Island Crisis Care Society and the province will be in court on Sept. 30 for a lawsuit disputing how roughly 80 units of temporary housing were introduced into the Newcastle neighbourhood. (Spencer Sterritt/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By Spencer Sterritt

Terminal ave

Trial date set for legal dispute over Newcastle temporary housing

Jul 8, 2019 | 10:31 AM

NANAIMO — The process for introducing roughly 80 units of temporary housing into a downtown Nanaimo neighbourhood will be examined in the courts.

Newcastle area residents will be in the Supreme Court of B.C. on Sept. 30. The lawsuit is against the temporary housing built by the province at 250 Terminal Ave. and operated by the Island Crisis Care Society.

The lawsuit alleges Island Crisis Care Society should be subject to the full rezoning process and required public hearing for lands at 250 Terminal Ave. The entire process was fast-tracked and avoided by the province, citing a need for expediency given the impending closure of downtown Nanaimo’s tent city.

Concerned resident Karen Kuwica told NanaimoNewsNOW she and others are aggravated their neighbourhood wasn’t consulted.

“It’s important the communities have a say in what is developed in their community. That’s why we have zoning, that’s why we have bylaws, that’s why we have community plans.”

no snow

Chances of a white Christmas for Nanaimo 'quite remote'

3h ago

vehicle damage

Over 40 vehicles damaged during late-night Nanaimo vandalism spree

10h ago

rising costs

RDN taxpayers want relief as board grapples with budget

14h ago

Kuwica said thousands of hours was spent by both volunteers and City of Nanaimo staff to create the official community plan for the area. She now considers those hours wasted.

“To come in and completely ignore all of that doesn’t benefit anyone. It’s throwing away all kinds of hours of work and careful, thought-out planning.”

Though the temporary housing is already installed on Terminal Ave., Kuwica said the legal battle could be precedent-setting for other communities facing similar situations.

The housing was introduced late in 2018 after downtown Nanaimo’s sprawling tent city was forced to close. The Terminal site and another on Labieux Rd. were quickly built in time for 150 people being displaced from their tents.

The lawsuit is scheduled to last three days.

No witnesses will be called for the defendants.

Violet Hayes with the Island Crisis Care Society and Heidi Hartman with BC Housing are expected to be called for the plaintiffs.

spencer@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @spencer_sterrit