Downtown Vancouver Updates

[logan5]

Why would the drug supply be cut off? Are drug producers shutting down operations because they are worried their employees or customers will get Coronavirus? The borders are still open for trade, so I think the drugs will get through.

The DTES is pretty well isolated from the rest of the world, so maybe that will insualte them from Corona. Then again, if it finds its way in, it will be a disaster zone.

[Jalapeño Chips]

Originally Posted by logan5

Why would the drug supply be cut off? Are drug producers shutting down operations because they are worried their employees or customers will get Coronavirus? The borders are still open for trade, so I think the drugs will get through.

The DTES is pretty well isolated from the rest of the world, so maybe that will insualte them from Corona. Then again, if it finds its way in, it will be a disaster zone.

Borders are closed, shipping is limited, China unable to ship precursors to manufacture drugs, flights grounded, etc, etc. Here is an interesting read about Mexican cartels:

"On March 5, Mexican radio show Nación Criminal, citing a source within Mexico’s Attorney General’s Office, reported that the coronavirus had suspended the fentanyl supply chain with CJNG’s partners in China that are unable to deliver the precursors."

https://www.insightcrime.org/news/brief/coronavirus-squeezing-mexico-criminal-groups/

[mcminsen]

It was a nice day so I went for a walk through the downtown east side and Gastown. I only walked one block of Hastings from Hamilton to Abbott because it was too crowded and little or no social distancing going on, either on the street or in Victory Square. Gastown was pretty quiet.



Downtown East Side/Gastown, March 25 '20, my pics

[Spr0ckets]

Originally Posted by Jalapeño Chips

Borders are closed, shipping is limited, China unable to ship precursors to manufacture drugs, flights grounded, etc, etc. Here is an interesting read about Mexican cartels:

"On March 5, Mexican radio show Nación Criminal, citing a source within Mexico’s Attorney General’s Office, reported that the coronavirus had suspended the fentanyl supply chain with CJNG’s partners in China that are unable to deliver the precursors."

https://www.insightcrime.org/news/brief/coronavirus-squeezing-mexico-criminal-groups/

Borders are closed to (non-essential) civilian travel.
Cargo, freight and trade transportation is still allowed to pass through.

It's the same for pretty much all countries including those totally locked down or that were locked down like China.

The problem for China is that their factories have been shut down for the past couple of weeks so the front end of the supply chain for a lot of products is stymied.

That's the reason why supply chains have been shut down or suspended.
Not because borders are closed to products.
Countries that can still manufacture and ship goods are still doing so.

[Jalapeño Chips]

Originally Posted by Spr0ckets

Borders are closed to (non-essential) civilian travel.
Cargo, freight and trade transportation is still allowed to pass through.

It's the same for pretty much all countries including those totally locked down or that were locked down like China.

The problem for China is that their factories have been shut down for the past couple of weeks so the front end of the supply chain for a lot of products is stymied.

That's the reason why supply chains have been shut down or suspended.
Not because borders are closed to products.
Countries that can still manufacture and ship goods are still doing so.

I should have said, borders are closed to regular Joe's, so drug mules aren't getting in. And if you read the article, cargo ships aren't reaching Mexico with the precursors.

[Marshal]

I was about to say something, but then I noticed Vin had sneezed while he wheezed. I got a whole bunch of simplistic crap all over my face guard. I'm outta here . . . don't want to catch any of that misinformed covidity.

Stay safe everyone!

[Spr0ckets]

Originally Posted by Jalapeño Chips

I should have said, borders are closed to regular Joe's, so drug mules aren't getting in. And if you read the article, cargo ships aren't reaching Mexico with the precursors.

Yes I read the article, and the cargo ships aren't reaching Mexico with the precursors because the factories where those precursors are made in China have been shut down for the past couple of weeks in their attempts to deal with the crisis and virus spread there, and are not producing anything.

Not because they're being blocked from entering the country because of border shutdown.

There is (or has been) nothing for them to ship.

Like I said.

A lot of those same chemicals used to make those illegal drugs are also used to make legitimate drugs and medication for hospitals and patients (in fact, that's their primary intended purpose). Those always fall under the "legitimate trade" bracket in terms of things that can still be shipped across borders and traded despite border lockdowns.
But not when they're not being produced at at the source factories at all and there's nothing to ship.

[Spr0ckets]

Originally Posted by logan5

Why would the drug supply be cut off? Are drug producers shutting down operations because they are worried their employees or customers will get Coronavirus? The borders are still open for trade, so I think the drugs will get through.

The DTES is pretty well isolated from the rest of the world, so maybe that will insualte them from Corona. Then again, if it finds its way in, it will be a disaster zone.

You can't make drugs without the chemicals necessary to manufacture and process those drugs.
Most of those chemicals used (primarily Fentanyl) by those cartels usually come from China.

What do you think is happening in Chinese factories right now?

[RDW989]

Safeway, and Starbucks, signage up at 1611 Davie St

My pix, March 28
[IMG]DavieSafeway032820 by RDW989, on Flickr[/IMG]

[officedweller]

Nice!
Though it would have been better if the support was a bent wood "S".

[Vin]

Originally Posted by Changing City

If they all detox involuntarily because they can't get drugs, many of them will need urgent hospital care. That's the last thing the health authorities need to happen right now. The numbers in hospitals and ICUs with coronavirus is going up every day. If they get coronavirus, and don't have the drugs they're addicted to, they're going to be spreading it all over the city they live in, looking for drugs, without caring about social distancing. And that isn't just in the DTES, or Vancouver, it's in Surrey and Maple Ridge and Nelson etc. etc.

