Campers Finding New Sites

With enforcement into its third day for Vernon’s new bylaw banning camping in City parks during certain hours, that’s expected to push homeless residents to other areas of the city.

Temporary shelters have to be taken down between 9 am and 9 pm in city parks, with violators facing a fine and possible banishment from the park with repeated offences.

Mayor Akbal Mund says most campers who have been using Polson Park won’t want to be moving their stuff back and forth every day, and they will likely find new sites.

“I’m sure there are other properties in the community they will probably move to. Where? I’m not sure.”

Mund says some tents have gone up on provincial land just off the highway across from Vernon Toyota.

“In speaking with bylaws, a few have gone over there. That’s on Ministry of Transportation property.”

After touring the site in Polson Park on Tuesday, the mayor says most people have been compliant with the new bylaw.

“We have bylaw and RCMP (officers) there just to make sure there are no issues, and there haven’t been.  Everybody has been compliant with what we’ve set forth,” Mund tells Kiss FM.

The city has also been cleaning up abandoned camps and removing other garbage from the site in Polson Park, which is expected to cost 15-thousand dollars.