Municipal staff, Nelson Police and Nelson Fire Department were all on site Thursday as the Occupy Nelson camp was removed.
Starting at approximately 1 p.m. Thursday, any items related to food preparations of any kind, sleeping or camping were removed from the site.
"From a perspective of risk management, exposure by the city to any litigation should — due to inclement weather and or the structures becoming flammable and or collapsing — any harm befall anybody, there was thought that there could be exposure to the city, so for the good of all it was decided that the structures be removed," said Chief Const. Wayne Holland, adding that the police were standing by to protect both the occupiers and the city employees as the property was removed.
The belongings were moved to a city works yard where the owners are able to pick up their property at a later time. "At this time it’s to their credit that the occupiers have, while they’re not happy, acquiesced to the removal of property," said Holland.