3 possible reasons why people don't flock to winnipeg

Deank wrote:"The city used to have a really good recycling program when it was private. They would take anything. Now it is city run and they hardly take anything!"

How old of a program are you talking about? The one immediatly before the current one sucked some serious ass. Now you can at least just throw it all in, no sorting, no washing. gonna be even easier when they give us all those gigantic recycling automated pick up boxes..

err I mean If.. yeah if..based on feedback... heh..

Back in the day when there was red box, green box and blue box.

One of them took pretty much everything including things like motor oil and paint.

ahh.. wasn't that only in one or two areas of the city though?

rosencrentz wrote:In Winnipeg in Winter time the "bums", homeless freeze to death if they aren't taken off the streets. Why aren't the bums given adequate, safe lodging? They are but many of these people have mental health problems.
Downtown Winnipeg is so clean from debris, it is amazing. The City has all of these youngsters walking around in coloured T-shirts, picking up papers, etc, it is amazing.
Poor people asking for money , what areas? Portage avenue?
Lame excuse , because every City has this problem in certain areas. Get a list of the areas and stay away!

Actually, if the temperature dips below a certain level, I think it is the law that the shelters and churches cannot turn away a person seeking refuge from the cold. In fact, Calgary had a program called "Inn from the Cold" where they would bus the homeless to heated warehouse buildings and churches if the temperature fell below -20C.

Unfortunately, not all homeless are in the mental state to seek shelter. I would estimate that about 20-25% of homeless people have some severe mental health issue (Schizophrenia, etc.) that prevents them from seeking the shelter provided. The majority of people in shelters I find had bad alcohol and drug problems, and would work at mainly temp agencies, so they could have cash at the end of the day to do their habit.

I base my experience on being in the Calgary Drop In Centre when I first arrived in the city, and could not find decent accommodations for the first month. There were many people like me who had arrived from different parts of Canada, some I befriended. There were people who just got paroled, and had nowhere to live.

However, I find the majority of homeless people to be substance abusers. I wish the government would do something to alleviate this problem, as it costs the city almost ten times the amount to have a citizen homeless than non-homeless, since they put a strain on the city's services (Police, Ambulance services, etc.)

"However, I find the majority of homeless people to be substance abusers. I wish the government would do something to alleviate this problem, "

like what exactly? Sell tainted drugs that kill all the users?

you cant "cure" people who dont want to be cured.

St Norberter wrote:

Bums - that a long term societal problem. Look at the demographic - mostly native. IMHO it stems from the reserve system. People grow up on a reserve in culture of dependency and entitlement. They have no sense of self ownership or respect for personal property - because if they need something, they ask the band. They come to Winnipeg and end up in shitty housing, because they don't have any sense of needing to do maintenance or upkeep. They end up on the street because they don't know how to support themselves. It may sound crass, but take away all the native panhandlers and you'll drop the number by at least 75%.

I think it is less of an issue of entitlement and more of a problem of drug/alcohol abuse. Keep in mind, the Government only stopped placing Aboriginal children (away from their parents and culture) in residential schools 40 years ago. So the first Natives who didn't have to deal with this, were raised by people who had no parenting skills.

Therefore many turned to substance abuse to ease the pain. It's getting better slowly, especially for Aboriginals under 20 years old. I can see your point though. Throwing money at the problem without gving the Natives courses on how to manage their money won't solve anything. They need services provided in the community, not free handouts. That's why you see many of the Natives beginning to have that sense of 'entitlement'.

Deank wrote:"However, I find the majority of homeless people to be substance abusers. I wish the government would do something to alleviate this problem, "

like what exactly? Sell tainted drugs that kill all the users?

you cant "cure" people who dont want to be cured.

How do you know that? That's similar to saying prostitutes don't want to be off the street, without realizing that 90% of them were sexually molested before the age of 16. Most of these people have had rough lives, and slipped through the cracks of society.

Many of us that had substance abuse issues made changes for the better, but does that give us the right to turn our back for the still suffering drug addict? True you can only do so much for someone who does not want help, but the truth is most homeless people and substance abusers want to chance, and don't know or have access to programs that would help them become productive members of society. In the long run, it is much cheaper for the taxpayer to help fund facilities for these people, than it is to let them "fend for themselves."

