addhum just posted this comment on my previous post. It is worth more attention:
Little known fact: the city has tendered a $250,000 contract to pave over the green boulevard on the 900 block of Pandora (between Quadra and Vancouver). It's a pretty shameless attempt to push out people who use the services at Our Place and the Vefra building. AND, they got no bids on the tender, because no company can do it for that money - THUS, they are re-tendering soon at DOUBLE THE PRICE.Thanks, addhum!
Cheap alternative? Community Garden. I'll admit, it could be problematic, but I think it could also be a great community-building project in a space that needs to feel more like a home and less like a highway. Could LLAFF partner with Our Place on a project grant and set up a gardening outreach programme?
The Victoria Coalition Against Poverty (VCAP) is having a meeting to discuss:
Date: July 12, 2010
Time: 7:00 pm
Place: Camas Books, 2590 Quadra (@ Kings)
You might want to go, and bring up the community garden concept, O Reader of this Post!
I am not in Victoria to attend. However, I hope that we can prevent such a dismal 'solution'.
MVB is a big fan of community gardens and effective public spaces, as you well know. One of the ideas presented (via a friend) was using this boulevard on Pandora as a community garden for the disadvantaged and homeless in our fair city. It has the potential to be part of a progressive, collaborative, and very beneficial project for Victoria.
I am not sure how shooing the homeless out -- while ruining a green space and potentially vibrant public space -- is going to help anything...
3 comments:
something needs to be done with that area. if what they're proposing will take a bite out of the loitering there i'll be happy, but yeah i think beautifying it instead could have the same effect if done right.
also if anyone knows of a meeting on this that's not being held at an anarchist hangout that'd be awesome.
Thanks for the feedback.
I don't think the loitering is the problem to people, but WHO is loitering.
Finding a constructive way to improve the conditions and lives of these people would presumably be more effective than simply displacing them.
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