Canada Line Smoke Screens Continue

The Canada Line people just won't stop with their never-ending PR fluff.

Susan, a completely distraught Cambie merchant who has shared her frustrations with us before, brings us up-to-date.

First, the Canada Line Snow Job:

http://www.canadaline.ca/uploads/NewsReleases/News480.pdf

Read it and weep. The TRANSPARENCY!

The read Susan's response:

This is beyond belief.

This rubbish is the result of extensive consultation with the businesses by an executive with Partnerships BC - head cheerleaders of the P3 model - at the request of Canada Line - for the benefit of Canada Line.More retail workshops for gawd's sake? Maybe some tap dancing classes?That's right - It's our fault we're losing our livelihoods, nothing to do with the deception and double-cross by the project and the government - the absolute lack of any financial support planned for or implemented - the "blame the victim" message being relentlessly sent out by the "folks" at Canada Line, and the "inconvenient" canyon outside our doors for years on end - the "disruption" caused by constant changes to the plan (what plan) - the noise - the dirt - the STRESS - the shocking losses we "may" be experiencing.....Cleaning the empty storefronts? You can still see the strings of white lights on the floors of the empty shops from last Christmas.....Enhanced communications from CVBA with the merchants....like ANY communication?Free parking on the weekends? Recommending attendance at a street party?They've lost their minds and we're losing everything as a result. No integrity. No accountability. No compensation of any kind. Three strikes - they should all be out of office.HELP - our democracy is on life support.

Susan

CASTING FOR MORE BAD MONEY

I have written so much and so often about drug rehabilitation and the dead-end, destructive routes that our official "helpers" are taking these days that I am loathe to say another word.

HOWEVER...

The story in this morning's Sun ("TRAIL WOULD GIVE USERS FREE SUBSTITUTE DRUGS") is available to make you sick here.

One needn't go over one more time all the many things about this story that are wrong and hateful and disgusting.

But let's say a few things.

When these bastards claim that they will engage the clients in psych-social counselling and treatment, they are lying. Yes, lying. And for 3 good reasons.

ONE: You cannot talk to a stoned person. You are talking to a drug. So, if these lunatics give addicts drugs, they cannot then have a meaningful conversation about the Canucks, let alone a New Life Plan. Give your child a cookie at 2 am and then talk to him or her about how you're never going to give another cookie at 2 am. Huh?

TWO: The mayor and his hoods don't BELIEVE in treatment. They disparage the whole idea of treatment. Part of their hideous platform is that 75% of treatment is futile. They say these things in public. And when asked about this, the mayor will readily admit that he is ONLY interested in a "civil city." Which is his cute way of saying that if the addicts are given free drug substitutes they won't break into your homes and cars.

THREE: But they WILL break into your homes and cars because 30 minutes after the addicts get their free drug substitutes, they will be back in the alleys getting the real deal, which costs money, which can only be had by breaking into your homes and cars.

The other thing that needs to be said is that this awful program is now proposing to raise even more money from government and the private sector...money that SHOULD go to real treatment.

Finally, the man who has taken on this muddleheaded project is Richard Mulcaster. When I first learned this a few months ago, I was shocked. Mulcaster was for many years the very excellent Executive Director of the Vancouver Foundation. When he retired, he told me that he would be doing some international development work for CIDA and others. He lives in Shaughnessy and one would have thought he didn't need the money.

But you can be assured that Sam is paying him more than $100,000 a year - a sum that would fund 2 places for 2 addicts in a real rehab program for a full year of being clean and sober and learning how to leave The Life. A program that involves Hope and Dignity.

Giving an addict substitute drugs offers hope and dignity? Teenage prostitutes, given free drugs, will continue to be teenage prostitutes. The mayor is enslaving sick youth.

So what is Mulcaster doing? You would have thought that in all those years of funding program for the Vancouver Foundation, he had learned something.

Apparently not.

Richard, hang your head in shame.