I have been unsure if I want to share this photo or the story behind it. I love the west coast. I love the ocean and the rainforest. I even enjoy the rain, but Victoria has changed over the last decade or so. I remember exploring Victoria’s many parks with my camera. I would think nothing of crawling through dew covered grass, taking macro shots in the early morning. Today I would be afraid of coming across needles or other refuse.

Last week I decided to take a walk by the Selkirk trestle. It is a nice walk along the path, or so I thought. Between the homeless couple yelling at each other, and other piles of refuse,including pill bottles and needles, I lost my creative enthusiasm. I did get this photo of a crack smoker on the side of the path….

Crack smoking homeless
Crack smoker under Gorge St Bridge

On my way back I happened to see a couple of police finishing some sort of investigation. Normally I would have just kept walking, as the police have more important things to do, but I needed to vent. I told them about the crack smoker, and complained that our beautiful Victoria seems to be falling apart. I explained I had sympathy for them and I wish there was something we Victorians could do to take back our city. It has only been in the last few years I have been over conscious of the expensive bag of camera gear on my back…

The moral of this story? I’m not sure. I may be biased against homeless or drug addicted people after my stint as a building manager in a rough part of town, but it does bother me that I seem to see a lot more problems in our city. I feel sorry for the police who are becoming overwhelmed…

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