Prince George Citizen October 27, 2018 by Prince George Citizen

Arrest made in attempted mail bombings NEWS 5

Saturday, October 27, 2018 | Your community newspaper since ince 1916

Needle controversy a sticking point in city Mark NIELSEN Citizen staff mnielsen@pgcitizen.ca Ranjit Singh Rarru wants nothing to do with needles. From a home in the 2200 block of Victoria Street in the VLA, Rarru runs Guru Nanaks Free Food Langar and Garden where he hands out meals and clothing to the needy on a daily basis. When he found five discarded needles lying in behind the home about two weeks ago, he acted quickly. With help from a building supplier and a contractor, a concrete pad was installed on the front lawn to make it easier to clean while a gate to prevent miscreants from getting into the back yard is in the process of being erected. With “hundreds of kids here, literally,” he said the needles present a safety issue. His quest to keep the property needle free has not stopped there. Two people from an upstart social agency dropped by recently and presented him with a clutch of brown paper bags and was asked if he could “hand out these kits.” He was also given a small, hard-shell case with the word “naloxone” printed on it. Rarru accepted them but after reconsidering what was inside, he had second thoughts. The bags contain needles and other supplies used to safely inject opioids and, as he found out, naloxone is used to revive a person who has overdosed on the drugs. Rarru said he was never told how to use the naloxone and, in any case, won’t be handing out the bags. He told the two people as much when they came back to give him more. The whole episode left him upset. “These people shouldn’t be having these organizations, they should be banned,” Rarru said. “They shouldn’t be allowed to just be handing needles out.” Rarru’s story and those like it are among

CITIZEN PHOTO BY BRENT BRAATEN

Ranjit Singh Rarru is installing post a gate at Guru Nanaks Free Food Langar and Garden on Victoria Street after he found discarded used needles in the garden area. For the last four-and-a-half years he has been handing out free food to people in the neighborhood. the reasons why stray needles have become an issue in the city and has left some unsatisfied with the action that has been taken. It’s also inspired some to take the proverbial bull by the horns with their own hands. Retired businessman Barry Boehmer says he has $10,000 pledged to start up a buyback program where people would collect needles and bring them to a depot where

they would be paid on a piece-rate basis. It’s an idea Northern Health does not endorse. Reanne Sanford, the regional nursing lead for harm reduction with Northern Health, raised a number of concerns. They include users simply taking needles from Northern Health and handing them over to the depot for a profit, creating waste. She also questioned the ability of the depot to

safely handle large numbers of needles. But perhaps most important is the worry that users will lose the connection with the people who can help point them in the right direction should they want to find ways to end their habit because they choose to go to the depot rather than Northern Health to drop off their used needles. — see ‘NORTHERN HEALTH, page 3

Building permit values reach record highs Citizen staff With the year still far from over, the value of building permits issued by city hall has set a record. As of Friday, it stood at $169.26 million, city hall said, well above the previous high of $147.88 set in 2007. At $135.17 million, the amount represented by private-sector investment has also set a record, surpassing the previous high of $121.6 million set in 2016. It also accounts for nearly 80 per cent of the value of all permits issued so far this year. And at $100.3 million, residential building permit values have also set a new record. “The value of building permits is a key measure of economic progress,” Mayor Lyn Hall said. “This number suggests a great increase in construction activity and related employment, as well as other direct and indirect economic benefits.” The top 10 projects for 2018 are: • New construction of Kelly Road Secondary School: $28.3 million • Parkade next to city hall: $12,927,973

Today’s Weather Hi +6° Low -2° See page 2 for more details and short-term forecasts

CITY HANDOUT IMAGE

This graphic shows the top 10 building permits issued in the city in 2018. • Apartment building in College Heights (Building B): $6.7 million • Apartment building in College Heights (Building A): $5.855

LOCAL HOROSCOPE NEWS OPINION TRAVEL SPORTS A&E

1-4 2 5 6 8 9-11 12-15

COMICS CROSSWORD FOOD AT HOME CLASSIFIEDS MONEY RELIGION

million. • Renovation at UHNBC: $5.2 million • Federated Co-Operatives Ltd.

13-15 13 16 17-18 19-22 23 24

new bulk plant (BCR Industrial Park): $3.5 million. • Addition to show lounge at Treasure Cove Casino: $3 million.

Online pot delivery low, slow MONEY 23

www.pgcitizen.ca

• New multi-family development (Third Avenue): $2.6 million. • New multi-family development (Vanier Drive): $1.6 million. • Alterations to temporary community living space for AWAC in downtown Prince George (Association Advocating for Women and Children): $1.5 million. • Interior alterations and patio canopy addition to Browns Socialhouse at Pine Centre $1.5 million. A total of 427 building permits have been issued so far this year. Also, downtown vacancy rates are at an eight year low according to a recent study by the city. The vacancy rate stood at 10.55 per cent, which represents a 0.58-per-cent decrease from 2017 and a 4.65-per-cent decrease overall since 2011. By contrast, over the same time period (since 2011), there has been an 8.59 per cent increase in total floor area – to 220,339 square metres – available for retail, service, and office use as a result of new construction downtown. The full study is posted on the city website.

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