Canada's poorest neighbourhood

[the beat]

...some people say it's North America's poorest neighbourhood, but I can't help but think a city like Detroit would house that title.

I am speaking, of course, of Vancouver's Dowtown Eastside. The original "skid road/row", the heroin capital of the continent.

Placed smack dab in the middle of two major tourist attractions, Gastown and Chinatown, the area around Hastings and Main is one of, if not the, most depraved urban areas in all of North America. It is said that somewhere around 50% of residents have HIV/AIDS, the highest rate in the western world, and when walking down the street, it is not uncommon to find yourself walking on sidewalks of used saringes, dried blood, unconscious junkies, garbage, etc. People shoot up and cook up crack openly on the streets or in back alleys.

Tourists are advised to completely avoid this area when walking from Gastown to Chinatown, or elsewhere in the vicinity.

What's interesting about it all, is that some of the nicest and richest neighbourhoods in the country are within walking distance of the DTES. It's like two different worlds living side by side; a complete contrast. Heaven and hell sitting right next to eachother in the same city.


http://media.nowpublic.net/images//8f/4/8f494e78ad92b9c122ad3bfb1b03f215.jpg

http://www.wendellphillips.com/images/vancouver/drugs.jpg

http://www.scaredstraighttour.com/IMAGES/ONTOUR/Alley-Injection.jpg

http://cache.daylife.com/imageserve/0a0Q0up3dHgXJ/610x.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/40/87185247_8d608c6c4f.jpg?v=0


By contrast, just blocks away in Yaletown:

http://images.world66.com/ya/le/to/yaletown_galleryfull



So come check out Van City's #1 tourist attraction... guaranteed to make your life seem a lot fucking better!! :D

[RebelForce]

maybe they shouldn't do so much fucking herion

[the beat]

Yeah.. about them..

http://drugtourismvictoria.com


Pacific Northwest is hard. fucking. core.... :D

[Resign the King]

I walked through hastings a couple of times just to see it. Felt like I should've been wearing a helmet and a flak jacket with press written on it. Sketchy place.

[the beat]

I walked through hastings a couple of times just to see it. Felt like I should've been wearing a helmet and a flak jacket with press written on it. Sketchy place.

Yea, it's a shady spot to say the least.

But, as you've done, it's worth it to stroll down there and get a glimpse of it firsthand. They're just people, after all. I hate how 'civlized folks' just pretend like it's not there. Fucking pathetic if you ask me.


edit: I didn't mean to put a smilie on this post. I'm not really sad. :)

[Euda]

http://www.canadawildproductions.com/fix/

Dean Wilson used to be an IBM salesman. Now he is possibly the most outspoken drug addict in Canada. As president of the Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users (VANDU) he is a loud and articulate advocate for street addicts from Vancouver's Downtown Eastside, one of Canada’s poorest neighbourhoods, and the site of the highest HIV rate in North America.

Ann Livingston is the charismatic organizer of VANDU. She is a non-user, driven by an impatient spirituality and she is as confrontational as hell. Together, Ann and Dean lead an unpredictable crew of street addicts in their fight to open North America's first safe injection site for drug users. Safe injection sites, where users can inject drugs without the danger of overdose or infection, are seen by supporters as the first step in bringing addicts into treatment programs. In 27 cities around the world, safe injection sites have been proven to save lives.

Dean loves Ann. But he also is captured by the drugs he uses.

Dean Wilson has found a curious ally in Philip Owen, the conservative Mayor of Vancouver who has alarmed members of his own party by championing a daring new drug philosophy called Harm Reduction. The Mayor's plan for dealing with drug and addiction breaks away from the American-style War on Drugs by seriously considering safe injection sites and heroin maintenance programs for long term addicts. Philip Owen is a mayor struggling to transform his city from being North America's most notorious drug port into possibly becoming the first city on the continent to realistically face drug addiction.

The Mayor is staking his political career on Harm Reduction. Dean Wilson and Ann Livingston say the drug users are staking their lives on it.

But not everyone agrees with the Mayor or the users. Key members of the Mayor's own political party, together with an alliance of business and local residents, say they will do everything they can to stop safe injection sites and the Mayor’s plan. They say their neighbourhoods, their children and their livelihoods are at risk. They are taking to the streets. So are the drug users.

