Addicted predators take over Veterans’ Peace Park in Smithers
Both Liberal and New Democrat Governments are so desperate for votes they are willing to turn your kids into addicts, with no provisions to help them out of their addictions. They call it safe drugs, or safe injection sites, but its just another version of safe death and right to die. Remember this when you vote for Nathan Cullen and Taylor Bachrach who are largely part and parcel of this drug and alcohol addiction problem.
Heaven forbid we ever become so cold hearted that we no longer care for the least among us, in particular the poor and the homeless. Now like the proverbial millstone that Christian theme is being used by atheists and leftists alike to insure we pay, pay and pay till we bleed to death do us part with our hard earned income. This issue of caring for the homeless has a long and expensive history in Smithers, while most of the projects were built on good samaritan intentions, they were always funded by someone else. That someone was always the tax payer funding someones guilt about poverty drugs and alcoholism. In the last 50 years of bleeding hearts, we spent a very large amount of tax dollars and at no time did we ever fix the root cause.
Today that root cause can honestly be called a wildfire out of control.
Why? Because of the Liberal notion that people have the right to be drug addicts, the right to be alcoholics, and the right to cost the tax payers millions in self inflicted ambulance calls, all this when seniors in old age homes get billed for medical emergency calls. Its not funny how that works, how we penalize seniors and cater to drug addiction.
Somehow we as a society have adopted the notion that people should not be held responsible for their actions, then wonder why they never do.
As long as were going to make it permissible to be an addict, then feed the addiction using tax dollars, who in their right mind would ever believe this problem will not get worse? At every turn Liberals and NDP are trying to legalize drugs and become the provider of those drugs as well.
Solution? Yes there is, before we invest in any other building project to house homeless, we need to build and fund rehab centres, rehab centres that are mandatory for all homeless people with doctor verified addictions. The goverment needs to pass a law that says it is the governments responsibility to house any homeless person that does not have the means to pay for a roof over their heads, likewise we need to pass a law to insure they are clothed and fed. Before someone qualifies an assessment needs to be done, did this person abandon their previous home without a reasonable excuse for doing so, if they did it simply as a personal choice they should be transported back to the community they came from. We cannot as a society fund the intentionally stupid.
In the case of Smithers almost every homeless (not all) I did say almost, almost every homeless person in Smithers came to Smithers from another community, where they were housed, and where their addiction issues started. Smithers has become the hunting grounds for the addicted to have a society to prey on to feed this addictions. These are not simply homeless people, they are addicted predators and should be seen as such.
In an almost daily occurrence, theft is coming to your homes, as the person below discovered a few days ago, but the elected at the town of Smithers have chosen not to enforce the rules the towns bylaws, an indication they do not care less what the residents of Smithers think or want. Excuses they have an endless supply, but clearly they think they are above the law and as demi Gods they have the right to overrule our bylaws. It makes them complicit to the crimes residents must endure. Smithers residents are forced to provide a warming centre for people like this.
Remember this in the Interior News
“An open house to get feedback on possible changes to an almost century-old parks bylaw drew a huge crowd on Monday night. Town of Smithers staff were anticipating a lot of people to attend and moved the meeting to the gym of the Smithers Christian Reformed Church from town hall. Approximately 200 residents filled the gym and many people spoke against allowing temporary overnight sheltering locations in local parks. Council wanted the public to comment on the draft bylaw No. 1951 Town of Smithers Parks and Open Spaces Bylaw.”
At the end of the day, the elected officials of Smithers feel they are elected to be above the law, and are entitled to think for the residents of Smithers. The socialist belief that all men are equal, just some of them are more equal than others. They were elected to lead, we elected to be their servants.
The Dze L K’ant Friendship Centre Society
The following simply put needs to be said, I hear it in the streets every day, but nobody seems to dare say it (or be called a racist for speaking the truth) so I will say what needs to be said publicly.
