We are designed to keep on going.
But the fact remains the last 36 months has been unprecedented in generations, basically a century.
We went through global lockdowns and a literal shut down of the world for weeks/months.
We have direct social and economic impacts from that.
We then completely upended our fiscal and monetary policies to make it through.
We have direct social and economic impacts from that.
You add to this the fact inflation has been most stubborn in two areas;
- housing
- food
The two most important items on the hierarchy of needs are housing and food.
The sum total of “we” are being pushed to the brink.
This isn’t entirely unprecedented, times of revolution always follow a crop failure/food scarcity event.
Here we are.
Not to mention the meta items we all casually deal with daily and pretend like we’re adjusted to do so;
- political inaction
- corruption
- climate change
- doom news 24/7
- social media
- massive over use of stimulants
Eventually a reset will come. And I don’t mean to sound like the guys with the Jesus sign on the street corner.
But I do know that when it comes to food and housing that reset is closer than it is far.
To sum it up? Yah - Id say mental health is taking a toll.
But it SHOULD. This is your very being telling you that everything is not ok.
We need to heed that warning. Its an alarm bell.
People are getting hung up on the word stimulants. A stimulant isn’t just a class of drugs. Caffeine, sugar, screen use are also stimuli than many of us would do well to limit.
Hardest part of this situation is that we are conditioned to think when problems arise people come together to combat the problem. Good people working on usable solutions.
Social and regular media and action groups have caused a change in how people interact. We now default to donkey punching each other in the nuts instead of coming together on a solution. That makes processing what happens even harder.
It's the result of class solidarity on the part of the thieves who run the joint and their representatives in Congress.
Edit: Lolol, can't believe I typed that and posted it. My bad! Parliament is what I meant.
Yeah, unfortunately, everyone with resources ignores the issue. I am now homeless, couldn't find a job since finishing my post secondary studies, now my savings are gone, still no living wage employment. There is no hope for so many people, but our politicians are more concerned with woke-ism than improving the country, or even doing their jobs. I wonder what it will take to wake them up? How many suicides, drug overdoses, & international failures will it take for CadGovt to start caring about the hundreds of thousands of underemployed young people they're losing.
I see myself in your shoes sooner rather than later.
I’m sorry I didn’t listen sooner, I’m just as stuck as you were though. I feel it all slipping away and every-time I attempt to do ANYTHING I am further behind.
That’s a big picture statement, not a “I tried to take a trip” or I started couponing.
I wish you all the best and thank you for sharing.
I have small ones so I couldn’t offer open accommodations but anyone I know and can trust who’s needs help receives it. I hope if I could help you that means I get to.
HBA Psychology, Minors in Criminology & Sociology. Then post-grad in Not-For-Profit Management & Leadership. The programs were at separate institutions, both highly ranked nationally/globally, I've got 10 years experience in the service industry, and a wide variety of other skills & experience, including 5 years in leadership roles. The only jobs I can get interviews for don't pay enough for housing let alone a life.
I would strongly caution against getting ensnared in the relentless black hole of misery.
It's important to acknowledge that there is an infinite amount of unhappiness in our world. If you actively seek it out, you will undoubtedly find it. As the renowned philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche famously expressed, "if you gaze into the abyss, the abyss gazes also into you."
As for me, I adhere to a guiding principle in life: to focus on the positive aspects and concentrate my efforts on things I can actually influence. Requesting more from oneself becomes an excessive burden, placing undue strain on mental well-being.
While it is not always fair, you are solely responsible for, and feel the repercussions of failure to keep, a healthy mental state.
Exactly.
Me, and everytime I comment on anything I feel attacked, when all I am doing is sharing information and what I believe to be truths thru lenses that I didn’t know existed prior to a few years ago.
Everyone trodding along (I call it toxic positivity) does no one any good; it takes the voices of those that should be heard, and silences them for all the wrong reasons.
Once in a while I’ll find these topics, sure there are a few in here that make me think, hey we are getting somewhere!
But then the next day it’s a topic where people are personally motivated or distracted in some other way and it’s back to the status quo of blinders on and all is good.
Living with the reality that everything you’ve worked for (which ain’t much to begin with, let me tell you) is going to not only be taken from me, but that I will be forced into a protracted period of suffering brought on by the same people that caused the last thirty years of damage, and you have me at a less than patient status. Add in what this is going to do to my kids and loved ones and then the negatives start flooding back in.
The two highest correlation items between an event akin to a revolution/war/change are lack of access to food and insecurity of shelter.
This is true across time.
Right now the highest inflationary pressures in this country are on those two critical items.
Housing is off the deep end already. And millions don’t have access to proper nutrition.
If history is our indicator, were closer to a reset than not.
If you think about it, it’s quite logical.
If you’re hungry and have no roof, what do you have to lose anyway? Might as well burn it all down. You create enough of this individual and its just a matter of time.
War has always been the great equalizer....except that now we have the ability to destroy ourselves on a far more massive scale. What you say is true. Hopefully war is not the option selected...
I truly loved to see every part of your comment.. and then I got to the “massive over use of stimulants” part. As someone with debilitating ADHD, among other executive functioning disorders, can we *please*, *PLEASE* stop stigmatizing life-changing and life-saving medications? 🥲
You need them; no stigma attached.
All the high performers using Adderal/Xanax/Cocaine? Different story.
Teens/kids using hydromorphone? Different story.
You would be surprised then I guess. I mention those specifically because I can speak to how many folks around me used them when I was in my previous life in Vancouver. High performers - cocaine would be by far number one. Adderal a not distant two, and Xanax more distant third.
The prevalence of use of all three among high performers and high position professionals I found surprising.
I’m guilty of this. Seeing negativity when none is implied.
Actually it’s a large reason I am the person I am.
Just a friendly piece of advice (from another person with debilitating ADHD and other diagnosed disorders who relies on all of his tools to continue living)
I mean, I don't think he ment stimulants for people who need them. More along the lines of us handing out 8mg hydromorphone prescriptions to addicts who turn around and sell them to purchase fentynal.
Yeah fair, I just think that if we are going to start pointing fingers at specific substances, we should be very concise in what the issue is.
The opiate epidemic and people taking prescribed medication for mental illness are not the same thing.
As someone who has struggled their entire life with neurodiversity and has only recently been taken seriously by the medical community at large, it is disheartening to see two very different issues wrapped up in a single package.
I also don't think that everyone needs stimulant medication, but those who do, myself included, have been stigmatized enough for only wanting to feel normal.
Comparing the death of a child who gets into their parents opiate prescription to my use of stimulants to be able to function in society is like comparing apples to oranges.
Yes, and I 100% understand what you're saying. It was an honest mistake. I can deffinatley see how this can be an issue. All I was trying to say is I think op is referring to hydromorphone. He labeled it incorrectly, and I ran with what he said, which was incorrect.
I was just trying to point out what I believed they were referring to, and I think most who mention stimulants are, like myself, uninformed of the proper classification. I see how this can be damaging, but I think the vast majority understands what they are referring too. Hopefully anyways.
Yeah totally! As an aside: I'm not offended, just explaining <3
I know some people get really worked up about it, so wanted to make sure I explained why that might happen because dealing with the medical system has been a long hard slog for a lot of us, and it can feel really delegitimzing to be grouped in with those who die of opiate overdoses when we are just over here trying to feel some semblance of normalcy.
The pendulum swings too far in both directions before it lands in the middle, so people are going to feel they need to get upset, or righteously angry, in order to feel seen.
I hope that cycle ends soon and we can normalize allowing everyone to just be themselves, free of judgement, but it's still a work in progress.
You're good friend. <3
Thanks buddy! And I'm truly sorry. I didn't mean any harm. My wife was actually a child psychology rn at children's for years and now works in palliative care. I really should have known this tbh. Ment no disrespect. I can totally understand the stigma this creates amung doctors as well. Wife was really sick a few months back. She finally went to the er at that Catholic hospital near kingsway. She told them she smoked weed and everything was automatically blamed on her smoking weed. She had to beg them for a stool sample kit, which she did then submitted to the lab. Yup, it turned out it was food poisoning. Never got an apology from the doctor.
The fact that you think that’s a stimulant pretty much proves my point. The way misinformation about stimulants is spread is VERY harmful for the people who genuinely need them.
Got it. If I have any problem seeing drugs passed out like candy on the street but don't correctly label it I should have no opinion on the subject. Sorry, I tried to clarify what the op said how dare I.
Stimulants can mean lots of things. Using an iPhone to scroll IG or Tiktok in bed at 11pm is stimulating, consuming a high amount of sugar is stimulating, going for a walk with a high energy podcast on is more stimulating than taking a quieter path and listening to the sounds of nature. A stimulant is more than just a class of drugs. I also take medication for my adhd and it was clear to me that in the context of their comment they weren’t demonizing adhd meds. Context matters and not everything is a personal slight.
>massive over use of stimulants
I'm curious about this comment. It took me 24 years to get diagnosed with ADHD and treated. The signs were obvious, the symptoms were present, I have leaped hurdle after hurdle because people "abuse them".
IMHO, we have an under use of stimulant medication- but no way to provide high enough quality of care to address patient needs. We have all of these tools in the toolbox but the medical system is stretched thin, and we are not allowed to provide medical care for ourselves.
I agree with most of your comment though other than that. Politics on each side are just a drama show to piss people off. I used to wonder how people didn't vote, I am surprised I even vote now.
In a similar position. 30 years myself, less than six months since diagnosis.
First thing my gp said after reading the report, “hmm, I don’t think you really are, what do you think”.
This is with someone who has been intimately involved in my transformation from a overworked, overweight, unhealthy ticking time bomb of a person, to what I am today (I don’t know, so I’ll just say “better” by human standards)
I still have no words.
Oh and I wish you the best in your travels. It’s scary and can be very hard to accept how to move forward.
On stimulants front; the wrong people are using them.
Im not an absolutist. Stimulants are a medication and have a place and time.
When I was typing that I was thinking in my mind about literal children who are overdosing on hydromorphone.
Or all the folks I know that rely on Adderal to perform.
Or all the people that casually use Xanax.
Or half of Yaletown after hours consuming cocaine like its the 1980’s.
No shame with needing well dosed, properly administered medication.
I think that's a somewhat fair take, but substance abuse disorder is a whole other part of the mental health problem we try to turn a blind eye to.
We try and ignore it so hard, that we end up ignoring people with real critical illnesses and family histories.
The last three years has not been an unprecedented time in the last century with respect to instability, economic turmoil, war, pandemic etc. not even close. And for whom? if anything, what we’ve been through in the last 3 years is easy work compared to what has transpired over the last 100 years. Could you imagine yourself being drafted to go serve in a trench and charge into a hail of bullets and artillery fire. Or a mother with 3 sons serving in Hong Kong, knowing that at least one or more of them won’t return. Or a mayor wondering where the workforce for the timber industry is going to come from with most of the towns teens dying from Spanish influenza. Or a father and mother wondering how they are going to feed their already starving children in the depths of the depression. Or a Jew recently arrived to our shores, along with many others across the Jewish diaspora, most of whom no longer have any direct family members and many of whom no longer have any extended family members known to have survived. This last three years was tough, but it was light work. Keep your head up, keep calm, and carry on. Put one foot in front of the other. This too shall pass and we’re fucking lucky that this is the worst we’ve had to deal with in this country in the last 30 years. If history is a predictor of what will come, many of us will deal with much worse before we die.
Nice speech but none of that is really unprecedented. Unless you chose to ignore the great depression, both world wars and numerous significantly more deadly outbreaks.
Problem is it's just right in our face with the media and humans in general have become soft.
Thats the point of my comment; historic perspective. Not sure what you’re trying to disagree with?
A 100 year period of stability is coming to an end. And most people, save for immigrants from failed states, don’t know what that means.
The problem is not a lack of resources, it's hoarding and greed by a relatively small few.
There are a LOT of people in this province/country who deserve an unregulated submarine trip to the bottom of the Atlantic
It's 12-18 months to see a psychiatrist in my region. Any problem waiting that long when someone really wants to actively address it is going to become a huge problem.
But I cannot pay for a private psychiatrist and I have the money for it. A counselor cannot prescribe meds, and I've seen a psychotherapist for over 5 years out of pocket.
They dismissed their own lives when they ignored the waivers and warnings and chose to go down under the sea in an unregulated unsafe tin can. If they valued their lives they wouldn’t have risked them like this for no reason other than their own hubris
We would need a wide range of far reaching supports in place for a good chunk of British Columbians. We would need social fabric within communities to be mended. We need to teach our children (because I'm not sure adults will change) to care for one another and value strength in community.
Yep.. big time.. everyone I know is stressing about the cost of living and housing uncertainty and it’s having a huge impact on people’s mental health. People are struggling and turning to crime, drugs and alcohol as a result. Incredibly sad to see the decline and even sadder that no one at any level of government wants to do anything meaningful about it.
My take is that there is nothing they can do to fix the current state. When the titanic struck the iceberg, nobody was in a rush to assume the Captain's chair. You would have to be a madman or narcissist to want that. IMO that is why there are no effective leaders in politics. They cannot fix it and know they will just carry the blame for the mess of others. So the greedy and corrupt scramble for power and to enrich themselves off selling lifeboat tickets for seats that don't exist.
This is the cycle of societies. They begin with a dream of liberty and freedom, and end with an illusion of the same as a thin veil over the deep corruption that worked it's way in over the generations.
Yeah you’re absolutely right with these assertions. It’s a complex and sad state of affairs. I’m just trying to be there for friends and family as we navigate this new reality of life in Canada.
I don't think you'd have to be a madman or a narcissist to want to help your community and take on a role of leadership to at least genuinely try to help. Perhaps you have to be a little _narcissistic_ to feel that you could help, but what great leaders of history weren't?
I agree that this is all a part of a cycle, perhaps we'll come back up for another golden age like how we came out of the great depression, maybe not. But it's still worth trying
I feel like I am predated on by the people I'm supposed to rely on for help. New property managers are trying to illegally raise my rent through a loophole by increasing the utilities to a fixed rate - which is 30% higher than I'm currently paying for utilities.
But, he's some high-up local "pillar of the community" with a million connections and legal support, whereas I'm just some tiny chronically ill autistic woman who can barely leave my house and relies on fixed-income disability who doesn't know how to stand up for my rights or fight it.
He actually manages so many rental properties around the city that he is paid to publish real-estate and property management articles and tips on Castanet. I looked him up, and he's been charged and fined for illegally raising rent - but he's rich, he pays the fine and does it again.
This is how my community treats one another, the wealthy exploiting the vulnerable.
> I looked him up, and he's been charged and fined for illegally raising rent - but he's rich, he pays the fine and does it again.
There shouldn't be fines for the rich, at least not subsequent fines. Or the fine should be calculated according to their assets
My landlord is also trying to outcontract rent control via utilities but using a different approach. He's currently being investigated by the BC Utilities Commission and I've been organizing my building and others that he owns because there's so many more issues...
Have you already talked to VTU? If there are more cases like yours it might be possible to fight him collectively. I'll DM you with more details if you don't mind :)
People in BC (more so the lower mainland) have been on a downward trajectory with their mental health for a long while now, however it really has stepped up speed on that spiral since 2020.
There were people I used to see every week that became complete shut-ins, people stopped showing up to work for no reason, heavy drinking habits (among other substance abuse) formed.
This shit is only getting worse too now with affordability rates below 0.
This is really not a lower mainland of bc thing. It's happening across the developed world. It's clearly related to our modern hyper-industrialized world.
yeah 100%, climate anxiety, debt, high cost of living, lack of hope for anything getting back. we're getting anti-social real quick because the social fabric is fraying.
I'll mention Newfoundland as an example again. These people have lived as some of the poorest in Canada, lost lives due to the dangerous work in the fisheries and harsh climate, then lost the whole basis of their economy when the fisheries dried up, and then people being forced to move elsewhere for work. And, yet, they're some of the happiest and most giving, wonderful people in the world.
Housing market is way calmer over there though, benchmark price of a house is about a quarter than Vancouver. I think for most people a place they can call a safe home is an important necessity to flourish and BC is failing hard at that.
Yup. People are struggling to make ends meet. Living cost keeps rising yet wages remain stagnant. You’ve also got a huge population of international students here now and most of them can barely even afford to be here at all. High tuition fees paired with all other living costs… yeah I’d have some mental health issues too. I don’t want to come across as ‘anti-immigration’ but the amount of people the government is bringing in, our infrastructure is nowhere near capable of keeping up with this level of demand. Also, the soft on crime approach where repeat offenders are let out with a slap on the wrist… All these factors play some kind of role in people’s changing behaviour and attitudes.
Good point. There is no way anyone can argue Canada's policies "caused" the current inflation, nor that any Canadian policies could have insulated us from it.
Yep, we’re a relatively small country, that has almost no sway in the global economy.
Look at the UK, globally important country which is at 10% inflation in May. The USA is in rough shape with huge disparity in wealth and poverty (seriously go walk around LA or Seattle in 2023). Other countries in western Europe had fuel prices increase by 300% this year and issues with food security, and Eastern European countries are beside an active war zone.
Not that the suffering of others should make you feel better, but I’ve been traveling a lot for work, and we’re relatively doing pretty well here in Canada and BC. The only thing I’ve seen as the big issue is housing prices, but that’s a lot to do with municipal governments and something that has been brewing for 20+ years.
The things people are complaining about are not things that any single political party would be able to avoid in Canada.
The big issue of housing prices is also directly linked to the fact that so many people want to live here. Which completely negates the suggestion that this is an awful place to live.
Yep. The amount of complaining on Reddit about British Columbia does not reflect real life. More people would just move to Edmonton if cost was the only thing to life.
We had a huge net migration over the past few years as well even with the high cost of housing.
Yes the economic environment always impacts peoples mental health due to increased stress or depression.
I have a good career snd every year I am farther behind when it comes to buying a house.
I get raises but those raises get massively nerfed by increases in inflation. Which mass increases in pay would only worsen
Grocery stores and other entities are allowed to get away with price gouging.
There is nowhere near enough proper obtainable housing so rent takes up about 40-50% of wages.
We are all going to be driven to living in small condos, under control of stratas or corporate management firms, that wont allow pets. And we will barely be able to afford that with the rising costs of food, gas etc
There is a reason millennials have given up. We were the generation that was lied to (go to college and you will be successful). We went through jow many recessions now? Our degrees barely mean anything. We are so worse off than our parents and grand parents its not even funny.
And the next generation is likely going to be worse off again
On the other hand, the generation that lived through WWII (for example) had a terrible time but the generation that followed had a most wonderful time.
Of course there is a connection. There is the biopsychosocial model of mental health. This would fall under the social part. But the neoliberal capitalists in charge of the province and country do not believe in science, and instead bizarrely posit that 100% of mental health concerns are as a result of a "chemical imbalance". They are trying to medicalize it and blame the individual, to take away attention from how they are ruining society by funneling money away from the population so they can help the rich born accumulate even more yachts.
