B.C. government wins injunction to dismantle Penticton’s Fairview homeless encampment

The Story

Residents at Penticton’s Fairview homeless encampment say they face an uncertain future after the B.C. government secured a court injunction to dismantle the site.

In granting the injunction on Monday, B.C. Supreme Court Justice Breanna Hardwick ruled the location represents a significant and ongoing public safety risk and is unsuitable for outdoor sheltering. The encampment is on Ministry of Transportation land between Highway 97 and Ellis Creek.

The roughly one dozen people living at the encampment have until noon Friday to leave the site. One resident, Casper, said she does not know where she will go next and described repeatedly having to move belongings to find temporary places to stay.

Casper said the site’s residents have been affected by safety concerns that have grown over the past two years, including repeated fires. The evidence provided notes multiple recent fires, including a large one in May that produced black smoke, and a fire last year that spread to the nearby Leisureland RV Centre, destroying two recreational vehicles.

Luke Bradley, who operates Inland Truck and Equipment, said he hopes dismantling the site will help address concerns about property crime and fires affecting nearby businesses. Penticton’s outgoing mayor, Julius Bloomfield, said the injunction may offer relief for businesses but warned there is not enough shelter space available. He said dismantling the encampment does not solve homelessness, only moves where it occurs.

Casper said she plans to resist the eviction. She stated she would not leave without being handcuffed and arrested, saying she believes that approach could draw attention to the situation.