We petition the city of Parksville, BC to open the cold weather shelter at Orca Place, a 52-unit supportive housing complex located at 222 Corfield Street, Parksville, BC. 

A component of the project was nixed after the City of Parksville shelled out close to $1.2 million to buy the property and to repay a grant-in-aid from the Regional District of Nanaimo. A condition of the re-paid $492,400 grant-in-aid was to include a space in the facility for a cold weather shelter to help those in the Oceanside area experiencing homelessness in the damp winter months.

The purchase followed a lawsuit launched by opponents of the housing project and a 2018 municipal election where the housing project was a divisive issue. Adam Fras and Doug O’Brien, current members of Parksville city council, were part of the lawsuit against the project.

Parksville Mayor Ed Mayne said providing cold weather shelters was not the city’s mandate. 

We petition Parksville City Council to open the cold weather shelter at Orca Place and to show absolute and irrevocable concern moving forward for all people, irregardless of circumstance who reside, or are located in the Parksville area.