Chilliwack girl admitted to hospital after exposure to fentanyl smoke near supportive housing building

Jackson said he noticed something unusual when he stopped hearing her move throughout their backyard. He says she just “stopped.”

“I thought it was kind of unusual,” Jackson said. “Something wasn’t right.”

He walked over to see what was happening.

“She went limp in my arms,” he said. “I just about wet myself on the spot. She wasn’t breathing, she started going blue. Her eyes rolled back. It scared the living daylights out of me.”

He initiated cardiopulmonary resuscitation on his daughter immediately for what he estimates was between a minute and a minute and a half. That included mouth-to-mouth CPR and chest compressions.

“I did CPR, and a few moments later, she starts to breathe,” said Jackson. “Once I knew she was coming around, and her eyes weren’t in the back of her head, we got in the car and off we went (to the hospital). I wasn’t going to wait and fuss around.”

Darren and his wife raced to Chilliwack General Hospital for emergency treatment.

“As soon as I explained to the hospital staff what transpired, there was no hesitation on their part,” said Jackson. “We were filling out the paperwork in the back. There was no hesitation to get her (admitted). They had lots of oxygen in her to make sure she had plenty of fresh oxygen in her system. Hospital staff said it was fentanyl and meth exposure. People were smoking right along our fence.”

Jackson’s daughter was discharged from Chilliwack General Hospital the same day. He says his daughter is doing well and appears to have fully recovered.

Police did not attend his residence that day because they were not contacted. Jackson admits he wasn’t in the right frame of mind after getting home from the hospital with his wife and daughter.

“I was ready to crack some skulls in the neighbourhood,” Jackson said. “I was a little hostile in my neighbourhood. I never got around to calling the police. My mind wasn’t in the right place. Police have told me not to confront the people.”

If there was any kind of silver lining to this traumatic incident, Jackson was informed by his Chilliwack landlord that he will be able to relocate to a new home on Princess Avenue at the end of September.

“On the upside, [my landlord] called me Monday morning and told me they have a home for me,” Jackson said. “I used to manage an apartment building on Princess Avenue for 14 years.”

He has no plans to ever return to his old neighbourhood where he had lived since March 2024. He moved in well before the new Phoenix Society building was completed and opened in summer 2026.

“With Phoenix housing, it got worse and worse. It’s been horrible the last few months,” Jackson said. “They come out the main door and start smoking. There’s almost always yelling and screaming. They wake us up at 2 a.m., 3 a.m., 4 a.m., or 5 a.m., riding back and forth with boomboxes. For families, it’s not a pleasant place.”

The recently-opened housing complex on Trethewey Avenue is pictured in the background (centre back).

He says he’s tried to contact Griffin Security about open drug use in the neighhourhood and was left dissatisfied by their response.

“I don’t have a lot of faith in Griffin,” Jackson said. “If you call them, they might show up in an hour. Lot of times they’ll drive by a group, look and keep going. It’s like, how about doing your job. My wife yelled at them one time because she’s had enough. My daughter was trying to play in the yard. I try to be patient, I’ve given these folks clothing. I’ll help people. But if you’re just going to be a drug addict and smoke your stuff, I’m not going to be as nice to you.”

The property owner who spoke to Fraser Valley Today on the condition of anonymity said there’s been a noticeable increase in homeless people and open drug use near the new BC Housing-funded building, and wonders why families aren’t able to safely use their own fenced backyard.

On its website, the Phoenix Society says the building in question consists of a 42-bed long-stay shelter, 27 supportive housing units and 22 enhanced health care units supported by the Fraser Health Enhanced Care team. Residents there have access to 24/7 wraparound services, including culturally safe programming, case management, meals, laundry facilities, and support to maintain housing stability.

by Mike Vanden Bosch

Chilliwack girl admitted to hospital after exposure to fentanyl smoke near supportive housing building

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