Age: 52
From: Trail
Mel Gibson is the name he calls himself; he lives in Port Alberni, and comes into Vancouver to make a little money.
Mel was orphaned at 3 years of age when his mom was run over by a car on the corner of Seymour and Dunsmuir streets. His dad was a drunk so he was put into foster care.
He spent grades 5-8 at Cliffside boarding school, on Vancouver Island; he also attended a Mennonite Bible School, where he broke the mile record at 15 years old in 4.20 minutes.
Mel remembers that he was never adopted, always ran away, and was always in trouble. He once went to a group home in Shaughnessy but got kicked out for not obeying the rules.
He did a lot of drugs in the 60s and 70s but doesn’t use them any more. He has lived all over North America, in Miami, Texas, L.A., Denver, and Arizona. He was married and had 2 kids, while he worked as a carpenter.
Advice to young people thinking of a life on the street:
“Just say no to drugs, it’s a very bad life.”