The bums, the ones on social assisstance, the unemployed, everyone should be given enough money from the "welfare system" to live on Wellington Crescent close to me or the Asper's, or open up those 88 vacant Federal houses just down the block on route 90.
The complaints about bums , is not a valid one! Every city has homeless, drug abusing, unemployed , people. I don't think any City has the answer, but should be watching for aggressive beggars.
Of cours my answer is to give them more money so they don't have to beg, but most people prefer to keep them broke and begging!

There is a program in every city to get the homeless off the street when temperatures drop. That aboriginal person who saved individual drunk aboriginals twice, was given an apartment, but he prefers to be on the street. There was an article last week about him being punched out by other drunks, because of the publicity.
At least some of his drinking buddies are trying to instill in him the attirude of let the drunk bum drown!

LJ. I have spoken with many of the guys on the streets in Winnipeg. They like the life they live. Other then the dieing part they absolutely love the freedom to basically do as they please.

Is it all of them? No of course not. But it is a very significant portion of them.

I have also talked with several of the prostitutes on the street and again there are many who love the life.

just because the "normal" section of society does not think that anyone could like living in those conditions, does not mean that some people do in fact like it. Its like when people are called "homeless" that bugs me. They are not homeless, for the most part their meaning of home simply differs from yours and mine.

Deank wrote:LJ. I have spoken with many of the guys on the streets in Winnipeg. They like the life they live. Other then the dieing part they absolutely love the freedom to basically do as they please.

Is it all of them? No of course not. But it is a very significant portion of them.

I have also talked with several of the prostitutes on the street and again there are many who love the life.

just because the "normal" section of society does not think that anyone could like living in those conditions, does not mean that some people do in fact like it. Its like when people are called "homeless" that bugs me. They are not homeless, for the most part their meaning of home simply differs from yours and mine.

I don't know of too many people who like living on the streets. Especially if you are hooked on drugs and have to sell your body to survive. Believe me when I say this. The people that tell you they are on the street because they like the lifestyle are lying. The majority have either given up on blending into society or are too strung out on drugs to see the reality of their predicament.

Many of the people in the 12 step groups stay sober for months and thank God each day they have a warm place to stay and have stayed sober. Unfortunately, when some do slip, you will see them downtown drinking and doing drugs, and acting like they are having the time of their life. A month later, they check themselves into detox or AFM, and you can see the shame in their eyes.

I have been sober for 8 months (alcohol was my drug of choice), and befriended a lot of people who have slipped, or returned to their old lifestyle, even some who are going in and out of detox on a regular basis. All you can do is try to help them when they are sober, but to say they are happy out on the street, and in and out of detox centres is just not true.

rosencrentz wrote:The bums, the ones on social assistance, the unemployed, everyone should be given enough money from the "welfare system" to live on Wellington Crescent close to me or the Asper's, or open up those 88 vacant Federal houses just down the block on route 90.

haha...I wouldn't go that far, but I believe everyone should have a roof over their heads, especially in a first world country like Canada.

Every city has homeless, drug abusing, unemployed , people. I don't think any City has the answer, but should be watching for aggressive beggars.
Of course my answer is to give them more money so they don't have to beg, but most people prefer to keep them broke and begging!

There is a program in every city to get the homeless off the street when temperatures drop.

Yes, it's good that they at least have programs to keep people from freezing to death. It should go farther than that, as you have to look at the big picture and ask "what is best for society in regards to this issue." Ambulance bills, and Police manpower used to escort these people to drunk tanks, etc cost more money than it does to house a person for a year.

My solution would be to build more affordable housing, and have better programs for people who want to change their lives and beat their addictions, rather than just having drug treatment centres. Whatever is best for the city is what we should try.

". The people that tell you they are on the street because they like the lifestyle are lying"

I know for a fact that alot of them are not lying.

Man, if I ever elected, or was forced to live on the street, you better believe that I'd head south on the first freight train that I could catch.

