Tofino Harbour Authority closed due to standoff with 'squatter,' agency says
CTV
The Tofino Harbour Authority says it has shuttered its office in the coastal Vancouver Island community after what it describes as an escalating standoff with a squatter who has been occupying the harbour property for more than two years.
The Tofino Harbour Authority says it has shuttered its office in the coastal Vancouver Island community after what it describes as an escalating standoff with a "squatter" who has been occupying the harbour property for more than two years.
The not-for-profit agency, which leases and manages the daily operations of the public small-craft marina from its Fourth Street office, says the so-called squatter has refused to leave the premises and is disrupting critical harbour operations.
"The situation, which has been unresolved for over two years, escalated recently, prompting the closure," Ryan Crawford, the harbour authority's operations manager, announced in a statement Monday evening.
The closure will affect essential services for the local fishing and tourism industries, the statement warned.
"Despite repeated efforts by the harbour authority to engage with local authorities and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO), responses have been delayed due to bureaucratic barriers," the statement said.
"In a concerning development, two high-ranking DFO officers were seen interacting with the squatter today, raising further concerns about the response from authorities."
The operations manager said the harbour authority is frustrated by "the slow reaction from law enforcement and government agencies, which has left the situation unresolved."
