Conditional injunction approved to decamp Oppenheimer Park tent city

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – The Vancouver Park Board is getting serious about clearing out Oppenheimer Park.

Commissioners have agreed to seek a court injunction to get dozens of homeless campers to move along, but only once a number of conditions have been met.

They include a third-party assessment of the camp and how it could be made safer for those who have chosen to live there.

The review is also expected to help identify how best to provide support to those living at Oppenheimer Park, and how to help them find appropriate shelter as part of the “decampment plan.”

“This work will be done with a commitment to the principles of reconciliation and in consultation with those in the park,” the Park Board says.

Staff have also been asked to “deepen existing partnerships between the City, BC Housing, and the Park Board.”

Only after conditions are met will the Park Board be allowed to seek an injunction, the board adds.

“While we know this will take time, I am optimistic that we have developed a plan to improve conditions for people experiencing homelessness in Oppenheimer Park and to move toward a safe resolution to the current encampment in the park,” said Stuart Mackinnon, Park Board Chair. “The Board is committed to enacting a compassionate and holistic approach to this difficult and complicated challenge that touches everyone in our community.”

In September, the Park Board voted against a court injunction to clear out the camp, instead of voting to help find better housing for those living in the tents.

That came after the Vancouver Police Department cited safety concerns in and around the park that same month.