JTF wrote:Man, if I ever elected, or was forced to live on the street, you better believe that I'd head south on the first freight train that I could catch.

Or even east or west.

No need for a freight train either. Just start walking in March and see where you end up in October.

I have never understood why people would stay in Winnipeg if they we homeless

"I have never understood why people would stay in Winnipeg if they we homeless"

to be close to family?
because winnipeg's problem is not nearly as severe as other cities and there is less competition for resources?

competition for resources?

Huh? What, in other cities they fight for cardboard boxes?

JTF wrote:competition for resources?

Huh? What, in other cities they fight for cardboard boxes?

cardboard boxes, prime begging grounds, prime living areas, etc.

The stupid birds leave, but we stay! What does that tell you about us who are here?

rosencrentz wrote:The stupid birds leave, but we stay! What does that tell you about us who are here?

we have no life...

Deank wrote:"I have never understood why people would stay in Winnipeg if they we homeless"

to be close to family?
because winnipeg's problem is not nearly as severe as other cities and there is less competition for resources?

True.

Vancouver and Calgary have arguably the worst homeless problems in North America. When I was in calgary, the estimated homeless population was 3,500-4,000. Althoough that may have eased up since the ecomony crashed.

Alberta actually has done a more aggressive job of facing their homeless problem. They have more resources there for homeless people to find work and accomodations.

http://cupscalgary.com/ is a really good program, where they help the homeless/newcomers to the city by giving them free damage deposit for the first month if they find living accomodations (it's full months rent in Alberta for DD). They also have services like cheap dental and medical care, a website devoted to affordable housing, and other good programs.

3 reasons, possibly.

STINK
STANK
STUNK

Garbage flies and burns.. (here).
Am I a BUM? Considering I used to collect empties from Sinclair Park in return for gum, candy, icecream, and cream soda.
(I almost used to make a fortune, now that I think about it...).

I have no problem with bottle pickers, they 'clean up' as far as Im concerned whatever money they get they truely earn imo.

cc

Winnipeg ranked 22nd for attractiveness
WINNIPEG — Winnipeg gets middle-of-the-pack grades in a new report by the Conference Board of Canada that gauges the attractiveness of cities to migrants.
Calgary, Waterloo, Ottawa, Vancouver, St. John’s and Richmond Hill have what migrants are looking for when choosing where to locate, according to the report issued this morning called City Magnets II: Benchmarking the Attractiveness of 50 Canadian Cities.
Winnipeg, on the other hand, ranks 22 of the 50 cities measured.
The report gives each city a grade on seven categories like economy, education, environment, health, housing, innovation and society.
Winnipeg’s highest grade is a "B" in environment, but it pulls off a "C" grade in everything else .
"Cities that fail to attract new people will struggle to stay prosperous and vibrant," Mario Lefebvre, the board’s director of municipal studies, said in a statement.

Winnipegger's are so riddled in their own neglect of positive thinking..why is it that the same people keep yapping about pot holes, unattractive buildings and plain everything.

I live in Vancouver. Vancouver has as many pot holes and poorly maintained streets as Winnipeg. Just take note that Vancouver streets become rivers instead of streets during the monsoon periods. The after math is that of houses sliding down slopes, streets falling apart and bridges in grand disrepair. GO FIGURE!! I challenge the folk of Winnipeg to do some traveling, travel to any major city and find the many issues plaguing ALL cities - it's not just Winnipeg.

Vancouver is more scenic for certain, yet, with 280 days of rain each year, where is the sunlight? Vancouverite's go to work, go home or drink themselves out of all miseries..the Winnipeg folk are bedeviled with the same-same garble "potholes."

Should the Winnipeg folk become more positive, then only to show more positivity to new immigrants and to include new business's....there might be room to "bitch" less and realize - The Grass is not Always so Green on the other Side!

It is totally embarrassing to read how miserable and pot hole minded Winnipeg people are. I have visited 100's of cities on this globe, and they all have potholes - and driving appropriately, will also keep your vehicles in new form just like any other geographic location manages to drive around hole after hole.

Wpg gets graded B/C & the people ought to receive an F-!