Mayor Patrick Johnstone Discusses the Public Affairs of the City of New Westminster

Recently, NewWest.TV sat down with the Mayor at his office to discuss some of the issues that are top of mind for City Council. In this video, we look at three areas: No.1 – the new federal grant for $1.4 million dollars that is to support the city in extending it's crisis response pilot project...a project to help the homeless, the mentally ill, and those with substance use issues. No. 2 – the recent economic forum in the city ....its importance to the business community in have an opportunity to exchange ideas, information and the challenges in these times. No. 3 – In the final discussion, the Mayor talks about the importance of the Arts community to the economic and social well-being of the city and the challenges ahead for finding ways to support them in a difficult economic environment. I will timestamp the beginning of each conversation in the article that accompanies this video. OK, so conversation No. 1. with the Mayor, Patrick Johnstone, (known to everyone just as Patrick at his insistence). Health Canada through its Emergency Treatment Fund awarded funds to 65 municipalities to help the vulnerable in their cities. (That's of 300 communities that applied.) New Westminster was the only city in BC to get funds, and it's award was the second largest in Canada at 1.46 million dollars That says a lot about what this city has been doing. It recently launched a well-researched, evidence-based and well-planned pilot project to address the often interconnected problems of homelessness, mental health and substance abuse confronting our city and almost every city across the country. While NewWest.tv has made considerable progress already in this two-year pilot project, the Mayor explains some ways that the extra funds will help. For example, they will allow the city to extend the outreach of existing teams working in the community. Some are connecting with the homeless in the city; some are responding to mental health crises (rather than the police), and the firefighters are helping steer people who have experienced substance use crises to harm reduction programs. (Firefighters are usually the first on the scene of a drug overdose. The Crises Response Pilot Project, funded to a large degree by the provincial government, has already accomplished a lot.... including getting some of the homeless into shelters; getting at least one housing projects under construction for vulnerable people, and more. Council has also just recently agreed to allow a safe inhalation site here. This makes sense as 80% of drug users inhale their drugs. New West does have a safe injection site. Fraser Health and many non-profit organizations are involved in making this pilot project a success.