Squamish van dwellers running out of places to park as local Walmart limits long-term stays

People living in their vehicles in Squamish, B.C., are running out of places to park their cars overnight after the local Walmart announced it would no longer allow long-term parking. 

The notice comes two years after the district council in Squamish, located about 64 kilometres north of Vancouver, passed a bylaw prohibiting people who live in their vehicles from spending the night parked on municipal streets. 

The latest restriction means there are fewer and fewer places to sleep for people who can't live in a home for any number of reasons.

In an emailed statement to CBC, Walmart said ongoing situations, including verbal and physical altercations, litter, sewage leaks and use of propane and generators, led to its decision. 

Now, people will only be able to park on their lot for three hours. 

"We sympathize with the ongoing housing crisis across Canada and have not taken this decision lightly. However, our parking lots exist for customers' short-term parking needs, and we are unable to accommodate long-term parking," the statement reads. 

Thomasina Pidgeon has lived in a van in Squamish for the better part of 24 years. 

"If I wanted to live in a house, there's no way I could afford it. It's just too expensive," she told On The Coast guest host Amy Bell. 

Pidgeon, a member of the Vehicle Residents of Squamish Advocacy Group, said people choose to live in their vehicles for a number of reasons, including having been priced out of the current rental and homeowner market, other financial reasons, mental health, visiting the area and wanting to sleep there instead of a hotel, and others who just prefer to live in their vehicles. 

"There's definitely been a culture of van living in Squamish," she said. 

But she said now, if she parks on a street in Squamish, she risks having bylaw officers come and tell her to move. 

"The life of freedom of van life that attracted me so much has basically been changed to one of hiding and stress."

Several hundred camping spots are available in the area, but they often require reservations and come with a fee.

Pidgeon said she's tried staying at campgrounds, but they have limits on how long people can stay, and she has been kicked out for overstaying her welcome. 

Squamish Mayor Armand Hurford said it's unclear just how many people in the community are living in their vehicles.

But, because Walmart's property is private, it's within its rights to make this decision, he said, and credited the company for its generosity over the years.

"That large number of vehicles is bound to have an impact at some point," Hurford said.

The solution, he said, is multi-pronged. First, they have to understand why people are living in their vehicles and address each situation accordingly. He acknowledged the combination of people camping recreationally, those who can't afford traditional housing and vulnerable populations all using vehicles as shelter.

"Our focus as a municipality has been to aggressively work on affordable housing," he said.

Squamish's population jumped 22 per cent, according to the 2021 census, up more than 4,000 people compared to five years prior. That, combined with the low stock of affordable housing, has created a situation where more and more people are forced to live in vans, Hurford said. 

"Making that choice is a bit more of a necessity than a pure choice," he said.