Do you Believe?

I had mixed feelings about the Olympics being here. It escalated the homelessness crisis which has nearly tripled since the Olympic bid in 2003. We suspected the costs would ultimately cost us in the long run and they have. We did not have the opportunity to vote on the Olympics, it was a choice made for us and there are a great many people who resent the sacrifices we are being asked to make in order to help pay for them. Most people who live in British Columbia could not afford to attend the Olympics. We were just put on the back burner while the athletes and their families, sponsors, coaches, and wealthy visitors graced our city with their presence, wide eyes, and pocketbooks for two weeks, while we hosted the largest domestic military and security operation in Canadian military history.

I am first to admit that athletes deserve to have the Olympics. It showcases the efforts they have put into their sports year after year, rewards the sacrifices they have made and their families have made to get them where they are. It is nice to see young people be the best they can be. But what is the expense to the young people and families who are now paying for the Games they could not be a part of?

A colleague said Maybe this will persuade some people to take those stupid Canadian flags off and realize what it's cost us to host a hockey game and hand out hunks of metal to a bunch of silly people for sliding around like kids.
I don’t feel that way towards the athletes and I think the patriotism we witnessed was a rare and wonderful thing, because without pride in our country, who will care what is happening in it? And if you care, you can do something about it. There is just cause to ask for community solidarity and resistance to the cuts and increases tabled in the 2010 provincial
budget that worsen already unacceptable standards of social welfare and working poverty in British Columbia

While it is nice to host people in your “home” there is a responsibility to protect all people who live in your home, and not shove ones you neglect and abuse in the closet so you are not embarrassed, or so your guests don’t think less of you.
This is what the government did. And they have a lot of skeletons in their closet.

The $6 billion Olympic party is over, but poverty in British Columbia is not. The March 2, 2010 budget, which ironically came out on the same day that Canada ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of Person’s with Disabilities, brings the skeletons out of the closet and picks off their bones some more.

British Columbia has had the highest child poverty rates in the country for 6 years running, and this budget saw more cuts to services for young children and their families. From reducing dental care and birth control access for people with disabilities to ending funding for legal and tenancy advocacy programs, we are paying for the Olympics.

Not only is the government failing to fund services and benefits it has taken away those that have kept people going for years. People are losing their jobs on masse. The rights, safety and dignity of our community members are worth less than monetary savings.

We have just lost 92% of provincial funding for the Arts, Vancouver community centres & libraries are on the chopping block as well as attractions that have been available to the public for 30+ years.

But it was a lovely opening ceremony wasn’t it?


Justice is a core component of democracy and without it do we have a democracy?

Five regional legal aid offices shut their doors on March 26th. Accessing legal aid has just become a lot harder if not impossible. Kamloops, Kelowna, Prince George, Surrey, Victoria and two legal aid phone lines for people to access are no longer available for people to access justice. Legal Services Society has just been cut from the Nanaimo Justice Access Society. Staff lawyers since April 2009 have been reduced from 32 to 5. Who is going to help people who need to access justice. A brochure?

Justice is a core component of democracy and without it, in my
> view we do not have a democracy--this is ironic considering how Canada
> fights for justice in other countries

In recent weeks, the province cut the only drug and alcohol withdrawal program in the Fraser Valley – one which had a months-long waiting list. In the same region, many hospital-based social workers were displaced
The government eliminated all spiritual care services in the Fraser Health Authority. They have closed an entire, much-needed psychiatric ward in Victoria. They’ve cut 10,000 MRI scans in the Vancouver area alone, delaying thousands of surgeries.
They have cut intensive therapy programs for children with autism. They have cut infant development program, aboriginal infant development, supported child development and Aboriginal child development programs.

But the hockey game was exciting wasn’t it?

There are many cuts and eliminations of health and medical benefits coming to people receiving provincial disability benefits and income assistance.

