BC Lags Behind Other Provinces in Life Satisfaction

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by Locke

Its a lot easier when they're geographically more compact.

Its easy for Ottawa to put Vancouver's homeless problem out of their minds when its 4,500 kms away and they can label it a Civic and/or Provincial issue.

They've got 'Get Out Of Jail Free' cards coming out of their ears on this.

They shouldnt. But they do. I agree it should be a National concern. Will it be? Somehow I doubt it.

It's also beneficial for other cities to have some of their homeless flee to the west coast while looking down on Vancouver over it. They resist putting facilities in place to entice their homeless to stay, because it's easier and less expensive to persuade them to leave instead.

[afc wimbledon]

Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction

It's also beneficial for other cities to have some of their homeless flee to the west coast while looking down on Vancouver over it. They resist putting facilities in place to entice their homeless to stay, because it's easier and less expensive to persuade them to leave instead.

I used to have to organise release plans for the old Willingdon youth custody center, I have lost count of the times, particularly with native kids, where I would ring social services office up to arrange a bus for the kid to get back to Alberta or Manitoba and be told they didn't want the kid back there, they were nothing but trouble and they'd be better off on the DTES, basically then, as now, a death sentence, I have sat in a welfare interview with a kid up the valley or over the phone to out of province where they have told an 18 or 19 year they should just stay in Vancouver, welfare offices always were quick to cut a bus ticket out west rather than do their work

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by afc wimbledon

I used to have to organise release plans for the old Willingdon youth custody center, I have lost count of the times, particularly with native kids, where I would ring social services office up to arrange a bus for the kid to get back to Alberta or Manitoba and be told they didn't want the kid back there, they were nothing but trouble and they'd be better off on the DTES, basically then, as now, a death sentence, I have sat in a welfare interview with a kid up the valley or over the phone to out of province where they have told an 18 or 19 year they should just stay in Vancouver, welfare offices always were quick to cut a bus ticket out west rather than do their work

The Ontario town I used to live in would pick up homeless people for minor offenses and then offer to buy them bus tickets west. They couldn't force them to accept, but I think a lot of them did.

[afc wimbledon]

Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction

The Ontario town I used to live in would pick up homeless people for minor offenses and then offer to buy them bus tickets west. They couldn't force them to accept, but I think a lot of them did.

Ontario was notorious for handing out provincial warrants even for serious crimes, stay in Ontario and you go to jail, leave the Province and get off scot free and you can't be sent back.

[JohnnyB]

Those cases, though horrible, are examples of why it would be hard to get a strong federally-led initiative on this. Most of the country doesn't have aligned incentives.

[chemgear]

Shooting at paramedics. Like wtf man.

Have to imagine that he's free on bail. Again.


https://vpd.ca/news/2023/01/09/suspe...th-pellet-gun/

A Downtown Eastside man is in custody after Vancouver Police and paramedics were shot with a pellet gun fired from the window of a Hastings Street rooming house Sunday night.

The man, who was already on bail for an unrelated assault and was also wanted BC-wide for theft, was taken back to jail. He faces new charges for assaulting police and paramedics, for possession of a weapon, and for breaching bail conditions.

Other incidents of note:

A 69-year-old man was injured when he was attacked from behind and struck in the head with an object Friday night. The senior, who uses a motorized scooter, was attempting to navigate along the sidewalk when there was a confrontation with a stranger. The suspect has not been identified.

The window of a transit bus was shattered early Saturday morning after being struck with a projectile as it moved through the Downtown Eastside. No injuries were reported, and VPD is working with Metro Vancouver Transit Police to investigate.

[chemgear]

[Wormius]

Why the heck do they have to cover up the discount code??

[activeStick]

Mentioned this in another thread but it's suitable here. Saw on Global News tonight that Vancouver's safe supply is now being accessed by non-addict teens experimenting with drugs casually. Addicts with prescription can get the free drugs via finger print enabled vending machines, and they in turn sell these safe drugs to people for cash and then use the cash to buy drugs from theie street dealers. Not good.

[Wormius]

At least teens aren’t dying from casually trying drugs.

