NO QUICK FIXES IN FOUR PILLARS REPORT

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.