The fledgling Northern B.C. Chapter of the British Columbia Civil Liberties Association went public this weekend, making a presentation to local St. Vincent de Paul Society clients.
During a breakfast at the drop-in centre, sponsored by Kim Forest Management, the new civil liberties group were joined by association executive director David Eby in their drive to get their name out and inform residents of their rights.
"Legal information is hard to access and we're working to bring it [to people]," said Northern B.C. chapter spokesperson Heather Elliot.
Of concern was the issue of "red zones," or areas of downtown which are allegedly off-limits to people facing a criminal conviction.
"We certainly connected with people who are impacted by the red zone issue," Elliot said.
The local organization also passed out handbooks with information about one's rights when being arrested.
While it has yet to be a widespread concern in Prince George, municipalities such as Kamloops have downtown red zones in local parks, which prohibits them from being frequented by those who engage in violent or drug offences. The intent is to prevent drug-related and violent crimes from taking place in those areas.
The northern chapter, which is only a few months old, meets in Civic Centre every second Wednesday at 6 p.m. and new members are encouraged to come out.
Elliot, who has been involved in the protection of democratic rights for the past 20 years said all the people coming to the meetings - who come from every segment of the community - are there for the betterment of society.
This was the group's first event, and though they don't have anymore currently planned, they aren't resting on their laurels. "We are working very hard and building capacity," Elliot said, which includes fundraising and raising the group's profile.
"As a group, we're focused on the red zone issue, police accountability, municipal accountability and transportation issues," Elliot added. "We're going to focus and learn and hopefully keep engaging with the community."
That community focus is important for the success of a civil liberties group, according to Eby.
"We didn't want to come up from the south and tell people what was important for them. People in Prince George and people in the north know what's best and what information is needed for their communities and that's how we want to operate," he said.
