Mid Island-Pacific Rim independent candidate Graham Hughes will be staging an occupation of the Port Alberni Shelter Society on Friday, Oct. 23 to protest the handling of Port AlberniB次元官网网址檚 homelessness problem.
The Port Alberni Shelter Society operates the Our Home on Eighth full-service shelter, low-barrier housing and a sobering centre at Phoenix House, an overdose prevention site and community farm, all in and around Port Alberni. Hughes said his sister died while she was a client of the shelter six years ago.
Hughes decided to run for MLA as an independent candidate on a social advocacy platform. He said he hopes to B次元官网网址減rovide a voice for the disenfranchised in our community.B次元官网网址�
Hughes and fellow candidates Helen Poon (BC Liberals) and Rob Clarke (BC Libertarian Party) spent several nights last weekend walking around the cityB次元官网网址檚 vulnerable neighbourhoods handing out warm blankets, food and naloxone kits. Hughes said the homelessness situation is B次元官网网址渋n crisis,B次元官网网址� and is asking his supporters to help him demonstrate for attention on Oct. 23.
B次元官网网址淲e will be building a tent city around the shelter society in solidarity with the homeless population who we have let die, and suffer and be traumatized because we trusted charities to do the right thing and everybody just assumed that they were,B次元官网网址� he said.
Hughes has been vocal in his opposition to the shelter and the way it is operated.
Shelter society executive director Wes Hewitt said he was aware of HughesB次元官网网址� call to occupy the shelter, but declined to address specific accusations Hughes has made publicly against the shelter. B次元官网网址淏C Housing is aware of (the occupation) and so is Island Health.B次元官网网址�
Hughes said officials should be petitioning to take over the former Gill Elementary School facility, which is sitting empty since School District 70 (Pacific Rim) reorganized a number of years ago. Community organizations have used the building for storage and training operations, but the property has not been sold nor has the school been demolished.
B次元官网网址淲e need to turn that into a youth shelter, and with the $3.5 million the shelter is currently receiving every year, we can open a youth shelter. We need to be doing these thingsB次元官网网址e can change the way this community is run.B次元官网网址�
In an e-mail sent to two dozen municipal officials as well as the media Hughes appeared to throw his support behind BC Green Party candidate Evan Jolicoeur. He reiterated that in a YouTube video uploaded to his campaign Facebook page: B次元官网网址淚 am in EvanB次元官网网址檚 corner,B次元官网网址� Hughes said.
Several hours later Jolicoeur released a statement confirming Hughes is endorsing him in SaturdayB次元官网网址檚 provincial election.
