The man who has lived in Stanley Park for more than 30 years is being evicted.
Vancouver Park Board crews spent most of Tuesday removing debris from Christenson Bailey’s forest home, where he has been set up since 1990.
Everything about Bailey’s campsite was simple yet functional when Global News first met him.
Most of it was constructed using old fishing nets and ropes discarded from nearby marinas. The layers of tarps kept it waterproof and he had a small wooden box for essential supplies such as flashlights, loaves of bread, and a charging pack for his phone.
To protect from the elements, he had a blanket and four sleeping bags — good for “20 below,” he said.
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The encampment took up less space than a camper trailer.
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But Bailey is now in his 70s and Park Board crews say that Stanley Park’s looper moth infestation doesn’t offer him as much protection from the trees anymore.
“We had given the individual lots of opportunity to find space, and we’ll continue to do that,” Amit Gandha, the Vancouver Park Board parks director, said.
“But we had given notice that we needed to move on this. We’re talking truckloads and truckloads, where there’s going to be so much debris, and some of it, we don’t even know what the materials are, so we’re kind of going through that piece as well at the park.”
Housing options have been presented to Bailey over the years, but it is unclear at this time where he will end up living.
Bailey declined to speak on camera on Tuesday, but remained in the park to watch the dismantling of his long-term home.
Ok when some “camper” in the park accidently sets it on fire this conversation won’t be about homeless rights or living your best/worst life. 30 years living in what has become a garbage dump, why was he not helped to make a transition long before this. Every few years there has been a story on this fellow living in the park and not wanting to move. But then radio silence.
I salute him. He did what a lot of folks would love to do, myself included, but didn’t have the guts. Hope he adjust to living indoors. Bless him.
Suprised the government didnt buy a penthouse suite for them..
Get a life Carrol I work everyday and pay my taxes which go to funding bums like this. You wanna reward people for being homeless
Bring your wallet to hasting and fund them yourself
JV your trash.
Maybe a gofundme page type of thing would benefit him. He should be set up in a great apartment with room for him to work at his art and art supplies. The city should give him a these things as a tribute.
Bob Kull and MD,
I agree with both of your comments.
What a shame that he’s lived that long in the park and now at his age they decide they want him out.
I hope he’s well enough to continue on his journey to where it comfortably suits him.
Saved at least half a million on rent. Should consider giving back to society a bit.
38% of homeless are FN JV.
Sorry Bud. 30 years of living free was a bonus few of us have enjoyed. I lived in a 16 foot trailer in the Kootenays for 9 years while working a government union job on a local river ferry. I moved to the Slocan Valley in 2016, bought a house for cash and retired at 57 with cash in the bank, a govt pension and a RRSP/RIFF. I hope you were smart enough to do similar. But I doubt it. Vancouver sucks.
Of course it’s a white guy
Hi, Please send this mesaage to Chris, It seems to me that he pretty much like outdoors, but, of course we have very strict rules of this lifestyle in this country. I wonder if he likes the tropics. I have pretty good enough to offer back in the Philippines for him that fits his lifestyle. Let’s talk this is not a scam, all I want to do is to help solve a problem one day at a time, I’m not rich, I just have enough and a little to spare, I’m retired too, and this second country of mine is very good to me. Let’s talk. Sincerely. Thank you.
Note to self… Don’t advertise the location of your homeless encampment to the public and the government
To all you people with no empathy or compassion for homeless people remember it can happen to anyone especially with the cost of living going on for the last 3 years what if you suddenly got laid off and lost your job what a shame that this is such a heartless society
Sad that it has taken 30 years to get a vagrant out of the city park. – Can I break the laws for 30 years without any penalties?
About time! This guy should have been evicted years ago. If he can live there for 30 years, then why can’t other people? Why not allow thousands of other homeless to live in Stanley Park? The Park is not a homeless camp.
Send him back to Toronto.
I hate the lack of respect our society has for the homeless.
I’m tired of taking my children out on weekends, going to parks and I have to safe guard them. These people are unpredictable. We need mental health supervised institutions where they can get proper treatment. If you are living outside anywhere during the winter then these individuals need help.
Good, get them all out.
This Elder never bothered anyone. He’s lived there so long. Leave him be. Let him live out his life in the Wilderness park. When he passes away, then go in and clean it up.
Self-satisfied busybody government meddlers. Who was he hurting? Let the man live and die in peace, then you can go in and clean up his trash.
Sincerely, good luck