andyt andyt:
[ But there's something about the stories that come out of Winnipeg that sound different than Vancouver. Less shootings, but more killings in people's homes and lots of stabbings. Sounds less like gangsta stuff than just personal stuff between people. But then maybe part of it is the way the media filters reporting of these stories too.
The area most of these stories come out of is north of downtown but not all the way north and on the west side of the river is what is still referred to as the "North End" and is a cultural study in itself. Much of the stupid killings for things like cell phones and shoes come out of here. A lot is youth gang related. No not gangs like Bikers and such but more like roving packs of displaced teens who have been forgotten etc. No easy way to put it but anyone from Winnipeg would agree, the North End is essentially an Urban Reserve. Lots of people who are displaced from their reserves or kicked out go there, many go for....the better life. A life is literally not worth more than a cell phone or a pair of shoes. My old man was a cop out there and it was common place to pick up a youth for a crime and literally be unable to return him home since the 12 year old had no family in the city, they had left town without them etc etc.
I inherited my Grandma's house there, three story 3000 sq feet place that could have been fixed up and sold anywhere else in town for easy $500,000. Best I could get was $30,000 and sold it asap. I could go on and on but yes, it really needs to be seen or lived around to be understood, a sad place that used to be the backbone of the city in its day. Now one can't even get fire insurance in some parts of it.
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