FOUR PILLARS REPORT RELEASED TO PUBLIC

KELOWNA - The culmination of 58 weeks of work by the Central Okanagan
Four Pillars Coalition was finally revealed to the public Tuesday, but
it could be months before we see any action for people with drug
problems within the city.

The coalition released its so-called Framework for Action with some 28
specific recommendations to fill gaps in local services for drug
addicts. The recommendations fall under the four main pillars of
treatment, prevention, harm reduction and enforcement. They include
support for the methadone program and more treatment spaces for youth,
women and men.

They also include a "sobering station" and more shelter spaces among
others.

Co-ordinator Robert James said there was no timeline for when he
expected to see action on the report or when the other three pillars
would catch up with the enforcement arm.

Police are in the midst of an aggressive rescue operation of downtown
Kelowna with few other resources to deal with drug users once they are
released or moved elsewhere. "There is no magic wand," James said.

"We can't just throw this paper into the street and hope everything
will clean up. We have to take a long view and involve all these options."

The coalition began work more than a year ago, just as the homeless
and drug use problem downtown began to grow.

In addition to the visual problem of dozens of street people on Leon
Avenue disrupting business, car thefts and armed robberies have risen
sharply in the past year to 18 months.

James stressed that this coalition wasn't expecting to provide
immediate results.

"Each pillar will advance at a different rate," he said.

"Enforcement is always going to be the most responsive because police
are already in place. The one that is going to be the next fastest but
with the slowest yield is prevention.

"We will see more prevention work in the coming school year but those
results won't be known for years."

The coalition already has leads on funding through the Premier's Task
Force on homelessness and from federal government sources.

But 15 of the recommendations for which a solid dollar value can be
attached will be studied before June so clear requests may be made.
It's expected the Central Okanagan will draw an agreement with senior
government for on-going funding.

But the first recommendation is already in place. At the same time the
coalition announced its report to the media, it had a delegation at
the Central Okanagan Regional District seeking $16,000 to create a
drug policy coordinator.

The coalition sees the position running for at least 10 years to help
guide the recommendations and ensure all the pieces are in place,
sustained, adjusted or can respond to changes in need.

CORD will consider the formal request in March.

One item missed in the report was an accounting of existing services
and resources. While the report notes a main goal of "greater
coordination and cooperation," it stops short of attempts to organize
and lead existing services and address overlaps and duplication.