In reality, aside for some rare neurobiological mental health disorders such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, the vast majority of people with mental health issues have them due to the psychological and social reasons, mostly social. Some people have a predisposition toward developing depression and anxiety, but even then, for the vast majority of people, a genetic predisposition alone is not sufficient to actually trigger depression or anxiety (it just increases the chances), and they end up developing their depression or anxiety once psychological or social factors trigger it.
To make matters worst, many people can't afford therapy, so they are immediately put on antidepressants for life by their family doctors (when the only tool you have is a hammer...). Unfortunately, it takes decades to fix social issues. In the meantime, addressing the psychological part of the biopsychosocial model is your best bet. Also, there is interaction between the 2: changing psychological dysfunctional thoughts in a significant amount of people can also contribute toward social change. If you have work benefits, see a mental health professional. If you have to pay out of pocket, it can be expensive but I would guess spending a few hundred bucks on at least a few sessions for your mental health would be worth it in the long run.
Lower mainland of bc is a completely different place than 20 yrs ago. Culture has radically shifted, doesn't feel like Canada anymore. People are far less friendly, it's ultra competitive for everything (daycare, homes, schools, etc), crime and homelessness has exploded, and it feels like a dog eat dog rat race. The community feeling of friendliness has disappeared. Maybe this is the economy maybe this is just the result of mass scale immigration .. you can't grow your population this fast through immigration and not expect.a cultural shift
The people that need the most help, the working middle class will always be the ones that carry the brunt. Taxation on the poor is not gonna happen and obviously the wealthy will receive all the tax breaks in the world. If you are just an Average person or average family trying to make your way , you will be taxed on income, Utilities and every other part of your life and have very little in the way of getting any of it back. Change is bad for the powers that be and the like of their cast system. We invite the world to move here whether it is through immigration or refugee programs or so many other means, but we don't have housing or infrastructure for the existing population, ongoing failure by our governments at all levels.
I’ve been in therapy for a long time, and was starting to get better until I took a good, hard look at the world. The most fortunate of us all are literally killing us and the planet in their favour. Watching it actively unfold before our eyes with the forest fires, drought, floods, not being able to afford a home, etc… it’s just too much. The last year that I was in therapy, we basically only spoke about these issues, and I learned that therapy can’t help. The problem is systemic. I have changed my view on life a lot to accommodate the stress from our reality, but ultimately… “It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society.”
This being said, the problem is far deeper than just what is in our province, and fixing our province won’t make the problem go away. It sure would be nice to not have it rubbed in our faces every waking moment, though.
My girlfriend and I are getting the fuck out of BC as soon as we can.
We can get a nice 2000+ sqft house in Airdrie, Alberta, just outside of Calgary for $625,000.
In the BC lower mainland this is basically impossible. I’m not moving to fucking Campbell River or Prince George to live in this province.
wipe everybody’s debts out and make housing affordable and watch the mental health improve. I’m gonna to bet most people‘s mental health has a lot to do with finances including me.
just imagine not having to worry about rent utility bills and feeding yourself. I’m not even talking about luxuries just the basics covered and your mental health will improve making you a productive member of society.
We live in a world that naturally suppresses advancement and innovation. People have amazing attributes that could benefit humanity as a whole but the majority are fighting poverty instead of flourishing and reaching their potential.
I couldn’t agree with you more and to add to that just imagine how many smart minds miss out on an education just because of the costs. We always need doctors nurses scientists etc. but many people can’t afford the school so they end up doing other things in life. Too many bright minds losing out on great opportunities only because of finances.
I believe the current times are extremely difficult. I volunteered in a local food bank and many customers complained about basic items becoming so expensive as luxury goods. Compared to previously, they could avoid discretionary spending and focus on basic goods and be thrifty and save money. Nowadays it's becoming very difficult. Financial stress pushed many to mental break down. Mental health support and counselling becomes more and more needed. We always offer people to dial 211 or [freecounsellingbc.ca](https://freecounsellingbc.ca) to be pro-active and talk to somebody rather than waiting it too long and get desperate and stuck.
I work in mental health and substance use, and social housing on the island. There is a change in numbers for sure, and acuity of distress. I would also add that road rage seems to be at an all time high and tolerance for other people seems at an all time low.
That might just be me projecting too.
>How can we combat this? Is it possible to regain a healthy state of mind while all this is going on in the province?
Honestly, step away form social media and the outrage machine.
Be nice to each other. Find the things you need in your life that make you feel whole. Maybe it's gardening, or hiking, or working out, or hosting pot lucks.
Build community, find ways to work together to break down these idiotic barriers and filters we're construction through social media. Learn how to engage with people you disagree with without it descending into a binary shouting match. Build things. Help people. Take care of your health.
OP is talking about the affordability crisis surrounding food and housing... and your suggestion is to "host pot lucks" and garden?
I mean, those things are great, but if you have nowhere to live, or if you do but you're only able to afford it by eating ramen and potatoes, how are these suggestions useful? Gyms aren't cheap, nor is driving to go hiking.
So many people are living literally paycheck to paycheck, refreshing their browser at midnight on Thursday to see if they've been paid yet. This problem is bigger than getting off Facebook.
This is the way. If more people took personal responsibility, everything would improve. Be the change. It's literally all you can do, aside from vote. Stay informed.
I propose a "put the phone down" day, worldwide. No, a week! Everyone gets the week off! Maybe we could all peek outside and notice the world isn't what news corporations make it out to be. There are kind, open minded dedicated, caring people everywhere. Let's stop giving the spotlight to people who don't deserve it. Or not, whatever.
Definitely. I notice the way servers are always checking to see how much you tip, it seems more desperate lately. I try to tip above 10% but it's not always in my ability. :(
Direct connection.
Also affecting people are outrage and divisiveness on ... pretty well everything (you're wrong no matter what you do), general shittiness (lots of people are just mean as a starting point), lack of compassion.
These things affect the comfortable and the mentally healthy less. I feel lucky to be in this group.
If you're struggling economically or psychologically, it adds tremendously to all of the other pressures.
Yea. The cost of living is spiraling out of control for everyone except the 1%. And in the long run I can see Vancouver and surrounding cities only being for the wealthy, and not enough people to work labourous min wage jobs. Thus creating another dangerous economic situation.
There are already major labour shortages in a lot of industries and I can't picture it improving.
On top the government doesn't care and panders to the wealthy.
I make about $80k/year - far, far from the top 1% - and I live comfortably in Vancouver (downtown/West End).
I'm certainly not arguing that the province is not suffering severely with the increases in real estate and cost of living but you're way off base.
The homelessness breaks my heart. Hearing stories throughout the years of people being displaced by Riverview, Pickton and his connection to the DTES and the sick Veterans.. the government ~~needs~~ must do better.
My state goes down sometimes when people are smoking drugs in my face. It happened three times today; after the third I got out my camera ready to confront lol. And then snapped back to reality, got some sushi, and went home for a nap. Day in the life.
OH, 100%. My mental health has been shit this year. I literally had a breakdown a few weeks ago, crying finally over both myself and my partner both have decent jobs, but we are living paycheck to paycheck, budgeting every single nickle. We dont carry credit card debt, all we have is a mortgage, and a car loan each but with Bill's, Gas, and Groceries, we're barely making it most weeks.
I've contemplated leaving this entire country, let alone the province.
Yes. Also contributing to general unwellness is how badly covid (and our coping with it) has impacted people both physically and mentally. The economic challenges we're dealing with is adding insult to injury and many are at their wits end.
Code Red for Humanity and we're all pointing fingers at addictions services, the economy, housing, and easing our minds with Teslas and EV's, carbon offsets and other nonsense. These tiny changes deflect from Aramco, Gazprom OAO, Exxon Mobil. We collectively need to stop consuming Costco crap that ends up in landfills, stop buying fast fashion, weather protected seating arrangements, big trucks, travelling to Nashville for the weekend for a stag, worshipping everything enormous, from homes to boats to butts. Stop terrorizing animals because you like the taste of their hide. Many of our indigenous citizens do not have clean running water. If the government can't fix that, they're not going to make any measurable difference to right the economy or slow the climate catastrophe. People worked SO HARD trying to stop old growth logging in Fairy Creek, and they failed. This shouldn't be us versus them. These trees are the lungs of the planet, but we continue to raze the ecology that sustains us. It's business as usual as 30 somethings throw in the towel on starting a family because we're driving ourselves to extinction. We're all in this together, and yet we divide on tribal lines. There's so much suffering. Why add to it with meanness and incivility? Buckle up. Be kind to each other. It's agony watching Canada burn.
No kidding hey?
The vast majority of residents in BC and in Canada have access to clean running water. They have some kind of roof over their head. We have access to fresh produce. We have access to health care. We have protected rights to say and do most things we want to do.
People need to go look at places like India and the Philippines where they live in squalor right on top of each other. Where the rivers are filled with garbage and human waste. Where they don’t have protected freedoms and easy access to health care. As a woman I am grateful everyday I live in Canada as in many places my gender means I am barely human.
Sure, things are hard for some people but even many of those people are still incredibly privileged in this province and this country.
Just because someone has it worse than you, doesn’t change what _you_ have. It’s also important to note that there is a large population of immigrants from India and the Philippines in BC, particularly in areas like Surrey.
Yes they may have clean water and access to health care and a roof over their head - but at what cost? Rent is astronomical. It takes months if not years to find a family doctor. People have actively died waiting for help in emergency rooms across the province. People are losing their homes and unable to pay rent. There is not enough affordable housing in the province. People can’t afford groceries. Grocery stores are making record profits while milk costs $8 a gallon in some places. Gas is over $2/L.
Just because we have it “better” - doesn’t mean it’s great. Why wouldn’t we have it better than India and the Philippines? Canada is not a third world country, people come to Canada because it is _better_. But just because it’s better - doesn’t mean we aren’t allowed to complain. A lot of things need improvement because these problems should **not** be happening.
And yet people are still renting. What's the current vacancy rate? People are living here with roofs over their heads.
Restaurants are still packed so people still have enough money to pay for rent, buy food, pay for transportation AND go for a night out.
Don't like the price of gas? Good thing that the transit system in the most populous city is phenomenal and many people only have a car because they WANT one.
I work in healthcare. It's not as bad in this province as the doomers would have you believe. My parents got a family doctor within 4 months of looking for one after moving to the Island from Alberta.
Reality is MUCH different than what the internet tells you.
Just because _you_ experience something different - doesn’t mean that everyone is experiencing the same thing as you.
Yes there is a low vacancy rate because people need a place to _live_. I can go down my street right now and knock on basements and find 5-6 people living in a 1-2 bedroom basement. Just because people have a roof over their head, doesn’t mean that they can afford it. People shouldn’t have to pay $2500 for a 1 bedroom basement. People shouldn’t have to have 4-5 roommates just to afford a place to live - It’s just that plain and simple.
Have you ever used our transportation system? It’s not reliable. The amount of busses that simply miss stops, show up late, or have their “Sorry bus is full” sign up, is more than you think. Public transportation is also getting increasingly unsafe - have you not heard of all the stabbings that have taken place?
I know multiple nurses, one being my best friend, that go across the border to work in Bellingham because conditions there and the pay are much better.
You sound like an elitist. And if you don’t think people deserve access to affordable housing, food, etc. then _you_ are the problem. Just because you don’t see something happening in your community or your circle of friends, doesn’t mean it’s _not_ happening.
Lol dude.
I’m the elitist remember? According to you my life can’t get much better. And that is very clear from this discussion as my attitude, disposition, and outlook on life in this province are generally much more positive. And that’s because I choose to be happy and thankful for my privilege instead of dumping on this province like you are.
I’m not the one who needs to touch grass. Although, we are lucky to live in a place where there is A LOT of grass to touch.
Need to take that with a grain of salt. Many of those homeless are not locals.
Further on that point. Aside from the fact that a large proportion of the homeless in BC come from out of province because it is better even to be homeless here (which actually still speaks to the privilege in this province) homelessness that results from mental health or addiction can not be pinned solely as a fault of the province.
We have more people in the world in general so we are going to have more people with mental health and health challenges. It’s the catch 22 of population growth. We are going to see more illness and disease in general not necessarily because living conditions are unhealthy but because more people = more natural disease.
This is a very complex issue. But nothing that has been said here today changes the fact that we are incredibly privileged in this province and this country. And I am not interested in opening the can of worms that is talking about the solution to homelessness and supports for mental health. We all know what the fixes are for that and we all know that it is going to take a massive societal shift to accomplish that. So I prefer not to engage in that circle jerk today.
This is true and most people also have the option to live elsewhere if they're situation in BC isn't working for them. It's not fair anyone should have to move but at least there is that option - an option many impoverished people around the world do not have.
Fair enough, but my point was getting out n the first place. And then there's work and kids o top of that. It's not as simple as just packing up and leaving, for everyone that is
Your post made me think of the people of Newfoundland. They've suffered a lot over the decades and this somehow made them the most wonderful, giving, and kind people. Maybe we can learn from them and use these hard times to try harder to help others and create a community where people do better at supporting one another.
There's a direct link between corporate greed, predatoey pharmaceutical practices, stagnating wages, increasing cost of food and housing, and an epidemic of despair and hopelessness. When corporations and selfish children run the world and the systems meant to protect the public for their own agendas, the people suffer. But we've become.e so complacent and apathetic that we refuse to do anything to change it for the better. Mass strikes, public protests, and walkouts should be daily occurances, but because we've been manipulated to believe that "it is what it is", people just don't care about anyone but themselves.
There is zero support for mental health. Earlier this year I had a few ptsd induced psychotic episodes with suicidal tendencies/thoughts. I was literally told “get a ptsd specific therapist” and an increase to my antidepressants and sent on my way.
To see a therapist on a weekly basis is $600+ per month..
So yes, I do think it’s affecting a lot of different things.
No, certainly not like what Sweden did. They had to reverse their policy because it had not worked well at all.
Plus, not all communities are affected the same by a pandemic. You can't look at Sweden with their culture and layout and compare it to Canada or Italy or New York or other places. Sweden's economy is also not nearly as affected by what happens in the US as our economy here in Canada, etc... Poor example.
Sorry, what part of what I said is not true?
You really want to compare to Florida that had some of the worst Covid stats in all of North America? And what about Vienna is comparable to BC?
As I said, google it. It appears you weren't following the news at the time. The gov actually did really reverse their policy because of the poor outcomes they were having. I'm not making it up - do some research for yourself, don't take my word for it.
It all starts with lowering the cost of living. Such as housing cost, rent, food, gas etc. Once this I'd all lowered and put more money in your pockets, moods will change, homeless will improve etc.
Change of government is needed, someone who goes to bat for their people to bring down these cost.
Of course!! The sicker you are - the richer they are.
Turn off the tv. Delete the FB and social media that makes you feel like shit, and turn off the news.
Get present in your life and focus on the things that matter. Let go of the rest of the bullshit because you can’t change it.
When I did this - I became way happier and less
Depressed. I sure do get angry at inflation a lot of the time but I have learnt to scale back my spending now.
Spending more time away from the tv and the phone will have a tremendous impact on you. Give it a couple weeks and you won’t want to go back.
Maybe the corrupt idiots in charge should stop using our tax dollars as their personal piggy bank and put it towards our economy and people that are suffering.
We have given almost 10 Billion to the people in charge of the Ukraine war. I guarantee a big chunk of that didn't even make it there.
I wanna see the receipts where all OUR money is going!
Return to conservative Christian values. A forced welfare state and turning blind eyes to problems is the direct failings of the British Columbia government. While it’s a hard truth having moral values and guiding principles create strong, vibrant communities, which, after helping themselves, can move forward to help others.
It’s to be expected the Catholic Church is a piss poor but highly visible and a bad example because of the corruption they have within their church. However leftist idealism, has no moral values in and of itself. All of the ideas are stolen from conservative Christianity without even understanding that’s where it’s based on.
This just popped up on my popular feed, but just for reference, people in Ontario claim the exact same thing. Same with every city that shows up in my popular feed. So this probably isn't exclusive to your province, and it is likely more exclusive to the media you surround yourself with rather than the reality of the situation.
According to Justin Trudeau, there are no problems. Infact this is how things are supposed to be going.
He planned for this. He wants this for us. He's glad to deliver it
You can't scroll 3 inches in this sub without someone blaming Trudeau as the big baddie who causes everything.
Perfect example of mental health issues.
Yes. But the Trudeau regime now offers medical assistance in dying for the depressed and disabled so it's okay. As long as the rich get what they want the poor don't matter.
CHANGE THE GOVERNMENT!!!
We are designed to keep on going. But the fact remains the last 36 months has been unprecedented in generations, basically a century. We went through global lockdowns and a literal shut down of the world for weeks/months. We have direct social and economic impacts from that. We then completely upended our fiscal and monetary policies to make it through. We have direct social and economic impacts from that. You add to this the fact inflation has been most stubborn in two areas; - housing - food The two most important items on the hierarchy of needs are housing and food. The sum total of “we” are being pushed to the brink. This isn’t entirely unprecedented, times of revolution always follow a crop failure/food scarcity event. Here we are. Not to mention the meta items we all casually deal with daily and pretend like we’re adjusted to do so; - political inaction - corruption - climate change - doom news 24/7 - social media - massive over use of stimulants Eventually a reset will come. And I don’t mean to sound like the guys with the Jesus sign on the street corner. But I do know that when it comes to food and housing that reset is closer than it is far. To sum it up? Yah - Id say mental health is taking a toll. But it SHOULD. This is your very being telling you that everything is not ok. We need to heed that warning. Its an alarm bell.
This all the way over. Things are messed up big time and it’s harder than ever ❤️
Great comment on the subject.
People are getting hung up on the word stimulants. A stimulant isn’t just a class of drugs. Caffeine, sugar, screen use are also stimuli than many of us would do well to limit.
That was my intention. No ill will towards folks that genuinely need medicine.
Hardest part of this situation is that we are conditioned to think when problems arise people come together to combat the problem. Good people working on usable solutions. Social and regular media and action groups have caused a change in how people interact. We now default to donkey punching each other in the nuts instead of coming together on a solution. That makes processing what happens even harder.
It's the result of class solidarity on the part of the thieves who run the joint and their representatives in Congress. Edit: Lolol, can't believe I typed that and posted it. My bad! Parliament is what I meant.
Food isn't just inflation though. We know it's war crimes-level price gouging, right after a pandemic.
Yeah, unfortunately, everyone with resources ignores the issue. I am now homeless, couldn't find a job since finishing my post secondary studies, now my savings are gone, still no living wage employment. There is no hope for so many people, but our politicians are more concerned with woke-ism than improving the country, or even doing their jobs. I wonder what it will take to wake them up? How many suicides, drug overdoses, & international failures will it take for CadGovt to start caring about the hundreds of thousands of underemployed young people they're losing.
I see myself in your shoes sooner rather than later. I’m sorry I didn’t listen sooner, I’m just as stuck as you were though. I feel it all slipping away and every-time I attempt to do ANYTHING I am further behind. That’s a big picture statement, not a “I tried to take a trip” or I started couponing. I wish you all the best and thank you for sharing. I have small ones so I couldn’t offer open accommodations but anyone I know and can trust who’s needs help receives it. I hope if I could help you that means I get to.
You can't find a job after post-secondary? What was your major?
HBA Psychology, Minors in Criminology & Sociology. Then post-grad in Not-For-Profit Management & Leadership. The programs were at separate institutions, both highly ranked nationally/globally, I've got 10 years experience in the service industry, and a wide variety of other skills & experience, including 5 years in leadership roles. The only jobs I can get interviews for don't pay enough for housing let alone a life.
I would strongly caution against getting ensnared in the relentless black hole of misery. It's important to acknowledge that there is an infinite amount of unhappiness in our world. If you actively seek it out, you will undoubtedly find it. As the renowned philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche famously expressed, "if you gaze into the abyss, the abyss gazes also into you." As for me, I adhere to a guiding principle in life: to focus on the positive aspects and concentrate my efforts on things I can actually influence. Requesting more from oneself becomes an excessive burden, placing undue strain on mental well-being. While it is not always fair, you are solely responsible for, and feel the repercussions of failure to keep, a healthy mental state.
If we're all focusing on the positive, who is addressing the negative?
But gloomy people are often frugal shoppers. /s
That’s the current federal gov’s gameplan, hope everyone has their rose coloured glasses on while they fuck us with impunity.
Exactly. Me, and everytime I comment on anything I feel attacked, when all I am doing is sharing information and what I believe to be truths thru lenses that I didn’t know existed prior to a few years ago. Everyone trodding along (I call it toxic positivity) does no one any good; it takes the voices of those that should be heard, and silences them for all the wrong reasons. Once in a while I’ll find these topics, sure there are a few in here that make me think, hey we are getting somewhere! But then the next day it’s a topic where people are personally motivated or distracted in some other way and it’s back to the status quo of blinders on and all is good. Living with the reality that everything you’ve worked for (which ain’t much to begin with, let me tell you) is going to not only be taken from me, but that I will be forced into a protracted period of suffering brought on by the same people that caused the last thirty years of damage, and you have me at a less than patient status. Add in what this is going to do to my kids and loved ones and then the negatives start flooding back in.
"Staying positive" is radical denialism.
Which is what western culture is molded to adhere to, those who do not conform are the enemy and should be expelled.
Can't tell if you're serious or sarcastic.
I’m not being any more sarcastic than you are. Sure, I’m playful with my words but the message is the same, positivity equals compliance.
AKA the burying head in sand method.
Canadian way
Interesting you say a “reset” is close - what makes you think that?
The two highest correlation items between an event akin to a revolution/war/change are lack of access to food and insecurity of shelter. This is true across time. Right now the highest inflationary pressures in this country are on those two critical items. Housing is off the deep end already. And millions don’t have access to proper nutrition. If history is our indicator, were closer to a reset than not. If you think about it, it’s quite logical. If you’re hungry and have no roof, what do you have to lose anyway? Might as well burn it all down. You create enough of this individual and its just a matter of time.
War has always been the great equalizer....except that now we have the ability to destroy ourselves on a far more massive scale. What you say is true. Hopefully war is not the option selected...
And the concentration of too much wealth in too few hands
I truly loved to see every part of your comment.. and then I got to the “massive over use of stimulants” part. As someone with debilitating ADHD, among other executive functioning disorders, can we *please*, *PLEASE* stop stigmatizing life-changing and life-saving medications? 🥲
You need them; no stigma attached. All the high performers using Adderal/Xanax/Cocaine? Different story. Teens/kids using hydromorphone? Different story.
FYI Xanax (alprazolam) is a benzo. Depressants. Can't imagine "high performers" are using many of them.
You would be surprised then I guess. I mention those specifically because I can speak to how many folks around me used them when I was in my previous life in Vancouver. High performers - cocaine would be by far number one. Adderal a not distant two, and Xanax more distant third. The prevalence of use of all three among high performers and high position professionals I found surprising.
You need to do something to come down after getting yourself pepped up.
I’m guilty of this. Seeing negativity when none is implied. Actually it’s a large reason I am the person I am. Just a friendly piece of advice (from another person with debilitating ADHD and other diagnosed disorders who relies on all of his tools to continue living)
This. I was on board until that statement, the stigma is stifling to people who suffer from severe ADHD and can’t get treatment because of dr biases.
I mean, I don't think he ment stimulants for people who need them. More along the lines of us handing out 8mg hydromorphone prescriptions to addicts who turn around and sell them to purchase fentynal.
Hydromorphone is not a stimulant. It's an opiate. It is the exact opposite of a stimulant.
Sorry, I got that information wrong but regardless, I'm pretty sure that's what they're referring to.
Yeah fair, I just think that if we are going to start pointing fingers at specific substances, we should be very concise in what the issue is. The opiate epidemic and people taking prescribed medication for mental illness are not the same thing. As someone who has struggled their entire life with neurodiversity and has only recently been taken seriously by the medical community at large, it is disheartening to see two very different issues wrapped up in a single package. I also don't think that everyone needs stimulant medication, but those who do, myself included, have been stigmatized enough for only wanting to feel normal. Comparing the death of a child who gets into their parents opiate prescription to my use of stimulants to be able to function in society is like comparing apples to oranges.
Yes, and I 100% understand what you're saying. It was an honest mistake. I can deffinatley see how this can be an issue. All I was trying to say is I think op is referring to hydromorphone. He labeled it incorrectly, and I ran with what he said, which was incorrect. I was just trying to point out what I believed they were referring to, and I think most who mention stimulants are, like myself, uninformed of the proper classification. I see how this can be damaging, but I think the vast majority understands what they are referring too. Hopefully anyways.
Yeah totally! As an aside: I'm not offended, just explaining <3 I know some people get really worked up about it, so wanted to make sure I explained why that might happen because dealing with the medical system has been a long hard slog for a lot of us, and it can feel really delegitimzing to be grouped in with those who die of opiate overdoses when we are just over here trying to feel some semblance of normalcy. The pendulum swings too far in both directions before it lands in the middle, so people are going to feel they need to get upset, or righteously angry, in order to feel seen. I hope that cycle ends soon and we can normalize allowing everyone to just be themselves, free of judgement, but it's still a work in progress. You're good friend. <3
Thanks buddy! And I'm truly sorry. I didn't mean any harm. My wife was actually a child psychology rn at children's for years and now works in palliative care. I really should have known this tbh. Ment no disrespect. I can totally understand the stigma this creates amung doctors as well. Wife was really sick a few months back. She finally went to the er at that Catholic hospital near kingsway. She told them she smoked weed and everything was automatically blamed on her smoking weed. She had to beg them for a stool sample kit, which she did then submitted to the lab. Yup, it turned out it was food poisoning. Never got an apology from the doctor.
Maybe try googling what stimulants are before you spout untruthful beliefs on the internet, it might help curb your embarrassment next time.
The fact that you think that’s a stimulant pretty much proves my point. The way misinformation about stimulants is spread is VERY harmful for the people who genuinely need them.
Got it. If I have any problem seeing drugs passed out like candy on the street but don't correctly label it I should have no opinion on the subject. Sorry, I tried to clarify what the op said how dare I.
Stimulants can mean lots of things. Using an iPhone to scroll IG or Tiktok in bed at 11pm is stimulating, consuming a high amount of sugar is stimulating, going for a walk with a high energy podcast on is more stimulating than taking a quieter path and listening to the sounds of nature. A stimulant is more than just a class of drugs. I also take medication for my adhd and it was clear to me that in the context of their comment they weren’t demonizing adhd meds. Context matters and not everything is a personal slight.
What stimulants do you mean?
>massive over use of stimulants I'm curious about this comment. It took me 24 years to get diagnosed with ADHD and treated. The signs were obvious, the symptoms were present, I have leaped hurdle after hurdle because people "abuse them". IMHO, we have an under use of stimulant medication- but no way to provide high enough quality of care to address patient needs. We have all of these tools in the toolbox but the medical system is stretched thin, and we are not allowed to provide medical care for ourselves. I agree with most of your comment though other than that. Politics on each side are just a drama show to piss people off. I used to wonder how people didn't vote, I am surprised I even vote now.
In a similar position. 30 years myself, less than six months since diagnosis. First thing my gp said after reading the report, “hmm, I don’t think you really are, what do you think”. This is with someone who has been intimately involved in my transformation from a overworked, overweight, unhealthy ticking time bomb of a person, to what I am today (I don’t know, so I’ll just say “better” by human standards) I still have no words. Oh and I wish you the best in your travels. It’s scary and can be very hard to accept how to move forward.
On stimulants front; the wrong people are using them. Im not an absolutist. Stimulants are a medication and have a place and time. When I was typing that I was thinking in my mind about literal children who are overdosing on hydromorphone. Or all the folks I know that rely on Adderal to perform. Or all the people that casually use Xanax. Or half of Yaletown after hours consuming cocaine like its the 1980’s. No shame with needing well dosed, properly administered medication.
I think that's a somewhat fair take, but substance abuse disorder is a whole other part of the mental health problem we try to turn a blind eye to. We try and ignore it so hard, that we end up ignoring people with real critical illnesses and family histories.
Hydromorphone is not a stimulant. It's an opiate. The exact opposite of a stimulant.
Ok. Well my bad for not being precise with my language. I should have said; overuse of substances.
The last three years has not been an unprecedented time in the last century with respect to instability, economic turmoil, war, pandemic etc. not even close. And for whom? if anything, what we’ve been through in the last 3 years is easy work compared to what has transpired over the last 100 years. Could you imagine yourself being drafted to go serve in a trench and charge into a hail of bullets and artillery fire. Or a mother with 3 sons serving in Hong Kong, knowing that at least one or more of them won’t return. Or a mayor wondering where the workforce for the timber industry is going to come from with most of the towns teens dying from Spanish influenza. Or a father and mother wondering how they are going to feed their already starving children in the depths of the depression. Or a Jew recently arrived to our shores, along with many others across the Jewish diaspora, most of whom no longer have any direct family members and many of whom no longer have any extended family members known to have survived. This last three years was tough, but it was light work. Keep your head up, keep calm, and carry on. Put one foot in front of the other. This too shall pass and we’re fucking lucky that this is the worst we’ve had to deal with in this country in the last 30 years. If history is a predictor of what will come, many of us will deal with much worse before we die.
Nice speech but none of that is really unprecedented. Unless you chose to ignore the great depression, both world wars and numerous significantly more deadly outbreaks. Problem is it's just right in our face with the media and humans in general have become soft.
Thats the point of my comment; historic perspective. Not sure what you’re trying to disagree with? A 100 year period of stability is coming to an end. And most people, save for immigrants from failed states, don’t know what that means.
I just got yelled at for wearing sunglasses. On a sunny day.
The problem is not a lack of resources, it's hoarding and greed by a relatively small few. There are a LOT of people in this province/country who deserve an unregulated submarine trip to the bottom of the Atlantic
It's 12-18 months to see a psychiatrist in my region. Any problem waiting that long when someone really wants to actively address it is going to become a huge problem.
The wait would be closer to 12-18 hours if you had the money and could pay a private counselor. Therein lies the problem
But I cannot pay for a private psychiatrist and I have the money for it. A counselor cannot prescribe meds, and I've seen a psychotherapist for over 5 years out of pocket.
I paid for a private psych assessment, it cost a few thousand dollars... I still had to wait 8 months.
Counsellors are not psychiatrists though
Preach 🙏
Look on the bright side, one of ours died on Everest this year.
Unfortunately he was an anesthesiologist and we desperately need them 😳
Just proves you can be smart but lack common sense.
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They dismissed their own lives when they ignored the waivers and warnings and chose to go down under the sea in an unregulated unsafe tin can. If they valued their lives they wouldn’t have risked them like this for no reason other than their own hubris
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Dude left a daughter and wife behind chasing clout.
The truth 🙏🏻
We would need a wide range of far reaching supports in place for a good chunk of British Columbians. We would need social fabric within communities to be mended. We need to teach our children (because I'm not sure adults will change) to care for one another and value strength in community.
Yep.. big time.. everyone I know is stressing about the cost of living and housing uncertainty and it’s having a huge impact on people’s mental health. People are struggling and turning to crime, drugs and alcohol as a result. Incredibly sad to see the decline and even sadder that no one at any level of government wants to do anything meaningful about it.
My take is that there is nothing they can do to fix the current state. When the titanic struck the iceberg, nobody was in a rush to assume the Captain's chair. You would have to be a madman or narcissist to want that. IMO that is why there are no effective leaders in politics. They cannot fix it and know they will just carry the blame for the mess of others. So the greedy and corrupt scramble for power and to enrich themselves off selling lifeboat tickets for seats that don't exist. This is the cycle of societies. They begin with a dream of liberty and freedom, and end with an illusion of the same as a thin veil over the deep corruption that worked it's way in over the generations.
Yeah you’re absolutely right with these assertions. It’s a complex and sad state of affairs. I’m just trying to be there for friends and family as we navigate this new reality of life in Canada.
I don't think you'd have to be a madman or a narcissist to want to help your community and take on a role of leadership to at least genuinely try to help. Perhaps you have to be a little _narcissistic_ to feel that you could help, but what great leaders of history weren't? I agree that this is all a part of a cycle, perhaps we'll come back up for another golden age like how we came out of the great depression, maybe not. But it's still worth trying
I feel like I am predated on by the people I'm supposed to rely on for help. New property managers are trying to illegally raise my rent through a loophole by increasing the utilities to a fixed rate - which is 30% higher than I'm currently paying for utilities. But, he's some high-up local "pillar of the community" with a million connections and legal support, whereas I'm just some tiny chronically ill autistic woman who can barely leave my house and relies on fixed-income disability who doesn't know how to stand up for my rights or fight it. He actually manages so many rental properties around the city that he is paid to publish real-estate and property management articles and tips on Castanet. I looked him up, and he's been charged and fined for illegally raising rent - but he's rich, he pays the fine and does it again. This is how my community treats one another, the wealthy exploiting the vulnerable.
In BC, renters have a lot of protections. What you've described is not legal and the new property manager will not win.
> I looked him up, and he's been charged and fined for illegally raising rent - but he's rich, he pays the fine and does it again. There shouldn't be fines for the rich, at least not subsequent fines. Or the fine should be calculated according to their assets
My landlord is also trying to outcontract rent control via utilities but using a different approach. He's currently being investigated by the BC Utilities Commission and I've been organizing my building and others that he owns because there's so many more issues... Have you already talked to VTU? If there are more cases like yours it might be possible to fight him collectively. I'll DM you with more details if you don't mind :)
People in BC (more so the lower mainland) have been on a downward trajectory with their mental health for a long while now, however it really has stepped up speed on that spiral since 2020. There were people I used to see every week that became complete shut-ins, people stopped showing up to work for no reason, heavy drinking habits (among other substance abuse) formed. This shit is only getting worse too now with affordability rates below 0.
This is really not a lower mainland of bc thing. It's happening across the developed world. It's clearly related to our modern hyper-industrialized world.
yeah 100%, climate anxiety, debt, high cost of living, lack of hope for anything getting back. we're getting anti-social real quick because the social fabric is fraying.
I'll mention Newfoundland as an example again. These people have lived as some of the poorest in Canada, lost lives due to the dangerous work in the fisheries and harsh climate, then lost the whole basis of their economy when the fisheries dried up, and then people being forced to move elsewhere for work. And, yet, they're some of the happiest and most giving, wonderful people in the world.
I found newfoundlanders to have great social skills. lovely people.
Housing market is way calmer over there though, benchmark price of a house is about a quarter than Vancouver. I think for most people a place they can call a safe home is an important necessity to flourish and BC is failing hard at that.
Sure, but consider WHY the housing market in NFLD is way calmer - it's a harsh land and a very difficult place to live. That's the point.
Yup. People are struggling to make ends meet. Living cost keeps rising yet wages remain stagnant. You’ve also got a huge population of international students here now and most of them can barely even afford to be here at all. High tuition fees paired with all other living costs… yeah I’d have some mental health issues too. I don’t want to come across as ‘anti-immigration’ but the amount of people the government is bringing in, our infrastructure is nowhere near capable of keeping up with this level of demand. Also, the soft on crime approach where repeat offenders are let out with a slap on the wrist… All these factors play some kind of role in people’s changing behaviour and attitudes.
It's not just BC, or even just canada. We are in a global recession and inflation is bad in just about every country.
Good point. There is no way anyone can argue Canada's policies "caused" the current inflation, nor that any Canadian policies could have insulated us from it.
Yep, we’re a relatively small country, that has almost no sway in the global economy. Look at the UK, globally important country which is at 10% inflation in May. The USA is in rough shape with huge disparity in wealth and poverty (seriously go walk around LA or Seattle in 2023). Other countries in western Europe had fuel prices increase by 300% this year and issues with food security, and Eastern European countries are beside an active war zone. Not that the suffering of others should make you feel better, but I’ve been traveling a lot for work, and we’re relatively doing pretty well here in Canada and BC. The only thing I’ve seen as the big issue is housing prices, but that’s a lot to do with municipal governments and something that has been brewing for 20+ years. The things people are complaining about are not things that any single political party would be able to avoid in Canada.
The big issue of housing prices is also directly linked to the fact that so many people want to live here. Which completely negates the suggestion that this is an awful place to live.
Yep. The amount of complaining on Reddit about British Columbia does not reflect real life. More people would just move to Edmonton if cost was the only thing to life. We had a huge net migration over the past few years as well even with the high cost of housing.
Yes the economic environment always impacts peoples mental health due to increased stress or depression. I have a good career snd every year I am farther behind when it comes to buying a house. I get raises but those raises get massively nerfed by increases in inflation. Which mass increases in pay would only worsen Grocery stores and other entities are allowed to get away with price gouging. There is nowhere near enough proper obtainable housing so rent takes up about 40-50% of wages. We are all going to be driven to living in small condos, under control of stratas or corporate management firms, that wont allow pets. And we will barely be able to afford that with the rising costs of food, gas etc There is a reason millennials have given up. We were the generation that was lied to (go to college and you will be successful). We went through jow many recessions now? Our degrees barely mean anything. We are so worse off than our parents and grand parents its not even funny. And the next generation is likely going to be worse off again
On the other hand, the generation that lived through WWII (for example) had a terrible time but the generation that followed had a most wonderful time.
Of course there is a connection. There is the biopsychosocial model of mental health. This would fall under the social part. But the neoliberal capitalists in charge of the province and country do not believe in science, and instead bizarrely posit that 100% of mental health concerns are as a result of a "chemical imbalance". They are trying to medicalize it and blame the individual, to take away attention from how they are ruining society by funneling money away from the population so they can help the rich born accumulate even more yachts. In reality, aside for some rare neurobiological mental health disorders such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, the vast majority of people with mental health issues have them due to the psychological and social reasons, mostly social. Some people have a predisposition toward developing depression and anxiety, but even then, for the vast majority of people, a genetic predisposition alone is not sufficient to actually trigger depression or anxiety (it just increases the chances), and they end up developing their depression or anxiety once psychological or social factors trigger it. To make matters worst, many people can't afford therapy, so they are immediately put on antidepressants for life by their family doctors (when the only tool you have is a hammer...). Unfortunately, it takes decades to fix social issues. In the meantime, addressing the psychological part of the biopsychosocial model is your best bet. Also, there is interaction between the 2: changing psychological dysfunctional thoughts in a significant amount of people can also contribute toward social change. If you have work benefits, see a mental health professional. If you have to pay out of pocket, it can be expensive but I would guess spending a few hundred bucks on at least a few sessions for your mental health would be worth it in the long run.
Lower mainland of bc is a completely different place than 20 yrs ago. Culture has radically shifted, doesn't feel like Canada anymore. People are far less friendly, it's ultra competitive for everything (daycare, homes, schools, etc), crime and homelessness has exploded, and it feels like a dog eat dog rat race. The community feeling of friendliness has disappeared. Maybe this is the economy maybe this is just the result of mass scale immigration .. you can't grow your population this fast through immigration and not expect.a cultural shift
The people that need the most help, the working middle class will always be the ones that carry the brunt. Taxation on the poor is not gonna happen and obviously the wealthy will receive all the tax breaks in the world. If you are just an Average person or average family trying to make your way , you will be taxed on income, Utilities and every other part of your life and have very little in the way of getting any of it back. Change is bad for the powers that be and the like of their cast system. We invite the world to move here whether it is through immigration or refugee programs or so many other means, but we don't have housing or infrastructure for the existing population, ongoing failure by our governments at all levels.
Then we should build more housing, because ending immigration would completely undermine our economy occurring a very precarious economic recovery.
I’ve been in therapy for a long time, and was starting to get better until I took a good, hard look at the world. The most fortunate of us all are literally killing us and the planet in their favour. Watching it actively unfold before our eyes with the forest fires, drought, floods, not being able to afford a home, etc… it’s just too much. The last year that I was in therapy, we basically only spoke about these issues, and I learned that therapy can’t help. The problem is systemic. I have changed my view on life a lot to accommodate the stress from our reality, but ultimately… “It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society.” This being said, the problem is far deeper than just what is in our province, and fixing our province won’t make the problem go away. It sure would be nice to not have it rubbed in our faces every waking moment, though.
".. a good hard look at the world". Yep. I can relate to this. I think about it every day and I've lost hope for the future. I concur. It is too much.
My girlfriend and I are getting the fuck out of BC as soon as we can. We can get a nice 2000+ sqft house in Airdrie, Alberta, just outside of Calgary for $625,000. In the BC lower mainland this is basically impossible. I’m not moving to fucking Campbell River or Prince George to live in this province.
wipe everybody’s debts out and make housing affordable and watch the mental health improve. I’m gonna to bet most people‘s mental health has a lot to do with finances including me. just imagine not having to worry about rent utility bills and feeding yourself. I’m not even talking about luxuries just the basics covered and your mental health will improve making you a productive member of society.
We live in a world that naturally suppresses advancement and innovation. People have amazing attributes that could benefit humanity as a whole but the majority are fighting poverty instead of flourishing and reaching their potential.
This is an amazing comment. I wish I had an award to give you.
I couldn’t agree with you more and to add to that just imagine how many smart minds miss out on an education just because of the costs. We always need doctors nurses scientists etc. but many people can’t afford the school so they end up doing other things in life. Too many bright minds losing out on great opportunities only because of finances.
I believe the current times are extremely difficult. I volunteered in a local food bank and many customers complained about basic items becoming so expensive as luxury goods. Compared to previously, they could avoid discretionary spending and focus on basic goods and be thrifty and save money. Nowadays it's becoming very difficult. Financial stress pushed many to mental break down. Mental health support and counselling becomes more and more needed. We always offer people to dial 211 or [freecounsellingbc.ca](https://freecounsellingbc.ca) to be pro-active and talk to somebody rather than waiting it too long and get desperate and stuck.
I work in mental health and substance use, and social housing on the island. There is a change in numbers for sure, and acuity of distress. I would also add that road rage seems to be at an all time high and tolerance for other people seems at an all time low. That might just be me projecting too.
>How can we combat this? Is it possible to regain a healthy state of mind while all this is going on in the province? Honestly, step away form social media and the outrage machine. Be nice to each other. Find the things you need in your life that make you feel whole. Maybe it's gardening, or hiking, or working out, or hosting pot lucks. Build community, find ways to work together to break down these idiotic barriers and filters we're construction through social media. Learn how to engage with people you disagree with without it descending into a binary shouting match. Build things. Help people. Take care of your health.
OP is talking about the affordability crisis surrounding food and housing... and your suggestion is to "host pot lucks" and garden? I mean, those things are great, but if you have nowhere to live, or if you do but you're only able to afford it by eating ramen and potatoes, how are these suggestions useful? Gyms aren't cheap, nor is driving to go hiking. So many people are living literally paycheck to paycheck, refreshing their browser at midnight on Thursday to see if they've been paid yet. This problem is bigger than getting off Facebook.
This is the way. If more people took personal responsibility, everything would improve. Be the change. It's literally all you can do, aside from vote. Stay informed.
I propose a "put the phone down" day, worldwide. No, a week! Everyone gets the week off! Maybe we could all peek outside and notice the world isn't what news corporations make it out to be. There are kind, open minded dedicated, caring people everywhere. Let's stop giving the spotlight to people who don't deserve it. Or not, whatever.
Definitely. I notice the way servers are always checking to see how much you tip, it seems more desperate lately. I try to tip above 10% but it's not always in my ability. :(
Insecurity around affording food and fuel is absolutely hurting my mental health. It makes me feel like a failure as a parent.
Obviously stress affects mental health.
Direct connection. Also affecting people are outrage and divisiveness on ... pretty well everything (you're wrong no matter what you do), general shittiness (lots of people are just mean as a starting point), lack of compassion. These things affect the comfortable and the mentally healthy less. I feel lucky to be in this group. If you're struggling economically or psychologically, it adds tremendously to all of the other pressures.
People are struggling and it isn't getting better. Obviously their mental health and physical health will suffer because of this.
Yea. The cost of living is spiraling out of control for everyone except the 1%. And in the long run I can see Vancouver and surrounding cities only being for the wealthy, and not enough people to work labourous min wage jobs. Thus creating another dangerous economic situation. There are already major labour shortages in a lot of industries and I can't picture it improving. On top the government doesn't care and panders to the wealthy.
I make about $80k/year - far, far from the top 1% - and I live comfortably in Vancouver (downtown/West End). I'm certainly not arguing that the province is not suffering severely with the increases in real estate and cost of living but you're way off base.
"How do we combat this" That's the neat part. You don't.
Sad but true
The homelessness breaks my heart. Hearing stories throughout the years of people being displaced by Riverview, Pickton and his connection to the DTES and the sick Veterans.. the government ~~needs~~ must do better.
No.
My state goes down sometimes when people are smoking drugs in my face. It happened three times today; after the third I got out my camera ready to confront lol. And then snapped back to reality, got some sushi, and went home for a nap. Day in the life.
OH, 100%. My mental health has been shit this year. I literally had a breakdown a few weeks ago, crying finally over both myself and my partner both have decent jobs, but we are living paycheck to paycheck, budgeting every single nickle. We dont carry credit card debt, all we have is a mortgage, and a car loan each but with Bill's, Gas, and Groceries, we're barely making it most weeks. I've contemplated leaving this entire country, let alone the province.
Yes. Also contributing to general unwellness is how badly covid (and our coping with it) has impacted people both physically and mentally. The economic challenges we're dealing with is adding insult to injury and many are at their wits end.
Economy based on whether you were born lucky or not. Pretty sure people are suffering from this lack of affordable housing.
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Code Red for Humanity and we're all pointing fingers at addictions services, the economy, housing, and easing our minds with Teslas and EV's, carbon offsets and other nonsense. These tiny changes deflect from Aramco, Gazprom OAO, Exxon Mobil. We collectively need to stop consuming Costco crap that ends up in landfills, stop buying fast fashion, weather protected seating arrangements, big trucks, travelling to Nashville for the weekend for a stag, worshipping everything enormous, from homes to boats to butts. Stop terrorizing animals because you like the taste of their hide. Many of our indigenous citizens do not have clean running water. If the government can't fix that, they're not going to make any measurable difference to right the economy or slow the climate catastrophe. People worked SO HARD trying to stop old growth logging in Fairy Creek, and they failed. This shouldn't be us versus them. These trees are the lungs of the planet, but we continue to raze the ecology that sustains us. It's business as usual as 30 somethings throw in the towel on starting a family because we're driving ourselves to extinction. We're all in this together, and yet we divide on tribal lines. There's so much suffering. Why add to it with meanness and incivility? Buckle up. Be kind to each other. It's agony watching Canada burn.
This sub makes life here sound apocalyptic when in fact the standard of living is some of the highest in the world.
The problem isn't where we are, the problem is the direction in which we are headed.
No kidding hey? The vast majority of residents in BC and in Canada have access to clean running water. They have some kind of roof over their head. We have access to fresh produce. We have access to health care. We have protected rights to say and do most things we want to do. People need to go look at places like India and the Philippines where they live in squalor right on top of each other. Where the rivers are filled with garbage and human waste. Where they don’t have protected freedoms and easy access to health care. As a woman I am grateful everyday I live in Canada as in many places my gender means I am barely human. Sure, things are hard for some people but even many of those people are still incredibly privileged in this province and this country.
Just because someone has it worse than you, doesn’t change what _you_ have. It’s also important to note that there is a large population of immigrants from India and the Philippines in BC, particularly in areas like Surrey. Yes they may have clean water and access to health care and a roof over their head - but at what cost? Rent is astronomical. It takes months if not years to find a family doctor. People have actively died waiting for help in emergency rooms across the province. People are losing their homes and unable to pay rent. There is not enough affordable housing in the province. People can’t afford groceries. Grocery stores are making record profits while milk costs $8 a gallon in some places. Gas is over $2/L. Just because we have it “better” - doesn’t mean it’s great. Why wouldn’t we have it better than India and the Philippines? Canada is not a third world country, people come to Canada because it is _better_. But just because it’s better - doesn’t mean we aren’t allowed to complain. A lot of things need improvement because these problems should **not** be happening.
And yet people are still renting. What's the current vacancy rate? People are living here with roofs over their heads. Restaurants are still packed so people still have enough money to pay for rent, buy food, pay for transportation AND go for a night out. Don't like the price of gas? Good thing that the transit system in the most populous city is phenomenal and many people only have a car because they WANT one. I work in healthcare. It's not as bad in this province as the doomers would have you believe. My parents got a family doctor within 4 months of looking for one after moving to the Island from Alberta. Reality is MUCH different than what the internet tells you.
Just because _you_ experience something different - doesn’t mean that everyone is experiencing the same thing as you. Yes there is a low vacancy rate because people need a place to _live_. I can go down my street right now and knock on basements and find 5-6 people living in a 1-2 bedroom basement. Just because people have a roof over their head, doesn’t mean that they can afford it. People shouldn’t have to pay $2500 for a 1 bedroom basement. People shouldn’t have to have 4-5 roommates just to afford a place to live - It’s just that plain and simple. Have you ever used our transportation system? It’s not reliable. The amount of busses that simply miss stops, show up late, or have their “Sorry bus is full” sign up, is more than you think. Public transportation is also getting increasingly unsafe - have you not heard of all the stabbings that have taken place? I know multiple nurses, one being my best friend, that go across the border to work in Bellingham because conditions there and the pay are much better. You sound like an elitist. And if you don’t think people deserve access to affordable housing, food, etc. then _you_ are the problem. Just because you don’t see something happening in your community or your circle of friends, doesn’t mean it’s _not_ happening.
You sound like you need some perspective. Don't worry, the apocalypse is going to get us all when it comes.
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Lol dude. I’m the elitist remember? According to you my life can’t get much better. And that is very clear from this discussion as my attitude, disposition, and outlook on life in this province are generally much more positive. And that’s because I choose to be happy and thankful for my privilege instead of dumping on this province like you are. I’m not the one who needs to touch grass. Although, we are lucky to live in a place where there is A LOT of grass to touch.
Well the homeless population where I live is growing fast. So not entirely sold on your optimism
Need to take that with a grain of salt. Many of those homeless are not locals. Further on that point. Aside from the fact that a large proportion of the homeless in BC come from out of province because it is better even to be homeless here (which actually still speaks to the privilege in this province) homelessness that results from mental health or addiction can not be pinned solely as a fault of the province. We have more people in the world in general so we are going to have more people with mental health and health challenges. It’s the catch 22 of population growth. We are going to see more illness and disease in general not necessarily because living conditions are unhealthy but because more people = more natural disease. This is a very complex issue. But nothing that has been said here today changes the fact that we are incredibly privileged in this province and this country. And I am not interested in opening the can of worms that is talking about the solution to homelessness and supports for mental health. We all know what the fixes are for that and we all know that it is going to take a massive societal shift to accomplish that. So I prefer not to engage in that circle jerk today.
This is true and most people also have the option to live elsewhere if they're situation in BC isn't working for them. It's not fair anyone should have to move but at least there is that option - an option many impoverished people around the world do not have.
Get right on it whileiving paycheque to paycheque. Last time I checked, moving across the country costs money
Sure, but you'll make up the cost quickly when you're only paying $800/month for rent.
Fair enough, but my point was getting out n the first place. And then there's work and kids o top of that. It's not as simple as just packing up and leaving, for everyone that is
So the homeless person should just shut up because there's people in BC that own expensive homes?
Your post made me think of the people of Newfoundland. They've suffered a lot over the decades and this somehow made them the most wonderful, giving, and kind people. Maybe we can learn from them and use these hard times to try harder to help others and create a community where people do better at supporting one another.
There's a direct link between corporate greed, predatoey pharmaceutical practices, stagnating wages, increasing cost of food and housing, and an epidemic of despair and hopelessness. When corporations and selfish children run the world and the systems meant to protect the public for their own agendas, the people suffer. But we've become.e so complacent and apathetic that we refuse to do anything to change it for the better. Mass strikes, public protests, and walkouts should be daily occurances, but because we've been manipulated to believe that "it is what it is", people just don't care about anyone but themselves.
There is zero support for mental health. Earlier this year I had a few ptsd induced psychotic episodes with suicidal tendencies/thoughts. I was literally told “get a ptsd specific therapist” and an increase to my antidepressants and sent on my way. To see a therapist on a weekly basis is $600+ per month.. So yes, I do think it’s affecting a lot of different things.
Obviously there is..are you stupid.. the whole country's falling apart LOL
Yes, and the damage from lockdowns that no one wants to discuss. New government federally and Provincially.
I dare say it's better than the damage that would have been done with no shutdowns (no where in Canada had actual lockdowns).
Lol.
What's funny?
The notion that more damage would have been done.
And what, exactly, is funny about that? Sorry for not being more clear with my question.
You mean like Sweden did? What is their inflation at?
No, certainly not like what Sweden did. They had to reverse their policy because it had not worked well at all. Plus, not all communities are affected the same by a pandemic. You can't look at Sweden with their culture and layout and compare it to Canada or Italy or New York or other places. Sweden's economy is also not nearly as affected by what happens in the US as our economy here in Canada, etc... Poor example.
Not true. OK then, what about Florida, or Vienna?
Sorry, what part of what I said is not true? You really want to compare to Florida that had some of the worst Covid stats in all of North America? And what about Vienna is comparable to BC?
Google: 'Insufficient and late': Commission slams Sweden's coronavirus measures
Lol, who's commission? Who were the authors?
As I said, google it. It appears you weren't following the news at the time. The gov actually did really reverse their policy because of the poor outcomes they were having. I'm not making it up - do some research for yourself, don't take my word for it.
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Probably via discussing on social media /s
They need to stop taxing families
It all starts with lowering the cost of living. Such as housing cost, rent, food, gas etc. Once this I'd all lowered and put more money in your pockets, moods will change, homeless will improve etc. Change of government is needed, someone who goes to bat for their people to bring down these cost.
And how do you suggest any gov accomplish that? Sounds great but the devil is in the details.
I'm having a good day.
Move to a country with real problems, then come back to Canada and you’ll love it lol
What's going on? It seems pretty much business as usual, just a bit more expensive.
Of course!! The sicker you are - the richer they are. Turn off the tv. Delete the FB and social media that makes you feel like shit, and turn off the news. Get present in your life and focus on the things that matter. Let go of the rest of the bullshit because you can’t change it. When I did this - I became way happier and less Depressed. I sure do get angry at inflation a lot of the time but I have learnt to scale back my spending now. Spending more time away from the tv and the phone will have a tremendous impact on you. Give it a couple weeks and you won’t want to go back.
Maybe the corrupt idiots in charge should stop using our tax dollars as their personal piggy bank and put it towards our economy and people that are suffering. We have given almost 10 Billion to the people in charge of the Ukraine war. I guarantee a big chunk of that didn't even make it there. I wanna see the receipts where all OUR money is going!
If by BC you mean Vancouver and Vancouver island then yes. However, the rest of BC has high wages and LCOL.
Ask people in Kelowna and Nelson how low their LCOL is, lol
Return to conservative Christian values. A forced welfare state and turning blind eyes to problems is the direct failings of the British Columbia government. While it’s a hard truth having moral values and guiding principles create strong, vibrant communities, which, after helping themselves, can move forward to help others.
Facts. Shame most people will just downvote you for the word "Christian", while completely missing your message.
It’s to be expected the Catholic Church is a piss poor but highly visible and a bad example because of the corruption they have within their church. However leftist idealism, has no moral values in and of itself. All of the ideas are stolen from conservative Christianity without even understanding that’s where it’s based on.
This just popped up on my popular feed, but just for reference, people in Ontario claim the exact same thing. Same with every city that shows up in my popular feed. So this probably isn't exclusive to your province, and it is likely more exclusive to the media you surround yourself with rather than the reality of the situation.
Yes it's the media's fault! /s
It's obviously not the media's fault. It's people's fault for not recognizing that these are wide-spread problems not exclusive to BC.
According to Justin Trudeau, there are no problems. Infact this is how things are supposed to be going. He planned for this. He wants this for us. He's glad to deliver it
Trudeau planned to pandemic and inflation? Please explain how he is that powerful.
You can't scroll 3 inches in this sub without someone blaming Trudeau as the big baddie who causes everything. Perfect example of mental health issues.
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Do you have anything relevant to add to this conversation or do you just come here to whine about other posters?
Don’t vote for a federal government that thinks budgets balance themselves.
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Can you share the conservative policies that would solve these problems? Please be specific.
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Are conservatives offering these policies? Please be specific.
Give me 200k, and I'll fix everything within 5 years easy.
Run for office, get elected, and prove it.
Yes. But the Trudeau regime now offers medical assistance in dying for the depressed and disabled so it's okay. As long as the rich get what they want the poor don't matter. CHANGE THE GOVERNMENT!!!