Prince George Mayor Simon Yu wants to bring back a number of Indigenous leaders along with rights and title holders to discuss solutions on how to get out from under social issues like drug addiction.
Last month, the First Nations Health Authority hosted a three-day Addictions Engagement and Exchange Forum in the city.
A similar event geared towards youth and young adults is scheduled from April 18th to 20th from the Conference and Civic Centre.
In an interview with Vista Radio, Yu noted when drugs start to become an issue, you can often trace it back to when younger people first enter a higher-risk lifestyle.
Yu admitted they won’t be able to fully reach the demographic unless stakeholders from the education system and civic leaders are all on board.
“Once you’ve tried a drug I’ve got a feeling that it’s very addictive. The thing is to not try it the first time and the supports are needed for youth starting with a preventative program.”
“Once people get addicted to drugs, we need to look at things from a different perspective. How do we get them off and what kind of treatment programs are there and then there is the kind of drugs they are using – we have to make sure they aren’t tainted and cost a life,” added Yu.
Yu believes this is a very complex issue as a lot of people who get addicted to drugs, often deplete themselves financially and oftentimes find themselves on the street, suffering from mental health issues.
“It’s a very complex social phenomenon. I am not an expert but all I can feel based on my contact with various agencies downtown is that we need to have everybody on board.”
“The problem is going to be with us for a while because synthetic drugs are relatively cheap and is a huge social problem. A lot of drugs are available on the street, so if you are homeless and you live on the street, chances are you will be contacted by the drug user more often. So, there is a likelihood you will be hooked on the drug. On the other hand, you can still be hooked on the drug even though you have a great job – your drug use may make you ineffective and you can lose your job. That can happen as well.”
Yu estimates 60% of PG’s homeless population identifies as Indigenous – which ups the urgency, even more, to find solutions with Indigenous leaders to get some of their vulnerable members back on their feet.
“We need to identify what is the cause of their issue to start with. A lot of them come from traumatized homes and some of them might have been traumatized in the womb before they were born. These can also trace back to other social problems Indigenous people have been experiencing throughout the years, whether its decades of neglect or residential schools.”
“Every individual case is unique but there may be some common trends we can find through the positive economic activity where people are from whether it Takla Landing or anywhere to create more economic activity there to keep young people busy and to keep their minds active in a positive way.”
Treatment centers and sobering centers are slowly popping up in the north to give people a better chance to get the help they need closer to home.
In the summer of 2021, a healing and treatment centre located on the old Tachick Lake Resort near Vanderhoof received the green light from the province.
The Centre is expected to offer 60 beds, where staff will offer a 4-week-long Addiction Recovery Program to local Indigenous residents.
It will offer men and women a range of services including grief and loss, trauma, gambling, and Opioid Replacement Therapies.
In addition, the provincial government announced a new sobering centre on 1201 1st Avenue but is facing some delays with regard to opening.
Yu stated while that is a good start, but more of these facilities will be needed to treat the influx of patients.
“We need to know what is the number of facilities that are required and what is the capacity in order to address the issue. In Prince George, there is no doubt we need a centre here because we have people coming but also at the same time, we need smaller facilities elsewhere in Fort Saint James, Fort St John, and Mackenzie as well. We need to find the professionals to help work on this file.”
Furthermore, several housing projects assisting those most vulnerable have set up shop in Prince George.
Last July, 55 new safe, affordable, supportive homes opened at ‘My Sister’s Place’ in Prince George.
The four-building development, located at 2855 14th Avenue, has 18 transition beds, 16 units of second-stage housing, and 21 affordable rental townhomes.
The Prince George and District Elizabeth Fry Society is operating the facility, providing on-site support services.
During that same month, 50 supportive housing units on 160 Ontario Street, right down the street from the city’s sobering centre opened.
This is the first of three stages planned to be developed for the site, with construction expected to begin this year on:
- 50 affordable rental homes for Indigenous Peoples and families;
- 50 additional supportive homes; and
- a healthcare clinic run by Northern Health.
Supports like the integrated housing model on 1st Avenue are also expected to put a dent in open drug use. 50 affordable rental homes, 50 supportive homes, and on-site healthcare services will call the old NR Motors site home.
Lastly, the PG Native Friendship Centre took control of the Knights Inn. In November of 2021, 20 occupants from the George Street encampment moved with their belongings to the facility.
In total, the facility, which is being leased by the Friendship Centre can provide up to 44 supportive housing units.
Something going on in the Prince George area you think people should know about?
Send us a news tip by emailing [email protected].
