This is a letter I wrote to Premier David Eby as both a dedicated first responder and a deeply concerned citizen of Victoria.
The escalating violence and alarming decisions being made by City of Victoria officials have put my life, the lives of my colleagues, and the safety of our community at severe risk. On July 11, a paramedic was viciously attacked in the 900 block of Pandora Avenue while trying to assist a patient. Following the attack, a shocking swarming incident occurred, with approximately 60 unhoused people circling and threatening first responders.
This dangerous incident required an emergency police response with officers from across the Capital Region attending. As a result, decision-makers have declared that paramedics and firefighters, who are supposed to be saving lives, will no longer respond to emergencies in the 900 block of Pandora without a police escort.
This terrifying reality has rightfully drawn national headlines and cast a harsh spotlight on the dangers we – first responders and citizens of Victoria – face daily.
If this incident weren’t terrifying enough, on July 15, VicPD recovered a loaded 9mm handgun with extended magazine and ammunition from a person on the 900 block of Pandora. But the situation is worsening.
The mayor of Victoria has announced an outrageous plan to relocate an unregulated drug consumption site and hub for the unhoused from the 900 block of Pandora Avenue into a quiet, family-oriented residential neighborhood. The planned facility at 2155 Dowler Place is expected to serve 300 unhoused people per day – just 100 feet from where my young daughters, ages 4 and 6, play outside our home. Not only was this facility announced without any consultation with the residents who call this area home, the city proceeded without any formal process to select the service delivery organization, SOLID, and provided them with $2.1 million.
We, the residents, were not given a chance to voice our concerns. We, the residents, were not given a chance to hear why the City of Victoria believes relocating services for the drug-addicted and substance users into a residential neighborhood with children playing next door is a choice that keeps people safe and protects citizens from harm.
At a public meeting held on July 9, the mayor of Victoria stated plainly that the city did not hold public consultation because she knew our response would be one of firm opposition. At that meeting, the mayor also stated unequivocally that people would be consuming drugs on the site at 2155 Dowler, though the site is not an official consumption site. The mayor and SOLID were unable to provide any evidence that their plan for Dowler would protect the neighborhood's vulnerable citizens: the children as well as low-income seniors who live in a BC Housing apartment complex next door.
As a first responder, I am experiencing firsthand the escalating aggression from individuals frequenting outreach services like those planned for 2155 Dowler. People have started attacking and threatening first responders and creating a hostile and dangerous environment not just for emergency personnel but for the entire community. Moving this population into a residential area is a reckless decision that will have devastating consequences.
Premier Eby, I implore you to take immediate action and stop the relocation of this unregulated consumption site to 2155 Dowler Place. The safety of first responders and families must be the province’s utmost priority. The current approach taken by the City of Victoria is not only reckless but endangers lives and erodes the public’s trust in our local and provincial leadership. Please, do not let this dangerous decision stand. I urge you to intervene for the sake of our community who deserve to live and work in a safe environment.
Josh Montgomery
Victoria
