Saanich Police arrest founder of tent city for obstructing fire safety measures (UPDATED)

Saanich Police have arrested 43-year-old Chrissy Brett, self-proclaimed founder of the roving tent city that is currently located at Regina Park, across from Uptown Shopping Centre.

The arrest was made in connection to work that was being done by the Saanich Parks and Fire Departments to remove fire and life safety hazards at the encampment.

Brett was arrested for physically blocking Saanich Fire officials from entering the property. “At one point the woman produced an air-horn, pointed it at the ear of a fireman and blasted a loud audible signal in his direction,” reads the press release.

She will be appearing before the courts at a later date.

According to Saanich Police Sgt. Jereme Leslie, no other residents of the encampment posed any obstruction to the Fire department, and they were able to continue removing fire hazard materials and moving their shelters to ensure they comply with the Office of the Fire Commissioner’s order.

Rules to be followed by occupants of the encampment

In order to reduce fire and life safety hazards, residents at the tent city in Regina Park are required to comply with these rules:

1. Position all personal temporary shelters and temporary structures so that they
are separated by one metre to prevent the rapid spread of fire.
2. Remove flammable tarpaulins over personal temporary shelters and other
structures.
3. Personal temporary shelters and temporary structures must be positioned
such that entrances face a path of egress and have three metres of
clearance away from combustible brush.
4. Remove all tents within three metres of a combustible fence or structure.
5. Ensure a path of egress is maintained clear of obstructions for all personal
temporary shelters and temporary structures.
6. Have all propane cylinders stored in a secured area away from egress routes.
7. Remove all open flame lighting and heating from personal temporary shelters.
8. Remove combustible household furniture from the site.
9. Remove all combustible construction materials, wood pallets, lumber flooring,
carpet, underlay and excessive combustible storage from the site.
10. Separate open flame cooking equipment a minimum of three (3) metres from
combustible materials and do not use under combustible overhangs.
11. Ensure no smoking within the park.

UPDATE: 

Representatives of Chrissy Brett and other residents at ‘Camp Namegans’ (the encampment at Regina Park) have spoken out against the Fire department for intimidating campers and unjustly arresting Brett earlier this afternoon.

According to the group, fire marshals have been “ignoring residents’ compliance efforts, stealing and disposing of residents’ possessions without their consent, and exerting disproportionate pressure in order to intimidate the camp”.

“The City of Saanich is attempting to bypass the path of a court-ordered injunction by deploying fire marshals to do their dirty work,” reads the release.

When Victoria Buzz reached out to Saanich Police for a response to the allegations, Sgt. Jereme Leslie stated that from everything that officers had seen so far, everyone at the camp other than Chrissy Brett had been cooperating with and assisting the Parks and Fire Departments with compliance of the order that was issued by the Fire Commissioners office