Photo: Contributed

The Greater Vernon Chamber of Commerce is applauding a city initiative to clean up the downtown core and target discarded needles.

The city’s Folks on Spokes pilot program begins March 1 to provide the community with a hotline to report improperly discarded needles. The North Okanagan Youth and Family Services Society weekly deep clean, teams of peers will be recruited to provide a daily clean-up of identified hot spots.

“We thank the city for moving ahead with Folks on Spokes as the issue of discarded needles is a very real concern for businesses,” said Diana Wilson, chamber president.

The chamber participated in the Activate Safety Task Force and one of the task force’s recommendations was for the city to initiate a public information campaign on how to report improperly discarded needles.

“The chamber recently reached out to many of its members downtown and there was a common concern about safety for themselves, their employees, their customers and those who are truly disadvantaged. Folks on Spokes is an important first step towards addressing those concerns,” said Wilson.

“Many of the issues identified downtown, including discarded needles, are also occurring in other commercial areas of Vernon. Safety issues and the impact on business don’t follow any set boundaries, and there is a need for a broad-based, community response that assists all business owners.”