The doorbell testers will be out in full force.
2 0 0
Small explosions? Possibly the small butane lighters that can be locked in the on position while smoking dope. They have been banned in parts of Vancouver and have been the cause of most of the fires in SRO hotels.
11 0 0
The city's lawyers had better have already sent the details of this to the Judge as more evidence that Moccasin Flats continues to endanger human life and must be permanently shut down
14 0 0
Being on camera is a fact of life these days.
Look up(and smile) next time you are in a grocery store, a shopping mall, a gov't office or many other buildings or offices
Withdraw money at an ATM......Say cheese!
Walk or drive down a street and chances are a doorbell or security camera is watching and recording
There are a ton of dash cams around so don't pick your nose behind the wheel
If they help reduce crime they are well worth it
3 2
Chalk up another victory for the homeless horde that inhabit the downtown core.
They loved that location because of its proximity to the soup kitchen, fire pit and all the other free services provided. No gruelling 4 block walk from Moccasin Flats they could roll out of the sleeping bag and be in line for breakfast in a heartbeat
The city knows full well that if it returned to park space bylaw officers will be onsite every morning to get the tents that sprung up overnight taken down for the day.
Sad really as it is one of the few green spaces downtown and another paved parking lot will do little to improve the eyesore that 1st Ave is
Wonder what the plans are for the $1 the city receives?
14 0 0
Fully automatic weapons!
Handguns with ammunition!
Hand grenades!!!!
Why are they not appearing before a judge immediately and put behind bars as the investigation continues?
It is not like they are going to miss work. This IS their work and has been shown time and time again they will be back in business by days end with replacement drugs and weapons brought up from the lower mainland
38 0 0
It is no surprise that both the Knights Inn and the North Star Inn are both being destroyed by tenants faster than repairs can be made.The condition of Moccasin Flats from day one was an indication on what would happen to these fairly old buildings.
Makes one wonder how Chateau Atco is holding up
BC Housing should look at building transitional housing that mirrors the super max prison in Colorado. Concrete walls, small unbreakable windows, stainless steel toilets & sinks
And some of these people wonder why landlords won't rent to them🙄
On a side note how long after the Knights Inn meets the wrecking ball will the Performing Arts Center raise its head once again. To this I say referendum NOT the Alternate Approval Process. The city retires very little debt over the next decade and can ill afford to put another $70 million on the credit card.....plus the inevitable cost over runs
40 2 0
Permanent encampments are no solution for a number of reasons.
-in very short order it becomes the wild west with shooting, stabbing, assaults, arson, etc.
-becomes a hive of criminal activity with drug dealing and a clearing house for stolen merchandise
-a drain on emergency services
Moccasin Flats must be closed and bylaw must nip any other encampments that pop up in the wake the closure off in the bud
It is disingenuous for Huggett, to say the problem is how society treats the poor. There are countless programs to help but some whinge "I don't want to follow the rules" To this group involuntary treatments programs may be the only answer
Lastly as articles have stated recently 70% of camp residents are indigenous and area bands must become more involved and should develop on reserve programs where those in crisis can receive culturally appropriate treatment under the guidance of tribal elders.
Lastly#2 The revolving courthouse door must be nailed shut
73 0 2
So they would rather camp than conform eh?
If they want to rejoin civil society they have to realize that there are minimum basic rules that they must follow. Only then will they be able to find employment, a place to live, eventually a vehicle. Make something of their lives
As it stands it is impossible to help them if they don't want to help themselves. The stories of how they aged out of care only go so far.
Sitting on a stump around a fire in Moccasin Flats or possibly stealing bikes or anything else that is not tied down will not help improve their situation one iota!
The first step would be to get into transitional housing and start taking advantage of the many programs offered. BC Housing will move people from Atco village to more permanent accommodation as it becomes available
Hard to feel sorry for someone who won't lift a finger to improve their lot in life
19 0 0
No listings have been posted by Bobs your uncle
Simply cutting snow clearing to save money is the lazy man's approach. The snow will still be there after the stat but much harder to clear
A better way is eliminate waste in the $10 million budget
Some suggestions:
-during shoulder seasons & stretches with no snow city plow equipment can be seen driving around town with blade high in the air because it hadn't snowed in weeks and every corner already sanded. Each one burning $100 or more of fuel per shift and a couple of hundred in wages wasted
-Work with the union to find other jobs that need doing that equipment operators could complete during slow times. Wages could be removed from snow budget and charged to another department
-stop the idiotic practice of stopping residential clearing & returning all equipment to the CBD because another 23 flakes fell on the downtown core since the last time it was cleaned.
17 0 1