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Campus camping clampdown: MRU student told to move her van

Click to play video: 'Mount Royal Student living in van gets ‘evicted’'
Mount Royal Student living in van gets ‘evicted’
WATCH ABOVE: A student who had been living in her vehicle and parking at Mount Royal has been told she can no longer park overnight at the University. Jenna Freeman reports – Feb 9, 2017

It looks like a Mount Royal University student’s unique living arrangement will be coming to an end soon.

To save money, and reduce her carbon footprint, Alana Keleigh has been living in a van parked in a university lot.

It turns out, overnight parking is against the Calgary university’s policy.

Alana Keleigh (centre) and friends, in her van “Carl”. Jenna Freeman

“We’re not set up to be a campground,” said Gerry McHugh, the manager of MRU parking services.

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“Our whole facility isn’t set up with washrooms, [or to provide] support for someone who would want to live in their unit in their parking lot,” he added.

Keleigh said she looked into municipal bylaws before parking her van, which she calls “Carl,” at the university. She also paid for parking.

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“I bought a parking pass for $700 which is a fat chunk of money,” she said.

Mount Royal University parking lot. Jenna Freeman

The pass is for a lot with plug-ins – her source for electricity.

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But rules are rules, and Keleigh said she has decided to move Carl across the street.

The university said it will offer Keleigh a pro-rated rebate if she decides to return the parking pass.

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