By Philippe Lucas, Times ColonistSeptember 22, 2010

 Every day, in the neighbourhood where I live with my wife and two-year-old daughter, people laugh, cry, drink alcohol, take drugs, crap, urinate and vomit.

Some fight, some make love, some sell their bodies to pay for unseen addictions and sometimes the police respond to noise complaints or domestic disputes.

I don’t live on the 900-block of Pandora, so most of the time this human interaction goes unseen and unheard — in my neighbourhood, most people live their lives behind closed doors.

If we had a home across from Pandora Green, this behaviour would be visible every day and night, because the people living on that muddy median don’t have the benefit of walls to hide behind or protect them from the elements or the judgment of those who hurry by.

Of course, because these individuals are some of the most marginalized in our society, the sudden violence, the open drug use and sheer desperation are worse here than they are in my neighbourhood. But ultimately the harms are localized and largely self-inflicted, the outcomes of poverty and life on our city’s streets.

This week Victoria council will consider a bylaw that would make camping on Pandora Green (and a few other small patches of land) illegal.

The report accompanying the motion suggests this is to protect the people living on the Green from being hit by vehicles, and there has been a recent increase in such accidents.

However, if Pandora Green housed a school, we wouldn’t evict the students and shut it down. We would find other ways to keep them safe — a mid-block crosswalk or reduced speed limits.

We can agree Pandora Green is neither a safe nor adequate place to call home. For six years I ran a non-profit business in this area — three years on the 900-block of Pandora and three years just up the street from the former needle exchange on Cormorant Street. I’ve witnessed the challenges impacting this neighbourhood first-hand on a daily basis.

I also saw that closing the needle exchange did nothing to improve the situation, merely displacing the public disorder and drug use one block while increasing the risk of disease transmission.

While city hall can’t predict the neighbourhood impact of evicting these individuals from the Green, we have learned that devoting health-care resources to this problem can achieve real results.

In the few weeks since council first considered this motion, the provincial government, the Vancouver Island Health Authority, the city and local social services have significantly increased efforts to address the needs of the Pandora campers. So far, 52 out of 62 campers have been put on income assistance, one child has been reconnected with the Ministry of Children and Family Development and 23 individuals are now in housing. Additionally, nine individuals have connected with VIHA’s Assertive Community Treatment teams.

Given real options to improve their current lot, such as immediate detox and drug treatment or decent social housing, many of the campers tell me they would willingly leave the Green.

And while not all the campers might be willing to move on immediately, it is clear that a sincere, well-supported effort to help this population is already making things better for neighbourhood businesses, residents and campers.

Ultimately that might be the most hopeful thing about this entire issue: If we improve the options and lives of the campers, we in turn improve the outcomes for everyone else in the neighbourhood as well.

That’s why I simply can’t support a further ban on the poor and homeless at this time. We need real solutions focused on increased services, instead of another ineffective displacement strategy that will simply push these individuals and their challenges into another nearby street or neighbourhood, affecting a new set of residents or businesses.

Philippe Lucas is a Victoria city councillor and a research affiliate with the Center for Addictions Research of B.C.

© Copyright (c) The Victoria Times Colonist

Dear friends, colleagues, and supporters,

I’m happy to announce that our city and region had great success this year at the Union of British Columbia Municipalities.  After missing the deadline for submitting motions in 2009, council was determined to ensure that our priorities were considered in 2010.  As such, we put forward 7 important motions, 6 of which got passed.  We also spoke out against or otherwise opposed motions contrary to our regional priorities.

Here’s a list of Victoria motions that were passed at UBCM 2010:

B14 – Provincial Alcohol Reduction Strategy based on reports by the Centre for Addictions Research of BC and Dr. Perry Kendall.

B35 – Development of a Species & Ecosystem Protection Act for BC.

B57 – Reinstatement of Legal Aid for BC.

B77 - Allocating Larger Portion of Federal Gas Tax Revenue to Local Governments.

B145 - Having Province Set a Base-Level of Harm Reduction for All BC Municipalities, including needle exchange.

B146 - Moving Federal Medical Cannabis Programme to Provincial Responsibility.

The only real disappointment was that B155, a motion to limit private clinics and stem the erosion of public healthcare, was very narrowly struck down in rather undemocratic circumstances due to a lack of time at the end of the final policy session (it was the last motion to be considered).

