If you live between Royal Avenue and the Fraser River, the Downtown Residents Association is your place to express your concerns and ideas for creating a safer, more livable community. Drugs were being sold openly and persistently on our streets. The Police were overwhelmed. A meeting of citizens, City, Police, Health, Fire, and Liquor Control representative started an effort that brought the situ
ation under control. We could once again walk down Columbia Street without being approached by drug dealers on every block. This Action Committee became the Downtown Residents Association. Some of the problems we had to come to grips with included early morning drinking, fighting and noise from clubs and bars, traffic and parking problems, and people sleeping on the dirty, garbage-strewn streets. Some of the improvements lobbied for have come/are now coming to fruition, including the new Police Station, several homeless shelters, improved traffic flow and parking, and thanks to community involvement, much cleaner streets! As the downtown area grows and moved ahead to a more attractive, livable and commercial neighbourhood, we continue to be involved in giving input to developers, and lobbying for/against changes to our neighbourhoods that community members support/oppose. TOGETHER OUR VOICE IS STRONG! Attend a meeting - there is no charge to participate. If you decide to join, the fee is $5.00/year, and gives you a vote, in addition to your voice. You will also then be eligible to run for office as a NWDRA Board Member, or join a Committee. There are internal committees for various concerns and events. We presently have members on City Committees, including Traffic Advisory, Community Policing, and the Homeless Coalition.
