City of Prince George applies to close court-protected homeless encampment

The City of Prince George in north-central B.C. has applied to the courts in a bid to close a homeless encampment in the Moccasin Flats area, in what is the latest chapter in a long-running dispute.

An encampment on Lower Patricia Boulevard was first established in the spring of 2021 on city-owned land, at an empty dirt lot between an industrial yard and a steep hill leading to a residential neighbourhood.

In August of that year, the city asked for an injunction to remove over 50 campers there, citing public safety risk and the need to enforce city bylaws on overnight camping.

But in October 2021, the B.C. Supreme Court issued an order stating that residents could stay "absent other suitable housing and daytime facilities."

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As winter sets in, a group of volunteers are building insulated shelters at a homeless camp in northern B.C., despite a warning from the city that the activity is illegal.

The encampment has remained on site, and even survived a partial demolition in November 2021, which the city subsequently apologized for. The city said in the court filing that it has been building up supportive housing since then in order to satisfy the court's conditions.

Now, the city has once again applied to the Supreme Court for an order that would allow it to close the encampment, arguing the supportive housing in Prince George now exceeds the requirements set out in the 2021 decision.

"We are confident that the housing and supports which [B.C.] Housing and its partners have made available to individuals currently sheltering at the [encampment] will assist them in establishing a path out of homelessness," reads a statement from Eric Depenau, the city's director of administrative services.

According to the city's court filing, 44 residents were still living at the encampment in May 2024, but 43 of them have since found suitable housing or otherwise left. As of Feb. 6, one resident, Bel Johnny — who's been there since the beginning — remained. 

However, the city's filing suggests that a couple of other people are also presently living at the camp. The city claims that in addition to Johnny, two to four residents, whose names it doesn't know, have either refused to engage with staff, refused housing or are scheduled to move.

The city argues that the October 2021 court protection granted to the camp was made with particular circumstances in mind, including a harsh winter at the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic when the city lacked appropriate indoor shelter. The order, says the city, was not intended to give residents an indefinite occupation of the area.

"The City Lands are presently strewn with refuse and abandoned items, are in a fouled and unsafe condition, and require cleaning and remediation," the court filing reads.

The city is now seeking injunctions and orders that would allow it to remove the camp, while also offering residents some time to remove their belongings beforehand.

None of the city's claims have been proven in court.