Category Archives: behaviour
High Barrier Shelter?
I suppose that for individuals who live to inflict themselves on others it is a high barrier shelter.
Although, when I was homeless on the streets of Abbotsford and circumstances beyond my control made a night at the shelter unavoidable, I never found the standards of behaviour required of those guesting at the shelter onerous. But then I accept responsibility for my behaviour towards others.
I. Non-prescription drugs and alcohol are not allowed on the premises.
II. You cannot assault, threaten, abuse or infringe on the personal space of clients or staff.
III. You need to take a shower.
I still don’t find the requirement to show basic consideration for those you are sharing the shelter space with either onerous or unreasonable.
Although doing away with the requirement that clients shower would save staff considerable hassle. In light of the number of requests clients make to staff about having others in the shelter shower and wash their clothing and the effort and time it takes for staff to get individuals to shower and wash their clothing, doing away with the showering requirement would be a relief. But doing away with the requirement to shower would inflict unfair tribulation on those in the shelter who choose to practice basic hygiene.
The two outbreaks of violence I have witnessed in the shelter, one were staff was physically attacked and the other where the building was vandalized, resulted from staff requesting that the attackers shower; requests made in response to complaints and requests of others in the shelter.
While being required to shower if you want to stay at the shelter is apparently considered by some to be an onerous requirement that presents a High Barrier to using the shelter, showering is about the health and comfort of ALL those using the shelter.
I am not sure what you have when people can party, assault, threaten, be odorous to the point others are gagging and make life miserable for all the others sharing the space……but I can tell you do you do not have a shelter.
x^3+y^3+z^3-3xyz-(x+y+z)(x^2+y^2+z^2-yz-zx-xy) = ?
“….the service providers who were temporarily at Jubilee Park Saturday…
What possible reason could there be for the service providers to be in Jubilee Park on what is normally a day off? Could it possibly be that they were there to help the protesters who had been ordered by the court to leave?
How dare they focus on helping the protesters they came in on a Saturday to help and suggest to non-protesters that they do what every other person seeking services does, go down Gladys to the Centre of Hope, enter the reception area, speak to the receptionist about the services they need, then sit down and wait their turn.
(4!+8)/4 + (2+3*4)^2 – 3^4 + (9+10)(15-21) + 7(17-15) = ?
Would those poor souls who are not being given access to their belongings be those who stated they wanted to stay at the shelter after they left Jubilee and asked for help getting their belongings packed and stored in the storage provided to those staying at the shelter?
Are we speaking of those little fibbers who said they wanted to stay at the shelter and who, once their belongings were packed, transported and stored in the storage provided for shelter clients – lost all interest in staying at the shelter?
An enquiry of shelter staff revealed that none of the shelter staff has refused these poor, unfortunate cozeners access to their belongings. Indeed shelter staff would be happy to reunite these rascals with their belongings and gain the room those belongings occupy for the belongings of individuals who are accessing the shelter and services.
Of course, given that the storage is provided for those staying in the shelter, the times when access is provided to items stored in the shelter storage are arranged to serve those staying in the shelter.
Should someone not staying at the shelter pop in during the day and demand access to their belongings they will be informed – as everyone is – that they need to speak to shelter staff. Shelter staff are, not surprisingly, available during the hours the shelter is operating.
What a concept, access hours to the storage provided for the belongings of those staying in the shelter that are based on shelter hours so anyone staying in the shelter can access their belongings on a daily basis if needed.
E = mc^2
In speaking of not finding it onerous when I was homeless and forced to use the shelter I must acknowledge the significant benefit I have in dealing with people as a result of having a mother who drilled manners and consideration for others into her children. The same good manners and thoughtfulness that comes from being sat down during the Christmas holidays as a child and writing thank you letters for presents received [letters, not little thank you cards] has provided me with friends and others who are not only willing, but have stepped up, to help me not just survive but to thrive.
Fear? Or Business as Usual Dumb?
What is City Council so afraid of being revealed during the court proceedings scheduled to start Monday – four short days from today – that they were about to send in their armed officers, a police force referred to by Justice Kathleen Ker as “a place that time forgot“, to clear the park and avoid having to face a judge on Monday?
Now I do not claim that moving into the parking lot and erecting a 8ft high wooden fence is anything but…….Dumb. But anyone who knows Barry Shantz does not expect strategic thinking. Demands, shouting, aggression, a nobody else matters attitude, disruptive behaviour and provocation – that is what you expect.
As to whoever put up the wooden fence…..with friends like that who needs enemies?
Looking at the walls on television, the homeless ensconced behind the walls and the police outside the walls preparing to attack…….my mind conjured up visions of little boys playing Cowboys [more properly Cavalry] and Indians.
Faced with these new developments the city should have remembered the advice Napoleon gave his Marshals: “the enemy is making a false move, why should we interrupt him?”
The intelligent thing for the city to do was……nothing. Go to court Monday, point to the behaviour that built a walled fort in a public parking lot and say that is why we need the court to order Jubilee Park vacated by these hooligans.
