Public Disorder & the Decline of Vancouver's Livability

[theKB]

One can wonder how quickly we will see a shift in Gastown and Chinatown with the arrival of cruise ships. This will be a true test of the resolve of the mayor and his team to quickly clean up these areas where many cruise ship passengers visit.

I also wonder when if ever they will fix the road through gastown - soon you will need a lifted offroad vehicle to get through some of those sections along water street - it is getting worse and worse by the day and when the tour busses return it will degrade even quicker.

[jollyburger]

Little steps.

New mental health crisis teams should be up and running in New Westminster and Victoria this summer, following in the footsteps of a successful North Shore pilot project.

The province has announced $1.26 million in funding to help create two new Peer Assisted Crisis Teams (PACTs) in New Westminster and Victoria and to expand the existing North and West Vancouver team.

Mental Health and Addictions Minister Sheila Malcolmson made the announcement during an event at New Westminster’s Anvil Centre on Monday morning (April 11).

“When people are in crisis, either mental health or substance use challenges, they must be given compassionate and appropriate care. Municipalities tell us that for a variety of complex and intersecting reasons, mental health and substance use challenges have become more common and visible on our streets,” she said.

Malcolmson said those crises have stretched police resources and noted police officers are often not appropriately trained to deal with mental health and substance use issues.

By contrast, PACTs are civilian-led, including both mental health professionals and peer support workers, and support people in distress by connecting them to mental-health and substance-use supports.

Coun. Sarah Potts of the City of Victoria said the PACTs will help bring much-needed change to the way cities can respond to those in crisis.

“We know that health matters are not crimes,” she said, noting the increasing demand for crisis response over the past six years of the drug toxicity epidemic. “These health matters can not be meaningfully addressed by responses that are not health-based.”

Coun. Nadine Nakagawa of New Westminster said police are not the appropriate response for people in crisis.

“We need to go to the root causes of issues,” she said. “Poverty and mental illness aren’t crimes, so we shouldn’t treat them as if they are.”

Johnny Morris, CEO of Canadian Mental Health Association B.C. division, said that, since the North Shore team was set up in November 2021, it has already been able to respond to more than 235 calls – in person, by phone and by text.

“We know that individuals, families and communities need care, compassion and support,” he said.

Ultimately, Morris said, there’s a vision to potentially include mental health calls as a fourth option for those who call 911: on top of police, fire and ambulance. For now, PACTs can be reached through a dedicated number provided through the CMHA.

Nooshin Gallehdari, a peer worker with the CMHA North and West Vancouver Branch PACT, said the teams are a key part of supporting those in crisis and in helping to reduce the stigma around mental health.

“I truly believe that PACT is that missing piece that we need in order to invest in our society,” she said.

The new teams in New Westminster and Victoria are expected to be operational by summer 2022.

Both cities have also contributed municipal funding towards the setup of the teams.

https://www.nsnews.com/local-news/new-me...ming-to-new-westminster-victoria-5254708

[Vin]

Originally Posted by theKB

One can wonder how quickly we will see a shift in Gastown and Chinatown with the arrival of cruise ships. This will be a true test of the resolve of the mayor and his team to quickly clean up these areas where many cruise ship passengers visit.

I also wonder when if ever they will fix the road through gastown - soon you will need a lifted offroad vehicle to get through some of those sections along water street - it is getting worse and worse by the day and when the tour busses return it will degrade even quicker.

Or it would be fun to see shell-shocked cruise ship passengers once they emerge from neighbourhoods such as East Hastings & Chinatown. At least the City is showcasing the real Vancouver.

[EastVanMark]

Canada Post has announced they are no longer delivering mail to the Hastings & Main and Carrall streets due to unsafe conditions for carriers.

[officedweller]

Yeah, saw that on CTV news:

'Safety concerns' prompt Canada Post to suspend service to Vancouver neighbourhood
https://bc.ctvnews.ca/safety-concerns-pr...ice-to-vancouver-neighbourhood-1.5858249

[Vin]

Originally Posted by officedweller

Yeah, saw that on CTV news:

'Safety concerns' prompt Canada Post to suspend service to Vancouver neighbourhood
https://bc.ctvnews.ca/safety-concerns-pr...ice-to-vancouver-neighbourhood-1.5858249

Even the Feds are scared of this neighbourhood.

It always amazes me that other cities (discounting American ones) can solve the kind of social problems plaguing the DTES while we can't, no matter how much money is poured into dealing with them.

[s211]

Originally Posted by EastVanMark

Canada Post has announced they are no longer delivering mail to the Hastings & Main and Carrall streets due to unsafe conditions for carriers.

