Yes, the cold weather is just around the corner and the City should step forward on one issue.
I first landed in the Capital in 2003 and I didn’t know anyone.
During my first evening, I heard a bureaucrat shouting at someone collecting empty bottles from a garbage bin.
I said to myself - What’s the big deal anyway?? In Saint John you see this act all the time.
Anyway, I would soon find out there’s a Soup Kitchen on the other end of the City and they feed the poor twice a day < all they can eat >
Now...there’s a reason for this.
Many of these poor souls have alcohol or drug problems. They can do their little drugs or drink themself to death in that area.
The Fredericton Police Force do not patrol that area 24 hours per day and this is a good thing.
This is their little area and they’re out of sight and out of mind from the rest of the City.
If they were ordered remove from the area. They would be all around the Capital and we sure can’t have that can we???
This is the bureaucratic City of New Brunswick and it’s clean so lets keep it that way!
Now? I approached the Mayor on this issue last week.
The cold winter months are just weeks away so why not built a temporary shelter for the people who has a drinking problem?
These poor souls are hard core drinking alcoholics!!!
I know 90% of them and they’re good people but they have a major problem with alcohol.
During the cold winter months, they would leave the area seeking warmth in the malls or behind buildings in different part of the City.
So? Why not built them a temporary shelter with someone watching over them?
This would be a win win situation for everyone involved.
They would stay in their little area and everyone would be happy!
What do you think????
15 comments:
Darn good Idea,
If it was kept clean,
otherwise,they don't care,we don't care.
That would be too nice and make too much sense. They must be made to suffer as much as possible.
There is a long term problem, there ought to be a perminent solution worked out.
Irvings are desperate to get Bernard Lord a job. May be they should build him a temporary shelter also because he is going to be unemployed soon. Wait till P.C knives come out.
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- As published on page A1 on October 16, 2006
Bernard Lord: Our man in Paris?
Foreign affairs If former premier represented Canada abroad, it could be his ticket to a career in federal politics
Rob Linke
Telegraph-Journal
OTTAWA - It would make sense for Bernard Lord and for the federal Conservatives for Prime Minister Stephen Harper to appoint the former premier to a prestigious post, says a professor of international affairs.
Amid the curiosity emerging about Lord's political future since his Sept. 23 election loss, Andrew Cohen says making Lord an ambassador in Europe would groom him for a possible career in federal politics at the highest level.
It could also be good for the Conservatives to give Lord that kind of opportunity to serve, as it would boost his profile as a political hope.
Cohen, a professor of journalism and international affairs at Carleton University in Ottawa, was a Globe and Mail correspondent in Washington, a visiting fellow at Cambridge University and has been a confidante of several federal politicians. He has also written a book about Canada's place in the world.
Cohen had not heard the persistent speculation in Fredericton that Lord, defeated after seven years as premier, could be named Canada's ambassador to France.
Neither is Cohen in a position to say whether Lord has any plans beyond his stated intention to stay on as leader of the Opposition in New Brunswick.
"This speculation would all depend on what Lord really wants to do," said Cohen.
The Paris job, now held by a career diplomat, is also something Lord dismissed on the campaign bus in August. He told reporters he had no intention of moving to France, and at one point his wife Diane piped up and told a reporter firmly, "no way."
Still, Cohen says the scenario of Lord getting an ambassadorial appointment should not be relegated to the "realm of fantasy" for several reasons.
Those reasons include Lord's possible reluctance to carry on for long in opposition.
"I can see why someone who has been seven years premier and wooed on more than one occasion for the national stage would want to look for other things to do," said Cohen. "I know he's said no to federal politics before, but he was premier then.
"As John Diefenbaker said, it's no fun to be in opposition when you've been in power."
If Lord, still just 41, does have federal ambitions, representing Canada abroad would be a significant addition to his already impressive resumé, argues Cohen.
Canadian premiers often stumble in federal politics - especially compared to the record of U.S. governors. One factor is a lack of foreign experience, he said.
"A stint in diplomacy would make a lot of sense for him," said Cohen. "If you were looking for a federal role and were coming from a relatively small province, and you're looking to give yourself some schooling "... in something different, it would seem pretty attractive to go abroad and serve in Europe."
There are also several precedents to someone with Lord's political experience being named to a diplomatic post, said Cohen.
Canada's high commissioner in London has often been a politician. Examples include Roy McMurtry, a former Ontario attorney-general, and Paul Martin, Sr., a federal cabinet minister.
Lord's fellow ex-New Brunswick premier Frank McKenna was appointed ambassador to the United States, a post he resigned shortly after Harper took office.
