People experiencing homelessness in 麻豆精选 were thrust into the spotlight of Canadian politics after the leader of the Conservative Party of Canada, Pierre Poilievre tweeted a video of a designated city-maintained encampment.
In 麻豆精选, all people experiencing un-sheltered homelessness are required to spend their nights at an encampment located along a popular bike path. Each morning, residents are expected to pack up their belongings and vacate the site, but as the population of people living without a home in 麻豆精选 grows, it has been increasingly difficult for bylaw officers to enforce the requirement to decamp each day.
READ MORE: Homelessness in 麻豆精选 tripled in size in the last year: Bylaw
Poilievre captions the tweet,鈥� These images are not from a faraway third-world country. This is 麻豆精选. After eight years of Trudeau and the NDP.鈥�
Capital News has reached out to Poilievre for comment over Twitter and by email, but has not yet heard back.
麻豆精选鈥檚 Gospel Mission estimates that there are approximately 1,000 unhoused people in the Central Okanagan.
@PierrePoilievre I am a reporter in 麻豆精选. @TracyGrayKLC has been our conservative MP since 2019. How would you better engage our representatives take action and address homelessness in 麻豆精选? https://t.co/61P1lFpQKo
鈥� Jacqueline Gelineau (@Rangers_mom) May 30, 2023
Heather Friesen, an advocate for vulnerable people in 麻豆精选, spends most days helping those experiencing homelessness in the city.
She said that while homelessness has grown in 麻豆精选, it has also surged across the country, under Conservative, NDP and Liberal provincial leadership.
鈥淭his is not a partisan issue,鈥� said Friesen.
READ MORE: Beautifying tent city: Resident providing fresh food through community garden
麻豆精选 has been under the leadership of Conservative Member of Parliament for 麻豆精选-Lake Country Tracy Gray, since 2019.
During this time, the population of people experiencing homelessness within the city has grown. Gray said that she hears about the issues facing 麻豆精选 including inflation, mental illness and addiction every day. She said that in Lake Country, food bank usage is up by 36 per cent in the last year.
鈥淲e see more homeless encampments which create safety issues for the greater community with potential fires and crime and are unsafe for those living there where criminals prey on the most vulnerable.鈥�
While Gray didn鈥檛 comment on what she is doing to locally to address homelessness, she did outline some specifics on what the federal Conservatives would do if elected, which included ending inflationary spending, getting interest rates 鈥渦nder control鈥� and halting all tax increases.
READ MORE: 麻豆精选 encampment 鈥榮pring cleaning鈥� has residents asking for basic sanitation
From across Okanagan Lake, Dan Albas, the Conservative Member of Parliament for the Central Okanagan, Similkameen and Nicola, also weighed in on the situation. While 麻豆精选鈥檚 encampment area is not a part of his riding, Albas is working to address the situation of homelessness in his riding.
He said that the toxic drug crisis and high rent are two of the primary drivers behind the increase in people experiencing homelessness in the Okanagan.
Albas said that many people are living paycheck to paycheck and are unable to afford the rising cost of living.
麻豆精选 is ranked as the fifth most expensive rental market in Canada with the rental market website Zumper putting a one-bedroom in the city at an average of $1,980 a month.
鈥淩ents have doubled and there are fewer options for (substance use and mental health) treatment available,鈥� said Albas.
He hopes to improve access to treatment centres with a conservative government, rather than expand safe supply, explaining that without social support, it is difficult for people to exit the cycle of addiction.
Capital News reached out to the City of 麻豆精选 for comment and was told Mayor Tom Dyas would be best to speak to the issue, however, is currently at the Federation of Canadian Municipalities Conference in Toronto.
While Dyas did not directly respond to an interview request, he tweeted about the issue of homelessness, but did not directly reference Poilievre鈥檚 comments about 麻豆精选.
鈥淚 know homelessness is top of mind for many people,鈥欌�� said Dyas in the May 31, tweet.
鈥淚鈥榲e been at the Federation of Canadian Municipalities conference in Ontario the last several days to learn about what we can do as a community to address this. The number of individuals living on our streets is unacceptable. Learning from other communities - their successes and mistakes - is one of the best ways we can address our issues here at home.鈥�
鈥淚 look forward to bringing back solutions to 麻豆精选.鈥�
I know homelessness is top of mind for many people.
鈥� Mayor Tom Dyas (@MayorTomDyas) May 31, 2023
I鈥榲e been at the Federation of Canadian Municipalities conference in Ontario the last several days to learn about what we can do as a community to address this. The number of individuals living on our streets is unacceptable. pic.twitter.com/9Jrtx7xr83
@Rangers_mom
Jacqueline.Gelineau@kelownacapnews.com
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