LAMENTS FOR THE LOST SOULS OF THE DOWNTOWN EASTSIDE

Thank you for your excellent series of articles about drug addiction in the
Downtown Eastside. My thanks also to Vancouver Mayor Philip Owen for his
courage and persistence in trying to improve the situation.

However, as the mother of a son who has schizophrenia and an addiction to
crack cocaine, a condition referred to as a "dual diagnosis," I was
disappointed there was virtually no mention of these most unfortunate
people. Their situation is truly tragic: They are often beaten and abused
by dealers, and even if they manage to overcome their addiction (doubly
difficult for someone who already has a major thought disorder and because
there is an abysmal lack of co-ordinated programs and treatment), they
still have to deal with lives already shattered by mental illness.

In the Nov. 22 article, "Ken Frail once walked the Downtown Eastside beat.
Now he's the area's top cop," Inspector Frail says he wants to deploy
police officers wisely. I am wondering, then, why so many mentally ill,
addicted people are frequently arrested for relatively minor drug-related
offences, e.g., "steering"? "Steering" involves not actually selling drugs
to someone, but referring the person -- often an undercover officer -- to
someone who does, and thereby making the grand sum of a toonie. These
people need help, not jail.

People with a dual diagnosis do not choose to have a mental illness, and
with an already disordered mind, they do not really choose drug addiction
either. They can be very difficult to treat, but surely they deserve more
help than they are getting. So, let's discuss this issue openly and help to
dispel the shame and stigma associated with both disorders, which is a big
part of the problems they face.

Heidi Richards, Vancouver

In the late 1940s and 1950s, my father owned the Avon Theatre. It started
out as a venue for local talent. The very worst thing I remember was the
raid to remove Mimi Hines because she was underage and could not be with
the strippers. The Avon was then changed to a legitimate theatre with great
actors of the time coming to perform -- Lon Chaney, Joe E. Brown, Margaret
O'Brien.

After school, I would take the streetcar down to Main and Hastings so I
could watch all the actors. It was a great area and the west side came to
the east side. The best Chinese restaurants, such as Mings and HoHo,
catered to the upscale crowd. I did my homework at the Carnegie Library
after school while waiting for my Dad to go home. These places are historic
sites and were beautiful buildings.

Trying to clear the east side of drugs is a waste of time. Making it safe
is all that can be done.

In no other city are drug dealing and using so visible. If I were a tourist
here, I would leave if I saw the drug scene.

I do feel badly for all the lost souls. Awful things usually put people on
the street. I have no solution, but our beautiful historical area has been
lost.

Lola Pawer, Vancouver

In the Nov. 20 article, "On the Street," Chris Nuttall-Smith notes that
"city engineers" removed the bus stops at Main and Hastings, and "[drug]
users and dealers are more obvious than before."

What or who governs the decisions made by these "engineers?" In my
neighbourhood, Andy Livingstone Park is a rare little gem of a green space,
marred by graffiti, vandalism and in-your-face IV drug use. Recently, one
entire perimeter block of this park on Keefer Street has begun to serve as
a busy bus stop and terminus. The grind and stench of diesel engines are
now just a few metres from the waterfall and reflecting pool (formerly a
popular tai chi spot, now mainly used as an IV injection site), and
directly across the street from a new seniors' extended care centre.
Perhaps the "engineers" forgot about the report of the Bus Impact Task
Force, whose plan of action was guided, in part, by "council's intent ...
to deal with the impacts of all buses with common areas of concern, such as
fumes/noise, and impacts on neighbourhoods."

Perhaps they also forgot about a major initiative of the ongoing expensive
Downtown Transportation Plan, which is to "... implement greenways and
green links programs to improve pedestrian routes, facilities, and
environment in downtown."

I am also wondering how the introduction of these buses to Keefer Street
dovetails with the city's plans for this street to be Vancouver's Silk Road
walking route, intended to complement revitalization efforts in the area.
What we have now is a Silk 'n' Diesel Corridor, and its creation exposes
these city projects and initiatives for what they really are -- pure,
politically inspired hype.

Jerry Cohen, Vancouver

The saying "everyone has their price," could not be more true, as we are
putting price tags on people's lives. That price is influenced by societal
standing, determined by race and wealth. Suppose one by one, 45
middle-class Vancouver women went missing and were later found murdered.
Would public fear escalate? Yes. Would there be demands on police and
government to find the assailant? Yes. So when 45 women from downtown East
Vancouver are missing and/or murdered, why are only their families concerned?

Being prostitutes and possibly drug addicts, native or mentally unstable,
influences the way people think about them. Some see them as dispensable
and believe they got what deserved. Is that a valid reason to disregard them?

Blame cannot rest solely on the police. They have budgets to consider, are
understaffed and overworked. By not pressuring lawmakers and enforcers to
take further action, though, we dismiss the value of these women's lives,
and the perpetrator remains free. A victim is a victim, regardless of
social status. A victim's place in society, cannot determine how much
funding should be spent to solve that crime.

Cornelia Lalach, Vancouver