Pubdate: Fri, 07 Mar 2008
Source: Victoria Times-Colonist (CN BC)
Copyright: 2008 Times Colonist
Contact:  http://www.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/481
Author: Cindy E. Harnett
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?137 (Needle Exchange)

NEEDLE EXCHANGE HEADS TO PANDORA

Neighbours Wary Of VIHA's Project

The Vancouver Island Health Authority plans to relocate the city's 
controversial needle exchange to a building on Pandora Avenue, next 
to the newly constructed Our Place homeless drop-in centre.

The authority expects to buy a 12,000-square-foot building at 941 
Pandora Ave. from St. John Ambulance for about $2 million to house 
the needle exchange, as well as doctors, nurses, mental health 
workers and -- most importantly for its new neighbours -- a community 
police office.

"I'm optimistic. The discussions are fairly advanced," VIHA president 
Howard Waldner said yesterday. "We have a real opportunity to make a 
difference here." The needle exchange, which is funded by VIHA and 
run by AIDS Vancouver Island, has been evicted from its Cormorant 
Street location and must be out by the summer. The facility currently 
serves 1,500 intravenous drug users and has become notorious for the 
trail of dirty syringes, blood and human waste left on the street. 
People are often seen shooting up outside the facility.

Cormorant Street businesses have been extremely vocal about the 
problem -- and the facility's new neighbours are wary.

"We are just digesting it," said Derek Allan, owner of the Fotoprint 
copying store at 945 Pandora Ave., who was given the news in person 
by Waldner and Victoria Mayor Alan Lowe. "The one positive which we 
are holding on to -- with our fingernails for dear life -- is that 
there will be a community policing centre there as well." According 
to Waldner, the city has put $100,000 toward the purchase of the new 
building and offered to locate a "community police office" there to 
keep public order. He said that clients will be expected to use the 
facility to drop off and pick up needles only. There will be no loitering.

Plans call for the new facility to be better integrated with other 
social services, and will house up to about 30 people including 
doctors, nurses, support staff, mental health care workers and street 
outreach workers. VIHA also hopes to create satellite needle exchange 
locations throughout the city to decentralize the operation.

St. John Ambulance plans to temporarily operate out of the Gorge Road 
Hospital until it finds a new home.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom