With only weeks before a looming eviction date, 30 families still living in the North Bay Trailer Park are not going out without a fight.
"It’s over my dead body that (my daughter) will have to do away with that trailer," said Dianne Serjeant, who is staying with her daughter in the trailer court.
Residents received eviction notices on May 30 stating they and their homes had to be gone by Aug. 1. The sewage lagoon for the park no longer meets Saskatchewan’s Water and Security Agency requirements, and without a new lagoon the park can’t remain.
Residents, along with their friends and families, met with the RM of Buckland on Monday to talk about the issue. Ernest Sauve’s son lives in the park and he said many of the residents are living on fixed incomes and can’t afford to move their homes or leave without financial support.
"The RM certainly are compassionate to the issue," Sauve said. "However they do not have the resources to be able to assist the tenants."
The reeve of the RM, Don Fyrk, told CTV News he wants to help and has agreed to write a letter to the provincial government requesting support for the people living in the trailer park.
One of the park residents, Veeda Boudreault, has been leading the charge and arranged meetings between the residents and local representatives including MLA Nadine Wilson, MP Randy Hoback and MLA Nicole Rancourt.
According to Boudreault some meetings went better than others but Rancourt was quick to send letters to both the provincial and federal governments.
Boudreault said other provinces have laws to protect and compensate mobile homeowners in situations like this, and she hopes these representatives can advocate to the provincial and federal governments.
At least 15 people disputed the eviction notice with the Office of Residential Tenancies and a hearing is taking place at Prince Albert’s Court of Queen’s Bench Friday morning at 9am. The hearing is open to the public and Boudreault is encouraging people to come support the trailer park.
