Peaceful Sunday mornings have turned into mornings filled with the sound of the squeaking and rattling of shopping carts down the alleyway for at least one southwest resident.
J.N, 26, says she has noticed more homeless people in her area and in her alleys collecting bottles and what she presumes is garbage in her trendy neighbourhood of Mission over the summer.
“Oh yeah, there are a lot more than there used to be. We had some of the regulars before but now there is a different type coming in, I find them a lot more aggressive,” she said. “They are pushing their carts around by five or six in the morning.”
She says she is not sure why there are more in her area but thinks the closing of the Cecil Hotel may be a factor.
But Ward 7 Ald. Druh Farrell believes while there aren’t necessarily more homeless people in the area, she does think there are more people collecting bottles because of the increase in the deposit for returning bottles.
“I think that perhaps there are more collecting bottles in the inner city because there is more value, but I don’t think there is an increase in criminal activity. I think the number of people picking bottles has increased,” Farrell said. “I think if there isn’t vandalism it’s not too huge of a problem … but I think that’s an anomaly.”
