Parksville, a quaint coastal city nestled in Vancouver Island’s picturesque landscape, is currently grappling with a surge in homelessness that has left many community members mostly seniors vulnerable and exposed to the elements as the middle class is being bumped into the poor class of our community…
For years, an extreme weather shelter had been provided as a crucial lifeline for those citizens without a roof over their heads during harsh winter nights. However, under the watch of the new mayor, controversy has erupted as plans are unveiled to shut down this vital resource again for this coming winter.
The closure of the extreme weather shelter has sparked outrage among residents and advocacy groups who argue that the decision will only exacerbate the already dire situation faced by the homeless population in Parksville. With the loss of at least 7 lives last winter due to the harsh decision to not allow a shelter and to make a building available when money and teams were ready to run an extreme weather shelter this was unconscionable. With temperatures beginning to drop and winter slowly approaching, concerns are mounting about the lack of safe and warm refuge for those in need and the lack of response from City Hall to make sure that this tragedy doesn’t happen again…
In response to these concerns, Mayor Doug has defended the decision to close the shelter, citing safety concerns and the need for a more sustainable solution to address homelessness in the long term. The mayor has proposed alternative measures to support the homeless community, including increased outreach services, affordable housing initiatives, and mental health support programs but has not delivered.
Despite these assurances, many remain skeptical of the mayor’s plan and fear that without the immediate provision of emergency shelter, vulnerable individuals will be left out in the cold. Again creating an unsafe and uncertain environment for all citizens of Parksville…
Advocates have called for urgent action to reinstate the extreme weather shelter or establish interim solutions to ensure that no one citizen is left to suffer on the streets.
As we’ve only been a witness to more suffering in the Parksville area as we want our streets safe again. Punishing the poor citizens in this community for not having affordable housing and not having a residence, is not the answer… Taking away what little help they had with the extreme shelter only took lives as we weren’t able to see the most vulnerable and get them into hospital or emergency care as the extreme weather shelter was taken away from us.
As discussions continue to unfold between city officials, residents, and advocacy groups, the fate of Parksville’s homeless population hangs in the balance. The closure of the extreme weather shelter serves as a stark reminder of the pressing need for comprehensive and compassionate approaches to address homelessness and provide support to those most in need within the community.
With winter coming there is still time to address this urgency to find a resolution… As Parksville navigates this critical moment, the spotlight remains fixed on how the City will respond to the cries for help from its most vulnerable residents…
Please join us to fight this atrocity against the poor and financially strapped citizens of our community.
Robin Campbell
Manna Homeless Society
Box 389 Errington BC VOR-1VO