Two vastly different forums addressing issues of homelessness and the toxic drug crisis are happening in New West this week.
Tonight, representatives from the city’s three crises response team will be speaking at the New Westminster Downtown Residents Association’s monthly meeting. The meeting features an update about the progress of the three crises pilot project and a Q&A with John Stark, manager of community planning, Brad Davie, deputy fire chief, and Nicole O’Connor, manager of homelessness services.
In October 2023, city council approved a two-year pilot project and strategy aimed at addressing the overlapping crises of homelessness, mental health and substance use. Part of the pilot project included the formation of an operational support team, a policy development and advocacy team, and a crisis response team.
The crisis response team, consisting of new and existing staff, is responsible for: addressing community requests and complaints; providing support to people who are experiencing homelessness, mental health and substance use issues; and coordinating, responding and providing referrals to provincial teams.
Members from the project team members presented the project at a New Westminster Downtown Residents Association public meeting in the spring and are providing an update of the progress of the project at tonight’s meeting.
The residents’ association’s meeting is on Wednesday, Oct. 2 (tonight) from 7 to 8 :30 p.m. in the upper hall of Holy Trinity Cathedral, 514 Carnarvon St. Registration begins at 6:40 p.m.; people are asked to arrive at least 15 minutes early so organizers can verify membership and register new attendees.
The meeting is free for Downtown residents, with a voluntary $5 donation suggested for everyone else.
Strata acts
One of the towers in the Plaza 88 development – located at the New Westminster SkyTrain station and Shops at New West site – has organized an outdoor forum on homelessness, the drug crisis and public safety.
It is happening on Sunday, Oct. 6 at noon in the space in front of Tim Hortons and behind the Old Spaghetti Factory.
Organized by the Azure 1 residential building, the other buildings in the “three tower community” are also spreading the word about the forum. They report that residents have been concerned about safety in the area.
“This event will be an opportunity for you to share your thoughts directly with the councillors,” said a notice about the event.
In addition to inviting some city councillors and media outlets, the strata council said it had invited some provincial candidates to attend the forum. (The notice said councillors would be attending, but some city councillors posted comments on social media stating they had not been invited to the forum.)
“Council is encouraging all residents to attend, as there is a need for a strong turnout from residents of all towers to ensure their voices are heard,” said the strata’s notice.
The meetings are taking place at a time when some community members are concerned and frustrated about open drug use and the presence of drug paraphernalia in public areas.
Many residents expressed outrage on social media after a video was recently posted online showing a young girl avoiding a bus shelter on Columbia Street because it was filled with belongings of someone who is unhoused and was using drugs. The video showed someone using drugs beside the bus shelter as the girl sat at a nearby bench waiting for a bus – only to have it pass by without stopping because she was not sitting in the bus shelter.
