria city bylaws permit camping overnight in parks if shelters are full, but require people to pack up every morning. The courthouse lawn is provincial property and not subject to the city bylaw, which saw the homeless set up more permanent living arrangements on the property.

Mason said the government has provided housing for every camp resident, turning a Boys and Girls Club, seniors residence and the youth jail into homeless shelters.

Hinkson said shelters that don’t provide health treatment are “not much of an option.”

Lawyers for the tent city campers said the residents have been working co-operatively with police and fire officials and everybody will be better off if the camp is permitted to continue to exist.

Dirk Meissner, The Canadian Press