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Target closed at Haney Place in January.
Walmart moving to Haney Place Tim Fitzgerald/THE NEWS
Campers on Cliff Avenue in downtown Maple Ridge have now formed a coalition to watch the city’s new homelessness task force.
Cliff campers digging in Members asking for micro-homes By Phil M elnyc h u k pmelnychuk@mapleridgenews.com
The city is offering garbage collection to keep the street from becoming a mess and there are signs telling people to be quiet during certain times of the day. Meanwhile, a spokesman for the camp, Tracy Scott, says the camp on Cliff Avenue, behind the Salvation Army’s Caring Place, isn’t going anywhere soon – unless people get the help they need.
“You pushed us here. Where are we supposed to go,” asked Scott. “We want out of here, but we’re not going to go unless you help us.” While the complete strategy of the mayor’s homelessness solutions task force won’t be unveiled until next week, homeless advocate Brian Harris says the task force has no one who’s actually representing the homeless. “That’s another idiocy of the program. If they couldn’t have someone who’s homeless, at least someone who represents the homeless.” Harris himself isn’t homeless,
but advocates for those who don’t have a place to live. Following a meeting of the camp members on Saturday, a coalition has been set up to watch the task force, he added. Harris said people in homeless camps around the city haven’t been told by bylaws staff to move to Cliff Avenue. But as a result of being pushed from the various squatters camps throughout the city, such as in the bush along Lougheed Highway, just west of Kanaka Way, people have ended up on Cliff Avenue. The city relaxed its move-along approach on Cliff Avenue so it
Buying out lease from Target in Maple Ridge By Ph i l M e lnych uk pmelnychuk@mapleridgenews.com
could a get more accurate idea of the extent of the homeless problem, Maple Ridge Mayor Nicole Read said earlier. Linda Whitford was one of the first to set up her tent a few months ago after her husband Joseph died in the area. She had put up a cross on a fence on Cliff Avenue in his honour, but was told to take it down. Soon, “Everybody just showed up.” Before that, she was living in the bush below Cliff Avenue, before it was fenced off, and has been around Maple Ridge for about 15 years.
The renovated anchor space at Haney Place Mall that housed Target will now become a Walmart, the company announced Friday. Twelve former Target leases have been acquired by Walmart across Canada, following the departure of Target earlier this year in an ill-fated foray into the market. Total cost of taking over the dozen lease locations, a distribution centre and one property formerly owned by Target will be about $165 million, Walmart said. The deal, however, is subject to the court process currently underway in Ontario as Target leases are auctioned off to various companies. Canadian Tire said earlier it’s acquiring some of the former Targets on Vancouver Island. Walmart will spend $185 million to renovate the stores.
See Homeless, 12
See Walmart, 12
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