Dave Peterson wants to know why an increasing number of squatters is allowed to camp in Thornton Park at one of the city's major gateways for visitors.

The park is located on Main Street at Terminal and lies in front of the Greyhound bus and VIA Rail train stations and next to a busy SkyTrain station. Peterson, who lives near the park, said it's become a home to the homeless, despite the availability of a shelter a half-block away.

"They sleep in the park at night, which I don't like but can live with," said Peterson. "But during the day they hang their mattresses, cardboard pallets and clothes in the trees. This is the first place many people see when they arrive in Vancouver and it looks terrible."

Peterson said a man he believes is mentally ill spends all day sleeping on one of the park's benches. When the man is awake, said Peterson, he often rants at passersby. Some of Peterson's neighbours told him they've witnessed the man masturbating. Peterson emailed the Courier several photographs of the man on the bench, mattresses, cardboard and clothes strewn under and in a tree, and a regular panhandler sitting on the cement directly at the bottom of the stairs leading to the adjacent SkyTrain station and forcing transit riders to walk around him.

Urine and feces are becoming a problem in the park, said Peterson. "I know not much can be done about them sleeping in the park, I have to be realistic about that," said Peterson. "But using the trees to store their mattresses? The park board seems to do a great job on the flower beds, but no one's doing anything about this mess."

Walt Judas, vice-president of marketing for Tourism Vancouver, agreed the garbage and debris in the park are unsightly. In response to complaints, Tourism Vancouver contacted the city about its concerns with Thornton Park.

"It's not what we want people to see as they arrive in the city," said Judas. "Vancouver has a reputation for being clean, tolerant and respectful, but if a park is garbage strewn it's not a good impression and it's disrespectful to others."

Vision Vancouver park board commissioner Constance Barnes, who works in nearby Strathcona, visited the park after she was contacted by the Courier.

She called the Courier from her cellphone while at the park and said it was full of garbage. "Maybe it's this bad because it's right after the weekend, but it's bad," said Barnes, who noted the man asleep on a park bench. "We have got to do more."

Barnes added the squatters have broken off several branches on one of the trees so the stubs could be used as toilet-paper holders. "They've basically made this park their home," said Barnes.

Barnes contacted parks staff and will be working with the city to clean up the park and find the squatters a new home.

Michael Vonn, policy director with the B.C. Civil Liberties Association, said just because there's a shelter nearby doesn't mean it's suitable for the people living in Thornton Park. Vonn said the homeless often avoid shelters if there are barriers, such as not being allowed to take their carts, which could include their worldly possessions or their pet, which could be their lone companion.

"Public spaces have to afford a kind of refuge for people with nowhere else to go," she said. "They can't simply be displaced."

sthomas@vancourier.com