Canadian politics thread

[whitev70r]

Honda is gloating somewhere ... BC ends decriminalizing drug experiment.

https://vancouver.citynews.ca/2026/0...ation-project/

[spoon.ek9]

Not sure if true, but there were posts about Adams trying to treat his cancer with Ivermectin on the advice of some Conservative quack

[Mikoyan]

Originally Posted by spoon.ek9

Not sure if true, but there were posts about Adams trying to treat his cancer with Ivermectin on the advice of some Conservative quack

It's true. He talked about it publicly.

[spoon.ek9]

It fits the bill then. I cannot for the life of me fathom how anyone can base their medical decisions on political affiliation.

[underscore]

It's easy, just be really stupid.

Originally Posted by GLOW

one of my fav engineering memes, b/c how often it is close to truth

Spoiler!

No joke this has been my entire year so far.

[Dbone]

Originally Posted by whitev70r

Honda is gloating somewhere ... BC ends decriminalizing drug experiment.

https://vancouver.citynews.ca/2026/0...ation-project/

It is sad to see how much of a pussy Eby has turned out to be. He once fought for these people, and now he throws them to the wolves just because of some BS tweets by people like Sturko, and the rage baiting wankers at the National Post.

Big win for organized crime, and very expensive private rehab facilities. Massive loss to us tax payers as it means more policing (probably), more hospital visits, more deaths, and a worse life for those whom already have it incredibly bad.

I think the people who are cheering for this need to be honest with themselves. They don't care about the drug addicts. They don't care about their suffering, or if they ever return to society. They are absolutely fine with them living through horrors that should not exist in a rich country like ours. They just don't want to see it.

[GLOW]

Originally Posted by underscore

No joke this has been my entire year so far.

quite often in EE/electrical contracting this is the case.

Spoiler!

one time i was presenting to a room of engineering/technical staff and wanted to end with this meme as a joke, i can't recall if i did b/c my manager was in the room... come to think of it i think i did, but not one smile or laugh, no one found it funny or got the humour b/c i think they all came from consulting

[Traum]

In hindsight, it was not surprising to the drug decriminalization pilot program fail. IMO, some parts of the failure could certainly be expected to happen, and we should have done better. For example, it can't just be decriminlization alone -- the drug users / addicts need to be supported and followed through with rehabilitation programs at a minimum to increase the chances of keeping them off drug use. (People who are more left-leaning than I am would probably also say you need to provide housing and work support so that these people would have a way to stand on their own 2 feet.)

On the other hand, things like "safe supply" drugs getting resold on the street is really the thing that seems to have triggered the most backlash, and I feel like that consequence wasn't as easily foreseen. Of course, its occurrence was not surprising, bcos it was still a logical consequence of making drugs available to addicts while not providing them with support to wean them off drug use.

At the end of the day, I still don't think the concept of decriminalization was doomed to be a failure from the start. Rather, our execution was poor, and that lead to the pilot program's failure. On the other hand, bcos of the poor execution, from now on, people are always gonna use it as an example of why the concept of decriminalization is a failure, and on a superficial level, it is hard to argue against that.

I look at decrimination like a cooking recipe, and implementing how decrimination happens is akin to the actual cooking part. Even when you have a good recipe, it doesn't guarantee good results if your cook just burned all your food. It is the cooking that failed, not necessarily the recipe. But not too many people in society are gonna distinguish between the two when it comes to drug decriminalization. (And that is very unfortunate.)

Originally Posted by Dbone

It is sad to see how much of a pussy Eby has turned out to be. He once fought for these people, and now he throws them to the wolves just because of some BS tweets by people like Sturko, and the rage baiting wankers at the National Post.

Big win for organized crime, and very expensive private rehab facilities. Massive loss to us tax payers as it means more policing (probably), more hospital visits, more deaths, and a worse life for those whom already have it incredibly bad.

I think the people who are cheering for this need to be honest with themselves. They don't care about the drug addicts. They don't care about their suffering, or if they ever return to society. They are absolutely fine with them living through horrors that should not exist in a rich country like ours. They just don't want to see it.

[noclue]

Dont believe in giving druggies liberty, their brains are already fried to the point they'll never reintegrate into society again. All the bleeding hearts cite portugal, but if you look at recent studies it's regressing back to higher drug use and trafficking into the EU. The DTES has been a failure ever since I came to Canada in the nineties, just poverty pimping and money for the non-profit organization directors.

You know what works but unpopular because of "muh rights"? Singapore/China/Asia harsh drug policies.

[GLOW]

am i getting my policies mixed up, but didn't they try it in portland ahead of us, and folks supporting it referenced portland like it was a good thing? i recall portland themselves admitted it was a complete disaster (or perhaps it was their critics that cited that, similar to how cons are now here)

[GS8]

The huge problem is that the drugs now are far worse than what was being ingested 30 years ago. There's a reason it's called the TOXIC drug crisis.

The long term effects of fent tainted meth is beyond most types of rehabilitation.

It's like snipping random parts of a car's wiring harness, then trying to solder it back together and expecting the car to run just fine once again.

