“I literally feel on top of the world, but the climb is never over,” says Tom Green, former Riverside Trailer Park resident.
Green owns land in Ontario, so after leaving Squamish he headed out that way. When reached by The Chief, Green was staying at his mother’s rural cabin on Lake Clear in southeastern Ontario, a picturesque spot, he said.
Since being evicted from their trailer park by the Squamish Nation at the end of September, Green – and 18 other residents – have had varying degrees of success resettling.
While he is staying at a beautiful spot and has made the most of his new life, joining in billiard tournaments and taking a winter job teaching skiing, unfortunately, Green says, he has been unable to borrow money to build a home on his property.
“I was just stopped in my tracks,” he said.
Green was shocked to discover he suddenly has a poor credit rating, he says, which resulted from the situation at Riverside. He was under the impression his bank Royal Bank was forgiving the remaining $40,000 mortgage on his trailer as of March of this year. At least one other local bank had quietly done this for other Riverside residents. But when Green went to get a loan in Ontario he was shocked when the bank employee spun the computer screen around and showed him that he had a negative mark on his credit for having not paid his mortgage since spring.
“My jaw just dropped,” said Green. “They won’t deal with me until this is cleared up.”
Ian Colvin, senior manager of communication with Royal Bank of Canada said he couldn’t say too much about the situation with Green due to client privacy, but did send an emailed statement.
“We sympathize with Mr. Green’s situation and continue to work with him on a resolution.”
Green is hoping the issue will be resolved. In the meantime, he has been working on his property, doing what he can on his own.
The Supreme Court of B.C. ruled against fellow Riverside resident Wendy Linton in October.
Linton and two other trailer owners refused to sign an agreement to leave the park and therefore, according to the Nation, forfeited her right to free rent that was given to those who signed.
The two other residents the Nation took court action against reached confidential agreements with the Nation before the cases against them were heard.
Justice T. Mark McEwan ruled in favour of the Nation and ordered Linton to pay almost $12,000 in back rent and damages in the Vancouver court on Oct. 11.
Linton did not respond to a request for comment from The Chief about the judgment.
Squamish Nation Coun. Chris Lewis told The Chief, “the Squamish Nation is satisfied with the judgment of the Court as written.”
The owners of Spiral Mobile Home Park expanded their park to take in six of the Riverside trailers. Five homeowners have moved their trailers into the park, but are awaiting BC Hydro hook ups.
One pad that was intended for Green sits empty, according to Brian Frid, the manager of Spiral.
“The tenants here are just glad they still have their places,” Frid told The Chief.
Another former Riverside tenant, Christine Crawford, has moved her house to Spiral, but left Squamish for a job and cheaper accommodations in Victoria months ago when it seemed she wouldn’t be able to find anywhere to live in Squamish. Her son is going to live in her Squamish trailer while Crawford finishes her contract on the island.
The eviction process has left her exhausted and in debt, she told The Chief.
Her son loaned her the $24,000 to move her trailer and she now has “tons of work that needs to be done” on the home at Spiral before anyone can live in it.
The house’s under-insulation had to be left at Riverside so she needs to have that installed at a cost of about $1,700 and she also needs a bathroom built because at Riverside, a washroom was an addition attached to her home and it couldn’t be moved. She also had to leave behind her washer and dryer because she didn’t have the means, time or ability to move them anywhere, she said. “It will work out one way or another,” she said.
The Chief will continue to follow this story as the residents settle into their new lives.
