DRUGS, PROSTITUTES SOUR WALKWAY'S APPEAL

Brian Henry climbs nimbly over a rocky outcropping overlooking Victoria
Marina and points out three used drug needles on a grassy niche.

The owner of Ocean River Sports on Store Street says the needles are
evidence of a lingering problem with drug users behind the Value Village
store, where a public harbourside walkway was built last year as part of
the marina development.

On a rainy day no one's around. But in better weather drug addicts,
prostitutes and homeless people still loiter in the area that was cleaned
up when the concrete walkway was installed.

"It's a civic problem that we need to deal with," said Henry, who has
persuaded the city to allow the walkway to be gated at night.

Council supported the gate last week on a temporary basis.

The walkway extends what the city hopes will become a public path around
the entire harbour. It comes to a dead end now behind Capital Iron, where a
harbourside parking lot covers land owned by Transport Canada. Further
public access is blocked by an asphalt plant that occupies the next plot of
land, south of Rock Bay where Transport Canada and B.C. Hydro are cleaning
up polluted former industrial land.

"As long as it's a dead end people will come here to shoot up," said Henry,
who manages the marina on behalf of Legacy, a U.S. company based in
Washington state that owns Value Village, a second-hand store.

Ocean River runs a store next door to Value Village and operates a kayak
rental business from the marina where boats are sold, yachts are anchored
and the James Bay Rowing Club keeps its racing sculls.

In the morning or the evening it's not uncommon for marina users to see
drug users shooting up or prostitutes servicing customers, Henry said.

"It's a little disconcerting for people who come upon them," he said.
The James Bay Rowing Club reported one of its members, a 14-year-old
girl, encountering prostitutes on her way to the marina.

When more people start using the area the problem will likely disappear,
Henry said.

Drug users go there now because it's away from the limelight. But it may
show the need for Victoria to provide addicts with safe injection sites, he
said.

"It's probably not a bad idea."

Council has recommended the issue of the gate be reviewed every two years,
or sooner if the walkway is extended northward. Henry would
like to see the extension, but Transport Canada shows no signs of
developing its property behind Capital Iron and Ocean River.

Henry said a metal gate will likely be installed next month at a cost of
about $4,000. It will be opened and closed by a watchman who lives aboard a
vessel moored at the marina, he said.