Image: Straight.com/HEYMAN
The fight to save Pine Free Clinic Kitsilano is underway. There have been two rallies thus far on May 20 and May 24. People from as far away as Langley and Surrey descended on a Kitsilano medical clinic to urge the province to re-consider shifting its services to a larger centralized location. Vancouver Coastal Health has announced the services at Pine as well as four other Vancouver clinics will be consolidated into Raven Song.
At least everyone who spoke during the hour-and-a-half rally at the Pine Free Clinic shared a memory or story about the facility which has been around for decades.
Even Park Board commissioner Constance Barnes recounted hitchhiking to the clinic from Port Moody as a teenager.
Everyone at the rally, which was hosted by NDP MLA’s David Eby and George Heyman, had the same message.
MLA David Eby says Vancouver Coastal Health is making a mistake in closing the Pine Free Clinic – and consolidating services into the Raven Song Community Centre.
“I don’t understand what the problem is that’s being solved by closing these clinics they do a really wonderful job in our community. And we’re hoping they’re going to reconsider.”
Eby is hoping today’s rally will encourage the government to take a serious second look at closing the clinics.
Last modified: May 26, 2014