Imagine for a minute that you are injured and cannot work anymore. Imagine that maybe your marriage has broken up and the wage earner has left you with the kids. Imagine you develop a terminal disease or a chronic health problem, or you lose your job and just cannot find work. Imagine your child gets sick and you have to stay home to care for him because no one else can and you need financial help to live. Imagine you lose your job and go bankrupt and find yourself homeless and without funds for basic living. Imagine you have no family to help you.This is what you would face should you be the position of many community members through no fault of their own.

Do you believe?


A broad range of medical equipment and supplies will no longer be funded by the Ministry. Those that will be funded must be the cheapest appropriate to the person’s needs and are listed in the regulations. The Ministry will no longer fund diagnostic testing devices such as glucose meters, contraceptive devices (for example, IUDs), or pre-made orthotics. Restrictions are now in place for how often the Ministry will repair or replace equipment or how much money the Ministry will spend on each item of equipment. For instance, motorized scooters valued at more than $3,500 will not be funded. To be eligible for a motorized scooter, a physician must say the applicant won’t need a wheelchair for 5 years. Many people are terminally ill and require nutrition that welfare rates and disability rates do not provide. There has been opportunities for people to get extra money via a monthly nutritional supplement of about $200.00 a month. The eligibility requirements have now been tightened. This is gatekeeeping. The loss of bone density will no longer count as a symptom. Significant weight loss not significant weight change will be used to determine eligibility, even though we all know starch and fat are the cheapest foods and many poor people are overweight but still malnourished. Applicants will be required to demonstrate they have at least two symptoms, rather than one which is currently the case. It will be reduced by $20 because the Ministry will no longer fund bottled water. This sucks for people who live with contaminated well water, and whose immune systems are in peril. People currently receiving the bottled water supplement will receive it until May 31st 2010 only.- People with disabilities who leave assistance when they turn 65 and go on to the seniors’ pension, or people who leave provincial disability for Canada Pension Plan Disability will only keep their medical and dental coverage for one year, rather than permanently as is currently the case. People with disabilities who leave assistance for employment will only keep their medical coverage if they are receiving Premium Assistance from the Medical Services Plan. Cleaning, examinations and fluoride treatments will be reduced to once a year (currently twice a year).X-ray coverage every 2 years (currently every year). The $75 monthly Shelter Allowance for people who don’t pay rent is eliminated as of June 1st 2010. This usually assists homeless people to find shelter in poor weather or when they are too sick to be outdoors for the night. We are saving about 6.9 millions dollars off the backs of sick people in poverty.

Do you still “believe”?


For those who have mental health and addictions issues, or your family members, the government has cut funding for Atlas Youth Supported Recovery in Terrace, the only residential recovery centre for youth in BC’s Northwest . They cut funding for the award-winning West Coast Alternatives Society, where drug and alcohol programs for adults, youths and children help 600 residents a year. They cut social work budget in Fraser Health region hospitals, resulting in loss of 14 positions and are closing adolescent psychiatric unit at Abbotsford Hospital. They cut funding for 11 residential care beds at Bear Creek Lodge and 11 residential care beds at Newton Regency in Surrey and are eliminating the only recreation therapist in an eating disorders clinic. They cut funding for Burnaby Family Life, a program for adult survivors of sexual abuse, they cut mental health and addictions services at Capital Mental Health Association in the Victoria area and cut half the staff hours at Gaumont Resident in Kamloops, specializing in treating mental health and addictions They closed Waddell’s Haven Guest Home in Mission, a residential mental health facility also providing addictions services and closed the only withdrawal management program in the Fraser Valley, at Chilliwack General Hospital. They eliminated psychology services for adult rehabilitation at Royal Inland Hospital and we see the elimination of music therapy, other staff cuts including dietitian, social worker, counselor, recreation therapist at Burnaby Centre for Mental Health and Addictions. They closed outpatient psychiatry programs at UBC Hospital: anxiety disorder clinic and integrated personality program. For those on the island they are closing the psychiatric ward – Eric Martin Pavilion – in Victoria.

