25967 replies to this topic

[aastra]

For decades local police, news media, and academics have claimed Victorians call in every little thing because they perceive phantom crimes that aren't actually happening, even as those same police and news media also admit that all sorts of stuff goes unreported because Victorians are jaded and take crime for granted. I'm tempted to file this as yet another contradiction in the narratives.

 

Anyone who knows the city knows the culture is certainly not about calling in every little thing. In 2003 we had store managers admitting to news media that they weren't bothering to call police even for blatant theft over a thousand dollars.

 

That 1960 news item about the high speed chase with bullets flying tells you everything. People who actually cared a bit were counterbalanced by people who didn't care at all. And even the people who cared seemed to be careful not to care too much. It was just an insane high speed chase with bullets flying that ended in a crash. No big deal.

[Daveyboy]

I was driving on Hillside at about 4:30 today near the Hillside Mall and had a green light ahead.  Luckily I saw in my peripheral vision an individual step out into the traffic and I jammed the brakes on.  He continued on into the middle of the road and I honked the horn at him as he clearly knew it was a red light and to warn others.  He didn't like the honk and came back and kicked my car door before continuing across the road.  Impossible to pull over as there were cars in every lane both directions trying to stop while moving at speed.  A very sweet and gentle man other than that, I'm sure!

[Victoria Watcher]

The collection of tents directly across Douglas Street from South Park Elementary continues to raise concerns, but a school parent said there has been a promising reaction from local authorities.

 

Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps said in a recent message to parents that she doesn’t think the tents should be in that portion of Beacon Hill Park. “It has become clear over the last few weeks, with the needles, feces and garbage on school property and all the broken windows, that it is not appropriate to have people camping across from an elementary school.”

 

https://www.timescol...tary-1.24188606

[Mike K.]

It’s been clear for months. And it’s not appropriate anywhere.

Makes you wonder what changed. Back in her early days as mayor, Helps said it was good for children to be exposed to situations like this when she backed the initial Topaz tent city with Isitt shortly into her first term.

[Spy Black]

Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps said in a recent message to parents that she doesn’t think the tents should be in that portion of Beacon Hill Park. “It has become clear over the last few weeks, with the needles, feces and garbage on school property and all the broken windows, that it is not appropriate to have people camping across from an elementary school.”

 

 

Everybody paying attention to tents across from Southpark School already figured that out it was a disaster in the making months ago, but for Helps, it's just dawned on her and she hopes she can do something about it? 

I almost (but not quite) feel sorry for her, she comes across as a completely clueless mayor, one who's drowning in her own agenda while ignoring or being completely unable to parse everything going on around her, and clearly unable to respond effectively to even the simplest of critical issues. 

 

Alto has also indicated that she doubts the COV mayor and council can do anything about the 20 or so tents across from Southpark School before school is back in, but she too "hopes" that something can be done after the kids return to school.

 

So our mayor and council appear to be way in over their head, in a situation of their own making ... and they have absolutely no idea how they're going to get out of it.

Not to put too fine a point on it, but the COV could simply remove the tents at 7:00am in the morning - as per the existing by-law (currently unenforced).

[A Girl is No one]

The collection of tents directly across Douglas Street from South Park Elementary continues to raise concerns, but a school parent said there has been a promising reaction from local authorities.


Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps said in a recent message to parents that she doesn’t think the tents should be in that portion of Beacon Hill Park. “It has become clear over the last few weeks, with the needles, feces and garbage on school property and all the broken windows, that it is not appropriate to have people camping across from an elementary school.”

https://www.timescol...tary-1.24188606

She is just being dishonest. She knows full well what comes with tent cities. And she knows they don’t spare nearby schools. She knew before she declared that there would be a tent city in BHP, and she knows it now. I personally think it’s a dishonest attempt at covering herself and buying some time until they become even more entrenched there and the neighborhood and school forget what it was like before the tent city was there. IMO.

[A Girl is No one]

I do hope someone is putting this in our dear Dr. Henry’s face. What she is doing to young children. She is also a supporter of the poverty industry so she is responsible for this (since Helps took her advice to create tent cities). Maybe a letter writing campaign to the good doctor?

[mbjj]

Helps and her crocodile tears.

[Sparky]

I do hope someone is putting this in our dear Dr. Henry’s face. What she is doing to young children. She is also a supporter of the poverty industry so she is responsible for this (since Helps took her advice to create tent cities). Maybe a letter writing campaign to the good doctor?

 

Has anyone seen the letter that supposedly sent from Dr. Bonnie to ALL of the Mayors?

 

I would love to read it.

[Sparky]

Has anyone seen the letter that supposedly sent from Dr. Bonnie to ALL of the Mayors?

