The City of Nanaimo’s case to remove a group of homeless people from city-owned land will be heard at the B.C. supreme court.
A two-day hearing has been scheduled for the week of July 16 at the Supreme Court of British Columbia to deal with the City of Nanaimo’s request for a statutory injunction calling for the removal of Discontent City and its occupants.
Discontent City, located along Port Drive, was established on May 17 and has since become the unofficial home of more than 100 individuals. The decision to hold the two-day hearing in July comes after a short notice hearing that took place on Monday, June 25 in Nanaimo.
Troy DeSouza, the city’s legal counsel, said while he originally hoped to have the two-day hearing take place this week after the short notice hearing, he can live with the hearing taking place in July.
“That’s a reasonable compromise that gets us in quick,” he said.
DeSouza said the court felt that the lawyers representing Discontent City needed more time to prepare for the case.
“Obviously we were trying to go quicker but the other side doesn’t have any material prepared,” he said. “They haven’t filed any response or affidavits. So, the court has to balance that interest of us wanting to go sooner and them not being ready to go.”
Noah Ross, lawyer for Discontent City, did not return the News Bulletin’s phone call prior to deadline.
nicholas.pescod@nanaimobulletin.com
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