However, in other good news, motions to increase funding and availability to supports for mental illness (B42) and addiction treatment (B44) also passed, as did motions to create a Provincial Poverty Reduction Strategy (B51), and to increase food security (B100/B119) and funding for alternative energy (B80).  Additionally, a motion to secure the viability of short-line railways (B107) was passed, as was one to re-instate gaming grants funding for the arts (B115).  Lastly, Victoria was a key supporter of motions to put a legislative ban on offshore oil drilling and explorations (B138), and to further ban bulk oil tanker traffic off northern BC coast (B139).

Best regards,

Philippe Lucas

Victoria City Council

Dear friends, colleagues, and supporters,

I’m happy to announce that our city and region had great success this year at the Union of British Columbia Municipalities.  After missing the deadline for submitting motions in 2009, council was determined to ensure that our priorities were considered in 2010.  As such, we put forward 7 important motions, 6 of which got passed.  We also spoke out against or otherwise opposed motions contrary to our regional priorities.

Here’s a list of Victoria motions that were passed at UBCM 2010:

B14 – Provincial Alcohol Reduction Strategy based on reports by the Centre for Addictions Research of BC and Dr. Perry Kendall.

B35 – Development of a Species & Ecosystem Protection Act for BC.

B57 – Reinstatement of Legal Aid for BC.

B77 - Allocating Larger Portion of Federal Gas Tax Revenue to Local Governments.

B145 - Having Province Set a Base-Level of Harm Reduction for All BC Municipalities, including needle exchange.

B146 - Moving Federal Medical Cannabis Programme to Provincial Responsibility.

The only real disappointment was that B155, a motion to limit private clinics and stem the erosion of public healthcare, was very narrowly struck down in rather undemocratic circumstances due to a lack of time at the end of the final policy session (it was the last motion to be considered).

However, in other good news, motions to increase funding and availability to supports for mental illness (B42) and addiction treatment (B44) also passed, as did motions to create a Provincial Poverty Reduction Strategy (B51), and to increase food security (B100/B119) and funding for alternative energy (B80).  Additionally, a motion to secure the viability of short-line railways (B107) was passed, as was one to re-instate gaming grants funding for the arts (B115).  Lastly, Victoria was a key supporter of motions to put a legislative ban on offshore oil drilling and explorations (B138), and to further ban bulk oil tanker traffic off northern BC coast (B139).

Best regards,

Philippe Lucas

Victoria City Council

Chandler, a second-term councillor, has been awarded a two-year scholarship to study in Europe. Chandler, a registered nurse, will study sustainable health systems for her master’s degree. The Eramus Mundus Scholarship is fully funded through the European Commission, and has schools in Spain, Hungary, Lithuania and Italy.

Chandler’s resignation is effective Sept. 1. A by-election will be held in conjunction with the referendum on the blue bridge, so no extra costs are incurred, said Mayor Dean Fortin. That will likely be at the end of November.

Chandler said the decision to leave was difficult but the scholarship is a “once in a lifetime opportunity. It marries the two things I’m most passionate about - health and wellness and sustainability.”

Chandler’s husband Roy and their daughter Penelope-Rose will also go to Europe.

“As much as I regret leaving my term early, I also know Victoria is where I will return to reinvest the skills and knowledge I’ll gain with this experience. I’m comforted by that.”

Chandler said she may well return to political life on her return.

Read more: http://www.timescolonist.com/health/Victoria+councillor+Sonya+Chandler+resigns+study+Europe/3083640/story.html#ixzz0pG9LgCtA

Dear Victoria Residents,

It is with trepidation and appreciation that I am writing this letter today to inform you that I have tendered my resignation from Victoria City Council effective September 1^st 2010.

I have been privileged to be your City Councillor since 2005, championing issues related to heath, sustainability, food security and community engagement.  As a registered nurse and mother I have been committed to improving the health of our community, for ourselves but also for our children and grandchildren.  An opportunity to continue this work has presented itself in the form of a scholarship to do my Masters Degree in Sustainable Health Systems in the European Union.  The challenging part of this exciting opportunity is that the program requires a two year commitment that starts in early September 2010 and thereby requires an early end to my term. 

This decision has been a difficult one to make, but as I consider my future both professionally and personally, as well as my long term contributions to this community I believe this to be the right decision. The Erasmus Mundus Scholarship that I have been awarded is fully funded through the European Commission and will see our family spending time at Universities in Spain, Hungary, Italy and Lithuania.  This program is also unique from any I have been able to uncover here in Canada with the specific study areas that I have been looking for. 

