Former CBS anchor Dan Rather is putting Vancouver under the microscope.

The host of "Dan Rather Presents" is in the Olympic city ahead of the 2010 games. For the past few days, he has been pounding the pavement of Vancouver's Downtown Eastside neighborhood, preparing a story for his show on HDNet.

"I'm a lifetime reporter," Rather told CTV British Columbia. "What reporters do is you come, you walk the ground, you talk to people."

The Downtown Eastside is one of the poorest neighborhoods in the country, and it's home to a variety of problems, including drugs and prostitution.

"This is as bad as it gets in North America," said Rather. "Having said that, I admire Vancouver and the people here."

"We know that in terms of HIV and hepatitis that until recently, and perhaps still this particular HIV and hepatitis, are on the level of Botswana. And to have that happen in North America, this is a disgrace for all of us."

He described the level of squalor in the Downtown Eastside as Dickensian. The 76-year-old reporter spent part of Friday morning at Insite, Vancouver's safe injection site.

Insite has provided a safe haven for drug addicts in the area since it began as a pilot project in 2003. It allows them to safely inject drugs and get health and addiction services.

The site has been in the North American media spotlight in the past few weeks. Politicians and health professionals in San Francisco held a symposium on the site last month to see if a similar facility could help that city.

Rather said Vancouver's problems aren't unique. He added that he doesn't believe the Downtown Eastside has to remain the way it is if there's enough political will to create a change.

"I'm really hopeful. I'm an optimist by nature and by experience," he said.

Over the years Downtown Eastside residents have had their share of high profile visitors. Vancouver's mayor says that as the Olympics get closer, he expects many more international journalists to arrive to take a look at the city's negative and positive aspects.

With a report from CTV British Columbia's Janet Dirks