News Release
For Immediate Release
Friday, Sept. 7, 2007
Residents’ community group formed to support
mental health services facility on East Hastings
A group of citizens concerned about mental health services in East Vancouver has formed an organization to support establishment of offices for mental health workers in their community.
Neighbours for Mental Health was established in August by residents of Hastings-Sunrise to counter the activities of another community group which is opposed to building the office building at 2750 East Hastings Street in Vancouver.
“Up to now they have been the only organized voice speaking about this issue,” said John Lynn, who chairs the new organization. “They’re a NIMBY group which wants the facility located somewhere well out of the Hastings-Sunrise area.
”A group of my neighbours felt the need for an organization to express the will of those in the community who wholeheartedly support this development so Neighbours for Mental health was formed for that single purpose.
“In essence, Vancouver Coastal Health is proposing to build an office building to accommodate its mental health team serving this area. They are currently housed in inadequate facilities at Victoria Drive and Broadway, and need to move to more modern facilities. We support this move because we believe it will benefit children, adults and seniors in our community who have a need for the services of mental health workers,” said Lynn.
“This is an office building. It is not a treatment centre or a clinic, as the NIMBY group claims. It will not be a drug injection site, or a detox centre or a needle exchange site as they suggest. It is an office for social workers and other mental health workers who work hard every day to help people in our community who have a variety of mental health problems. Vancouver Coastal Health has said they picked this location because it is within walking distance of 40 per cent of the people they serve. That seems reasonable to us.”
The issue is before the city’s Development Permit Board, who has to hold public hearings before they approve the development. We don’t anticipate they’ll hold the public hearing on this issue until some time after the civic strike is resolved.
Lynn said his group is organizing members of the community to present reasoned and thoughtful arguments to the DPB in favour of the facility. He said most key community agencies – including the Hastings Business Improvement Association, the Hastings Community Police Centre and nearby Kiwassa Neighbourhood House and many others -- are solidly behind the development proposal.
“Our group came together after we saw the scare tactics being employed by the NIMBY group. “They’re spreading fear among the most vulnerable and fearful in our community, including our elder citizens, recent immigrants and others.”
We will be asking all community organizations and institutions and health care professionals to come forward in support, and make their support known to the Development Permit Board.
At this point Neighbours for Mental Health has a core group of 12 volunteer coordinators organized into task groups, and has developed a list of more than 200 supporters who are willing to work on building community support. An event is planned in the community for Friday, Sept. 14 to help inform community residents and seek their support.
The organization has also established a blog to provide information to supporters. The blog is at http://2750hastings.blogspot.com/
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Editors: for more information view the blog at http://2750hastings.blogspot.com/
or contact John Lynn at 604-258-9084
What we're all about
Neighbours for Mental Health was created by a group of neighbours living in the east Hastings area on Aug. 9, 2007 to be the voice in favour of bringing valuable mental health services into our community. Up to that date the only organized group related to this development was opposed to it.
Vancouver Coastal Health Authority has applied to the city for permission to build, in conjunction with Bosa Developments, a three-storey structure. the bottom floor would be mainly a drug store, and the upper floors would house the mental health staff.
the only issue to be decided is permission to build. The Development Permit Board of the City of Vancouver will make that decision. It is not appealable to City Council or any other body. In practical terms, the DPB cannot convene a public meeting to hear arguments for and against this development until after the civic strike. They need to give two weeks notice of the time and place of the meeting, which effectively means there is little chance of such a meeting until the end of September.
Neighbours for Mental Health has the solitary aim of organizing public support for this development in front of the DPB. This blog is part of that initiative. Scroll down to inform yourself about the issues, and plan to attend the DPB when it is announced.
John Lynn
Vancouver Coastal Health Authority has applied to the city for permission to build, in conjunction with Bosa Developments, a three-storey structure. the bottom floor would be mainly a drug store, and the upper floors would house the mental health staff.
the only issue to be decided is permission to build. The Development Permit Board of the City of Vancouver will make that decision. It is not appealable to City Council or any other body. In practical terms, the DPB cannot convene a public meeting to hear arguments for and against this development until after the civic strike. They need to give two weeks notice of the time and place of the meeting, which effectively means there is little chance of such a meeting until the end of September.
Neighbours for Mental Health has the solitary aim of organizing public support for this development in front of the DPB. This blog is part of that initiative. Scroll down to inform yourself about the issues, and plan to attend the DPB when it is announced.
John Lynn
