Residents of Penticton’s Fairview homeless encampment were forced to pack up and leave Friday, as a court-ordered injunction cleared the site following months of safety concerns.
RCMP officers were on scene to ensure everyone’s safety as outreach workers helped roughly a dozen residents vacate the property.
For John Tanghe, the eviction came with little time to figure out what comes next.
“They decided on Monday that we had to go, and then Friday we got to get out of here,” Tanghe said.
With residents packing up and no resistance reported, authorities allowed people to remain beyond the noon deadline as they worked to clear the site.
But the displacement drew criticism from some Penticton residents, who questioned the timing of the eviction as temperatures drop heading into November.
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“This is not going to solve the problem. It’s not very humane. It’s not a humane approach,” said concerned citizen Danielle Savage.
Savage, along with two others, stood near the encampment Friday to draw attention to the impact on those being displaced.
“It’s going on November. It’s freezing out, and people have very modest means to stay warm, and that’s being destroyed today,” she said.
The eviction follows growing safety concerns surrounding the encampment, including several fires. One fire last year spread onto the neighbouring Leisureland RV Centre property, destroying two recreational vehicles.
For Leisureland owner Yvonne Marsden, the removal of the encampment was a long time coming.
“It’s been a very long time coming,” Marsden said.
While she welcomed the move from a business perspective, Marsden also expressed concern for the people being forced to leave.
“As a business owner, happy to see it happen. Personally, though, the support for them — where are they going to go? And I feel for them in that way,” she said.
Questions also remain about what additional supports will be available to those displaced. With shelter space already at capacity, the province would not say whether more resources would be provided, citing its post-election caretaker status.
The latest eviction is reminiscent of efforts to clear the same encampment in June 2025. Despite those efforts, not everyone left, and the camp eventually grew again.
This time, however, the court-ordered injunction gives authorities the ability to enforce the removal of residents from the property.
For some Penticton residents, the focus remains on whether removing the encampment will address the broader challenges facing people experiencing homelessness.
Concerned resident Jeff Andrew says more than simply clearing the site is needed.
“I just don’t see how tearing it down right now will make things better,” Andrew said.
He says the community needs a wider range of services, including shelter options and treatment facilities.
“We need dry shelters, wet shelters, we need detox centres, we need places for people to go during the day and set up during the night,” he said.
For Tanghe, the immediate concern is finding somewhere to go.
“We really don’t know, so I’m gonna start at City Hall. Yeah, that’s where I’m gonna go,” he said.
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