Good luck with that.

[yray]

Originally Posted by GS8

It's like snipping random parts of a car's wiring harness, then trying to solder it back together and expecting the car to run just fine once again.

Good luck with that.

[Traum]

I agree with both of you that in some cases, the addict is simply beyond saving. The damage to their brains is already too severe, and no amount of rehabilitation can change that and allow them to function in even just a normal-ish manner.

But that usually applies to longer term users. I am certainly not an expert on this, but I have seen in the news that there are former addicts that have been using drugs for a number of years, and they were able to turn their lives around and stay clean. But obviously, the longer a person has been taking drugs, the greater the damage that has been done, and the less likely they can be helped and rehabilitated.

I am also under the impression that with the recent iterations of drugs, they are more toxic than drugs of the past both in the short and long term effects, but a lot of the high toxicity shows up in a fast acting manner, which is why overdose deaths have soared so much.

Originally Posted by noclue

Dont believe in giving druggies liberty, their brains are already fried to the point they'll never reintegrate into society again. All the bleeding hearts cite portugal, but if you look at recent studies it's regressing back to higher drug use and trafficking into the EU. The DTES has been a failure ever since I came to Canada in the nineties, just poverty pimping and money for the non-profit organization directors.

You know what works but unpopular because of "muh rights"? Singapore/China/Asia harsh drug policies.

Originally Posted by GS8

The huge problem is that the drugs now are far worse than what was being ingested 30 years ago. There's a reason it's called the TOXIC drug crisis.

The long term effects of fent tainted meth is beyond most types of rehabilitation.

It's like snipping random parts of a car's wiring harness, then trying to solder it back together and expecting the car to run just fine once again.

Good luck with that.

[supafamous]

https://www.thebeaverton.com/2026/01...-chaotic-evil/

Canada chooses lawful evil over chaotic evil

“We looked around for a neutral evil country to trade with, but couldn’t find one.”

The Beaverton sums up Canada getting into bed with China (over the US) pretty well with this headline.

While I've got my gripes with the Chinese gov't (namely the genocide in Xinjiang) if I need get away from my Chaotic Evil neighbour I'm willing to hold my nose and do business with the Lawful Evil country (I'm not sure China even qualifies as Lawful Evil).

Considering the US is now openly waging war on its own citizens (hey let's toss a grenade into a car full of kids! let's tell everyone they have to carry their citizenship papers on them at all times!) I'll take doing business with China as my alternative.

[Manic!]

Originally Posted by noclue

Dont believe in giving druggies liberty, their brains are already.

That's BS just look at RFK he was a heroin junkie for 14 years and now is head of United States Department of Health and Human Services.

[supafamous]

Originally Posted by whitev70r

Honda is gloating somewhere ... BC ends decriminalizing drug experiment.

https://vancouver.citynews.ca/2026/0...ation-project/

I barely followed the whole decriminalisation project so I can't really comment on that nor do I have an opinion BUT the related component is supportive housing where there have been a number of residents in Burnaby protesting quite loudly about BC Housing wanting to put one in near Royal Oak station. The opposition claims it'll lead to rampant crime and drug use.

I lived next to a supportive housing project in Victoria for 5.5 years and it was a total non-event - no drugs, no needles, and no crime. Only the odd ambulance visit when a resident needed extra medical attention. It was located across from a park and within 600m of a couple school yet no one made any fuss about it. It's no worse than some of weirdos I've had to live next to over the years.

It's a real shame that we have people shamelessly pushing so much misinformation to keep people getting help.

[Great68]

Originally Posted by supafamous

I

I lived next to a supportive housing project in Victoria for 5.5 years and it was a total non-event - no drugs, no needles, and no crime. Only the odd ambulance visit when a resident needed extra medical attention. It was located across from a park and within 600m of a couple school yet no one made any fuss about it. It's no worse than some of weirdos I've had to live next to over the years.

Was that Camas Gardens (Humboldt St)? (I actually worked on that building when it was constructed)

There are different levels to the supportive housing:
Emergency (Shelters), Transitional, Low Barrier, Subsidized/Supportive etc

Camas is a higher barrier, subsidized supportive.
But I sure as hell wouldn't want to live anywhere near the low barrier/transitional buildings. It's an absolute cesspool all around Our Place on Pandora:



And 844 Johnson always has a congregation of people skidding it up around the outside.

[Vancouver240sx]

I lived across the street from a TMH site in Richmond, before it was opened and for a couple years after. There was a HUGE difference. Crime in general, especially theft went up massively. There was emergency vehicles arriving at least 4x/week. One person was dealing out of one of the rooms on the ground level which often encouraged addicts to yell at the window all hours of the night to buy. I also worked across the street and routinely had to ask dealers not to deal in our parking lot.

There was no barrier. Residents of the TMH could act in any way they please. I would watch residents take their bikes with trailers loaded with peoples outdoor furniture in through the front door with the 'security guard' at the desk.

