Dear Editor:

Another year will soon be gone, and I find little comfort in knowing it's another year that Burnaby has refused to step up on the homeless issue. Aside from a "study" and a tiny 30-bed shelter sitting way off the beaten track, the City of Burnaby has done little and should be ashamed.

What is especially disturbing right now is knowing full well there are homeless in Burnaby struggling to stay alive in these brutal weather conditions. Our fearless leader's last run-in with the homeless was this past summer when he was getting ready to rid the park of the vermin but stopped short because of some constitutional glitch. Yes, homeless people do have rights, including the right to shelter.

Right now all is quiet with little mention made of the present situation. The press has chosen not to make this an issue, instead opting for comfortable stories and giving some guy named O'Neill prime rant space. Fingers will assuredly fly and point blame at other levels of government for not doing their jobs, but the bottom line is, we elect our civic reps to work with other levels of government to help get jobs done. We have studied homelessness to death, and it is time to do something besides nothing or worse, look the other way while that fragile someone, who is homeless, lights their candle in an attempt to stay warm and burns to death.

I truly hope the people of Burnaby remember that they can do something about this situation. They can say something and, ultimately, when the time comes, they can vote for a government that reflects a caring people. Right now, I'm embarrassed to say I live in Burnaby.

Shannon Campbell, Burnaby