Halifax-area man ordered to leave RV can stay — for now

The Halifax municipality has reversed a decision that would have seen a man and his dog lose their housing.

Matthieu Tetreault has been living in the RV and small attached addition on his mother's property in Wellington, a rural community just north of Fall River in the Halifax Regional Municipality, since last summer.

After a recent complaint, HRM staff issued Tetreault a letter saying his setup was breaking the local land-use bylaw and he had to leave by Feb. 2.

But on Tuesday, HRM staff emailed Tetreault to say they had suspended the order and he could stay for at least the next few months.

Tetreault said many people have told him they wrote to the municipality or their councillor about his case, and he's seen many comments in his favour on social media.

"It's almost overwhelming. I mean, I'm definitely grateful for the support. It's definitely helping a lot," Tetreault said Thursday.

Halifax spokesperson Brynn Budden said in an email to CBC that the order was suspended in light of the pending staff report on whether Halifax should allow RVs for residential use, expected later this year. She also said staff determined safety concerns with the RV had been resolved.

An email from Halifax planning staff to Tetreault's mother said the report on RV bylaw changes is expected to come to regional council in October.

"If that doesn't change, yeah, my foot's gonna be out there and I'll be speaking up even more again if I have to. Like it's unfortunate and I don't want to be here, but I am," Tetreault said.

Michelle McClung, Tetreault's mother, said she wants the provincial government to consider creating a Nova Scotia-wide policy on RV living.

Right now, many municipalities across Nova Scotia have rules against living in RVs for more than a few weeks. Rural areas often allow them for camping, or don't have specific rules about them at all, while the Region of Queens allows RVs permanently in some areas if they meet certain criteria.

"It shouldn't depend on what county you're living in, you know, and there's too many people that can benefit from it," McClung said.

Once council has made a decision on the RV bylaw changes, Budden said the notice for Tetreault to leave the RV "will be revisited."

In other similar cases where complaints are made about Halifax residents living in RVs, Budden said the city's approach is to first ensure the occupants are safe, "as well as the surrounding community."

If the RV is being used in a way that breaks any bylaws, staff decide on the appropriate course of action "on a case-by-case basis," Budden said, with the understanding that the policies are under review and may change in the coming months.