Provincial funding for homeless camp cleanups in Chilliwack fails to address the real issue

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Theoretically, new homeless encampments can crop up in the Chilliwack River Valley north or south of Chilliwack Lake Road and the province won’t bat an eye.

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Therein lies the problem, according to Chilliwack cleanup volunteer Ross Aikenhead, who has been involved in cleanup efforts with others for 15 years, and organized cleanup efforts on his own for six years.

“They need to enforce the existing laws, and what they are doing doesn’t do anything about the real problem,” said Aikenhead. “It doesn’t address the problem, period. It doesn’t touch occupied camps, and nothing is stopping more [encampments] from popping up.”

In a press release, Chilliwack-Kent MLA Kelli Paddon heralded the news as a way of protecting sensitive environmental areas along the Chilliwack River.

“We’re investing in this cleanup to ensure that the sensitive environmental areas of the Chilliwack River shores are kept in a natural state and that there is no litter or waste for the high waters of spring runoff to pick up,” said Kelli Paddon, MLA for Chilliwack-Kent. “We appreciate the local efforts of volunteer groups who have been a great asset in keeping these areas clean, but we know we need to do more.”

As of Friday, March 10, Aikenhead says there are at least nine occupied homeless camps east of the Tamihi Rapids bridge along Chilliwack Lake Road. He says the $200,000 cleanup fund will only address two abandoned homeless encampments in the Chilliwack River Valley.

“Summer is on the way, and more people will be using the option to live up there [in the Chilliwack River Valley],” Aikenhead said. “The $200,000 will only address two homeless camps. That’s all they can do. And they are going to have problems getting qualified volunteers.”

Aikenhead added that elected officials mean well in their excitement over the $200,000 provincial funding allocation, but don’t fully comprehend the limitations of it.

“They don’t understand the situation,” Aikenhead lamented.