Dear Editor:
Walking four blocks up Burrard Street in Vancouver, just after 1:30 p.m. on a cold, damp December day, from Georgia Street to St. Paul’s Hospital, I saw at least three bundles of raggedy sleeping bags or blankets with a lump of what I assume was miserable, invisible humanity inside.
There were two more desolate-looking beggars sitting on the wet sidewalk. Two hours later, walking back on the other side of the street, I saw another bundle of sleeping humanity in a doorway and two others downtrodden. Does no one care?
A walk on Burrard, Hornby and Howe streets is nothing compared to a walk along Hastings Street where there are hundreds of distressed and disheveled souls wandering around, sitting on the sidewalks, bargaining, arguing, staring into space, perhaps wondering where they will sleep that night.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Trudeau promises $2.65 billion to developing countries to help them to combat climate change and to aid so-called “climate refugees” which are, by definition, “people displaced across borders as a result of climate change.” What an irony.
Our homeless people, in every city and remote community across Canada, need accommodation and mental and physical care, every bit as much as the folks in those developing countries – possibly more so, in view of our harsher climate. Cold weather kills. This kind of money spent in
Canada would boost our economy and alleviate this shameful blight on our society. Unfortunately, an announcement of additional funding for our own homeless does not offer the same photo-op as a multi-billion-dollar announcement of funding for climate refugees at a major international conference.
We can be quite certain that a large proportion of the money promised by Trudeau to solve a potential climate-change problem in other countries will end up in the hands of undeserving people high up in the chain of command in these countries.
Mr. Trudeau, with your two taxpayer-funded nannies, come to our Downtown Eastside and see a world remote from the fancy restaurants, resorts, expensive wines and luxury cars; think again about your preening gesture. Charity begins at home. Come here and wave your magic wand.
Colin MacCallum
West Vancouver
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