427 replies to this topic

[edvictoria]

My issue is this:

 

 

Why can't you confirm anything?  It's already a done deal, what party are you protecting?  All you are doing is letting it be up to the PR people to present this.

 

Lame.

 

You are the Mayor of the city, you provided bathrooms and garbage disposal to tent city, our police and fire forces spend countless man-hours there, all on our dollar.  Of course you have a role.  Now just tell us what's going on.

This is a BC Provincial deal, everyone who is privy to the details is bound by law to keep it confidential until the BC premiers office can make a statement. It's a ridiculous rule, and only helps our provincial government operate in complete secrecy. All outrage and disappointment should be directed towards Rich Coleman, the Minister of Housing in BC and deputy Premier, as he is the driving force behind this project. The province is attempting to look like they are "doing something" about the problem of tent city. They can only get the needed court injunction to kick them off their property, after securing places for them to go.

 

This is a rush job, and they are scouring the city to find any available facilities, and buying them up to open their temporary transitional houses. The boys and girls club, and Mount Edwards is just the start, so all neighbourhoods should brace themselves for more announcements. 

 

This goes to show how much control our provincial government has, as they can literally go into any city and buy a piece of property and do what they want with it, with total disregard to the local democratic process. They city of Victoria has no say at all. They are bulldozing into our town, and then after saying, "Hey we want to be a good neighbour now, so will you work with us?" Totally backwards system! 

[Nparker]

...This is a rush job, and they are scouring the city to find any available facilities, and buying them up to open their temporary transitional houses ..

To wit: http://www.timescolo...using-1.2165295

 

(although to be fair they already own this property)

[VicHockeyFan]

They can only get the needed court injunction to kick them off their property, after securing places for them to go.

 

How do we know this?  The CoV broke up Occupy Victoria via injunction with nowhere for campers to go.

[nagel]

How do we know this?  The CoV broke up Occupy Victoria via injunction with nowhere for campers to go.

Well if they kick them out of the tent city they can then legally go sleep in parks (subject to the wake up calls). I think if enough adequate spaces are provided they can actually remove the park sleeping as well.

[Greg]

I have to admit I'm of two minds about this. I wish it were more transparent, and I hope the impact will be minimized. But folks have been saying all along on VV that homelessness is a provincial and federal problem, not a City of Victoria problem, and the province needs to deal with it. It kind of looks like that is exactly what is happening.

 

I hate to say it, but I think when this is all done the way the story is going to be told is - "After years of the province doing nothing, Helps forced their hand with TentCity and got a result on a scale previously unseen."  I'm not saying I complete buy that analysis, or support the approach even if it were true, but I genuinely expect there to be an attempt to write history in that manner.

[spanky123]

How do we know this?  The CoV broke up Occupy Victoria via injunction with nowhere for campers to go.

 

Right and he said the same thing after they provided 40 beds at the B&Gs club. Another 40 beds here is going to make a difference? There are more campers at Tent City today then there were before any of the additional beds were made available in the first place and the campers are on record stating that they are not going to be told what to do.

[spanky123]

I have to admit I'm of two minds about this. I wish it were more transparent, and I hope the impact will be minimized. But folks have been saying all along on VV that homelessness is a provincial and federal problem, not a City of Victoria problem, and the province needs to deal with it. It kind of looks like that is exactly what is happening.

 

I hate to say it, but I think when this is all done the way the story is going to be told is - "After years of the province doing nothing, Helps forced their hand with TentCity and got a result on a scale previously unseen."  I'm not saying I complete buy that analysis, or support the approach even if it were true, but I genuinely expect there to be an attempt to write history in that manner.

 

Fair enough but the B&Gs club will apparently shut down in 3 months so those 40 people will need to find another place to live. Folks have been stating here for months that there are already unused shelter beds each night so how does adding more change anything?

[VicPushedOver]

Don't buy the no city involvement thing. Helps wanted a tent city in Queens park, fail. Helps wanted a tent city in Topaz park, fail.

cool aid wanted the mount Edward building,

Helps needed allies, she has always has had a cozy relationship local media, she needed compliance with the Province, she needed compliance from the police.

 

The plan:

Get the province to play along with the tent city.

Radicalizes the campers.

Have daily positive media reports on  the campers

Have the police not update their database on crime in the area, they even report lower crime in the area. even the 2 stabbings we know about are not on their crime map,

 

Helps Declares her hands are tied, its a Provincial matter.

 

Baptist housings states that they are selling Mt Edwards building to a lower bidder Cool-Aid Society, because of a greater social good.

 

The Yates Facility, is created as propaganda proxy to Mount Edwards.

Yates facility has 20 staff for 40 residence, has a restrictive drug and alcohol program, 18 hour a day security outside the facility, no overnight visitor policy, debris sweep crews, and the residents are expected to participate in programs, and do chores.

None of the conditions above will apply to the Mount Edwards residents, according to Cool Aid, yet every time concerns about the CCC school are mentioned, the Yates "success" story in brought up.

Almost daily positive media stories for the Yates facilities.

 

Pressure mounts for a rezoning, which the city initially declared may be unnecessary, when the Province buys the building, then the city is for rezoning, becuase they know it won't happen.

