Showing posts with label Abbotsford. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Abbotsford. Show all posts
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Needle exchange kit from 2008. Tourniquet, cotton balls, cooker, condom, sterile water, alcohol swabs, needles of different gauges. Tom Huffman.[/caption]
For eight years the City of Abbotsford has dug in its heels and drawn the line against harm reduction services being offered within its city limits -- services such as needle exchange programs, medical marijuana dispensaries, or safe injection sites such as Vancouver's very successful, life-saving, Insite program.
The city appears to have changed its mind. According to a news release by the Pivot Legal Society, last night Abbotsford City Council, following a public hearing, voted to remove the eight-year-old references to "harm reduction" in their zoning bylaw; references specifically included back in 2005 to prohibit harm-reduction services in any zone of the City of Abbotsford.
According to the by-law, harm reduction use included:
Removing this language from the zoning by-law now opens the way for lifesaving harm reduction services to be legally offered within the city, such as the needle exchange program which the Fraser Health Authority has previously proposed for Abbotsford in its Harm Reduction Service Plan of 2012.
That harm reduction plan, which was pointedly predicated on the elimination of the by-law restrictions proposed a fixed-site and mobile needle exchange system -- Harm Reduction Supplies Distribution Program (HRDSP) -- including outreach services, designed in consultation with area stakeholders including drug users themselves.
Needle exchange kit from 2008. Tourniquet, cotton balls, cooker, condom, sterile water, alcohol swabs, needles of different gauges. Tom Huffman.[/caption]For eight years the City of Abbotsford has dug in its heels and drawn the line against harm reduction services being offered within its city limits -- services such as needle exchange programs, medical marijuana dispensaries, or safe injection sites such as Vancouver's very successful, life-saving, Insite program.
The city appears to have changed its mind. According to a news release by the Pivot Legal Society, last night Abbotsford City Council, following a public hearing, voted to remove the eight-year-old references to "harm reduction" in their zoning bylaw; references specifically included back in 2005 to prohibit harm-reduction services in any zone of the City of Abbotsford.
According to the by-law, harm reduction use included:
- the growing, production, manufacture, sale, distribution and trade of drugs listed in Schedule 1 of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, including cannabis marijuana, or any by-product of cannabis marijuana, or any substance held out to be cannabis marijuana;
- Methadone treatment clinics and dispensing facilities, except where administered by a Provincially registered pharmacist;
- Needle exchanges, mobile dispensing vans, safe injection sites, and any other similar uses.
Removing this language from the zoning by-law now opens the way for lifesaving harm reduction services to be legally offered within the city, such as the needle exchange program which the Fraser Health Authority has previously proposed for Abbotsford in its Harm Reduction Service Plan of 2012.
That harm reduction plan, which was pointedly predicated on the elimination of the by-law restrictions proposed a fixed-site and mobile needle exchange system -- Harm Reduction Supplies Distribution Program (HRDSP) -- including outreach services, designed in consultation with area stakeholders including drug users themselves.
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A living homeless Nativity display. Unfortunately the Chihuahua ran away.[/caption]
Last night it was a bit colder for homeless people in Vancouver than in Abbotsford, but I'm only referring to the temperature -- Abbotsford is being plenty cold to it's homeless people -- and at Christmas time to boot. For shame!
Tomorrow morning a B.C. Supreme Court judge is expected to rule whether to grant an injunction ordering a group of 20-or-so homeless people to clear out of Jubilee Park and an adjacent parking lot in downtown Abbotsford.
The City argued in a New Westminster court on Tuesday for a sweeping injunction not only to clear out the camp but also to keep homeless people out of parks and other city-owned spaces across Abbotsford.
The "Shitty City in the Country" is trying to solve its homeless problem by forcing all its estimated 117 street people to simply leave town.
A living homeless Nativity display. Unfortunately the Chihuahua ran away.[/caption]Last night it was a bit colder for homeless people in Vancouver than in Abbotsford, but I'm only referring to the temperature -- Abbotsford is being plenty cold to it's homeless people -- and at Christmas time to boot. For shame!
Tomorrow morning a B.C. Supreme Court judge is expected to rule whether to grant an injunction ordering a group of 20-or-so homeless people to clear out of Jubilee Park and an adjacent parking lot in downtown Abbotsford.
The City argued in a New Westminster court on Tuesday for a sweeping injunction not only to clear out the camp but also to keep homeless people out of parks and other city-owned spaces across Abbotsford.
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To recap: Yesterday in Abbotsford, homeless campers in Jubilee Park -- under threat of an eviction order -- moved their camp to a nearby parking lot with the assistance of businesses and groups from the local community.
The group of 10 to 20 homeless people hardly had time to settle in behind the eight-foot wind barrier walls which had been built for them before the City of Abbotsford was on their doorstep with a new eviction order telling the campers to get themselves and their belongings out of both Jubilee Park and the parking lot by 6 p.m. or the city would take "whatever steps" it deemed "appropriate to remove the structure and belongings."
Wow! Whatever steps? Two weeks ago when the homeless group defied an earlier eviction order, Abbotsford's Mayor Bruce Banman was quoted taking pains to step lightly:
Two weeks later it's no more mister nice guy -- off with the kid gloves.
