Order issued to end encampment in Vancouver park

People camping and living in a Vancouver park will have until the end of the month to pack up their tents.

Vancouver's park board general manager issued a new order Friday restricting tents and other temporary structures from being set up in Strathcona Park after April 30.

The board says in a statement that the shut down is a "necessary next step" to return the park to community use.

The order comes after the province, city and park board signed a formal agreement this week to end the 10-month encampment that has swelled to roughly 400 tents.

Earlier this month, the British Columbia government announced it had bought three more hotels with a total of 249 units to help house the homeless.

About 114 units are expected to be available soon.

The campers moved into Strathcona Park after the Vancouver Port Authority won a court injunction requiring them to leave nearby Crab Park.

They previously camped at Oppenheimer Park, which was shut down by the B.C. government after nearly two years over fears of COVID-19 spreading.