Bylaw banning daytime camping in Victoria parks back in force

Sheltering in a Victoria, B.C., park in a tent or other structure during the daytime is once again illegal.

As of Saturday, May 1, the city has reinstated its bylaw that bans daytime camping in city parks.

City council approved the move in March, after the province agreed it would make shelter or housing space available to anyone who was sheltering in a park or ravine.

2:42 Vancouver’s Strathcona Park homeless encampment finally cleared out

While the bylaw is back in force, the city said it won’t be enforcing it on everyone immediately.

As people transition to indoor housing spaces, the city says anyone who is signed up for a shelter space will be allowed to stay in a local park all day until their space is ready.

The city, along with the province and bc housing, are working to deliver more than 220 transitional housing spaces for Victoria’s homeless population.

Get breaking National news

For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen.

Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up

By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.

Anyone who chose not to sign up for an indoor shelter must pack up their tents between 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Victoria’s Beacon Hill Park has been the site of a tent encampment of homeless people that has grown during the pandemic, bringing with it crime and community resentment.

— with files from the Canadian Press