A tarp, a totem pole and a small memorial is all that is left of Camp Cloud’s protest site on Burnaby mountain.
Residents of nearby neighbourhoods are conflicted about the City of Burnaby’s decision to demolish the camp and evict its residents and visitors earlier this week. The B.C. Supreme Court gave the city permission to shut down the camp August 10. The second protest camp, named the “watch house,” has been allowed to stay.
The camp created tension in the neighbourhoods surrounding the tank farm. At one point, a group of Forest Grove residents presented a petition to the city asking them to remove it.
Camp Cloud protestors have been monitoring the movements of Trans Mountain workers at the tank farm since November 2017. The camp grew from a single trailer to include multiple wooden structures over nine months, and became a permanent home to some protesters during that time.
Nearby residents still appear to be divided in their opinions on Camp Cloud.
Frank Palmieri walks his dog up Underhill Avenue past the tank farm every day. While he supports the right to protest, he says the size of the camp became a problem. He was also concerned that the protesters’ “sacred fire” was a safety hazard.
“The camp got overgrown too fast. They were too big. They were putting up structures they shouldn’t,” he told the NOW.
But Palmieri said all his interactions with the group were peaceful, and he wasn't personally bothered too much by the camp. He said he understands Indigenous groups’ opposition to the pipeline for environment reasons.
He also doesn't take any issue with protests outside the terminal, as long as they don't continue overnight.
“The camp just kept growing, and growing and growing,” he said. “People took exception to it ... It was shabby-looking. It didn’t become a protest anymore, it became a housing problem.”
Rosanne Horychun lives near Forest Grove Elementary and regularly jogs near the tank farm. She said it was unfortunate the city removed the camp, and doesn’t feel like the government was listening to residents’ safety concerns with the pipeline.
“I don’t think the people who were up here camping had their voice taken seriously by the federal government or by Kinder Morgan,” she said. “I had no problem with (the protesters.) They left us alone, and actually, they were quite friendly, and quite hospitable, actually.”
Horychun is not be alone in her views. On Saturday, thank you notes were seen placed on the ground where the protest camp stood earlier this week.
Jeff Jang was cycling on the path near the tank farm Saturday morning. He said he understood what the protest group was trying to accomplish.
“They tried to make a point. They protested, they came on to the site, did what they could, government came in, bought the site, now its ended, and they asked them to leave,” he said. “I think it was a valid stance, but as the government always proves to be the stronger hand and always do what they want to do.”
Sam Smith, who has lived in Forest Grove for 30 years, walked to the tank farm site with his young son Saturday morning to see what was left of the site.
“Just because something was there for a while, it’s kind of jarring to look at it, a little bit now. Also, a little sad,” he said. “I just wanted to check things out because I support their right to protest and what they’re trying to accomplish.”
Smith said he knows the camp has been a divisive topic among his neighbours, although he doesn’t think the division was as deep as it could sometimes seem on social media.
“I don’t think it’s as black and white. I know a lot of people support the watch house who do not support Camp Cloud. There are degrees of support and, of course, there’s people who support the oil industry,” he said. “But I don’t think it was as savage as it can feel like sometimes, especially when you go on something like a Facebook group and you get some very strong opinions coming through from some very vocal people.
“I think, overall, people are still as they always are: good. They have their opinions, I don’t think anyone is a terrible person for having a different opinion about this.”
