MLA Shirley Bond, the Interim Leader of the B.C. Liberal Party, took Minister David Eby to task over his handling of the ongoing dispute between Penticton and BC Housing.

The exchange occurred during the Thursday morning (March 18) sitting of the Legislature, and began with Bond listing the communities of Maple Ridge, Kamloops, Nanaimo and Penticton that have had concerns about the lack of supports for those with drug addictions or mental health issues.

She accused Eby of B次元官网网址渂ullying elected officials,B次元官网网址� ignoring their concerns, and cutting funding to Pathways addiction treatment when the city is calling for more mental health support funding.

Eby answered BondB次元官网网址檚 question by laying out the two options he saw following Penticton councilB次元官网网址檚 decision to reject extending the permit for the Victory Church winter shelter; either the people were emptied out and risk an encampment, or, as the Minister has chosen to do, use the provinceB次元官网网址檚 paramountcy powers to override councilB次元官网网址檚 decision.

B次元官网网址淭he alternative is B次元官网网址� as the member says, and I freely acknowledge this B次元官网网址� to use what are quite draconian provincial powers to override that local decision and continue to operate the shelter,B次元官网网址� said Eby.

Those powers will keep the shelter open beyond its original March 31 closure date, until BC Housing has finished construction of the supportive housing project on Skaha Lake Road and is able to place people in it.

The city of Penticton is awaiting the formal documentation from the province invoking the BC Interpretation Act before they decide on whether they go forward with legal action, PentictonB次元官网网址檚 Mayor John Vassilaki told Black Press on Thursday.

If the shelter is closed, the 42 residents currently there would be turned out onto the street, which was not an option for Eby and BC Housing.

B次元官网网址淚 say to the member and I say to the mayor and council in Penticton: thatB次元官网网址檚 the only non-negotiable. The only non-negotiable is that we will not go backwards and move people out of shelter back into parks. Anything else is on the table. LetB次元官网网址檚 talk about it. LetB次元官网网址檚 work together.B次元官网网址�

In a supplement to her original question, Bond accused Eby of suggesting that officials in Penticton donB次元官网网址檛 care about their residents, and that they were B次元官网网址渟hockedB次元官网网址� when the minister decided to use actions instead of discussion with the council on the issue.

B次元官网网址淧enticton was shocked when this minister, instead of sitting down and having thoughtful and reasonable discussions about an issue that matters to the local Penticton council and all British Columbians, started to bully and threaten that if they didnB次元官网网址檛 listen, it was his way or the highway,B次元官网网址� said Bond.

B次元官网网址淪o letB次元官网网址檚 be clear. Penticton needs B次元官网网址� and so do other communities across British Columbia B次元官网网址� full, wraparound services to support people with mental health and addictions challenges. ThatB次元官网网址檚 what the Penticton council was asking this minister for. Instead, what do they get? Bullying and threats,B次元官网网址� said Bond.

Eby said there is no evidence of bullying.

B次元官网网址淭he member suggests that because I said if Penticton emptied the shelter out into the park, an encampment would likely result, and that our use of provincial powers could result in a court challenge that would result in exactly that outcome. That we would provide tents and manage, as best as possible,B次元官网网址� replied Eby.

B次元官网网址淲e have 1,000 tents in a stockpile. ThatB次元官网网址檚 right. We would provide tents to people as a basic shelter from the elementsB次元官网网址�. The member says thatB次元官网网址檚 bullying. Well, thatB次元官网网址檚 just a fact.B次元官网网址�

Eby said he had two Zoom meetings with the city.

B次元官网网址淯nfortunately, we found something we disagreed on. That was whether or not we should go backwards and dump 42 people out into a park. I will not withdraw that. That is a disgraceful decision.B次元官网网址�

I am very sympathetic to municipal leaders in the time of COVID, facing addiction and mental health issues that are more visible than theyB次元官网网址檝e ever been. Our government is very sympathetic B次元官网网址� We cannot go backwards. ThatB次元官网网址檚 the only non-negotiable.B次元官网网址�

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