Canmore, Alta., is planning to crack down on the roughly 100 people staying in camper vans, recreational vehicles and trailers parked on city property.
The town council is introducing a 鈥渘o parking zone鈥� between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m., starting at the end of the month.
鈥淚t鈥檚 only two hours,鈥� Canmore Mayor John Borrowman told CTV Alberta Bureau Chief Janet Dirks. 鈥淏ut that will force anybody who is staying through the night ... to pack everything up and drive away.鈥�
Canmore is the most expensive place to live in Alberta, with home prices averaging about $700,000, and rooms costing as much as $1,000 a month.
Some of the people staying in the trailers say they work minimum wage jobs in town and don鈥檛 have any other affordable options.
Brandon Wenkoff, a local electrician, said that while some people parked on city property are vacationing, about half are 鈥渏ust trying to find an alternative to the expensive living.鈥�
Wenkoff has been lucky enough to find housing he can afford.
Canmore plans to hire a temporary outreach worker to assist the others.