As I write this letter I am feeling so thankful for the opportunity I have had to be on council, and am distressed by the prospect of stepping away from the role in a few short months. I am grateful for all that I have learned during my time here, and also for what I have been able to contribute in my two terms of office.  Some of the things that I am most proud of include the creation of our Department of Sustainability, a renewed municipal focus on public engagement, a governance review that has changed how City Hall does business, a council commitment to health promotion through housing and harm reduction and a greater understanding of what it means to be a family friendly, food secure community.  I have been honoured to be at the council table representing you, and have worked to give voice to those in our society that historically have been underrepresented such as youth, families, seniors and those living in poverty. 

As I look to the future for Victoria, I am comforted by the fact that as a team, I believe council is moving forward with a real sense of civic responsibility and a balanced approach to finding lasting solutions to some of the challenges our city faces.  I would like to say heart-felt thanks to all the City staff, from our top Directors, to our front line, who work tirelessly for the community; to my council members from whom I have learned so much and have truly enjoyed getting to know; and to the Mayor whose commitment to this community is steadfast and whose leadership is commendable.

But more than anything I want to thank the community members who entrusted me with this role. I thank you for the chance to have been a part of this city in such a vital way and for the privilege of representing you on Victoria City Council. 

Sincerely,

Sonya Chandler

Victoria City Councillor

Compost is the foundation for pesticide-free yard care, according to Nadine Brodeur, executive director of the Greater Victoria Compost Education Centre. The City of Victoria’s pesticide reduction bylaw is now in force, meaning homeowners who use proscribed chemicals without a permit could face fines up to $1,000.

By Keith Vass - Victoria News

Published: March 04, 2009 11:00 AM
Updated: March 05, 2009 8:21 AM

Spring hasn’t quite sprung, but to avoid a possible $1,000 fine, it might be time for some to re-think how they plan on keeping their grass green.

After an 11-month ‘education’ period, the City of Victoria’s pesticide use reduction bylaw went into effect Jan. 11. The new rules limit which chemicals can be applied to residential properties without first obtaining a city permit.

The bylaw was passed out of a recognition “that short-term convenience no longer outweighs long-term benefit,” said Coun. Sonya Chandler. The goal was to protect both the environment and human health from risks associated with non-essential use of chemical pesticides.

The rules come with a list of 46 allowable “reduced-risk” products (available on the city’s website). Other products aren’t banned but can only be used after a city bylaw enforcement officer has viewed a property and issued a permit, if they agree a restricted pesticide is the only option to control an infestation. All of the restricted products will remain on store shelves, since the power to restrict sales rests with the province.

While he has no objection to reducing pesticide use, the way the bylaw is structured rankles one lawn care company owner.

Local Weed Man franchise owner Dave Carney said it’s unfair that institutions such as schools, hospitals and the provincial government, as well as industrial and commercial properties, have been left out, despite accounting for a large part of the city’s land area.

He also points out that by basing the bylaw around a city-determined list of safe products, it creates a situation where new products approved by federal regulators won’t be allowed in the city, even if they’re safer than anything currently on the city’s list.

“They don’t have the expertise that Health Canada has in determining what products can be considered safe,” he said.

Chandler agrees with Carney on the first point and hopes to see institutions included in a future revision of the bylaw. If the second concern proves valid, she expects council would take a second look at how to ease access to new products.

Not surprisingly given the early date, city bylaw officer Tim Weckans said there have been no $25 permit applications for proscribed products yet. And while the maximum fine for spraying without a permit is $1,000, his office will be continuing an “educational approach” with homeowners.

Nadine Brodeur, executive director at the Greater Victoria Compost Education Centre, said awareness about eco-friendly lawn care and gardening is already pretty high in Victoria, regardless of the bylaw.

But she said more information needs to get out there, especially at the retail level.

“(People) go into a store to buy pesticides and don’t necessarily realize (there are alternatives),” she said. “And the store clerks don’t necessarily have alternatives and don’t know how to communicate that education to them.”

For those who need to make the jump to chemical-free gardening this year, the compost education centre’s introductory class to composting is a good start, Brodeur added.

“What you’re doing with compost is you’re building the soil integrity,” she said. “And when the soil has not just the macronutrients that are added when you add commercial fertilizer, but all the micronutrients, you’re actually really strengthening the plant.”

Strong, healthy plants have less problems and strong, healthy soil negates the need for pesticides and herbicides, she said.

kvass@vicnews.com

A lawn-bowling green in the heart of downtown Victoria and a tiny adjacent park will be preserved as green space.

Victoria councillors voted 7-2 yesterday to remove Cridge Park and the adjacent Canadian Pacific Lawn Bowling Club from consideration for development.

