A Powell River councillor has convinced her colleagues to support sending invoices to the B.C. government for the cost of cleaning up homeless encampments.
Trina Isakson says letters and invoices are largely performative but the city needs to convey to the province the cost of dealing with this issue.
“The fact that our shelter was closed for over 12 months meant that many people made really solid homes in encampments and are especially in the summer months are very comfortable for good reason,” Isakson said during a July 2 council meeting.
Some of those outdoor shelters are around Complex Way, Barnet Street behind the police station, qathet Regional District land near 4910 Joyce Avenue and Willingdon Beach Trail.
The 20-bed emergency shelter shut down in March 2025 before the Driftwood shelter opened in April this year.
Isakson adds emergency shelters are not a city responsibility.
She says the invoices are “cheeky and performative” but get across to the provincial government the city’s frustration. She notes other municipalities like Victoria have done the same.
“It indicates our frustration. It is not our fault. It is, I believe, our responsibility to address issues in our community and it’s unfair to be burdened with the costs associated with it,” she said.
The city says the most recent cleanup cost taxpayers $11,000.
It’s estimated about 77 people are currently sheltering outdoors in tents or “unsanctioned structures.”
A city official told Vista Radio, as of last week, no invoices had been sent to the province yet.
Powell River City Council also agreed to send a letter to Housing Minister Christine Boyle and Social Development and Poverty Reduction Minister Sheila Malcolmson asking for money to deal with the problem.
