Skip to main content

“I am a Canadian, free to speak without fear, free to worship in my own way, free to stand for what I think right, free to oppose what I believe wrong, or free to choose those who shall govern my country. This heritage of freedom I pledge to uphold for myself and all mankind.” ~~ John G. Diefenbaker

The BC government media release failed to mention that between 2007 and 2014 there were 550 deaths, or an average of 38 people per year and a 450% increase. That should be totally unacceptable


On Thursday (March 21st) the BC Coroners Service released updated statistics on deaths among homeless individuals, in British Columbia, to the end of December 2016.  Those who died included homeless persons living outdoors, sheltered homeless and individuals residing in short-term shelters, safe-house or transition-house accommodation for an unknown length of time



Women write messages on a banner during a memorial
service to remember those who have died in British
Columbia as a result of the drug overdose crisis
In what I would call basic technical terms, the report summarized all deaths between 2007 and 2016 where the deceased met the BC Coroners Service definition of homeless. Reportable deaths include all non-natural deaths, and all sudden and unexpected deaths where an individual was not under the care of a physician.



These people weren’t just deceased individuals, or reportable deaths. In most cases they were people who had slipped through the gaping cracks in a system that was not set up to provide care in facilities designed to help those addicted – those homeless – those suffering from severe mental health issues - and numerous other problems.



Among key findings of the report was the fact that in 2016, 175 homeless individuals died in BC – an increase of 140% over deaths recorded in 2015 (that would indicate 73 deaths then for the year 2015). 



In those two years alone, 248 deaths were recorded.  Sadly, ninety-three (93) of accidental deaths (86%), and over half (53%) of all deaths were attributed to unintentional drug and / or alcohol poisoning. 



What the government media release failed to mention, however, was the fact that between 2007 and 2014 there were 550 deaths --- or an average of 38 people per year.  That’s a 450% increase folks --- and that is totally unacceptable. 



I do commend however, the current NDP government for taking swift action on creating housing, for the homeless, right across the province. Maple Ridge, Kamloops, Comox Valley, Prince Rupert, Port Alberni, across metro Vancouver, Smithers and other communities have all seen housing created not just for those on low incomes – but also those experiencing homelessness.



For many, though this comes too late.  The list of reportable deaths amongst the homeless in Kamloops (where I live), came to 15 men and women.  That placed us at #9 on a list we should NOT BE proud to be part of.



Here’s another list we should not be proud of:
There were 1,310 illicit drug overdose deaths with fentanyl detected in 2018. This is a 7% increase over the number of deaths occurring in 2017 (1,223).




That tells me that it’s obvious that telling those addicted to drugs “we love you, be safe” isn’t cutting it.  The ridiculous government posters telling us those who are over-dosing are “Husband, Father, Co-Worker – Friend – etc” – they aren’t reaching those who need to be reached either. And seriously, what impact do they have?  NONE, in my opinion.



It’s not reaching those most seriously impacted; the homeless and those with no safe shelter from the elements, those who have given up on any hope of a better life and who have simply given up, and those suffering from mental health issues.



In the past 10 years poisoning from drugs and alcohol have amounted to 72% of all accidental deaths by the homeless – 224 people.  Exposure from cold, falling, drowning, fires are also included in that list of causes of accidental deaths.



It’s not hard to see however, that homelessness, mental health, and drug addictions would ALL contribute those dying.



We need to do better!



Addiction recovery centers .... continuation in building more safe housing ... counseling services .... education ... building job find skills.  These are just a few things on a very long list that must have a better and higher priority for those in government --- and typical partisan squabbling had better not be an issue. 



That’s how I see things anyway.  Agree?  Disagree?  Have more to add to the conversation?  I’d sure love to hear from you so please share your thoughts in the comment section of this blog post.


Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

FORSETH -- Focus on the nine things I mentioned. That’s what will allow the Conservative Party to win the next election

IMAGE CREDIT:   Darryl Dyck, the Canadian Press. I thought I had already made up my mind who I would be ranking on my ballot, in the Conservative Party of BC leadership race; now I am not so sure.  That means that, at least for me, and perhaps many others, it’s a good thing voting hasn’t already taken place. There were initially only one or two of the candidates that I thought might be a little too right of centre for my liking, now it seems that list is growing. I consider myself more closely aligned with what used to be called a Progressive Conservative, regardless, I feel more than comfortable within the Conservative Party of BC.  Some, however, in messages to me on my political Facebook page, have been rather, shall we say, a bit mean-spirited in comments they’ve made about my ‘purity’ as a conservative. To tell you the truth, I really don’t care! Some leadership candidates, in comments made online, have also been raising the issue of who is a pure enough conservati...
Post a Comment
Read more

WARD STAMER -- Those are REAL forestry numbers, not just made-up numbers

The following is a condensed version of remarks Kamloops – North Thompson MLA Ward Stamer’s made, regarding Forestry, in the BC Legislature, on Tuesday afternoon (02/24/2026)   Let’s talk a little bit, when we talk about Budget 2026, about the forest industry, which is near and dear to my heart. Forestry remains one of British Columbia’s foundational industries. It’s a pillar that built this province. Entire communities depend upon it. Interior towns, northern communities, Vancouver Island regions, the Kootenays, the Lower Mainland, with manufacturing facilities in Surrey and Maple Ridge, just to name a few — everywhere in BC is touched by forestry. One word that was not mentioned in Budget 2026 was forestry. That’s a shame, an incredible shame. It wasn’t an oversight – it was intentional. This government has driven forestry into the ground .... INTO THE GROUND! We can talk a little bit about some of the initiatives that this government has brought forth, to try to resurrect ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Your government has a gambling problem (Troy Media)

Provinces call it “revenue,” but it looks a lot like exploitation of the marginalized The odds of winning Lotto Max are about 1 in 33 million. You’re statistically more likely to be struck by lightning than to win it. But your government is betting that statistics won’t hold you back; they’re counting on it. Across Canada, provincial governments not only regulate gambling, they also maintain a monopoly on lottery and gaming by owning and operating the entire legal market. That means every scratch card is government-issued, gambling odds are government-set, casino ads are government-funded and lottery billboards are government-paid. And these are not incidental government activities. They generate significant revenues that governments have powerful incentives to expand, not constrain. It would be one thing for our governments to encourage us to engage in healthy activities. We can quibble about whether the government should be trying to convince us to be more active or eat more vegetabl...
Post a Comment
Read more

Labels

Show more