27613 replies to this topic

[Mike K.]

Also, there is now a massive economic dependency on maintaining the status quo. Thousands of jobs, hundreds of positions, literal billions of dollars flowing through the local economy tethered directly and indirectly to social services.

[Victoria Watcher]

A Victoria councillor wants public feedback on her idea to address street disorder in the capital city.

 

“I think one thing we could do to alleviate the situation is to set up emergency temporary managed sheltering sites, until housing comes online for people through the Province,” said Coun. Krista Loughton.

 

Loughton envisions the city-sanctioned and funded encampment sites as small, up to 15 people, and operated by a local service provider, with supports available, as something that could potentially provide a pathway to housing.

 

“I think these sheltering sites are a really critical part of the solution, of the interim solution,” said Loughton.

 

https://cheknews.ca/...-sites-1263441/

 

 

 

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 26 June 2025 - 07:20 AM.

[Victoria Watcher]

It’s the end of the road for a group of people camping out in RVs and vans along Goldstream Avenue.

 

Glenn Edgeworth and about a dozen others living on the side of the busy road woke up Sunday to find a notice from the City of Langford on their windshields saying they have to be gone by Monday.

 

The city says the move is necessary for what it calls “remediation work” on the 400- and 500-blocks of Goldstream, and the campers won’t be welcomed back.

 

It’s a gut punch for 61-year-old Edgeworth, who is suffering from late-stage colon cancer, arthritis and emphysema and living on a small disability pension.

 

He said he lost his apartment after a “renoviction” that doubled his rent in 2018, and had to give up his job as a painter after his cancer diagnosis six years ago.

 

After he lost the apartment, he had his daughter co-sign for a secondhand 24-foot trailer and started a vagabond lifestyle, living in his camper on farms, campgrounds and even a church parking lot for a time.

 

“I feel like I’m getting kicked out of my hometown … I’ve lived here all my life and this has been a good home for me. For the first time in a while, it’s felt like home — now they’re telling me to get out,” Edgeworth said this week.

 

Edgeworth said he’s tried to live peacefully on the side of Goldstream for the past year with his two cats, moving every three days, emptying his trailer toilet at a sanitation dump and diligently depositing his garbage.

 

 

https://www.timescol...-leave-10862751

[LJ]

Doesn't everyone deserve a free place to live?

 

If the government set up mobile home parks, allowing all sorts of RV's to park there with cheap pad rental, laundry facilities, showers, pump out stations all at a cost of no more than what welfare allows for accommodation you could solve the non addicted homeless problem in short order. For the zombies just put them in involuntary care whether they like it or not. You could even provide them with free drugs of their choice but lock them in a space where they can't get out and cause trouble. If they don't like that, incarcerate them and cut them off all drugs.

[Victoria Watcher]

An organization that’s been working for the past 17 years to achieve zero homelessness in the capital region is shutting down.

 

The Alliance to End Homelessness’s CEO, Sylvia Ceacero, confirmed to CHEK News its members voted to wind down the society due to a lack of funding.

 

The alliance began in February of 2008, initially called the Greater Victoria Commission to End Homelessness, growing out of then-Victoria Mayor Alan Lowe’s task force looking to provide better help to residents challenged with mental illness, addictions and homelessness.

 

 

https://cheknews.ca/...ctoria-1263642/

 

The city’s 2026 draft budget had carved out $100,000 for the Alliance, a scaled back investment compared to previous years.

 

“It’s very much a sense of analyzing the best place for our investment,” said Alto. “We think maybe we can use it more directly.”

 

Nearly two decades later after the Alliance’s conception, Alto says her focus is instead on the roots and remedies of the upstream causes of addiction and mental health issues that lead to homelessness.

 

“We all acknowledge the great work the Alliance, the Coalition, did at the beginning of these conversations, but it’s now something we’ve all taken on,” said Alto.

 

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 27 June 2025 - 02:07 AM.

[Victoria Watcher]

Fed up with waiting around, Victoria plans to push the province to provide more and better help for residents facing homelessness in the downtown.

 

“We are in a crisis. We are at risk of losing downtown – the economic engine of the region. I qualify that as an emergency,” Coun. Krista Loughton said during the June 26 committee meeting.

 

She penned the motion that will ask BC Housing to prioritize supportive housing and shelter spaces for people experiencing homelessness in Victoria’s downtown core and have city staff work with Island Health to assign a dedicated outreach support worker to work with the city’s relocation coordination team. The Island Health worker should have the ability to make referrals to treatment, complex care, and other health-care needs, to work in conjunction with the city’s relocation coordination team.

 

 

[...]

 

Coun. Marg Gardiner asked to specifically alter the motion to seek supportive housing “outside of Victoria.”

 

“I cannot support any more anchoring of the shelters and supportive housing that allows illicit drug use in our city in any way,” she said.

 

Loughton noted most of that form of housing in the region is in the city and “it’s not realistic” to limit those options. Ultimately, the table came to agree on “including outside of Victoria.”

 

Coun. Chris Coleman suggested the city needs to be “more crisp with our request,” by tasking the mayor with writing to the ministers of health and housing, requesting they direct their staff to prioritize the two Victoria asks. That passed muster at the table with Gardiner and Coun. Stephen Hammond opposed.

 

 

https://www.saanichn...ng-help-8097866

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 27 June 2025 - 02:10 AM.

[LJ]

Recycle, reuse, recycle. Same arguments/statements over and over again, no measurable success, no change in workless numbers, no change in zombie activity, no change in crime levels, but try to blame the province for the problems you created. More provincial money will fix it for sure this time, and if that doesn't work surely federal funds would.

