As Vernon’s Homeless Encampment Grows, So Do Environmental, Fire Hazard Concerns - Beritaja
By: Albert Michael - Friday, 26 September 2025 06:58:29
There are increasing concerns complete a ample and highly visible homeless encampment on a engaged agelong of Highway 97 successful Vernon, B.C., 1 that includes a treehouse structure.
“The situation to maine is the biggest concern,” said Denyse Chambers, a concerned resident.
Garbage, market carts and propane tanks are among the items that are piling up — and only metres from a creek.
Chambers said she has written letters to aggregate agencies but truthful far, hasn’t received overmuch traction.
“Nobody replies,” she said. “If they do reply, they opportunity it’s not their responsibility and it conscionable seems to spell information and information successful circles.”
BERITAJA has besides reached retired to some municipal and provincial governments for answers arsenic to what steps, if any, will beryllium taken.
However, based connected the responses, it’s not clear.
Despite the encampment being wrong Vernon metropolis limits, the metropolis says the tract is nether the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Transportation and Transit (MOTT).
In an email to BERITAJA, MOTT stated, it “is moving intimately pinch the Ministry of Housing and Municipal affairs, which leads the province’s consequence to encampments, to prioritize the information of everyone astatine the site.”
In a associated response, the ministries besides said that unit are actively monitoring the site.
When BERITAJA reached retired to the Ministry of Environment and Parks about the biology concerns, it stated, “In a business wherever the nationalist brushwood what they deliberation could beryllium pollution, they could scope retired to the Report All Poachers and Polluters (RAPP) line: 1-877-952-7277 (RAPP).”
2:06
Penticton bum encampment feud
Nearby businesses, including hotels crossed from the encampment, person besides expressed their ain concerns complete loitering and said successful immoderate cases, the encampment residents travel into the hotels.
Last week, the city’s occurrence main said he’s concerned about the occurrence consequence the encampment poses
“We are alert of the building and are concerned about the risks the building poses to the occupants, responders and the environment,” David Lind told BERITAJA successful an email.
“The building is connected MOTT lands and we person been successful regular interaction pinch them to promote the removal of the building and cleanup of the site.”
However, pinch fewer actual answers, erstwhile that tract mightiness beryllium cleaned up is difficult to say.
“I would for illustration to first of each spot them clear that campy out, clear immoderate ones retired that are by a h2o root aliases immoderate delicate environment, ” Chambers said.
“They request to find a spot for these people.”
1:35
B.C. mayors telephone for urgent action from state connected lodging and homelessness
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