People who live or work in the neighbourhood hit hard by the drug crisis say if you look beyond problems, you see people trying to help one another.
VANCOUVER—The skies over Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside threaten rain as they darken and release the odd drop to the bustling sidewalks of the country’s most controversial neighbourhood.
“This area here gets a lot of action,” says a man named Scotty, who won’t give his last name and is keeping an Overdose Prevention Society volunteer company on his watch. Munching on a bagged salad, Scotty keeps an eye out for those in distress. Many who spend time here suggest the seedy surface and chaos of the area hides a bright, warm and loving underbelly, one where those who can take care of those who need them to.
“It has been a disaster, an absolute abject failure,” he said. “Take a walk down the streets of east Vancouver, where addicts lay face first on the pavement, where people are living permanently in tents and encampments.” Racks of clothing and furniture sit on one side of this room, while the opposing wall is lined with industrial-sized fridges storing food for programs feeding locals.
The society’s vice-president, Chris Livingstone, says the initiative came about after constant upheaval over tents and homeless camps in the area. Many advocates say authorities were throwing away people’s possessions when clearing off sidewalks or parks. Deaths from overdoses have increased exponentially since fentanyl began flooding the drug market in 2016, claiming 14,000 lives in the province.
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