Woman who stays in Valleyview encampment speaks out against those labelling homeless as criminals

A woman who stays part-time in a homeless encampment along a Valleyview riverbank says she wants to dispel misconceptions that those living in the camp are stealing from neighbourhood residents.

Deejay Amond, 34, told Castanet Kamloops she lives at Crossroads Inn but often spends time with her boyfriend and a few others along the river at a spot close to Vicars Road.

Amond said she’s seen posts on Facebook saying the Valleyview community is “sick and tired of the people who are camping along the riverside,” as businesses are getting broken into, and belongings are going missing.

“That’s not us. Technically, that’s criminals. We are not criminals,” Amond said.

“People come in, they sell us stuff that we need to survive down here. But we don’t know if it’s stolen or not. We’re not going out and stealing it either. We’re just looking to survive.”

Amond said they try to get what they need to live at an affordable cost, because they don’t have much money.

Some Valleyview residents have spoken out in recent weeks about the amount of break-ins and theft in the area, with one woman telling Castanet her family is considering selling and moving out as a result of the crime.

Residents have pointed at riverbank encampments as areas where garbage and human waste have accumulated, with some saying they have found stolen property in camps.

According to Amond, at the camp she frequents, there are about five people who live near each other in the same area. She said she tries to make sure the place stays clean and the campers look out for each other.

She said her boyfriend has social anxiety, making it difficult for him to be among groups of people. This presents an additional challenge when it comes to finding suitable, comfortable shelter or housing.

Normally, Amond said her boyfriend would be able to visit her at Crossroads but, due to COVID-19, he isn’t able to visit. That is why she spends time with him at the encampment in Valleyview.

She said some people in their group do have a lot of stuff, but it’s all they have left to hold on to.

“I try my hardest to keep everything around here clean,” Amond said.

“We make sure that everyone’s okay, we keep each other safe. We make sure that if someone is thirsty or hungry, that we help each other by making sure we’re distributing food properly.”

Lori Lavoie, coordinator for the Kamloops COVID meal train, said she often visits the riverbank to deliver food and other items to Amond and the others living in the encampment.

“I get a wish list from the kids,” Lavoie said.

She said she will get requests for things like batteries, cookies, chocolate and soup.

“They’re very home proud,” Lavoie said.

“You can tell when you walk down there, really. And it's actually quite beautiful down there. They do the best they can with what they've got.”

Lavoie said it’s a community that protects and looks out for each other.

She said some pictures recently posted on social media by Valleyview residents were taken at a time when the people living in the camp were gathering their garbage to be taken away.

“People were coming down, taking pictures of a situation when the garbage trucks were coming,” Lavoie said.

She said she has been involved in plans to help those living in this encampment safely relocate with their things as the river rises.

For Amond, she said she wants people to understand her community in the encampment protect each other from harm, they protect the property, and they try to protect the businesses in the area around the camp.

“I just think the community needs to make sure they know what’s going on before they start blaming,” she said.