An emergency warming shelter at St. Andrews Presbyterian Church may have to move after residents voiced their concerns over the location.
In an address to council residents, Jessica Fetchko says the influx of people trying to access the shelter has caused problems for her business.
“I regularly dispose of needles, crack pipes, bloody wipes, baggies with pills, burnt tin foil, uneaten food, and various items of clothing. There have been fires set under my wooden side steps.” Says Fetchko, who owns the Fishbowl Café.
Duncan Council had the temporary use permit on the table for a vote in June but decided to defer the vote to October so other location options could be explored.
“We want to make sure that whether they’re, you know, geographically adjacent neighbors or folks elsewhere, we want to ensure that there’s always an opportunity to provide input to the process. We want to make sure as a community that we listen to all the voices,” says Lookout Housing Operations Director Lee King.
King says that discussions will happen well in advance of a site being selected and that in the coming weeks, Lookout will meet with stakeholder organizations in Duncan.
Last year, Duncan Council authorized the creation of an emergency warming shelter at St. Andrews Presbyterian Church at the request of BC Housing.
