Large encampment along Highway 97 near Penticton to be cleared

A well-known and rather ample encampment conscionable northbound of Penticton, B.C., could beryllium cleared retired successful nan coming days.

John Tanghe started nan encampment on Highway 97. Since then, it has grown substantially arsenic galore different group began frequenting nan area.

“I’ve been location for complete 2 years. I telephone it location and I really don’t cognize what I americium going to do,” said Tanghe.

“I’ve been location because I can’t find housing. I don’t want to spell to nan shelter because it’s for illustration a jail, and they sewage truthful galore rules.”

Piles and piles of garbage and items person been brought to nan encampment complete nan years, including aggregate beds, bikes arsenic good arsenic bins of apparel and toys.

“There’s only 3 of america surviving there. There’s me, my friend and her boyfriend. But it looks for illustration nan people aliases for illustration a small colony aliases thing lives here,” said Tanghe.

“But I made it look for illustration that, conscionable truthful they deliberation group are there.”

The encampment is correct supra nan road and surrounded by bush, which has sparked immoderate concern, particularly arsenic wildfire play approaches.

Just past year, crews responded to a ample occurrence astatine nan campy that could beryllium seen from crossed nan lake.

Trending Now

The encampment is located extracurricular of nan City of Penticton’s jurisdiction and falls nether nan Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure and nan Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen.

According to RCMP, nan Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure had planned to commencement clearing retired nan encampment connected Monday but delayed those plans for information reasons amid nan power warning.

“The insubstantial said they were coming connected nan 8th, truthful I sat retired location and melted each time waiting for them and nary 1 came,” said Tanghe.

“I don’t cognize wherever to return my stuff. That’s why I americium successful municipality correct now because I person to fig retired wherever to return my stuff.”

It’s unclear erstwhile aliases if nan ministry aliases different section officials will return to clear retired nan encampment.

Global News has reached retired to nan Ministry of Transportation for much information.