Nanaimo Fire Rescue, Nanaimo RCMP and City of Nanaimo bylaw enforcement officers moved several tents out of Wesley St. on Tuesday, Oct. 27. (Spencer Sterritt/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By Spencer Sterritt

fire safety order

Tents removed from Wesley St. encampment as City enforces fire safety order

Oct 27, 2020 | 11:58 AM

NANAIMO — The City has taken it’s first major enforcement effort against a growing downtown Nanaimo encampment.

Nanaimo Fire Rescue, Nanaimo RCMP and City of Nanaimo bylaw officers enforced a recently issued fire safety order on Tuesday, Oct. 27. Several tents and a significant amount of items from those living on the small street were removed.

Dave LaBerge, community safety manager with the City, said Tuesday’s efforts were specifically about removing tents erected alongside the old Harris House Clinic. A fence was installed around the property.

“As time goes on, we’re going to continue to ask folks to separate the structures so they’re two metres apart and two metres off the remaining buildings, like the Franklyn St. gym,” LaBerge said.

He said the fire safety order issued on Oct. 15 included certain deadlines for cooperation, which weren’t abided by.

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“It’s a constant dialogue. We know there’s going to be planning and adaptation, so it’s reiterating what the expectations are as far as trying to reduce the accumulation of materials here, particularly combustible items and furniture. That’s where the real fire risks are.”

The Wesley St. encampment grew steadily throughout the summer, from a few people told to move on each day earlier in the year to an estimated 100 people.

Efforts to clean the street each morning were brought to a halt due to an order from provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry, which asked municipalities to allow people to shelter in place during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“For a period of a month or more we respected the direction of the province and let people shelter undisturbed,” LaBerge said. “It hit a tipping point we see today.”

He said the encampment has had “tremendous impacts” on people working at Nanaimo City Hall, in the Service and Resources Centre and in nearby areas such as the Old City Quarter.

spencer@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @SpencerSterritt