The City of Abbotsford has had to make changes to its upcoming Remembrance Day ceremony due to a homeless encampment on city hall grounds.

The tents were first erected in June and more than 40 people now live in the encampment.

The grounds are also home to the town’s Cenotaph, where the annual Remembrance Day ceremony takes place. But because of the campers, the city said it would not hold a ceremony for the public, only for dignitaries.

“There is restricted land in this area. The ceremony therefore always takes place at the cenotaph. It’s just that we asked the crowds to move a few blocks and we broadcast it live at Rotary Stadium,” Mayor Ross Siemens said.

In September, the city issued a trespass notice to people living in the tents. The decision was challenged in court, but a judge ultimately sided with the city and granted an injunction.

The Supreme Court ruled that the tents must go, but that the city must follow a “phased approach” to rehousing people living on the land.

“We can either be in contempt of court or respect the rule of law and work with our partners under those conditions. So it’s not as simple as just evicting people,” the mayor said.

This is a situation that does not sit well with local veterans.

“For a veteran, this is hallowed ground,” the retired lieutenant colonel said. Ross Craddock, president of Abbotsford Legion Branch 15.

“It’s disappointing to see that there is a lack of respect for the site and this lack of respect may be due to the fact that they do not know, do not understand the situation they find themselves in, but it It’s just that it bothers the veterans.”

He said this shows the need to teach more history lessons in schools so that people understand the importance of cenotaphs.

Brittany Maple advocates on behalf of campers and organized the legal challenge in the fall. She says residents weren’t offered housing, only shelter, which doesn’t sit well with many people struggling with addictions.

“(We asked) where is an underutilized safe space in the community where individuals could safely camp and meet their basic needs. The city responded that this was a BC Housing issue and there was no such space in Abbotsford,” said Maple, who is the coordinator of Abbotsford Drug War Survivors.

The fence will be taken down around the cenotaph for Monday’s small ceremony, and Maple says she’s planning a large-scale cleanup the day before.

A separate service will also be held at Mount Lehman for all residents.