ell, you're nice to them, of course.
You listen to what they have to say.
You think of them every day with a little
something. And every now and then you
treat them to somewhere special.

  
   

sf Somewhere special. Uptown New Westminster.
A perfect place to let someone know you care.
Vegetarian, vegan and wheat-free options.

 

  
  
 

Restaurant and Lounge
Breakfast, Brurich.(weekehds), Lunch,Difiner

6206th Street
778-397-1753

Uptown New Westminster,
steps from, Royal City Centre Mall

14

 

 

By Trevor Doré, Opinions Editor

he goal is to end homelessness.
It sounds like a massive

undertaking and by all means
it is. Homelessness in Vancouver
as everyone knows is no small fish.
The people at Pivot Legal Society
however, have a goal: “to persuade the
federal government to enact a funded
National Housing Strategy that will
end homelessness and ensure secure,
adequate, accessible and affordable
housing for all persons living in
Canada.”

So how do they plan to
successfully reach this goal you ask?
The answer would be with tents.
According to the group’s website,
they plan to “use red tents and like
items as symbols on the streets
and in the media to draw attention
to Canada’s homelessness crisis,
educate the public about the need for a
funded national housing strategy and
mobilize people across the country to
pressure government to take action
on homelessness.” According to the
group’s website, since Vancouver was
awarded the 2010 Olympic games
there has been a net loss of affordable
housing stock.

_ With an estimated 14,000 reporters
visiting from around the world, what
better time to attract media attention
than during the 2010 Winter Olympic
games? The organization plans to

hand out 500 bright red pop-up

tents accompanied by red tarps, red
ponchos and red banners all inscribed

Homes for the homeless, an innovative idea

 

with “Housing is a Right” and “End
Homelessness Now!” messages written
in white writing. The tents will provide
shelter for those who would otherwise
not have shelter and educates others
about the homeless crisis and the need
for action.

While some may think that the
tents are simply a publicity stunt,
they will hopefully play a crucial role
in raising awareness and generating
more funds on behalf of the federal
government to help find and implement
solutions to the problem. According
to the group, “Canada is the only
industrialized nation without a national
housing plan. The cost of keeping
people off the street is significantly
cheaper than the medical and other
associated costs of leaving them on the
streets.” Something needs to be done.

While the tents are by no means
a permanent solution to the problem,
they are an original and innovative
form of non-violent demonstration.
The homeless problem in Canada and
especially on the Downtown Eastside
is not something that we should try
and cover up and hide from the world
during the Olympic and Paralympic
festivals. This is a huge problem that
needs to be dealt with pragmatically,
sooner rather than later. Hiding it from
the world is not going to make it go
away.

Hopefully as the world comes to
visit the most liveable city in the world,
these red tents will help illustrate this
simple contradiction.