Downtown Eastside - DTES Issues

[Nites]

Tent city at Vancouver's Strathcona Park growing, no enforcement of bylaw on removing tents in the morning

A new bylaw that allows overnight camping in parks — but requires tents to be taken down by 7 a.m. — is not being enforced at Strathcona Park, where a tent city continues to grow.

On Thursday there were 311 tents in the park, which accounts for about 80 per cent of the green space in the neighbourhood, according to the Strathcona Residents Association.

he park board passed the bylaw on July 15 by a 4-3 vote, to conform to a 2009 Supreme Court ruling that said seeking refuge in public spaces when other shelter is unavailable is a constitutional right.

“This is a super-complex problem with a lot of nuance,” said Katie Lewis, vice-president of the Strathcona Residents Association. “We are supportive, but of a smaller encampment, maybe 20 or 25 tents, and not in a public park.

“The park board has told us bluntly they are not going to enforce” the bylaw, she said.

Lewis feels there is lots of blame to share out among the city, province, feds and the park board. Most of the original campers, about 30 or so, moved from a waterfront lot next to CRAB Park five weeks ago, after the port authority got an injunction ordering them off its land.

- https://vancouversun.com/news/tent-c...in-the-morning

Originally Posted by MIPS

The next civic election cycle's gonna be a fun one.

Jesus thats a massive camp. I remember it was 200 in the end of June. Whats it going to be like in another month?

[scryer]

Congratulations, we are on the way to seeing the new and exciting development of Canada's very first favela .

I hope that the Park Board members start firing up their resumes.

[Sheba]

Vancouver city council passes motion deprioritizing policing in mental health calls and social issues

Vancouver City Council’s Standing Committee on Policy and Strategic Priorities, in a virtual meeting Monday night, passed a motion to shift police priorities and funding away from mental health emergencies and social issues, allowing instead for a community-led approach in dealing with these areas.

An amendment to Councillor Jean Swanson’s motion, as moved by Councilor Pete Fry, calls for “a plan, timeline and budget to deprioritize policing as a response to mental health, sex work, homelessness, and substance use and to prioritize funding community-led groups, non-profit societies and others with the experience and training to deliver harm reduction and safety initiatives in these areas.”

The amended motion also calls for ongoing consultation with individuals with lived experience and specialized community groups for direction on how the city can support existing and future community-based harm reduction and safety services.

Over 200 speakers had voiced their opinions and shared their personal experiences on the issue leading up to council’s vote.

You can read Councillor Swanson’s motion here (pdf).

[ranvancan]

The Vancouver Park Board needs to go. But so does the existing Vancouver Mayoral Office. So do those that continue to support silly existing city bylaws such as height, shadow, light and building distance restrictions. All these for a city that NEEDS to grow. Again, I am digressing.
I am NOT allowed to live in a park, so why are "Our neighbors" (As Kennedy likes to call them) allowed to?

[rofina]

Does anyone know how to e-mail council, mayor and park board? Cant find any emails to reach them at online. Only web forms which I do not want to use.

[scryer]

Originally Posted by Sheba

Vancouver city council passes motion deprioritizing policing in mental health calls and social issues

Was there ever funding for police enforcement on these issues to begin with ?

I can't wait to see my local community support group respond to calls for suicide attempts within an appropriate range of time... Again, I highly doubt that there will be a transition of any kind into a community system designed to handle the range of issues that comes with drug addicts and the mentally ill in the streets.

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by rofina

Does anyone know how to e-mail council, mayor and park board? Cant find any emails to reach them at online. Only web forms which I do not want to use.

It used to be [email protected] but I wonder if that is still active?

Looks like they want everyone to use the web form. You could also call them all out on Twitter!

[rofina]

Originally Posted by whatnext

It used to be [email protected] but I wonder if that is still active?

Looks like they want everyone to use the web form. You could also call them all out on Twitter!

Thank you.

I don't have social media, Twitter, FB, etc, and that's step two anyway.

Lets try the old fashion way first.

[a very long weekend]

The same city government that supports converting city parks into massive districts like out of The Wire . . . will fine you for drinking a beer during a picnic in city parks (until 2021, they say).

[giallo]

Originally Posted by a very long weekend

The same city government that supports converting city parks into massive districts like out of The Wire . . . will fine you for drinking a beer during a picnic in city parks (until 2021, they say).

This is what gets me. I still can't enjoy a glass of wine in a park without getting a $150 fine in Vancouver.

If they are going to allow open drug use in parks, they better damn well let me drink a beer.

[Metro-One]

Originally Posted by giallo

This is what gets me. I still can't enjoy a glass of wine in a park without getting a $150 fine in Vancouver.

If they are going to allow open drug use in parks, they better damn well let me drink a beer.

That is pretty funny.

Seriously, the homeless issue and lack of enforcement is out of hand in Vancouver now.

Why even make the rule “out by 7am” if there is no enforcement?

Why even have / campaign for safe injection sites if public use in parks isn’t discouraged.

I really hope this is the straw that breaks the camel’s back and there is finally some major push back from residents.

Being homeless shouldn’t equate to being able to do whatever you want wherever you want.

Being sympathetic to the issue should not equate to allowing them to do anything and completely decoupled from society.

