A letter cosigned by North Cowichan Mayor Rob Douglas and Cowichan Valley School District Board Chair Cathy Schmidt is on its way to the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions.
They’re asking for the overdose prevention site on York Road to be moved and in the meantime for its service hours to be extended to 24 hours a day.
He says that they want to work with the province to find a better location.
“You know there isn’t going to be any ideal location, but in our view there that there are some places in the broader Cowichan Region that may have a lot less of an impact on the surrounding neighbourhood and businesses.”
Douglas adds they also asked for increased security from Island Health at the OPS to ensure people can access services.
“Our understanding is about half the people that are gathering in front of the OPS right now aren’t actually using the services and are intimidating some of the clients who are using the overdose prevention site.”
The OPS on York Road opened in the fall of 2021 after moving from Trunk Road and concerns have been raised about its proximity to Quamichan and Alexander Elementary Schools.
