Oak Bay pays $1,455 for tent city cleanup

Now that tent city campers have left the Cattle Point area of Uplands Park, the District of Oak Bay is left with a bill for the cleanup cost.

The site cleanup, done by BC Hazmat Management Ltd., cost the municipality $1,455.According to Warren Jones, the district’s director of corporate services, it’s still unclear whether the district will pursue payment from any of the campers.

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“Normally, costs incurred by the district as a result of a facility or park user are charged to the user,” he said. “Staff have prepared an additional invoice for the user group, and whether we pursue the cost is still being considered.”

Meanwhile the cleanup cost will be absorbed within the district’s existing 2018 budget.

“Obviously, the most important thing to the district is that we ensure that our parks and facilities are safe for users; hence our immediate action to clean up the park,” Jones said.

Earlier this month tent city was given a $1,882 bill for damages from fall of 2017. Camp leader Chrissy Brett told Oak Bay News she had no intention of paying that bill.

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The group calling itself Namegans Nation held court in Regina Park from April until mid-September and have moved regularly since, under directives from both the provincial and municipal governments.

The group of roughly 30 people moved from a piece of provincial land near Saanich municipal hall to Uplands Park on Oct. 17. Campers left Cattle Point two days later after the District of Oak Bay served them with a trespass notice.