'Broken promises': Residents fear imminent closure of shelter in Parksville
Diverging stories are coming from a temporary housing shelter in Parksville, B.C., that's closing at the end of the month.
BC Housing says all tenants of the building will be given new accommodations, but people living at the site say that's not the case.
The VIP Motel, also know as Ocean Place, opened as a temporary housing shelter during the COVID-19 pandemic.
BC Housing says it reached an agreement with the City of Parksville on Oct. 5 to close the shelter on March 31.
That closure date is fast approaching, and residents are getting nervous about what comes next.
"They're all broken promises," said resident Rodd Nall. "I've tried to keep my cool, you know, these people have been fighting for our lives."
Nall has been living at the shelter since the start of the pandemic. He and his wife are among those facing eviction and who say they have nowhere else to go.
"My wife, what are you going to do? Like, I'm supposed to put a tent over her wheelchair?" he said. "She's bedbound."
In a statement Tuesday, the province said all residents would be offered new housing.
"In partnership with non-profit housing providers, BC Housing has offered new, safe, indoor accommodations to all remaining shelter guests," reads the statement.
Due to privacy concerns, BC Housing says it's unable to say where the tenants will be going, but residents tell CTV News that they were promised housing in Parksville close to the services they currently use.
"This is not the case," said Kelly Morris, a recovery coach at the VIP Motel.
"They've moved nine people out already to Nanaimo against their will," she said. "They've also, it's been disclosed to me, that the rest of them they're not working with."
On Wednesday, a representative from BC Housing arrived at the motel to hold a meeting with staff looking after the facility.
"We have 24-hour staff. Two staff during the day, two staff during the evening," said Paula Miles, manager of the VIP Motel.
"We also have an executive director now and we walk alongside the residents and work with the goals they have in mind," she said.
Miles has managed the motel for the past five months and says the program is working and needs to stay.
"There is no place for these people to go but out on the street," she said. "So we're looking at close to 18 to 20 people could end up on the street."
BC Housing says it has opened 52 supportive homes in Parksville since 2018 and is working to provide more housing options and supports.
These tenants say they would love to get into some of those locations, but fear that on March 31 they will be on the streets or living in vehicles.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Widow looking for answers after Quebec man dies in Texas Ironman competition
The widow of a Quebec man who died competing in an Ironman competition is looking for answers.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
World seeing near breakdown of international law amid wars in Gaza and Ukraine, Amnesty says
The world is seeing a near breakdown of international law amid flagrant rule-breaking in Gaza and Ukraine, multiplying armed conflicts, the rise of authoritarianism and huge rights violations in Sudan, Ethiopia and Myanmar, Amnesty International warned Wednesday as it published its annual report.
Photographer alleges he was forced to watch Megan Thee Stallion have sex and was unfairly fired
A photographer who worked for Megan Thee Stallion said in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that he was forced to watch her have sex, was unfairly fired soon after and was abused as her employee.
Amid concerns over 'collateral damage' Trudeau, Freeland defend capital gains tax change
Facing pushback from physicians and businesspeople over the coming increase to the capital gains inclusion rate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his deputy Chrystia Freeland are standing by their plan to target Canada's highest earners.
U.S. Senate passes bill forcing TikTok's parent company to sell or face ban, sends to Biden for signature
The Senate passed legislation Tuesday that would force TikTok's China-based parent company to sell the social media platform under the threat of a ban, a contentious move by U.S. lawmakers that's expected to face legal challenges.
Wildfire southwest of Peace River spurs evacuation order
People living near a wildfire burning about 15 kilometres southwest of Peace River are being told to evacuate their homes.
U.S. Senate overwhelmingly passes aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan with big bipartisan vote
The U.S. Senate has passed US$95 billion in war aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, sending the legislation to President Joe Biden after months of delays and contentious debate over how involved the United States should be in foreign wars.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.