Abbotsford, BC (With files from CKNW) – The City of Abbotsford has decided not to appeal a court ruling allowing homeless people to camp overnight in city parks.
That won’t go down well with those that want to see the homeless simply pack up and go.
Last month, a BC Supreme Court judge sided with lawyer from the Pivot Legal Society, who had argued the ban on camping in parks infringed on the homeless’s right to security, since they had nowhere else to go in Abbotsford.
The city had argued the homeless do have other options, and had gone to court after many residents and business owners complained.
The judge ruled the homeless are allowed to camp out overnight, but must be gone each day at 9 a.m.
A near by restaurant has complained that the homeless camp has infringed on its business, sighting a drop at the till. Just one block away, the Abbotsford Alano Club has stated that they have never had a problem with the camp. The Mennonite Church operates a Restaurant/Community Office and Thrift Store complex across the street on Cyrus, but they for the most part, has remained silent on the issue.
Just a few weeks ago, Kevin MacDonald, a Abbotsford based free lance cameraman, was pepper sprayed by one of the squatters as he was taking pictures for Vancouver TV. One woman has been charged with assault. MacDonald stated that his support for the homeless camp has now been shaken.
