In response to growing challenges related to homelessness, street disorder, and the opioid crisis, North Cowichan Council is taking steps to make our community safer and better support our most vulnerable citizens.
Following a workshop in June 2023 and a report at their October 4, 2023 meeting, Council has directed municipal staff to move forward with several new initiatives:
- Develop a detox and/or rehabilitation facility proposal in partnership with a non-profit society and submit it to the province as a funding request;
- Strengthen all bylaws that support enforcing safety for the community and prepare an open drug use bylaw that minimizes public exposure to open drug use in parks and adjacent to school properties, while continuing to provide support aimed at saving lives of some of the most vulnerable people who use drugs;
- Reconstitute the Somenos Marsh Wildlife Committee and investigate ways to partner on more fulsome patrols in the Somenos Marsh;
- Consult with community health partners to develop a formal request to the province for additional support services in the medical and social services sector to improve outcomes for drug addiction, mental health, and homelessness issues in the Cowichan Valley;
- Include funding opportunities for a “Clean Team” in the 2024 budget discussions to increase cleanliness of public spaces and parks and prevent waste accumulation and major encampments;
- Continue to advocate to the province for funding to help manage the public disorder to support bylaw and/or RCMP resourcing; and
- Hire a Social Planner to coordinate the municipality’s response to homelessness, street disorder and the opioid crisis.
“Every day I hear from parents, business owners, service providers and local residents concerned and frustrated with the growing issues related to homelessness and the opioid crisis – which seem to be getting worse and worse,” said Mayor Rob Douglas. “North Cowichan is responding using the tools that we have available as a municipality, which will focus on managing these issues at street-level, improving coordination with service providers, and advocating to the senior levels of government for increased investments in supportive housing, addictions treatment, and mental health supports. While we are optimistic our efforts will make a difference, ultimately, we need the federal and provincial governments to resolve these complex problems, which fall firmly within their jurisdiction.”
North Cowichan is experiencing significant issues related to homelessness, street disorder and opioid addiction, mainly along the “Highway Corridor” that extends along the Trans-Canada Highway from Drinkwater Road to Boys Road, and includes lands within North Cowichan, City of Duncan and Cowichan Tribes. These issues have escalated in recent years, similar to what is happening in communities across BC and Canada. Current approaches involving bylaw services, RCMP, and service providers address some of the most pressing problems, however, there continues to be a lack of coordination and numerous gaps in support systems.
These new actions from the municipality follow up on the 2019 “Safer Corridor Report” by North Cowichan and the City of Duncan, and the 2021 “Community Safety Model Gap Analysis Review” by North Cowichan and are based on the framework provided through the four-pillars approach to the drug crisis that stresses not only harm reduction and enforcement, but also prevention and treatment, recognizing the complexity of the issues and jurisdictional responsibilities.
According to the most recent point in time homeless count for the Cowichan region, there were 229 people living on the street during the April 2023, a 77 per cent increase over the 2020 count. This number is considered to be low as it does not count the hidden homeless, including those who are couch surfing, living in vehicles, or living in remote places.
The opioid crisis is devastating communities across the province, including North Cowichan. In 2021 and 2022, this crisis claimed 4603 lives in BC, with nearly seven people dying each day due to unregulated drug use.