The City of Nanaimo has been instructed to provide a water tap at Discontent City, but will resist the order.
Nanaimo Mayor Bill McKay said city staff received a hazard abatement and prevention order yesterday regarding conditions at tent city at 1 Port Drive.
According to a city press release, Dr. Paul Hasselback, Island Health medical health officer, advised that there are “reasonable and probable grounds to believe that conditions exist that present a significant risk of causing a health hazard.”
The health authority is requiring the municipality to provide flowing potable water, additional portable toilets and hand sanitizing stations by July 10. However, the city will not immediately comply.
“We’re saying this site was never intended to be occupied. It was never intended to be a place where people take up residence…” McKay said. “The medical health officer can achieve the results he’s looking for by simply demanding vacating of that property. He has the power to do that.”
The mayor said it’s not as simple as just turning on a tap.
“We’re dealing with contaminated soil, we’re dealing with an archeological site and on and on,” McKay said. “We can’t just dig a hole and provide water.”
The press release says that the city has a statutory right to ask the medical health officer to reconsider his order, and that was the course of action agreed upon by Nanaimo city council at a meeting Thursday. McKay said the city’s legal counsel has replied to Hasselback with “many questions.”
Mercedes Courtoreille, Discontent City advocate, told the News Bulletin last week that residents have been asking for running water at tent city since the camp was established.
A petition has been filed in the Supreme Court of British Columbia by the city, requesting a statutory injunction to have the Discontent City dismantled and its occupants removed.
-files from Nicholas Pescod/The News Bulletin
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