An encampment established by activists outside Abbotsford City Hall last summer that led to a months-long standoff with the city ended quietly two months ago.
The last tent came down in June and there is no longer an encampment outside of city hall, the city of Abbotsford confirmed in an email.
“All appeals and petitions to the court have been withdrawn by the parties and the matter is deemed resolved,” said communications manager Aletta Vanderheyden.
The protest encampment was led by the Drug War Survivors (DWS) homelessness advocacy group, which was “asking for free land to be provided for those who wish to camp permanently,” according to a July 24, 2024 Abbotsford City Council blog post.
Last September, the municipality issued a trespass notice to people living in the encampment.
The Matsqui-Abbotsford Impact Society challenged the notice in court on behalf of the Abbotsford (DWS), seeking an injunction blocking its enforcement.
The B.C. Supreme Court rejected that application in October and upheld the Abbotsford bylaw that would allow the encampment’s removal but ordered the city to comply with several conditions, including providing housing options, harm reduction services and mental health assessments, for the people being displaced.
More than a month later, and after the encampment forced the Abbotsford Legion to alter the city’s annual Remembrance Day ceremony, the city announced it was taking the case to the B.C. Court of Appeal and seeking to have the conditions removed, because it “does not have the mandate, authority or funding to provide these services.”
The city also installed fencing around the encampment last November, and removed eight people from the site it deemed to be new occupants.
The city has been working closely with the province over the past decade to ensure that people in Abbotsford have access to the housing and outreach services Fraser Health and BC Housing are responsible for providing in the community, Vanderheyden said.
“Over the winter months, individuals chose to access the services offered to them and reside elsewhere.”
When asked about the encampment’s dissolution and whether any updates were posted after November 2024, the city confirmed that was the last community-wide update, and it has since provided statements to media upon request.