Open Letter To Justice James Williams

Photographer and Abbotsford Today contributor Bas Stevens took a drive down Gladys Avenue Monday afternoon March 24th. He took some photos along Gladys Avenue all the way from Essendene Avenue, past the Sally Ann and on through to the under/overpass on Fraserway.

Photo: Nick Zurowski, member of the Drug War Survivors. Photo by Bas Stevens

Ever since a BC Supreme Court Justice’s order was enforced by the City of Abbotsford and the Abbotsford Police Department just before Christmas, the story, in photos and words, of the men and women Abbotsford is either unwilling or unable to house has simply provided more evidence that, whatever the judge was told about Abbotsford’s ability and willingness to shelter its homeless population was either a terrible mistake, an awful misunderstanding or an outright lie.

The photos below provide only the latest in a growing body of evidence. Please click through the links provided in order to discover the full scale of the tragedy.

March 25, 2014

BC Supreme Court
938 Howe St
Vancouver, BC
V6Z 1N9

Attention: Mr. Justice James Williams
Please come to Abbotsford and meet the men and women for whom the City of Abbotsford told you they could and would find shelter. There are dozens of them living along the railway tracks, across from giant expensive new church buildings and the provincially-funded Salvation Army premises. There are dozens more hiding in the woods, living under highway overpasses, in culverts and ditches through the City of Abbotsford.

They continue to be left to their own devices. No shelter. No housing. No hope.

We were told that the City of Abbotsford assured you we had plenty of shelter for our homeless men and women and that the homeless protest camp you ordered dismantled in Jubilee Park was simply home to a few professional protesters. We watched as the City of Abbotsford enlisted the help of all the high barrier shelters to find room for the occupants of the protest camp over Christmas.

Within days those requiring high barrier shelter were back on the street. Within days they had begun to congregate at the new site for their Teepee on Gladys Avenue opposite the Mennonite Central Committee’s new building – a location from which two of them had been evicted months before.

Justice Williams there are no low barrier shelters in Abbotsford. For men and women who suffer from mental illness, alcohol dependance, drug addiction or the behaviour problems associated with those diseases and afflictions, there is nowhere to go in Abbotsford but the ditches, the railway tracks, the culverts and the streets.

Just last month, the same City of Abbotsford which told you it could shelter its homeless men and women turned down $15.3 million worth of funding for the smallest low-barrier supportive housing project ever contemplated by BC Housing.

That’s right your honour. We neither have shelter for these men and women nor will we accept funding for such shelter when it is offered.

Ever since they were hustled out of sight for a few days, or weeks on your order, it seems the City of Abbotsford has no intention of doing more than what they did in order to get their empty park back. Without your help, we fear they will go back to being victimized by the Abbotsford Police Department (which has admitted guilt in abusing, stealing from and pepper-spraying these men and women and has agreed to monetary compensation for some of their victims), the City of Abbotsford Public Works Department (which used chicken feces to control the growing number of homeless men and women huddled near the Salvation Army, which knew about and approved the City’s despicable actions).

Please come to Abbotsford and see the people for whom you were told there was plenty of shelter space. They are hanging on by the dozens along the edges of the City with no shelter or hope in sight.

 

For more on the judge’s decision and what has happened since please see:

Gladys Homeless Camps Growing In Number And Size
More Eviction Notices As City, Cops Go After Remaining Homeless
City Removes Wooden Fortress
Abbotsford Fumbles Attempts To House Homeless Protesters
Mixed Reaction As Homeless Try To Live Up To Judge’s Order

For more of Bas’ photos of Abbotsford’s Homeless Crisis please see:
Standoff In Jubilee – Day 2 In Photos
The Face Of Abbotsford’s Homeless
Moving Day On Gladys Ave

Cover photo of Clarence by Bas Stevens.

Bas Stevens Photo

Bas Stevens

Bas is the owner and photographer at MonoPod Photography.

You can follow Bas on Facebook where he publishes many of his photos.

To see more of Bas’ photos on Abbotsford Today click here

To see Bas’ photos of the homeless during Moving Day On Gladys Avenue click here

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Bas is the owner and photographer at Monopod Photography. You can find examples of his work on the website.

You can follow Bas on Facebook where he publishes many of his photos.

To see more of Bas’ photos on Abbotsford Today click here

To see Bas’ photos of the homeless during Moving Day On Gladys Avenue click here