Abbotsford MLA chides B.C. NDP govt. over abrupt closure of Cole Road rest stop in Abbotsford
ABBOTSFORD — Abbotsford South MLA Bruce Banman says the abrupt closure of the Cole Road rest stop between Abbotsford and Chilliwack leaves street people with literally no other options as winter quickly approaches.
Originally intended as a resting point for motorists and tourists, the Cole Road rest stop turned into a homeless encampment where RVs, trailers and other vehicles almost never left.
The province disconnected power, water and other utilities this past week, leaving dozens of unhoused without a place to go.
“The NDP didn’t give these seniors and low-income residents so much as a knock on the door,” said Banman. “They woke up to locked bathrooms, no water, no power, no garbage disposal, and no plan. Residents now say they have no choice but to dump sewage into a fish-bearing stream because the government abruptly locked the sanitary dump without warning.”
Image: Abbotsford South MLA Bruce Banman.Banman said he called around to see what kind of housing assistance would be provided to these individuals and claimed none was offered.
“If this were a homeless encampment of tents, BC Housing would be working to place people,” Banman said. “I’ve called around, and in this situation, zero effort has been made.”
Minister of Transportation and Transit Mike Farnworth told Global BC News that the site was closed for a number of reasons, including complaints from police and vandalism at the site. He said outreach personnel from BC Housing would attempt to provide housing assistance for the campers at the site.
But that’s not sitting well with Banman, who faults the NDP for creating the crisis.
“I’ve warned this government that no one should be living like this, but they haven’t enforced any rules,” he said. “Through misplaced compassion, they’ve allowed people to set up RVs never designed to be lived in 24/7. It’s dangerous, unsanitary, and unsafe.”
Image: Google Maps / What the Cole Road rest stop used to look like in July 2012, absent homeless vans, RVs, trailers and buses, as it was intended.Banman said he takes issue with the zero-notice shutdown, calling it reckless and incompetent.
“You don’t just decide to shut a site down with zero notice, that’s insane behaviour,” he said. “You send people out, give them a timeline, and if they can’t find somewhere else, you help them find something suitable. That’s basic competence. The NDP has had eight years to come up with a real housing plan. Instead, they’ve failed everyone. Before raw sewage ends up in the creek and we’re facing an environmental disaster, what is this government’s plan?”