Vancouver Magazine

Interesting article, though a lot of it seems to be trying earnestly to destigmatize recreational drug culture by humanizing and intellectualizing it by detailing all these things redeeming and unexpected of a "druggie." Not really necessary, I think - it's been done a million times (ever read Simon Reynolds? He's still at it, last I checked). Everyone, and I mean everyone, does E these days (which is fine! I partake, though not nearly as often as during my teens and early 20s). It just gets a bit corny when there seems to be a new crop of middle-agers emerging every year, obviously enraptured to some degree by this major new spiritual second wind for them or whatever, who feel the need to shout it from the rooftops. When I was in uni., I saw one of my profs at an afterhours, dancing horribly, sweating profusely...soooo awkward - it was like catching parents having sex.

Another problem is that older people getting into E tend to be more analytical and sensible about the experiences (they write about it, mostly), usually avoiding habituation and other typical pitfalls. For younger users, it's way easier to lose control and get seriously depersonalized from constant rolling (after all, their bodies can take it even if their minds can't). Trust me, I've been there. While E might help a professor come to exhilarating new realizations and whatnot, it'll make a typical jock or gangbanger a nice person for about four hours. In the end, it's all pretty boring.

Kindly note that this was the SECOND drug lab found in Kitsilano, within less than a year.

November 1, 2007: the entire block of West 7th Avenue, between Yew & Vine Streets - two blocks from where Paul lived - was sealed off, due to a drug dealer named DEREK TAYLOR whom had a clandestine meth lab in his suite at 2225 West 7th.

Taylor had a criminal record stemming from Ontario, had been living the building for four years (much to the chagrin of many tenants whom had told the landlord of his drug-dealing ways), and while cooking-up a batch of meth, started a fire in his suit.

He could have blown-up the building, killing many people, including children whom resided in the building.

Tenants whom had complained to the landlord & police were aware of his selling of narcotics such as heroin, cocaine, marijuana, and various other substances. They had no idea that their lives had been put at risk for months ... years ... for the toxic chemicals stored in Taylor's 3rd story suite.

Taylor: 37 year-old male, loser with a pit-bull (of course!), whose suite was found filled with chemicals, a loaded handgun, a large amount of cash, and manufactured methamphetamine.

A HazMat team was called-in, the building was evacuated for 24, Taylor was arrested & charged, and ... he rolled the next morning, actually having the audacity to RETURN to the building. Not once, but a few times, including when he claimed his belongings nearly 3 months later (knowing "his rights" as a criminal). While claiming his possessions, Taylor was arrested again on an unrelated charge. Appearing in a Pt. Moody courtroom, he ... rolled again.

His suite was sealed-off with plastic for three months, and over a year later, remains unoccupied. Taylor: remains a free man, and apparently returns to the neighbourhood on occasion ... driving his refurbished BMW, with his pit-bull, and 18 year-old piece of Vietnamese arm candy/addict of a girlfriend.

How do I know this? Because I had to live across the hall from that piece of excrement for four years. My life was put at risk by a home-based lab, and who's to say that the effects of breathing fumes of those chemicals won't effect my health in the future.

I am sorry for the death of Paul, but I empathize with his neighbours who are deservedly angry.

Frances-

A friend of mine left a copy of your article on my desk at work as he was disgusted with the way that the incident had been portrayed. As I read further into the article I felt physically ill.

It has been bad enough to have had to live through this, but to then read an article like yours and how it uses an almost dismissive tone is absolutely horrible.

I have sympathy for Paul’s family and friends, and there are no words to ever console them in the loss that they have had. My question for you is who is responsible for his actions, the actions that are responsible for the sickness and the loss that he had created for others?

It was interesting that you made a point of mentioning that his family does not have access to the 20 years of photos from Paul’s computer. What about my photos that were burnt in the fire, or the rest of my belongings that were destroyed, most with sentimental value that can never be replaced? What about my health and the effects on my body of breathing the chemicals through the vents and using the contaminated water which flooded my apartment with chemicals?

Your article seems to condone everything that he did. You need to not glaze over the fact that what he was doing is illegal. You need to address the fact that not only did Paul Haden put the building and the occupants in danger with his drug making, but also with the fire that occurred the right after!

Yes, his family and friends loved him and will miss him. He chose to partake in the creation and distribution of illegal drugs, activities that are also illegal, making him a criminal. PERIOD. Just because he'd never been arrested doesn't change that. By having his drug lab in his home he was putting numerous others in danger. His customers are one thing - they take the drugs willingly, accepting responsibility of any consequences that may come. His neighbors on the other hand, who unknowingly shared airspace, water, pipes, were risked without their permission, and I’m sure if you were to ask anyone if they wanted to share a building with an underground drug lab, all would undoubtedly say no. Were Paul still running his drug lab, one could argue attempted murder. In this case, the only fatality was the chemist & dealer himself, but what if there had been a different outcome? An explosion. Deadly fumes. Would he have been as praised in that case? Or maybe if he'd actually passed away of fume inhalation instead of a heart attack? Why should it matter? He was doing something illegal and putting innocent people in danger. It doesn't mean he should have died, but perhaps his glorification should be more muted out of respect for those whose lives were tainted by his actions.

As a casual friend of Pauls', I would like to thank and appreciate his neighbors' comments.

I really believed, and continue to believe, that Paul was a decent person, and I grieve his death to this day.
After all, he was a loving person, whether or not you agree with what he did.

However, I think it is tragic if his actions led to anyones' harm, which clearly they did.
In its way, that is unforgivable.

