7030 Trans-Canada Highway
Duncan, BC V9L 6A1 Canada
www.northcowichan.ca
T 250.746.3100
F 250.746.3133

August 25, 2020
Leah Hollins, Board Chair
Island Health

1952 Bay Street

Victoria, BC V8R 1J8

Via email: leah.hollins@viha.ca

Dear Chair Hollins
RE:

Cowichan Valley Wellness and Recovery Centre

I am writing to express my concern and disappointment concerning the siting of the new Wellness and
Recovery Centre, which is set to open in the fall. I have long said the Cowichan Valley needs a holistic

approach to the opioid crisis that involves ancillary services beyond safe supply and injection and I am

pleased to see that the new Centre will bring together primary care, harm reduction, case management,
overdose prevention, and on-site treatment in one location.

However, I am concerned that Island Health has decided to site it at 5878 York Road, Duncan, and am

disappointed by the apparent lack of community consultation. I am empathetic to the challenges Island

Health faced in securing a lease for the Centre, and I fully acknowledge the work that went into securing
this site, including a search that involved dozens of potential properties, and the consideration of
several other options.

The location that was ultimately chosen is inappropriate and will surely have negative impacts on the

surrounding businesses and residents. The selected location – just a block from the Warmland Shelter

and within walking distance of a major constellation of residences and several schools – has generated

justifiable concerns within the community because the selection of this site constitutes a “clustering” of
these services into a single neighbourhood. There is further concern that putting this Centre on York
Road will exacerbate the existing social disorder in this area. There was broad agreement in the

community, including at the Cowichan Leadership Group (of which Dr. Waters is a part), that this
“clustering” was absolutely not a desired outcome. And yet, here we are.

But most concerning to us is the complete lack of consultation with local government, businesses, and
residents in selecting this site. The Strategic Plan adopted by North Cowichan Council defines

“engagement” as “working collaboratively and productively with all our government and stakeholder

partners.” Given that this is one of the core values identified for our community, my Council has asked

FINAL_Letter to IH_August 24 2020

 Leah Hollins, Board Chair, Island Health

Page 2 of 2
August 25, 2020

me to respectfully request that Island Health pause this project until more fulsome community
engagement is undertaken.

If there are no other viable locations for this service, we would suggest that before the Centre is

officially opened, Island Health should engage in more communication focused on education and

awareness to create an understanding of how this facility is proposed to integrate into the broader

community safely and constructively. To that end, as before, we are prepared – indeed, we are eager –

to provide you with a list of affected residents and businesses in the area who need to be brought into
this discussion.
Sincerely,

Al Siebring
Mayor

mayor@northcowichan.ca
cc:

Honourable Adrian Dix, Minister of Health

Honourable Judy Darcy, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions)
North Cowichan Council

Cowichan Leadership Group

Ted Swabey, Chief Administrative Officer

Dr. Shannon Waters, Medical Health Officer

Kathy MacNeil, President & CEO, Island Health

Cathy Schmidt, Board Chair, CMHA Cowichan Valley

Florie Varga, Chair, Citizens Action Group; "A Voice For Our Children"

FINAL_Letter to IH_August 24 2020