Image: Mike Vanden Bosch / Pattison Media / An excavator is being utilized to dismantle a homeless camp Monday morning (Jan. 8) near Thurston Meadows, just south of Chilliwack Lake Road. The province is paying for cleanup costs associated with dismantling and removing contents of the camp.

By Mike Vanden Bosch

Homeless camp in Chilliwack

Updated: Chilliwack RCMP attend Monday’s homeless camp cleanup in Chilliwack River Valley

Jan 8, 2024 | 11:17 AM

CHILLIWACK — The provincial government will pay for contractors to dismantle and remove the contents of a homeless camp in the Chilliwack River Valley.

Fraser Valley Today was tipped off by a Chilliwack resident about a cleanup effort involving an occupied homeless camp near Thurston Meadows campground along Chilliwack Lake Road. The camp is located just west of the campground, and about 20 metres south of Chilliwack Lake Road.

Wayne Furness of F.H. Forestry is one of the contractors who have been tasked with dismantling and removing the contents of the camp. He operated an excavator Monday morning and dumped camp debris into a yellow garbage bin from Abby Bin.

There are three individuals unlawfully residing at the camp, including two males and a female, who have no legal authorization to squat on Crown land. Fraser Valley Today visited the homeless camp just south of Chilliwack Lake Road Monday morning and witnessed a male and female at the homeless camp, accompanied by piles of personal effects, a black puppy, and other belongings. Smoke emanated from a trailer Monday morning during the cleanup efforts.

Image: Jason Walters / Debris at a homeless camp near Thurston Meadows. The camp is being demolished.

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Cleanup at this specific camp is expected to last at least three days through to Wednesday, January 10.

The residents of the homeless camp have been notified over the past year that their camp would eventually be cleaned up, according to Tom Blackbird, a district recreation officer with the Ministry of Environment, who was present Monday morning on Chilliwack Lake Road.

Chilliwack RCMP have been asked to visit the site where the homeless camp is being dismantled. They arrived at approximately noon Monday. There is now only one occupant left at the site, as two squatters have now left.

Image: Jason Walters / A trailer at a homeless camp is being demolished as part of a cleanup effort at the camp just south of Chilliwack Lake Road.

Access to the homeless camp will be blocked after the contents of the homeless camp have been removed. The dirt road leading up into the camp above Chilliwack Lake Road will be dug up and a bridge at the site will be removed.

The Trans-Canada Trail runs through the homeless camp. According to Chilliwack cleanup volunteer Ross Aikenhead, a resident of the Chilliwack River Valley had previously expressed safety concerns about traversing the trail due to the presence of the homeless camp.

Aikenhead provided an update at 1:30 p.m. Monday afternoon by saying a truck and trailer load full of junk has left the camp and is now headed to a different camp on New Borden Forest Service Road.