25967 replies to this topic

[Victoria Watcher]

We ram 1 to 1.5 million new people into the country every year, and wonder why we have issues.

[Beacon]

For long term shelter folks to transition? Are they somehow thinking that going from your own hotel room with AC and Heat and private washroom would be an upgrade to move to the tiny tin cans w/no AC and a shared outdoor washroom? 

 

Like what?  

[n_eclipse]

Pretty sure each tin can has its own heat pump for ac. There’s a lot of units on top of every can. Let’s face it, this is permanent and I’ll be prepping my property from intruders. Whether it’s protecting my belongings, my home and/or my family.

For long term shelter folks to transition? Are they somehow thinking that going from your own hotel room with AC and Heat and private washroom would be an upgrade to move to the tiny tin cans w/no AC and a shared outdoor washroom?

Like what?

[Victoria Watcher]

In 2008, I sat on the board of the Greater Victoria Coalition to End Homelessness, which brought together housing, health and social service providers, non-profit organizations and all levels of government and the business community. The main aim was to provide housing and mental health providers to the homeless.

Unfortunately, the province has since gone in another direction and bought hotels and apartments to house the homeless, which has proven not to be successful in solving the homelessness problem and created dangerous ghettos in some instances.

Riverview Hospital in Coquitlam was downsized in the 1990s and closed in 2012 with a peak patient population of 4,700 residents discharged into the community, which helped to establish a homeless population in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. To this day, there is insufficient housing, social supports or adequate facilities that are needed to integrate patients back into society.

We are in danger of going down the same path in Victoria. We have expected our police force to deal not only with criminal offenders, but to engage and handle those with obvious drug issues, mental-health issues or both.

Not only is there a shortage of mental health and service providers, but there is a serious issue of “catch and release” where criminal offenders are held for a day or so, then released back into the community. Some of these offenders have been charged with hundreds of offences and are still walking the streets with impunity.

Surely, local municipal and provincial governments, the police and the legal profession can formulate policy to plug this gap that allows recidivists to take advantage of this situation.

Victoria is our capital city and there is a need to address and solve these major issues and stop the decay in the downtown before it is too late.

https://www.timescol...roblems-8380978

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 01 March 2024 - 07:34 AM.

[Mike K.]

Why didn’t this person mention it had a goal of ending homelessness by 2018?

[Nparker]

Photos from my latest-to-be-ignored bylaw violation report to the CoV....

And right on cue, here is my "sorry - not sorry" response from the CoV.

Good Afternoon,

 

Thank you for contacting Victoria Bylaw Services. Unfortunately, our officers were extremely busy today and were not able to address the subject of your request for service. It will be considered for attendance tomorrow or subsequent days based on the likelihood of the reported conditions continuing to exist. Thank you for your patience.

 

Kind Regards,

 

Ashley Davidson

Pronouns: she, her, hers

Bylaw Clerk

Bylaw and Licensing Services

City of Victoria

1 Centennial Square, Victoria BC V8W 1P6

T 250.361.0215

 

[Victoria Watcher]

Joshua Koromei has a clear-cut goal. He plans on not only running in, but winning the BMO Vancouver Marathon.

 

The Kenyan refugee has only been in Canada since November, and after a six week stint in Montreal, he’s found his training home in Victoria.

“It’s my turning point to start a new life,” says the 36-year-old.

 

Koromei was granted refugee status, fleeing Kenya’s rural Baringo County, an area rife with organized crime, theft and murder – much of it centering around cattle rustling, which in recent years has spiraled from theft of livestock into violence and murder.

 

Koromei says gun-toting bandits and the constant threat of death made life unbearable. “Life is terrible,” he says. “If you wake up well, you say thank you to God.”

 

Koromei’s eight siblings and parents are still in Kenya, and while he worries for their safety daily, he’s in Canada seeking a new start.

 

A few weeks ago on a walk down Blanshard Street in Victoria on his way to a refugee service centre, he stopped in at Popeye’s Supplements. He bought whatever supplements he could on a tight budget, and according to Popeye’s owner Chris Kinnear, made an impression on the staff.

 

 

https://www.cheknews...helter-1193365/

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 01 March 2024 - 10:26 PM.

[Victoria Watcher]

At approximately 7:30 on March 1st (Friday), Engine 3 was dispatched to 467 Swift Street for reports of alarm bells. Upon arrival, crews found water coming from a room on the 3rd floor and could hear the sprinkler system engaged and flowing water within the suite of the supportive housing facility. When the crew of Engine 3 made entry to the unit, they were met with heavy smoke and saw flames showing at the back of the room. Acting Captain Phillips quickly upgraded the incident to a structure fire, dispatching Battalion 1, Ladder 1, Engine 1, Rescue 1, Engine 2, and Squad 2.