Neighbours have been lobbying almost a year to protect the green space in the block bounded by Humboldt, Blanshard, Belleville and Douglas streets.

“I don’t have any interest in removing parks from our portfolio,” Mayor Dean Fortin said after the meeting.

A city report last year had earmarked the park and lawn-bowling land as a possible site for a downtown art gallery and a children’s museum.

Stuart Stark of the Cridge Park Rescue Group said the organization is ecstatic about yesterday’s decision. “It’s something that we’ve been working very hard for since last summer.”

“I’m still on Cloud 9,” said Kris Constable, president of the Pacific Lawn Bowling Club.

Constable said the first order of business will be to try to negotiate a long-term lease with the city.

“One of the things we will be asking for is more leniency in the activities we can do at the lawn-bowling club. We’ve been arguing for a long time we want to offer the likes of croquet and tai chi or yoga out on the greens, so we’ll be asking for maybe a modified lease from the city that allows these kinds of extra activities.”

Assistant city manager Mike McCliggott said yesterday that council might want to look at a consultant’s study commissioned by the previous council on options for a museum or art gallery in the area, since the study is virtually complete.

But Coun. Pam Madoff, who gave notice last month she wanted to see Cridge and the bowling green removed from consideration for development, said there was nothing a consultant could say to change her opinion.

“I think most of us have had ample opportunity to inform ourselves on the issues around Cridge Park and the bowling green — certainly through the election process and before.”

Former mayor Alan Lowe had hoped the city would sell its Apex site — a pie-shaped piece of land currently used for car rentals at the intersection of Humboldt and Douglas streets — for development as an office building.

The thinking was that the city could sell the property for as much as $8 million and that money could be used to build two floors of underground parking near the lawn-bowling green and Cridge Park, with the area above leased to a children’s museum and art gallery.

Madoff said councillors can still use the report for its recommendations on the Apex site.

Councillors Geoff Young and Chris Coleman voted against Madoff’s motion, saying it would be prudent to at least look at the report before making a final decision on the park land.

However, Coun. Sonya Chandler said unlike the Ellice Street green space the city has rezoned for a new Streetlink shelter, there is no other downtown green space that can replace Cridge Park or the bowling green.

“I think in this case what’s really self-evident is there is no place to redesign or relocate this site,” Chandler said.

Times Colonist, January 4th, 2009

People respond to stress or crisis in many different ways; sometimes, I cook. When my wife went into labour in the middle of the night a few months ago, I got out of bed and made braised lamb shanks, garlic pork ribs, and Thai curry to stock us up until the birth of my daughter Sophie three days later.

That may explain why I recently found myself spending a snowy afternoon in December making chicken noodle soup for those seeking shelter from the cold at AIDS Vancouver Island’s Street Outreach Services.
A few nights previous I had joined local hero and homelessness activist Rose Henry on a “reality tour” of Victoria’s cold weather shelters. Despite the tension driven by fear and desperation that at times develops between City Hall, advocates for the homeless, shelter staff and volunteers, and the local street population, on that evening all in sight seemed focused on the same goal: Keeping everyone alive through the dark, damp winter night.

As I adjusted the seasoning in the chicken soup simmering on my stove, it occurred to me that if so many local people and resources could be directed at the needs of our street population on a blustery December evening, surely our community could resolve homelessness and the perils of addiction in Greater Victoria under less desperate circumstances.

So what can be done?

I believe that our most pressing challenge is resolving the oppositional/conflict dynamic between the general population, our street community, and the individuals and organizations working to bring about positive change in our community. The misguided premise is that this is a battle pitting homeless campers against City Hall, or the parents of St. Andrews School against our city’s injection drug use population, or the Vancouver Island Health Authority against Harm Reduction Victoria.

While the legitimate health and safety concerns of our community must be our primary concern, I suggest that we have become unwitting victims of these paralyzing false dichotomies. We are not enemies locked into an endless ideological battle for our streets, but rather allies in a joint struggle for compassion, social evolution and greater understanding.

Although we may not all share the same background, we do share the same ultimate goal: To live in a safe and vibrant city in which those who want or need a home have the opportunity to access it.
The high levels of homelessness and addiction in Victoria debase and affect every level of our society.

In 2009, our community must enter into a grand relationship between local citizens, our street population, social service agencies, the press, police and policy-makers at every level of government; all with the singular goal of bettering the fate of our most disadvantaged citizens, and thus elevating each and every one of us in return.

The Coalition to End Homelessness is a good start, but it won’t succeed alone.

