'Folks are scared to go outside': Nanaimo group calls for action on homeless encampment

A Nanaimo community association is seeking a long-term solution to an encampment where two near-fatal shootings have occurred in the past three months.

"Folks are scared to go outside," says Fred MacDonald, vice-president of the Newcastle Community Association.

The homeless encampment is located down an embankment along Terminal Avenue in the city's downtown. The land is owned by the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure.

"I would like them to get together and give us a long-term solution," said MacDonald.

They would like the province, city and other stakeholders to come together and improve the site.

In a statement to CTV News the province says it is "working to deter camping under the bridge and has invested in several new supportive-housing facilities to break the cycle of homelessness."

Nanaimo Mayor Leonard Krog says the city has been involved in ongoing discussions with the ministry and said the issue will take time to address.

"It's almost an engineering problem in many respects," Krog said. "It's a public safety issue that's not easily resolvable."

Last week, a man was shot at the encampment and taken to hospital with what police say are life-threatening injuries.

Back in March, a local business owner was shot in the abdomen and taken to hospital after he entered the camp to retrieve stolen items he thought were there.

"Apart from someone being murdered, it's probably as violent as it gets," said Karen Kuwica, the community association's president.

The last time the city conducted a cleanup of the area was October 2022 and the community association wants another one done to address the problem in the short term.