The residents of Crab Park have opted to withdraw from mediation for their human rights complaint, filed in December 2023. It was fast-tracked in recognition of the urgency of their situation, and the complainants have opted to go directly to a hearing. The date for the hearing is yet to be announced.
The human rights complaint is based on alleged discrimination by the City of Vancouver and Vancouver Board of Parks and Recreation for “failing to provide proper sanitation, electricity, protection from extreme heat, and good-faith consultation”. It alleges discrimination on the basis of protected classes including age, sex, disability, place of origin (and in this case this means homelessness), and Indigenous identity.
In April, the city cleared some of the residents in what some call a “decampment”. The city is calling it “cleanup and compliance work”. (From City of Vancouver press release March 18, 2024).
In a conversation with Community Legal Assistance Society (CLAS), CFRO News explores the impact the city’s ongoing “decampment” of Crab Park will have on the Human Rights complaint and the importance of this case to others across Canada.
