BC Lags Behind Other Provinces in Life Satisfaction

[you&me]

Originally Posted by blankall

It is true that, at some point, the pharmaceutical industry was making money hand over fist by keeping people hooked on opioids. That's clearly changed now.

Opioids are very hard to get from a doctor. The fentanyl being conusumed on the streets is largely imported from grey market labs in China. It's not very difficult at all to find a "dark net" Chinese lab selling fentanyl. It's extremely potent and a small package can contain a huge supply. The dealers order dozens of packets from China and a few slip through customs.

Sure, but those ####hole labs in China aren't exactly Pfizer.

I would be surprised if the opioid crisis in Vancouver (and elsewhere) is driven by dealers buying single packets off the current version of the Silk Road. Instead, I would suspect large scale, multi-national crime groups are moving product by the tons... ####ty situation either way.

[activeStick]

I've mentioned before that I live just a bit outside the boundaries of official Yaletown but there's a new SRO at the corner of Richards and Helmcken and the residents gather outside to to be with their friends. Walked by the building last week and a guy was literally laying on the sidewalk on his front right in front of the group. I asked them if we should call the ambulance and his friends (I assume) said, "nah, he's fine". This is right next to a park where I was at meeting my cousin and her daughter. These aren't "bad areas" - these are middle/upper class neighborhoods.

[Galakanokis]

Originally Posted by activeStick

I've mentioned before that I live just a bit outside the boundaries of official Yaletown but there's a new SRO at the corner of Richards and Helmcken and the residents gather outside to to be with their friends. Walked by the building last week and a guy was literally laying on the sidewalk on his front right in front of the group. I asked them if we should call the ambulance and his friends (I assume) said, "nah, he's fine". This is right next to a park where I was at meeting my cousin and her daughter. These aren't "bad areas" - these are middle/upper class neighborhoods.

I use to see that all the time when I worked in Yaletown. I was on Homer and Helmcken and parked under the Gathering Place up the street. Everyday I passed somebody passed on on the street or in the stairwells. The problem may be getting worse (much worse) but it is not new.

Said it else. This is not a west coast problem. It might be on a larger scale here because of the weather but this is happening everywhere. But the small towns in the middle of nowhere are not stories. LA, SF, Sea, Van are stories.

[Nancy]

I am walking through Spanish Banks in Vancouver presently and am surprised how it has turned into a gypsy encampment of “van lifers” and decrepit winnebagos. There is easily 100+ vans camped here and an unknowable number of people sleeping in their cars, plus a few tents. This just below some of the most expensive homes in the nation. Could not say if these people looked satisfied with their lives… mostly they looked like they needed showers.

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by Galakanokis

I use to see that all the time when I worked in Yaletown. I was on Homer and Helmcken and parked under the Gathering Place up the street. Everyday I passed somebody passed on on the street or in the stairwells. The problem may be getting worse (much worse) but it is not new.

Said it else. This is not a west coast problem. It might be on a larger scale here because of the weather but this is happening everywhere. But the small towns in the middle of nowhere are not stories. LA, SF, Sea, Van are stories.

Was that typo and you meant to say someone passed out? Or like you literally saw someone dead every day?

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by blankall

As a resident of Vancouver, I have had my car broken into. Just about everyone I know would have had their car or house broken into. Anything you leave unattended like a bike or phone will get stolen. I know people who've had items (like phones and wallets) stolen from jackets hanging off their chairs at restaurants. There's also a huge amount of vandalism right now. Windows are constantly being smashed.

I would agree that the rate of violent crime is relatively low. Muggings and actual physical assaults remain relatively rare.

Quite frankly, the bigger issue is the amount of deaths that are occurring. BC reported 4200 Covid deaths and they shut down the whole province. We've had more overdose death during that period, and no one seems to want to make any changes.

The stats are pretty alarming and only getting worse:

https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/bi...licit-drug.pdf

This is the kind of thing that affects everyone. Almost all of these people have families.

I really disagree with the notion that the West Coast is this great place to live, and the drug/homelessness pandemic only affects a small proportion of people.

Two things that jumped out in that report

No deaths have been reported at supervised consumption or drug overdose prevention sites.2

• There is no indication that prescribed safe supply is contributing to illicit drug deaths.

[calumniate]

Originally Posted by jayswin

Was that typo and you meant to say someone passed out? Or like you literally saw someone dead every day?

What do you think?

[PeteMoss]

Originally Posted by Galakanokis

I use to see that all the time when I worked in Yaletown. I was on Homer and Helmcken and parked under the Gathering Place up the street. Everyday I passed somebody passed on on the street or in the stairwells. The problem may be getting worse (much worse) but it is not new.

Said it else. This is not a west coast problem. It might be on a larger scale here because of the weather but this is happening everywhere. But the small towns in the middle of nowhere are not stories. LA, SF, Sea, Van are stories.

Yes - you can go to virtually any city or neighbourhood reddit/facebook/nextdoor page and its going to be filled with people complaining about homelessness or drug users, etc. Is it worse in this places - probably.. and weather has a lot to do with it. Some person who lives in the rich suburbs or exurbs of Calgary - probably thinks downtown Calgary or where the homeless congregate there is the world's most dangerous area as well.

