Concerned parents will be marching from Cowichan Secondary School to Quamichan School this Saturday to protest the location of Island HealthB次元官网网址檚 new Wellness and Recovery Centre on York Road.

Parents and other community members are worried about the placement of the centre, which will provide services, including overdose prevention, to people with substance-abuse and mental health issues. It will be situated right in the middle of four schools B次元官网网址� Cowichan Secondary, Quamichan School, Alexander Elementary and Duncan Christian B次元官网网址� and close to the Cowichan Community Centre, Cowichan Aquatic Centre and Cowichan Sportsplex.

The march is being organized by the citizens action group A Voice for Our Children, who believe that local leadership is B次元官网网址減utting our kids safety last,B次元官网网址� by placing the Wellness Centre in its proposed site.

B次元官网网址淲e as a group of parents in the community strongly feel that the kind of environment that comes with the safe injection site does not fit with the sites for every form of recreation and the four schools in the area,B次元官网网址� said Florie Varga, one of the founders of A Voice for Our Children.

Varga noted that students are already exposed to inappropriate sexual behaviour and drug use while travelling between the schools and local businesses, which is often necessary because there are no cafeterias in the schools. The Wellness Centre, she said, will only draw more of that to the area.

B次元官网网址淲hen Warmland House was put in, people throughout the community thought it was a bad idea, but no one said anything,B次元官网网址� Varga said. B次元官网网址淎t least this time, we are saying we want to have a voice for our children. The province isnB次元官网网址檛 going to move four schools. We have to look at a different model.B次元官网网址�

Exposure to some of the things students see near their schools can cause lasting damage, Varga said. Schools are supposed to be safe havens for children, and those safe havens are being compromised, she added.

B次元官网网址淜ids are resilient, but at what point do they become desensitized,B次元官网网址� she asked. B次元官网网址淲hen they are desensitized, they lose their connection to people.

B次元官网网址淲hen youB次元官网网址檙e in a hypersensitive state, thatB次元官网网址檚 where PTSD comes from. ThatB次元官网网址檚 what weB次元官网网址檙e making our kids endure day in and day out.B次元官网网址�

Varga and other members of A Voice for Our Children feel their concerns are falling on deaf ears.

B次元官网网址淲e live in this community, we support this community, we work in this community, and we donB次元官网网址檛 have a voice,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淎nd our kids donB次元官网网址檛 have a voice.B次元官网网址�

The march will take place on Saturday, Sept. 19, starting at Cowichan Secondary School at 10 a.m. A rally and speeches will take place upon arrival at Quamichan School. Masks and social distancing are mandatory.