Residents of Squamish municipal campground face imminent eviction

The few people still living at the Brennan Park municipal campground in Squamish have been told by police they'll be evicted on Tuesday, according to an advocate for people living in vehicles in the area.

Thomasina Pidgeon, co-director of Vehicle Residents of Squamish, said Monday night there were still five people and a dog living at the park, which has served as home for as many as 34 people at a time.

The campground was made available for people living in vans, trailers, and RVsand other vehicles, as the district of Squamishstruggled to address the issue of increasingnumbers of people living around town in their vehicles in recent years.

According to Pidgeon, the park has running water and portable toilets for the residents, but the district said in a written statement that the site is unsuitable for winter use and residents were told in October they would have to leave.

The majority of residents have left, the statement said.

"Those who needed support were connected to outreach workers from Squamish Helping Hands and Sea to Sky Community Services who provided information, service connections and necessities for those willing to accept it,"the statement said, which was sent in response to a CBC News request for an interview with Squamish Mayor Karen Elliott.

Pidgeonsaid most of the people who have left the park now live in their vehicles in other parts of town.They would be happy to move back to the campground, she said, where there was a monthly fee of $200 for people living on assistance or CERB.

"A lot of people really liked it, it was like a community there for them and there was a lot of support. They had access to water and toilets," she said, adding that they felt as though they belonged without the stigma many people face when living in vehicles.

According to the district, there are only three residentsremaining at the campground and one of them has agreed to a plan to move out.

A spokesperson was notable to confirm reports that SquamishRCMPtold campers they would be forced out on Tuesday.

"We are getting close to a hard deadlineof them having to leave due to the deterioration of the site condition," the district said.

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