October 23rd, 2003

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Vancouver
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Tent City Update

It’s kind of a whiny day on this site for me.

I sent the following email to the city of Vancouver earlier this week, over their ponderous action on the tent cities cropping up around town:


Dear Mr. Mayor and Council:

My patience for the tent city squatters has run out. The property they are currently living on (and no doubt abusing) is public property. As such, I have as much right as them to use it. Unfortunately, I can’t because you have been shamefully slow in addressing this issue. These people have flouted the city’s authority for too long, and must be dealt with.

I’m not an urban planner or a sociologist, so I don’t have any original solutions to Vancouver’s homeless problem. On the other hand, I trust that your offices are chalk full of people working on these issues. If swift and decisive action isn’t taken to remove these squatters, you can guess who I won’t be voting for in the next municipal election.

Surprisingly, I got the following swift if vague response from Ellen Wordsworth, City Councillor:

City staff is working hard, alongside housing and health care professionals, to find housing and other services for all those at the tent cities. I am hopeful that the matter can be resolved soon.

Comments: 4 Responses so far

artmistic
October 23rd, 2003
11:58 am

Yeah, I can see how this sucks.

In Norway, we have a thing called ‘common right’ (NO: ‘Allemannsretten’), giving anyone the right to thread around -plus camp- anywhere they damn wish. I’m glad on your behalf that you (apparently and ‘ideally’) don’t have to have it like this, given the size of your population contra ours..

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Ryan
October 24th, 2003
9:37 am

Ellen Woodsworth and her COPE commie friends Tim Lewis, Fred Bass, and Ann Robertson will never take action on this issue. They seem to believe that the status quo is the way to go.

Yesterday Vancouver City Council voted on a by-law to ensure that all Vancouverites get to enjoy our public parks, but Councillor Ellen Woodsworth opposed the bylaw even though she hadn’t actually seen it. She stupidly stated, “I actually don’t have a copy of the bylaw, which does concern me.”

The bylaw, in fact, had been available on the City’s website since Wednesday.

A copy of the bylaw (which did in fact pass in a 5-4 vote) is found here: http://www.city.vancouver.bc.ca/ctyclerk/cclerk/20031023/bylaw1.htm

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Nancy
October 24th, 2003
9:52 am

Perhaps they should swoop in like they did at the Home Depot Tent City site in downtown Toronto. It was harsh, but it was swift and decisive, no question.

If they don’t act, it will only grow.

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troll
October 24th, 2003
7:39 pm

their ugliness is really just too much to bear. once they’re forced to redistribute back into the city, it’ll be like they don’t exist at all. sure, one may accost you for a little change between starbucks and your saab, but once they’re returned back to the alienating streets, they’ll have little hope to overcome their mental illness and addiction, and that’s the real danger.

yeah, us north americans should just get it over with and turn all the communist homeless into food.

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