Homeless tents and campers have been occupying the Whatcom Road provincial rest stop along Highway 1 for over two years now. Residents have been calling the area unsafe, the garbage bins are overflowing, and truckers are unable to take their designated quick stop, while the Abbotsford Police and the City blame the provincial and federal governments for the mess.
Getting rid of the now-familiar sight of rundown RVs, tents, garbage, and sewage while entering Abbotsford should have been the first agenda on the election manifesto of the candidates in recent elections. The local conversations and public forums reflect the helplessness of residents asking for a solution to this growing problem for years. The residents deserve at least an answer on when things will be normal again.
On Wednesday, May 14th, Mayor Ross Siemens and Abbotsford business leaders got together at the annual Mayor’s Luncheon at Cascade Aerospace. Mayor Siemens told the community that 2025 is shaping up to be “very productive” in Abbotsford, while Abbotsford itself is facing some “pretty significant” challenges, such as homelessness, substance abuse, health care, and flood mitigation. He said these issues require the support of senior levels of government, and the city is doing what it can to ensure those partnerships.
The homelessness issue in Abbotsford has four key parties engaged in a conflict. First, there are the angry homeless people who refuse to stay in shelters or complain that they have either been evicted or blacklisted. They are demanding designated land from the city with potable water and appropriate washrooms where they can stay indefinitely.
The second party consists of the advocacy groups that prevent the city from dismantling the camps. The third party, the city itself, with the mandate to solve the problem, calls homelessness a federal and provincial issue. According to Abbotsford’s Mayor Ross Siemens, the local government only operates on six to eight cents of every tax dollar paid to the provincial or federal government. Amidst this blame game, it is the fourth group, the residents, left with no solution to the growing problem. As the conflict stretches indefinitely, the residents continue to pay taxes and fulfill their civic responsibilities while waiting endlessly for a solution.
The Abbotsford mayor says that the city is trying to find the right balance, focusing on the rights and needs of the people living in these camps. The campers are infuriated with the treatment they received in the past, including a time when chicken manure was spread in the encampment to drive people away. Mayor Ross Siemens admits those actions still affect how people feel about the city today, but says, “That’s not who we are, and it never has been.
Tent camps in Abbotsford have created safety concerns and have blocked access to the provincial rest stop on Highway 1. Residents are left conflicted to pick between their legitimate concerns about public safety and access or support for vulnerable people, many of whom deal with mental health issues, addiction, and poverty.
During the Mayor’s luncheon, Siemens reported that Abbotsford has made significant progress in 2024 and into 2025, citing the new development permits approved by the city. While moving forward seems promising, what are we doing to address the critical issue of homelessness in our community that has affected Abbotsford residents consistently over the past few years?
Responsible Parties
At Polite Canada, we’re looking for answers to why there’s no solution to this critical issue. Join us in calling for accountability and a solution to this problem by contacting relevant parties:
Minister of Transportation
Mike Farnworth
Office: (250) 387-1978
Fax: (250) 356-2290
Email: TT.Minister@gov.bc.ca
Deputy Minister of Transportation
Heather Wood
Office: (250) 387-3198
City of Abbotsford Mayor
Ross Siemens
Office: (604) 864-5500
