Vulnerable Populations in Quesnel

Courtesy of the City of Quesnel:

As we continue our community dialogue about the possible relocation of the BC Housing funded shelter and transition facility (Seasons House), the argument is often made that clients of the current facility are our community’s “most vulnerable” citizens. I agree that the individuals who use Seasons House are indeed vulnerable, but I dispute that they are our community’s “most” vulnerable population.

This is an important distinction, as we have many vulnerable populations in our community and they all need appropriate attention and support, to allow one group to be labeled the “most” vulnerable population is to concede that this segment of our community should have priority access to resources over other groups that need help too.

For example, Quesnel has one of the highest rates of early childhood vulnerability in BC. Thirty-nine percent of kindergarten children in Quesnel are deemed to be vulnerable in one or more core areas that are known to be predictors of adult health, educational success, and social needs. This compares to a provincial average of 33%. Putting resources into these children could yield significant individual and social benefits and avoided costs to society. City Council and the Northern Directors from the Cariboo Regional District are working proactively with the School Board to devise strategies to address this vulnerability.

Quesnel also has a larger than average share of low income individuals living in our community; with one in five households (and 44% of renters) spending more than 30% of their total income on housing. We may have one of the most affordable housing markets in BC but too many people in our community still find it difficult to find affordable, quality housing for themselves and their families. That’s why Council has taken a lead role on a housing initiative for our community and we’re thrilled to see two much-needed housing projects commence construction in North Quesnel as an early outcome of this effort.

Our community also has a rapidly ageing population. The number of residents over the age of 65 is projected to increase by 83% over the next two decades; by 2036, seniors will make up more than one-quarter of our regional population. This segment of our community can become more vulnerable if we do not invest in the appropriate health, housing, and social programs. In partnership with Northern Health and our seniors associations, Council has initiated a process to become an “age-friendly” community and develop a strategy that has great potential to proactively address this vulnerability.

Finally, with respect to drug addiction and susceptibility to dying from an overdose or fentanyl poisoning, the “most” vulnerable individuals in our community are not those who use the supports provided at Seasons House or one of the many other service providers in our community. The truly susceptible individuals are those who inject alone, in the privacy of their own homes or hotel rooms: 90% of all overdoses occur indoors, with 55% occurring in private residences. As B.C.’s provincial health officer recently pointed out: those dying at home are not stereotypical drug users, they are professionals and parents who are afraid to make their addictions known and seek help.

As we continue to work with Northern Health and BC Housing to build a robust mental health and addictions support network in our community we need to make every effort to address the stigma associated with illicit drug use and ensure the programs and services we develop meet the needs of the full spectrum of drug users in our community, not simply those who access Seasons House or other street-oriented support services.

Editor's Note -- Bob Simpson is the Mayor of Quesnel.  You can reach him via email here