Enough is enough, its time to end this whipping boy they call the “colonizer” as the perpetual excuse. I have always hated racism, I despise people who duck behind it as a cover to actually be racist regardless of the race they are from. Having lived here over 70 years I have watched how the victims of racism have now become the perpetrators of racism, and somehow that seems to be ok with some people. When does this ever end? When is the bill paid in full? So I am calling them out, its time they were part of the solution as opposed to adding to the problem. I was there at the opening ceremony for the Smithers Indian Friendship Centre was created and celebrated, even before it was renamed from Indian Friendship Centre to the now Dze L K’ant Friendship Centre. We celebrated the unity of our two societies, and I am sure they would have voted to fire the leadership there now for what they have become. Its time for a rethink of what the Dze L K’ant Friendship Centre represents. You exist at the expense of the taxpayer, then turn around and do the proverbial “looking the gift horse in the mouth?”
I find it beyond astounding that they have the gall to write the following in regards to a problem they wash their hands of.
WHY? Why was it such a secret that an effort was made by the Dze L K’ant Friendship Centre Society to keep this camp right where it is as opposed to helping its members into rehab centres? Have you ever heard the term “Enabling addiction?” Now correct me if I am wrong as there are shrouds of secrecy around the super expensive tents, sleeping gear and food supplies being provided to this den of thieves. After everything you are giving them to encourage them to stay, they still roam the town looking for things to steal and black market it for drugs and or alcohol. Correct me if I am wrong but was it not the Dze L K’ant Friendship Centre Society that paid for all these tents, using funds they obtain from our taxes? By the way who are the benefactors of these thefts? Someone is buying these stolen goods, who is it?
For a change be honest with Smithers residents, how much tax payer dollars were spent on funding these so called homeless people? What was the cost per person? The cost Taxpayers have to cover?
Do not mistake what I write that I do not support the idea of making sure people do not freeze to death, however I want to be abundantly clear that people who are willing to die in the cold vs seeking rehab, are people that desperately are in need of FORCED REHABILITATION, something the NDP / LIBERALS oppose. They prefer to throw money at the problem, not their own money, but yours and mine and this needs to stop.
Priceless that they could not even show up for this important meeting. “Our community members living in this park have done so peacefully” no mention about the massive hike in theft, then the gall to follow that up by blaming the victims, is this called community building or an all out assault on the community they were created in?
The Dze L K’ant Friendship Centre Society (DKFCS) wrote a letter, concerned with the lack of consultation and involvement of Indigenous services delivery organizations. In the letter, the society wrote that currently, a small population of mostly Indigenous people have made their homes in Veterans Peace Park. “Our community members living in this park have done so peacefully. This is their home. The history of colonialism and displacement of Indigenous people has resulted in intergenerational trauma and abuse, which has contributed to the homelessness problem in Smithers,” the letter states.
What really bothers me about the “Dze L K’ant Friendship Centre Society” is that they know exactly where the aboriginals in the camp are from, its also likely they know where they lived in other nearby communities (reserves) that are not as lucrative to steal from, or have access to drugs and alcohal as does the Town of Smithers. They (Friendship Centre) are representative of First Nations is Smithers, and mostly funded by tax dollars, yet pass the buck when it comes to using their facility as a warming centre. They (the Friendship Center) do not want the burden of cleaning up after these “Our community members” but insist that its the burden of the colonizers.. They are so quick to condemn (non aboriginals) remember the accusations made regarding aboriginal deaths at the Goodacre Place)
“The allegations referred to in the report came out of an April 22, 2021, joint press release from the Dze L K’ant Friendship Centre (DLKF) and B.C. Association of Aboriginal Friendship Centres demanding an inquiry and suggesting the deaths were linked to “Smithers’ lack of culturally safe housing programs for Indigenous people.” Interior News here.
And so slow at acting to protect the indigenous addicts living in that camp. Recall the survey that was done in 2021 – 93% of the homeless are indigenous, and it would not take rocket science to know they came from “reserves” meaning federal responsibility “Taylor.” not Smithers residents picking up the tab as is now being done. Now they won’t use the Dze L K’ant Friendship Centre to provide a warming place during extreme cold, even when they know 93% of the homeless are indigenous. (Read it here)
There is no way the “Dze L K’ant Friendship Centre Society” can make the claim that they are not aware of the growing bitterness by local residents in regards to theft and vandalism, urination and defection these homeless aboriginals are causing. They cannot hide and pretend its not causing more harm than good to relations between First Nations and non aboriginals, yet this same organization is the first to cry foul and racism against the very community that has both funded and supported them.
