Debate on whether to ban camping from four of Victoria’s small city parks was postponed Thursday, pending city council’s receipt of a staff report on the larger issue of camping in parks.Coun. Ben Isitt had proposed banning overnight sheltering in Haegert, Cridge, Kings and Arbutus parks, arguing the four parks are too small and too close to residents to be used for overnight sheltering. The ban on camping in the four small parks would not take effect until campers and neighbouring residents were consulted and temporary housing options considered.But the item was withdrawn from the committee agenda at the suggestion of Mayor Lisa Helps.“It will wait and come back to this table when we have a comprehensive report from staff that we directed a couple of weeks ago to come up with … solutions for how to handle this problem,” Helps said.
Source: Victoria councillors postpone debate on camping in city parks
