City of Prince George staff and outside contractors carried out various tasks at Moccasin Flats on Wednesday, Sept. 3, including preparing to install a fence around the designated overnight shelter area.
In a Thursday, Aug. 14 ruling from BC Supreme Court Justice Bruce Elwood, the city was granted permission to finally clear out the encampments at the site except for around 20 longer-term residents who are allowed to stay until they are offered units by BC Housing.
During a media availability the next day, Prince George’s director of administrative services Eric Depenau said that people would still be allowed to camp overnight at part of the site located at 498 Ottawa St. starting nightly at 7 p.m., with occupants needing to leave by 9 a.m. the next morning.
On Sept. 3. workers from Superior Fencing could be seen at the eastern entrance to Moccasin Flats on Lower Patricia Boulevard laying out metal fence poles and digging holes for them to be eventually slotted into.
An excavator was seen tacking debris from a shelter that burnt down earlier in the year.
By email, Depenau said that over the last week, personnel from the parks and bylaw services departments had been working on wildfire fuel mitigation efforts over the previous week.
“There is also some basic site clean up and prep happening to help establish the temporary overnight shelter area, which will include installing fencing around the designated site,” Depenau said.
While city staff installed lockable gates at either end of the flats on Lower Patricia Boulevard in early May, the new fencing will cover more of the encampment area.
With files from Matthew Hillier
