The B.C. Supreme Court has ordered the province to pay the law firm that represented campers who lived in Victoria’s tent city.
A Victoria-based legal advocacy group helped retain two lawyers pro-bono to represent dozens of homeless campers during two injunction hearings.
The province will pay the law firm up to $55,000 for some of that work, which was valued at almost $250,000.
Together Against Poverty Society said the court order was preventable.
“Had the province invested in housing we would not have had to go to court and the taxpayers would not have born these legal fees or any of the fees associated with the remediation of tent city,” Stephen Portman said.
The ministry responsible for the courthouse land said it respects the court’s decision.
Remediation costs at the site are estimated at $350,000.
The province said the new playground will be ready by spring.
