I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Abbotsford mayor, city council, provincial MLAs and the B.C. Supreme Court for their dealings with the out-of-town squatter camp in downtown Abbotsford.
The Supreme Court ruled in favour of the City of Abbotsford in regards to permanent camping on city property and in parks, and the problem continues.
They have now relocated to Lonzo Park. This new squatter camp is beside a large subdivision, therefore putting children and residents at greater risk than the downtown camp. I personally have seen these vagrants plundering recycle bags, dragging garbage bags through the streets and wandering through the subdivision swearing at the top of their lungs, at no one in particular.
These are not images I imagined I would see or want our children to see in our community. I know our elected officials’ concerns are not with the safety of children or city residents, but with the well-being of the squatters, but this has got to change.
When did the City of Abbotsford residents become the guardian of every squatter in Canada? These people are not the responsibility of the residents of Abbotsford. They are the responsibility of their own cities.
I see Tom Fletcher’s B.C. Views article about the Saskatchewan government giving their vagrants one-way tickets to B.C. Christy Clark suggested these Saskatchewan vagrants were mentally ill and should get the support of the province. She’s right – that province is Saskatchewan. Put them on the next bus back to Saskatchewan.
Rich Coleman of B.C. Housing claims homeless camps have been cleaned up in Abbotsford and Maple Ridge. They have just been relocated, in Abbotsford’s case, closer to residential subdivisions.
If Christy Clark and Rich Coleman want these vagrants in our province so badly, load all of them on a bus and drop them off on the front steps of the B.C. Parliament buildings in Victoria. Give them all a Subway voucher when they get off the bus – wouldn’t want to see them miss a meal.
C. Howard