Remember, Vancouver Falls Creek thank you, I honor, the traditional territory of the First Nations people and acknowledge the ancestral and continuing connection to this land of the maytee nation. The citizens of Vancouver, Falls Creek, faced with increasing street disorder, safety issues, drug addiction and mental illness have created a new group called safer and cooler. Some of the founders are young mothers. The area has the second highest density of children in the city. Downtown Vancouver residents are known for their tolerance, but they now have their patients stressed well.

They have to deal with discarded needles and playgrounds and off-leash dog parks, human feces, agitated and aggressive people, desperate for cash following residents into buildings or cars into Park AIDS. Our standing police do their best, but business owners feel helpless with brazen shoplifting and recently $50,000 worth of broken windows. Some elderly people report feeling anxious when they leave their homes. These citizens are incorporating a nonprofit society that will support other safer groups, organizing around the province. 10,000 people signed their petition safer Vancouver also advocates for the safer lives of those with addictions.

They add why preventable overdose deaths are happening at all. Other countries like Switzerland solved this problem. Decades ago, the Canadian Senate issued its report on the Vancouver drug problem in 1955 over the past 65 years. The problems have only gotten worse growing to affect the whole province. In the last four years, 5,000, mostly men, average age 40, have died needlessly. We have more overdose deaths per month now than at any time in history. I am grateful for the volunteers of safer Vancouver.

Perhaps these citizens will provide the leadership needed to end this tragedy, both for our communities and our fellow citizens with addictions. Thank you.