Vandalism, violence, crime, and theft.
That was the focus of a meeting on Thursday (April 9) night at the Chamber of Commerce office at City Hall in Quesnel.
Kathy Somerville, the Executive Director at the Chamber, said that businesses are suffering.
“We want to keep our businesses alive and growing strong and not having to deal with any more problems. They would like safe, secure, business fronts that they can open their doors and welcome their customers without having to deal with drug paraphernalia, theft, vandalism, crime, it’s out of control.”
Somerville says the problems are also spreading.
This is a growing concern, not just the downtown core. It’s moving up the hill to the south and of course the west side is a big piece of the pie. Out on 2 Mile Flat, the stories that come into my office from 2 Mile Flat is unbelievable, and it is not fair. These are good citizens that are paying our taxes and they deserve better.”
Somerville says encampments are also being set up.
“There’s an encampment across from Franks Supermarket. There’s one in behind Kentucky Fried Chicken to the south. There’s one down by Carson sub. These are starting to be built up around Quesnel and that’s a fear for fires. I mean there’s a lot of dry ground already and a lot of overload for our fire department.”
Somerville says the one at Franks is near where buses are dropping off and picking up children.
“There is drug paraphernalia found outside of the store so they’re continually picking up debris and it’s not comfortable for them at all for keeping it clean and safe for the children that are going through there, and just for their business alone. I mean you want to sit on a picnic table and make sure it’s secure and safe.”
Businesses in Quesnel are calling on the government to make repeat offenders accountable and not put back onto the streets, and that people with mental health problems are helped and not left to fend for themselves on the street as well.
