ENDERBY STAR | Local wheelchair basketball player inducted into Canadian Paralympic Hall of Fame [A5]
Morning gStar
The
Sunday, October 25, 2015
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Camps gain compassion
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RICHARD ROLKE Morning Star Staff
LISA VANDERVELDE/MORNING STAR
Zombie Kate Bradley of JCI Vernon chases after Roan Reid in the inaugural Running Dead event in Polson Park in support of the Teen Junction Youth Centre.
Cut to rural bus route hurts RICHARD ROLKE Morning Star Staff
Allan Jones is raising his children on the same family farm he grew up on, but getting them to school has become a challenge. The family lives at Echo Lake, on Creighton Valley Road, and Jones’ daughters in Grades 3 and 5 are driven 17 kilometres to the nearest bus stop to get to school in Lumby. Until this year, the bus came to them but Vernon School District cuts ended the service. “It’s a nightmare every day,” said Jones. “It’s been very stressful. We have to get them to the bus, go home and work and then go back again.”
Not only is time from his home-based business lost, Jones and his wife are spending considerable money on gas. “I understand budget cuts but it (bus) is a service we had for 40 years,” he said. “I offered to pay money for them to come out here.” School district officials have stated that because of provincial funding, there isn’t sufficient resources to continue all previous bus routes. Jones has expressed his concerns with the school district and he has sought political action. “I thought our MLA could help us but I’ve been trying for three months and he hasn’t returned calls,” said Jones. Eric Foster, Vernon-Monashee MLA,
says Jones has talked to his office staff and been told the issue is the responsibility of the school board. “They make changes in busing and we don’t interfere in their operations,” said Foster. “It’s their call. He needs to deal with the school district and not me.” Foster added that the government used to designate money specifically for transportation but school boards requested that the money be combined with the overall funding they receive. Jones is concerned that a lack of busing could negatively impact rural communities. “What young family wants to move out here?” he said.
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A social advocate believes Vernon can avoid conflicts with the homeless through a co-operative, compassionate approach. A judge recently ruled that Abbotsford’s ban against the homeless sleeping in parks violates the Charter of Rights to security of persons. “We have a protocol to deal with our campers that is respectful,” said Annette Sharkey, with Vernon’s Social Planning Council. The Social Planning Council, the City of Vernon and other agencies have a Sharkey long-standing committee that tries to connect the homeless with services they need, including housing. Information is also provided to occupants of homeless camps on how to keep their sites clean and avoid problems with the broader community. “I have to give credit to Clint Kanester, the manager of the city’s bylaw department for being a leader. This is a very unique partnership between bylaws and community outreach workers and not every city approaches homeless camps with this kind of collaboration,” said Sharkey. While Abbotsford’s ban on sleeping in parks was squashed, the judge didn’t permit permanent encampments on city land. “The judgement brings to light the crisis the province is in with the lack of affordable housing,” said Sharkey. A census was conducted recently and six homeless camps were found in Vernon, up from three during the spring. “When we started in 2009, there were 30 camps and we have hovered between three and five in the last few years,” said Sharkey. The increase in camps may be partially a result of the closure of the Green Valley Motel and its tenants not finding new residences. “We are also seeing more hot spots and party spots in public places,” said Sharkey. “With the Green Valley closure, we are seeing more of that activity in our parks.” While pleased with the collaborative community approach to homelessness, Sharkey admits more needs to be done in Vernon. “There are times when the shelter is full and people may not have a choice but to sleep outside,” she said. “We are still in need of more supported housing, in particular for women.”
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