To the Editor,
I’m a senior, recently retired in Port Alberni. My son had recently bought a house here, and was very happy with the value he received. Early this year, after finding Port Alberni to be a welcoming and friendly community with terrific values in real estate and a wonderful setting, I bought a house to retire in.
I met my neighbours, and was pleased to find them terrific people. Stores and restaurants gave great and friendly service. Paths and parks were in good supply. Fishing and hiking beckoned.
However, unknown to me, a safe injection site was operating a few blocks away.
The wonderful sunset views from my deck became accompanied in the nice summer weather by the screams and cries of unknown women, and loud vulgarities from men. Dramas of drug life were lived out on my street in front of everyone, and could not be ignored.
A few weeks after my move here, I have discovered ladies undies and condoms on my lawn. I saw a young woman step behind my fence and defecate while I worked on my yard. My wood pile has depreciated by the shopping cart load. I ran off a young man who was attempting enter to my truck. Shopping carts sometimes get left at the intersection. A neighbour had his computer and other items stolen from his house.
My son called to make sure I kept my doors locked after he found an unknown person with dubious intent in his house. The nice park near my home has an uncomfortable presence of illicit campsites where fire safety was obviously not a high priority.
Good thing I have a fine monitored security system. It’s a critical need here. We must live behind locked doors, day and night.
Provide more services for seniors and you’ll attract more seniors. Provide more incentives for business, and you’ll be more attractive to business. Provide more services to drug addicts and the homeless, and you’ll get more of them and accompanying crime.
I challenge the new mayor and council and public health authorities to take immediate steps to ensure the safety and quality of life for all residents, not just addicts. It is not acceptable to reduce residential safety and life satisfaction for the majority of citizens in order to have a safe injection site for addicts. The safe injection site should be removed immediately.
E. Adams,
Port Alberni
EDITOR’S NOTE: The site at Third Avenue and Bute street is known as an overdose prevention site, which is different from a safe injection site. Port Alberni’s OPS opened in May 2017.