Shelter approved downtown!

[southy]

So council has approved a winter shelter for downtown. https://www.castanet.net/news/Penticton ... cil#313949

After reading this story one has to wonder if the three vocal ones Johnny, Katie and Judy are simply playing politics and giving us great optics at the expensive of Tony Laing. Whether I agree or disagree with the approval of the emergency shelter I think the way Mayor Vas basically verbally attacked Tony Laing was totally uncalled for, especially when Mayor Vas had and has businesses that can bring out the worst in the human population as well. Uncalled for - my opinion. And by the way ... when is this Mayor and Council going to bring forward solutions to some of these problems?? Politics - its all it is.

[Anonymous123]

Liquor store, soup kitchen just up the road, downtown location? Looks to me like City of Penticton staff have started the first steps to creating Penticton’s very own skid row.

[XT225]

So council has approved a winter shelter for downtown. https://www.castanet.net/news/Penticton ... cil#313949

After reading this story one has to wonder if the three vocal ones Johnny, Katie and Judy are simply playing politics and giving us great optics at the expensive of Tony Laing. Whether I agree or disagree with the approval of the emergency shelter I think the way Mayor Vas basically verbally attacked Tony Laing was totally uncalled for, especially when Mayor Vas had and has businesses that can bring out the worst in the human population as well. Uncalled for - my opinion. And by the way ... when is this Mayor and Council going to bring forward solutions to some of these problems?? Politics - its all it is.

I wouldn't be very happy if I lived nearby (ie: Cherry Park Retirement home). Little has been said about what will be allowed in the shelter. Is it going to be a wet facility? (hopefully not). My thoughts are that no drugs or alcohol should be allowed on site, period and a curfew of a reasonable hour (ie: 11pm perhaps). That way, we can be assured that anyone staying there will not be part of the prolific night crawlers (thieves) lurking all over town in the wee hours, stealing from us to pay for their drug habits.

[Jimbop]

It's not skid row. It's skid bike lane

[Miss Maggie]

I think the mayor was out of line with his attack on Tony Laing. The PDSCL isn’t taking guardianship of the people needing to use a shelter, they’d just be providing overnight shelter during cold weather. Its temporary shelter.

I’m curious - what has mayor and council done to mitigate the homeless situation (and the fallout of increased drugs, crime) lately? Did any of them meet with Premier Horgan when he was in Penticton recently to put HIS feet to the fire on this issue?

[southy]

I think the mayor was out of line with his attack on Tony Laing. The PDSCL isn’t taking guardianship of the people needing to use a shelter, they’d just be providing overnight shelter during cold weather. Its temporary shelter.

I’m curious - what has mayor and council done to mitigate the homeless situation (and the fallout of increased drugs, crime) lately? Did any of them meet with Premier Horgan when he was in Penticton recently to put HIS feet to the fire on this issue?

This mayor and council are to damn busy pushing the bike lanes through. It was just a matter of time before our elected officials started to show their true colours. I said it when we had our previous mayor and council .. I’ll say it again ..there is major dysfunction within the walls of city hall. All we as tax payers have to do is find the elephant and give him or her the boot. Wait asked ... elephants run in herds could take abit of time to get rid of them all.

[pentona]

I think the mayor was out of line with his attack on Tony Laing. The PDSCL isn’t taking guardianship of the people needing to use a shelter, they’d just be providing overnight shelter during cold weather. Its temporary shelter.

I’m curious - what has mayor and council done to mitigate the homeless situation (and the fallout of increased drugs, crime) lately? Did any of them meet with Premier Horgan when he was in Penticton recently to put HIS feet to the fire on this issue?

I read in the paper today that this shelter WILL be allowing drugs in. Nice, eh? What a great incentive it could have been to get OFF this *bleep* by offering free room over Winter as long as you do not expect to do drugs in the facility. These folks are just keeping the homeless drug habits going by allowing this. So maddening.