That is why people don't want a TMH near them. They are lawless, corrupt institutions of the homeless industrial complex. Its not created to help anyone, just to line the pockets of certain people and a way for the government to wash their hands of the issue.

Rich

[supafamous]

Originally Posted by Great68

Was that Camas Gardens (Humboldt St)? (I actually worked on that building when it was constructed)

There are different levels to the supportive housing:
Emergency (Shelters), Transitional, Low Barrier, Subsidized/Supportive etc

Camas is a higher barrier, subsidized supportive.
But I sure as hell wouldn't want to live anywhere near the low barrier/transitional buildings. It's an absolute cesspool all around Our Place on Pandora:



And 844 Johnson always has a congregation of people skidding it up around the outside.

No, I was next door to Style Street apartments (https://www.islandhealth.ca/our-loca...eet-apartments) - it definitely was much milder than the stuff by Pandora. It was mostly mental health issues (varying degrees of severity though - some just seem depressed, others would get very loud).

[Great68]

Yeah the non-substance mental health ones run by VIHA are pretty mild. I live a couple blocks away from Panama House that's on Carey. I didn't even know it was a supportive housing place until almost 10 years living in my neighbourhood. From the outside it just looks like a big house

[pastarocket]

Your thoughts on this announcement from Carney's visit to China?

https://vancouver.citynews.ca/2026/0...-carney-visit/

British Columbia’s Forests Ministry has entered into a memorandum of understanding with the Chinese government to boost research, development and promotion of modern wood construction in creating green buildings in China.

The five-year agreement, which is not legally binding, also involves the federal Department of Natural Resources and is among the first reached with Beijing after the arrival of Prime Minister Mark Carney in China this week.



On the other side is China’s housing and development ministry, with the memo agreeing on co-operation on the integration of modern wood construction into China’s urban renewal and rural revitalization strategies and exploring “practical approaches” for green developments.

It says another goal is to strengthen development of an “industrial chain” for wood construction.

The deal also calls for exchanges and joint research on modern wood construction involving tall wood buildings and mass timber projects.

Carney is in China for the first visit to the country by a Canadian prime minister in more than eight years, with other deals signed today covering topics such as energy and food safety.

[GLOW]

Originally Posted by supafamous

https://www.thebeaverton.com/2026/01...-chaotic-evil/


While I've got my gripes with the Chinese gov't (namely the genocide in Xinjiang) if I need get away from my Chaotic Evil neighbour I'm willing to hold my nose and do business with the Lawful Evil country (I'm not sure China even qualifies as Lawful Evil).

politics is a little hard for me to follow these days, thanks for putting it in AD&D terms for me to understand

[supafamous]

Originally Posted by Great68

Yeah the non-substance mental health ones run by VIHA are pretty mild. I live a couple blocks away from Panama House that's on Carey. I didn't even know it was a supportive housing place until almost 10 years living in my neighbourhood. From the outside it just looks like a big house

Same, I had no idea that what it was until the past couple months when the Burnaby hubbub boiled up and I looked up the place. The narrative that the Burnaby one will be a drug infested is really far from the truth - it may not be as mild as the one I lived next to but it's also not intended for the crowd that leads to crime and drugs. Even if it is, it's the crime and drugs that already exists in the area as it's for the people who are already in the area.

[GLOW]

Originally Posted by supafamous

I barely followed the whole decriminalisation project so I can't really comment on that nor do I have an opinion BUT the related component is supportive housing where there have been a number of residents in Burnaby protesting quite loudly about BC Housing wanting to put one in near Royal Oak station. The opposition claims it'll lead to rampant crime and drug use.

I lived next to a supportive housing project in Victoria for 5.5 years and it was a total non-event - no drugs, no needles, and no crime. Only the odd ambulance visit when a resident needed extra medical attention. It was located across from a park and within 600m of a couple school yet no one made any fuss about it. It's no worse than some of weirdos I've had to live next to over the years.

It's a real shame that we have people shamelessly pushing so much misinformation to keep people getting help.

Originally Posted by Great68

Yeah the non-substance mental health ones run by VIHA are pretty mild. I live a couple blocks away from Panama House that's on Carey. I didn't even know it was a supportive housing place until almost 10 years living in my neighbourhood. From the outside it just looks like a big house

i think a lot of sites are like that and can fly under the radar, which is great.

playing devil's advocate, not all supportive housing is the same. a lot of it can depend on the building operator, funding/resources they're supplied, and of course the tenant population themselves. some require higher supports than others. that's great you've had great experiences, me too - i have about 4 sites or so within a 5 min drive of my home and things for the most part are OK, but i have a friend that lives across from one and it's been very stressful for them and their strata to say the least. to that particular building's defense though, they are housing folks that are probably one of the more vulnerable clientelle requiring a lot of support, and probably could use more resources (or at times better management).

[GLOW]

speaking of protest, pre-pandemic in vancouver marpole was up in arms with one across from schools, where it was the kids that counter-protested and being empathetic.

that site had a lot of scrutiny and overall was quite successful and not the gloom and doom folks in the area thought it was - at least from looking at stats from 911 calls