Sechelt Mayor Bruce Milne and others from the district met with Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) officials on Aug. 4 to discuss plans for a new privately owned long-term facility in Sechelt.
Milne told Coast Reporter later that they tallked primarily about the community response to the plan, and how the development application process would move forward after an application for the project is submitted.
The night before, council dealt with a letter from the Sunshine Coast branch of the Council of Senior Citizens Organizations calling for VCH to put the proposed contract with Trellis Seniors Services on hold, review the option of renovating or expanding the existing facilities, and undertake a full cost-benefit analysis.
Coun. Alice Lutes said, “People are looking to the District of Sechelt, through our planning and our public hearing processes, to look at this more closely. And I’m wondering what we can do to give our community more say in what the plans are for Shorncliffe and Totem.”
Milne agreed the district has a responsibility to speak for the community on the issue.
“This is an important issue in our community,” he said. “We don’t have the primary role, but we do have some reason to advocate on behalf of our community, both on long-term care beds and for those to be provided in a way that meets the values of the community.”
– Sean Eckford