Instead the City seized the excuse and the cover provided by the actions of the homeless with their wall to strike quickly and render the question of court on Monday moot.
Given the lack of reason demonstrated by both sides it is lucky that DJ Larkin from Pivot Legal Society secured a court order. Thereby denying both sides the opportunity to do something incredibly stupid; stupid being an ability both sides have demonstrated having and being willing to use.
Apparently the four days until court on Monday was to long for either side to go without an Act of Stupidity.
Speaking of stupid is as stupid does, watching City Council’s behaviour over the years council has made it abundantly clear that when it comes to dealing with homelessness they like to consume several extra bowls of stupid before dealing with the issue.
The attempt to commit an Act of Stupidity Thursday afternoon is well within councils normal operating procedures. Or perhaps council didn’t want to set a precedent by going to court as though the homeless actually had rights.
Still, one wonders if City Council’s panicky attempt to avoid court by striking to force the homeless out of Jubilee on Thursday was a desperate attempt to avoid the need to appear in court, face a lawyer acting on behalf of the homeless and have………What? come out.
Sigh. If they had just left it be, but NO, city council felt compelled to overreact and focus attention on the homeless hiding behind their walls as the police build their barricades……and those images flash around the world making the City of Abbotsford appear even more ridiculous.
You know this level of weapons grade stupidity is the behaviour one expects from Americans.
Just how low have we sunk, and when did we lose touch with what it was to be Canadian?
It’s either Yes – or Kiss the Money goodbye.
Bruce, John, Dave, Les, Patricia – you were paying attention weren’t you? You did hear what Finance Minister Mike de Jong stated so clearly?
Finance minister Mike de Jong, in an November 28, 2013 interview with radio station 107.1, made it abundantly clear to Abbotsford’s citizens, mayor and council what the bottom line is for the proposed Housing First project at Abbotsford Community Services to help the homeless.
“It will be for the City Council to decide whether they want to accept the offer that the provincial government has made. I’m hopeful because I know how great the demands are. And if Abbotsford were to decide not to proceed then there are any number of communities that will be happy to take that money.” Mike de Jong
Either the mayor and city council rezone the ACS property and the housing gets built OR the money will go to a community where the community, mayor and council actually want to do something to address homelessness and affordable housing in their community.
A community, mayor and council who are interested in doing, as in taking action, not simply uttering the right buzzwords or saying they want to do something but – wail, lament – Abbotsford has no money for the homeless; wealthy well housed, well connected old boy businessmen YES, but NONE for the homeless.
A community, mayor and council who, when the provincial government offers million$ of dollar$ for capital expenses and more million$ of dollar$ to fund operations and programs over the life of the project act quickly to do what is required to secure the funding for their community.
Unlike Abbotsford where the NIMBYs are guaranteed to say NIMBY you don’t; where far to many others in the community start coming up with excuses about how they are all for this type of project but……..it needs to be located in the ‘perfect’ location and this is not it; where council begins looking for excuses to say NO, to NOT take the provincial governments money as soon as the project is publicly announced; where the mayor stands at the microphone at a public forum wailing about how the city is to poor and the senior levels of government have to ‘step up’ with funding……while at his right hand sit three representatives from BC Housing with million$ of dollar$ for capital costs and more millions$ of dollars$ for operations on the table.
Clarification: the money will go to a community, mayor and council who are interested in doing something positive and effective.
After all, Abbotsford’s mayor and council are interested in doing something about the homeless – attacking them with a poor man’s biological weapon of chicken feces; using their police force*** against the homeless; destroying the camps and belongings of the homeless – in the dead of winter.
In fact, based on behaviour to date, Abbotsford’s mayor and council seem interested in any action BUT an action that would be positive and effective.
A council that squanders million$ of dollar$ on vanity projects, seemingly wants to squander the opportunity to receive millions of dollar$ of provincial money, squander provincial goodwill and squander future funding of projects by the provincial government.
Business as usual at Abbotsford City Hall.
*** A police force that Justice Kathleen Ker referred to as “a place that time forgot” and stated such actions are “inexcusable in the 21st century.” Justice Ker also stated “The treatment Mr. Moonie received while in the custody of the APD fell not only below general community standards of decency, but it also reflects treatment that denied Mr. Moonie any modicum of respect for his inherent dignity and value as a human being,”.
A police force where it was necessary to: “Resolution reached over police tent-slashing in Abbotsford”
Leo Award for Abbotsford’s Mayor Banman
Mayor Banman’s Leo awaits signatures of two members of the committee charged with awarding the Leo before it can be placed into the mayor’s hands.
The Leo committee agreed with the nominators of Mayor Banman [The League of Unhoused Citizens of Abbotsford] that standing at the microphone at Cascade Church during the discussion held there on Abbotsford Community Services housing first proposal and crying how poor the city was and how it was up to senior levels of government to step forward with funding while, as pointed out by a citizen, to his immediate right were three representatives of BC Housing with $2,500,000 in capital costs and ongoing yearly funding for programs on the table that the Mayor is seeking to spurn.
As Forrest Gump would say about Mayor Banman: “Stupid is as Stupid does.”
