By Adam Berls

housing

‘I will not give up’: Denial of permit will not stop Integrity Recovery Society

Sep 11, 2024 | 4:15 PM

PRINCE GEORGE — City council has put the brakes on bringing existing supportive housing into compliance at a residence in College Heights, denying the applicant, Rick Edwards of the Integrity Recovery Society, a three year Temporary Use Permit (TUP).

The location in question is 7973 Rochester Crescent and the property is currently zoned as RS2, Single Residential. In a report to council, the city says that in September 2020, the society applied for a TUP to permit a supportive housing facility at 2310 McMillan Drive. The application was withdrawn in October 2020 as they were informed that city administration would not support the application. According to the report, the applicant indicated that they had relocated to Rochester Crescent and “began operating immediately without applying for a TUP or business license.

Rick Edwards says that council made their decision provided with information that was incorrect, disputing that the society has been in operation at Rochester Crescent for over three years, saying that it is false and that “there has not been one counselor, not one program ran inside this house.”

Many councillors noted that the applicant did not go through the proper process and that there was little to no consultation done with the neighbourhood. 34 letters were written to council in opposition of the application. In the report provided to council, it states that Bylaw Services had received a complaint regarding the property in April 2024, and the nature of the complaint included the following:

Structure fire

Structure fire at Moccasin Flats

1h ago

New deal

City and Cougars sign new four-year agreement

1h ago

Business

Business Excellence Awards finalists announced

2h ago

• Allegations of harassment and inappropriate remarks and gestures from the residents of the property
• Concerns that tenants are not receiving adequate supervision or support.
• Observations of more than the six people in care initially proposed
• Reports of the business operating without a business license

Edwards says he did everything that City Hall told him to, and says that when he first walked into city hall, his intention was rezoning but was advised by planning that he needed to do a TUP before he could rezone.

The Integrity Recovery Society has an abstinence-first requirement which means that clients are not partaking in drug use. Edwards says that harm reduction is failing.

“What we’re seeing is a failed, project here. In order for harm reduction to even be successful, there needs to be complete abstinence places in and around these harm reduction programs. The harm reduction program is not a lifetime program … so it’s needed, they complement one another.” – Rick Edwards, Integrity Recovery Society

Despite council denying Edwards’s temporary use permit, he says that he is going to continue fighting and that this a battle he doesn’t intend on losing.

“I think it’s their [Council’s] hope that I just give up, shut the doors and then leave quietly, but that’s not going to happen. I need to be a voice and I need to be a voice not only for myself, for the society, but also for those that do not have a voice.” – Rick Edwards, Integrity Recovery Society

Local news. Delivered. Free. Subscribe to our daily news wrap and get our top local stories delivered to your inbox every evening.

—

X: @AdamBerls

Email: Adam.Berls@pattisonmedia.com