I’ve lived in "the hood "and above it for 24 years and in that time nothing has really changed here other than a heavier police presence. If you drive along 20th Avenue from the auto dealerships to Queensway during any hour of the day or night, you are guaranteed to see the homeless, the street walkers, the drug dealers and everything in between lurking somewhere sometimes with one or two people but more often than not groups as large as 20 or so congregating somewhere.
It’s a daily occurrence to see several people strung out on their drug of choice and there is open drug use going on. I’ve lost count the amount of ODs I’ve seen and the resultant deaths from it, even going to the bathroom in someone’s yard or business. I have been told to call the police many times but they can only do so much. The city ignores the issue completely and if you ask the mayor or most of city council, they give empty promises or pretend not to hear what you ask. This has been the way ever since the Colin Kinsley days and every subsequent mayor and council since then.
It’s gotten to the point those of us that live in the area rarely call police, we expect no help from the city and if one of the street walkers or homeless dies we view it as one less problem in the neighbourhood. It may be callous but it’s reality for us that live within the area.
Not everybody has given up hope or has stopped caring but they are far and few between. For us it is part of our life and daily routine and an open secret nobody in the city wants to talk about and is rarely reported on by news media and even then it’s often put in a positive spin.
Anybody who doesn’t live in the area always have suggestions but because it doesn’t affect them they say their piece and then are happy to go on their way. For the rest of us we get to live it and deal with it daily.
Dean Soiland
Prince George
