Charlottetown encampment cleared of propane tanks, other fire hazards
Charlottetown hearth officers and cops visited an encampment for individuals with out housing on Thursday, dealing with questions from its remaining residents as crews eliminated propane tanks and different objects which were deemed hearth hazards.
Solely about six persons are nonetheless dwelling on the Charlottetown Occasion Grounds encampment after the province arrange emergency shelter beds at a web site on Park Avenue earlier this month.
They had been issued a discover of compliance on Dec. 16, saying hearth hazards on the web site needed to be eliminated by Dec. 19, based on a press release from the Prince Edward Island Division of Social Growth and Housing.
The hazard compliance order from the Charlottetown Fireplace Division mentioned propane tanks had been being saved incorrectly, jerry cans had been scattered about and turbines weren’t getting used safely.
Charlottetown Fireplace Chief Tim Mayme later mentioned the province had requested and been granted an extension to the compliance order till Thursday, Dec. 22.
He mentioned there have been “apparent violations” of security rules on the camp, which legally falls below the management of the Charlottetown Space Growth Company, which owns the land.
The hearth division’s order included a 24-hour hearth watch on the encampment to ensure residents remained protected till the gas could possibly be eliminated. That watch was set to finish on Thursday at midday.
The province is not going to be forcibly eradicating anybody dwelling on the Charlottetown tent encampment, the Division of Social Growth and Housing mentioned in a press release on Thursday.
“For the protection and well-being of people on the encampment web site and surrounding residents, hearth hazards on the encampment have to be eliminated or remedied,” the assertion mentioned.
“The province and group companions proceed to work with people on the web site and encourage them to maneuver to the emergency shelter house at Park Avenue, particularly because the climate begins to show chilly.”
The brand new emergency shelter opened Dec. 9 and has house for 50 individuals to sleep every night time. It’s open from 8 p.m. to eight a.m. — an element that some individuals nonetheless dwelling on the encampment have cited as a motive the shelter is not appropriate for them.
“I do not assume a tent on the waterfront in Charlottetown in the midst of winter is someplace that anybody would really feel as a snug place to put their head,” Premier Dennis King informed CBC Information in a year-end interview on Monday.
“We’re persevering with to work with all of these there to seek out one of the best resolution.”
This wasn’t the primary security operation on the encampment, which steadily grew over the summer season within the face of rising rents on the Island. .
Again in October, Charlottetown hearth Inspectors additionally moved in to remove propane tanks and different objects from the encampment, deeming them a security threat.
