“The NDP government passed Bill 50 in 1998, allowing the city to restrict the hours Downtown Eastside businesses are allowed to operate. The curfew imposed under Bill 50 followed a long history of failed initiatives designed to curb substance abuse in the neighbourhood, including the closure of the liquor store at Main and Hastings and the removal of pay phones because they were being used for drug deals in the pre-cell phone era. Ironically, there’s now little to do in the neighbourhood that’s not drug or alcohol related after the city’s only non-24 hours Waves Coffee closes at 10:00 pm.»
2008 year blog