Sisters Crystal Reierson and Jennifer Pighin believe the dispute over the proposed Northern Supportive Recovery Centre for Women took an ugly turn last month - one that impacted a family in mourning.
Last month, Reierson and Pighin posted signs directing family members to Pighin's Leslie Road home - only a few doors down from the proposed recovery centre - for a celebration of life for their mother, who had just passed away.
The signs, which featured the words strength, healing, hope, open-minded and patience, disappeared shortly after they were posted, Reierson and Pighin said.
"They disappeared the next day after we put them up," Reierson said.
Approximately eight of the green posters were removed from BC Hydro power poles in the area, she said.
BC Hydro spokesperson Bob Gammer said the utility company didn't remove the posters.
"We haven't been working in that area [at the time]," he said.
Reierson is convinced the signs were removed opponents of the recovery centre under the mistaken belief they were posted to promote the centre.
"I was just upset that people think everything is about them. It's not like we put it on their property," she said.
Although the signs were about the celebration of life, the sisters say they are in support of the Northern Supportive Recovery Centre for Women.
Reierson said her mother was a recovering alcoholic who struggled with issues of abandonment, low-self esteem and health problems all her life.
Her mother was exactly the sort of person who could have benefited from the treatment centre, said Reierson.
"Not everyone who has addiction problems are problem people," she said. "My mom was an alcoholic her whole life. She just self-medicated."
Reiersen said she still feels angry at the opposition she sees every time she goes to visit her sister and nephews on Leslie Road.Pighin said while at first she was angry at the opposition too, that quickly turned to sadness when her unrelated signs were taken away.
"I just feel sad for the people who did this. Disappointed," Pighin said. "I think they must have needed the things on those posters more than we did. We felt it was pretty petty to tear them down."
Neighbourhood organizers of the opposition to the Northern Supportive Recovery Centre for Women could not be reached for comment as of press time.