I just felt compelled to point out that, as I see it, the real antagonist of this situation is the War on Drugs (and all prohibition, in my opinion).

For, if his "passion" were not so unregulated, perhaps Paul would not have been forced to pursue it in such an inappropriate, and potentially dangerous, situation.

Not saying I am right...just food for thought.

With compassion for Paul, his family and friends, and for his neighbors, too,

Erin

Frances, I would like to thank you for finally offering the public an even-handed and thoughtful tribute to this man, who died doing the honorable task he loved. As a neighbour of his, I was aghast when the public was so outraged by what is in essence a very nuanced and morally-grey event. Many questions remain unanswered however, and perhaps a followup story is needed.

First of all, he was clearly a man who was doing his part to fuel a new renaissance. The only question is, were the rifle and handgun they found in his apartment (along with liters upon litres of E) to protect him from the therapists, the artists, or the business professionals? Because as I understand it, he was a gentle and charitable philanthropist. Yet the last time I checked, Warren Buffett didn't need multiple firearms to protect himself from the sick children he patrons.

Secondly, how can we pay tribute to this man? Future generations must appreciate the beautiful and generous man who is no longer with us. Perhaps naming a wing of VGH after him would be fitting? After all, its hallways could someday be occupied by those who took part in his philanthropy (by unknowingly breathing in toxic fumes for extended periods of time). Furthermore, several of the individuals on the other side of his walls were in various stages of Medical School. Perhaps they would appreciate working in a place dedicated to the man whose greed, indifference for others, and utter incompetence as a chemist, nearly cut short their promising lives.

Finally, and most importantly, how can us (his neighbours) send our condolences to those he left behind? I can only imagine how badly his friend the stripper is grieving, now that Paul and his drug-money are no longer patronizing her establishment. To what address can we send flowers for his parents, who helped shape him into the beautiful individual he was (mainly by giving a teenager psychedelic drugs on the condition that they get to watch). It is always the hardest to lose a child when you have done everything right...

So please Frances, dedicated more paper to this god-like man whose life was cut short. It is true that the good die young, especially when their prolonged exposure to noxious chemicals leaves them at risk of fatal aneurysms...

Best Wishes,

Paul's Loving Neighbour

Frances,

Must have been a slow news day. I am disgusted by some of the comments in your article.

Let me start by saying that I am a compassionate, kind person who loves and adores friends and family. I have a sense of community and treat others how I wish to be treated. I feel just as sad as anyone else about the innocent loss of human life and the impact on friends and family. I recently lost a loved one and it is devastating.
I was Paul's neighbour for 8 years. I am pissed that he operated a drug lab next to me for the entire time. I can't imagine a more selfish, irresponsible, harmful, disrespectful activity which may have harmed and/or killed the neighbours in the 22 suites next to him in our apartment building on any given day during this period. The risk of explosion, fire and toxic fumes that I've been inhaling the past 8 years is very frightening. Sweet, wonderful girls who were his neighbours broke out into hives the night he died and were physically sick. This is an act of a 'philanthropist'? Kelly Attridge appears to have known he was putting us at risk and that Paul was engaged in illegal drug production and did nothing. Kelly says, "Paul believed in what he was doing with such passion that he put his life on the line for it." What about my life, my neighbours lives and our friends, families and pets? We didn't have a choice, this was imposed upon us.

Frances, how can you glorify a life that put so many others at risk, and write an article about what a good person he was. He's a hugger, he's a priest, and his friend Alan says, "Paul made an extraordinary contribution to the community"...if me and my neighbours get cancer from years of living next to a drug lab, is that his contribution to the community? The night Paul was found was incredibly scary. The entire building and all residents were evacuated for days, not knowing if we would be able to go back due to the possibility of total building contamination. To top it off, a week later, in an event police identified as 'arson', someone came back to the contamination bin holding the contents of his apartment and set it on fire. The fire ran up the shoot and in turn set the building on fire at 2am on a Tuesday morning. This was a total catastrophe to all people involved. The entire building nearly burned down. Firefighters lives were put on the line and a sweet girl, who had just moved to Vancouver lost her entire belongings. Is this Paul's contribution to the community? Is this a 'philanthropist'? Give me a break.

My favourite part of your article is this: "All of us are, ‘Oh my God, we've lost an incredibly precious person.' He was known as the expert. He was known as the guide. It's a huge loss," said Alan. "We don't know another chemist who has stepped up to the plate. I don't know what we're going to do." Good luck finding another chemist Alan. Hope he doesn't put his innocent neighbour's lives at risk as well.

With the huge drug problem in our city, with gang shootings everywhere, Frances, define good drug production and bad drug production and difference between the two. Do you really want to glorify the life of a drug maker? You say the majority of his production went to academics and artists. Who cares? Its still illegal and it still put our lives at unnecessary risk...and we had no say in the matter. The federal government just reintroduced a bill proposing mandatory jail time for drug-dealing and for drug production. Perhaps they should put in a clause exempting drug production for academics and artists.

I want to finish off by saying there are so many philanthropists and good people in the world who have not risked the lives of others and do not produce, import or deal drugs. Pick one of them to glorify.

I found this article very insightful and nuanced. It would be easy to write a slash piece about this guy. It made me want to have met him. It also made me think of all the "middle class professionals" not being open about what they are doing....

Thank you Frances for such a compassionate article about Paul.
He was my boyfriend for almost a year, and I have never met a more kind and caring person whose
love of his family and friends was immense. I do not do drugs, and he never once pressured
me to experiment. You are right, he was a man of many layers, and kept his friends compartmentalized.
The part of Paul I saw and knew, I loved very deeply.