RICHMOND, B.C.: Richmond Conservative MLAs Teresa Wat, Steve Kooner, and Hon Chan are raising serious concerns about the provincial government’s response to the encampment under the Oak Street Bridge in Richmond, after testimony to Richmond City Council confirmed that the Ministry responsible for social services provided a generator to an unhoused person living at the site.
According to testimony from the Richmond RCMP Officer in Charge to City Council, the Ministry provided a generator to an individual in the encampment located under the Oak Street Bridge. The camp sits on provincial Crown land, where the provincial government has full responsibility and authority.
“We have now learned that a provincial ministry is supplying equipment that makes this encampment more permanent,” said Teresa Wat, MLA for Richmond-Bridgeport. “People living under the Oak Street Bridge deserve safe, stable housing, not a generator in an unsafe environment. The City of Richmond has warned, in a very sensible way, about fire hazards at this encampment in its letter to the Provincial Government. In contrast, the NDP government appears to be doing the opposite by providing a generator.”
“On the one hand, the NDP government says it is monitoring the situation and working to address safety concerns; on the other, its own ministry is supplying resources that entrench the encampment,” said Steve Kooner, MLA for Richmond-Queensborough. “That is the opposite of a coherent approach. Nearby residents are concerned about safety and disorder, and people in the encampment continue to face significant risks, including the fire hazard the City has identified. No one should have to live like this under a bridge on provincial land.”
“Right now, it looks like this encampment is being managed rather than resolved,” said Hon Chan, MLA for Richmond Centre. “We need a plan that focuses on real housing pathways and neighbourhood safety, not ad hoc measures that simply allow encampments to continue on Crown land. The people living there, and the community around them, deserve better.”
In their joint letter to Transportation and Transit Minister Mike Farnworth and Public Safety Minister Nina Krieger on November 18, 2025, the MLAs requested immediate steps, including:
- A full safety assessment of the encampment site
- Cleanup of hazardous materials and debris
- Outreach and supports for individuals living under the bridge
- A coordinated plan with the City of Richmond to restore community safety
“I have been visiting the site every week since November, and the situation is clearly getting worse. Weeks after we sent our joint letter, neither ministry has responded, which shows how tone-deaf this government is to Richmond’s concerns. Richmond RCMP have also reported that the generator provided to the encampment was eventually stolen, which is a clear example of how this approach is fuelling more crime, more conflict, and more risk,” said Teresa Wat.
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Media Contact:
Ryan Painter
Communications
Ryan.Painter@leg.bc.ca