 

I would love to read it.

 

Found it.

 

https://www.qathet.c...ource-final.pdf

[sebberry]

Found it.

 

https://www.qathet.c...ource-final.pdf

 

 

Funny how Helps never quoted this part:

 

Encampment Health and Safety Risks: There is strong scientific evidence supporting numerous associations between homelessness and poor health such as mental illness, substance use disorder, poor nutrition, skin conditions, diabetes, higher exposure to violence and exposure to weather-related incidents in extreme heat, cold, wind and rain. Also, people experiencing homelessness can face barriers to accessing the health system – leading to further health challenges (see endnotes).

 

In general, people in encampments face many risks to their health and safety – which include overdose, violence, sexual exploitation, fire, and sanitation risks and barriers. Those requiring addictions and mental health support, youth, women, and Indigenous Peoples, all of whom represent a disproportionate percentage of people experiencing homelessness, are especially vulnerable.

 

Decreased services and increased encampment population due to the COVID-19 pandemic emergency response is increasing these risks. In the event of documented or suspected disease transmission (such as COVID-19) in the encampment, swift public health action to identify and mitigate the source should be taken and should be directed by regional health authorities.

[sebberry]

^ That’s the thing.....leadership is not about hiring staff to pick up the needles and the turds....leadership is about building communities where you don’t have to.

 

Can we sticky this post?   

[Rob Randall]

In general, people in encampments face many risks to their health and safety – which include overdose

 

 

So the solution is to house them in hotels, keeping in mind the risks to health and safety -- which include overdose.

[RPPB]

I was driving on Hillside at about 4:30 today near the Hillside Mall and had a green light ahead. Luckily I saw in my peripheral vision an individual step out into the traffic and I jammed the brakes on. He continued on into the middle of the road and I honked the horn at him as he clearly knew it was a red light and to warn others. He didn't like the honk and came back and kicked my car door before continuing across the road. Impossible to pull over as there were cars in every lane both directions trying to stop while moving at speed. A very sweet and gentle man other than that, I'm sure!

This happened to my wife around 8 last night too, Douglas near Tolmie. She was driving slowly or would have hit him. She honked and he turned back and hit her side mirror and screamed at her for a while. Saanich PD was called and seemed to have an idea who he was.

[spanky123]

She is just being dishonest. She knows full well what comes with tent cities. And she knows they don’t spare nearby schools. She knew before she declared that there would be a tent city in BHP, and she knows it now. I personally think it’s a dishonest attempt at covering herself and buying some time until they become even more entrenched there and the neighborhood and school forget what it was like before the tent city was there. IMO.

 

She is being a strategist. What I am hearing is that the Province has told Helps that either she deal with BHP or they will. Although Helps would love to be able to blame someone else for the mess, she doesn't want to look weak or show that she isn't in control. The solution is to tell everyone that council will deal with it next month but make it clear that nothing can be done before school starts. Hope then is that the Province makes the hard decision but Helps can claim she was handling it and criticize any move that doesn't align with her messaging..

[Nparker]

Her Worseship is crazy...like a fox.

[JimV]

Her Worseship is crazy...like a fox.

Actually I don’t think so.  I think she is in over her head, doesn’t know what to do and is flailing around hoping someone else will solve the problem or that it will just magically go away by itself.

Edited by JimV, 19 August 2020 - 10:50 AM.

[On the Level]

 

The 2020 Point in Time survey tells us that the people experiencing homelessness in the region have overwhelmingly lost their housing while living in the region.

 

A large majority (84 per cent) of those surveyed have lived in the region for a year or longer, including 42 per cent who have lived here for over five years, and 22 per cent who have lived here their entire lives.

 

I am going to push the BS button.  An article written by the Community Social Planning Council of Greater Victoria and the Greater Victoria Coalition to End Homelessness. 

 

The problem with the Point in Time survey is that it is run by activists.  There is no objective third party ensuring that the "84%" are actually those that were living here and not attracted by Helps and Co. for free services.

 

https://www.timescol...ere-1.24188663 

[Nparker]

...I think she is in over her head, doesn’t know what to do and is flailing around hoping someone else will solve the problem or that it will just magically go away by itself.

I think she has now found herself in over her head, but I am sure she thought she was in control at the start. She orchestrated the entire BHP mess to extort more housing from the BC government - there is no accident there. The province doesn't seem to be too eager to call her bluff this time.

[Nparker]

...The problem with the Point in Time survey is that it is run by activists.  There is no objective third party ensuring that the "84%" are actually those that were living here...

This. Fudging the results of the PiT survey is directly beneficial to those responsible for managing it.