More study for Harewood relocation

By Darrell Bellaart
The News Bulletin

Jul 24 2007
A proposal to provide services to the hungry from the old Harewood fire hall is put on the backburner – for now.

Nanaimo city council was expected last night to postpone a vote so the community can have its say on zoning needed for the 7-10 Club to put a soup kitchen and Loaves and Fishes food bank satellite location in the old No. 5 fire hall, now called the Harewood Activity Centre, on Fourth Street.

Some neighbours told city planners at a meeting earlier this month they don’t want those services in their neighbourhood.

Planners are telling council more consultation is needed before going ahead with the project.

Another meeting is expected in late August and city staff asked council to put off the vote until then.

Neighbours are relieved with the news.

“I’m glad it’s on hold,” said Amanda Young, who lives next door to the activity centre.

“I’m quite concerned because I don’t want 600-plus people going through there per week. It’s not just for me, it’s for the whole neighbourhood.”

Barbara Schram, a 29-year resident, was also pleased.

“I like that quite a bit,” Schram said. “Now it’s getting them to think about what neighbours want – what the people who live around here want.”

Peter Kamerman said a soup kitchen and food bank would draw more homeless people into the neighbourhood, so he’s glad the city seems to be backing off.

“I like the idea,” Kamerman said. “I missed the last meeting and we were looking forward to another opportunity to have our say.”

Nor does Chris Mills want social services so close.

“If they move it here, Harewood is going to become crack central,” Mills said. “They should stop it altogether. It would be better if the community gets to decide whether it’s going to be fair, instead of just having it pushed on us.”

The city is under pressure to disperse social services concentrated in the downtown, especially since the New Hope Centre opened on Nicol Street.

Coun. Merv Unger said most of those who attended the July 7 meeting were angry they weren’t properly notified about the meeting.

“The invitation list, in my mind, was very limited,” Unger said. “It was the very immediate area, so I think they have very legitimate concerns about what could be coming into their neighbourhood.”

He said families use soup kitchens and food banks just as much as addicts and alcoholics, without causing problems.

“My focus is to separate the two,” Unger said. “So we need a downtown breakfast club to keep people in that area served, and we need a residential one.”

Gord Fuller, 7-10 Club president, said a broader segment of the community will be invited to the next meeting.

“We want to hear people’s concerns and we want to address them,” Fuller said.

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