IT'S A DIFFERENT WORLD

Irene Abramyk's letter made me think about how grave the problem of
the Downtown Eastside has become.

I too grew up in the east end of Vancouver and thought nothing of
walking from Commercial Drive to the downtown area.

Later, I worked at the police station at Hastings and Main. I used to
pass a few down-and-out people, but they were rarely aggressive, and
I never felt threatened.

It's a different world now.

Rehabilitation is a long-term process and is probably not cost-
effective. But it is necessary for success. It's high time that this
problem be made a priority.

Doriana Barros,

White Rock