Those supporting the homeless campers in Goldstream Park are calling on the province to unlock the gates.
In a news release Alliance Against Displacement argues locking the gates has kept the homeless isolated from help. They say people trying to bring food have been denied entry and turned away.
Morgan Van Humbeck has recently joined the campers, and says residents at a town hall meeting were supportive of campers moving across the street to a different site -- but because they are locked in -- they can't:
" The only thing stopping it right now is essentially the Ministry of Parks. If they could open that gate we would have 2 dozens trucks, 50 people, all down there helping to make this happen."
Humbeck says the idea had widespread support at a weekend town hall:
" We would absolutely just love to just do as the community seems to unanimously wants and just be across the street. Everybody wants that. And if that could just happen in the next few days, the will is there, and it would be amazing."
The campground was closed out of concern for public safety last week after up to 30 homeless people who had been evicted from properties in Saanich moved to the park.
The Alliance Against Displacement accuses the province and police of whipping up an anti-homeless and anti-Indigenous frenzy, playing on the public’s already hostile attitude.