B.C. Supreme Court rules to clear CRAB Park homeless camp

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) — Dozens of homeless campers could soon be kicked off private property near Vancouver’s CRAB Park.

A B.C. Supreme Court ruling Wednesday sides with the Vancouver Port Authority, which owns the private property.

Chief Justice Christopher Hinkson says people illegally living in that space have no right to be there, and has ordered them to pack up their belongings and clear out.

However, he did not include an enforcement order in his decision.

“Thus, while I accept that this Court has the power to grant a police enforcement order if the circumstances require, it is my view that enforcement orders ought to be made only in extraordinary circumstances,” Hinkson writes the ruling. “Such an order, in this case, is unnecessary because of the advice of the Chief Constable of the Vancouver Police Department. I will, therefore, decline to include such a term in my order.”

Chrissy Brett, a defendant in the case, says she’s disappointed with the outcome of the court ruling.

She says she’s unsure what will happen next, but she proposed setting up another encampment outside the B.C. Supreme Court.

The injunction was sought in May shortly after the camp was set up.

It came as Oppenheimer Park was evacuated and people were mostly moved into housing options set up by the province in hopes of preventing an outbreak of COVID-19.

Nearly 300 people were living in the park when the province ordered it cleared on April 25, according to estimates from advocates.

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