Vancouver Police Sargeant Doug Lang is the cop caught in the middle. He is in charge of the corner of Main and Hastings, the heart of North America's largest open drug scene. He wakes up homeless addicts who sleep in the streets, arrests drug dealers and tries to maintain a sense of law and order in the area - he calls it "shoveling water."

As the Mayor battles members of his own political party, Dean Wilson dares to face his own addiction. The stories of FIX span over two years as our characters' lives interconnect to reveal a battle for the hearts, minds and streets of a city each one calls home.

http://www.vandu.org/

http://www.vch.ca/sis/

[Butcher]

the heroin capital of the continent.

It is said that somewhere around 50% of residents have HIV/AIDS

I find these hard to believe, source please

[alex333]

is it very violent?

[Phinehas]

Judging by the way you've written your post, you're one of those "gangsta" fags. VanCity is the name of a bank, using it to refer to Vancouver just makes you look stupid.

Anyway, the downtown east side is no nearly as bad as you make it out to be. Far better than Detroit, or most urban areas in the US for that matter, if for no other reason than there are a lot less niggers -- which are inherently prone to violence and criminality. I've walked all through the downtown east side, never had a problem.

[Phinehas]

is it very violent?

No, just a lot of people passed out on drugs and syringes on the ground. The worst thing I've witnessed there was right at the intersection of Main and Powell. Some lunatic, who was extremely thin and lanky, was running around carrying a boom box over his shoulder and shouting vulgarities. He walked towards me and for a minute I thought he was going to attack, then he sporadically changed direction and I continued on my way. There's actually a very nice park a block north of there, right on the water. It's sort of odd the way it's situated amongst such a slum.

[Carl Hungus]

I thought this thread was about sunnyvale.

[capn-chronic]

Ha ha. everyone know sunnyvale is in Halifax

[alex333]

No, just a lot of people passed out on drugs and syringes on the ground. The worst thing I've witnessed there was right at the intersection of Main and Powell. Some lunatic, who was extremely thin and lanky, was running around carrying a boom box over his shoulder and shouting vulgarities. He walked towards me and for a minute I thought he was going to attack, then he sporadically changed direction and I continued on my way. There's actually a very nice park a block north of there, right on the water. It's sort of odd the way it's situated amongst such a slum.

lol. that actually sounds pretty nice. even in nicer cities in the USA, you can get shot/beat up just because somebody wants to rob you. dont even mention the slums

[Angry Blue Bird of Death]

lol downtown east side is fucked up. I avoid it at all costs.

[Cliche Guevara]

Downtown Toronto is much like that in some places, although only around a small area where all the halfway homes are. Theres this place called Seaton House, and it pretty much looks exactly like that, very bad place to be even during the day. Although Im sure Vancouver would be worse with the safe injection sites and all.

[the beat]

Judging by the way you've written your post, you're one of those "gangsta" fags. VanCity is the name of a bank, using it to refer to Vancouver just makes you look stupid.

Okay. :rolleyes:



Anyway, the downtown east side is no nearly as bad as you make it out to be. Far better than Detroit, or most urban areas in the US for that matter, if for no other reason than there are a lot less niggers -- which are inherently prone to violence and criminality. I've walked all through the downtown east side, never had a problem.

You may have missed the point of the thread... I'm telling people to go have a look.

[Euda]

I find these hard to believe, source please

According to the United Nations, the Downtown Eastside has a Hepatitis C rate of 70 per cent and an HIV rate of 30 per cent — which puts it at the same level as Botswana.

In case you weren't aware, the life expectancy in Botswana is currently 35. Anybody here feel middle aged at 17?

[Monocle]

Cliche Guevara,

sure toronto has some spots that are like that, but as someone who has experienced the worst in both areas. (I work in toronto housing , been in the worst of the worst peoples homes in toronto and used to live in vancouver and work near hastings.)

As for hastings, I can attest to people openly smoking crack and shooting up on the street. In toronto though, there seems to be an invisible wall where the crack heads don't cross, however near hastings crackheads are smoking right in front of the gucci stores and tiffanys.