[JohnnyB]

What kind of drugs are they delivering? Guaranteed fentanyl free, but what is it?

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by activeStick

Mentioned this in another thread but it's suitable here. Saw on Global News tonight that Vancouver's safe supply is now being accessed by non-addict teens experimenting with drugs casually. Addicts with prescription can get the free drugs via finger print enabled vending machines, and they in turn sell these safe drugs to people for cash and then use the cash to buy drugs from theie street dealers. Not good.

Some of the safe supply distributors have simple started supplying anyone and no longer ask for a referral from a doctor.

It is really a stupid system to just supply people who qualify as an addict. The toxic drug problem effects any user. It's dumb to tell people that they are not using illicit drugs often enough to qualify. A lot of closet addicts are also not going to go to a doctor because of the fear of being found out.

[activeStick]

Originally Posted by JohnnyB

What kind of drugs are they delivering? Guaranteed fentanyl free, but what is it?

The news story mentioned opiates, but from other safe supply handouts that have happened in the city during the summers, cocaine was also available.

[JohnnyB]

Originally Posted by activeStick

The news story mentioned opiates, but from other safe supply handouts that have happened in the city during the summers, cocaine was also available.

Wow. I've seen lots of flyers for mushrooms and weed, but had never seen anything for opiates or cocain before.

Strange too that anyone would trust a flyer on a lamppost for real safe supply. I mean, nothing about that flyer screams 'legitimate service' to me. Lamppost flyer advertising safe supply and delivery also seems like a pretty easy model to fake if you're wanting to sell your unsafe supply, but I guess maybe that's the standard advertising model for all this kind of stuff.

[afc wimbledon]

Originally Posted by activeStick

Mentioned this in another thread but it's suitable here. Saw on Global News tonight that Vancouver's safe supply is now being accessed by non-addict teens experimenting with drugs casually. Addicts with prescription can get the free drugs via finger print enabled vending machines, and they in turn sell these safe drugs to people for cash and then use the cash to buy drugs from theie street dealers. Not good.

Addicts selling drugs!! surely not?? I am shocked I tell you, shocked!

[FlamesAddiction]

Vancouver police condemn the behaviour of some commuters as they responded to a mental health crisis on the Alex Fraser Bridge. They were responding to a potential jumper. Cars started driving around barricades, entering oncoming lanes, and some people were even encouraging the person to jump making it difficult for the police crisis negotiators to help the person.

https://globalnews.ca/news/9439259/a...viour-closure/

I get it, it sucks to be stuck in traffic when there is an incident. But man, if it was my family member or friend in a life-or-death mental health crisis, I would hope people could show a little more empathy.

It went on for several hours, and I do question why they didn't set up proper traffic control, but it doesn't excuse the behaviour.

[WhiteTiger]

Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction

Vancouver police condemn the behaviour of some commuters as they responded to a mental health crisis on the Alex Fraser Bridge. They were responding to a potential jumper. Cars started driving around barricades, entering oncoming lanes, and some people were even encouraging the person to jump making it difficult for the police crisis negotiators to help the person.

https://globalnews.ca/news/9439259/a...viour-closure/

I get it, it sucks to be stuck in traffic when there is an incident. But man, if it was my family member or friend in a life-or-death mental health crisis, I would hope people could show a little more empathy.

It went on for several hours, and I do question why they didn't set up proper traffic control, but it doesn't excuse the behaviour.

Nah. I remember once after a fatality incident downtown just before Friday rush hour...snarled traffic something fierce while being investigated, and we had people calling 911 screaming about being inconvenienced before their weekend...

[JohnnyB]

Somehow both unsurprising and disappointing.

Good for the police in successfully getting that person back off the ledge. The story of people acting that way could have been much worse had they not succeeded.

[Winsor_Pilates]

Idiots will be idiots
Glad to hear the person didn't jump.

Vancouverites are very impatient, especially on the roads.

[Wormius]

Originally Posted by WhiteTiger

Nah. I remember once after a fatality incident downtown just before Friday rush hour...snarled traffic something fierce while being investigated, and we had people calling 911 screaming about being inconvenienced before their weekend...

Knowing how much people bitch about amber alerts, I’d expect that.