Park Board to begin cleanup process of hazardous Crab Park encampment

February 2024 condition of the Crab Park homeless encampment. (Vancouver Park Board)

Nearly three years after the formation of the Crab Park homeless encampment, the Vancouver Park Board is giving the area a significant cleanup due to the extremely hazardous conditions.

In a bulletin, the Park Board states that starting today, with a seven-day notice, individuals camping in the encampment will be required to relocate to a nearby temporary sheltering area within the waterfront park by the end of the day on Sunday, March 24. Crews will begin the cleanup process the next day, Monday, March 25.

The Park Board emphasizes that this is not a decampment, as the process is needed to address extremely hazardous and unsafe conditions.

You might also like:

The Park Board anticipates it will take crews until early April to remove the garbage, structures, and other debris, as well as repair the poor ground conditions, at which point the Park Board staff will allow people to return to the designated encampment area of the park. It is noted that only those who have been sheltering in the designated area will be supported to move back in to ensure these individuals are prioritized for the limited space.

Some fencing will remain in some areas longer term to allow for the repair of the site.

It has been determined that equipment and machinery are needed for crews to safely remove the debris, garbage, and structures, and that the temporary relocation of the campers is also needed to safely conduct such work.

“It also became clear that the larger structures that were not in compliance with the bylaw could not be deconstructed safely by hand or with people nearby,” reads the municipal government’s rationale for its strategy.

crab park homeless encampment vancouver february 2024

February 2024 condition of the Crab Park homeless encampment. (Vancouver Park Board)

Throughout the process, there will be a Vancouver Police Department (VPD) presence to help ensure the safety of crews working on the cleanup and repairs. If someone refuses to relocate after the seven-day notice period to move to the temporary sheltering area, they may be escorted out of the designated area by the VPD. Park rangers are leading the effort by educating individuals about the seven-day notice to temporarily relocate.

The encampment is found at the northwest corner of the waterfront park just north of Gastown. It first began after the closure of the Strathcona Park encampment in April 2021, when some campers who did not want to move into the provided shelter spaces and housing decided to move to Crab Park. The encampment has only intensified since.

In April 2022, a year after the encampment’s formation, the Park Board’s general manager created the designated area permitting one tent per individual, until reasonable shelters and housing offers are provided to the individuals sheltering. This designated area was created after a BC Supreme Court judge ruled against the Park Board’s injunction in early 2022 to clear the site to put an end to the encampment.

February 2024 condition of the Crab Park homeless encampment. (Vancouver Park Board)

According to the Park Board, the encampment is a hazard due to its significant amounts of debris and garbage, non-compliant materials, propane tanks, rats, needles, and feces. Instead of a phased process, the Park Board intends to perform the work as quickly as possible given the health, hygiene, and safety concerns, and the disruption and stress this can cause for people sheltering.

It is noted that since the encampment started, people in the park were regularly encouraged and asked to keep the area clean of debris, with a large bin placed next to the encampment to support this request.

In January 2024, there was a clash between park rangers and a volunteer group from Prince George who wanted to build a tiny home structure at the Crab Park encampment.

“This was not intended to become an established, permanent encampment for anyone to relocate to. The ongoing shared Park Board and City goal is to restore this area as parkland for broad community use by bringing everyone inside,” reads the municipal government’s rationale for the cleanup.

There were some suggestions that the municipal government could pay people in the park to keep the area clean. However, the Park Board states that they have seen limited success with such a strategy in past encampments in keeping areas clean in compliance with bylaws and guidelines, and there was resentment from people sheltering in encampments when some people are paid for work and others are not.

In Summer 2022, the Park Board completed a pair of “Portland Loo” single-stall toilet stalls on the southern edge of Crab Park, replacing a previous fieldhouse and washroom structure that was in poor condition.

February 2024 condition of the Crab Park homeless encampment. (Vancouver Park Board)

February 2024 condition of the Crab Park homeless encampment. (Vancouver Park Board)

February 2024 condition of the Crab Park homeless encampment. (Vancouver Park Board)

You might also like: