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Discontent City expands into Seaspan-used lot

Sep 12, 2018 | 7:47 PM

NANAIMO — City officials and RCMP moved in Thursday afternoon to move the fence back. You can read that story here.

 

EARLIER

Downtown Nanaimo’s tent city expanded dramatically late Wednesday night, pushing the back fence into the lot used by Seaspan Shipyards. 

Tent city resident Darcy Kody told NanaimoNewsNOW residents held an inter-camp meeting and decided they needed more space to accomodate an influx of homeless into the camp. Discontent City is now home to roughly 300 people. 

The back fence, which was on the ocean-facing side of the camp, was pushed back roughly 70 feet to the entrance onto the lot. After about an hour of negotiations between camp residents, Nanaimo RCMP and Seaspan employees, it was pulled back to roughly 20 feet. 

Earlier on Wednesday, residents spoke at a press conference staged by organizers to highlight capacity woes. 

Resident Willie McGillivary said the space crisis within the tent city was getting desperate. 

“We can’t handle all these people and you try living with 300 people. It’s not fun, I tell you.”

McGillivary said with more people came more fights and arguments. “People’s tempers are getting real thin.”

With the closing of the tent city in Saanich, he said another substantial influx of residents is expected in coming weeks.

Seaspan employees at the site couldn’t comment on the matter of the camp moving into land they use. NanaimoNewsNOW will follow up for official comment on Thursday. 

The expansion comes as tent city residents await a Supreme Court of BC judgement on the injunction against the camp which was filed by the City of Nanaimo.

 

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