The horror of the addictions crisis in Campbell River hit employees of the city91裸聊视频檚 Dairy Queen restaurant particularly hard Wednesday, Oct. 25.

That91裸聊视频檚 when a 13-year-old child overdosed in the restaurant in front of the staff, many of them young people themselves. The incident was brought to public attention by Mayor Kermit Dahl.

91裸聊视频淚91裸聊视频檇 like to recognize that the somewhat new owner of the local Dairy Queen is here and let him know that this council is very supportive of the businesses in our downtown and doing what we can to help and recognize the tragic event that his assistant manager and young staff had to deal with last night of a young child overdosing in his restaurant,91裸聊视频� the mayor said at the Oct. 26 city council meeting. 91裸聊视频淚 can91裸聊视频檛 imagine what that would be like.91裸聊视频�

The incident occurred around 9:40 p.m., just before the restaurant91裸聊视频檚 closing time. The individual was revived and the incident reported to the RCMP, DQ owner Rob Bigelow said.

Dahl91裸聊视频檚 statement came as another neighbour of Campbell River91裸聊视频檚 downtown Overdose Prevention Site (OPS) 91裸聊视频� and a neighbour of the Dairy Queen 91裸聊视频� asked the city designate the facility a nuisance property.

Ryan Sundquist, manager of the Campbell River Lordco Auto Parts is the fourth business making that request after years of dealing with disturbing and criminal behaviour arising from the clientele of the OPS. Bigelow also requested the OPS be designated a nuisance property in late September; sending a letter to council outlining the issues he and his staff are forced to deal with due to the proximity of the OPS.

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91裸聊视频淭he Dairy Queen has been subject to countless thefts, threats of violence, and a place to abuse drugs on a daily basis by the patrons of the OPS,91裸聊视频� Bigelow said in his letter. 91裸聊视频淲e91裸聊视频檝e had to put a barrier up on front of our washrooms to make them only available to customers.91裸聊视频�

Two years ago, Bigelow says, the DQ91裸聊视频檚 assistant manager, who was pregnant at the time, asked a crowd of people abusing drugs on the patio to move along. She was threatened by a person with an illegally-obtained taser. Last spring, there was an incident involving someone waving a stolen sawed-off shotgun around the restaurant91裸聊视频檚 side door.

Bigelow said his restaurant has long been a first job for many young people in Campbell River but now parents are refusing to let their kids work there.

Dahl said that he worked in a Dairy Queen when he was 91裸聊视频測oung guy91裸聊视频� in Alberta.

91裸聊视频淚 couldn91裸聊视频檛 imagine having been at potentially your very first job you91裸聊视频檝e ever taken and having to deal with someone who91裸聊视频檚 younger than you 91裸聊视频� overdosing in the restaurant,91裸聊视频� Dahl said. 91裸聊视频淭he psychological impact of that on kids; I don91裸聊视频檛 think that most people can imagine. Or most people even take the time to think about what that91裸聊视频檚 like; if it was your son or daughter, your grandson, your granddaughter that91裸聊视频檚 working in that situation.91裸聊视频�

91裸聊视频淭he things that my team are exposed to on a daily basis include dealing with shoplifters, having people walk through our parking lot checking our cars to see if they are unlocked so they can break into them, finding tons of needles and human faeces in our parking lot is a regular occurrence, let alone the cost to Lordco for all of the vandalism we deal with on a regular basis,91裸聊视频� Sundquist91裸聊视频檚 letter says.

He adds later, 91裸聊视频淥n several occasions we have come in to find unresponsive people in our parking lot or on the front curb, which is very traumatic to anyone who thinks they just found someone dead on the ground.91裸聊视频�

In September, city council requested a report from staff on the nuisance property designation. City manager Elle Brovold said she will bring an update on that report to the next city council meeting, which is Nov. 9.

Dahl expressed his assurances to Bigelow and other downtown businesses that council is 91裸聊视频減aying attention91裸聊视频� to their concerns.

91裸聊视频淲e hear what91裸聊视频檚 going on,91裸聊视频� the mayor said. 91裸聊视频淎nd we91裸聊视频檙e trying to do everything that we can to support the people suffering homelessness and addiction but also the businesses that are trying to operate within our downtown.91裸聊视频�

READ MORE: Campbell River approves nearly half a million a year for downtown safety

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