Drug user activists have blocked off the corner of Hastings and Dunlevy and are giving out free (tested) cocaine and opium to draw attention to their call for a safer supply
I lost my wallet a few days ago. Figured it fell out of my pocket when I was walking home one night. A huge pain, immediately annoyed with myself, a brief search was futile, cancelled my cards. Couple days later at 6 a.m., someone buzzes my apartment.
An active, otherwise healthy man in his early 40s, diagnosed with metastatic pancreatic cancer. Waited eight weeks for a first consult, and died three days later.
A Vancouver woman who went to hospital seeking help for suicidal ideation says a clinician told her "the system is broken," there are long waits to see a psychiatrist, and: "Have you considered [medical assistance in dying?]?"
Anyway, take from this story what you will. This man went out of his way to do right – looked for my address, walked 15ish mins to my apartment, guessed buzzer – when he had no obligation to, and I am very appreciative.
More emotional than I had anticipated finally sitting down to a print copy of today’s paper. I think I can name every person here by memory now, along with a bit about them. I’m glad everyone else is learning about them too
A sincere thank you to everyone who had read and shared
Breaking: Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police officially calling for the decriminalization of simple possession of illicit drugs
CACP Pres and Van Police Chief Adam Palmer: "Arresting individuals for simple position of illicit drugs is ineffective. It does not save lives."
You could tell he lived rough. He introduces himself, said he found my wallet in the bushes a few blocks away near where he was binning. Apologized for bothering me so early, but said he knew he had to get it back to me ASAP. Everything was still in it, including a bit of cash.
Pause to consider the discipline and energy that it takes to constantly maintain the poise that
@theJagmeetSingh
displays here during confrontations like this... Every interaction like this sticks with you, even if you do not let it show publicly.
VIDEO of NDP leader Jagmeet Singh being confronted at Montreal's Atwater Market by someone who advised him that he should remove his turban.
#cdnpoli
#polqc
Interviewed a woman today about the changing drug supply. At one point she stopped and just said: "I've lost all my friends," and burst into tears. And then we just sat there as she cried for a while.
I wish more people could see the heartbreak behind the numbers and headlines.
I gave him money, which he initially hesitated to take, thanked and hugged him. He said just trying to do right. Next day, decide to look him up out of curiosity. He was VPD's "Wanted Wednesday" featured criminal many years back, had a rap sheet five pages long.
The offences dated back to 1999 occurred all around Metro Vancouver. Lot of charges for theft under $5,000, mischief, breach – offences one might expect from someone living rough for a long time. Friend joked it was mildly concerning he returned my wallet: "This lady is BROKE."
I can’t stop thinking about these wise words from the incomparable
@caroloffcbc
. When it all feels overwhelming and you check out, “that is the ultimate act of privilege.. Bear witness to the struggles of others. That’s as much as the world can ask of you”
Just spoke again with Kailey Ashley, quoted in the story. She says driver called them "dirty Indians," threatened to run over her kids. Says she has tried to give Mission RCMP her statement 3x since Sat and they won't take it. "If your information is important, we will call you."
Canada's toxic drug crisis has killed more than 20,000 people since 2016. It can be difficult to comprehend the enormity of human loss.
A team at The Globe sought to memorialize those we have lost.
Here are the stories of 100 people who died in 2020.
Our wait times for cancer treatment in BC have in many cases grown from weeks to months, and are having a profound impact on patients and the doctors who care for them, who are reporting career-high levels of stress/burnout
My latest on cancer care in BC:
I spoke w/ victims and witnesses at the residential school march who said the driver was calling them racist names and telling them to "get over it." "I'm sick of this marching bullshit," he allegedly told one man before driving into him.
VPD: Jake Virtanen, 25, charged Thursday with sexual assault in relation to incident that occurred in Vancouver Sept. 26, 2017, when Virtanen was playing in the NHL
VPD launched investigation in May 2021, after the now-23-year-old victim went to police. Virtanen not in custody.
The US Office of the Inspector General just released a report () on the "dangerous overcrowding and prolonged detention of children and adults" in Texas, with these photos:
NEW: A Vancouver program is selling regulated fentanyl at street prices in an effort to separate drug users from the toxic illicit supply, in a model that straddles the line between prescribed safe supply and regulated drug sales:
Women with urgent, high-grade gynecologic cancers are being booked today, in mid-November, for surgeries in February and March –
almost guaranteeing poor outcomes.
Vancouver Coastal Health says clinician raised MAID to gauge the patient's suicide risk. This is not in line with experts, guidelines, consulted for this story. Patient says clinician continued that it would be more "comfortable" process than suicide by drug OD.
Before Li Wenliang died, he told
@caixin
: "A healthy society should not have only one voice."
Today "I want freedom of speech" trended on Weibo before censors shut it down: Due to "relevant laws, regulations and policies, this page is not found"
Second only to the hot dog cart at Granville and Georgia, this exact spot on the seawall is the soul of Vancouver. Kingsgate Mall is third. cc
@j_mcelroy
A recent retiree in his 70s, diagnosed with metastatic cholangiocarcinoma. He was still active and gardening at his home on Salt Spring Island. Waited three months for a first consult, at which point he was bedridden and too ill to travel for treatment.
On the night Colten Boushie died, RCMP arrived at his mother’s house in “tactical approach,” w/ carbines in hand and lights trained on house.
When she collapsed at the news, one officer told her to “get it together.” Another asked if she’d been drinking.
