Skip to Main content

19.37°^C Vancouver

News Entertainment Sports Videos Shows Podcast Contact Us

Aug 22, 2024 6:37 PM - The Canadian Press

More shelter beds for people in Victoria street camp cited by police for 'hostility'

Share On

more-shelter-beds-for-people-in-victoria-street-camp-cited-by-police-for-hostility

A statement from the Housing Ministry says that up to 72 new beds will be made available for people living on Pandora Avenue and elsewhere.(Photo: The Canadian Press)

Dozens of new shelter beds are opening for people living on the streets in Victoria, including at an encampment where police escorts have been required for emergency responders.

A statement from the Housing Ministry says that up to 72 new beds will be made available for people living on Pandora Avenue and elsewhere.

It says BC Housing is funding up to 40 new spaces at shelters run by Our Place Society as well as 32 at a shelter operated by The Salvation Army.

Victoria Police last month announced that firefighters and paramedics would only attend the 900 block of Pandora Avenue with a police escort.

The move came after a paramedic was attacked and police were swarmed by a crowd, part of what police called an increase in "violence and hostility."

Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon says it's "critical" that people experiencing homelessness have indoor shelter in order to get out of encampments.

"We are determined to provide a path out of homelessness and add even more housing throughout Victoria," he says in a statement.

The ministry says the spaces at Our Place Society shelters are for people 19 and older, while the Salvation Army spaces are for menseeking a recovery program.

Marianne Alto, mayor of Victoria, says in the provincial statement that she was "gratified" to see the new shelter spaces being made available.

Latest news

b-c-conservatives-promise-1-000-annual-tax-cut-for-low-and-middle-income-families

B.C. Conservatives Promise $1,000 Annual Tax Cut for Low- and Middle-Income Families

B.C. Conservative Leader Lorne Doerkson has announced a proposed $1,000 annual provincial income-tax cut for low- and middle-income families. Speaking at a grocery store in Surrey, Doerkson said that if elected premier, his government would raise the provincial basic personal income-tax exemption to $32,000. He said this would mean British Columbians would pay no provincial income tax on their first $32,000 of income. Doerkson said a two-income household could save up to $2,000 a year under the proposal, with the money remaining in families’ pockets rather than going to the government. He al

27-year-old-charged-in-burnaby-crash-that-killed-elderly-couple

27-Year-Old Charged in Burnaby Crash That Killed Elderly Couple

A 27-year-old Abbotsford man has been charged in connection with a fatal crash in Burnaby that killed an elderly couple nearly two years ago. According to Burnaby RCMP, the crash occurred on December 21, 2024, at Boundary Road and Forest Street, where two vehicles collided and one vehicle struck the other from the side. A 67-year-old woman and a 71-year-old man, who were travelling in the same vehicle, died at the scene. Following an investigation that lasted nearly two years, the RCMP’s Criminal Collision Investigation Team determined that charges were warranted. The B.C. Prosecution Servic

eby-pledges-to-freeze-icbc-insurance-rates-for-another-three-years

Eby Pledges to Freeze ICBC Insurance Rates for Another Three Years

B.C. NDP Leader David Eby has promised to freeze ICBC insurance rates for another three years if his party is re-elected. Speaking during a campaign stop in Richmond, Eby said the move would mean B.C. drivers would go a total of 10 years without facing additional increases in their vehicle insurance rates. Eby credited his government’s no-fault insurance reforms for helping move B.C. from having some of the most expensive auto insurance in Canada to among the most affordable. He also criticized B.C. Conservative Leader Lorne Doerkson, warning that insurance rates could double again if the Co

bill-c-39-faces-vote-in-house-of-commons-amid-strike-powers-controversy

Bill C-39 Faces Vote in House of Commons Amid Strike Powers Controversy

Canada’s House of Commons is set to vote today on the federal government’s controversial Bill C-39, which aims to fast-track approvals for major projects. The bill has drawn criticism over a provision that would amend Section 107 of the Canada Labour Code, giving the Labour Minister the power to intervene in an ongoing strike by citing the national interest. NDP parliamentary leader Don Davies has called the bill an attack on workers’ and Indigenous rights, as well as environmental protections. He said he is concerned about a growing trend of power being concentrated in the hands of cabi

Vancouver Advance Voting Sets New Daily Record as 25,142 Voters Cast Ballots

Vancouver’s municipal election advance voting has set a new daily record, with 25,142 people casting their ballots on Wednesday, the second day of advance voting. According to preliminary figures released by the City of Vancouver, it was the highest number of advance votes recorded in a single day in the city’s history. The previous record was set just four days earlier, on Oct. 3, when 21,824 voters cast their ballots on the first day of advance voting. In comparison, only 10,502 people voted on the second day of advance voting during Vancouver’s 2022 municipal election. This year’s f

Related News

B.C. Conservatives Promise $1,000 Annual Tax Cut for Low- and Middle-Income Families

B.C. Conservatives Promise $1,000 Annual Tax Cut for Low- and Middle-Income Families

B.C. Conservative Leader Lorne Doerkson has announced a proposed $1,000 annual provincial income-tax cut for low- and middle-income families. Speaking at a grocery store in Surrey, Doerkson said that if elected premier, his government would raise the provincial basic personal income-tax exemption to $32,000. He said this would mean British Columbians would pay no provincial income tax on their first $32,000 of income. Doerkson said a two-income household could save up to $2,000 a year under the proposal, with the money remaining in families’ pockets rather than going to the government. He al

27-Year-Old Charged in Burnaby Crash That Killed Elderly Couple

27-Year-Old Charged in Burnaby Crash That Killed Elderly Couple

A 27-year-old Abbotsford man has been charged in connection with a fatal crash in Burnaby that killed an elderly couple nearly two years ago. According to Burnaby RCMP, the crash occurred on December 21, 2024, at Boundary Road and Forest Street, where two vehicles collided and one vehicle struck the other from the side. A 67-year-old woman and a 71-year-old man, who were travelling in the same vehicle, died at the scene. Following an investigation that lasted nearly two years, the RCMP’s Criminal Collision Investigation Team determined that charges were warranted. The B.C. Prosecution Servic

Eby Pledges to Freeze ICBC Insurance Rates for Another Three Years

Eby Pledges to Freeze ICBC Insurance Rates for Another Three Years

B.C. NDP Leader David Eby has promised to freeze ICBC insurance rates for another three years if his party is re-elected. Speaking during a campaign stop in Richmond, Eby said the move would mean B.C. drivers would go a total of 10 years without facing additional increases in their vehicle insurance rates. Eby credited his government’s no-fault insurance reforms for helping move B.C. from having some of the most expensive auto insurance in Canada to among the most affordable. He also criticized B.C. Conservative Leader Lorne Doerkson, warning that insurance rates could double again if the Co

Legals

Journalism code of ethics

© 2021 AKASH Broadcasting Inc.

MANAGED BY STRATWIT

useful links

Accessibility Plan

Broadcasting Notice of Consultation

BC Children's Hospital