Homeless advocates protest closure of squalid Abbotsford homeless camp

ABBOTSFORD — Two British Columbia organizations that advocate on behalf of vulnerable residents have sent an open letter to B.C.’s housing minister urging him to halt imminent evictions at a tent encampment in Abbotsford.

The BC Civil Liberties Association and Pivot Legal Society want Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon to stop any evictions at the Lonzo Road homeless camp, located on provincially-owned land originally intended as a park-and-ride in Abbotsford, near Cactus Club on Sumas Way.

The groups did not address the abysmal condition of the Lonzo Road park and ride lot, which has deteriorated into an squalid eyesore and contained piles of unsightly debris and toxic junk.

Abbotsford MLA Bruce Banman alleges that documents obtained through FOI processes outline the risks posed by the Lonzo Road Park and Ride homeless encampment, including explosions leading to highway closures, burned-out vehicles, criminal activity including a homicide, and more than 100 people camping at the site. The released version of the document also includes two-full pages of government redactions, withholding solutions received by Premier David Eby as Housing Minister to address the dangerous conditions at Lonzo Park, Banman said.