Once a month, Colette Scrimgeour packs up old clothing and toys and heads down to the Sally Anne Salvation Army.
The View Royal resident has run a clothing swap through the Esquimalt United Church for the last year-and-a-half, and anything left over is distributed among three locations: Our Place Society in Victoria, the Compassionate Warehouse in Esquimalt and the Salvation Army in View Royal.
However, Scrimgeour is concerned she may no longer be allowed to drop off donations to the Salvation ArmyB次元官网网址檚 location at 307 Island Hwy., after the Town of View Royal received several noise complaints of people dropping off donations after hours.
B次元官网网址淚t greatly affects me because of the clothing exchange, and it will affect everybody else who donates there,B次元官网网址� Scrimgeour said, adding residents will be forced to take donations elsewhere, such as the Salvation Army on Vanalman Road, Johnson Street or Goldstream Avenue.
B次元官网网址淚 like to get [clothing] back into the community through the Salvation Army.B次元官网网址�
Currently, the accepts donations when the store is open.
But Rob Marshall, acting fire chief and acting director of public safety with the town, which includes bylaw enforcement, said several complaints have been made in the last four months about donations being dropped noisily into bins, which are located outside the store, in the early hours of the morning B次元官网网址� which is in contradiction of what the land is zoned for.
Since the complaints began trickling in, Marshall said the TownB次元官网网址檚 bylaw department and the Salvation Army have tried to come to a compromise to reduce the noise, but were unable to find a solution. B次元官网网址淚t came down to the use was not compliant with the rezoning.B次元官网网址�
Marshall added in order for donations to continue, the Salvation Army must apply to be rezoned from community commercial to light industrial.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 definitely something the town is willing to work with them [the Salvation Army] on, but currently your hands are tied when itB次元官网网址檚 against the zoning and people are complaining. You have to go with whatB次元官网网址檚 written in the bylaw.B次元官网网址�
Despite complaints, the Salvation Army said it is still accepting donations.
B次元官网网址淭he Salvation Army Thrift Store has been working closely with our neighbours and the Town of View Royal towards a successful resolution of any concerns they may have in regards to accepting donations through our View Royal Thrift Store,B次元官网网址� said the store in an emailed statement.
B次元官网网址淎s part of a national charitable organization we rely heavily on the generosity of our community and are still welcoming donations of gently used clothing, household items and furniture daily in View Royal.B次元官网网址�
If the Salvation Army continues to accept donations, in contradiction of zoning, it could face daily fines.
kendra.wong@goldstream
