Large encampment along Highway 97 near Penticton to be cleared
Global News
The encampment has been the centre of some concerns and questions, but those living there say they will have nowhere else to go.
A well-known and quite large encampment just north of Penticton, B.C., could be cleared out in the coming days.
John Tanghe started the encampment along Highway 97. Since then, it has grown substantially as many other people began frequenting the area.
“I’ve been there for over two years. I call it home and I really don’t know what I am going to do,” said Tanghe.
“I’ve been there because I can’t find housing. I don’t want to go to the shelter because it’s like a jail, and they got so many rules.”
Piles and piles of garbage and items have been brought to the encampment over the years, including multiple beds, bikes as well as bins of clothes and toys.
“There’s only three of us living there. There’s me, my friend and her boyfriend. But it looks like the tribe or like a little village or something lives here,” said Tanghe.
“But I made it look like that, just so they think people are there.”
The encampment is right above the highway and surrounded by bush, which has sparked some concern, especially as wildfire season approaches.
