Parksville Qualicum Beach News, November 26, 2015 by Black Press Media Group

THURSDAY NOVEMBER 26, 2015

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BANKING ON FOOD

WHALERS ALUMNI IN THE GREY CUP

Parksville high school grads will face each other in the big game on Sunday

Part Two of our series focuses on those who use food banks

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MEETING TUESDAY PACKS BAYSIDE ROOM

Searching for a home Focus shifts to finding a location to serve homeless population CANDACE WU news@pqbnews.com

With empty buildings dotting Parksville Qualicum Beach and homelessness on the rise in the face of a one per cent vacancy rate, many residents are asking why these spaces can’t be turned into a housing facility. Both the old Parksville elementary school on Stanford Avenue and former YAM building on Alberni Highway have been deserted for many months or years. On a blustery Tuesday evening, a standing-room-only crowd of about 150 people came to the Quality Resort Bayside to hear from a panel of four local experts on homelessness and share ideas about how to address the issue. Renate Sutherland, the co-chair of We need you as the the Oceanside Task Force on Homecommunity to tell the politicians this is what we lessness and SOS executive director, said it’s not that easy. need here in Parksville A shelter, she said, is more than SHARON WELCH just four walls and a roof. “I don’t know about you but if I’m going to live somewhere I’d like my own bedroom… it needs laundry facilities, it needs kitchen facilities, it needs all kinds of things. I so appreciate that we just want to get this done, but we want to do it in a way that’s respectful. And we want to do it in a way where people are going to feel safe, respected and it’s going to allow for us to not just meet the needs of folks coming off the street today, but folks as they move through the continuum where they are ready to have more independence.” Some people at the meeting voiced frustrations. At least one person said: “it is that easy!” and another suggested people currently living in tents likely wouldn’t care if they had their own bedroom. Residents and experts alike did agree that some form of social housing was in order. “It’s not enough for us agencies to say ‘this is what we need.’ We need you as the community to tell the politicians this is what we need here in Parksville,” said Forward House executive director Sharon Welch. See COUNTERING THE NIMBYS, page A23

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PETER MCCULLY PHOTO

TOY DRIVE BREAKFAST A GREAT SUCCESS: The Tigh-Na-Mara Toy Drive Breakfast to benefit the SOS and the programs it delivers for the needy at Christmas had the resort buzzing with positive activity on Wednesday morning. There were 1,536 toys collected, $6,373.50 in cash and cheques and $3,815.95 in gift cards. Above, clockwise from top left, are SOS executive director Renate Sutherland, Tigh-Na-Mara general manager Paul Drummond and Tigh-Na-Mara employees Matt Parreira and Aneilla Veselisin. For more photos from the event, visit our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/PQBNews.

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