[Galakanokis]

Ha. At times one wasn't sure... Meant to say passed out. I called one in that didn't look great. Dudes legs were at the top of the stairs on the landing and his torso and head hung down the first few stairs. I was checking him but I did call 911 and let the front desk of the Gathering Place know. It was the side stairs up from the parking garage so not used a lot.

As far as seeing campers and vans by the beaches that is directly tied to cost of housing. Beaches typically have free street parking without time limits so that is where people go with vans and campers. See it a lot in industrial areas or anywhere that does not restrict parking. In Burnaby you are supposed to move vehicles on the street every 24hrs so you do not see the issue as much but from what I understand Vancouver does not have that law. A big place use to be under the 1st Street bridge by the Home Depot. Lots of campers and trailers down there and that goes back a decade or more.

[JohnnyB]

Seeing ambulances downtown with people on street corners getting naloxone was pretty common last winter. Not sure how many of those I saw actually died. Hopefully none, but probably some. This winter could certainly be worse. Hopefully not.

[peter12]

The drugs, the poverty, the society-wide stress all boils down to one variable - the incredible shortage of housing.

[JohnnyB]

Originally Posted by peter12

The drugs, the poverty, the society-wide stress all boils down to one variable - the incredible shortage of housing.

Hong Kong's housing situation is more extreme than Vancouver, but HK doesn't have the rampant hopeless spirals into drug addiction and death that you see in a place like Vancouver.

[peter12]

Originally Posted by JohnnyB

Hong Kong's housing situation is more extreme than Vancouver, but HK doesn't have the rampant hopeless spirals into drug addiction and death that you see in a place like Vancouver.

I think there are definitely cultural aspects at play, but more housing would solve a lot of Vancouver's problems.

[Zulu29]

Originally Posted by peter12

I think there are definitely cultural aspects at play, but more housing would solve a lot of Vancouver's problems.

Housing is only part of the solution. You can provide all the housing you want but without addiction and mental health treatment it won’t work.

[blankall]

Originally Posted by Zulu29

Housing is only part of the solution. You can provide all the housing you want but without addiction and mental health treatment it won’t work.

That's true for a lot of people. The lack of housing supply is definitely forcing more people onto the streets though. Once you are experiencing homelessness it's a lot easier to fall into a downward spiral of drug use and mental health issues.

Being able to afford rent and having a place to go is also typically a first step towards creating stability.

I agree that treatment is an issue, but so is the lack of housing supply.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by blankall

That's true for a lot of people. The lack of housing supply is definitely forcing more people onto the streets though. Once you are experiencing homelessness it's a lot easier to fall into a downward spiral of drug use and mental health issues.

Being able to afford rent and having a place to go is also typically a first step towards creating stability.

I agree that treatment is an issue, but so is the lack of housing supply.

The lack of housing obviously plays a big role, but yes it is more nuanced than just that.

However, I will say that sometimes complex issues can start off as incredibly simple. Housing is important, but as is overall cost of living. Once specific things start becoming unaffordable compromises begin to be made and it is very much a knock-on snowball effect.

[skudr248]

Leaving Vancouver for good in a month, can't wait. After 6 years of living here, can't wait to leave. This place is a dump, don't let anyone else tell you otherwise.

[Galakanokis]

It's not that bad. My life here is actually pretty damn good. Busy and expensive but I have no issues living here.

[8 Ball]

Originally Posted by PeteMoss

Yes - you can go to virtually any city or neighbourhood reddit/facebook/nextdoor page and its going to be filled with people complaining about homelessness or drug users, etc. Is it worse in this places - probably.. and weather has a lot to do with it. Some person who lives in the rich suburbs or exurbs of Calgary - probably thinks downtown Calgary or where the homeless congregate there is the world's most dangerous area as well.

I was thinking about this recently, and I believe the vast majority of Calgarians realize we don’t have near the problems Vancouver has. But then that guy got randomly stabbed to death in a apartment hallway recently.

[JohnnyB]

Originally Posted by blankall

That's true for a lot of people. The lack of housing supply is definitely forcing more people onto the streets though. Once you are experiencing homelessness it's a lot easier to fall into a downward spiral of drug use and mental health issues.

Being able to afford rent and having a place to go is also typically a first step towards creating stability.

I agree that treatment is an issue, but so is the lack of housing supply.

Yes. It's pretty clear in a place like Vancouver how many people are just one crisis or emergency away from being pretty screwed, and expensive housing could quickly lead to a downward spiral involving homelessness.

I also tend to think another big contributing factor is how isolating and atomized culture is in North America (maybe especially WASPy culture?). The emphasis upon independence, the extent to which people leave home and move away from family with expectations of standing on their own two feet, and the extent to which self-worth and societal value is so tied to social as well as economic independence means a lot of people end up without strong support systems from tight family/community networks to prop them up when times get tough or they enter into crisis.