The Discourse

Two weeks ago, Nanaimo Ladysmith Public Schools emailed a statement to the district’s families that said after an investigation into concerns that the camp’s staff agreement is discriminatory, the school board decided to sever ties with the camp. Late last week, Sooke School District 62 informed The Discourse that it too would not approve any future programming or involvement with Camp Qwanoes.

Two school districts cut ties with Crofton’s Camp Qwanoes over discrimination concerns Camp Qwanoes executive director says the camp is being misrepresented and questions the religious inclusivity of the school districts.

A plan to solve homelessness in the Cowichan region is realistic and achievable, says Duncan Mayor Michelle Staples, but only if the provincial and federal government will step up to fund community-led solutions.

“We can actually address this, we can actually solve this,” Staples said at a news conference last month. “There has to be a willingness and a commitment from higher levels of government that are responsible for the support dollars that are required to take care of people.”

At the same event, the Cowichan Housing Association released data from its latest Point In Time Count, which seeks to identify as many people experiencing homelessness as possible in a 24-hour period. The survey counted 223 people without housing, and certainly missed many others.

The survey confirmed what frontline workers in the Cowichan Valley have been noticing in recent years: a population of people without housing that is growing and becoming more diverse. More seniors, youth and families are losing their housing, primarily because they can’t find an affordable place to live.

“People who are teetering on the edge have fallen into homelessness,” said Shelley Cook, executive director of the Cowichan Housing Association. Increasing unaffordability has “accelerated and escalated some of the things that we were already seeing.”

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What a team! A big thanks to the everyone who showed up to support independent media in today's Duncan Days Parade — and to all who cheered us on!