[Miss Maggie]

I think the mayor was out of line with his attack on Tony Laing. The PDSCL isn’t taking guardianship of the people needing to use a shelter, they’d just be providing overnight shelter during cold weather. Its temporary shelter.

I’m curious - what has mayor and council done to mitigate the homeless situation (and the fallout of increased drugs, crime) lately? Did any of them meet with Premier Horgan when he was in Penticton recently to put HIS feet to the fire on this issue?

I read in the paper today that this shelter WILL be allowing drugs in. Nice, eh? What a great incentive it could have been to get OFF this *bleep* by offering free room over Winter as long as you do not expect to do drugs in the facility. These folks are just keeping the homeless drug habits going by allowing this. So maddening.

I don’t disagree with you on that part.

IMO mayor and council should have addressed that with this discussion.

[W105]

check out the video I posted in Social Concerns...it's called Our City Our Choice...it's a video on how the people of Maple Ridge are fighting back against these shelters and low barrier/ wet facilities..it's definitely an eye opener !! ( it is an hr long but worth the watch)

[0gopogo]

I watched it.....quite moving. But what is the answer???? :135:

[theseeker]

Yea, I watched it as well... And I have to also agree, what do we do here in Penticton? Open for suggestions.

[twobits]

I think the mayor was out of line with his attack on Tony Laing. The PDSCL isn’t taking guardianship of the people needing to use a shelter, they’d just be providing overnight shelter during cold weather. Its temporary shelter.

I’m curious - what has mayor and council done to mitigate the homeless situation (and the fallout of increased drugs, crime) lately? Did any of them meet with Premier Horgan when he was in Penticton recently to put HIS feet to the fire on this issue?

Please tell me when homelessness became a civic responsibility? Civic jurisdictions cannot run a deficit budget by Statute Law. This area is clearly a Prov and Fed jurisdiction. You are correct that Horgan should have had his feet held to the fire but he didn't did he?.
This problem of homelessness has only exponentially grown under the current Federal Libs and BC NDP's recent mandates. And now the BC NDP have garnered another mandate despite all of it.
My end conclusion is that it is beyond stupid to blame local elected civil servants for any homeless person issue when they have virtually zero stroke or funding to devote to homelessness beyond local zoning issues. And when local zoning issues conflict with what is proposed by SJW's, City Council only has a mandate to represent the local residents that are impacted by these proposed shelters.........not SJW's false narrative that Local City Councillors have significant input into fixing homelessness cuz they don't.

[southy]

I believe the city has a role in advocating with senior levels of government to help find a solution to this ever increasing problem. It's not going to go away on it's on. Instead of many of us complaining on Castanet we should be sending letters and emails to our newly RE-elected Premier and his staff. And while we are at it ... letters to Trudeau and company would be good too.

[seewood]

Please tell me when homelessness became a civic responsibility?

You have a point. Good point actually.

I believe the city has a role in advocating with senior levels of government to help find a solution to this ever increasing problem. It's not going to go away on it's on.

I'm in the camp where the city or local jurisdiction provide the property, and infrastructure ( water, gas, electricity) and the provincial government build and run the establishment. If Federal funds are available, great. The province acts as landlord, not contracted out to private. If residents are incapable of functioning in one of these properties, perhaps then they get moved to one with more over sight.
Somewhere, the challenged lot that do not or refuse to try and be a part of a socially acceptable society just may have to be institutionalized again.
If my taxes go up a bit, likely won't be as much as the deductible from some crack head stealing my bike or the damage done breaking into my car.

[Queen K]

Are free hot showers in a souped up RV type vehicle just enabling the homeless to just say "no" to real shelters? And why isn't there a bathroom attached to this thing?

https://www.castanet.net/edition/news-s ... htm#318316

Sure this is in Victoria, but isn't it just a test vehicle for what may come in the entire Province? Just another way to encourage refusal accept a room or shelter?