Editorial: 'Misalignment of communication' surrounds Millennium Park encampment

While the City of Prince George and B.C. housing minister Ravi Kahlon squabble over provincial resources that either were offered or not offered, the city has moved with not one but two eviction notices this week to the residents of the camp at First Avenue and George Street.

Mayor Simon Yu called it a “misalignment of communication” with the province.

The mayor should have told the housing minister to stay in his lane and find some supportive housing, while the local government deals with public safety, which is its responsibility.

Apparently, the residents are supposed to be out at some point in the next day or two (conflicting dates and times) and any items left behind will be disposed of by city employees because the site is a threat to public safety, both for the camp residents and the rest of the community.

But what changed in the last two weeks that made Millennium Park a public safety threat? Could it be the explosion and fire at a downtown building, now confirmed to be caused by criminal activity, which seriously injured a city employee? If so, what’s that got to do with Millennium Park? If a Millennium Park resident caused the explosion, shouldn’t that person be immediately arrested? And if there is no connection between the explosion and Millennium Park, then we’re back to the original question. What’s changed that suddenly makes the encampment a public safety threat?

And if public safety was a viable option to justify busting up the encampment, why wasn’t it used much earlier? And why hasn’t that already been used as a legal justification by municipalities around B.C. facing the same issues with unhoused people living in unsafe encampments on public property?

And if public safety provides a viable legal basis to clear out Millennium Park, does it extend to Moccasin Flats, a local encampment protected by a court order about inadequate housing supply, not public safety?

Who knows? City council’s discussion and decision to proceed were conducted behind closed doors.

So many questions.

Perhaps it’s all just a misalignment of communication.

Neil Godbout is the Citizen's editor.