Homeless Politely Asked To Leave Town Before Olympics

by Josie Raymond · 2010-01-12 10:31:00 UTC
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There's a migration going on in British Columbia -- and it's not Canadian geese. In preparation of the Winter Olympics, which start Feb. 12, Vancouver has taken over parking lots and garages where its homeless population lives. Out of sight, out of mind, now get your Vancouver 2010 souvenir shirts right here!

Though Vancouver is the official host city of the games, many events will actually be held in the nearby ski resort town of Whistler. Now comes word that Whistler is making a last minute push to get the homeless out of town, whether they or the cities they'll end up in are prepared.

According to an outreach worker in Whistler, many of that city's homeless are being given bus tickets to Squamish, the nearest town with a 24-hour shelter. Return tickets are provided, but with such a chilly goodbye, it's hard to imagine a warm welcome back.

This isn't surprising, of course. Vancouver has been working to sanitize its streets for months. We've previously reported on the systematic way that the Olympics push low-income people from their homes, a new law that lets Vancouver police forcibly move people sleeping in the snow, and an organization working to raise money for the homeless by helping tourists find accommodations.

Photo credit: Miss Barabanov

Josie Raymond is a Change.org editor who has reported from the streets of the South Bronx, written for several magazines that folded (not her fault) and fixed thousands of typos.
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