Street People Won't Be Hidden in 2010
Michael Smyth
The Province
Thursday, August 14, 2008
BEIJING -- Drug addicts, the mentally ill and homeless people will not be moved to temporary shelters and away from the eyes of visiting foreign media during the Vancouver Olympics, Premier Gordon Campbell and 2010 boss John Furlong pledged yesterday.
The comments came a day after Campbell was roasted by the Chinese media over how he plans to handle problems in the Downtown Eastside when the Winter Games come to Vancouver 18 months from now.
Campbell and Furlong both shot down suggestions the neighbourhood will be temporarily emptied of street people during the Games. "No, people have neighbourhoods, too," Campbell said. "We will try to make the neighbourhood healthier. It's a very inclusive approach."
Campbell said Canada's poorest postal code will be "significantly improved" by 2010 by expanding government programs to house the homeless, get addicts into treatment and create more services for the mentally ill.
Furlong, CEO of the Vancouver organizing committee, said he has heard rumours that street people would be temporarily moved out of the area for the Games, but also shot the notion down. "Some of this stuff [rumours] has actually inspired us to go back and make sure we do everything we possibly can to include everybody [in the Games]," he said.
Campbell got a rough ride Tuesday from reporters from the state-owned China Daily newspaper, who demanded to know what he would do in the event of Olympic protests.
The premier got some softer treatment yesterday during an appearance on The Today Show on NBC, the American TV network broadcasting the Olympics from Beijing.
Today Show host Matt Lauer asked Campbell if Vancouver is feeling pressure by following the spectacular Beijing Games.
"No, I think we're going to have spectacular mountains, that's for sure," said Campbell, who seemed a little nervous.
Co-host Meredith Vieira asked Campbell to give a "shout out" to Canadian athletes.
"They haven't got any medals, but I can tell you this: Wait for 2010," Campbell said. "We're winning gold medals for Canada in 2010. You're welcome to come and get your silvers, but gold for Canada."
© The Vancouver Province 2008
This just in:
"Street people to be hidden now, so Canada won't have to deal with this in 2010".
Can you find an article that talks about it? Would like to read it for my film project in Vancouver...
ROACH: UNDERGROUND PUNKROCK FILMMAKING
Why don't city planners simply find an empty hotel or two and convert them to low-income residents? When I lived in people's basements and was made to feel like a "moocher" by family and friends who "let" me stay at their places when I didn't have a home ... all I really needed was a room with a little fridge, a microwave, a toaster oven, a bed and a small bathroom. THAT'S a hotel room!
I didn't need a whole apartment! I just needed a place to lock myself and my things up at night. I would have given my whole cheque up for that and done without food. Just a little privacy and a safe place to lay my head. A converted hotel could have a soup kitchen in the restaurant and weekly cleaning services could check the rooms every few days.
A simple plan.