Fortunately the homeless group's legal counsel, The Pivot Legal Society, stepped in. According to this item in The Vancouver Sun Pivot lawyer DJ Larkin was granted an emergency stay Thursday afternoon, blocking the eviction order ahead of the 6 p.m.deadline.
And today, the City of Abbotsford is reportedly heading to court today to call for homeless protesters to vacate the parking lot on McCallum Road Wednesday. Pivot will likely be there representing the Jubilee homeless group.
Pivot was already planning to be in B.C. Supreme Court on Monday when Abbotsford's original injunction against the camp is again before a judge.
Perhaps when the Jubilee homeless are next casting about for a new camp site they should consider just setting up their tents and stuff in a court room.
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This seems strangely appropriate.[/caption]
The group of 10 to 20 homeless people hardly had time to settle in behind the eight-foot wind barrier walls which had been built for them before the City of Abbotsford was on their doorstep with a new eviction order telling the campers to get themselves and their belongings out of both Jubilee Park and the parking lot by 6 p.m. or the city would take "whatever steps" it deemed "appropriate to remove the structure and belongings."
Wow! Whatever steps? Two weeks ago when the homeless group defied an earlier eviction order, Abbotsford's Mayor Bruce Banman was quoted taking pains to step lightly:
“You will not see the city coming in like storm troopers, throwing tents around and bodily removing people. If they do not move of their own accord we will go to the courts.”
Two weeks later it's no more mister nice guy -- off with the kid gloves.
Pivot stays Abbotsford's heavy hand
Fortunately the homeless group's legal counsel, The Pivot Legal Society, stepped in. According to this item in The Vancouver Sun Pivot lawyer DJ Larkin was granted an emergency stay Thursday afternoon, blocking the eviction order ahead of the 6 p.m.deadline.
And today, the City of Abbotsford is reportedly heading to court today to call for homeless protesters to vacate the parking lot on McCallum Road Wednesday. Pivot will likely be there representing the Jubilee homeless group.
Pivot was already planning to be in B.C. Supreme Court on Monday when Abbotsford's original injunction against the camp is again before a judge.
Perhaps when the Jubilee homeless are next casting about for a new camp site they should consider just setting up their tents and stuff in a court room.
[caption id="attachment_8502" align="alignnone" width="497"]
This seems strangely appropriate.[/caption]
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A Google Map showing the Jubilee Park exodus to an adjacent parking lot.[/caption]
A group of homeless people who have been camping in Abbotsford's Jubilee Park -- some for 50 days -- have picked up and moved -- again. This time to an adjacent parking lot. And by the time you read this they may have been moved again -- forcibly by the City of Abbotsford.
Thursday morning, by 10:30 a.m. an early news report described how dozens of homeless people were dismantling their tent city in Jubilee Park and moving it piece-by-piece to a parking lot across the street on private property, where a huge eight-foot wooden wall was erected to screen the new camp from the elements.
The plywood wall designed to act as a windbreak for the new camp is made in triangular, free-standing, sections which reportedly surrounds the camp on all four sides. There are gaps between the sections to act as doorways which can be covered with tarps. A local company donated their expertise and labour to build the wall, which was entirely made using donated materials.
A Google Map showing the Jubilee Park exodus to an adjacent parking lot.[/caption]A group of homeless people who have been camping in Abbotsford's Jubilee Park -- some for 50 days -- have picked up and moved -- again. This time to an adjacent parking lot. And by the time you read this they may have been moved again -- forcibly by the City of Abbotsford.
Thursday morning, by 10:30 a.m. an early news report described how dozens of homeless people were dismantling their tent city in Jubilee Park and moving it piece-by-piece to a parking lot across the street on private property, where a huge eight-foot wooden wall was erected to screen the new camp from the elements.
The plywood wall designed to act as a windbreak for the new camp is made in triangular, free-standing, sections which reportedly surrounds the camp on all four sides. There are gaps between the sections to act as doorways which can be covered with tarps. A local company donated their expertise and labour to build the wall, which was entirely made using donated materials.
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Abbotsford religiously moving their homeless people from one camp site to another.[/caption]
What is it about Abbotsford and homeless people? They just go together, like... fish and chips, Tex and Mex, Israelis and Palestinians. Ohh my! scratch that! Where did that come from? Maybe it's my knee-jerk reaction to the so-called "Dignity Camp" for Abbotsford homeless, which a well-known Christian minister has been working hard to set up.
Abbotsford religiously moving their homeless people from one camp site to another.[/caption]What is it about Abbotsford and homeless people? They just go together, like... fish and chips, Tex and Mex, Israelis and Palestinians. Ohh my! scratch that! Where did that come from? Maybe it's my knee-jerk reaction to the so-called "Dignity Camp" for Abbotsford homeless, which a well-known Christian minister has been working hard to set up.
The Abbotsford duo behind a proposed rolling shelter for the homeless -- a wooden box, apparently on dolly truck wheels -- showed off a prototype of their creation yesterday.
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Gruban, left, and Pastor Draper pose beside a mobile homeless shelter Tuesday in Abbotsford.Click the image to go to the Province newspaper's item -- Photo: Ric Ernst.[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_6515" align="alignnone" width="497"]
Gruban, left, and Pastor Draper pose beside a mobile homeless shelter Tuesday in Abbotsford.Click the image to go to the Province newspaper's item -- Photo: Ric Ernst.[/caption]
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