Should have forced people to detox and go cold turkey before the pandemic started. A little too late now.

If the authorities can fine or jail most people for not practicing social distancing, how come addicts get special treatment? They should be locked up if they misbehave and do not isolate themselves.

[Vin]

Plywood windows and doors seem to be in fashion this spring season of 2020. Says a lot about this town.

Originally Posted by Spr0ckets

Citation?
(...for Vancouver being the "only" city)

Because off the top of my head I can easily think of at least two other cities (out East) where store owners are probably boarding up too.
On account of how they also have large homeless populations and have been harder hit by this coronavirus crisis (at least in Canada).

Proof me wrong then (one or two shops don't count).

https://bc.ctvnews.ca/break-ins-quadruple-in-vancouver-as-stores-shut-for-covid-19-1.4868855

I'm surprised you are defending a town where two hockey riots happened just because the Canucks lost, with stores looted etc. Short term memory loss there?

[SpongeG]

Vin it's happening across the states, stores are closed and boarded up. It's not just a Vancouver thing.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/27/style/coronavirus-boarded-up-luxury-stores.html

https://therealdeal.com/2020/03/24/nyc-storefronts-begin-boarding-up-as-virus-empties-streets/



https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/Owners-boarding-up-SF-storefronts-during-15152302.php

[Vin]

Originally Posted by SpongeG

Vin it's happening across the states, stores are closed and boarded up. It's not just a Vancouver thing.

What did I say before?

Originally Posted by Vin

City full of people with lousy civic mentality, and a judicial system that's too soft on crime. Discounting American cities, Vancouver is probably the only city that is boarding up the shops during the quarantine period. How embarrassing.

Missed that, didn't you. Don't ever bring in the US again: it's becoming a 3rd world country with huge private wealth: nothing more, nothing less. Frankly it is really insulting to compare us to them.

Come up with something else to prove me wrong, will ya?

[SpongeG]

not trying to disprove anything, just sharing info. relax.

[Vin]

Originally Posted by SpongeG

not trying to disprove anything, just sharing info. relax.

I'm trying to, so please share info that we don't know about. The whole world already knows how downtrodden American cities have become of late, and shops boarding up should be common knowledge. Vancouver shouldn't be like them. Our administrators have failed us again.

[SpongeG]

Toronto is doing the same, all the big brands there have done something. Dior has boarded up, Gucci, Saint Laurent, and other brands have removed all products from their stores.

When I was downtown the other day, Prada, Louis Vuitton had no product visible from the street, some others had boarded up but its not that much, I think Coach, Dior and Lululemon were the only ones who had boarded up in that area of downtown. Lululemon also had a security guard posted on the street.

[mcminsen]

Downtown Vancouver, March 26 '20, my pics
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[Spr0ckets]

Originally Posted by Vin

Plywood windows and doors seem to be in fashion this spring season of 2020. Says a lot about this town.




Proof me wrong then (one or two shops don't count).

https://bc.ctvnews.ca/break-ins-quadruple-in-vancouver-as-stores-shut-for-covid-19-1.4868855

I'm surprised you are defending a town where two hockey riots happened just because the Canucks lost, with stores looted etc. Short term memory loss there?

I don't have to "proof" you wrong.
I'm not the one who made the claim; YOU ARE!
I asked you to corroborate your claim that Vancouver is the "only" city (your words) where this is happening.

The burden of proof is on YOU, buddy.
You're the one making the claim; not me.
I don't have PROVE anything. I don't even have to disprove your claim since, again, YOU are the one making the claim.

Unless you just want to admit that you pulled that notion out of your ass.

And who's defending Vancouver ( as if there's anything to be defended or not defended)?

You made a claim.
I asked you to prove it, and then you provide a link that doesn't prove said claim but only re-asserts what we already know, and now you're bringing up the Vancouver riots as if they have God knows what to do with anything that's being discussed here.

Trouble with simple basic English reading comprehension there, bud?

Or perhaps it is you who's suffering from short(er) term memory loss that you can't even remember what you yourself wrote and claimed in the first place despite my quoting it right back at you.
In which case let me help you out and quote them right back at you,..
.....AGAIN...

Pay attention to the bolded underlined parts.
You wrote them:-

Originally Posted by Vin

>>>"City full of people with lousy civic mentality, and a judicial system that's too soft on crime. Discounting American cities, Vancouver is probably the only city that is boarding up the shops during the quarantine period. How embarrassing."

[Changing City]

Originally Posted by Vin

I'm trying to, so please share info that we don't know about. The whole world already knows how downtrodden American cities have become of late, and shops boarding up should be common knowledge. Vancouver shouldn't be like them. Our administrators have failed us again.

Why would the luxury brands in Vancouver be any different from all the other wealthy, successful US cities like New York and Los Angeles (Beverly Hills including Rodeo Drive) where stores are being boarded up? If the store isn't removing all their stock (easier for a jeweller than a clothing store) then it's a cheap way of protecting the glass, and the store contents, for an unknown period. It's very quickly reversed, whenever stores are allowed to reopen. It's starting to happen in the UK too - their restrictions came into force later than here.

If this situation goes into months rather than weeks, it'll be interesting to see if those high end, high rent locations in the city that rely on wealthy out of town visitors will all reopen. There's got to be a problem for their cash flow if the predicted recession lasts for any length of time. Dollarama will probably be OK.