The former tent city on the lawns of the Victoria courthouse, which once housed dozens of homeless people for about a year, will be turned into a playground.
The playground will be accessible to children of all ages and abilities, and will also include components geared towards adults and seniors, such as chess tables and benches, said the province in a release.
The playground, which is expected to be complete by spring, will be closed from dusk to dawn each day and overnight camping will not be permitted.
Testing of soil samples has determined the presence of residual contaminates at the province-owned site on Burdett Avenue, including those consistent with minor gas spills and trace amount of methamphetamines. A remediation and redevelopment plan is expected in the coming weeks.
In August, a judge granted an injunction to remove the campers from the site on the grounds it was unsafe. Since then, many of the campers have been moved into housing facilities set up by the province.