Occupy Vancouver Safe and Sound

Given the excitement surrounding the Occupy Vancouver encampment and yesterday being such a clear and dry day, I pottered down to the Vancouver Art Gallery on my bike. I wanted to see firsthand what was going on particularly with the brouhaha over the safety on the site. The struggle, though barely reported, is still very much alive: I caught part of the march against mining on native land (pictured).

But what of the safety? The Vancouver Fire Department has been applying pressure on occupiers at the encampment to re-construct the site by removing tents and tarps so that it comes up to code. Mayor Gregor now wants the tents removed due to "the rising and acute life safety concerns".

The few times I have been to the gallery the Fire Department has been a visible presence. Tonight, no less so, with fire Chief John McKearney again doing his rounds with a couple of firefighters and a city official.

A fire truck was parked outside the art gallery again, where some friendly firemen dressed in full firefighting outfits were hanging around drinking hot chai. (The presence of so many "battle-ready" firefighters I was told, was because a special ritual for Ashlie Gough was going to involve a fire-burning ceremony.)

The fire department has taken issue with a big white tarp covering multiple tents, propane cannisters in the tents, and the proximity of the tents (they say tents must be at least three feet apart). Since my last visit, the occupiers had made passageways through the tents and a couple of work crews were banging away on new dome-like constructions.

I've been to music festivals where camp sites were more densely packed, so whatever the fire issues I can't see them being insurmountable.

More importantly, with the on site medical centre, food tent, security tent, elder tent, among other tents, and the support that comes from the community of occupiers, the site feels safe and sound.

Certainly, a homeless person would be safter here than crashed on the banks of the CN railway or a bush in Stanley Park.

People might have many other issues with Occupy Vancouver - but as a place of safety it actually ranks highly.