Vancouver police are taking a wait-and-see approach to a new homeless camp that sprung up this weekend.
The encampment, now about a dozen tents large, has been set up in a parking lot owned by the Port of Vancouver next to CRAB Park.
A spokesperson for the Port of Vancouver said the campers were trespassing and had been notified that they need to leave.
The port says it is also in contact with police.
“For now, we are monitoring the situation and will continue to work with our provincial partners,” said Vancouver police spokesperson Const. Tania Visintin.
Homeless advocate Chrissy Brett said Saturday the encampment, dubbed Namegans Nation 2.0, was a response to the province clearing out the long-running homeless camp at Oppenheimer Park.
READ MORE: ‘The park is going to close:’ B.C. to Vancouver homeless campers who refuse COVID-19 housing
Namegans is a reference to a 2018 Victoria-area homeless camp that was forced to move locations several times.
The province says about 265 people from the Oppenheimer camp were moved to temporary housing, and that housing had been offered to all residents.
On Saturday, Brett accused the government of moving only to house “the most visible” and not the most vulnerable people.
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