By Tina Winterlik aka Zipolita
Date: May 6 2025
The sidewalks of Vancouver—one of the wealthiest cities in the world—are becoming ground zero for a public health crisis that echoes some of history’s darkest times.
Human waste is piling up in alleys and streets. Public washrooms are being shut down due to lack of funding. People are getting trench foot—a condition we associate with World War I trenches, not modern urban centers. Yet here we are. And if our leaders continue to ignore this crisis, the consequences will be devastating.
To Health Minister Josie Osborne, Mayor Ken Sim, and Premier David Eby—this is your moment to act.
What’s Happening Now
- Human feces and urine are increasingly visible in Vancouver’s streets, especially in the Downtown Eastside.
- Public washroom closures—like those near the Astoria Hotel—are leaving hundreds with nowhere to go.
- Trench foot cases are rising, especially among the unhoused who are trapped in wet, unsanitary conditions without basic medical care.
- Infectious diseases, such as Hepatitis A, norovirus, and even typhus, could easily spread through contaminated surfaces and human contact.
What Will Happen If You Ignore It
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Disease Outbreaks
- Like in the era of the Black Plague, when human waste ran through the streets, disease will flourish.
- Hospitals will be overwhelmed—not with COVID this time, but with preventable infections rooted in systemic neglect.
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Environmental Contamination
- Human waste can leach into waterways, harm wildlife, and pollute soil.
- Vancouver could face fines or lawsuits over environmental failures.
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Tourism & Business Fallout
- Visitors and investors won’t come to a city that smells like a latrine.
- Local businesses will suffer, and B.C.’s global reputation will tank.
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Moral and Legal Failures
- The right to sanitation is a basic human right.
- Ignoring this crisis isn’t just unethical—it may be legally actionable under international human rights law.
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Public Backlash
- Citizens are waking up. Public outcry is growing.
- If leadership doesn’t step up, voters will remember.
What Needs to Happen Now
- Reopen and fund public washrooms, especially in the Downtown Eastside.
- Declare a public health emergency to unlock provincial and federal support.
- Invest in mobile hygiene units, including showers and laundry.
- Support frontline outreach teams with real resources—not just pilot projects.
- Treat this as a climate and poverty crisis, not just a sanitation issue.
A Final Warning
The echoes of history are loud. In the Middle Ages, people ignored the stench until it was too late. Today, we have science, we have knowledge, we have money—and yet we're risking the same outcome.
To Josie Osborne, Ken Sim, and David Eby—this is your legacy in the making. Will you act, or will history remember you as the leaders who let the Black Plague or something as nasty repeat itself—on your watch?
Signed,
Tina Winterlik aka Zipolita
