There was a heavy RCMP and city bylaw presence at Kelowna, B.C.’s tent city Wednesday morning as residents sheltering on site woke up to some major changes.
“We woke up and the fence was around us, all the way around the entirety of this place,” said tent city resident Blake Mercury.
The city conducts a deep clean of the encampment every spring, but this operation is unlike any other and it caught the roughly 90 people there off guard.
“We were literally given no notice,” said Mercury.
In addition to the fencing, the changes also include 24-7 on-site security and a stamp system, which will require tent city residents to show their stamp to re-enter the site.
“It’s a little messed up if you ask me. It’s wrong,” Mercury said. “Visiting friends and people who would like to bring food and other donations also have real reasons to be here and they are now shut out so they are basically cutting us off from the rest of the city”
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The city held a news conference as the clean=up operation got underway, saying the enhanced measures are necessary for everyone’s safety.
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“We have heard from those staying at the site and also from those who have refused to stay at the site from across the city that they have not felt safe at times due to external criminal activity and other on-site dynamics, including violence between site users,” said Kevin Mead, bylaw services manager for the City of Kelowna.
Tensions between bylaw officers and tent city residents have increased in recent weeks.
Wednesday’s site clean-up further escalated emotions as several arrests were made.
According to police, one arrest involved an alleged assault on a bylaw officer, while the other involved a person uttering threats.
At least one resident’s dog was seen taken away.
Mead said none of the residents are being displaced but some of the tents are being dismantled.
“There are some massive structures that are out there and it is 100 per cent unsafe for first responders to get in there,’ Mead said.
It’s not exactly known when the fencing will come down.
The city would not provide a timeline other than to say it will be re-assessed in the weeks and months ahead.
The clean-up itself is expected to last one week.
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