Three Proposals In for Backpacker

Tuesday, April 24, 2007 03:57 AM

Backpacker Motel on Queensway, proposed site for transitional housing

It has now been two years since the Provincial Government announced there would be a transitional housing facility built in Prince George to help those with addictions, homelessness and mental illness.

For the second time in two years, a call was issued for proposals to operate such a facility, That call closed on the 12th of April.

Three proposals have now been submitted, and while B.C. Housing's Anne Howard says the players are the same as the initial call for proposals two years ago, the actual proposals are different.

The plan is to set up 28 to 30 housing units.

Howard says while community consultations will be held, the plan is to start construction later this summer, even though the demolition of the existing structure has yet to be scheduled, and the property has not yet been rezoned. She says the rezoning process will start in the next couple of months.

Howard was not able to say how the budget for the project may have changed since it was first announced two years ago.

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Posted on Tuesday, April 24, 2007 03:57 AM in News by 250 News

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Comments

Posted by: metalman on April 24 2007 8:14 AM

Oh goody. More taxpayer funded welfare for those who occupy the fringes of our society. No need to better yourself, the government will give you what you need to survive. No need to contribute to society, even if you have abused the rest of us by means of crime. How about this old chestnut: "a hand up, not a handout"
Will the politicians ever learn that people rarely improve themselves when they do not have to lift a finger to support themselves, free living.
metalman.

Posted by: Harbinger on April 24 2007 8:50 AM

Is there gonna be a lottery to win a place in this new venture or are the potential winners gonna be the ones who can con the bleeding heart Liberals best?

Posted by: postman on April 24 2007 9:02 AM

You would rather they reside in the backdoor stoop of your business or in the alley behind your house. Get over your bitterness and try to see the upside in these programs - there is one you know!

Posted by: Harbinger on April 24 2007 10:38 AM

Bitterness? Nah ! Just being objective. I as a matter of fact have no say either directly or indirectly with what goes down concerning the mentally ill and/or homeless. Just as well. God helps those who help themselves. But leaving religious cliches to one side, I am sure everything will work out for the homeless and the drug addled. That is why we have all these government agencies falling over each other to try and reach out to these people who either by choice or destiny are sentenced to wander the streets until some good Samaritan takes pity on them. They can get their tummies filled, clean sox and maybe a warm bed. Someone with nothing , not even a future would be content with that. The best part is all the free time you will have on yer hands. Instead of dragging yer ass out of bed every day and going to work and have half your earnings stolen by three or four levels of govt. you can just hang out. Commit crimes, party, sell drugs and the list goes on. In closing, I ain't bitter. Just cynical. Remember what the door mouse said, "There is always money for poor people". Not the middle class.

Posted by: Harbinger on April 24 2007 10:43 AM

Bye the way, The Charter of Rights says I can be cynical. So there! Nyah !

Posted by: thereasonableman on April 24 2007 10:59 AM

I think it is definitely a PC political move, but will 28 rooms make a difference ?

We'll see.

I think it would be more effective for the mentally ill, who through no fault of their own, find themselves unable to cope or become self-sufficient. They have all been kicked out of the institutions.

As for mixing drug addicts with these people, I think that would just be a mess. There's a very good reason they call them "users". I think they would take advantage of mentally ill people.

I think housing drug addicts in the VLA would be like a fat man living at McDonald's.

If all else fails, we could turn it into a brothel and drive-thru drug dealership. One big convenience store. One stop shop.

Posted by: Andyfreeze on April 24 2007 2:39 PM

So what's the point of community consultations if they are already planning to start constuction later this summer?Why do I get the feeling that what the community/area residents have to say will have very little impact on anything that is done on the site?
This is a very BAD idea and a very BAD location.It will be interesting to see the opposition when it comes time to discuss rezoning of the land.Not that it will matter.
The Millar Addition used to be a nice old area inspite of it's proximity to the downtown core.Unfortunately the decline is already evident.
Area residents can kiss any property values that they may have had a big fat goodbye when this is done.
There has to be a better place for this kind of housing even though it appears to be basically a done deal.IMO,this is a big mistake and it will be interesting to see how council deals with it.
Who on council stands up for the home owners??

Posted by: snappi on April 24 2007 4:00 PM

Nobody as none of the cousellors live in that area.

Posted by: Andyfreeze on April 24 2007 4:12 PM

figures...hope somebody is keeping score!

Posted by: lmorg on April 24 2007 4:36 PM

someone buy the property, bulldoze it and put up some nice townhomes that decent, taxpaying, and EMPLOYED people will buy. They did that at 20th and queensway and all of the condos there are sold!

Posted by: Runner46 on April 24 2007 8:50 PM

Oh contrare............only 1/2 the units were built......notice the bare face of the existing structure staring at you as you drive down Queensway.
In addition, the park is the draw, not Queensway.

Posted by: owl on April 24 2007 9:01 PM

There are the decent, taxpaying and employed people ......

then there are the indecent, non taxpaying, unemployed ......

never the twain shall meet .....

we have tracks here .... we should line up on the side we belong in and move to the proper side of the tracks .....

and as soon as it cahgnes, we should make sure we move to the other side of the tracks ..... such as when we are retired and thus unemployed ... and do not have enough of a pension ... thus pay no tax .... and have little money for clothes thus wear old clothes we have left over and are indecent looking all day long ....

Posted by: thereasonableman on April 25 2007 12:09 PM

I am FOR residential treatment for drug abusers, but I am NOT FOR programs that just make a bad habit more viable or affordable. I am totally NOT FOR having treatment centers in the middle of the hooker/crack house district.

Am I the only one that thinks this is a really f'd up idea ? Who is REALLY on drugs ?

This makes almost as much sense as the inquest into the log trucker who died as a result of hitting an airborne deer that had already been hit and launched by another vehicle.

Result: It's not his fault.

NO KIDDING, REALLY ?????

Posted by: bitter on April 25 2007 10:10 PM

I live in the Miller-Connaught area.BITTER you bet,We have been begging all levels of government to do something about the prostitution problem the City sent us. Now they want to send us more problems in the guise of a big rehab center. What happens to the people they kick out? Will they go down town and hang out around what Businesses that are left?or will they hang out around our homes, Schools,Parks.People from who knows where, with who knows what. We have a NEW Homeless Shelter. Turn the Housing Project into apartments for the working poor,or a Cancer Clinic. There is no upside to this project for the area residents. Area residents wake up.

Posted by: thereasonableman on April 26 2007 12:19 PM

I can agree with that opinion. Good point.

Posted by: Andyfreeze on April 26 2007 5:02 PM

Cancer clinic....now there is an idea that makes some sense!
I feel for you bitter... and everyone else who lives in the area.No way in the world council should be allowed to this to the residents of the Millar addition!
And if they do,they should have to answer for at election time.
If they do it there,they will do again somewhere else!So much for the joys of home ownership in PG.