As a side note, I use to make a killing off the hobos at east hastings. I worked 2 blocks down so every lunch I would walk down the main strip where crack heads would set up a small flea market. Most of the stuff was shit, like half-eaten sandwiches and other broken crap, but at least once a week I find like a keyboard/mouse combo still in the box or a blackberry. I bought the keyboard for $2 (no shit) and the blackberry for a 20. Flipped them both on craigslist for 25 and 200....Yes I supported the drugs problem

[Azure]

Are you bragging about this?

And to think, I thought the mainstay of Canadian culture was how much better we are than the United States, and here we are trying to start a pissing contest over who's worst neighborhood is worst.

[the beat]

Are you bragging about this?

Yes.. I'm bragging about Hastings.:rolleyes:

Why the fuck would I be bragging about it? I made a thread in the travel forum regarding the 'poorest neighbourhood in Canada', to start a discussion regarding it. Why you would equate that with bragging, I do not know.


And to think, I thought the mainstay of Canadian culture was how much better we are than the United States, and here we are trying to start a pissing contest over who's worst neighborhood is worst.

It's only arrogant Canadians that think that... you know, the ones that make us look like complete douchebags. We're no better than America, just as they're no better than us.

As Canadians, we pride ourselves on our humility. Thinking that this 'makes us better' is ironic and idiotic.

[Azure]

Yes.. I'm bragging about Hastings.:rolleyes:

Why the fuck would I be bragging about it? I made a thread in the travel forum regarding the 'poorest neighbourhood in Canada', to start a discussion regarding it. Why you would equate that with bragging, I do not know.

You must've missed the play on your sarcastic comment. My bad, next time I'll be sure to employ full srsness.

"So come check out Van City's #1 tourist attraction... guaranteed to make your life seem a lot fucking better!!"

It's only arrogant Canadians that think that... you know, the ones that make us look like complete douchebags. We're no better than America, just as they're no better than us.

As Canadians, we pride ourselves on our humility. Thinking that this 'makes us better' is ironic and idiotic.

Again, full seriousness must be used in the future.

Canada and the United States are almost duplicates, so similar in fact, that our very minor distinctions appear to us as massive differences.

[the beat]

Sometimes my sarcasmo meter doesn't pick these things up.

[Monocle]

Sure i'd much rather spend a night in east hastings than some project in south Chicago (or are the projects in east chicago...?) . But it is the poorest neighbourhood (NOT CITY) in canada, and the demographic with the highest HIV rate and IV drug use.

As long as you don't make a ruckus with the crackheads your safe as can be. BTW, I once got in a verbal fight with a guy who was selling a set of speakers, I wanted it dirt cheap, which I can usually get things for there but he wouldn't sell it for cheap (I guess he just had his fix) so I got in an argument and within minute I had several Hispanic dealers on my ass. I got the fuck outta there.

Same thing in Toronto, I've worked in drug projects where everyone is just surviving so they can get another hit. They're mostly non-violent and would steal but not rob at knife point or something. On the other hand working in a black project I almost got my ass kicked because I was watching a dice game. The drug ghetto is probably safer but has a shitload more problems than niggers toying around with guns.

[Spam Man Sam]

That entire area is ghetto as fuck. They should just bulldoze the entire place and put the junkies out on a barge to fend for themselves.

[Silverfuck]

I've been there, and I don't want to go back, but not because it's dangerous. I mean, it was sketchy like nothing else, but like someone else posted, it didn't seem like the most dangerous place on earth, at least during the day, due mostly to the fact that all the real weirdos and junkies were sleeping on sidewalks and stuff too fucked up to hurt anyone. No, it really just broke my heart seeing so many people living like that.

[Butcher]

it really just broke my heart seeing so many people living like that.

But not badly enough to make you want to help amirite???:thumbsup:

[Silverfuck]

But not badly enough to make you want to help amirite???:thumbsup:

What am I supposed to do? I'm a seventeen year old girl; I want to help, but it's not like I can just frolic through skid row spreading sunshine and rainbows.

[Euda]

Talking to a homeless man or junkie as you would any other person is a good place for most people to start. If you have some spare food or money, that never hurts. If you have clothes that you don't need, a donation to the local shelter is always a good idea.

