B.C. Fire Commissioner allows Victoria tent city to stay
Province is awaiting a ruling on its application for an injuction to close the homeless camp
B.C.'s fire commissioner has cancelled an order to dismantle the controversial homeless camp on the provincial courthouse lawn in Victoria.
"The fire commissioner's decision is based solely on decreased fire safety risk," said the B.C. Housing Ministry in a written statement.
"He expects that efforts continue to be made to bring the site into full compliance with the previous orders."
The Housing Ministry said the fire commissioner will continue inspections and the province continues to find housing for people at the site.
Last month the province applied for an injunction to forcibly close the tent city because the site wasn't in compliance with two fire safety orders issued in February and May.
The inspection report by fire commissioner Bob Cooper warned of life-threatening dangers at the homeless camp and said there had been a serious deterioration of safety conditions since his inspection earlier in May.
A ministry spokesperson said the province is still awaiting the judge's ruling on the injunction.
It's not the first time the province has sought an injunction to remove the camp. It tried in April but was unsuccessful. However, the province was allowed to go back to court if it felt safety and security had deteriorated.
Residents at the camp had fired back against the commissioner's destruction order, saying the measure was excessive and unreasonable.
The tent city, home to about 100 mostly-homeless campers, sprang up in the fall, and neighbours, the province, VicPD and fire officials have reported increasing concerns as the camp dragged on.