A north Okanagan grandmother is speaking out about a new homeless camping site in the linear park near Vernon’s 25 Ave., saying it’s unacceptably close to the home where her daughter and grandchildren live.
“She can’t let her kids outside,” Irene Carter told Global News. “You can’t sit on the stoop on a warm evening because it is wall to wall campers and they are not exactly sitting around the fireplace eating marshmallows.
“I’m concerned about the fact that they are using. Their crack pipes are out. Their needles are out.”
This summer, the City of Vernon wanted to stop a homeless camp in Polson Park from becoming permanent so it changed city bylaws to allow homeless people to camp in many city parks when they couldn’t access a shelter.
The new bylaw also required those campers to pack up their tents each morning.
However, that effort has just meant many campers have moved to other parts of town, including the linear park near Carter’s daughter’s home.
It’s prompted one neighbour to look at hiring private security for the area.
James Auger said private security would mean those who live in the area “are not having to step out and go, ‘Excuse me, can I ask you why you are urinating in my flower beds or stealing the planters?’”
Carter actually knows one of the homeless campers.
Teresa Williams went to school with Carter’s daughters and said she is staying at the linear park temporarily.
She broke down as she talked about her struggle with homelessness and pointed out that those sleeping outside are facing challenges of their own.
“A lot of people can’t get hired because of their disabilities or addiction,” Williams said.
“There [are] not enough beds in the shelter.”
Williams said she went through post-secondary education but had trouble finding a job because of a lack of experience.
Carter hopes the city will take action to move the homeless camp away from her family’s home.
“I don’t have any answers but I know this is wrong. It is not good for them either. Winter is coming,” said Carter.
Vernon Mayor Akbal Mund said the city recently met with the province to talk about the city’s homelessness problem.
“They are looking at more supportive housing. We are hopefully on that list,” he said.
Mund believes an announcement from the province about additional housing could come within the month.
In the meantime, however, the mayor is not interested in trying to move the homeless camp again.
“Then they are going to wind up at another location and I’m sure we are going to continue to hear the same comments from whatever other general area that they move to,” said Mund.
For now, the city’s bylaw department and the RCMP will continue to have a presence at the park.
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