After more than two and a half hours of listening to public submissions and discussing the issue, City of Powell River councillors voted unanimously to allow a temporary use permit for a winter shelter on Joyce Avenue.
At the December 2 council meeting, councillors heard submissions, both opposing and supporting the initiative, to establish the winter shelter in a commercial building adjacent to the Community Resource Centre (CRC) and to be operated by Lift Community Services. Council chambers were filled to capacity with people who came to present to council, or to listen to the debate.
Lift executive director Stuart Clark told councillors that while there had been some difficulties in providing adequate staffing to open the facility, it appeared, through partners, such as the city, its planning department, Vancouver Coastal Health and BC Housing, the situation is much more promising.
“Vancouver Coastal Health is working really hard to commit some resources in making this a sustainable operation,” said Clark. “BC Housing is working on backup plans, and I think we can say at this point we are optimistic that in mid-December, we could open up a winter shelter.
“We are requesting tonight that the city approve the temporary use permit. It’s a key step in being able to open up the shelter this winter.”
Clark said it is a dangerous time to be on the streets in the winter. He said the overdose crisis is taking more lives than ever before and there are fewer opportunities for people to find housing.
“Sheltering people is now a duty and responsibility to protect and it is a matter of life and death,” said Clark. “All of the people at Lift and all of the people who are here supporting this application implore the council to do what they can to participate in making sure we fulfill that duty.”
Clark presented two people, Jessica and Dan, to speak about homelessness. Jessica said she never wanted to be homeless. She said it happens to people, even if they don’t have substance use disorder. She said shelters provide places for people to sleep, but are also somewhere to feel like human beings.
“For that 12-hour period, instead of worrying and wondering what you are going to do, knowing you can go and stay at the shelter, you have support,” said Jessica. “We have a gap that is being filled for our mental health and addictions community here. It’s not something everyone wants to be a part of or think about but if we don’t have more of this type of housing, we are going to end up having, like, the Downtown Eastside [of Vancouver] in Powell River. I hope it doesn’t happen.
Dan said he became homeless in 2018, after being evicted.
“I promptly found my life turned right upside down,” said Dan. “I had to adapt to living on the street in a cold winter. There was no shelter, which meant living in a tent. I never found myself in those places by choice.”
Councillor Cindy Elliott asked about keeping the site clean. Clark said there are daily sweeps for sharps around the CRC and workers look for items such as garbage. He said Lift has agreed to do hourly patrols to make sure the behaviour is “staying reasonable.”
Clark said the weather shelters have rules and clients must review them. He said in the past, people who don’t abide by rules have been refused entry.
Elliott asked about clientele size. Clark said they have approval for 20 beds in the shelter. He said current estimates are 40 people without a home and about 100 on the brink.
Residents raise concern
Tourism Powell River (TPR) executive director Tracey Ellis, whose organization is adjacent to the CRC, spoke about problems of operating in the vicinity of the CRC. She said TPR is concerned about the uptick in incidents since the departure of a previous CRC manager.
“We’ve seen a marked increase in open drug use and discarded drug paraphernalia around the visitor centre,” said Ellis.
She said TPR is looking at selling its antique Boler trailer used for offsite tourism promotion because of repeated break-ins and damage.
Staff have also felt threatened and scared, said Ellis, to the point where they’ve locked the door, so visitor services could not be offered. She said they now have to have two staff at all times due to increased incidents happening next door. She said there has also been theft. Ellis said she is afraid of losing staff.
Dan Hawkins was the next to speak. He outlined problems he has encountered living close to the Westview Centre Motel, where homeless people are currently housed. He said Lift has chosen his neighbourhood to house clients and it’s clearly not working.
“I feel my home and property is not a safe haven anymore,” said Hawkins. He outlined incidents such as people trying to break into his home and said he has been threatened by a taser weapon. His house was broken into at noon, where two locks were broken off his shop and valuable items were stolen, he added.
Dr. Ashok Varma, whose dental clinic is located adjacent to the CRC complex, also spoke about problems he has encountered in his neighbourhood. He said he is not opposed in principle to providing shelter and safety but he wanted to share some of the problems he’s encountered. He said the loitering and associated activities do not lend for a safe environment for his staff or patients.
Carlie Tarlier, Lift emergency response centre coordinator, and Courtney Harrop, harm reduction coordinator for the Vancouver Island region, both spoke in favour of the winter shelter, while Marine area merchants Tanya Close and Sam Sansalone outlined problems they’d experienced with Westview Centre Motel clients.
After the presentations concluded, councillors had an extensive discussion about the merits of granting the temporary use permit before voting in favour of it. Because the designated building for the shelter is zoned C1 general commercial use, the winter shelter is not a permitted use.
The temporary use permit council endorsed provides for non-commercial, short-term accommodation use for a three-year period, and is renewable for another three-year period if the operator remains in compliance with the permit. Non-compliance can result in revocation of the permit.