Baptist housing agrees to spot sell the building to BC Housing.

Work starts on the building 12 months before the original schedule, and is declared a temporary homeless shelter.

 

Helps declares no involvement because it is now a provincial matter.

 

 

Not a theory, that's the rough timeline and that whats happened.

Edited by VicPushedOver, 04 February 2016 - 10:21 AM.

[29er Radio]

It is naive to think that we will ever END homelessness. We have to change our language in order to find a solution which is realistic, within our means and ensures our city can put its best foot forward to foster job creation and a dynamic well rounded city with opportunities for all. If our goal is to END it, we will never succeed and our efforts will be misguided. It is reasonable for the city to let it be known it will not tolerate sleeping outside and will not divert precious resources to cleaning up after people who leave more than a reasonable amount of litter in their wake. If that means we have to meet the supreme courts requirement that all have access to a bed, then so be it. Then the next challenge is to locate said beds in spots that dont affect the above expressed goal to create a dynamic well rounded city.

[VicPushedOver]

An injunction is not needed to remove the campers, the Occupy thing was a political protest.

 

The bylaw states when all shelters are full, homeless persons may camp in a park, 7am to 7pm.

Prior to October 2015, there were tents on the court lawn, until 7am.

So what changed? I suggest it was a political alliance between the City, the Police and the Province to create and maintain the camp.

 

Which is the reason the campers are reticent to leave now, they're there for political reasons.

[Rob Randall]

^Because the 2015 courthouse campers didn't realize the 7 am bylaw didn't apply to them until a Provincial sheriff told them the cops were waking them up unlawfully.

[VicHockeyFan]

It is naive to think that we will ever END homelessness. 

 

A certain segment of society will always be homeless, I think.

 

We certainly could introduce a means test for free food at Our Place.

 

For example, there is no free food in Saanich.  Thus, limited or no homeless.

[Mike K.]

A post to VV's Facebook page the operators of InTentCity's Facebook page called them individuals who "choose" a "nomadic" lifestyle.

[tedward]

Well the teachers that work there care for one!  Why should they lose their jobs over this, while Cool Aid lines their pockets with 50% of the income from this?

This PRIVATE school does a LOT of community outreach and fundraising and the tax payers pay only half the amount per student as opposed to a public school student.

 

 

Wow, way to miss the point entirely everyone. Saying the school will have to close if this facility opens is pure, unadulterated nonsense.

 

My point was that as they are a private institution with no obligation to serve the local neighbourhood they can move anywhere that they wish if they choose not to invest in upgrades to this property to address concerns. Just like any other business they are free to locate to a better location to provide their service if there current location is too costly.

 

As for the "community outreach and fundraising" that argument is simply irrelevant. Not even getting into a pissing contest on which schools raise more for the local community how does this school relocating or improving their security in any way affect the generosity of the students?

[jonny]

A post to VV's Facebook page the operators of InTentCity's Facebook page called them individuals who "choose" a "nomadic" lifestyle.

Well of course. Anybody who has spent any time downtown recently surely should have noticed the myriad of hippie backpacker types wandering around.

[VicPushedOver]

Wow, way to miss the point entirely everyone. Saying the school will have to close if this facility opens is pure, unadulterated nonsense.

 

My point was that as they are a private institution with no obligation to serve the local neighbourhood they can move anywhere that they wish if they choose not to invest in upgrades to this property to address concerns. Just like any other business they are free to locate to a better location to provide their service if there current location is too costly.

 

As for the "community outreach and fundraising" that argument is simply irrelevant. Not even getting into a pissing contest on which schools raise more for the local community how does this school relocating or improving their security in any way affect the generosity of the students?

the Homeless facility can move anywhere else more easily than the CCC school, which is located on the CCC grounds. This point has been made before, the homeless facility is best located elsewhere, for a lot of reasons, the school is best located where it is.

[Benezet]

Once again: here's an article about the relationship between a school and a shelter. The school isn't closing, and the children aren't being corrupted.

http://www.timescolo...elter-1.2164561

[VicPushedOver]

^Because the 2015 courthouse campers didn't realize the 7 am bylaw didn't apply to them until a Provincial sheriff told them the cops were waking them up unlawfully.

But why? Why suddenly, did it not apply to them, because there was no formal complaint from the Province? That was the reason given by the City. And why just the Court House lawn, why aren't there campers on the legislature lawn?

[Baro]

Once again: here's an article about the relationship between a school and a shelter. The school isn't closing, and the children aren't being corrupted.

http://www.timescolo...elter-1.2164561

There are many types of shelters,  the one being proposed will not have nearly as much staff, have far more people, and be targeted at the "hard to house".  Also little to no rules on drug use or behavior.

[VicPushedOver]

Once again: here's an article about the relationship between a school and a shelter. The school isn't closing, and the children aren't being corrupted.

http://www.timescolo...elter-1.2164561

Once again the reference to the proxy propaganda site. Why don't these kids get on over to the Queens Manor site for a little food, sunshine and rainbows. They're 40 residents run by the Cool Aid Society, don't they deserve a little happiness too. Let me know how that turns out.

Edited by VicPushedOver, 04 February 2016 - 02:18 PM.