Homeless people is legal to pitch a tent and sleep in city parks in Victoria
The homeless people is now legal in Victoria to pitch a tent and sleep in city parks. A bylaw of a city of Victoria against camping in civic parks by the B.C. Supreme Court has been struck down.
The law was aimed at preventing the homeless people from setting up tents in parks, but the court says the rule deprives of the homeless of life, liberty and security that violates the Charter of Right. Lawyer Irene Faulkner, helped challenge the law, says the judge decided that a blanket and sleeping bag is not enough to protect people from the elements.
Atty Irene Faulkner says the court ruling means that sleeping under another structure or in a tent is not a public safety issue, rather a basic human dignity. Korina Houghton, Vancouver Park Board Chair says “It’s unclear at this time what affect the ruling will have here. Our staff is reviewing the the 108 page ruling, then we’ll have to seek some legal advice to see if it does violate our bylaws and charter. If it does affect us here, we’ll have to look at how we can deal with them.
