Community update

Dear Friend, 

We hear the same thing all the time: "Why is the City doing this to us?"

So let's set the record straight, because this is one of the most misunderstood parts of the whole fight: the drug consumption site at 900 Helmcken is not a City of Vancouver decision. It's a provincial one, made by the Province and Vancouver Coastal Health. The lease, the location, the timing, all of it came from them, not City Hall.

In fact, the City has been on our side. Mayor Sim and city councillors, including Councillor Peter Meiszner, have publicly opposed the site and called for the community to be properly consulted. 

And this week, that divide got even clearer.

The B.C. government just announced 132 new involuntary care beds, the treatment and recovery spaces people in crisis actually need. Where are they going? Surrey and Prince George. How many are coming to Vancouver, the acknowledged epicentre of this crisis in the entire country? Zero. Zilch. Nada.

Mayor Sim put it bluntly: "When it comes to locating drug consumption services, Premier Eby and the Province push to place them in Vancouver. When it comes to providing treatment, recovery, and involuntary care for those suffering from the most severe mental illness and addiction in Vancouver, Premier Eby and the Province do nothing."

They'll put a drug consumption site in the middle of our neighbourhood, but when it comes to real treatment and recovery, we're passed over entirely.

That's why it matters to know exactly where to aim. It isn't City Hall we need to pressure, it's the Province. Premier Eby. Minister Osborne. They're making these decisions, and they're the ones who can change course.

So if you've been directing your frustration at the wrong address, now's the time to redirect it. Write to the Premier and the Minister of Health, we've made it easy with a ready-to-use letter template you can personalize in minutes. 

Send a letter: https://www.inplainsightbc.com/take-action 

And make sure your voice is heard at the Residents Forum:

• When: Wednesday, September 16th — doors at 5:00pm, program at 6:00pm
• Where: Sheraton Wall Centre, Pavilion Ballroom (1000 Burrard Street)
• RSVP: https://crystal351639.typeform.com/to/IPWZS4wx

More soon, 

Neighbours of 900 Helmcken

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