Another user group at the Cowichan Community Centre is raising concerns about the centre’s Heritage Hall being used as an emergency weather centre for unhoused people this winter.
In a letter to the Cowichan Valley Regional District that is expected to be discussed by the board at a meeting this week, the executive of the Cowichan Valley Minor Hockey Association, which is a long-time user of the centre’s arena, said they are “strongly opposed” to CCC’s use as an emergency weather shelter.
The CVMHA’s letter said that in recent years, its more than 350 young athletes who attend their scheduled events at the centre had already become increasingly uncomfortable and unsafe due to the growing unhoused population around the CCC because of their substantial drug use, overdoses, crime, drug paraphernalia, human excrement, loitering, and individuals suffering with mania, psychosis, and anger who often lash out.
RELATED STORY: CVRD TO SET UP EMERGENCY WEATHER SHELTER AT COWICHAN COMMUNITY CENTRE
But the problems, for the most part, had stayed outside the facility, the CVMHA said. But now that’s changed after the decision was made to set up the emergency weather shelter in Heritage Hall.
“This raises valid, immense, and immediate concerns for the CVHMA and all our members,” the association said.
“We have a duty to ensure their safety and well being, in addition to fostering their growth and development though their love of hockey. For many of our members, being on the ice is their comfort zone.”
The CVRD’s board made the decision last month to designate Heritage Hall as a place to support the unhoused population in the Cowichan region during extreme weather conditions until March 31 in response to the newly introduced Bill 31 of the Disaster and Emergency Management Act of BC.
The bill gives the province the authority to mandate communities to establish emergency weather shelters during extreme weather events if they had not done so themselves.
Attempts by local emergency organizations and local governments over the years to find a suitable location have, so far, proved unsuccessful.
RELATED STORY: COWICHAN CAPITALS TAKE ISSUE WITH WARMING CENTRE AT COMMUNITY CENTRE
Last month, the Cowichan Capitals hockey organization also sent a letter to the CVRD expressing similar concerns about setting up the emergency shelter at the CCC.
The CVHMA’s letter asks the CVRD if any other locations were explored before the shelter was set up at the CCC; what additional security measures will be put in place at the centre; what additional insurance is in place to protect the user groups; and why there no consultation or communication with the affected user groups of the CCC over the issue.
“Our Cowichan Valley youth have been subjected to an entire new level of existence in recent years, one that is getting harder and harder for parents to protect them from, while our local government slowly yet effectively reduces the few remaining safe places our youth currently have for their extra-curricular activities,” the CVHMA said.
“We applaud the CVRD for being proactive to ensure that there is a plan in place [for an emergency weather centre], but must clearly state that we at at the CVMHA, and on behalf of our more than 350 members, strongly oppose the chosen location of Heritage Hall for an emergency warming shelter.”
