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Canadian Blood Services donor clinics relocate to Qualicum Beach

Clinics previously held at Parksville Community Centre, baptist church
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(PQB News file photo)

Parksville residents will need to travel a bit further to donate blood, starting this April.

Canadian Blood Services will hold its donor events in the Qualicum Beach Civic Centre (747 Jones St.), rather than at the Parksville Community Centre (PCC) on Jensen Avenue, according to Gayle Voyer, associate director of donor relations for the B.C./Yukon region.

The clinics were also recently hosted at Parksville Baptist Church.

“We’ve had a couple of venues in Parksville that couldn’t host our events, so we’ve moved them to Qualicum,” Voyer said “Knowing the proximity, we just thought that was a good option, being 11 minutes away and it serves both of the Oceanside communities.”

Canadian Blood Services holds a clinic every 12 weeks in the community, alternating between a three-day clinic and a one-day clinic, Voyer said.

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The change is due to current childcare licensing regulations, according to Karen Love, executive director of BGC Central Vancouver Island, which operates the PCC.

“We cannot host an event in a licensed space when children are in program, even if they are out of the building,” Love said in an email, adding the PCC would need to close for three days in November and three days in March. “We cannot impose those closures on our families. We understand this is a loss to the local community, it is also a loss to us in potential hosting revenue.”

Canadian Blood Services reported last year that number of regular donors had decreased by 31,000. Voyer said patients needs are still being met, but new and regular donors are still needed.

“We just want to thank the donors that come out and support the blood donor clinics,” she said.


kevin.forsyth@pqbnews.com

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