A significant difference between McKenna and Lord is that McKenna, a board member of several large companies, moves easily in the highest corporate circles.
So too does the former federal finance minister Harper appointed as his successor, Michael Wilson.
Lord was still a young law graduate establishing a small practice when he became leader of the Opposition in New Brunswick. A stint as ambassador would help him learn how to move on a larger stage.
"It's exactly what happened to Lucien Bouchard," said Cohen. "He went to Paris (as ambassador in 1985), got experience and returned" in 1988 to enter Brian Mulroney's cabinet.
Lord gained some international experience as premier. Among other things, he attended and chaired meetings of the New England Governors and Eastern Canadian Premiers, and travelled on a Team Canada trade mission to China in 2001.
He also attended the summit of the international francophone association in Romania shortly after September's election loss.
Lord was awarded the title of Grand Officier de l'Ordre de la Pléiade from the International Association of Francophone Parliamentarians.
Lord was once chosen as one of Time magazine's top 25 leading young Canadians.
The last time the Conservatives held power in Ottawa, Mulroney appointed so many politicians to foreign posts over career foreign service officers that it became controversial, said Cohen.
Lord is in an enviable position should he wish to leave the opposition benches.
As he and members of his defeated government have often reminded journalists and voters since Sept. 23, the Liberals may have won more seats but the Conservatives narrowly won the popular vote.
Lord also enjoys a good relationship with Harper, whose leadership he supported and for whom he campaigned vigorously in last winter's federal election.
He likewise has the respect of Mulroney, who spoke highly of Lord when New Brunswick's then premier was being touted as a national party leader.
Mulroney could speak to Harper about an appointment on Lord's behalf, said Cohen.
But it would not be unseemly for Lord to tell or have told Harper quite openly what he'd prefer to do, said Cohen - even as early as their telephone conversation when Lord was defeated.
The prime minister has almost certainly asked Lord what he wants to do now, said Cohen.
"I would imagine the Conservative Party would love to have Lord in Ottawa," said Cohen.
Lord, he said, is unlike many premiers when they leave office.
He's young, he's not a "discredited commodity," and he has enough national stature that appointing him to a prestigious post should not even generate criticism.
"People shouldn't squawk," said Cohen.
such as? Willing to let people freeze to death while we work out perminent solutions are we?
A warm place to kill yourself with booze and drugs? At the risk of being unpopular here (it wouldn't be the first time, would it folks?)I doubt too many people would go for this one. PPT is right that a long term solution is required which is two-fold, 1) coming up with a plan to dry these folks out and 2) convincing them that they need to get off the booze and drugs. The one problem of course is that you can't force someone into rehab. However making it easier for them to do themselves and putting them out of sight, out of mind isn't a good answer either.
For the ones who want treatment for addictions, they should be given residential treatment program spots. For the ones who don't want to be helped, I don't see the point in wasting money on free housing to encourage their destructive behaviours.
Its a good thing mckenna moves easily,cause no on ever wants him around very long.
You can fool some etc,
If you ever hear of any new ideas from him ,let us know.
"Roy McMurtry, a former Ontario attorney-general, and Paul Martin, Sr., a federal cabinet minister".
How does Bernard lord fit in with these two crooks?
Why? 7:29 PM. Is Bernard Lord the biggest crook of them all. He has perfected the art of lying and deception.
It's good to see where some peoples moral values are. Since people are addicted, we should let them freeze to death because otherwise they might use a room provided for them to drink or do drugs. Huh??
A room is fine. A designated place to specifically drink and do drugs (I'll have to assume there would have to be security as well)? No thanks. Helping someone kill themselves isn't my idea of helping anyone. The emergency shelter has one strict condition. You can't be inside if you're drunk or stoned. That's just common sense. Assistance is a wonderful idea but they have to want it.
Right, otherwise they have to freeze to death. We must kill them to save them. Isn't a room what we are talking about? So do nothing because a roof means they might take drugs. De-uh.
Okay, so we build them a shelter. Who works there with bunch of drunk and stoned addicts. Some will quietly go off to sleep, but let's face it folks, putting 5,6, 10 drunk or stoned adults in one closed space is asking for trouble. I'm not sure what the answer is, if I knew I'd be a wealthy person, but I think it's as much systemic as individual.
There are people who would work there - people who genuinely care about thier fellow human beings.
Here is a small way to help the homeless I saw in Vancouver:
Put shelves for bottles in cans on top of public garbage bins - this way people who collect bottles for income can do so easily without having to dig through trash, further stigmatizing them from society.
I talk a bit about this on my blog: http://personplaceorthing.blogspot.com
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