During this recent spell of cold weather thousands of residents chipped in with coats, blankets, money, volunteer time, and even the occasional pot of chicken soup in order to help us all meet this challenge and rise up together.  This was not done by government order, nor was it simply a sense of guilt or obligation; it was a massive public act of love, caring and empathy. By working together to keep our most disadvantaged citizens safe, warm and dry, we’ve made Victoria a better place for us all.

And so while I realize that my chicken soup will only feed a few hungry people and won’t by any means wipe away the painful spirits of ignorance, intolerance and inaction, it certainly seems good for the soul of our city, and that may be the very thing that most needs saving right now.

Philippe Lucas has researched addiction, drug policy and homelessness with the Vancouver Island Compassion Society, the Center for Addictions Research of B.C. and the Committee to End Homelessness in Victoria. He was recently elected to Victoria city council.

To find out how you can help, contact the Coalition to End Homelessness at 250-370-1512, or email plucas@victoria.ca.

I would like to apologize to all the residents of Victoria who may have been distressed to read that I had recently inquired about whether there might be a more equitable or affordable health care package for Victoria city councillors.  As council’s remuneration package – which was recommended by an independent citizen’s panel - was to be voted on during this week’s City Council meeting, this seemed like an opportune time to examine if there was a more affordable, comprehensive and equitable health care option. 

Unfortunately, what hasn’t been reported is that this question took up all of two minutes of a six hour Committee of the Whole meeting during which council approved a number of funding applications aimed at addressing homelessness, domestic violence, and increasing our current stock of supportive housing.  In other words, neither myself nor my fellow councillors campaigned for or otherwise pressed for additional compensation, I merely made an inquiry in the spirit of the pay equity.  The quick response from city staff was that this would have to be taken up with the Union of British Columbia Municipalities which currently oversees our healthcare package, and for most of us the matter ended then and there.  In hindsight, it may have been politically naïve to make this inquiry at this particular time, however pay equity is a serious issue and I don’t believe that employees (no matter what the profession) should not be discouraged from asking basic questions about their remuneration.  I can assure the press and public that this council is fully committed to improving the lives of all of the residents of our great city, and deeply regret that this has distracted attention from the serious matters currently facing our community.  I would also invite any members of the public who might wish to further discuss the issue to call me at: 250-361-0217, or to email me at plucas@victoria.ca.

With best wishes for the holiday season,

Philippe Lucas

Victoria City Councillor

BC’S MEDICAL HEALTH OFFICER SAYS THE VANCOUVER ISLAND HEALTH AUTHORITY NEEDS TO DO RAPID ASSESSMENT TO SEE IF THE RATES OF HIV AND HEPATITIS-C HAVE GONE UP SINCE VICTORIA’S NEEDLE EXCHANGE CLOSED DOWN.

DR. PERRY KENDALL SAYS THE LACK OF A FIXED LOCATION FOR DRUG USERS TO SAFELY DISPOSE OF NEEDLES IS LEADING TO MORE NEEDLES STAYING ON THE STREETS.

“THERE’S BEEN A DECLINE IN THE NUMBER OF NEEDLES RETURNED SO THAT MEANS THAT NEEDLES ARE OUT THERE IN THE COMMUNITY AND ARE POTENTIALLY BEING SHARED.”

KENDALL SAYS HE THINKS VIHA NEEDS TO FIND A FIXED LOCATION FOR A NEW NEEDLE EXCHANGE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

“IT WOULD BE A PRIORITY FOR ME IF I WAS RUNNING THE SERVICES ON VANCOUVER ISLAND.”

THE VICTORIA NEEDLE EXCHANGE ON CORMORANT STREET WAS CLOSED DOWN AFTER BEING EVICTED OVER CONCERNS REGARDING THE BEHAVIOR OF DRUG USERS USING THE FACILITY.

KENDALL MADE THE COMMENTS THIS MORNING ON THE CFAX1070 NEWSLINE PROGRAM.

VICTORIA’S PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICE SAYS EFFORTS ARE STILL UNDERWAY TO FIND ONE OR MORE LOCATIONS FOR A FIXED SITE NEEDLE EXCHANGE CENTRE IN THE CITY.

DR MURRAY FYFE SAYS AN ADVISORY COMMITTEE HAS BEEN MEETING WITH VARIOUS NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS.

FYFE AGREES WITH PROVINCIAL MEDICAL HEALTH OFFICER PERRY KENDALL WHO EXPRESSED CONCERNS TODAY ABOUT THEIR LACK OF A CENTRAL EXCHANGE SITE IN VICTORIA.