Lethbridge a dumping ground
By Letter to the Editor on September 9, 2021.
Editor:
As our group sat and discussed the current state of Lethbridge streets, we all agreed it is now the dumping ground for other cities and communities.
Last September, we all had a sigh of relief: the SCS was finally closed with 56 fatal overdoses to date.
For several months we saw a decrease in fatal overdoses and addicts on our streets, then we all noticed increased numbers on our streets as well as a change in the demographics, in the last few months with more non-Indigenous.
We observed illegal sites for using drugs increase, including one in an organization’s lower lever that is supposed to be a safe haven for women, but now we have witnessed men and women coming and going, carrying paraphernalia and Naloxone kits.
An increase of fatal overdoses increased nationwide as COVID restrictions cut off drug supplies and CERB got into the hands of addicts, seeing a rise in numbers.
In Lethbridge, we also saw the increase, but it wasn’t just from COVID! Shelters began dumping their overflow on Lethbridge and illegal consumption sites popped up in areas, giving more access to drug paraphernalia and sending a message it is alright to do drugs, we got your back, while lacking any counselling services to get them off the streets, sending the word around the province that we are once again providing all the services needed to enjoy their addiction.
We saw decreases when the SCS closed, we saw a decrease in crime, but now we are a dumping ground thanks to our Alpha House and other outside organizations collaborating and taking their overflow.
Then, they want to increase their size, saying there is a need?
The illegal consumption sites and these outside organizations are destroying any hope we have of cleaning up our streets by bringing the other major cities problems here!
They have no respect for council, our citizens or for the addicts, for that matter, as they shuffle them around like cattle, taking them away from friends and family, sending them to a shelter in Lethbridge that many state has gangs that harass them and that drugs flow like water!
If these shelters are going to come in and disrespect taxpayers, they should be shut down.
When people die after leaving an illegal drug site, criminal charges should be laid against the illegal operators! We have a choice!
Barry Ewing
Lethbridge
-1
Well, I know I am repeating myself because I have warned about this since his “Emminence Spearman/Council” decided to proclaim out loud that we may have to be the Southern Alberta Rehab facility.
That was the straw that broke the Camels Back. I have mentioned on numerous occasions that we could reverse this entire process within X months, those have long expired.
We have dogooder organizations creating Spearman stated goal. MSTH has taken this as license to assist the dogooders in ensuring we have MORE than enough addicts to justify further growth. Blood/Kainai accomodate us by booting any trouble maker (drug addict/gas sniffer/alcoholic) from lodgings and they end up here.
Dealers flock to where there is business, so you see a large influx of supporting infrastructure for the addicts. Addicts hear the infrastructure is increasing so they arrive here any way they can and even use MSTH “shuttle services” to get here.
Alpha house then applies for bigger facilities and the cycle is complete.
Why is this happening, total complacency on the part of Lethbridge Residents. Its happening before their eyes but they are assuming it is the same cycle. Its not! The cycle was Lethbridge parks attracted indigenous who left the reserve for the Summer and then went back to the Reserve when it got cold, but, Barry is right we are seeing more and more people coming to Lethbridge that are not indigenous that other cities are ensuring are not wanted.
It is EXACTLY what I warned about, but the world travelling Council and DoGooders know better. Copenhagen set up their Non Gov sanctioned and ignored by police Consumption site (SCS) and saw a 5 fold increase in addicts as every small town Sherriff, Police Chief made it very uncomfortable for them to exist in the neighboring towns. This caused the exodus from every small town and city within 70-100 miles of Copenhagen. The same is occurring here and just as Spearman and Council showed no clue what they were doing 3 years ago, they have blinders on as to what is happening and still refers to the addict who arrives via shuttle today, as a “Resident”
Spearman and Council, AlphaHouse and MSTH has no idea the damage they started and will continue to inflict on this city. Either the Chief of Police gets a handle on this or we will be inundated with Addicts all expecting lodgings food, and support. Why? All because they lit the fuse! Once lit, its very very hard to extinguish it. It can be done but we need people with testicular fortitude to just say ENOUGH, I see none!
We also have an election Provincially on the Horizon, both Phillips and Myashiro had major input into the SCS fiasco, so one can only assume if both are elected they will contribute to the continuing destruction of Lethbridge. Phillps/NDP funded the SCS, Myashiro/Spearman using their bullying tactics made things happen. I personally could care less how anyone votes but I would suggest you nail down both Phillips and Myashiro because both will speak with forked tongue to get elected.
We have moved to the next Phase of this already. How do I know we have moved to the next level of Drug Addict/Dealers taking over this city, more knew people arriving every week. So we are in Phase 3 of Spearman’s/Council/NDP misguided and perceived harmless comments. I can assure you all, you really do not want to see Phase 4.
Thats when Residents start to realize they did nothing to prevent what is about to beset us!
By the time Phase 4 hit Copenhagen they went from 1500-7500 addicts and lost total control of their waterfront……so standby, because we are about to lose total control of our downtown. The response from the Do Gooders will be Aww c’mon it won’t be that bad…..till it is, then it will be WE NEED MORE SERVICES, People are dyin, get out of the way “We’re savin lives here”! (Part 2)
Well said by both Old School and Barry! We are still able to stop this, but we have to act now! We need to take every addict that overdoses and put then into ‘24 hour medical observation isolation‘ to make sure they do not repeat it by taking more drugs to counter the Naloxone given them.
This is our city and we have a right to say what happens on our streets! The problem is not the police, but the Crown who is under orders to reduce a certain demographic from being incarcerated because they are over-represented in jails, ordered by Ottawa, coupled with the defiant SCS employees and new associates that have continued to operate sites illegally with no regard to the impacts. The downtown business community was devastated by the SCS, and they basically said, too bad!
The Shelter is trying trying to circumvent the laws to expand as they planned, completely ignoring the concerns of Lethbridge citizens. local businesses and bypassing Council!
For those of us paying attention, we have seen an influx of new street people and when asked, at least the ones willing to talk, tell how they got here and who paid for them to get here, including some shipping them down in vans!
What will it take to wake people up? When all their services they enjoy are slashed when government grants are slashed and the money is going to support the addicts and homeless, will they wake up then?
This is can be stopped, but we have to act now and by we I mean Lethbridge, no just the warriors that have fought to try to save this city, but the citizens!
This is our city and we can take it back!