By Cheryl Jahn

Safe, Clean and Inclusive Committee meets. Finally.

Sep 22, 2020 | 3:57 PM

PRINCE GEORGE – The Special Committee for a Safe, Clean and Inclusive Community has met with a consultant for the first time since she was brought in prior to the pandemic.

Prior to COVID-19, much attention was paid to the impacts on the opioid crisis and the committee agreed there needed to be some outside involvement to look at solutions. But the pandemic brought all of that to an end.

And the Prince George Business Owners Advocacy Group, as well as business owners in the Gateway, are glad the discussion has resumed.

“Getting back to the table was really important for the work that the committee is doing. So, being able to sit down and talk collectively has a positive impact for sure,” says Dawn Matte in the Gateway.

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However, at the conclusion of that meeting, Matte says something was lacking.

“At the end of this meeting with [consultant Jen Caruso] those concerns specifically, of the short-term nature haven’t been addressed and didn’t seem to be of high importance.”

She says the business owners have compassion for those who are suffering from mental health and addictions and that they do need special care, such as affordable housing and social services, but at the same time, business owners are still grappling with the immediate issues of needles, urine and faeces and many other things around their establishments. She adds those short-term problems are hard on the health and mental wellbeing of her staff.