What internal City of Vancouver records reveal about removing the DTES camp (2024)

Internal emails at Vancouver city hall in the days leading up to April’s dismantling of the Downtown Eastside encampment show that officials knew there would not be enough beds to shelter people who were displaced.

The city’s own weekly status reports on the Hastings encampment suggested that there were only about a dozen shelter bedsavailableon any given day — far less than the 100-plus people who were expected to be displaced when city crews swooped in to remove tents and makeshift structures in early April.

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The city’s weekly reports also showed that very few people accepted shelter beds, even when they were available, suggesting that officials should have been aware that efforts to dismantle the encampment could force dozens of people into precarious housing situations.

Mayor Ken Sim said in April that conditions on Hastings Street had “reached a turning point,” with respect to increasing fire risk and decreasing safety in the encampment. Those sentiments were echoed by Karen Fry, the Vancouver fire chief.

But the enforcement actions came under heavy criticism, including from B.C.’s human rights commissioner and the federal housing advocate, who said the unhoused were left even more vulnerable.

After the decampment, Postmedia filed a freedom-of-information request with the City of Vancouver and received a series of reports, written by a manager in the city’s engineering department, detailing how the dismantling of the Hastings Street encampment went down on April 5-6.

Here are some of the highlights:

April 5, 9 a.m. : Main and Hastings

Sixty-one city staff, plus VPD officers, were at the corner of Main and Hastings that Wednesday morning. City staff included 46 workers from the engineering department, which handles a wide range of functions including road repair, water line maintenance, and garbage collection. There were also seven people overseeing impounding and staging, four liaison staff to assist with shelter and Vancouver Coastal Health referrals and four Vancouver Fire and Rescue staff.

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The reports do not include the number of VPD officers but Postmedia estimated there were two or three dozen officers on-site, if not more.

April 5, 11 a.m. : 100-block East Hastings

After removing 12 structures and displacing 13 people, most of the 100-block of East Hastings had been cleared.

Seven tents were also cleared from nearby parks, 31 propane tanks were removed and two people’s belongings were impounded.

At this point, only six shelter beds were known to be available. Only one person accepted shelter.

April 5, 1 p.m.: Slow moving

“Protesters currently preventing advancement of crews on unit block,” city staff wrote of efforts to clear people and structures from the block. Protests limited work “to west end of block,” they added.

The report noted that service providers in the area approached liaison staff “to say they are upset/should have been given more notice.”

Twenty-seven structures were removed and 16 people displaced. Thirteen bins of people’s belongings were impounded.

City crews moved to Carrall and Hastings to begin clearing people and structures from the street at 1 p.m.

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Six additional shelter beds were found, for a total of 12.

April 5, 3 p.m. : Two blocks cleared

Fifty-five of the estimated 81 structures were cleared from Hastings between Main and Carrall. Twenty-six people were displaced and 17 bins of personal belongings were impounded. At this point there were still only 12 confirmed shelter beds.

About 40 people had gathered in Oppenheimer Park to protest. “Gathering is peaceful so far. Mood is light with drumming and singing,” staff wrote.

The liaison team was working with B.C. Housing to confirm roughly 30 additional shelter spaces.

April 5, 5 p.m. : Slow going (again)

At 3:30 p.m. the city began removing structures along the 300-block of Hastings, west of Gore.

“Protesters on east side of 300 block (in front of Vandu), but less disruptive than previous protest on Columbia,” staff wrote.

By this point, 26 bins of people’s belongings had been impounded and stored — enough to fill the first of four Sea-Can shipping containers apparently reserved by the city.

The 30 possible shelter beds from B.C. housing had dropped to six but it was unclear if those included “extreme weather response beds.”

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April 5, end of day: City crews leave encampment

Sixty-seven of 81 city-identified structures were removed and over 40 bins of personal belongings were impounded.

Liaison staff were able to confirm 18 available shelter beds. At least 35 people were displaced, however.

April 6, 9 a.m. : Day 2

Over 50 city staff, plus VPD officers, were on-site for 9 a.m.

The Parks Board reported an increase in tents, structures and other unhoused people in surrounding parks. Campers were displaced by 9:15 a.m.

City staff reported roughly 12 tents had been set up again along the stretches of Hastings that city staff had cleared the previous day.

April 6, 11 a.m.: Minimal protests

Focus was on the 100-block of East Hastings (west of Carrall) and the 300-block of Main (north of Hastings).

Additional shelter referrals were made but only seven beds were available.

April 6, 1 p.m. : Tensions rise

A total of 10 people and 14 structures were removed from Hastings Street and on Columbia north of Hastings.

“Protesters being verbally abusive to city staff,” they wrote.

April 6, 3 p.m. : Last update

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Twenty-one structures were removed, displacing 16 people. Seven of the 10 available shelter beds were used.

Liaison staff were reduced around 2 p.m., “due to fatigue,” staff wrote.

@njgriffiths
ngriffiths@postmedia.com

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