Vancouver Police Deployed to End Tent Encampment in Downtown Eastside

Tents are seen on the sidewalk in the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver, B.C., Apr. 3, 2023. The Canadian Press/Darryl Dyck

Vancouver police have dispatched officers to a tent encampment on the city’s Downtown Eastside with the aim of shutting down the site to campers.

The City of Vancouver says it has asked police to help bring a close to the encampment, removing all remaining tents and structures.

It says in a statement that it decided to act due to “the growing public safety risk” posed by the encampment on East Hastings Street.

It says more than 400 outdoor fires have occurred over the last eight months and four people have been injured this year.

“The persistent fire risk posed by the encampment and recent fires in neighbouring buildings has made the situation on East Hastings even more precarious. Fires are occurring too regularly in the area and with escalating intensity due to an accumulation of materials and propane tanks,” the statement says.

It says the city has been working on the street daily to address fire, life and safety concerns identified by the fire chief’s safety order issued in July last year.

Vancouver police have reported a nine percent increase in assaults in the area since the encampment began and have identified an “alarming trend” of sexual violence in the area, the release says.

“As longer-term housing options come online, the city encourages those sheltering along East Hastings to accept shelter offers. While shelters are far from ideal, they provide a safer option than sheltering in an entrenched encampment.”

The release says there are about 80 tents and structures remaining at the site. At its peak, there were about 180 structures, although the city says 600 tents and makeshift buildings have been removed from the area.