The province has 130,000 citizens with substance abuse disorders or mental illness and of those, 26,500 are inadequately housed and supported. It is estimated that substance abuse disorders and mental illness affects 60 – 100% of the homeless population. That is a pretty big closet to fill.


For our seniors population, the government has cut funding for North Shore Keep Well Society, which helps keep 500 seniors healthy, and Seniors’ One Stop, which gets 5000 calls yearly. They closed a 36-bed geriatric assessment and rehabilitation unit at Victoria General Hospital, closed geriatric day hospital in Vancouver, closed 25-bed convalescent care unit and an 8-bed hospice at Queen’s Park Care Centre in New Westminster ,closed 42 residential care beds at Peace Arch Hospital, closed Pouce Coupe Care Home and are closing Oak Bay Lodge and Mount Tolmie Hospital in the Victoria area.
Older adults not only contribute to the emotional, physical and financial well-being of family and friends, they also form the backbone of Canada's volunteer organizations including VANOC.
For those who have children and infants with special needs, they have cut funding to help young children access Early Intensive Behaviour Intervention autism program at Queen Alexandra Centre for Children eliminated key staff for Infant Development Program, Aboriginal Development Program and Supported Child Development Program, leaving parents with special needs kids with less support and we see the closure of Melissa Park Lodge in Port Coquitlam, a mental health residential facility and child development centre specializing in mental health and addictions services for children and youth, plus they cut autism intervention services in the Okanagan
But we witnessed the paralympians as remarkable ambassadors of the human spirit.
For those needing surgeries, diagnostic tests and treatment, hang on in the closet because they have cancelled 328 knee and hip operations for people living in the Interior, cut 760 elective surgeries and 3000 MRIs on Vancouver Island , cut almost 10,000 MRIs -- and possibly cutting 6000 surgeries and closing 25% of operating rooms -- in the Vancouver health region. They have cancelled 35% of elective surgeries in the Fraser Health Authority during the Olympic games, adding up to an estimated 2000 surgeries; cancelled 450 surgeries in the Vancouver Coastal Health Authority during the same period, as well as implementing extended closures until March 2010, cancelling another 5800 cases They have eliminated speech language pathology services in Golden and at Kelowna General Hospital, closed six rehab beds for joint surgeries; closed five hospice beds; closed five reactivation beds. There are concerns about inadequate sterilization of surgery equipment and this has caused cancellation of surgeries at Royal Inland Hospital. They cut services for multiple sclerosis patients at UBC, many of those patients come from the island.
VANOC included a medical services budget within their Sport and Games Operations budget of $247 million. A 10,000 square foot polyclinic with up-to-date health services is at each Olympic athlete village at Vancouver and Whistler. Also, other venues that are part of the Olympics also had medical stations for both the athletes and the spectators. Complete medical service was provided for Olympic athletes. Emergency health care, first aid, and, if necessary, ambulance transfer to a suitable hospital were all provided without charge for the Olympic spectator by VANOC.

As far as social servIces are concerned, they cut $2 million from contracts with community agencies and non-profit societies delivering health services in the Victoria area, we all know they have cut crisis line services in the North Island despite a well organized campaign not to do so, they closed the Chimo Achievement Centre, a therapeutic day program for adults with disabilities in Coquitlam and the TriCities area, promoting independence, preventing deterioration, and enhancing quality of life. We see cuts to support services for people living with HIV/AIDS in both Vancouver and the Okanagan, with more severe cuts announced for the spring. The closure of a specialized food bank for people living with HIV/AIDS, stocked with nutritionally optimized items to support the dietary needs of immune compromised clients is gone. Just when you really need to reach out for some inspiration and hang onto your faith, the spiritual care has been eliminated across Fraser Health Authority. The government reduced funding and introduced new charges for Meals on Wheels in Nanaimo , they cut employment and vocational support services for people with mental disabilities and other barriers to employment they cut 50% of public health dietitians , cut speech language pathology services at Deaf Children’s Society of BC.
It looks like the skeletons will be coming out of the closet. The problem is, who will see them now that everyone has gone home?