Residents of Penticton’s Fairview homeless encampment were forced to pack up and leave Friday, as a court-ordered injunction cleared the site following months of safety concerns.
asserted
injunction → force → concerns
RCMP officers were on scene to ensure everyone’s safety as outreach workers helped roughly a dozen residents vacate the property.
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residents → ensure → property
For John Tanghe, the eviction came with little time to figure out what comes next.
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what → come → time
“They decided on Monday that we had to go, and then Friday we got to get out of here,” Tanghe said.
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Tanghe → decide → Monday
With residents packing up and no resistance reported, authorities allowed people to remain beyond the noon deadline as they worked to clear the site.
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they → pack → site
But the displacement drew criticism from some Penticton residents, who questioned the timing of the eviction as temperatures drop heading into November.
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temperatures → draw → November
“This is not going to solve the problem.
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This → go → problem
It’s not very humane.
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It → ’ → ?
It’s not a humane approach,” said concerned citizen Danielle Savage.
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Savage → ’ → ?
Savage, along with two others, stood near the encampment Friday to draw attention to the impact on those being displaced.
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Savage → stand → those
“It’s going on November.
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It → go → November
It’s freezing out, and people have very modest means to stay warm, and that’s being destroyed today,” she said.
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she → freeze → means
The eviction follows growing safety concerns surrounding the encampment, including several fires.
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eviction → follow → fires
One fire last year spread onto the neighbouring Leisureland RV Centre property, destroying two recreational vehicles.
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fire → spread → vehicles
For Leisureland owner Yvonne Marsden, the removal of the encampment was a long time coming.
“It’s been a very long time coming,” Marsden said.
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Marsden → come → encampment
While she welcomed the move from a business perspective, Marsden also expressed concern for the people being forced to leave.
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Marsden → welcome → people
“As a business owner, happy to see it happen.
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it → see → owner
Personally, though, the support for them — where are they going to go?
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they → go → them
And I feel for them in that way,” she said.
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she → feel → way
Questions also remain about what additional supports will be available to those displaced.
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supports → remain → those
With shelter space already at capacity, the province would not say whether more resources would be provided, citing its post-election caretaker status.
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resources → say → status
The latest eviction is reminiscent of efforts to clear the same encampment in June 2025.
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eviction → clear → June
Despite those efforts, not everyone left, and the camp eventually grew again.
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camp → leave → efforts
This time, however, the court-ordered injunction gives authorities the ability to enforce the removal of residents from the property.
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injunction → order → property
For some Penticton residents, the focus remains on whether removing the encampment will address the broader challenges facing people experiencing homelessness.
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removing → remain → homelessness
Concerned resident Jeff Andrew says more than simply clearing the site is needed.
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more → say → site
“I just don’t see how tearing it down right now will make things better,” Andrew said.
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Andrew → see → it
He says the community needs a wider range of services, including shelter options and treatment facilities.
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community → say → options
“We need dry shelters, wet shelters, we need detox centres, we need places for people to go during the day and set up during the night,” he said.
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he → need → night
For Tanghe, the immediate concern is finding somewhere to go.
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concern → find → Tanghe
“We really don’t know, so I’m gonna start at City Hall.
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I → know → Hall
Yeah, that’s where I’m gonna go,” he said.
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he → ’ → ?
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