Kind of sends a message to the Carnegie building, doesn't it.

[Vin]

Vancouver mayor calls for end of privately run SROs after Gastown fire

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/mayor-end-privately-run-sro-fire

I guess the mayor is finally acknowledging that Vancouver is indeed unsafe, including the SROs.

[Zepfancouver]

A posting on r/vancouver this morning Another glass door smashed

[Sheba]

At the other end of the spectrum

A new mobile shower program opening in Burnaby this week hopes to bring a little more dignity into the lives of people who are homeless.

Operated by the Society to End Homelessness in Burnaby, the program will run Thursday mornings between 9:30 and 11:30 a.m. at the Neighborhood Church —formerly known as the Southside Community Church — at 7135 Walker Ave.

Executive director Carol-Anne Flanagan says the initiative hopes to address the stigma that people without homes experience in their daily lives.

Flanagan said having the opportunity to shower not only improves health and hygiene but also self-esteem.

"There's always stigma attached to homelessness, although some of our homeless actually have work, they have steady jobs, but there's nowhere for them to wash up."

The society has a grant of $104,000 from the Union of B.C. Municipalities to operate the program. The initiative is the first of its kind in Metro Vancouver, with the only other free mobile shower in the Lower Mainland located in Abbotsford.

The mobile facility, which was manufactured by Canadian company Niu Toilet, contains two units that can run simultaneously, each equipped with a shower, toilet and sink. Patrons will have 15 minutes to shower, and the stalls will be cleaned between uses. The trailer also features disinfecting UV lights.

...

What a difference a change in command can make - Mayor Corrigan wouldn't have done that. It's near Kingsway and Edmonds btw.

[hollywoodnorth]

Originally Posted by Sheba

At the other end of the spectrum



What a difference a change in command can make - Mayor Corrigan wouldn't have done that. It's near Kingsway and Edmonds btw.

$104,000? for what?

spend $19.99 on a hose at Home Depot and hose em down. I just saved us $103,960.

[MIPS]

Don't you remember that thing a few years ago where a guy was charged with assault for hosing down a bum in his door alcove?

We can't do that anymore.

[WarrenC12]

Originally Posted by MIPS

Don't you remember that thing a few years ago where a guy was charged with assault for hosing down a bum in his door alcove?

We can't do that anymore.

Yeah, we should be able to assault and demean whoever we want to!

[MIPS]

I throw sympathy out the window in favor of increased aggression, even if it's just water, when you tell someone to get out of your entranceway/sidealley/stairway and they either just look at you weird and ignore you or (true story here) escalate things entirely and get told "I'll f****ng stab you".

[WarrenC12]

Originally Posted by MIPS

I throw sympathy out the window in favor of increased aggression, even if it's just water, when you tell someone to get out of your entranceway/sidealley/stairway and they either just look at you weird and ignore you or (true story here) escalate things entirely and get told "I'll f****ng stab you".

What does that have to do with a public shower facility for people living on the street?

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by Sheba

At the other end of the spectrum

What a difference a change in command can make - Mayor Corrigan wouldn't have done that. It's near Kingsway and Edmonds btw.

So it has wheels? How long till that gets stolen.

[NewfBC]

Originally Posted by hollywoodnorth

$104,000? for what?

spend $19.99 on a hose at Home Depot and hose em down. I just saved us $103,960.

2 'non profit' staff @ $70k/ea... the rest is for the hose.

Ron.

[Vin]

Originally Posted by hollywoodnorth

$104,000? for what?

spend $19.99 on a hose at Home Depot and hose em down. I just saved us $103,960.

Need a large hose at the DTES then.

However, I take that back as it will probably be stolen, cut up to "puff" stuff.

At least the Burnaby homeless folks can keep clean with the shower facility. Good job again, Burnaby!

[MIPS]

Originally Posted by WarrenC12

What does that have to do with a public shower facility for people living on the street?

Originally Posted by hollywoodnorth

spend $19.99 on a hose at Home Depot and hose em down. I just saved us $103,960.

Just pointing out even if it was a joke, we can't just hose 'em down.

[Sheba]

Originally Posted by WarrenC12

What does that have to do with a public shower facility for people living on the street?

Yeah people have to jump to the worst version and assume it's true of everyone in that group. The article even mentions that some of them are working poor, so not just some lazy drugged out bum.

Originally Posted by whatnext

So it has wheels? How long till that gets stolen.

It's not going to be sitting outside all the time. This location will have it for Thurs mornings. The full article also mentions "they hope to bring the mobile showers to other locations in Burnaby, including Central Park and Kensington Park." It will be stored (likely indoors) somewhere when it's not available for use.