‘We need this:’ proposed Parksville treatment centre receives strong support

Island Health describes the facility envisioned for downtown Parksville as a live-in program for individuals from Vancouver Island seeking intensive treatment for problematic substance use.

Staff ensure no drug or alcohol consumption is allowed at the location and those admitted to the facility are done so voluntarily and through a detailed screening process.

The health authority has stressed repeatedly this particular facility is not a place where people come and go as they please.

A similar facility opened in a residential Victoria neighbourhood in December 2022 and, as of mid-October, had not made a single call to police or paramedics.

Residents, business owners and those with lived experience of addictions presented their viewpoints of the proposed centre, which would see 19 people treated at a time. (Alex Rawnsley/NanaimoNewsNOW)

“Let’s not confuse this with harm reduction, where there’s chaos.”
Supporters of the proposal were many, as speaker after speaker stood up to voice their approval of a treatment centre opening in Parksville and being located at 188 McCarter St.

Scott De Long, vice president of Community Health for the BC Government Employees’ Union, said his role as a residential team lead for treatment programs within Island Health has allowed him to see first-hand how these facilities operate.

He said he’s supervised three similar sites, with one police call made in the last 10 years because they suspected someone had driven impaired.

“Let’s not confuse this with harm reduction, where there’s chaos. This is treatment, the people coming are going to be screened by Island Health to make sure that they can live to community standards. If they can’t…they won’t be accepted into the program, they’ll be referred to another program that can suit their needs.”

Parksville resident Lisa Stockton spoke on her experience working at a treatment centre in Nanaimo for over two decades.

She said many myths had been raised by those against the proposed Parksville treatment centre.

“Drug dealers don’t hang around our facility trying to sell drugs, but many have come for treatment and had their lives given back to them. We have a daycare on site because a lot of women can’t come to treatment because they have children.”

Stockton said facilities she’s worked at have allowed “thousands of people” to get their lives back, with families reunited and communities stronger as a result.

She added stigma behind drugs, mental health and addictions is at play.

“We’re privileged because we don’t have this disease [addictions] and I’ve said to people so many times in the past, you would not…be standing up here opposing this if this was cancer. This is an illness that with early detection and proper treatment, it can go into remission just like cancer.”

An emotional Elizabeth shared her lived experience through addictions and mental health challenges during Wednesday’s meeting.

She said if she wasn’t able to access a treatment centre, she’d likely be dead.

“We need this and the people who are on the streets now, they’re not going anywhere. Addiction is not the problem, people are suffering, people are in pain and addiction is their solution and without the help we can’t get well because we stay stuck in it.”

Another with lived experience, albeit from a different aspect, was Stephanie Mitchell, who said she was a police officer in Vancouver for almost 30 years.

Mitchell is retiring to Parksville and said facilities such as treatment centres are needed in small towns just as much as big cities.

“I felt the need to come here to speak for all the voices that we’ve lost on the street that we couldn’t save. Every day I dealt with addiction and mental health issues and so many times they said ‘I’ve been waiting forever to get into rehab and there is no space’.

Overflow seating was needed as roughly 100 people attended the nearly two-hour meeting. (Alex Rawnsley/NanaimoNewsNOW)

“Our concern is squarely focused on the chosen location.”
A small number of people spoke opposed to the treatment centre, specifically to its location.

Executives with the Parksville Downtown Business Association (PDBA) cited survey results which demonstrated a great deal of concern among the local business community.

A July 2023 survey, presented by executive director Teresa Cooper, showed 64 per cent of respondents were not in favour of the proposed McCarter St. treatment centre.

Following communication with Island Health through the summer and early fall, a second survey was conducted where 70 per cent said they were opposed.

Tami Frankford, president of the PDBA, said it’s obvious a facility and help are badly needed, but said the location is all wrong.

“Everybody’s telling their stories about why recovery is needed, I don’t think there’s one business or property owner in this town, or anybody on this Council, that is saying recovery is not needed. The whole thing is that the businesses are nervous and scared and it’s the location.”

She added businesses have expressed concerns about impacts on foot traffic and property values should the centre proceed at its proposed spot.

Amir Hermani, CEO of Berwick Retirement Communities, took a different approach as he objected to Parksville’s governmental process.

Hermani said Berwick, who operates a facility a block away from the proposed treatment centre site, made “a multi-million dollar, transformation investment” in downtown Parksville in accordance with the official community plan (OCP).

“My question is why would you go to the extent in creating and investing in such a strategy, and attract multi-million dollar investments like ours only to negate its effect by allowing a use type that was never contemplated in the downtown, nor does anything to move the needle forward for the vibrancy and livability?”

He added approval of this treatment centre, via a bylaw change, would be a “callous disregard of private investment made on trust and confidence” and could hurt future development in the region.

“Then you are announcing to the public that your OCP cannot be relied on for reasonable guidance as it is subject to consequential and glaring deviations in actual outcomes.”

He repeatedly called on Council to find a different location in the community, with another representative from Berwick commenting residents were concerned about freedom of movement as a result of the centre’s clientele.

At least one Berwick resident spoke at the public hearing, along with some other family members of Berwick residents, who all said no such concerns existed among themselves or their families.

“Thank you so much for being very respectful to each other.”
City Councillors closed the public hearing and moved into a “radio silence” phase, according to Mayor Doug O’Brien, where they can entertain no further submissions or correspondence regarding the proposed bylaw change which would allow the treatment centre to open.

O’Brien, who only had to quell applause from the crowd on two occasions, said the public hearing was well run despite the emotional nature of the topic.

“Thank you so much for being very respectful to each other and I do appreciate that, it truly gives me great gratitude for the community that we live in.”

Support from Council to date has been overwhelmingly positive, albeit acknowledging the concerns many raised both Wednesday night and previously in the process.

In addition to the statements made during Wednesday’s public hearing, councillors will also read over the 56 written submissions received as of mid-afternoon.

According to the City, 28 were in support of the centre while 26 were opposed.

Another two were relatively neutral in their stance including Oceanside RCMP who said similar facilities on the south Island and in Nanaimo did not see an increase in requests for service from Mounties.

The next step in the process will see councillors hold a vote on third reading of the bylaw at a future Council meeting.

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by Alex Rawnsley

‘We need this:’ proposed Parksville treatment centre receives strong support

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