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The quick read: The Penticton encampment off Highway 97 was cleared on Friday, October 30, under the court-ordered injunction reported earlier this week. RCMP officers were on scene and outreach workers helped roughly a dozen residents leave, with no resistance reported. The province sought the injunction after months of safety concerns, including several fires at the site.

The encampment at the centre of a two-year dispute in Penticton is now empty.

Residents of the Fairview Road encampment off Highway 97 were required to leave on Friday, October 30, after a B.C. Supreme Court injunction barred occupation of the highway dedication at the intersection with Fairview Road.

According to Global News reporting, RCMP officers were on scene to ensure safety while outreach workers helped roughly a dozen residents vacate the property.

No resistance was reported, and authorities allowed people to remain beyond the noon deadline as they worked to clear the site.

How it got here

The province launched its legal action in February, citing dangerous conditions including fires and the camp's proximity to one of the Okanagan's busiest highways.

Justice Briana Hardwick granted the injunction earlier in the week, giving residents just over 96 hours to prepare to leave.

One fire last year spread onto the neighbouring Leisureland RV Centre property, destroying two recreational vehicles, and the centre's owner has said the removal was a long time coming.

The other side of the story

Not everyone sees Friday's clearing as a resolution.

Some Penticton residents questioned the timing, with temperatures dropping heading into November and residents facing the cold with very modest means to stay warm.

One resident, John Tanghe, told Global News the eviction came with little time to figure out what comes next, saying the decision was made Monday and by Friday they had to get out.

Why this matters

Clearing a camp is not the same as solving homelessness, and nobody honest pretends otherwise.

But a court found this site unsafe, fires had already spread to a neighbouring business, and a highway dedication is not a campground.

The real test now is what happens to the dozen or so people who left on Friday.

If the system has shelter beds, detox beds and a plan for them, Friday was a step forward.

If it does not, the same camp will simply reappear somewhere else, and everyone will be back in court.

Source: Global News reporting, October 30, 2026.

Photo credit: Photo by Kristina Bekher on Unsplash