Mr. Speaker, if it were just 240 residents, but it is much higher than that as we speak. I was in Vancouver's downtown east side a week and a half ago. I was in one building and watched a person who had overdosed be carried out.
The drug market is extremely profitable. I have talked to people who have sold drugs. I talked to a 14 year old who was doing community time for selling cocaine. I sat down with this young fellow and said, “Why do I not help get your grades 10, 11 and 12 and then we can help you through post-secondary school”. I had previous connections with school districts. This 14 year old looked at me and said “Listen fellow, I make 18 to 20 grand a month which is non-taxable profit. I have a lawyer on retainer and I have a” whatever car it was. He was not even old enough to have a driver's licence. Profit is the problem.
Meanwhile there are people who are so hooked on drugs that their job is to get kids out of the schools, young girls in particular. They come from Vancouver and go to the Fraser Valley and get kids on this stuff. They give it away to start with. They get them hooked and then it is on with the home invasions, the break and enters, and so on and so forth. I cannot impress upon the House how important this issue is. I think my colleague knows that. The co-operation we get could make the difference in this nation as to how we deal with all these issues.
By the way, the speakers we have for the May 27 rally are very serious people. There is a young lady who has been a drug addict and lived on the streets on Vancouver's east side for four years. She has been off it for a year but of course, addicts are never ever off it. There is the Washington state drug enforcement administration and the Vancouver narcotics squad. There is a mother whose daughter is actually on the streets in Vancouver. I am happy to announce that George Chuvalo will be attending as well. George has lost three of his kids to heroin.
This rally is not a show. It is not a partisan political body. I invite all members to show their support. There will be local and provincial politicians there. We should all go and listen and say we can do more about this problem.