Does anyone have experience living in Vernon? Does it have as many issues as Kelowna?
Vernon is like Kelowna on crack.... Literally.
Seriously though, it has a relatively high crime rate, both violent and property wise. A lot of teenagers and young adults, with nothing better to do, getting into trouble. A "scraping" culture. Also a bit of a hub for drug trafficking.
I would say Vernon, Kelowna, and Penticton all have similar issues. Probably the worst three places for that in the Okanagan.
Lots of beauty and nature around too though. Definitely still a small town vibe compared to Kelowna.
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Does anyone have experience living in Vernon? Does it have as many issues as Kelowna?
My sister and family have been in Vernon for 6 years now.
I visit frequently and also know Vernon pretty well from having lived in Kamloops for the past 20+ years.
Vernon is a little rough around the edges, and I'm sure there are some issues around homelessness and addictions (prevalent in all cities right now), but overall its a pretty great place.
In the 6 years my sister has been there they have experienced zero property crime or any issues at all. Their daughter walks through the neighborhood freely alone. Kids play in the streets. Outdoor activity options are as good as anywhere. Beaches galore. Good ski hill, mountain biking, fishing, hunting, etc. Clean air, clean water.
One downside is you end up going to Kelowna a lot if you want to go to Costco or MEC or something like that as Vernon is small.
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Does anyone have experience living in Vernon? Does it have as many issues as Kelowna?
I grew up there. It's gotten worse over the years. Wonderful place but I'd never move back as there are no jobs but I've seen quite a few people I graduated with slowly moving back now that they are starting to have families which is interesting
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I grew up there. It's gotten worse over the years. Wonderful place but I'd never move back as there are no jobs but I've seen quite a few people I graduated with slowly moving back now that they are starting to have families which is interesting
You essentially just nailed the issue.
The reason these places are 'getting rougher' is largely because as the costs of everything rise one of the first spending items curtailed are leisure activities.
Places like the interior which depend heavily on those leisure activities tend to be hardest hit, and then people get desperate.
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Yes. These come out every now and then in BC. The fact that these need to go out, when the authorities are not dumb and do realize that some (maybe most) of these guys love the fame they get for "making the list" is a good indication of how dangerous it really is to be next to these guys at a table at a Starbucks.
The reason these places are 'getting rougher' is largely because as the costs of everything rise one of the first spending items curtailed are leisure activities.
Places like the interior which depend heavily on those leisure activities tend to be hardest hit, and then people get desperate.
It's also a playground for the young and rich, which usually attracts illicit drugs, which attracts organized crime as well as transients, which in turn increases crime in general.
The Okanagan has always been like that, but in recent years as the LML has become over saturated which made the Okanagan the next place to go.
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Based on the few time I have been they Vernon, the traffic thru there in the summertime would make you want wish for a root canal. Especially in the later afternoon.
I have always thought the okannagn region as a place that attracted a lot of runaways of convenience due to it warm weather making it easy to be outside for most of the summer and then teenagers attract other teenagers…..going for ice cream in downtown Kelowna at that one shop at one time was a nice evening activity. Lately it seems the area is infested by street urchins
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When I first heard about the incident being on Granville street, I figured it was a fight breaking out at a club or something. Had no idea it was at one of the SROs. Things have progressively been getting worse in Vancouver for a while.
I don’t see how you get out of this type of situation without a job and income as well as a good hand up to begin with. If you’re living in a tent I’m thinking you’re most likely hanging around your stuff all day.
Helping some get back to where they came from and where it’s cheaper could be an option. It’s a tough situation. Even if you’re able to find housing, at some point they’re going to have to carry on by themselves.
I think it needs to start with finding them their own space to live that's private and not shared. Obviously, need to also get them treatment for their addictions and help with any mental health issues. You can't expect them to be able to pick themselves up by their bootstraps after so many years living that lifestyle and on the streets and potentially addicted to drugs.
A slow process that hopefully gets them motivated to live a different life worth living again.
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