Police and clean-up crews in Victoria have descended on a virtually deserted tent city to begin the long process of clearing out and restoring the courthouse lawn.

While the provincial government issued a release saying the site was vacant Friday morning, one activist dug in her heels and remained there until the early evening.

Activist Chrissy Brett told CTV News she intended to stay on the lawn and be arrested if necessary.

“I was told a few times that if I chose not to leave that they would carry me out or arrest me,” said Brett. “But that’s not what they wanted to do, and they wanted to deal with it peacefully, and I believe them.”

She said she wanted to send a message to the province that it needs to step up and provide more affordable housing for the city’s homeless population.

“The province really hasn’t addressed the state of crisis and neither has the federal government on homelessness,” she said. “I’m hoping that other people will look at it and possibly look in their own municipality, taking over Crown land.”

Asked what she felt when she looked at the barren courthouse lawn, a far cry from the bustling epicentre of activity it was only weeks ago, Brett was overwhelmed with emotion.

“The amazing job that this has community has done in holding itself together with no supports from this government,” she said. “I think that this community has been able to show that they’re people too, and work together so that this could become highlighted.”

She also noted that the relationship between the city’s homeless and law enforcement officials has improved as a result of the camp, and called it a “lasting legacy” of tent city.

Brett eventually left the premises on her own accord at around 5:30 p.m., making her the final camper to clear out of tent city.

Mayor Lisa Helps attended the site early Friday morning as the majority of the remaining campers packed up and moved on to local shelters.

“It’s been a very long struggle, this whole situation. At the end of the day, everyone has come together and that’s really heartening as mayor,” she said. “It felt important to come down and be here for the last night, and let everyone know, from the cops to the people on site that I’m here and supporting this effort. And I really am happy it’s turned out in this collaborative way.”

Victoria Police and the provincial government released separate statements about the end of tent city, the former commending officers for their patience and professionalism in the matter, and the latter touting the fact that it re-homed more than 300 people from the site.

In July, the camp was ordered to be shut down on Aug. 8 by a B.C. Supreme Court judge who said living conditions had become unsafe.

Many residents were moved into the newly purchased Central Care Home, which was renovated to accommodate campers.

Helps said she believes the government intends to turn the provincially owned courthouse lawn back into a public park.