City, band working with the province to deal with Penticton homeless camp

A homeless encampment in Penticton sits on provincial land which makes it difficult for local authorities to deal with it, but now the provincial government is getting involved to try to improve the situation.

The City of Penticton and the Penticton (snpink’tn) Indian Band are working with the province and groups in the community to address the homeless encampment at Fairview Road and Highway 97 next to Ellis Creek, according to a joint press release issued today, May 13.

The encampment has posed “social and economic concerns” as well as environmental issues with garbage going into the creek which flows into the Okanagan River Channel.

The provincial HEART and HEARTH programs are stepping in to provide “more robust outreach and service connections,” funding for a temporary winter shelter, transitional housing options and environmental clean up and restoration resources.

“Our stewardship responsibilities—to both the people and the land—demand a thoughtful and coordinated approach,” chief Greg Gabriel said in the release. “We cannot wait for conditions to worsen before meaningful action is taken.”

The band said the land is unsurrendered sylix Nation Territory and used to be reserve land.

In the 1950s, the land was appropriated by the federal government and then transferred to the province in 1955 for flood control and infrastructure.

The land was supposed to revert to reserve status but the government never followed through. Since the provincial government still owns the land, it’s responsible.

Authorities said the plan is to connect homeless people with appropriate services, protect the environment, restore the encampment area, protect the public and reduce the impact of homelessness on tourism and the economy.

“We all bring different responsibilities to the table, but the urgency of the situation demands that we keep working together—with compassion and focus—to support both the people and the place,” Penticton mayor Julius Bloomfield said in the release. “There is no single solution or single authority. This is a collective effort, and we remain committed to being part of the response.”

The RCMP and social service partners are doing welfare checks and offering housing options.

The city and the band didn’t immediately respond to a request of comment.