The City of Maple Ridge has had a long-time Anita Place Tent City resident excluded from the St. Anne property.
Dwayne Martin, through his lawyer, has agreed to a timeline that will see him leave the encampment and move to a B.C. Housing-managed facility, according to the city
By an order of the B.C. Supreme Court, he will be prohibited from occupying the property once that timeline has completed.
Martin constructed a two-storey structure at the homeless camp site on 223rd Street.
He was apprehended on Feb. 24 by RCMP following a standoff arising from his refusal to allow the Maple Ridge Fire department to inspect the structure.
READ ALSO: Anita Place camp resident barricades himself in shelter as more inspections take place.
During a June 12-13 hearing, B.C. Supreme Court heard evidence that Martin had dangerously tampered with the propane supply to the on-site ‘warming tent,’ creating a dangerous situation for all on the site.
The city was before Justice Christopher Grauer to address, in part, an application brought through lawyers working with Pivot Legal Society.
RELATED: Pivot files court appeal on Maple Ridge tent city clean-up order.
The application sought orders from the B.C. Supreme Court intended to open the St. Anne site to anyone who wishes to use it for housing or shelter, as well to deprive the city of the right to restrict entry to the encampment property and to compel it to open Anita Place for use as a safe injection site.
The city argued against the application.
Justice Grauer reserved his decision, to be delivered at a later date.
The city then filed its own court application to exclude Martin from the St. Anne property.
“I would like to thank the community for their patience as we continue to follow the court-ordered process. My expectation is that the remaining people in the encampment will be housed in the near future and that the camp will be closed,” said Maple Ridge Mayor Mike Morden.
There are currently approximately six individuals occupying the site and the city has asked B.C. Housing to expedite the provision of housing for them to have the camp come to an end as quickly as possible.
When occupation of the St. Anne property ends, the city will proceed with the development of a neighbourhood park, which has been on hold since May 2017.
cflanagan@mapleridgenews.com
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