If all goes according to plan, one of these two friends will be in treatment in Maple Ridge any day now, while the other will be cheering her on from the Block. “It’s too cold and I’m too old to be out here anymore,” says Anna, 53 (on the left, and not using her real name to spare her family). “None of this is fun anymore.” Like many people out there, Anna has a plan for addressing the street crisis, and fondly remembers a brief period in the pandemic when rough versions of functional camps emerged. The former roofer and drywaller imagines a small village: A piece of land set up with designated tent spaces. Atco trailers for services. A mess hall and kitchen staffed by people who live in the camp. Laundry and shower facilities. A place to charge your phone, maybe even a receptionist to take messages. “Right now, an unbelievable amount is being spent on these two blocks, and nothing is changing,” says Anna. “Out here, you’re so far down, you can’t get a grip on anything, and Bylaw is constantly throwing your stuff away. It doesn’t have to be like this.”