Vernon City Council seeks to move RV squatters from busy avenue – Okanagan

Driving on 25th Avenue in Vernon means seeing RVs parked on the busy thoroughfare and the Vernon City Council is trying to change that. A motion was presented to council looking for solutions and new parking for RVs.

William Coulick has lived in his RV on 25th Avenue for three and a half years. He lives with a disability and moved to the streets after being kicked out of other parking lots in Vernon.

“I have been informed by regulation that I have to move. I happen to come around the corner and surprise you, all these big tractor-trailers are parked here. Then I learned the rules of the game, if you move within 48 hours you don’t get a ticket and that made me happy,” Coulick said.

Coulick currently has three RVs parked along the street. He says he has received multiple traffic tickets and the authorities are continually trying to deport him.

“Every week (RCMP) comes and says, ‘We’re going to give you a $600 ticket and have your vehicle towed if you’re not fixed by the 15th,’” Coulick said. “How many times do you have to come to my door? You gave me the ticket, I don’t have to talk to you, don’t talk to me.

At Tuesday’s city council meeting, councilors discussed the possibility of amending the bylaw that would update the enforcement rules.

“Some of the businesses across from where these motorhomes are parking are quite furious. I mean they email us quite frequently. It’s understandable that it’s hard to make a living,” Vernon Councilman Scott Anderson said.

Anderson says they don’t want to evict the people living along this street, leaving them with no place to go, but look for places where they can resettle.

“We have campgrounds around. I don’t know if they’re full, that’s part of what I’m looking for to know when the staff comes back with a solution. It may involve campgrounds, it may involve something like that,” Anderson said.

Coulick says if the city approached him and other people living on the streets to move to a campground, they would. For now, he will continue to live on the road.

« I don’t understand why people driving to their million dollar lake house should take offense to me and my lifestyle. »

The by-law motion was adopted and will be discussed at a future council meeting.