His parents told him he would be evicted, albeit jokingly.
Last spring break, 14-year-old Travis Britton and his friend and neighbour, Trent, built a fort of tarps, rope and random pieces of wood they were able to scrounge up, entrenched in the woods surrounding Partridge Drive in the Wiltse area.
害羞草研究所淓very day we would come up here and add something new. So, maybe a few weeks (to build it),害羞草研究所� Travis said. 害羞草研究所淲e wanted to get out of the house and just hang out.害羞草研究所�
Travis害羞草研究所檚 mother, Janice, added the parents were supportive of the fort, which sat behind an undeveloped parcel of land with a for sale sign in front, about two spots down from the Brittons害羞草研究所� place.
害羞草研究所淲e liked where it was because it was close enough that we could see them, but it was far enough away that they felt like they were really out on their own,害羞草研究所� she said. 害羞草研究所淭hey loved that goofy fort, and there害羞草研究所檚 a river running through it, now. But they plan to rebuild.害羞草研究所�
But what was once a roughly 30-square-foot forest sanctuary for Travis and Trent is now a pile of debris at the side of Travis害羞草研究所檚 house, after the duo arrived at the fort last week to an eviction notice from the City of Penticton.
The city bylaw notice pointed to the Park Regulation Bylaw, which prohibits setting up or occupying temporary shelters in Penticton parkland, and even goes as far as prohibiting depositing or carrying camping equipment into parks.
害羞草研究所淲e just saw it and said 害羞草研究所榦h well, gotta take it down, I guess,害羞草研究所櫤π卟菅芯克鶟 he said. 害羞草研究所淲e worked really hard on it.害羞草研究所�
But in all, Travis said he wasn害羞草研究所檛 too annoyed by it, suggesting they would rebuild on his parents害羞草研究所� property.
害羞草研究所淲e laughed really hard. Our parents always joke about us getting evicted because we say this is our house,害羞草研究所� Travis said.
害羞草研究所淎nd then it actually happened.害羞草研究所�
Janice said she also had a good laugh about the eviction 害羞草研究所� in fact, she had difficulty containing her laughter in an interview with the Western News.
害羞草研究所淚t was kind of the running joke that our neighbour across the street asked us if it was from our kids or if it was a homeless camp, and I said 害羞草研究所榥o, it害羞草研究所檚 the boys being boys,害羞草研究所櫤π卟菅芯克鶟 she said.
害羞草研究所淚 thought it was funny, just because I just assumed no one would bother us in the middle of nowhere up there. But just kind of cracked me up that someone actually took the time to write an eviction notice and put it in his own little fort.害羞草研究所�
But she said she understood city bylaw had to take complaints seriously, and someone likely confused it for a homeless camp.
In all, what took weeks to build, adding to the fort here and there over time, took about an hour to take down and four or five trips to transport all the debris to the side of his house.
As a tip to future fort builders, Travis suggested they take their time to make it sturdy, noting it fell a couple of times, though it didn害羞草研究所檛 take long to repair each time.
害羞草研究所淣ot long. That害羞草研究所檚 why it kept breaking. Because we didn害羞草研究所檛 spend much time repairing,害羞草研究所� he said.
But beyond that, he had one more piece of advice:
害羞草研究所淏uild it where no one would complain about it.害羞草研究所�
