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In Vancouver right now for work. While Granville and East Hastings certainly are very poor and deep in issues, overall it's much, MUCH different here compared to some of the challenges our city is facing.

We MUST deal with open drug use, crimes of opportunity, gang activity and disorder.
 
IanO said:
In Vancouver right now for work. While Granville and East Hastings certainly are very poor and deep in issues, overall it's much, MUCH different here compared to some of the challenges our city is facing.

We MUST deal with open drug use, crimes of opportunity, gang activity and disorder.
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Interesting how Vancouver manages to keep its problems contained to a fairly small portion of downtown, while Edmonton fails to do so. I wonder if anyone from the City of Edmonton has ever looked at how they do it.
 
David A said:
Interesting how Vancouver manages to keep its problems contained to a fairly small portion of downtown, while Edmonton fails to do so. I wonder if anyone from the City of Edmonton has ever looked at how they do it.
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It doesn't.

The challenges in Vancouver are just the same ones Ian enumerated, some concentrated such as poverty, disorder, and open drug use in the DTES and gang activity in the suburbs. The difference is, none of these issues are concentrated in the downtown areas where most people are likely to visit.
 
BrettB said:
It doesn't.

The challenges in Vancouver are just the same ones Ian enumerated, some concentrated such as poverty, disorder, and open drug use in the DTES and gang activity in the suburbs. The difference is, none of these issues are concentrated in the downtown areas where most people are likely to visit.
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Also the perception of disorder is a lot different because they have more people out and about and the disorder and drug use goes more unnoticed in most areas outside DTES. They also have much more crime issues in the suburbs than Edmonton does (notably Surrey's gang activity).
 
David A said:
Interesting how Vancouver manages to keep its problems contained to a fairly small portion of downtown, while Edmonton fails to do so. I wonder if anyone from the City of Edmonton has ever looked at how they do it.
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Uh, 100% gonna disagree with you there. It's an issue throughout the entire metro Vancouver area, all the way out to the Fraser Valley and south to White Rock. The only area that is generally able to escape the nuttiness is West Van, away from its commercial areas.
 
Perhaps it has changed more recently, but last time I was there I spent time around Granville Street in Vancouver, which is not one of their best areas downtown. Compared to our downtown then it actually seemed much better.
 
David A said:
Perhaps it has changed more recently, but last time I was there I spent time around Granville Street in Vancouver, which is not one of their best areas downtown. Compared to our downtown then it actually seemed much better.
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The perception of Granville being better than our downtown, as far as disorder and whatnot, is mostly due to the fact that it's also a busier street, so more eyes on the road and all. But having lived in the area for a while, and still visiting every now and then for work, if you happen to be in the area after hours, it does not feel great or any safer than most of the "bad" areas of our downtown and DTES is far worse than anything we see in Edmonton.
 
I suppose we could continue to debate where safety issues are worse, but to some degree it is a moot point because its the perception of being less safe that really hurts our downtown.

I do agree that having retail downtown in Vancouver (which we don't have much left here anymore) and more corporate offices keeps it busier, especially during the day when a lot of people actually visit downtown. Sadly we haven't made an effort to attract more of those here. Residential helps too, but without much retail within walking distance, frankly people who live downtown here tend to hunker down a lot and are not out on the street as much.
 
Streets like this in the heart of downtown Vancouver make a big difference to perceptions and pleasantness.
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David A said:
I suppose we could continue to debate where safety issues are worse, but to some degree it is a moot point because its the perception of being less safe that really hurts our downtown.

I do agree that having retail downtown in Vancouver (which we don't have much left here anymore) and more corporate offices keeps it busier, especially during the day when a lot of people actually visit downtown. Sadly we haven't made an effort to attract more of those here. Residential helps too, but without much retail within walking distance, frankly people who live downtown here tend to hunker down a lot and are not out on the street as much.
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This is true. We live downtown but we tend to hunker down other than the occasional trips to the bibliotank library. When we do venture out, it's usually west towards Wîhkwêntôwin rather than east towards downtown. It's simply too sad and I'm tired of being angry and sad. The most I do is head to a work lunch once a month. Not much reason to hit the mall anymore and I do a grocery run with my mom on Fridays so that's another trip away from the core.
 
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Out of curiosity - how are people noticing changes in crime outside of Downtown?

Past DT and Stony Plain Road, it's been pretty quiet in West Edmonton. People still park like idiots, speed, illegal fireworks, etc. but very few incidents of active drug use, violence or any type of crime that matters. Just my subjective experience this year, but it does seem to be supported by EPS' crime mapping.

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policyenthusiast said:
Out of curiosity - how are people noticing changes in crime outside of Downtown?

Past DT and Stony Plain Road, it's been pretty quiet in West Edmonton. People still park like idiots, speed, illegal fireworks, etc. but very few incidents of active drug use, violence or any type of crime that matters. Just my subjective experience this year, but it does seem to be supported by EPS' crime mapping.

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Stony plain road continues to be a massive issue and the LRT is not safe enough yet. The west valley line will have the challenge of Jasper Place Transit Centre being a real problem area. They HAVE to have a permanent peace/police officer at that station IMO. All hours.

Encampments in mackinnon ravine, along 170th st in alleys/bushes, and along SPR are still bad.

Downtown is still so frustrating. My wife took the LRT to downtown library with 2 kids. Churchill elevator broken…what a joke. 0 way to get out for accessibility needs. So she goes to central and has to go past multiple drug users actively using and folding to get an elevator, as well as what she described as a 300+ lbs security guard that was sleeping in a chair with phone in hand. Great impression, use of resources, accessibility, and safety there COE, ETS, EPS.

She’ll be driving next time.

This is what has to change. We actively want to use transit and be downtown. And yet are still deterred. Good luck getting the average Edmontonian to overlook those experiences and to try again.
 
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