Alberta town cracking down on people living in vans, RVs

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Christy Somos CTVNews.ca Writer

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Canmore, Alta., is planning to crack down on the roughly 100 people staying in camper vans, recreational vehicles and trailers parked on city property.

The town council is introducing a “no parking zone” between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m., starting at the end of the month.

“It’s only two hours,” Canmore Mayor John Borrowman told CTV Alberta Bureau Chief Janet Dirks. “But that will force anybody who is staying through the night ... to pack everything up and drive away.”

Canmore is the most expensive place to live in Alberta, with home prices averaging about $700,000, and rooms costing as much as $1,000 a month.

Some of the people staying in the trailers say they work minimum wage jobs in town and don’t have any other affordable options.

Brandon Wenkoff, a local electrician, said that while some people parked on city property are vacationing, about half are “just trying to find an alternative to the expensive living.”

Wenkoff has been lucky enough to find housing he can afford.

Canmore plans to hire a temporary outreach worker to assist the others.

RELATED IMAGES Brad Wenkoff and his camper van