Victoria considering new rules as tonnes of property seized from encampments
As the sun rises on Pandora Avenue in Victoria, bylaw officers walk the street, announcing their presence to people who are asleep in their tents.
It’s an unwelcome wakeup call for many — one they’ve become resigned to as it repeats, day after day.
“As soon as I open up my eyes, I’m traumatized right away,” said Chris Williams, who regularly sleeps on Pandora.
“You wake up and you’re put in hyper mode.”
The bylaw officers are there to enforce city rules that ensure public spaces can be accessed safely by everyone. They often seize people’s property in the process.
“When I wake up I go, ‘Jeez, am I going to have clothes at the end of the day?'” said Williams, noting he’s previously had his tent, money and medicine impounded.
City council is poised to approve changes to its impounding rules next week.
TONNES OF MATERIAL IMPOUNDED WEEKLY
Bylaw officers seize up to 10 tonnes of material each week, according to a report from Victoria’s bylaw director, Shannon Perkins.
“As fast as we’re trying to get humanitarian aid to people, it is being thrown out by the tonnes by bylaw,” said outreach worker Niki Ottosen.
If it’s not tossed, the property is put in storage for 30 days, so it can be reclaimed. Prior to that, the items are photographed, tagged and screened for hazardous material, the report said.
“In all, impounding and returning unlawfully placed property can easily consume over 500 labour hours in a month,” Perkins wrote.
PROPOSED CHANGES INCLUDE ESCALATING FINES
To streamline the process, Perkins is proposing storage time drop from 30 days to 14 days.
She’s also recommending city staff be given more discretion to discard material that “is clearly identifiable as rubbish, hazardous or bulky items, rather than being required to impound, transport and document such items.”
Mayor Marianne Alto and the rest of city council have indicated they’re in favour of the changes, on which they’ll vote Thursday.
“It’s just bringing order to a process that none of us like, let’s be clear,” Alto said.
Council will also consider fees that escalate each time someone has property impounded. Fees for essential items such as tents and sleeping bags would be exempt.
“People wonder why they see people in such bad shape outside,” Ottosen said. “Because they’re constantly having their survival gear taken from them.”
CITY SPENDING OVER $1M ON ENCAMPMENT ENFORCEMENT
Instead of amending the impounding bylaw, Ottosen wants the city to do away with it.
“It’s a cycle that needs to end, because it’s fruitless and it serves no one,” she said.
The city told CTV News it spends roughly $660,000 annually for bylaw officers to do encampment enforcement. It also pays for two Victoria police officers to accompany them, which cost $357,430 from January through October.
“It’s a waste of taxpayers’ money,” Ottosen said.
She wants governments to spend more money on housing than enforcement — something Alto said is coming, albeit slowly.
“Is there a better way to do this? Yes,” Alto said. “The better way to do this is to have people housed.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Average hourly wage in Canada now $34.95: StatCan
Average hourly wages among Canadian employees rose to $34.95 on a year-over-year basis in April, a 4.7 per cent increase, according to a Statistics Canada report released Friday morning.
Magnitude 4.2 earthquake reported off Vancouver Island's west coast
A 4.2-magnitude earthquake was recorded west of Vancouver Island early Friday morning.
This iconic Canadian song is turning 50
Andy Kim's 'Rock Me Gently' is marking a major milestone, as it celebrates its 50th anniversary.
From outer space? Sask. farmers baffled after discovering strange wreckage in field
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
Her SUV was stolen in Montreal. A Good Samaritan on Facebook helped her get it back
Just as she had feared, a restaurant owner from eastern Quebec who visited Montreal had her SUV stolen, but says it was all thanks to the kindness of strangers on the internet — not the police — that she got it back.
Oprah Winfrey: I set an unrealistic standard for dieting
Oprah Winfrey said on Thursday evening that she has long played a role in promoting unhealthy and unrealistic diets.
Ontario family receives massive hospital bill as part of LTC law, refuses to pay
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
Toronto police called to Drake's Bridle Path mansion for another alleged intruder on Thursday
Toronto police say a man who allegedly attempted to access Drake’s Bridle Path property was taken to hospital on Thursday after an altercation with security guards.
Flat tire on a highway? Here's why you shouldn't try to fix it
If you're cruising down a highway and realize you have a flat tire, you may want to think twice before stopping to fix it on the side of the road.