Editor:
(This letter, accompanying a petition urging the immediate opening of the Upper Deck hostel as a homeless shelter, was addressed to the District of Sechelt mayor and council, SCRD board members, and the VCH medical health officer.)
I, along with many people of the Sunshine Coast, request that you please allow the Upper Deck to be opened as a homeless shelter on Dec. 1, 2017. RainCity is in the midst of renovations and has assured me that they can accommodate clients while renovations are underway.
The new shelter location offers beds versus mats on the floor, separate sleeping spaces for men and women, showers, a kitchen, a living room/common space, five additional beds, and 24/hour service; this is not available at the current St. Hilda’s Church location.
St. Hilda’s has generously and compassionately housed the shelter for a number of years. The shelter amenities are no longer adequate, the facility is at capacity every night, and people are being turned away and forced to sleep in the cold.
We remember and honour Harry Paul’s passing on Nov. 14, 2105. Let’s prevent this tragedy from happening again. We need to do all that we can now.
Please show some leadership on homelessness regionally and provincially. You have the option of proceeding without a public hearing process. Please save that work and energy for the proposed longer term project at Ebbtide Street and Trail Avenue.
Let’s demonstrate that we are a thoughtful community that knows when and how to do the right thing. We are counting on you to lead the way to an expanded shelter at the Upper Deck on Dec. 1. Please shine your humanity and compassion so that all can see, especially the people sleeping outside in the cold and rain.
Eleonora Molnar, Gibsons
