Pubdate: Fri, 5 Jun 2009
Source: Coast Reporter (CN BC)
Copyright: 2009 Coast Reporter
Contact:  http://www.coastreporter.net/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/580
Author: Brent Richter

TRANSITION HOUSE SURPRISES, ANGERS RESIDENTS

Sechelt - Some residents in Elphinstone and Gibsons are fearful after
learning a transition house for recovering drug and alcohol addicts
has opened on Pratt Road.

The VisionQuest house currently has only one resident, but
neighbouring residents worry the house will bring potential criminal
threats, especially from off-Coast, to their neighbourhood.

Jim O'Rourke, executive director for the VisionQuest Society, said he
plans for staff and residents to do some basic farming at the house,
and no dangerous criminals will be housed there.

Bill Youdell lives next to the transition house and said he has
worries about the types of people who will be staying at VisionQuest.
He wishes there had been more consultation and warning to the public.
"Nobody came around. Nobody told us anything - lack of respect. That's
how I feel," he said.

Youdell said the facility is in the wrong location as it is too close
to schools and there are too many young people who live and walk in
the area.

"People actually say we're fear mongers. For those people, I'd like
them to step up, throw their address in the pot and maybe there's a
rental next to them. I have to raise three kids here," he said. "I
can't stay here and raise my three kids next door. I don't know who
these people are and I'm not allowed to find out and I don't want to
be one of those statistics that turn around and say 'Jeez, that person
slipped out. It was an accident. There is an investigation. We're
sorry.' I just can't have that."

Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) zoning for the house currently
allows for transition housing, but Youdell said he believes work being
done on the house to prepare it for farming is not up to code. He
added that the land behind the house is largely swamp and not suited
for farming.

Youdell said he and other neighbours plan to use whatever legal means
they can find to fight VisionQuest's operation.

"We're going to keep on them. We're going to keep on the SCRD. We're
going to keep on Lorne Lewis [SCRD director for Elphinstone]," Youdell
said.

But O'Rourke said the rumours about pedophiles and violent criminals
being shipped in from the Lower Mainland to live in the house are
totally unfounded and are doing damage to his efforts to help
reintegrate recovering users back into society.

According to O'Rourke, the only people staying at the house will be
Sunshine Coast residents who have already had drug and alcohol
treatment off-Coast.

"The misinformation that's being spread is not only unhelpful, it's
destructive. And under the Criminal Code of Canada, it dictates
harassment and the spreading of hate literature," he said. "These guys
have the right to get better because if they don't get better, they're
going to continue doing more damage . They'll be reintegrating
themselves back into society so they'll be going back to work. They'll
be going to family dinners. The idea is to offer a safe environment
where they can be at and not have to worry about using drugs or being
caught at a house party where everyone is drinking."

O'Rourke said he is used to public opposition when opening a new
VisionQuest house, but that opposition fades with time as neighbours
come to know what goes on at the house and see that it is no threat.

O'Rourke said the rumours of sexual offenders being housed there put
his staff and the single resident at risk. O'Rourke said he has
already had four death threats from the Sunshine Coast since the
rumours began to spread.

But, O'Rourke said, he will not be intimidated and is committed to
seeing the house remain open to help Coast residents restart their
lives without drugs and alcohol.

"We don't take sexual offenders. There are no plans for long-term
recovery there," he said. "There will only be transitional housing as
per the zoning. And that's just to reintegrate Coast people back into
the Coast."

The SCRD is still actively looking into the house. At last Thursday's
board meeting, the board directed staff to further investigate the
work going on at the house and its zoning compliance with the
Agricultural Land Commission. They also motioned to ask a VisionQuest
representative to hold a public meeting in Elphinstone.

"We're still working through that process and getting legal opinions
and getting the information [the board] requested," said John France,
chief administrative officer for the SCRD.

France said staff are making progress, but their report will not be
ready until it is presented to the planning and development committee
meeting at the SCRD Thursday.

Sunshine Coast RCMP Sgt. Stuart Falebrinza said he, too, was surprised
to hear that the house was up and running. He first learned of it when
a VisionQuest employee dropped by the detachment in May. Though the
RCMP approves of operations like VisionQuest, Falebrinza said he would
have appreciated more advanced warning and open communication.

"We do support rehabilitation facilities for addictions, but with that
being said, we are a member of the community, and planning
consultation usually makes things go a bit smoother," he said.

Retired Staff Sgt. Ed Hill is scheduled to make a presentation on
behalf of VisionQuest at the Elphin-stone Electors Association meeting
on Wednesday at Frank West Hall at 7 p.m. Hill was one of the founders
of VisionQuest and remains active with the organization.
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MAP posted-by: Richard Lake