25959 replies to this topic

[Nparker]

More award winning behaviour from Victoria's "unhoused" community.

If you've been in Centennial Square in recent weeks you likely noticed a number of people camping in tents had taken over the stage. But yesterday they were gone and crews in hazmat suits were seen hosing down the stage, as police and bylaw officers looked on. Today the area is fenced off. City officials will only say maintenance and repairs are underway to fix "damage to the stage and equipment storage area, including the electrical system and access panels."...It's not known how long repairs will take, or how much it will cost.

https://www.iheartra...ered-1.12520833

And more of my tax dollars down the drain. Bring it on indeed. 

[rmpeers]

They're not even allowed to disclose that people were camping there?

[A Girl is No one]

Let me guess, these folks were kindly directed to Beacon Hill park?

[Nparker]

Let me guess, these folks were kindly directed to Beacon Hill Park?

Probably driven there by CoV staff.

[Victoria Watcher]

they will probably try to plug in at the bandshell using their newfound electrical knowledge.

if they can hot-wire the centennial outdoor stage the old bandshell at beacon hill park will be a cakewalk.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 27 May 2020 - 02:19 PM.

[rmpeers]

So part of the Beacon Hill thing is just to have a place to put the Pandora or Topaz people who couldn't, or refused to be housed?

Makes sense: if they had actually housed them all, then the raison d'etre of the mayor, council, Coalition, poverty industry, assorted UVic staff and possibly others, would evaporate.

[Nparker]

....if they had actually housed them all, then the raison d'etre of the mayor, council, Coalition, poverty industry, assorted UVic staff and possibly others, would evaporate.

I think it's rather obvious by now that the goal of the "industry" is never to actually end homelessness. 

[Victoria Watcher]

So part of the Beacon Hill thing is just to have a place to put the Pandora or Topaz people who couldn't, or refused to be housed?

Makes sense: if they had actually housed them all, then the raison d'etre of the mayor, council, Coalition, poverty industry, assorted UVic staff and possibly others, would evaporate.

 

it appears to be.  and also not to have to be "in charge" of it like they were at topaz.

[Midnightly]

So part of the Beacon Hill thing is just to have a place to put the Pandora or Topaz people who couldn't, or refused to be housed?

Makes sense: if they had actually housed them all, then the raison d'etre of the mayor, council, Coalition, poverty industry, assorted UVic staff and possibly others, would evaporate.

 

and a part of it is that helps wanted to set up a tent city there but the province clapped back pretty quick and told her no...so this is her way of getting that tent city she wanted in beacon hill (similar to what she did in topaz park.. said it was a "done deal" then there was a huge clap back from the neighbourhood... took a few years-and a huge tent city on the court house lawn later, but she did get her topaz park tent city)

[Nparker]

Who would have imagined such a rapidly executed and poorly thought out plan could go wrong?

Residents of a Gorge Road condo building say they are afraid for their safety and have seen a spike in social disorder since former residents of Topaz Park moved into a neighbouring hotel. Victoria police have been called to Treelane Estates at 103 Gorge Rd. East several times this month after people were spotted trespassing on the property or looking into car windows, said Matt Pavlic, president of the strata association...Condo owners were to vote Wednesday on whether the strata should spend $200,000 to install a gate and improved fencing around the building to prevent trespassing. Judd said she doesn’t feel seniors on a fixed income should have to pay for added security because the province housed people in a “panic” without consulting the community...As with all new supportive housing buildings, it takes some time for residents to settle into the building and get used to sleeping indoors again. It is our experience that after a few months, residents stabilize and public disturbances decrease dramatically,” the B.C. Housing spokesperson said. Anyone with neighbourhood concerns can email communityrelations @bchousing.org...

https://www.timescol...otel-1.24142474

 

[Mike K.]

As we well know, security and protection services are the region’s fastest growing industries.

[Spy Black]

While sympathetic to the residents next to the Travelodge, the picture in the T/C has a bunch of old ladies standing literally right outside the hotel windows, nowhere near their apartment building.

So they gather underneath the windows of rooms occupied by homeless people, many mentally ill, the rest drug addicted ... and then wonder why the residents yell out their windows at them?

 

I don't doubt that there are issues with residents of the Travelodge, but a bunch of old ladies standing under their hotel room windows for a press photographer will very likely only exacerbate it ... substantially.

[Victoria Watcher]

anyone that has ever had their photo taken for the paper knows that the reporter and photographer stage it for best news. was not likely their pick.

[Mike K.]

Oh absolutely.

“Let’s get you ladies in front of the building. That’s it. Look angry. Yes, all of you. Ok, and on the count of three, one...” snap snap snap snap snap.

The best is when they ask people to cross their arms, and the photographer puts on a wide angle lens, then snaps the photos from below the subject.

[Nparker]

While sympathetic to the residents next to the Travelodge, the picture in the T/C has a bunch of old ladies standing literally right outside the hotel windows, nowhere near their apartment building...

I am not sure the photographer's chosen staging of a photo in any way negates the real concerns of the residents of properties who have suddenly and without any consultation, had the very-hard-to-house, dropped into their neighbourhoods.

[On the Level]

Wait....didn't we see those old ladies on Monty Python?

[Nparker]

....didn't we see those old ladies on Monty Python?

I think you may be right. https://www.youtube....h?v=SmzMzmnB-iQ

[sebberry]

I received a letter in the mail today from Our Place soliciting donations.  There's a story about a guy named Robert.  Now I don't for one minute think Robert's story is made up.  Robert very likely suffered greatly when one of his children died.  I absolutely can see that causing severe depression that in turn led to many other things in his life falling apart.  Not everyone is as resilient as they think they are, or perhaps they've endured traumas in the past that have made it harder to deal with more recent events.  

 

In any event, these are the people we need to support before they do become a bigger burden on society.  Before they lose their job and their marriage falls apart.  We do it by de-stigmatizing mental health.  We do it by making access to clinical counselors and psychologists easier and more affordable.  We do it before they find themselves living in a tent and having to be moved to a hotel.  We do it before they break into cars and businesses to sustain themselves.  

 

We don't keep throwing money at what we're doing now.  

[rmpeers]

I received a letter in the mail today from Our Place soliciting donations. There's a story about a guy named Robert. Now I don't for one minute think Robert's story is made up. Robert very likely suffered greatly when one of his children died. I absolutely can see that causing severe depression that in turn led to many other things in his life falling apart. Not everyone is as resilient as they think they are, or perhaps they've endured traumas in the past that have made it harder to deal with more recent events.

In any event, these are the people we need to support before they do become a bigger burden on society. Before they lose their job and their marriage falls apart. We do it by de-stigmatizing mental health. We do it by making access to clinical counselors and psychologists easier and more affordable. We do it before they find themselves living in a tent and having to be moved to a hotel. We do it before they break into cars and businesses to sustain themselves.

We don't keep throwing money at what we're doing now.

Well said. The status quo is not working.

[Nparker]

...The status quo is not working.

And the answer to that seems to be to double-down on what is not working with things like removing overnight camping restrictions in city parks.