A growing number of tents on a portion of Wesley St. in downtown Nanaimo raised numerous safety concerns. (City of Nanaimo)

By Ian Holmes

downtown disorder

City of Nanaimo & RCMP clamp down on Wesley St. lawlessness

Jan 21, 2020 | 11:09 PM

NANAIMO — A new enforcement and clean-up effort is tackling out-of-control social disorder plaguing a portion of downtown Nanaimo.

Several RCMP and bylaw enforcement officers recently joined forces to remove a re-appearing collection of tents and obstructive personal items from a stretch of Wesley St., directly behind the City of Nanaimo’s Service and Resource Centre.

Dave LaBerge, the City’s community safety manager told NanaimoNewsNOW social providers in the immediate area raised serious concerns, leading to re-deployed resources.

They claimed a growing and more volatile homeless presence, including reported minor stabbings in the area, was having a serious effect on their staff and clients.

“It’s contributing to a wide range of social disorders and drug-related crimes in that surrounding area,” LaBerge said. “We’re just going to start to tighten up in the enforcement of some of the bylaws.”

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Items left behind like shopping carts, garbage, couches and needles are cleaned up daily, LaBerge said.

“Some days we’ll take three or four truck loads of accumulated stuff in one trip.”

LaBerge said the number of tents pitched for overnight camping on Wesley St. between Franklyn and Albert streets ranged from as few as two or three to as many as 20.

“Since we’ve started cleaning it up it seems to have de-escalated some of the issues that we were seeing earlier.”

The City’s Dave LaBerge said social disorder in the Wesley St. area led to numerous public safety concerns. (City of Nanaimo)

In addition to increased enforcement, it’s believed a week of cold, snowy conditions also played a role in a more peaceful scene lately on Wesley St. between Franklyn St.and Albert St.

The area on Wesley St. is just one spot in the downtown area seeing heavier bylaw enforcement. It’s also being done in areas throughout the Old City Quarter.

LaBerge said the team, in effect since Jan. 6, is expected to remain intact indefinitely.

Bylaw tickets aren’t being issued and pursuing a court ordered injunction is not in the cards, LaBerge said.

Urban campers encountered by the new enforcement unit are reminded of their legal right to camp in undeveloped areas of most City of Nanaimo parks between 7 p.m. and 9 a.m. daily.

The enforcement team has picked up several garbage bags worth of items during their visits to Wesley St. (City of Nanaimo)

Chrissy Forsythe, the longtime co-owner of nearby Delicados, said the enforcement unit’s presence has “made a huge difference” but cautioned it won’t address the root problem playing out on Wesley St.

“It’s just going to control the circumstances a little bit better. Maybe not draw such a huge presence for trouble,” Forsythe said.

Forsythe said the Wesley St. area has long been a hang-out for the drug addicted and street entrenched, but things changed over the past few months when the rain began falling more regularly.

“It’s turning into a permanent situation for a lot of people. It’s pretty dire,” Forsythe said.

The City of Nanaimo and local business operators said the cold snap and recent snow, coupled with increased enforcement, calmed social disorder in the Wesley St. area. (Ian Holmes/NanaimoNewsNOW)

Nanaimo mayor Leonard Krog said mounting evidence of a permanent encampment in the 400 block of Wesley St. signaled the need to increase enforcement.

He said the City is doing what it can to ensure public areas are safe for everyone to use.

In April, 2019 the City erected a fence around the Services and Resource Centre to curb what was considered constant social disorder and public safety concerns.

Ian@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @reporterholmes