This post is dedicated to the Reverend Al Tysick and others likes him for their tireless work in what must at times seem like a futile fight.
A National Disgrace
Living in Montreal for the summer it only made sense to make the trek to our country's capital. While there, I felt crushed by an overwhelming sadness and helplessness in what I saw. It's an image that continues to haunt me and one I cannot let go. I found myself appalled by the number of people living on the streets in the shadow of Parliament Hill. It was troubling to see so many people had fallen through the cracks while living on the very sidewalks surrounding the place where laws and programs are drafted to help the citizens of Canada. Something is not working. That we are losing the war against drugs was all too painfully clear. Just what are our politicians doing? It seems impossible that they can not be moved to action by the tragedy unfolding around them.
Why are things so slow to change for the better in terms of caring for the marginalized members of society? I am well aware of the endless hours and long-term commitment that has been shown by many individuals and non-profit organizations but they cannot do it on their own. A large scale initiative needs to occur in order to make real gains. This requires intervention and funding from all levels of government; municipal, provincial and federal.
My own city of Victoria is wrestling with this very issue and our solution is to finance yet another commission on homelessness. They have even set up a fancy new website! I'm sure the man I saw sleeping in the doorway this morning along Fort Street would be very impressed. Of course this commission came about because, horrors of horrors, the National Post dared to write a piece about drug addiction and homelessness in Victoria. Well, we simply cannot have outsiders thinking we're anything but a quaint, peaceful English inspired village. We're a tourist town after all. And so the first order of action has been to try and clear the tourist area of "those people" completely ignoring the underlying causes of homelessness or any long term viable solution. After all that would require time, effort and money and our mayor's hands are tied. I know this to be true because he has told us so, repeatedly.
I leave you with the story of J as I have seen it unfold. J is low-average and has some mental health issues. He used to live in a group home where they made sure he was taking his medication, and where he was able to live in a warm, safe environment surrounded by friends. He used to have a full time job at the university where you could see him doing all sorts of odd jobs in gardening and general maintenance. He loved to talk about music. He loved all things music and volunteered at any and all of the musical events around town.
In 2002 the provincial government made wide sweeping reforms to the welfare system and as a result his group home was closed down. The government was ever so proud of announcing how much money they had saved the taxpayers of British Columbia. J could be the poster boy for the short sightedness of the government's decisions. Suddenly he was left to fend for himself. He is not capable. He now lives alone although lately it seems he is living on and off the street. Statistically, he is what is known as unstably housed. He lost his job at UVic and clearly he is off his medication. The worst of it is I now see people make a wide berth around him. They are scared of him. What is going to happen to him? I'm sorry, but someone will have to explain just what it is we saved because I don't see it. All I see is a young man that once had a life of joy, and was a contributing member to our society has been allowed to tumble through the safety net into an existence of isolation and loneliness.
All levels of government need to know that this is a crisis situation that they can no longer hide from. They must be forced into action. Real action with real solutions. We do not need anymore analysis or studies. Trying to put the blame on previous governments is not going to make the issue go away and it does not make present governments less culpable in our present state of inaction. The time for action is now.
7 comments:
All levels of government seem to have their priorites wrong when it comes to ensuring that all of this country's citizens have a safe and stable place to live. Around here it falls to charitable organizations to house the increasing number of homeless, to continuously have food bank drive to feed people who are working and yet cannot afford rent + food. The government has taken a real hands off attitude. Something is going to blow.
It's the same here and the charitable organizations are stretched to the max. When I was looking for our latest study that has just started I found that far too many cities in Canada are doing just that, conducting a study. I think politicians are hoping we will be fooled into thinking they are doing something constructive.
tc...what an important post and very well written.
You've touched on something SO important...although Vancouver is in desperate need of some swift action, even outlying communities (like Richmond) are now finding more and more people out on the streets. It's pretty widespread and touches us all.
Which is why the Olympics irks me so....they can readily throw money into elaborate venues and transportation systems but the people living under bridges will just be "shoo'd" away.
It's so depressing and the mentally ill are often the ones who do fall through the cracks. In the long run, it saves money to have people off the streets and contributing members to society but the Government just doesn't get it. Or they don't care, which is what I suspect.
Deb, the Olympics! Oh man what a kettle of fish that is turning out to be. Almost weekly we are hearing of yet another apartment building or hotel of low rents kicking everyone out to make way for high-cost condominiums. Where do they think these people are going to go?
Woopsie, that was me (sorry).
I'm quite sure most go to the streets, where I have visions of the city coming along with street cleaners and sweeping them all up. Don't want visitors seeing how we abandon some people now do we?
Out of sight, out of mind.
I love the Olympics, I just think it's ridiculous that they go to such lengths to build things to accomodate them. It would be a wise decision to keep the games based in one city and reuse the facilities there. I mean, what the heck will we ever use the oval for afterward?...there's not a great demand for "speed skating" here in Richmond that I know of. And we already have more than enough skating/hockey rinks. I wish they'd transform it into a (much needed) hospital...now THAT I'd buy into.
To revamp a city so much that you hardly recognize it, primarily for the sake of the games, really bothers me.
I'm all for fixing things up, but we're talking about transforming a quaint little island community ("by nature" - the signs promote Richmond as such) into a big city. And it's all to accomodate a couple of weeks worth of visitors. People see $$ at the prospect of renting out space for premium prices and they're jamming in condos like crazy.
Bah, humbug.
Deb, I'm with you. I was one of the staunchest supporters of bringing the Olympics to BC but I do not like how some of the less fortunate have been swept aside to make way for like you say two weeks of being on the world stage.
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