Fire Operations were met with unexpected challenges from the beginning. The standpipes (building water supply) proved compromised as they appeared to be tampered with, forcing crews to improvise and change tactics. Rather than using building supplied water, incoming FFs worked together and advanced a supply line directly from the truck. Firefighters also had to help multiple tenants with mobility issues vacate the fire floor. The fire was extinguished quickly, but 2 people were transported to the hospital by @bcehs for smoke inhalation.

At the request of Acting Captain Phillips, the concerning condition of the standpipe has been passed to the Victoria Fire Prevention team who will follow up. In the words of Phillips, “It certainly did impede suppression efforts as we had to change tactics and drag a 2.5” hose to the start of the rear stairwell. Additionally, because of the delay, the sprinklers remained on in the suite, and the water damage to the building couldn’t be stopped as quickly.”

In the last week, we have had two separate alarm bell calls that have been upgraded to structure fires. This is a great reminder to evacuate if your building fire alarm is going off!

Well done A Platoon!

 

 

https://www.vicnews....g-blaze-7325179

 

 

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 04 March 2024 - 08:01 AM.

[Mike K.]

Good thing the mainstream media was there to copy and paste the union’s Facebook post, and use their photo.

[Victoria Watcher]

Tiny Town reopening aims to help Victoria’s homeless move forward in life

30-unit seacan community being revived after B.C. and city reach funding deal



https://www.vicnews....in-life-7325876

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 06 March 2024 - 02:15 AM.

[Beacon]

So curious, does anyone have the latest stats on Tiny Town?  How many transitioned to actual market rentals after staying there?  Or is this just an expansion on the number of rooms available?

 

I fear for the residents nearby that they may end up moving problematic folks here since it's smaller and less private so they can be more easily monitored.

[Victoria Watcher]

[Victoria Watcher]

Free vet clinic saves thousands of pets for Victoria’s unhoused

Vets for Pets Victoria provides essential health care for furry companions of those in need



A unique clinic operating at Our Place Society in Victoria is offering a vital lifeline to countless pets belonging to the city’s unhoused population.

The unhoused care deeply for their pets and these cute critters are the only thing they have in their entire world, says Megan McCormack, co-director of the Vets For Pets clinic.


https://www.vicnews....nhoused-7327940


No. There is a reason why we take into alternate care, the children of homeless. Because the homeless are unable to take care of them. Same with pets.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 10 March 2024 - 10:04 AM.

[Nparker]

Meanwhile, vet bills put working people into the poor house.

[Mike K.]

PM Trudeau’s Learn to Camp Program didn’t age very well. Yikes: https://www.facebook...mibextid=0VwfS7

[Nparker]

[Victoria Watcher]

Residents in Vancouver’s only legal tent encampment are wary of a city plan to force them to temporarily move while it cleans up the site, an advocate said.

 

Fiona York said there’s a fear among the dozens of residents of Crab Park in the Downtown Eastside that what the city says is only a one-week displacement could turn into a complete eviction.

 

“Time and time again, we see in other cities, and here in Vancouver, that … (there have been) so many other tent cities evictions in the last five years,” she said.

 

Vancouver’s deputy city manager Sandra Singh said the proposed plan is to shut down the section of Crab Park designated for the tent city for a week starting March 25 so equipment can be brought in to clean piles of debris and unsafe structures.

 

Vancouver Park Board general manager Steve Jackson said staff assessed the site in January and realized the area couldn’t be cleaned by hand. He said the dangers include debris, propane tanks, needles, feces and a rat infestation.

 

 

 

https://www.cheknews...itions-1194823/

[Nparker]

... there’s a fear among the dozens of residents of Crab Park in the Downtown Eastside that what the city says is only a one-week displacement could turn into a complete eviction...

As it should. Tent cities should never be allowed to become permanent.

[Beacon]

As it should. Tent cities should never be allowed to become permanent.

 

The longer it stays, the bigger the sob stories and entrenchment becomes.  This lesson has been learned so many times, a site cleanup plan and ongoing daily enforcement of rules as a condition for the tent city should have been in place the entire time. 

[aastra]

 

Vancouver Park Board general manager Steve Jackson said staff assessed the site in January and realized the area couldn’t be cleaned by hand. He said the dangers include debris, propane tanks, needles, feces and a rat infestation.

 

Standards for public health and hygiene certainly are mysterious, aren't they? One day they tell us it's incredibly dangerous for a perfectly healthy individual to even be standing within shouting distance of another perfectly healthy individual, and the next day they tell us self-evidently extreme crowding in self-evidently extreme filth is no big deal, not urgent, we'll get around to dealing with it eventually...