Opponents to supportive housing projects in Rutland will try to gather more signatures on their petition Monday.

(SEAN MOTT / iNFOnews.ca)

KELOWNA - A massive petition campaign that drew 13,000 signatures from Kelowna residents opposed to a B.C. Housing facility in Rutland is making one more effort to collect names.

The petition, which is directed at the provincial government, was launched after B.C. Housing announced it was going to build a supportive housing complex on McCurdy Road where residents could consume alcohol and illegal drugs. 

They argued that it is too close to schools and there are too many such facilities being built in Rutland. The petition prompted Kelowna city council to lobby B.C. Housing, which changed the rules, disallowing, the use of illegal drugs on site.

Opponents were not satisfied with that change and still plan to send the petition with Kelowna-Lake Country MLA Norm Letnick to the legislature in Victoria.

There will be a drive-thru signing session from 4 to 6 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 23, at the Dilworth Drive entrance to the Orchard Park mall near Springfield Road.

“This is a one-off effort,” Audra Boudreau, told iNFOnews.ca. “We’re trying to draw out people from the other areas of town that were wanting to sign.”

“All areas of the city are invited to drive up and sign a petition, to show our provincial government that wet facilities DON'T BELONG anywhere near children, schools, seniors and family-oriented neighbourhoods!” she posted on Facebook. “We need to speak loudly, through great numbers of signatures, to make them understand that what they are doing is unacceptable, and to prevent them from doing to other neighbourhoods what they are so recklessly doing to Rutland.”

To contact a reporter for this story, email Rob Munro or call 250-808-0143 or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.

We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above. 

News from © iNFOnews, 2019