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Province reviewing tent-city fire inspection report, statement expected Friday

Housing Minister Rich Coleman will provide a detailed update Friday on the province’s strategy for dealing with the tent city behind Victoria’s courthouse.
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Tent city on the grounds of the Victoria courthouse.
Housing Minister Rich Coleman will provide a detailed update Friday on the province’s strategy for dealing with the tent city behind Victoria’s courthouse.

Coleman released a statement Thursday afternoon to say the government had just received the results of a recent fire inspection at the encampment.

He said government officials would review the report overnight and determine how to proceed.

“I anticipate providing a more detailed update [Friday] and will also release a copy of the report at that time,” Coleman said.

An inspector with the Office of the Fire Commissioner toured the camp Wednesday to see whether residents had complied with earlier fire safety orders.

The office issued its first order in February and followed up with a second this month. The orders highlighted concerns about open fires, spacing between structures, inadequate exits, and people cooking too close to combustibles.

Tent city residents say they are working to address the concerns, but were given little notice of the May 25 deadline for complying with the orders.

Coleman previously said that if tent city residents failed to comply with fire-safety orders, the government would head back to court immediately to try to get them evicted.

The government failed in its first attempt to get an interim injunction against the campers. A court hearing on whether to grant a permanent injunction is slated for September.