Stumbling

I went to see about the situation around 277 Victoria Street where until a few months ago there was a Supervised Consumption Site called The Works. It has clearly become quiet around that address. I spoke to a security guard at Toronto Metropolitan University who confirmed that and told me, on condition of anonymity, that the closure of the site has increased security along that stretch of the street that leads into TMU. I walked over to Bond Street and then down to the intersection of Jarvis and Queen where, across the street from Fred Victor next to Moss Park Armoury,  there are abundant signs of addiction and homelessness. It does seem like certain governmental actions along with major gentrifying development are squeezing people into these difficult pockets. At that intersection I witnessed (with a CP24 employee) what appeared to be two consecutive overdoses, although it was not exactly clear if the first woman, who had been hit by a car, had also overdosed. I met Khalid at that corner. He told me he has been in Canada for 8 years and came from Somalia on his own seeking a better life.