The horror of the addictions crisis in Campbell River hit employees of the cityB次元官网网址檚 Dairy Queen restaurant particularly hard Wednesday, Oct. 25.

ThatB次元官网网址檚 when a 13-year-old child overdosed in the restaurant in front of the staff, many of them young people themselves. The incident was brought to public attention by Mayor Kermit Dahl at the Thursday, Oct. 26 city council meeting.

B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檇 like to recognize that the somewhat new owner of the local Dairy Queen is here and let him know that this council is very supportive of the businesses in our downtown and doing what we can to help and recognize the tragic event that his assistant manager and young staff had to deal with last night of a young child overdosing in his restaurant,B次元官网网址� the mayor said. B次元官网网址淚 canB次元官网网址檛 imagine what that would be like.B次元官网网址�

The incident occurred around 9:40 p.m., just before the restaurantB次元官网网址檚 closing time. The individual was revived and the incident was reported to the RCMP, DQ owner Rob Bigelow said.

Mayor Dahl made the statement near the end of the meeting after a discussion about another neighbour of Campbell RiverB次元官网网址檚 downtown Overdose Prevention Site (OPS) B次元官网网址� and a neighbour of the Dairy Queen B次元官网网址� requesting the city designate the facility a nuisance property. Ryan Sundquist, manager of the Campbell River Lordco Auto Parts is the fourth business making that request after years of dealing with disturbing and criminal behaviour arising from the clientele of the OPS.

Coincidentally, Bigelow also requested the OPS be designated a nuisance property in late September; sending a letter to council outlining the issues he and his staff are forced to deal with due to the proximity of the OPS.

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B次元官网网址淭he Dairy Queen has been subject to countless thefts, threats of violence, and a place to abuse drugs on a daily basis by the patrons of the OPS,B次元官网网址� Bigelow said in his letter. B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檝e had to put a barrier up on front of our washrooms to make them only available to customers.B次元官网网址�

Two years ago, Bigelow says, the DQB次元官网网址檚 assistant manager, who was pregnant at the time, asked a crowd of people abusing drugs on the patio to move along. She was threatened by a person with an illegally-obtained taser. Last spring, there was an incident involving someone waving a stolen sawed-off shotgun around the restaurantB次元官网网址檚 side door.

Bigelow said his restaurant has long been a first job for many young people in Campbell River but now parents are refusing to let their kids work there.

Dahl said that he worked in a Dairy Queen when he was B次元官网网址測oung guyB次元官网网址� in Alberta.

B次元官网网址淚 couldnB次元官网网址檛 imagine having been at potentially your very first job youB次元官网网址檝e ever taken and having to deal with someone whoB次元官网网址檚 younger than you B次元官网网址� overdosing in the restaurant,B次元官网网址� Dahl said. B次元官网网址淭he psychological impact of that on kids; I donB次元官网网址檛 think that most people can imagine. Or most people even take the time to think about what thatB次元官网网址檚 like; if it was your son or daughter, your grandson, your granddaughter thatB次元官网网址檚 working in that situation.B次元官网网址�

Coun. Ron Kerr read the Lordco managerB次元官网网址檚 letter out to the meeting, for the record.

B次元官网网址淭he things that my team are exposed to on a daily basis include dealing with shoplifters, having people walk through our parking lot checking our cars to see if they are unlocked so they can break into them, finding tons of needles and human faeces in our parking lot is a regular occurrence, let alone the cost to Lordco for all of the vandalism we deal with on a regular basis,B次元官网网址� SundquistB次元官网网址檚 letter says.

He adds later, B次元官网网址淥n several occasions we have come in to find unresponsive people in our parking lot or on the front curb, which is very traumatic to anyone who thinks they just found someone dead on the ground.B次元官网网址�

In September, city council requested a report from staff on the nuisance property designation. City manager Elle Brovold said she will bring an update on that report to the next city council meeting, which is Nov. 9.

Dahl expressed his assurances to Bigelow and other downtown businesses that council is B次元官网网址減aying attentionB次元官网网址� to their concerns.

B次元官网网址淲e hear whatB次元官网网址檚 going on,B次元官网网址� the mayor said. B次元官网网址淎nd weB次元官网网址檙e trying to do everything that we can to support the people suffering homelessness and addiction but also the businesses that are trying to operate within our downtown.B次元官网网址�

READ MORE: Campbell River approves nearly half a million a year for downtown safety

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