In colonialism we trust: Ongoing municipal shenanigans at MEEGAN

In May we wrote about a post exploring some of the history of colonial theft and damage to MEEGAN (aka 'beaconhill park'). The post was prompted by a NIMBY uproar about people being allowed to shelter 24/7 in the park in COVID times, and related hysteria about temporary sheltering being predicted to cause apocalyptic damage …

Municipal government blocks handwashing and shower access

On October 27 we wrote about a grassroots shower initiative started by people fed up with governments' continued failure to make sure that people sheltering outside have access to showers close to where they're living. Raising their own money and doing their own construction, on Saturday November 7 the two community-built showers were taken to …

Grassroots showers

There are so many things in colonial government responses to COVID that are both predictable and also disturbing. Among these is the refusal to make sure that people who are sheltering outside can access basic hygiene like handwashing and showers close to where they are living. The United Nations has repeatedly stated that access to …

An update…kinda sorta

Wow, our last post was June 23. So much has happened...and yet really it's the same old, same old. Our blog writer says: "I keep meaning to blog, and then I just don't know what to say." Sometimes there aren't really words. We will be resuming posting again soon, with a more detailed update on …

Jun 25: What looming government decision means for people living outside

On June 25 'victoria' city council will be deciding whether to go back to enforcement of their parks bylaw that, as current written, bans daytime sheltering (forcing people to pack up their tents at 7 AM every day, and not set back up again till 8 PM -- 7 PM in winter). The stress and …

Action: Write City Council – keep letting people shelter in parks 24/7

In mid-March when the COVID public health emergency was declared, the city finally stopped enforcing one of the most harmful provisions of its Parks Regulations Bylaw: the ban on daytime sheltering in parks. This was a big relief. People have been able to keep their tents up 24/7 in areas where sheltering is permitted, rest …

We are human beings: Open letter from people living outside, to Victoria city council and staff

In every city across ‘canada’ there are people living outside -- sleeping in tents or cars or without any shelter, living in parks, alleyways or sidewalks. Instead of asking people who are living outside what they need and working constructively with them to make things better, many cities have taken a hostile “us and them” …

City of Victoria: Still a long way to go

Today City of 'victoria' Parks staff did a good thing, confirming bathroom hours are extended so there are more bathrooms open 24/7 and that a portapotty will be put into a park where sheltering is allowed to make it more feasible to actually do that. Kudos to staff to communicating respectfully and responsively with Poverty …

City Council’s fail = More homeless people facing eviction

The day after the province's May 20 eviction deadline for homeless people people still living at Topaz Park / Pandora Avenue, 'victoria' city council passed a weak motion brought by three councillors who have in the past been progressive. Councillor Sharmarke Dubow specifically raised concerns about homeless people's safety and human rights, but the rest …

The reality of state brutality

NOTE: This post includes descriptions of state violence experienced by homeless people living at Topaz and Pandora. People asked us to share what happened to them, to break through the deceptive stories about how the province's decision to hastily clear three tent cities is a good news story. While some people obtained temporary shelter in …