Volunteering always helps, though I'm not one to mention it often. I like to get paid for my time, but I've volunteered at shelters a few times.

[Butcher]

What am I supposed to do? I'm a seventeen year old girl; I want to help, but it's not like I can just frolic through skid row spreading sunshine and rainbows.

Lol I don't know, I wasn't really criticizing you, I just found it funny. Personally I feel no empathy for those fuckups.

[Craigslist.org]

I almost got robbed leaving jail down by there. The guys thought my rolled up shorts was a money bag or something.
Wouldn't of been a successful robbery cuz I would have broke the crack heads neck.
When the cops came to my house I was in my shorts so they didn't let me take em off and put my jeans on, they just put me straight into the jeans cuffed.:rolleyes:

Im gonna keep a jail kit by the door. A bag of stuff like comb, axe spray etc...:cool:

[Craigslist.org]

Its funny though, the police station is right across the street from a popular titty bar that always has gangsters standing outside of it smoking and talking.

They've tried to get it shut down a few times by having under cover cops inside claiming there was illegal touching by the dancers etc... :D

[reallystupidstuff]

According to the United Nations, the Downtown Eastside has a Hepatitis C rate of 70 per cent and an HIV rate of 30 per cent — which puts it at the same level as Botswana.

In case you weren't aware, the life expectancy in Botswana is currently 35. Anybody here feel middle aged at 17?

I felt middle aged at 12... 3 years to go

[The Jitterskull]

Lol I don't know, I wasn't really criticizing you, I just found it funny. Personally I feel no empathy for those fuckups.

Chances are bad parents + some mental illnesses are prevalent there. Most people with those two will end up on the street, regardless of the help they get.

[-*.inc]

Yea, it's a shady spot to say the least.

But, as you've done, it's worth it to stroll down there and get a glimpse of it firsthand. They're just people, after all. I hate how 'civlized folks' just pretend like it's not there. Fucking pathetic if you ask me.


edit: I didn't mean to put a smilie on this post. I'm not really sad. :)

I pretend it's not there.

Never been there in years; been through it on busses though.

[Mel "fuck kikes" Gibson]

I walked down 7th street in phoenix, and there was blood stains, and syringes scattered about. And I highly doubt any neighborhood in Canada can come close to Americas ghetto's. 50% AIDS? Just means everyone is a gay hooker, doesn't make the neighborhood violent. But then again, I know nothing of Canada.

[nshanin]

What am I supposed to do? I'm a seventeen year old girl; I want to help, but it's not like I can just frolic through skid row spreading love and STDs.

Why yes you can.

[Zay]

Judging by the way you've written your post, you're one of those "gangsta" fags. VanCity is the name of a bank, using it to refer to Vancouver just makes you look stupid.

Anyway, the downtown east side is no nearly as bad as you make it out to be. Far better than Detroit, or most urban areas in the US for that matter, if for no other reason than there are a lot less niggers -- which are inherently prone to violence and criminality. I've walked all through the downtown east side, never had a problem.

Why are you such a fucking failure? This thread wasn't about race at all. Do you have to inject your bullshit into every thread you post in?

[Azure]

Why are you such a fucking failure? This thread wasn't about race at all. Do you have to inject your bullshit into every thread you post in?

B@nz0r him.

[Monkmaster]

Driving along Hastings to get to GM Place, I rolled down my window and yelled out: "I'm looking to buy some crack!"
Three homeless people got up and proceeded towards my vehicle. I grimaced and drove away. It's quite a deplorable place.

I'd like to have sympathy for those people, I've studied them in sociology, most do have fucked up childhoods, but then some don't. I just can't equate with them.

[Euda]

There is a race problem in the area, as a matter of fact. It's a native issue and a terrible black eye on the nation. It is a sociological issue, without question.

[Zay]

There is a race problem in the area, as a matter of fact. It's a native issue and a terrible black eye on the nation. It is a sociological issue, without question.

And a christian sees it as a problem of evil, the devil's in that area. A family therapist sees it as a child abuse/dysfunctional family problem. A democrat sees a lack of public investment, etc.

