BOARD HEARS PLEAS ON DRUG STRATEGY

Supporters appear to outnumber opponents of facilities for addicts in the
Downtown Eastside

Two mothers, a medical health officer, and a politician who has
represented Vancouver's Downtown Eastside most of her life pleaded with
city officials Monday to approve permits for new health services for drug
users downtown.

"Please keep our children alive," said Nicola Hall, who described herself
as a west-side mother with two sons struggling to break their heroin
addiction. "The Downtown Eastside attracts addicts because that's where
the supply is."

That's why better services are needed there, she said.

"Then after the Downtown Eastside, let's expand the harm-reduction
measures to the west side, where it's needed as well."

MP Libby Davies, who has been involved in the area all her adult life,
issued a warning.

"I think time is running out. I implore the board -- please don't send
this back for more study."

On the other side of the fence, one business owner after another came to
the microphone at Vancouver's development-permit board hearing Monday to
beg the city not to drive them to their knees by attracting more drug
users to an already drug-plagued area.

"Don't give up on the people here who grew up in the community, who have
built the community," said Harry Jang, who owns a food-equipment business
in Strathcona. "I don't think this is a solution. I think you need to have
more treatment."

Those are the two basic arguments the city's top bureaucrats will be
hearing from hundreds of people as they consider whether to issue
development permits to the Vancouver/Richmond health board for four
health-services centres in the Downtown Eastside.

While opponents aren't happy about anything in the package, they object
most to the board's plan for a drug users' 24-hour "contact centre" on
Hastings Street and a health clinic that will include outpatient detox and
a methadone clinic on Pender Street. "The contact centre will only draw
more drug addicts," said Winni Wong, who said she was representing about
100 businesses in the neighbourhood.

The contact centre is planned for the main floor of the Roosevelt Hotel, a
heritage-era building across the lane from the Carnegie Centre, a
community centre that has seen its front doorstep evolve into a main
gathering point for drug dealers and users.

The Roosevelt's main floor has been unused for years, although the upper
floors are rented out and were renovated in the past few years, after a
new owner took over the once-troublesome hotel. It will function as a
combined community centre, drop-in, and mini-health clinic.

So far, it appears that supporters of the new health services -- a group
that includes parent-support groups, Vancouver police, drug users and
medical and social-service workers already in the Downtown Eastside --
significantly outnumber opponents.

City planner Rick Michaels, who is overseeing the development-permit
process for the projects, said staff have so far received about 3,400
letters: 2,500 in support, 900 opposed.

Among those who live in the directly affected areas near the proposed
centres, the breakdown was 400 in support, 100 opposed, he said.

Outside the Plaza 500 hotel, where the hearings are taking place,
supporters set up tables and gave out information, while a couple of
people costumed as Grim Reapers milled around on the sidewalk.

Although opponents dominated among the first 250 names on the 600-person
list of speakers, many did not answer when their names were called. That
means they will lose their chance to speak, since board chairman Rick
Scobie announced Monday that people not present when their names are
called will not be allowed to speak later.

City staff, Vancouver police Inspector Ken Doern, and representatives from
the Vancouver/Richmond health board all argued at the beginning of the
hearings that the new services will help drug addicts stay healthy and get
treatment, as well as reverse the street anarchy and reduce the open drug
market .

The hearing is set to continue Wednesday, Feb. 21, from 3 p.m. on at the
Plaza 500, and Tuesday, Feb. 27, at the same time and place.