Delegation to Discuss Safety Concerns in Terrace with Provincial Ministers

Delegation to Discuss Safety Concerns in Terrace with Provincial Ministers

City Hall

A small delegation from the City of Terrace is travelling to Victoria next week for a meeting with several ministers to discuss the safety concerns raised by both Council and the Terrace community. The delegation will meet in person with Minister Cullen (Municipal Affairs), Minister Farnworth (Public Safety and Solicitor General), Minister Malcolmson (Mental Health and Addictions), and Minister Eby (Attorney General and Minister responsible for Housing) on March 31.

A recent Special Council meeting identified upcoming resolutions that Council wished to present at the 2022 North Central Government Association annual meeting. This meeting prompted more discussion about the social issues in the community and how best to share the community’s concerns with other levels of government. It also prompted the City to receive numerous letters from local business representatives expressing their concerns and echoing the call for more provincial assistance.

“The City of Terrace is facing severe challenges with theft and public safety, especially in the downtown core, that are not being addressed by our justice system in the manner that the justice system is meant to operate, nor are they able to be addressed by the existing supportive services in our community. These challenges are causing undue harm to our business community, our residents, and our tourism industry. While these issues are common across the province, we need more support from the provincial government to ensure that northern communities are not left out of the conversation,” said Mayor Carol Leclerc.

The City actively works to address social issues downtown. In 2021, a Downtown Safety Officer was hired to engage in outreach and dialogue with the business community, street-involved population, other bylaw staff, first responders, public facilities, and service providers. This role, a grant-funded, temporary 1-year position, has proven successful and the City is working to extend the role for a longer-term solution. In addition, a Social Development Program Coordinator was hired in 2021 to help coordinate social planning and policy development. The City also continues to engage with the community by providing public forums and online platforms for sharing concerns and ideas. More information on initiatives underway is available at https://www.terrace.ca/social-development.

“Now that pandemic restrictions have lessened the challenges of in-person meetings, we are pleased to be making the trip to Victoria to present our needs in person and make sure we are heard,” said Leclerc.

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