[Vin]

Exactly, guys. All the loose City policies just let this issue get out of hand. Parks board needs to go, but they won't boot themselves out. Residents need to take drastic actions, like not paying property taxes, to force them to take action. Why should we be subjugated to their whims and fancies when we are the ones paying their fat cheques and benefits?

[Nites]

Originally Posted by a very long weekend

The same city government that supports converting city parks into massive districts like out of The Wire . . . will fine you for drinking a beer during a picnic in city parks (until 2021, they say).

Well in 'The Wire' they were a little smarter and actually used a district that was a ghost town and unused.

[rofina]

Question - how many of you are actually willing to speak up and make this an election issue?

I'm on my last straw. I think I have a year or two left in Vancouver before I pack it in and move unless we make a shift in a more positive direction.

I always complain of people leaving instead of investing into making the change they want. I don't want to be a hypocrite and do the same.

I know anonymity is important to us online, but if someone were to organize a lobbying group or a party to tackle this change is there an actual appetite here to donate time/money/signatures to shift policy in a more positive direction for all citizens?

[Vin]

Originally Posted by rofina

Question - how many of you are actually willing to speak up and make this an election issue?

I'm on my last straw. I think I have a year or two left in Vancouver before I pack it in and move unless we make a shift in a more positive direction.

I always complain of people leaving instead of investing into making the change they want. I don't want to be a hypocrite and do the same.

I know anonymity is important to us online, but if someone were to organize a lobbying group or a party to tackle this change is there an actual appetite here to donate time/money/signatures to shift policy in a more positive direction for all citizens?

Why are you so perturbed all of a sudden? I mean I've been the annoying one with all my complaints all these years, so what ticked you off lately? Is it because you see more homeless camped and lawlessness happening in your neighbourhood park?

[WarrenC12]

Originally Posted by Vin

Why are you so perturbed all of a sudden? I mean I've been the annoying one with all my complaints all these years, so what ticked you off lately? Is it because you see more homeless camped and lawlessness happening in your neighbourhood park?

People are allowed to have their own breaking point.

I suspect many SSP members basically ignore you at this point. You're a broken record on a few topics.

[Vin]

Originally Posted by WarrenC12

People are allowed to have their own breaking point.

I suspect many SSP members basically ignore you at this point. You're a broken record on a few topics.

I never said he isn't allowed to have his own breaking point.

I'm not on a popularity contest: people can ignore or engage with me all they want. Funny, because you don't seem to be ignoring me, and perpetually triggered by anything I say.

[rofina]

Originally Posted by Vin

Why are you so perturbed all of a sudden? I mean I've been the annoying one with all my complaints all these years, so what ticked you off lately? Is it because you see more homeless camped and lawlessness happening in your neighbourhood park?

To be completely honest;

1. Self interest - I live in East Van, Hastings Sunrise - ish for reference. The spill over effect is real, and conditions are deteriorating across the City. B&E's, theft from cars, stolen bikes, etc. I would lie if I said that being more affected personally isn't a problem. Ignoring COVID - our building has gone from averaging 3-5 break in a year to one a month over the last 24 months or so.

2. This is becoming embarrassing. We can deal with this, there are real solutions but leadership is content passing the buck.

3. Guilt - I see the mental conditions and the mental decay in some of these people on a daily basis. I think it finally hit me emotionally that I'm complicit in enabling this tragedy by remaining silent. We have been fed this notion that somehow leaving people to rot on the streets and literally die is compassionate. Its literally perverted our views of what compassion is.

4. I don't want to be hypocrite. Too many of my friends, acquaintances, etc in the past left Vancouver for reasons that in my view could have been affected by them voicing their opinions in more meaningful/firm ways. I made life choices that make me a little less susceptible to conventional pressures.

5. We see where this ends - San Fran/LA. I don't want an App to tell me locations of human feces in the City. I want a city that has no human feces to worry about. I don't want typhoid and cholera outbreaks, I don't want open air stolen goods markets to become normalized.

These are not impossible goals - and before it really becomes completely untenable someone needs to speak up about this ongoing failure.

There is enough naivety left in me to feel that there are enough kind hearted people to care or at least enough self interested people to want more positive change before its actually too late.

[giallo]

Originally Posted by rofina

3. Guilt - I see the mental conditions and the mental decay in some of these people on a daily basis. I think it finally hit me emotionally that I'm complicit in enabling this tragedy by remaining silent. We have been fed this notion that somehow leaving people to rot on the streets and literally die is compassionate. Its literally perverted our views of what compassion is.

That was a good list as to why you've decide to speak up more. Your third reason resonates with me big time.

How can we, as a civil, progressive, compassionate society, leave our most vulnerable to the pimps and pushers of the world? We've sacrificed a neighbourhood of thousands to the black market.

[Metro-One]

That’s a huge point, I don’t understand how allowing people to self destruct in the streets and waste away became the politically correct thing to do.

I think most here feel the same that the current approach that has been in place for over three decades now isn’t working, and doubling down on it, which the parks board seems to be doing, is only going to make it worse.

The problem is, it is scary to speak out against it, because it seems once you do all those supporting voices on forums such as this seem to disappear, and then you left alone to hang out to dry against the social justice mob.

That said, the recent announcement that the Parks Board has no intent to enforce their new 7am curfew seems to have been he breaking point for many. I have heard rumors that many residents in Strathcona are going to stop paying their property tax as a protest and several businesses are planning a class action lawsuit against the city.