Blame for public camping issue belongs to Province
If they’re not going to deal with the issues, we’re going to do it, Fort St. John-style: Bolin
A new sign has appeared on the lawn of the Provincial Court Building on 100 St in Fort St. John. The sign attempts to prohibit camping on the property, a sign that is nothing more than wishful thinking on the part of a Provincial government that constantly downloads responsibilities onto municipalities while simultaneously tying their hands.
Despite the signage, a tent popped up Saturday afternoon on the lawn next to the “No Camping” sign.
From the comfort of his camping chair, next to the tent he set up on the lawn of the court building, Fort St. John city councillor Trevor Bolin spoke about the need for his dramatic gesture.
“People are blaming municipalities, people are angry, and people are upset, and I get it. I don’t blame them. But we need to know where the blame belongs,” Bolin said.
“The blame belongs on the fact that the Province will not allow municipalities to deal with the issues that they’re facing. Yet they’ll post their own signs that say, “no camping” because they don’t want to have any involvement in it.”
The sign has no teeth because the Province has left cities like Fort St. John without the tools, the bylaws, for enforcement, when it amended the Community Charter in November 2023.
The amendment, Section 274.1 of Bill 45 Miscellaneous Statues, prohibits municipalities from enacting bylaws “against a person sheltering at an encampment while homeless, [unless] alternative shelter is reasonably available to the person and meets the basic needs of the person for shelter”.
Coincidentally, this amendment was made after Bolin, in July 2023 brought forward a Notice of Motion for council to look at options to manage soft-sided temporary shelters in the city. Shortly after the meeting made the news, the Human Rights Commission was up in arms over Bolin’s proposal.
“Human Rights Commissioner came after the City of Fort St. John,” said Bolin. “We were basically told to cease and desist on that bylaw.
“I reintroduced it again this summer. Council’s now working through it, with guidance from legal professionals and of course, experts from the Province. I’m hoping that our signs that will say no camping allowed, to then be followed by “under bylaw such-and-such” that we actually have the teeth to deal with this on a municipal level.”
Bolin says “the province needs to start dealing with the issues, or admit that it cannot and let the municipalities, because we would love to deal with it, to put our by-law in.”
Under Bill 45, Bolin says that people are just as able to camp on the lawn at the court building, as at the area near Wal-Mart, regardless of the no camping sign.
“All of those tents from Wal-Mart are more than able to come and camp on this beautiful park-like setting. I’m sure we could gather up some trucks and help them move their stuff.”
Bolin is going to come back every day and set up his tent. He hopes that others will join him and send the provincial government a message. He also invites people to call Premier David Eby, 250-387-1715, and tell him what they think of the province tying municipalities hands in this way.
“We’re tired of waiting for the Province. We’re tired of being downloaded by the Province. If they’re not going to deal with the issues, we’re going to do it, Fort St. John-style.”