We won't have any of that, however. The government must pass legislation to segregate races for the problem to be solved. :rolleyes:

[Struwwelpeter]

If the races were segregated the problems would be solved. Sure, the non-whites would continue to bully each other and the government would certainly wind up as a sort of "narconarchy", a government fueled by drug use, prostitution, and other forms of criminality, but at least it would kept in their population and the white race wouldn't have to front the bill, be at risk, lower their standards, eliminate their racial integrity, etc.

[Euda]

There are no ethnocentric solutions, nor are there any solutions. There's plenty of support, but natives do face some serious barriers. It can't be easy to grow up with an attitude of entitlement, while at the same time facing the prospect of living off of charity. The reserves are not nice places.

This is Canada. We do not have democrats and our Christians are Catholics.

[Struwwelpeter]

I agree the reserves are not nice places, I've been to quite a few of them myself, my white ass nearly got killed there. You would think that, despite being able to live off of charity and have the right to free education, free social services, these people would be a little less prone to violence and more easy going.. It would seem that they are expressing the same behavior people like Mark Twain noted they expressed even more than a hundred years ago.

His heart is a cesspool of falsehood, of treachery, and of low and devilish instincts. With him, gratitude is an unknown emotion; and when one does him a kindness, it is safest to keep the face toward him, lest the reward be an arrow in the back. To accept of a favor from him is to assume a debt which you can never repay to his satisfaction, though you bankrupt yourself trying. The scum of the earth![54]

[Euda]

Mark Twain was writing satire about the romantic style in which Last of the Mohicans is written. It is considered a true American classic and has been taught in American Literature courses for over a century. Twain didn't like the bias involved and wanted to present a contrast to it. :)

It's not human nature to live happily on long-term charity.

[Struwwelpeter]

Mark Twain was a racist.

[Splam]

I used to live in Vancouver. I once shook the hand of a bum on the bus who only had 4 fingers. Then he asked me if I was nervous and I told him I was always nervous (which I really am). Another time I gave 3 cigarettes to a friendly bum.

I now live in a small city in Norway. Go to school downtown. We don't have many bums. I have a feeling some heorin dealers moved in since I spotted someone chasing the dragon outside my school. However 90% of the bums here are alcoholics, since we don't have much illegal drug culture. Point being is that alcohol is almost as dangerous as heroin.

[Naffy]

Thanks guys, I read all two pages.. Learnt a fair bit.
:thumbsup:

[Resign the King]

I was just in Vancouver over the weekend. I was trying to get to West hastings to find the urban shaman to buy some kratom. I asked a store clerk for directions to get onto hastings and as he was replying a homeless guy in the store said he was going that way and would show me, I was just one street over towards the shore front and had walked too far down that way.

So hastings was just one street up, I'm walking with this homeless dude and once I get onto hastings just up the street I'm like 'ok thanks I've got it from here'. But he keeps walking with me he keeps saying he 'knows everyone here' 'he can hook me up' I keep politely saying no thanks I'm just looking for the BCMP store I'm not looking to buy anything illegal, etc'. Eventually he can see I'm not interested in buying any drugs and asks for a tip, I'm thinking sure I'l give him some of my pocket change, he gave me directions, and he says 'five bucks aught to do it' Ha! I give him 75 cents from my pocket and he looks at me and goes 'dude this is an insult!'. He starts to whine about how he walked all the way there (one block) and he 'can't even buy a "slice of pizza"'. I tell him that's all I've got. He keeps saying 'I know you have money'

At this point I'm at a crosswalk and I tell him to either take or leave it, he keeps saying he wants more so I go to put the money back in my pocket and walk across, he steps in front of me to block me off. I'm now starting to evaluate if this is a time to punch the dude in the face and jog away. He starts saying basically 'give me more money or I will do something'. I put out the 75 cents and say 'I don't want any trouble'. I thrust it towards him and say 'take it and leave' and he does. If he hadn't I would've had to do something about it, so I'm glad it ended there, last thing I need is to fight a hobo.

tldr version: Homeless dude threatens me and blocks off my path because I didn't offer him enough money as a tip for him giving me directions. I came close to punching him in the face and then running down hastings street, but it ended peacefully.