KPAC pens letter to Peace River South MLA about safety concerns regarding supportive housing

DAWSON CREEK, B.C. — The executive director of the Kiwanis Performing Arts Centre (KPAC) wrote a letter to Peace River South MLA regarding safety concerns with the My Home Place supportive housing across the street from the daycare.

Johanna Martens wrote to MLA Mike Bernier after she, the staff and children in the daycare witnessed individuals exhibiting signs of intoxication, passing out on the street, using drugs openly and engaging in frequent altercations.

According to Martens, emergency services are on-site three to four times a week, and daycare staff conduct regular sweeps of the playground yard to clean up drug paraphernalia and garbage, as well as to move individuals away from the fence.

Martens also mentions parents’ concerns about the supportive housing’s proximity to the daycare.

Some have opted to withdraw their children from the daycare. She says they lose approximately two to three families monthly during facility tours.

KPAC has had to implement safety measures to ensure the safety of staff and patrons.

Security measures included restricting access to the building for non-users, privacy fencing, extra locks and security checks.

Martens says they are contemplating hiring a full-time security guard as well.

“We maintain a strong conviction that the BC Housing project, My Home Place, should not have been situated in such close proximity to our daycare, where our most vulnerable population is intended to flourish,” Martens wrote.

“We endorse the pursuit of transformative changes to repurpose this facility into a dry, supportive housing center—a space dedicated to actively promoting positive transformation for those aspiring to lead better lives.”

Martens also believes the supportive housing should not fall under the BC Residential Tenancy Act because it impedes the RCMP from addressing intoxicated individuals on the property.

“Your attention to this matter is crucial, and we kindly request your support in addressing these urgent concerns to ensure the safety and well-being of the children in our community,” Martens wrote.

The full letter from Martens can be viewed below: