Seeing people come and go from Abbotsford’s Alpine Inn is nothing new for parents whose children attend North Poplar Elementary across the street.
But some of the parents say the rooms are now being used to shelter people with mental illness and drug addiction – and they claim there’s been a lack of communication.
“We haven’t been informed as parents, I haven’t been able to have a conversation with my child on people with mental health issues, people on drugs,” says Leora Dyck.
“We parked a couple of blocks away. A lot of needles and stuff along our path now,” said Jackie Zurowski, another parent.
It seems the parents aren’t the only ones who are uncertain.
“We’re not 100 per cent sure what is going on, so it’s a little bit difficult to be sure and make comment,” admitted Dave Stephen, Manager of Communications for the Abbotsford School District.
When Global News called the City of Abbotsford it had zero knowledge of this housing arrangement, and neither did BC Housing. But Fraser Health does.
“We’ve got just under a dozen people who are at the Inn right now,” confirmed Fraser Health spokesperson Tasleem Juma.
“We’ve had clients there probably since the middle of November, last year.”
Juma didn’t know whether the clients were once homeless, but said some may be dealing with substance abuse issues.
“I’m not aware of any complaints that have come to us with regard to this issue. Certainly if there was a complaint that need to be followed up on, we would do that,” she said.
– With files from John Hua
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