NEEDLE EXCHANGE TO MOVE

Cormorant Street Became A War Zone; Agency Seeks New
Location

AIDS Vancouver Island will move its needle exchange from the corner of
Cormorant and Blanshard streets, an area that hard-core intravenous
drug users have turned into Victoria's drug zone.

But the group doesn't have a new location for the facility, nor an
agreement from the Vancouver Island Health Authority to fund the
expanded services it says will be needed to prevent the same street
problems at the new site.

Since February 2002, when the exchange opened at the site, the area
has turned in a virtual no-go zone due to open drug use, fights and
discarded drug paraphernalia. Neighbouring residents and businesses
have complained about finding needles on the streets and jabbed into
telephone poles, cars vandalized and yards dug up. They say sidewalks
and porches are constantly used as bathrooms, with daily cleanings
needed. Many neighbours have put up fences around their properties to
keep out what police call a tribe-like group of hard-core drug users.

Yesterday, members of the AVI board, along with Victoria city council,
the police and the Downtown Business Association, agreed that
something needs to be done.

AVI board chairwoman Marilyn Callahan said her agency wants to solve
the problem -- not just move it.

"We need to bring people off the street into a courtyard and drop-in
space. We need to have space for coffee and discussions with staff and
volunteers," she said, noting that the current location is just too
small for that. She also wants to be able to offer mental health and
addictions counselling.

"We need resources for all of this and for security in the building
and neighbourhood."

AVI is now looking for a new site that meets the following
criteria:

- - close to downtown core

- - zoned for commercial/industrial use

- - not near residential buildings

Already, Rock Bay is one area under consideration.

Yesterday, lawyer and developer Keyvan Shojania offered to, if
necessary, find a suitable building to buy and rent back to AVI. "The
needle exchange must be moved ... to a more appropriate location,"
said Shojania, developer of the nearby Palladian condominium building
on Quadra Street.

AVI is seeking more government and private-sector funding to make the
move. An extra $105,000 will be needed in annual operating costs, plus
moving expenses, Callahan said.

However, VIHA which funds AVI services, announced in January that,
next year, funding for Victoria AIDS organizations would be cut by
more than one-third and the money redirected to up-Island AIDS groups.

VIHA was conspicuous by its absence at yesterday's news conference,
but spokeswoman Moira McLean said that was because AVI and VIHA are in
negotiations, and so it wouldn't have been appropriate. A meeting will
be held with AVI next week, McLean said.

"But, we are not their only funder and we are not responsible for
paying for them to move," she added.

Callahan said the needle exchange hasn't had a funding increase in 10
years even though the number of syringes exchanged has risen to more
than one million from 128,000 in 1996. The number of clients has
increased to more than 2,000 from 545.

Needle exchanges save money for the health system and save lives,
Callahan said. Studies show that, over a five-year period, at least 24
HIV infections will be prevented, for a savings of $1.3 million, she
said.