This is the view from underneath the walkways in Maritime Heritage Park.
This summer I was walking through the park above this very spot. I heard voices coming from underneath. Scared the hell out of me. It's not very often that you hear voices directly underneath your feet ya know.
So people were living down there. I'm gonna guess thats not ideal.
The thing is the park has been pretty clear lately. The city has been trying to make the park "a bit safer" for a long time. I don't think a tiny disc golf course was the answer. Having a humane place to sleep has proven to be a much more reasonable solution for the homeless and the community. There is chance to do so much more as well.
Camp 210 has been providing much more than just a place to camp and protest. It's a place for warm drinks and food to nourish reasonably. A place considerably safer for campers and honestly safer for our community thanks to donated ppe and reasonable distance between tents. More importantly it's an opportunity to interact with volunteers that campers can trust in a society that hasn't shown much trust or compassion. It's a place to do that without unnecessary barriers or prayer.
Now sure there are people that drink, do drugs, have been convicted blah blah blah. You know what who cares. When you think no one has your back why would you work "within society's rule". The city had a good chance to reach out and build trust throughout this process. A chance to be bold and wear their progressive badges that they told us they deserve last election cycle. And a chance to actually change some lives.
There has been talk of "crime" in the area but really its just more visible crime. All of the violent crime that has happened is negligible compared to the crime that happens when camps are spread out. A lot of that crime is unreported as well. There is a sense of community that won't allow it. Unfortunately our larger community will allow it as long as it's unseen and unheard.
There is plenty of opportunity to supply housing without barriers. We just need to hold our elected officials accountable.
Screw you I like this soapbox.
