It took B.C.’s environment ministry less than a day to shut down Goldstream Provincial Park after a group of homeless campers moved in.
The group had hoped to settle for two weeks at the park in Saanich, near Victoria, but were told to leave in under 24 hours.
I just arrived at Goldstream park after about 20 RCMP officers arrived on site for no reason. RCMP has blocked entrance to the park. We are not allowed in. We are told the park will be shut down tomorrow at 11:00. pic.twitter.com/zhoCseDcjS
— Marilou Gagnon RNPhD (@mlgagnon_XVII) September 20, 2018
It comes days after a court order forced them out of another park that some of the campers had occupied since the spring.
An environment ministry spokesperson confirmed that the provincial park is closed at 11 a.m. today as a result and a further statement from the ministry is still to come.
Chrissy Brett, a spokeswoman for the campers, said the RCMP officers, park rangers and other officials broke the news of the park closure to the campers on Wednesday.
She says it caught them by surprise since they were abiding by campground rules and had just completed the required paperwork to grant disabled people a free stay at the park for up to two weeks.
NowMedia will update this story as more information is made available.
With files from Canadian Press.
