THE WORLD IS A BETTER PLACE, THANKS TO JOHN TURVEY

Many people talk about Vancouver's Downtown Eastside, and the many
problems it has experienced, from poverty to prostitution to
homelessness to drug addiction.

But a few people -- too few -- do more than just talk, and make an
earnest effort to help those who, for whatever reason, find themselves
down and out on the Downtown Eastside.

No one made a greater effort than John Turvey, who died on Wednesday
at the age of 61. Born in Calgary and later adopted by a British
Columbia family, Turvey had a troubled childhood and became a drug
addict by the age of 13.

Many difficult years followed, as Turvey ran away from home and lived
on the streets, which gave him a unique insight into the lives of
people he would later help.

By the time he reached his early 20s, he had kicked the habit. But he
would never leave the street, as he spent the next 35 years fighting
for the welfare of others who had not kicked their addictions.

Indeed, Turvey is perhaps best remembered for starting Canada's first
free needle exchange. Without any government assistance -- and while
needle exchanges were still illegal -- Turvey filled a knapsack with
syringes and distributed them to drug users. He was recognized by
Atlanta's world-famous Centers for Disease Control for the effort.

No one can say how many people Turvey helped to avoid contracting HIV
or hepatitis C, but the needle exchange certainly wasn't his only
contribution to the community. He also founded the Downtown Eastside
Youth Activities Society, which assists street youth, and was a
founding member of the B.C. AIDS Network and the Vancouver Native
Health Society.

Turvey received many honours for his work, including the Order of
British Columbia in 1984 and the Order of Canada earlier this year.
Yet he said his greatest achievement in life was discovering the
wonders of family.

His family -- his wife and son, and all the street people he helped
over the past 35 years -- are better for having known the wonder that
was John Turvey.