Big Push for SCS until April 9!!!

Details: Published on Monday, 23 March 2015 14:00; Written by editor

The Big Push for SCS has begun...

Until April 9, there are 3 ways to support the inclusion of SCS in the final City of Victoria Strategic Plan:

1/ Attend the Town Hall at City Hall on Tonight (March 23) at 7pm and provide your feedback via in-person, Facebook, Twitter or email questions and comments. Click here for more information.

2/ Take the Survey [Deadline is March 29!] to provide feedback on the draft strategic plan. Click here to take the survey!

3/ Send a Letter [Deadline is April 9!] to City of Victoria Councillors via email to all Councillors at once at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., or to each Councillor with just their first initial and last name @victoria.ca (e.g. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.), or by mail to each Councillor to Victoria City Hall, 1 Centennial Square, Victoria, BC, V8W 1P6.

See letter template below. Feel free to add a personal touch!

We would love to compile copies of the letters and publicize, so please cc emails to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if you wish!

Letter Template:

Dear City of Victoria Councillors:

The establishment of supervised consumption services (SCS) in Victoria is important to me/us.

I support SCS in Victoria because [*add in your reasons for supporting SCS!]

For over a decade, people who use drugs, researchers, politicians, health care workers and other community leaders have been calling for SCS in our city (see: http://www.yes2scs.ca/background/10-years-of-recommendations-for-scs/). Our community is ready and we must take action.

The City of Victoria has an opportunity to re-prioritize these essential health services and show leadership by facilitating a collaboration between City Hall, the Island Health Authority, the Victoria Police Department, and YES2SCS to develop SCS within our existing continuum of health care services.

YES2SCS is a community-based coalition that includes participation of members of SOLID and other people who use drugs, and their voices are critical in relation to social inclusion and effectiveness of health service provision. A Councillor-facilitated process would strengthen community collaboration on these issues and provide access to City resources such as information and advice on land use, zoning, maintenance, etc.

I urge you to make the establishment of SCS a priority by including the above process in the City of Victoria 2015-2018 Strategic Plan.

The Details:
The establishment of SCS and support of YES2SCS is listed in Objective 7: Facilitate Social Inclusion and Community Wellness on page 8 of the Draft Strategic Plan.

▪ ▪ 2015 ACTIONS: • The City facilitates a collaboration among Island Health, VicPD, YES2SCS, and City of Victoria to create supervised consumption services embedded in a continuum of health care services, including harm reduction.
▪ ▪ 2016 ACTIONS: • Establish a Councillor-facilitated process with regard to supervised consumption services, with occasional staff contributions as required, for specific issue-based advice; e.g. land use, zoning, maintenance, etc.
▪ ▪ 2017 OUTCOMES: • Created accessible health services for Victoria’s most marginalized people.

As Always:
* Sign our petition for SCS in Victoria
* Visit our website for resources about SCS (under the 'resources' tab)
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