Presence of tents in non-designated Halifax areas a concern for some

The signs are everywhere, but that hasn't stopped tents from popping up at non-approved sites around Halifax.

“There is no movement to relocate new encampments and new tents that are popping up in areas that are not designated for encampments like the old library location,” says Issmat Al-Akhali with the Friends of Downtown Halifax.

City officials have stated they anticipate an influx of up to 300 tents as summer gets closer. Friends of Downtown Halifax is asking for an encampment management plan to address the issue before potential tent cities start popping up around Halifax.

“They know what happened last year when they ignored the first few tents that arrived and how that (mushroomed) into large encampments that were much harder to manage after the fact,” Al-Akhali says.

The cleanup from those encampment sites is still underway.

Sue Uteck, president of the Spring Garden Area Business Association, wants the city to take this time to complete a long overdue refurbishment of Victoria Park.

“There’s been nothing done to that park in the last 30 years. Part of us envision a children’s splash pad where the fountain is, make it more family friendly and event oriented,” says Uteck.

Jay Campbell, one of the former residents of that site, is still in a tent just across the street. He says he applied for housing two months ago and hasn't heard back.

“I’m just looking for privacy and I just keep to myself,” Campbell says.

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