For years, residents of Abbotsford have been asking for help with the homeless encampment at the former Whatcom Road park and ride. What started as a temporary situation continued for years, creating growing concerns about garbage, safety, fires, drug use, crime, and access to the provincial rest area.

Polite Canada has been raising questions about this situation since 2024. We have repeatedly asked a simple question: Who is responsible for what happens on provincial Crown land, and when will someone take action?

The situation became even more serious after a fatal shooting at the encampment in March 2026. Residents, businesses, highway users, and people living in the encampment have all been affected by the situation.

The Province of British Columbia finally took notice and ordered the Whatcom Road encampment to be cleared. The province has told people living at the site that they must leave, with a deadline of Oct. 6, 2026.

This is an important step.

For a long time, residents felt that their concerns were not being heard. The City of Abbotsford repeatedly pointed to provincial responsibility because the land is under provincial jurisdiction. At the same time, people living at the encampment were left in difficult and often unsafe conditions.

We believe the province’s decision shows that the government can act when there is enough attention, leadership, and public pressure.

But this cannot be the end of the story.

Polite Canada also believes that simply clearing an encampment does not solve homelessness. Some people living at Whatcom Road have nowhere else to go. Some are living on disability benefits that are not enough to afford market rent. Others may be dealing with addiction, mental health challenges, trauma, or other difficult circumstances.

These people deserve compassion and a real pathway to safe, stable, and affordable housing. At the same time, residents of Abbotsford deserve safe and clean public spaces. Highway rest areas need to remain available for truck drivers, travellers, and emergency use. Businesses and nearby residents should not have to live with ongoing safety and sanitation concerns.

We can care about people experiencing homelessness while also protecting the safety and well-being of the wider community. These goals do not have to compete with each other.

Polite Canada thanks the Province of British Columbia for finally taking action. We also thank the residents, businesses, community leaders, and others who continued to speak up and ask for a solution.

Our message is simple:

Thank you for listening. Thank you for acting. Now let’s make sure we have a permanent solution.

British Columbians deserve safe, clean, and respectful communities, and people experiencing homelessness deserve dignity, compassion, and a genuine opportunity for a better life.

We deserve better.