On Sept. 29, 2026, South Nanaimo resident Mike Gogo said a nearby encampment has been there for almost two decades and poses a fire risk.
The Story
Concerns are growing in South Nanaimo over a nearby encampment that neighbours say has been in place for almost two decades.
Mike Gogo, who runs Gogo’s Christmas Tree Farm, said the encampment is about four miles away from his property and that “People are afraid to go up there and it is not a good scene.”
Gogo said the property off Nanaimo Lakes Road is not accessible from the road, but video taken by a drone shows campers, vehicles and what appears to be piles of debris littering the area.
He called the situation “It’s a terrible fire hazard,” and said the absence of complaints since 2019 does not mean it should be left unaddressed.
According to the Regional District of Nanaimo, there was an active file on the property between 2014 and 2019, but nothing since.
Gogo said he has not yet lodged a formal complaint, but would like the regional district to deal with the issue, adding, “They should come in there and clean it up,” and arguing that “whatever the cost is, shouldn’t come out of the public purse. It should come out of the owner of the property; that’s only fair.”
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