Town proceeds with trailer eviction

After losing a legal battle against the Town of Souris, P.E.I., Henry Jarvis has to be out of the Souris Trailer Park by the end of this month.

'I'm hoping that at the last minute there's somebody out there that has a little piece of land.' — Anne MacPhee, Souris Trailer Park

The town is enforcing a bylaw that prohibits older-style mobile homes from moving into the park, and a judge has issued an order evicting Jarvis. He must be out by May 1, but he has nowhere to go.

"I've been looking at trying to track down people for land and not getting along very good at it," Jarvis told CBC News Friday.

"I never really got into looking at apartments because I still have to get rid of this [trailer]. If I have to leave, I might as well leave with it."

Jarvis has been fighting to stay in the park for nearly two years. He has had the support of Souris Trailer Park owner Anne McPhee, who wanted to keep him as a tenant. She took the matter to the Island Regulatory and Appeals Commission on Jarvis's behalf in the fall of 2008.

She lost that fight, and failed in her efforts to get the bylaw changed.

"I think we've pretty much exhausted every option that we know of," said McPhee.

"I'm hoping that at the last minute there's somebody out there that has a little piece of land that Henry can put his trailer [on] and set up his home there and be close to his family and get on with his life."

If Jarvis doesn't remove his trailer from the park by May 1 the town said it will do it for him, and send Jarvis a bill for the cost.

Jarvis said that is another expense he simply can't afford.