Vancouver police and city staff attempted to clear tents and structures from a portion of the Downtown Eastside on Wednesday, as temperatures hovered around zero.
Police could be seen at the corner of East Hastings and Columbia streets throughout the afternoon, as city staff filled garbage bins with belongings and debris from the encampment.
In a statement, the City of Vancouver explained that the measure was to help reduce fire risks and clear obstructions from the sidewalk that are blocking building entrances.
"Staff are enforcing the Street and Traffic Bylaw 2849, Section 71A, which prohibits the accumulation of structures and personal belongings on sidewalks,” read the statement.
“The work is critical in terms of addressing the Fire Chief’s order, addressing life safety risk and returning the street to diverse activities” the city added.
Back in July, Vancouver’s fire chief, Karen Fry, issued that order in response to an inspection of the Hastings Street encampment, which found an “accumulation of combustible materials against buildings,” among other fire hazards—plus restricted access for fire crews.
The order called for tents, structures, or tents to be removed from the sidewalk, which Fry says could impede firefighter duties.
According to a city report last month, there are 83 structures along East Hastings, which is down from 180 in August.
Ryan Sudd, an organizer with Stop the Sweeps Coalition, told CTV News on Wednesday evening that he believes the city has recently increased its enforcement of the bylaw.
“I think they're interested in clearing the street for political purposes,” said Sudd.
He says on Wednesday, residents stood their ground and demanded long-term housing options, which may have resulted in limited items being removed from the area.
According to the city, staff only impounded material for one structure, which will be stored for 30 days.
In the statement, The city explained that anyone who has their structures removed is offered access to shelter spaces, or available SRO spaces, with work is underway to develop more permanent solutions through provincial partnerships.
“The City and BC Housing continue to work with our partners on a variety of options to meet the needs of individuals experiencing homelessness in Vancouver, including longer term options, such as the expedited creation of more social and supportive housing,” according to the statement.