Its high time the Dze L K’ant Friendship Centre Society stopped ducking behind colonialism as the excuse all for crimes committed by First Nations members. You are turning colonialism into a blank cheque that allows theft and other crimes to be committed into perpetuity, its time to take responsibility, not time to blame someone else for everything, then send non aboriginals the bill for the organizations existence. Seriously step up to the plate, do something to help fix the problem, not use it as a means to slam the residents of Smithers who are already the victims in this issue.
There was a time when the Dze L K’ant Friendship Centre Society existed to foster friendship and good relations with the community of Smithers, yet in the last few years it appears that the Dze L K’ant Friendship Centre Society is more intent on firing torpedoes into that relationship as opposed to using the opportunity to foster healing and friendship.
#End of Rant
Then on Apr 17, 2023 from Interior News (here) the following.
“I am really struggling with having it in its present location,” said Councillor John Buikema. “And for me, there are three main reasons for that. One of them is I feel like a lot of residents have come forward and said, ‘I don’t want it in my backyard, whether it be Ranger Park, Dogwood Park, etc.’ “But I feel like if residents have the right to say not in my backyard, I feel like the business community should also have that right to say, I don’t want it in my backyard. And we’ve heard the frustrations, especially from business owners who live close by.” He added he also doesn’t like the location because he has heard from people who aren’t using the library anymore because of its proximity to the camp. He also wants it moved because residents have told him they feel unsafe in town.
“Councillor Genevieve Paterson said she will not support the bylaw as is. “I don’t want to see any overnight sheltering in any park. So none of the locations. The only location that I would like to see us explore is 19th Avenue,” she said.
The current elected officials of the Town of Smithers claim, “The Town is obligated to provide a safe space or spaces where unhoused people can shelter overnight.” while it is in part true, its a distorted form of the truth. “Chief Justice Christopher Hinkson found that City of Abbotsford bylaws prohibiting homeless people from sleeping in public places violate Section 7 of the Charter, which protects individuals’ safety and security of person. He also denied the City’s request seeking a permanent ban on homeless camping.“
First of all the Smithers Town Counsel always had the rules needed to deal with this tent city, but its playing word games to excuse the existence of a toxic and criminal encampment. We read the following in Smithers Interior News
The Town of Smithers has announced the temporary suspension of its weekly encampment takedowns and cleanups at Veterans Peace Park. According to the town, this decision has been made in order to ensure the safety of all workers involved in these takedowns and cleanups. “Sometimes the condition of the camp, and the behavior of those within the encampment makes things maybe not the best situation for staff,” said Mayor Gladys Atrill. “And we do have a responsibility as any employer to ensure that staff have a safe work environment at all times.”
WOW! is this what the Dze L K’ant Friendship Centre Society was referring to when it said “Our community members living in this park have done so peacefully.”
Now lets review exactly what the towns bylaw says. So the town is basically ignoring its own laws and doing whatever the hell it pleases, in complete disregard of the residents of Smithers.
“Setup in winter no sooner than 3 PM and taken down no later than 9 AM”
Seriously when you create a society that depends on drugs and alcohol as an escape, that you can stand up and tell the world how much you care by using tax payers dollars to create a warming shelter for the addicted, buy them tents many working class citizens cannot afford, and ignore the very rules you voted and were voted to uphold, then to suggest that the RCMP will enforce the rules, that are not enforced on the camp itself, makes it all a very pathetic joke.
Now do a Google search from a cellphone and write “drug overdoes in B,C, rising” then see what comes up.
Now the same search from a desktop
So the same people (Nathan Cullen) I hope you are reading this because you are in part responsible for creating this mess. Yes we are our brothers keeper, but you are party to a “dereliction of duty” to protect and serve our communities, we are not your wallet for your drug addiction experiments.