Victoria police are investigating a stabbing at the courthouse tent city on Thursday morning.

Const. Matt Rutherford said the victim, a 34-year-old man, was in hospital with injuries described as non-life-threatening.

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Officers responded to the 800 block of Burdett Ave., at Quadra Street, about 3:30 a.m. Rutherford would not say whether the man lives at the tent city or give any details on how he was injured.

A small segment of the tent city, about three metres by six metres, was cordoned off by police tape during the day Thursday, and officers spoke with campers.

Tenters and supporters gathered around the fire mostly shrugged their shoulders about the incident. Many said they heard some loud, angry words, but knew nothing of an assault until police showed up asking questions about a stabbing.

Michael Bjornson, who described himself as a “nighttime firekeeper,” said the previous evening was “welfare Wednesday,” the day social-assistance cheques are handed out, and a few of the campers were celebrating. “This kind of thing you could call ‘a party fail,’ ” he said.

It was the fourth stabbing connected to the tent city, which has also seen several drug overdoses, one of which was fatal.

But Bjornson said the tent city has no more problems than any of the shelters now operating in Victoria — an assessment backed up by officers on scene.

The tent city, on the lawn next to the Victoria courthouse, contains an estimated 100 campers. The province, which owns the property, has told them they have to leave by next Thursday.

The government has provided funding to house 40 tenters in the old Boys and Girls Club on Yates Street, and made plans to house 38 people in the Mount Edwards Hospital on Vancouver Street and 50 at the former youth custody centre in View Royal.

rwatts@timescolonist.com