25965 replies to this topic

[sebberry]

Did I miss what's happening at 844 Johnson?  

 

There's temporary fencing up blocking off the front entrance and what looks to be plywood up on the inside over the doors and window.  It looks like it might just be an awning replacement as it's been removed.

[A Girl is No one]

There was a Very peaceful and respectful gathering of folks to protest the 24/7 camping in parks/Beacon Hill Park today at the legislature.

Nice to see some people brave enough to move out of the shadows and get their voice.

[Nparker]

There was a Very peaceful and respectful gathering of folks to protest the 24/7 camping in parks/Beacon Hill Park today at the legislature....

I would imagine they have been labelled haters and properly condemned on social media by now.

[Jackerbie]

Did I miss what's happening at 844 Johnson?

There's temporary fencing up blocking off the front entrance and what looks to be plywood up on the inside over the doors and window. It looks like it might just be an awning replacement as it's been removed.

Yah, there's been incremental work on the exterior of the building since sometime last year I think. Latest is a new canopy and landscape changes according to VicMap.

[Nparker]

Because a tired-looking canopy and dated landscaping are the most significant issues at 844 Johnson.

[Awaiting Juno]

There was a Very peaceful and respectful gathering of folks to protest the 24/7 camping in parks/Beacon Hill Park today at the legislature.

Nice to see some people brave enough to move out of the shadows and get their voice.

 

More need to speak up.  What's happening isn't working, its neglect - and it needs to be called out as much.  It was a respectful and peaceful rally.  A bit muted by COVID, weather and the short notice on which it was planned.  It did get a little bit of coverage on CHEK - but nothing extensive.  It feels like until the election is done, any progress on the issue will be painfully slow.

[Nparker]

 

It feels like until the election is done, any progress on the issue will be painfully slow.

Sadly, after the election is done progress probably won't be any faster.

[A Girl is No one]

Just walked through the park for the first time since Thursday. Many more tents since a few days ago. Also, mega structures are popping up and many tents with piles of garbage outside. I was surprised to see an open view chop shop still operating in broad day light right across from the cricket field. Last time I was there, a few months ago, that chop shop was already there, and there was a police van with a few police officers with their backs turned away from the chop shop. Instead they were watching the cricket match. I’m shocked that it’s still there....

[Nparker]

You're not really shocked are you? I mean "survival crimes" aren't really crimes are they?

[Victoria Watcher]

moderators:

shouldn’t watching cricket games be in the crime thread?

[Tom Braybrook]

up to 6 tents now in oaklands...

[Victoria Watcher]

A group in Maple Ridge says it is stepping in to push homeless people struggling with addiction and/or mental health issues out of what it considers gaps in legislation and policing.

 

 

Jamie Seip, an organizer of Clean up Maple Ridge, claims the group has driven, flown or ferried hundreds of such people from the streets of Maple Ridge back to the towns and cities they came from. He said the group is meeting the needs of residents fed up with socially unacceptable behaviour because police and government aren’t.

 

https://www.timescol...ople-1.24224133

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 21 October 2020 - 05:23 AM.

[Rob Randall]

Good for them! Send 'em back where they came from! Uh...hey, wait a minute.

[kitty surprise]

Wow, I didn't know regular citizens could do this?
Is this a form of citizen vigilantism?
I assume they are relocating people on their own dime?
Are they organizing fundraisers to pay for relocations?
How are they confronting people, are they using force?
Have there been any violent confrontations?

As un-PC as this may sound, would Victoria benefit from adopting this approach? Government is doing nothing.

Edit: after reading the article again, I found some answers to my questions ... sigh getting old sucks

Edited by kitty surprise, 21 October 2020 - 09:19 AM.

[Victoria Watcher]

^ some of which are actually answered in the linked article.

[Victoria Watcher]

I agree something needs to be done. Hopefully something that takes onto account both the plight of users and business owners.

 

how are we doing almost 14 years later?  was the "something" ever done?

[aastra]

 

...the group has driven, flown or ferried hundreds of such people from the streets of Maple Ridge back to the towns and cities they came from.

 

I admit I'm still wrestling with the prevailing premise that people in difficulty are mostly born-and-raised locals but also mostly from some other place.

 

If the governments, politicians, academics, support services, news media, etc. could get on the same page about this longstanding contradiction then it might be less confusing for everyone.

 

The impression I'm getting is this: people are people and thus the issues are everywhere. Any model of support (or lack thereof) that introduces additional challenges and complexities by creating artificial concentrations in this place or that place is obviously inherently flawed.

 

If you're in difficulties and you need help, then you need help where you are. The relocation aspect shouldn't be such a huge piece of this narrative, and yet it continues to be.

[Victoria Watcher]

i believe it's logical to assume some people might have better prospects for more family help back where they came from.  

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 21 October 2020 - 09:32 AM.

[aastra]

For sure. For many people an arbitrary change of scenery would be very counterproductive. For many other people an arbitrary change of scenery would be a non sequitur: an irrelevant new wrinkle or new challenge that they just don't need. It would be neither necessary nor helpful to relocate from site A to site B.

 

All of this should be especially obvious when the relocation is merely from one municipality to another within the same city.

 

And listen, I understand that the moving around isn't just the system's fault. We all know that people can get fed up and want to push problems away. We all know that many people (especially politicians) have a much higher tolerance for issues in an urban context than in a suburban or small town context. Sooke politicians cry for help, whereas CoV politicians say "bring it on."

 

 

Times-Colonist
March 26, 2001

West Coast cities attract street kids from far and wide: Study finds one-third of homeless in Victoria came from outside B.C.

The vast majority of kids living on Vancouver streets are from outside British Columbia, often having moved to escape family situations where they felt abused, neglected or misunderstood, suggests a report by the McCreary Centre Society.

Some 61 per cent of street kids in Vancouver and 33 per cent of those in Victoria who completed a survey last year were from other provinces, says the report titled No Place to Call Home, which is to be released today.

There is also a steady stream of adolescents from suburban and non-urban centres in B.C., who begin street life in their home communities on a part-time basis but later migrate to the larger cities where they become more entrenched, more at risk and harder to reach. Only 24 per cent of those surveyed said they were originally from Vancouver.

The difference between the urban and non-urban communities is significant to those who are trying to help these vulnerable young people, says Dr. Roger Tonkin, the centre's executive director and a leading B.C. authority on adolescent behaviour.

"The kids in smaller communities are still connected to school, family and agencies," he said in an interview.

Edited by aastra, 21 October 2020 - 09:52 AM.

[A Girl is No one]

An account from a Toronto homeless community care worker... I’m sure it’s exactly the same here. The story is the same we have heard so many times over the years...

“ He said it’s like dealing with six-year-olds who don’t have to face any consequences for their actions or behaviour.”

https://torontosun.c...e-of-dependency