Patients often say the anxiety of not knowing is the worst part – sometimes rivalling cancer diagnosis itself. Months to see an oncologist, yet medical assistance in dying a possibility within days. Without first consult, no info for family and doc to make end of life decisions
SOME PERSONAL NEWS, as they say: I'm thrilled to be stepping in as public health reporter for the next year, focusing on the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada and broadening coverage of our illicit drug toxicity crisis.
Editor: Woo, you're past deadline. Where's your story?
Me: Thank you for your question. My parents came to Canada on a cold winter's day in the early 1980s with nothing on them but a dollar and a dream, and
One of many anti vaccination requirement protests happening at hospitals across Canada now.
Meanwhile, doctors and nurses I have been speaking with are beyond stressed, burnt out, some in tears. But still showing up to treat the severely ill – predominantly the unvaccinated
family of grandmother xiao zhen xie, the 75-year-old who fought back after an unprovoked attack in SF has raised almost $900K. following her wishes, they’ll be donating it all back to support AAPI community to fight racism.
She's angry, to say the least. Says she witnessed whole thing, had bloodied victim in her car. Says officer was annoyed she kept calling. "Does my statement not follow their story?"
Latest RCMP statement says "we need to let the evidence guide the investigation."
Meanwhile, doctors are distressed at not being able to provide the level of care they want. 18 oncologists have quit BC Cancer in past two years, with one saying he felt it had “no goals, no vision” and no longer supported the quality of work he wanted to do.
BREAKING: There have been around 50 sudden deaths in Vancouver believed to be heat related over the weekend.
That's in addition to the 34 in Burnaby since yesterday.
Total could likely be in the hundreds. Meanwhile, huge backlogs when calling 911.
CAN WE KISS PEOPLE AGAIN?!
Bonnie Henry: "If you are going to start a relationship with somebody, this is not the time to do rapid serial dating. Pick somebody and see if it works. Take your time."
BREAKING: British Columbia has recorded its deadliest month for overdoses – ever. At least 170 people died in May due to extreme fentanyl concentrations in the drug supply. The previous record was in December 2016, with 161 dead.
BREAKING: The bodies of Bryer Schmegelsky and Kam McLeod have been found near Gillam, MB, 15 days after they were named suspects in the homicide deaths of Chynna Deese, Lucas Fowler and Leonard Dyck in B.C.
There was not a single mention of what happened to the drug supply in North America in Vancouver is Dying.
The intervention of safe supply is not a response to addiction, but to a drug supply that has fundamentally changed, killing 10x as many people.
The father of Ken Lam — the officer who took down the van attack suspect without firing a shot — says he is proud of his son.
@globalnewsto
#TorontoAttacks
BREAKING: Vancouver Mayor
@KennedyStewart
is proposing to decriminalize personal possession of illicit drugs in the city, which, if successful, would be a Canadian first
"I got caught up in the moment" is for people who blurt out "I love you" too soon, not those who travel from Boise to Washington, breach the Capitol and descend from a balcony to pose on the House Speaker's chair
"I GOT CAUGHT UP IN THE MOMENT."
Idaho man says he was the guy hanging from the balcony of the Senate. He's now apologizing to the American people and asking for forgiveness.
Story:
With respect: Have you considered that when people of colour express frustration and disappointment over lack of representation, a white columnist opining on why it doesn’t matter is not helpful?
With more protests related to COVID-19 measures planned across the country today and this week, primarily at hospitals, Justin Trudeau says a re-elected Liberal Party would make it a criminal offense to obstruct access to buildings that provide health care services
Grant Wahl's brother just posted on IG saying that he is gay, and the reason why Grant wore a rainbow shirt to the World Cup.
"My brother was healthy. He told me he received death threats. I do not believe my brother just died; I believe he was killed."
NPR can confirm the death of longtime soccer sportswriter Grant Wahl (
@GrantWahl
). He died today in Doha, Qatar while covering the Argentina-Netherlands World Cup quarterfinal. Story to come.
CNBC: Amazon fires Staten Island warehouse worker who organized strike for greater
#COVID19
protections. Company says it was for "violating social distancing guidelines”
Good reporting doesn't depend on ethnicity. But newsroom diversity is crucial because different cultural backgrounds, upbringings, languages and experiences bring new perspectives that no school or textbook can.
"We try to put ourselves in the eyes and bodies of these children now being found in the ground, who have been waiting for decades to have a proper burial and to be honoured properly [w/] our own.. traditions and customs, and a small FN voice said 'They found us. They found us.'"
The casual conflation of crime, mental illness, addiction and homelessness otherizes huge swaths of people facing very distinct challenges and contributes to the stigma that we see driving so much of our current discourse
Crime is a serious concern in far too many B.C. communities. We're making big investments to help society’s most vulnerable citizens, suffering from mental health & addictions issues, & doing more to ensure that everyone feels safe & secure at home, at work, & in public.
#BCpoli
.
@CMHABC
CEO Jonny Morris says lack of standardized guidelines to respond to those in suicidal crisis means it typically falls to individual treating clinician, and that can vary. CMHA now finalizing provincial framework to guide health authorities, expected out soon.
In the absence of free newspapers like The Vancouver Courier, the Georgia Straight, Metro and 24 Hours, DTES residents have been printing and posting stories relevant to the community
Winnipeg Jets and Chicago Blackhawks pay tribute to
#HumboldtBroncos
bus crash victims at Bell MTS Place in Winnipeg. (📷/Jason Halstead /Getty Images)
#HumboldtStrong