[Victoria Watcher]

The Alliance to End Homelessness in the Capital Region will wind down its operations and cease to exist by the end of this year.

 

The 17-year-old organization, which brings together a variety of groups, governments, private-sector entities and individuals to address the needs of those experiencing homelessness and advocate for more resources to tackle the issue, made the decision at a board meeting this week.

 

Chief executive Sylvia Ceacero said Friday the decision has been a long time coming, and is tied directly to funding partners either scaling back their financial commitments or pulling out completely.

 

“There is not enough funding for the organization to continue at its current capacity with the work that we were foreseeing ahead. The board had no choice but to agree that wind down was the only thing we could do.”

 

Ceacero said she warned her board of directors a couple of years ago that the alliance would no longer be viable without an increase in funding.

 

Since then, Island Health has pulled its $100,000 commitment, the Capital Regional District scaled back its commitment to $225,000 per year, and the City of Victoria reduced its commitment to $100,000.

 

 

https://www.timescol...g-down-10874622

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 27 June 2025 - 01:05 PM.

[Victoria Watcher]

The 3 full-time employees paid themselves an average of $79,000 each.

 

https://apps.cra-arc...hdl3_dsplyovrvw

 

1 was paid between $80,000 and $120,000.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 27 June 2025 - 01:12 PM.

[Hotel Mike]

I like the way the media have portrayed this as, closing due to lack of funding. How about you try something for 17 years, and not accomplish your goals? Maybe lack of progress might be more appropriate. 

[aastra]

 

More provincial money will fix it for sure this time, and if that doesn't work surely federal funds would.

 

 

Maybe lack of progress might be more appropriate. 

 

Gotta be willing to go all the way. Vietnam syndrome. If what we've been doing for the past several years has only produced worsening disaster then we obviously need to do a heckuva lot more of it for a heckuva lot longer.

 

Just imagine how disastrous things would be if not for our valiant efforts so far.

[Victoria Watcher]

As bears and debris continue to be an issue at the site of an encampment near Parksville, neighbours, the local government and RCMP continue to call for the province to act.

 

A bear has torn through an encampment again, just 10 days after the Regional District of Nanaimo and Oceanside RCMP sent a letter to the Transportation Ministry demanding action at the site of an encampment near Parksville.

 

They say the encampment poses a direct threat to the environment, nearby residents and negatively impacts emergency responders.

 

Michael Peters took a video of the encampment by Chattel Road near Parksville Thursday night.

 

 

https://cheknews.ca/...sifies-1263894/

 

 

 

 

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 27 June 2025 - 05:35 PM.

[Victoria Watcher]

Council voted 7-2 Thursday in favour of the motion, which Loughton said was motivated by the fact that Victoria’s downtown is in crisis.

 

“We are at risk of losing downtown, the economic engine of the region,” she said. “I qualify that as an emergency.”

 

Councillors Marg Gardiner and Stephen Hammond both voted against the motion. While the two agreed there should be an Island Health representative on the ground able to refer people to treatment, they said they were against anything that could mean more supportive housing in the city.

 

“Shelter spaces in supportive housing that permit use of illicit drugs do not have to be in Victoria. We have too many, too much already, I believe,” said Gardiner. “I cannot support any advocacy for more shelters or housing to permit the use of illicit drugs in our city.”

 

Arguing the city is already overwhelmed with shelters and supportive housing, Gardiner tried without success to amend the motion to urge the province to place any additional shelters in other municipalities.

 

She also questioned whether something that has been going on for years could be classified as an emergency.

 

“I just find this very bothersome that we’re even asking for any more of this,” Gardiner added.

 

Loughton said the city does have more than 85% of the region’s supportive housing, but given the state of downtown, they need to act quickly and be realistic about where shelter may be found.

 

 

https://www.timescol...treets-10871103

 

 

 

 

I think it's a bit comical that they think it's just the "unhoused" that is causing disorder and violence and vandalism and shoplifting downtown.   Most of it is people we pay to house in their own apartments.  Some brand new.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 28 June 2025 - 03:17 AM.

[Victoria Watcher]

Accept only supportive housing (housing for people under care) that leads to rehabilitation and a pathway to a better life. Demand that B.C. Housing phase out any supportive housing in Victoria that allows illicit drugs, alcohol or weapons.

 

https://www.timescol...plaint-10876275

 

 

 

 

That is EXACTLY what we should do, or simply cap it at say 10% wet housing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gardiner is a rare, clear voice on council

Re: “Victoria needs a plan that will truly make city safer,” comment, June 25.

Victoria Coun. Marg Gardiner’s commentary should be a “must read” for all Victorians and an exam test for her fellow members of Victoria council.

Our problems in Victoria are especially severe because of decisions made by this council and previous councils over the past decade.

Accept only supportive housing (housing for people under care) that leads to rehabilitation and a pathway to a better life. Demand that B.C. Housing phase out any supportive housing in Victoria that allows illicit drugs, alcohol or weapons.

Demand that Island Health cease operating a consumption site in the city.

Exempt supportive housing from the Residential Tenancy Act to permit managers of supportive housing to remove tenants who disrupt the lives of other tenants or traffic in drugs.

Enhance police and city bylaw presence on our streets.

Stop promoting Victoria as a centre for free drugs and a supportive environment for self-harm and anti-social behaviour.

It has been far too many years since we have had such a clear voice on Victoria council. Way to go, Coun. Marg Gardiner.

Jason Austin

Victoria

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 28 June 2025 - 03:19 AM.