CRAB Park tent encampment closed down as final residents moved out – BC

Vancouver’s only sanctioned homeless encampment has been closed down.

CRAB Park has been the home of an encampment since 2021 but those who remain living there were asked to pack up their tents starting at 8 a.m. on Thursday to comply with park bylaws.

Only seven people were left living in the encampment and the Vancouver Park Board said all have individual transition plans in place that were developed with outreach workers.

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The city forced residents out in April so staff could clean up the area and create a temporary sheltering space.

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Homelessness advocate on CRAB Park encampment closure

The Gastown Residents Association said it welcomes the news about the park but the Union of BC Indian Chiefs has called on the Vancouver Park Board to stop the planned eviction, calling it an inhumane action and a violent disregard for human rights.

When residents were forced out in the spring, cleanup crews removed 20 propane tanks, six generators and more than 90,000 kilograms of other material.