Police tape went up Friday morning around a roving tent city that has moved into Oak Bay, as tensions escalate between the community and homeless campers.
The encampment pitched between 15 and 20 tents in the Cattle Point area of Uplands Parks earlier this week, prompting police and the city to issue eviction notices to campers on Thursday.
Oak Bay Deputy Police Chief Ray Bernoties said officers were putting up the police tape Friday to enforce the notice to vacate.
"We don't expect this to go on much longer," said Bernoties. "It's a constant discussion with them. Obviously we're going to be reasonable."
He said city parks staff want to get into the park to clean it up, while a Hazmat group will assist with the clean-up.
Some campers appeared to be packing up peacefully Friday morning.
"So far I've been really pleased, everyone's been cooperative and peaceful," said Bernoties.
But police are prepared to make arrests if members of the group refuse to leave.
"We're really hoping that doesn't need to occur, but if it needs to occur, we are prepared to make arrests, yes," he said.
Camp leader Chrissy Brett said Thursday she wasn't sure whether the group would comply with the eviction order or stay in defiance.
B.C.'s Supreme Court has previously ruled that homeless people can seek overnight shelter in parks as long as they move on and take down structures by 9 a.m. the next morning.
Police also handed Brett an invoice for clean-up costs associated with a previous tent city that popped up in Oak Bay last fall totalling $1,882.65.
Brett said at the time she would not pay, and would instead invoice Oak Bay for costs associated with running an outdoor shelter.
