Pubdate: Mon, 09 Feb 2004
Source: Kelowna Capital News (CN BC)
Copyright: 2004, West Partners Publishing Ltd.
Contact:  http://www.kelownacapnews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1294
Autrhor: John McDonald

FOUR PILLARS PLAN LOOKING FOR CASH

The Mayor's Task Force on Community Safety and Harm Reduction is hoping to 
tap into federal money from the Western Diversification Fund to bring its 
version of the Four Pillars to Kelowna.

Task force organizer Daryle Roberts said the task force steering committee 
is examining looking at how other urban areas such as Vancouver, Edmonton 
and Winnipeg managed to secure funding for their own urban renewal projects.

The so-called Vancouver Agreement, for example, brought federal money to 
bear on the drug epidemic in that city's Downtown Eastside, resulting in 
the opening of a safe injection site.

"They're dealing with the ramifications of what a Kelowna Agreement would 
look like," Roberts said.

As part of that, Roberts said he will be trying before the next task force 
meeting on March 4 to convince organizations such as the Central Okanagan 
Regional District and the Interior Health Authority to assign permanent 
representatives to the task force.

"If you take a look at what happened in those other communities, the local 
health authority is always a big player and the city took a lead role," 
said Roberts. "It's important to get everyone at the table on this."

On a local level, Roberts said the task force is looking for funding for a 
paid task force coordinator, possibly via a social development grant from 
the City of Kelowna. "We need someone to facilitate the Four Pillars 
coalition work," he said.

The next task force meeting is open to the public and is scheduled for 9 
a.m. to 12 noon, March 4, at the Martin Community Centre.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom