11:1 ~ 12:15pm Samba in the Streets starts at Main & Hastings •
11 :3Cwn -1:30pm Mural Talk, Russian Hall dcwmstairs
2pm Bruce-The Musical2-for-1, Russian Hall
Jpm Ukrainian Hall's 80th Anniversary Fall Concert & Supper, Ukrainian Hall
Spm - 7:30pm Vocalization and Taiko DTB Women's Centre
5:30pm- 6:45pm Hatha Yoga, radha yoga & eatery
7pm Urban Bam Oance, Ukrainian Hall
7:30pm - 8:30pm Satsang, radha yoga & eatery
Post-Festival Events
Wednesday November 12 lpm Bruce-The Musical, pay what you can Russian Hall
Thursday November 13 1 pm- lpm The Writers Jamboree: Makin!J Yourself Known as a Writer, Carnegie 3rd floor
I
Spm - 7pm Munch 113 -The local Creative Economy: A Munldpal Candidates Discussion, InterUrban Gallery
Spm Bruce-The Musical, Russian Hall
Friday November 14 1 pm- 8pm The Writers Jamboree: Making Yourself Known as a Writer, Carnegie 3rd floor ·
lpm Bruce-The Musical, Russian Hall
Saturday November 15 Municipal Eltctlon -rtmtmbtr to rottl
10am- 5:30pm Breaking Into the Biz 45West Studios
6pm • 8pm Open House, 45West Studios
6pm - 11 pm Fundraising Social Strathcona Community Centre
lpm BrtKe-The Musical, Russian Hall
Sunday November 16 10am- 5:30pm Breaking Into the Biz Carnegie Theatre
Spm Bruce-The Musical dosing night, Russian Hall
Why Corporate Media Trashes the Downtown Eastside
Why the media trashes the Downtown Eastside? Why does the media trash our community and the people in it so viciously? A Vancouver Sun editorial (Dec.2, 2000) says, "Almost all of these problems (referring to health and street crime) stem from the open drug market that we call the Downtown Eastside." A writer on the CBC Gzowski radio program in I 995 says the Downtown Eastside is a slum that has "distinct boundaries like the scummy ring in a boarding house bathtub." In November, 1999, CBC-TV trumpets, "The Downtown Eastside -a marketplace of drugs and despair." And in an article in the Vancouver Sun on October 4, 2008, a writer says that the Downtown Eastside is "Vancouver's most unreal neighbourhood."
The people who wrote these destructive comments have no idea how hurtful they are to the human beings who live in the Downtown Eastside. The community is Vancouver's oldest, except for First Nations communities which are much older. It has a long and proud history of struggle for human rights, and because of the five thousand units of social housing, the Downtown Eastside is one of Vancouver's more stable communities. Also, it is a community strong enough to address the pain of the tragic street scene which is only a part of this complex, multicultural neighbourhood. The fifth annual Downtown Eastside Heart of the City Festival, which is going on right now, is one example of the creative and caring community that is the Downtown Eastside.
The person who referred to our community as an "unreal neighbourhood" is a former real estate developer. Developers, or speculators in real estate, do not want to acknowledge the community that is here because it is easier for them to take over the
I
neighbourhood if they can convince the public that no viable community already exists in the Downtown Easts ide. They call our community "unreal" or "a failed social experiment", and Matthew Matthew President of the Carnegie Community Centre ' . Association (CCCA) has answered them by saymg, "We know this is nonsense- aimed at deriding our community in the eyes of the public so that others may usurp our home and make it theirs." (The Fifth Annual Heart of the City Festival Program Guide,
page 3) . In conclusion, here are two reasons why the medta
trashes the Downtown Eastside so unfairly: ( 1) The media is corporate-owned nd profit-driven. Tragedy and suffering attract viewers and readers, and a main job of the media is to catch a large audience for the advertisers. Profit is one reason the media exploits the pain of human beings who make up the street scene in the Downtown Eastside. (2) When the media demonizes poor, ill and marginal ized people, it makes it easier for governments to cut social programs and for developers to push low-income people out of their neighbourhood and replace them with richer people. Another name for demonizing the poor is poor-bashing, to quote the title of Jean Swanson's important book "PoorBasfting- Tile Politics of Exclusion." Poor- . . bashing is a system of control. lt blames the vtcttm. It increases fear, It sidetracks effective political analysis, and it directs hatred towards powerless people. The vilification of poor people is used as a defence of the advantages of rich people. Developers want the land on which the community of the Downtown Eastside sits, and the media helps them by trashing the poorest and most ill residents of the neighbourhood and denying the existence of the community. When men of great power deny the humanity of human beings and the history of a community, they tend to think that they can destroy both the people and the place without moral qualms. First Nations people can tell u~ a lot ab?ut this process of racism, classism, and dtspossesst.on. The Downtown Eastside, however, has a long htstory and a rugged identity. 1t is not expendable, and it is not just skid road. We are strong when we stand in solidarity with those who have fought for human rights in our community for over one hun-. dred years. Speak up, friends, as the people asso~tated with the Downtown Eastside Heart of the Ctty Festival are speaking up. We are here. We are here. We are here.
Sandy Cameron
I
-· l~ .
• ' ' .
An Afternoon with Sandy Cameron I would like to invite all Fans and Friends of Sandy
Cameron to enjoy an afternoon with Sandy on November 8, 2008 between 2pm and 4pm. We hope to collectively enjoy this rare opportunity to demonstrate our gratitude for his 44 years of community building in the Down Town East Side and for his work on behalf of the poor. With a little bit of luck we may even get him to read something from one of his many books. Please bring your memories to share this afternoon and help create continuing "memories, the mother of community". For those who do not know Sandy, this is an op
portunity to meet a remarkable man. He taught for many years across the Canadian North from coast to coast, prospected. In addition to this Sandy has written many books on poetry, poverty and even text books as well as writes for the Carnegie News letter and has written for ELP as well he has written many great book and film reviews. He is presently working on another book as well. However his work in the Down Town East Side, (building this community and working to keep it), is a gift we all benefit from daily.
Before I ever entered the Carnegie Community Centre or even came to Vancouver to live I had heard of Sandy Cameron and his works in the Downtown Eastside. Now we are all able to spend an afternoon with Sandy, to show our appreciation for 44 remarkable years of effort on behalf of our community. By the way, it may also interest your readers to know this event was initially being planned for another date, but had to be re scheduled because it would have conflicted with an opportunity for Sandy to promote affordable housing. Always thinking of community first, that's Sandy, now it's our turn to put him first on Nov.8 111 at 2pm. See you there.
Colleen C.
l
-11> -11.1 (1) 11'1 ., ,..'< n ':T 0 0 , c: a. ., 0 Ill < .•
~ ~ < 0. 11.1 • ::J Ill n c: 0 :I c: < -11> N ,:1 0. cr~
'; 3 < a)>
:A N
NO COLOURS I live in a world of darkness, of only three shades
that I can see - black, grey & white. Where lost souls are losing their own feelings for awhile ... spaced-out time is what you borrowed, stages of deniaL.. from there it's all fun & games, but eventually you will fall deeper: jail time & death are the breaks. Nobody wil l bail you out because you've pushed all the ones who " loved you" away. I can only pray that one day you'llleave darkness ... one day at a time; it's a slow process but it's all worthwhile in the end. You are only lying to yourself & who you really want to be in real life. Crying and grieving is all a part of healing your own wounds. Slowly you'll peel off your own mask & you won't need to hide. We're only human & we're all sad or done regretful things we're not proud of... battle your own addiction & you've won the war ... won't promise it will be easy but I can say dealing with reality gets easier as your wounded heart throbs. It is going to bleed but it will heal. .. eventually your clean sobriety days start to be weeks that turn into months & eventually this becomes a far distant memory.
Kayla Koks
I
5
-
) • .
' •
Faul's law: You can't fa ll off the floor.
SOMEONE working for the City of Vancouver is GALACTICALL Y STUPID
Help in the Downtown Eastside is a pocket-size resource guide totally useful to everyone from transients to long-time residents. A first frustration to anyone is getting incorrect information, calling the wrong number, being sent to the wrong address.
Kind of like using "Help" on a computer - if you don't know exactly what you're looking for and what the program calls the problem, you can get endlessly lost in irrelevant answers. The booklet first came out in 1991 with 1000 Eng
lish-only copies. It contained info on the minimum necessities of life - food, clothing, shelter, medical aid and education, and I waited to see if it would be useful. There was good feedback, especially from people who were rront-line staff or volunteers; just deep relief and an appreciation that something this clear and simple would also be free. The Carnegie Community Centre Association paid
the small cost 3 times that first year with a few cash donations helping defray the printing expense. For over 14 years this was the only cost, with theresearch, updates, revision, input, formatting, layout, collating, stap ling, folding and distribution done by volunteers.
Demand grew steadily, as did the stuff listed. The basic thing was for people wanting more info about this place or that service to Call Them! When #5 came out someone came and asked permission to translate it into Spanish. (Sure!) A week later an entire translated version was handed to me, free, which was great 'cause no one here got paid either. About a week after that someone told me it had to be in French. I agreed. And a complete translated vers ion in that most melodious of languages was handed in 4-5 days later, again for free. All updates and revisions since have been translated for free!!
I was in City Hall for something and stopped in the office of the then-Director of Social Planning
I
and handed her the latest edition (#7 or #8). She exclaimed, "You just saved me $1 0,000!" I raised my eyebrows and she explained that she had just budgeted that amount to have City staff produce exactly what I had handed just her, and mine was already in 3 languages. "Thanks again." the end. I raised money outside Carnegie for those 14
years, and the odd time when no one could or would pony up some cash the Carnegie Association paid - a fail-safe because our friends and neighbours needed this thing. The provincial government would scrape up a thousand dollars now and thenfrom the Ministry of Human Resources. The welfare workers at the local offices kept after their supervisors for 3-4 years, saying in writing that they could not do their jobs without Help in the Downtown Eastside booklets on hand daily. 2001 came and a letter arrived saying that (finally) the Province of BC would pay $4000 annually to help. Then Gordon Campbell and his cronies formed a gov't and the rest, as they say, is history. Helping poor people in almost any way must give him the runs, because he's remained (mentally) constipated
• smce. In 2005 Michael Clague, then-Director of Carne
gie, urged me to ask the City ofVancouver for money, and insisted that I include an honourarium for myself. Okay. I wrote a letter and recalled the event with the Social Planning Director.. figured that given union wages, time required and printing costs I'd saved the (corporation ot) the City of Vancouver about $80,000 by getting it out as avolunteer. Someone there agreed and $6,500 was forwarded here. In 2006 and 2007 this increased to $7,000 for each year: 10,000 English and I 000 in French and Spanish printed and an honourarium. Now we get to the part of Galactic Stupidity:
At the end of2007 l was informed by a person acting under orders from the City that it was no longer going to pay for Help in the Downtown Eastside. No reason. The need didn't vanish with the money; if any
thing it increased. I had the na"ive idea that a handful of letters to certain people would result in a phone call to the person or department responsible for this obtuse denseness, cal ling the moron who decided s/he "d idn't like it" an idiot and getting the decision reversed, likely without firing her or him. The other scenario I envisioned was another source coming forward, probably expressing disgust that such a would have the power to at least
I
try to kill this essential publication. Neither bore fruit. In 2008 neither one of the edi
tions (#s37 & 38) has received outside funding. Production was again, except fo r the printing and some mailing, done vo luntarily. #38 ran out in late September and the next edition, #39, was due out in November. Calls came from the Social Work Depts at UBC Hosp ital and St.Paul's Hospital and the Emergency Rooms at St.Paul's and VGH; the Ministry of Employment and Income Assistance (Welfare); Pathways Employment Service, the Vancouver Police Department, and almost every week from the Fropnt Desk staff here in Carnegie, just asking "when is Help going to be here?" Even now, with #39 sitting here in boxes, there is
no money to pay for the printing unless the Association spends some of its limited discretionary funds -and the most common response is "It's appalling that a City government that talks so much about loving/helping/caring for the D.owntown Eastside can be so stupid, dense, grimy, grubby. I ask ya ...
Respectfully, PauiR Taylor, volunteer editor.
Vancouver can't afford three more years of NP A mis-rule.
In 2005, the NPA took advantage of a divided left and grabbed a majority at Vancouver City Council, School and Park Board.
The first thing NP A Mayor Sam Sullivan did was to cut affordable housing from South East False Creek. Councillor Peter Ladner and the rest of the NP A then shelved the Climate Change Action Plan, fired the Board of Variance and dismantled the citizen advisory committees. Ladner even voted against the Homelessness Action
Plan that would have started to build affordable and low income housing across the city. And instead of settling with civic workers, as every other municipality in Metro Vancouver did, Ladner and the NPA stood by and allowed a labour dispute to escalate into a four-month disruption of necessary services including garbage pickup, community centres, park maintenance and libraries. At the Park Board, the NP A tried to put mechanical
dinosaurs into Stanley Park, while NPA park commissioner Marty Zlotnik even tried giving away public park land so his pals in Point Grey could keep their
private UBC golf course. I The NP A majority on School Board has done noth
ing to earthquake-proof our schools. They tried to shut down local school annexes and withheld reports from the public. Meanwhile they met privately and decided to fast-track two schools in Premier Gordon Campbell's riding for earthquake upgrades.
On November 15 it is more important than ever to elect COPE's David Cadman and Ellen Woodsworth to city council. They will negotiate with the provincial government to open the 200 now-vacant units at Little Mountain for social housing. Cadman and Woodsworth will also make sure that every time a developer tries to build condos in the Downtown Eastside, they will also have to put up an equivalent number of low income housing units. COPE School Board candidates Bill Bargeman, AI
Blakey, Jane Bouey, Alvin Singh and Allan Wong will get earthquake proofing of school back on track, and advocate for class sizes that let teachers do their jobs. Park Board candidates Anita Romaniuk and Loretta Woodcock will call for a freeze on recreation and facilities fees for youth and seniors, and work with the community in deciding what amenities go into local community centres. This year, COPE has reached an electoral agreement with Vision Vancouver and the civic Greens to run a single mayoral candidate- Gregor Robertson. Vision, COPE and the greens have also agreed to run a single slate of candidates for City Council, School and Park Board. On November 15, ordinary people from every neighborhood and community will be able to vote for COPE Vision and Green candidates who can put our city back on course and make Vancouver a city that really works for everyone.
From the Editor's desk. The City was going to put in an ad about the Civic Election on Nov. l5 but again someone (with the NPA ?) decided against it. My vote is going to Ellen Woodsworth and COPE, With Vision & Green.
l
Poverty and Homelessness Put people before profit. Their well-being should be at the center of your administration. Political leaders and CEOs of Multinational Corporations should seriously consider putting the aforementioned words into practice. Today's credit tsunami or financ ial meltdown is the consequence of satisfying greed and personal gain before considering the welfare of the individual when planning corporate strategy.
Poverty in Canada became more visible in the late 1980's when a financial institution's billboard on Georgia St. indicated how much debt Canada was responsible for. As a result of this debt, the Federal Government cut back transfer payments to the provinces, which in turn cut spending on social housing, health care and education. The minimum wage as it stands makes it impossible to live with dignity. Because it is so low people have to work two or three jobs to make ends meet. In spi te of the government statistics bragging about the number of new jobs created, a closer look will reveal that most new jobs created, are part time, low paying and without benefits.
The archaic and punitive regulations regarding application for EI further prevent people from accessing benefits when work situations become intolerable. Lack of funds leads to hunger, homelessness and fami ly breakup.
In areas where rental accommodation is accessible to the poor, developers are purchasing these properties in order to build up-scale condos, thus pushing out the residents who have been living in this affordable area like the Downtown Eastside. The rich people who purchase these condos use their equity to build more equity for themselves by renting out the condos at very high rents. The downsizing of the mental institutions has re
sulted in mental patients having to survive on their own without medication and proper care. Many of them live in tiny single room occupancy "hotels" in horrible, unsanitary living conditions without private washrooms and cooking facilities. Bedbugs, cockroaches, mice and infectious diseases abound in these so-called "hotels".
We citizens should have a effective voice to communicate our concerns to our elected representatives so that they will put our requests into action. Every human be ing shou ld be entitled to food, shelter and medical care. Poli ticians world wide should be servants of the people and not use their positions for monetary gain.
Dr. James Pau
I
Qur CommunitY compoStS
Organic Exchange Greenhouses Worms, Seeds Com posters
Castings
Judah Stephens 604 216 2875
An Ode to Your Heart I'm sure that you notice it all the time People dismiss you as not being worth their energy Because of your funny way of walking, talking Society dictates, "Be kind to the disab led ifvou must interact with them · -but ignoring them is best." Those of us who truly care about you Know what they are missing .. A friend who listens; A philosopher and writer with compassion for humanity; A ready sense of humour; A smile that can brighten your day; A man who does whatever he can for his community.
You fall down more often than most, Sometimes you fall hard. You have a lot of practice Picking yourself up, Checking for damage, And carrying on. Broken bones heal faster Than a broken heart Or damaged self-esteem. You teach us to heal ourselves With your living example. Continuing with dignity Ignoring the pity in strangers' eyes. It is easier with practice -Dust off the bruised pride And find the courage To wear your heart openly once more
Lisa David
I
.
Good Morning/Afternoon People & Policy Makers
I stand before you to share the ordeal of existing people with Disabilities & people who are no longer on Income Assistance either. Just applying to be on the system is a difficult red tape process that can be very discouraging. My view of this is our community members have no place in society. Some of the people I know may look perfectly capable of being employed when in fact some may have various social barriers or hidden disabilities.
One known fact is people with disabilities are visible on streets throughout Vancouver and the metro- communities surrounding us in the lower main-
. land here. To my understanding I recognized many more are on the streets, even youth. Which brings a question to you today; how often do you drive by and see or go blind-sighted at the existence of our homeless crisis in the city you represent? I find this very appalling and unacceptable to allow this in our society. We are here today as we are lobbying for more support to reach the streets. Having shelters is one area, however this is just a
quick band-aid deal. When really people do wants homes to call home right? This is our essential right as mention under the Charters of Rights. Everyone has a right to be housed decently too to add. A person wants to call "Home". ·
A Loveletter on Thanksgiving Day
Natives don't celebrate Thanksgiving, but that doesn't mean I don't have lots to be thankful for. I look at where our neighborhood is and I see past the squalor and hate. I see acts of selflessness that break me up sometimes. I see homeless people spend money on bread for the birds. I see people in the worst bars who are poor themselves (by our standards) treat people who are broke or hurt with respect and kindness (look downtown where people are murdered, or Davie where hate crimes happen). I look at where we live. I know bedbugs, roaches, family loss), but then I see people in blankets with even less and I remember my year outside - and sometimes just cry. I see o~r jobs and know most people scoff at them and I think about how I enjoy serving/ helping the public. I see you making crafts (I know I bitch but it's because I'm jealous of your time). but then I see how happy it makes you; you actually beam!
I see you doing your social work (yes, again I complain, but you're helping people, and in my eyes
How many times I have hear people saying I don't have a home. This shows me people have failed or the system has failed. The BC Charter of Rights and Freedom is currently breaching citizens right in all walks of life with being denied one after another constantly.
What are we going to do about this problem? We do have solutions like taking over empty vacated hotels/bldg pass Abbott and Hastings. My understanding is BC has Housing Endowment Fund (250 million dollars). Surely we should be utilizing this for our community. Which can be used to building adequate hotel suite or a bachelor own bath space. A idea I have is to implement a pro-
. gram "Build a Home" is a vision for the community residen_ts would be the one who wants to participates; an 1deal way of spending funds; this would create jobs for people who are employable and also to help the shelter less people or couch surfers as well. When people are given the opportunity you can bet you will see their eyes light up and feel good about life basically.
Therefore; I share the stories of people who are in my life; and also this is a real eye-opener. Thank you for giving me this time to express my concerns.
All My Relations. Sandra Pronteau
that's one of most important things in life) and again you are radiant afterwards (sometimes, ha!) I see and hear about how people dislike me, but then I think about how these people have little or nothing of real value ( don't mean material) that they hate anything different than they know. I think I have some good friends too, people who worry where I am or how I'm doing. I see people who don't have that. But the most im.portant thing I'm thankful for is that I have you in my life. I love our quiet time (even the cat gets in!) together. Some people would say that's like an old married couple, but so what. I like it; it makes me feel at peace. I love that you try to make us do things together. I know I fight you most times and vice versa. but that is when I see you care. But most of all I love you with a great deal of my heart and I hope you love me as much. Most people I talk to don't really have this in their lives and I'm sad about that. Yes we have lots of things to work on, but there are lots of things we don't need to fix like love, compassion, kindness, companionship. This I'm thankful for.
JH
r
-
waz OP in the Learning Centre? October was a busy month as the Learning Centre gears up for another year. We have had a number of new tutors sign up, so hopefully we will be open on
th Saturday afternoons soon. On October 16 , we had a workshop for the new tutors, which was very informative. The old tutors got to meet and mingle with the new ones and share their experience and wisdom. Lucy is offering a beginners math class on Monday mornings at 10 o'clock for anyone interested in improving the.ir arithmetic. Writing for Fun is going strong on Tuesday afternoons with Betsy and Diane. Bob facilitates a beginner computer class on Wednesday afternoons at 2. And Bao teaches her Chinese computer class every Tuesday and Thursday mornings; which is consistently popular. As always, interested students can still enjoy one-onone tutoring. in the discipline of their choice. Those who are working on getting their GED (Grade 12 equivalency) are encouraged to come in and find out how they can achieve this. The Shire Project will be hosting a showing of the completed digital stories on Thursday, November 6th from 2 - 4 in the Learning Centre on the third floor. We will be having a discussion and question period where we hope to have any seniors who are interested in creating their own stories sign up. There will be food and poetry readings from the "Writing for Fun" group as well. I am enjoying very much being a part of this project and will be showing my own "masterpiece"; so I urge you all to attend this event during the Heart of the City Festival. The Writers Jamboree on November 14th and 15th should be another event to red letter on your Festival calendar. Meet some well known authors who will help you blue pencil two pages of your writing. On November 14th, there will a Writers' Studio Jamboree Reading. I am planning on going to this oneit sounds like a great experience for all aspiring writers. On a Final Note, a First Nati'ons Journey Instructor has just been hired. Her name is Bonnie and she' II be starting the new class soon; it will be from 1:00 to 3:00pm on Wednesdays and Fridays but call the LC at 604-665-3013 for a 'start-date. That's it for now. Hope to see y'all at the Festival!
Submitted by Adrienne, LC Reporter and Columnist
.
Solder & Sons Used books - Coffee & Tea
Curious audio recordings &. equipment 24 7 Main Street - 31 5-7198
ODE to a Grand Old Lady
She stands tall and proud On the comer of Hastings & Main A Bastian of Hope In the midst of poverty and Pain
Many lonely lost souls Find Solace within her thick stone walls
/
Walk Up and Down her Magnificent Spiral Stairs Pass through her Halls
Food for the Body and the Soul Hearty Meals thrice a day on the second floo: A library, museum, a Centre of the Commumty All are welcome to enter through her door This Wonderful Old Lady "The Carnegie"
Adrienne
Become an ESL Conversation Facilitator
People interested in gaining valuable volunteer experience by sharing their knowledge of Canadian culture- No experience necessary!! Training and support provided!! People with fluency in English and willing to help
immigrants in. everyday conversation The Program is 15 weeks in length; volunteers can facilitate at least two conversation groups per week (3 hours)
Professional development is held at UBC English Language Institute once per week (lOam-1 pm) and bus fare and snacks are provided. -FREE professional training is provided to help
you develop public speaking, facilitation, and cross -cultural communication skills Make a difference in the lives of others
UBC Learning Exchange, 121 Main Street
Coordinator: Lisa Okada Tel: 604 408 5183 lisa.okada@ubl www.learningexchange.ubc.ca
Volunteer Program ccoueen's corner>
Volunteer Committee Meeting:
Wednesday, November 5, at 1:00PM (please note time change) Classroom II Volunteer Dinne•· Wednesday, November 12, Theater at 4:30pm Your contribution and hard work is appreciated by the many people who benefit by your services. Let us serve you! Please pick up your dinner ticket from the Volun teer Program Office on the 3rd Floor
Bruce the Musical - November 6 to 16th at the Russian Hall "Bruce the Musical relives a wild and crazy time in Vancouver political history when legends were being made and myths debunked."
.. . .. produced by Bob Sarti Sunda!' Matinee Outing, Noventber 9 Please sign up at the Volunteer Program Office ( .. ask Colleen for free tickets available for other
nights ofthis event.)
KARAOKE with steve Friday November 14, 7pm- IOpm in Carnegie's Theatre EVERY WELCOME! Did you know that the first karaoke machine was invented by Japanese musician Daisuke Inoue in Kobe, Japan, in the early 1970s. After becoming popular in Japan, karaoke spread to East and Southeast Asia during the 1980s and subsequently to other parts of the world in its modern state. 1t is a form of singing available for everyone; a golden chance for peop Je to dis cover the joy of singing.
Kindness Project * BCCPD is delighted to announce its new program Pay It Forward BC (PIFBC). PIFBC is a provincewide project made up of people of all abilities who are committed to spreading the power of kindness. "PIFBC is a labour of love that sprouted when I noticed how energized people became through acts of kindness .... acts of kindness make people feel good!" (Shelly Hourston). There is nothing new about kindness. What IS new is the Pay It Forward BC kindness card. How it works is when you do something kind for someone, hand him or her a kindness card that asks them to "pay it forward" and watch kindness spread like morning glory! Get your kindness cards from Colleen, Volunteer Program, 3rd floor. *BCCPD: BC Coalition of People with Disabilities
•
' i .-C-A_R_N-EG_I_E -CO_M_M_U_N-ITY_C_E-NT_R_E_A_S-SO_C_IA-T-10-N-.. \ '
Upcoming meetings: Nov 4, 4pm: Program Committee (Assoc. Office) Nov 5, 1 pm: Volunteer Committee (Cisroom II) Nov 5, 4pm: Finance Committee (Assoc Office) Nov 6, 5:30pm: Board Meeting (Theatre) Nov 12, 3pm: Education/Library Committee (II) Nov 13, 3:30pm: Oppenheimer Pat·k Cttee (Park) Nov 20, 2pm: Seniors Suppo1i Meeting (Theatre) Nov 27, 4pm: Community Relations Ctee (AssOf)
Illusion: God has an agenda. Truth: God needs nothing. Illusion: The outcome of life is in doubt. Truth: God cannot fail and neither can you. Illusion:
(Need exists)
(Failure exists)
You are separate from God. (Disunity exists) Truth: Nothing is separate from anything. illusion: There is not enough. (Insufficiency exists) Truth: There is enough. Illusion: There is something you have to do. (Requirement exists) Truth: There is nothing you have to do. Illusion: If you don't do it, you will be punished. (Judgment exists) Truth: You will never be judged. Illusion: The punishment is everlasting damnation.
(Condemnation exists)
Truth: You will never be condemned .
•
Illusion: Love is, therefore, conditional. Truth: Love knows no condition. Illusion:
{Conditionality exists)
Knowing and meeting the condition renders you superior. ( Superiorfty exists)
Truth: A thing cannot be superior to itself.
Submitted by Videha
1
What a Lousy campaign StUnt On 23 October 1 filmed the waste oftaxpayers
money by the VPD. There were about 100 city employees hanging around the DTES for hours waiting in allies waiting to pounce on a few people playing their music rather loud, and some hungry homeless people lined up peacefully for hamburgers. There mission was to take away the hamburgers, tents, music and place it in dump trucks and our empty the land fill. They accomplished their mission. Wow, how impressin_g. The expense of all this manpower and machinery, including the copter flying overhead ready, no doubt, to bomb the street if need be, was quite a grand display of bully power. Yes, we are now . entering a police state it was plane to see after th1s Thursday, the police are no longer here to protect and serve but to bullv and squander tax payer's
.I .
money. The obvious solution for all freedom lov-ing Jaw abiding citizens is to demand the police department's funding be drastically reduced. They could have put this manpower to better use tracing real criminals.
Perhaps they choose not to do so at this time because Wall Street is in real trouble. We all know (unless our head is in the sand), that CIA launders their drug money on Wall Street. We also all know Afghan had quit growing poppies before 9-11 and WaH Street was in big trouble. 9-1 1 happened and it was a great excuse to have Afghanistan invaded by the USA. Since the US invasion and subsequent takeover by
Canadian troops, Afghan has recovered its harvesting of the poppy crop. ln fact each year since the invasion the crop production has broken all previous production records. It was even mentioned in the Globe and Mail a few weeks back that a Canadian solder in Afghan reported he had stopped a truck full of opium and his commanding officer had let the truck go on. It is no small wonder in Canada we see the VPD has yellow ribbons on the back of their cars saying supporting the troops over there. By doing so it is a make work project for the VPD. The only real drug war going on out there is the elimination of competition for CIA funding. When you have the president of the NY Stock Exchange going down to Columbia and asking the F ARK leader to spend his money on wall street, and he refuses, saying he prefers to spend the money on his own poor people in Columbia, you can very well understand why the CIA would get
I
angry and have a ·war on drugs in Columbia .or any other country competing with them for fund mg.
l recently put up a cartoon at the Carnegie related to these facts and someone deemed it necessary to eliminate the cartoon. It was on a poster advertis-ing a documentary explaining all these facts. . Freedom is being able to say 2+2=4 and not havmg someone keep this fact from everyone else.
If this is truly a free capitalist country, why then don't we legalize the growing of poppies everywhere and let every one sell them and pay taxes on those sales? The resulting tax money could be well be used by our governments, police would then be free to spend their resources fighting real crimes like killers and robbers and bankers pulling money out of the economy. Doing real police work, not like today where they run around trying to arrest people in possession or selling stuff not provided by the CIA. Also, if we made selling leoaJ our bovs overseas could be relieved of their I:> ' J
duties protecting the Afghan drug war lords, who are now running the country, thanks to USA and Canada efforts.
Who knows. the Federal Government may even return Nanoose Bay to British Columbia! Another series of dots to be connected.
TASERS
. ·: ·. .. : •
! 4 ·., . . . . . '•. 'r •. ,. ' •
by See Sea
They lie that they are non-lethal, and that they're set to "stun". But as long as cops have tasers, I'm going to need a gun.
Submited by y. B. Canadian graffiti found on a wall.
I
Carnegie Community Action Project (CCAP) Newsletter
You can find us in the Association office (604) 839-0379 Oct 1, 2008
What if the DTES ceased to exist?
V.tNCOV~CI
That's the question asked of mayoral candidates at a recent debate.
Peter Ladner from the NPA replied: "That' s the only solution.', He noted the city policy to protect the existing housing stock and then said we need to "mix in some other kind of
housing to normalize that neighbourhood." Gregor Robinson from VISION said: "I
worry when I hear ~·hat's between the lines, when you use ~·ords like nonnalizing." Gregor stressed that the Downtown Eastside isn' t just dysfunctional. "It's already a community and they don't necessarily want their neighbourhood transformed to some shiny happy new neighbourhood." He said whatever plan is devised for the area, people who live there have to be part of it. '"I don't think there's a solution that can be imposed by city hall. It'll be a war zone if that's what happens.-' Ultimately, he said, ''we need to see change but it has to be supportive." He referred to the efforts that have been made by the group led by Milton Wong and Michael Clague who want help develop a plan for the area that everyone in the
1
community agrees with (most of the wording of this and below from Francis Bula' s blog).
Matthew, Terrance~ Joan, June, Garvin, Terri, and I had reserved seats at the next debate. In the quiet gaps between speakers, Terri v,·ould say loudly: "Will you pay for funerals of homeless people!??" Her question got a response but these questions did; • Would you continue Project Civil City?
Peter: yes; Gregor: no. • The current mix of low-income to home
owners in the DTES is 75125. Should it stay at that level? Gregor: Yes, around there with input from the community; Peter: No, it should change.
• The city currently has two supervisedinjection sites. Do you support a third one along the model of lnsite, which has treatment and transitional housing on site? Gregor: Yes. Peter: I'm leaving that up to the health authority to decide. (He was told he had to answer yes or no.) No.
• There are several empty privately owned SROs. Do you support having the city meet with the owners to try to convince them to lease their rooms out temporarily? Gregor: Yes. Peter - Yes
(This question is a result of CCAP' s research into # of DIES empty rooms. Peter changed his answer from "No" a few weeks ago on CBC radio). •
• What will you do about people
sleeping on the streets? Peter: ''I don't think the city should jump in and build shelters. Our taxpayers cannot do everything. We need to be strategic and thoughtful." Gregor: "I don"t think there's anything strategic or thoughtful about forcing people to sleep outside. We can make space for hundreds and hundreds of people. I would like to see a whole lot more energy and effort put into dealing "With the short-term crisis.''
• Why do you (Ladner) keep saying the NPA has created 3,800 housing units when that's not true? Monte Paulsen from the Tyee asked this question and used CCAP's analysis and leaked memo from City Hall to break it down. He said 900 rooms are in existing hotels, another 900 units started under the previous council, and 1 ~ 100 units underway now might never get funded. Peter answered that hotels are important and Min. Coleman promised the money would come.
• What will you do to push for Little Mountain (social housing project on Main and 33'd that will be redeveloped like Woodwards)? (This is a question that relates to the DIES, if you consider our
2
"amenities" are ·worth mega$$$$ (CRAB: proximity to do~rntown, historic buildings). Peter said the city has been promised $7 5 million by the provincial government from the profits from condos at that site to invest anywhere it likes to create social housing. It should be invested away from there so as to get the most housing for the money, since that development, which is close to Queen Elizabeth Park and other attractive amenities, will be too expensive. Gregor asked where the "other places" are that social housing is going to go and said he was \Vorried the NP A will only want to put social housing in places that are less desirable and away from the kinds of services that other residents get to enjoy.
Much more was said. Gregor promised to end street-homelessness by 2014 (that's 2190 more days outside.) Ladner said, perhaps the city should look into building temporary modular housing on social housing sites that won't be built out for years more.
Underlying the debate was an opening story from the Minister at First United who said a homeless man slashed his wrists in the church bathroom. Luckily someone spotted blood flowing under the door and stopped the man from dying. Later the man apologized for causing so much trouble. He said, "Life on the streets just isn't something I can do any longer. I didn't want to kill myself on the street where no one would know, no one would care. This church felt like home." "'wp
Sleeping out at Georgia & Thurlow On October 6th a group of folks from the
Cit}Vfide Housing Coalition had a sleep out at Georgia and Thurlow Downtown We chose the site in front of the building that houses the government's Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. This is the agency that's responsible, or \Vas responsible and should be responsible. for providing federal fLinding to build social housing.
We wanted to tnake a statement before the federal election that the federal government should be spending at least another 1% of its total budget on social housing so we could end homelessness.
I
We had a great group of people~ some homeless and some more middLe class people with housing~ and we got some media attention for our efforts.
'
including a great picture of Robert Milton in the Globe and Mail.
But what I really wanted to say is what I learned that night: sleeping out in the middle of a city sucks. It's not at all like camping. Although it was a miserable, rainy night, I slept in a nice tent
with an air mattress and cosy sleeping bag.
Wendy and our Member of Parliament Libby Davies negotiated with the police so that they wouldn't kick us out. The cops even erected a sort of barrier to protect us! And a security guard helped me put up my
tent! But I didn't sleep even one wink. Just tossed and turned. I think it was not having walls around n1e, although it was really noisy too. It took 4 days for my body to return to its normal self and I have a nice watm bed in a co-op to go to. So, hey, let's keep working so everyone has a nice warm home to live in and doesn't have to sleep out. - JS
Ricky, Robert and others clteer up the desolate downtow11 wit It a jan1 at the squat.
I
-
. .
DTES residents join Ci ide Housing Coalition call for social housing
Chili Bean (right), newly elected board member at V ANDU came to the Stand at City Hall October
, j 18 and carried the "No ,.. ~ I condos in the DIES" sign.
\ Around 300 attended from all over the city including
- --
Renters at Risk in the West End, Little Mountain, CCAP, VANDU, Women's Centre, Streams of Justice, unions and many
I
more!
Dalannah and Sandra (right) open up the Surround City Hall Action.
J Elder's Council Rita (above right with smudge). M2, fearless Carnegie President attends
rally (middle right), and this little girl (bottom right) is so cute with her sign!
Photo Credits:
Bharbara: http:/ /flickr.com/photos/bharbara/sets/72157608165616687 I
Rooms turned into offices at hotel above old Vic's Restaurant
For some time, CCAP and the Carnegie Centre Community Association have been concerned about the use of Jay Rooms at 172 E Cordova Street.
According to the City of Vancouver 2007 Survey of Low-Income Housing in the DTES, the Jay Rooms has 12 closed residential hotel rooms.
Since March of 2008, people in our community have noticed activity in these rooms, increasing as time went on, including
• • use 1n even1ngs. Our suspicions were finally confirmed
when the owners of the property (Vince Trust) found a glitch in their plans to rent out the rooms as offices to a community group needing office space. They needed some community support.
So the manager of Vince Trust approached CCAP and told us they may redevelop virtually the whole block with condos. They said they would meet with the Province and/or use density bon using (extra height sometimes trades for affordable housing) to pay for some social or affordable housing on the site in the future. In the meantime, they asked CCAP to give them some stack on the offices.
Regardless, CCAP opposes the use of offices. Until there is a solid plan and tools to guarantee redevelopment proposals stay within the goal of a predominantly low-
5
income neighbourhood, CCAP is not interested.
The city does not seem to be enforcing the SRA bylaw at the Jay Rooms. CCAP asked the city to enforce it to maintain the rooms in the stock of desperately needed affordable housing. According to the Single Room Accommodation (SRA) Bylaw, owners cannot change the use of residential hotel rooms (SROs) unless they get a development or conversion permit from City Hall. City Council can. but doesn't have to, charge the owner up to $15,000 per room that is converted. This SRA bylaw was supposed to protect hotel rooms in the DTES for low income residents. Lets stick to enforcing the bylaw until we have some certainty. -wp & JS
Daily weekly use of rooms still a mystery
Clean ("ornfortable
Roorns
303 ( olumhid St I hu/ "- H ,., /,/ '
• l:o o llt,..; t r u i I it Iii f •
Pivot Legal Society made a Freedom of Information (FOI) request to find out 'Nhich DTES hotels are renting by the day and week. Last month they got the info
they requested, or, rather, 13o/o of the infonnation they requested.
Under the Single Room Accom. bylaw hotels are allo~red to rent out I 0% of their rooms by the day and week to tourists. The other 90% have to be rented monthly to local residents. But it has been hard for city inspectors. to say nothing of the rest of us, to figure out if hotels are really renting only 10% of rootns daily or weekly. That's because the hotels kept switching rooms the)· rented daily and weekly.
So the city told o~ners they had to give them a list of the room numbers of the rooms they rented daily (not weekly for some reason). Owners were supposed to give the city this list by Sept. 1st.
Pivot got the list from the city with their FOI request. 161 hotels are on the list and only 21 replied, listing the room number of the rooms they rent daily. That's 13o/o.
6
Here· s what some of them said: Columbia Hotel: 6 rooms rented daily
(do an) of you readers know if this is true?)
C&N Backpackers Hostel: 33 (this is 100%, not 10% of their rooms. probably illegal)
Ivanhoe: 1 0 rented daily all with 500 numbers (you can see bunk beds on all floors if you look in the Ivanhoe \\~ndows from Main St. are they renting daily on the other floors?)
Hotel St. Clair: 27 or 1 00%. A note says this hotel has applied for an exemption to the SRA byla\v.
It is important to stay on top of this. Potentially 400 rooms out of 4000 rooms can be rented daily/~;eekly. That is a lot of rooms not available to renters who need long tem1 housing. These rooms are not covered by the residential tenancy act which means tenants have no protection against eviction. Come the Olympics, ho\\' tempting will it be for O\\rners to go over the limit, especially if the city has trouble enforcing it. Also, O\\ners can empty out a hotel more easily by gradually increasing the daily/~'eekly rooms through attrition. CCAP wants the city to revoke this bylaw and protect this important temporary accomtnodation for DTES residents. ----JS & wp
••
Housing Justice Forum packs the house Last Friday, about 150-200 crammed
into the Women's Centre (DEWC) to hear Carol Martin, Nisga'aNation & Victim Services at DEWC, Anne Marie Monks and Kayla from Power of Women, Jean Swanson from CCAP and Nick Blomley from SFU talk about housing Justice. If you didn't go, here is a summary of what was said.
After an opening ceremony by Rita Blind of the Elders Col.Ulcil, Jean spoke about the need to build homes in the DTES to replace 5000 temporary rooms and for 1 000 homeless people in the area. She talked about the policy changes and then said "it doesn't look good but we have 100 years of struggle and successes that we can take some inspiration from. We are more united than ever before on needing housing, incomes and better services."
Carol said "Governments are making us choose whether you are going to get fed or put a roof over your head." She told us about waking up and finding herself homeless because of the ~ray her 0\\11 people manage their housing. She inspired us by saying we need to think about one big thing that we can all do together.
7
Anne Marie, elder and originally from Germany, told us about how she was assaulted, went into a coma and eventually became homeless~ "but I'm still here and I'm starting to fight back .. . I found my voice thanks to the Women's Centre. She made everyone laugh when she said Sullivan was too scared to spend 1 day in her shoes. This referred to the Power of Women's
suggestion to mayor and coWlcil that they do a housing swap with women at the centre. (It got
. , national attention!) Kayla told us that
30% of the DIES population is indigenous and
struggling because of broken promises made to them. She said we need to open our eyes and raise our voices because so many are falling through the cracks.
The last speaker, Nick, said developers lay claim to the DTES by saying "there is nobody living in the DTES." The Coast Salish, after 1 0,000 years of use, were displaced through similar forces expelling residents now.
Lots of good questions followed. Thanks to the Power of Women for organizing this great event. --\vp
.......
Book Launch: The Soul of Vancouver Saturday, Nov 8 7-10 p.m. Carnegie Theatre
Can poetry save the world? Join DTES poets and community activists Jean Swanson, Kim Kerr, Bud Osbourn. Sandy Cameron: Diane Wood_ , Stephen Lytton, Ayisha Faruk, Tony Snakeskin, Po\ver of Women and many
" others for an exciting night of
spoken \VOrd and music. The Soul of Vancouver- Voices from the DTES honours the history of our community~ as developers move east, gobbling up the homes of thousands of low-income residents. V/e are tired of being labeled "Four Blocks of Hell": we choose to live here. we~re wary of people saying they want to clean up the neighbourhood: because we kno~r what they mean is sweeping us out of sight! and we're not garbage. We don't need '"Revitalization", we're pretty vital as we are. Listen to us, \\·e~n tell you what we need. Free. Come early as capadty is limited. Artwork above and organizing by Diane Wood, DTES resident & CCAP Volunteer
CCAP Blog rwww.ccapvancouver. wordpress.com
8
• anc1 "Support for this project does not
necessarily in1ply V ancity' s endorsement of the fmdings or contents
of this report."
Self-Evident Overexposure To show, expose, display, reveal feelings, foibles, fundamentals - the basics of existence - some like playing off multiple mirrors, fi·ceing up muffled honesties and truths, all to be opened up for all the world to see~ to be ultimately feeling better about yourself, others, everyone in your zone of reality. Right on the money ain't it funny when you think about what extremes people go in playing games, forgetting names and dates, casting blame. The sameness of thoughts' consistence is confusing!? RESIST these long ingrained intentions. Sound familiar? Old refrains from broken records, song 'n dance of red tape reels while some big deals leave no way out- DO NOT pass go, a clockwork chessboard maze, avoid checkmates, careen around in a daze, calm down through a hazy stalemate conviction: Bound for Glory What to you does it exactly mean, your scheme's deception - no fear, no lies, just yourself in arrears in time and space with changes hard to take, to make, all fine with you when there's not much derring-do, when the cheques are bouncing and the bills arc flowin g in with bad yin bad yang adjusting the concise controls. The persistence of aching pain in hearts & minds decreases tendencies of shackled thoughts to curl down like dusty shutters. Elsewhere things are hard to see, harder there and
hardest here. Brass rings that glint off glass and steel seem so real that it's almost like trying to catch yourself while falling down, pent-up tears flowing as you're so concerned you resolve not 2B. Yet who am I to comment, to compare, to recreate your walled realities, to reshape your surroundings - just suggestions g iven and up to you to take, to pick and choose without much debate. A perfect world is hard to miss, too hard to resist- do you dig my message, do you catch my drift? I hear you pacing, pitter patter, what's the matter, shifting balance, redirecting the Force but don 't mind me I guess I'm rambling; what's the use of a one-way discussion . Oh well, I'll just soldier on and try not to advise consent 'cause it ain't my business is it. I have my doubts though - guess you can see that; those who surmise & pontificate irritate to the point of discarding congeniality. Such scum spin webs to entrap ang indoctrinate, "There Is No Alternative." l'll figure it out -I'm more than halfway there now but it takes a lifetime and there 's no way to know how long that may be ... Day by day 1 move with
\\
J
the tides and moon, rolltng over WIU1 tnc s~<:t cUJHv;:,L
a flippant Freudian slip there, sorry, had a faulty frame of mind for a minute with both hemispheres trying to come out on top. I lie down but can't sleep too much to think and contemplate, bouncing off the walls in a caffeinated sucrose overdose turmoil twisting spinning too much to grasp so grip, push in, then down and out - smothering suffocating for a blast, a gulp, one clear moment. ls this the end of? What a lousy, lonely way to go; I gotta laugh this is so not me, not who I am, feeling like stale beer no more fizzing bursting bubbles. no kick. gone Oat, last trick and that's that.
ROBYN LIVINGSTONE
1~\ ~-,~ =';.-=:- --::.~tf.-i~ ..Z~i:l
•
I'm Just an Old Man cold & tired. I can't feel my feet, looking in the trash for something to eat, all alone wishing 1 had a home, I hide my pain away & smile & say 'Good day', I wear a mask of desperation & fear, waiting for the day to end, finding a dry place to sleep as the night slowly creeps across the sky I quietly cry Please god help me & send an angel to show me the way or lend a hand as you can see I'm just an old man, my health is poor, 1 can barely see but I'm not ready for you yet so please god send me a friend to lend a hand so I don 't have to be alone no more
submitted by Ellenor Hanson
http:/ /harvesters.sfu.ca/chodarr/ This is the link to the Carnegie Newsletter's INDEX! Every piece of poetry, article and graphic art since it's inception in August 1986 can be found here. This is incredfible, both in that everything is now digital and that the entire process was done voluntarily by Nicole Read and her team at The History Group and students (and likely library staff) at Simon Fraser University. If you want to see every poem ever printed in the Newsletter by Tora or Gary Gust or Diane Wood or articles by Sandy Cameron or artwork by Sam Roddan ... anyone anywhere in the world can now search these files for all manner of stuff on the issues covered herein for over 22 years!
vvww.carnnews.org This is the website for the Carnegie Newsletter put up from the Newsletter office. It contains every issue from mid-2003 to the present day. l don't know if it's searchable in a ' normal' way - by subject etc,- but it's the next best thing to actually holding a newsletter in your hands.
vV\vw.raisetherates.org http:/ /ccapvancouver. \\'Ordpress.com These websites have to do with the Raise The Rates coalition and the Community Action Project.
AND Hum101 Community Reading and Writing Groups Introduction to Philosophy of Science with Kevin Bardosh, UBC Philosophy and Science student This reading group provide a varied introduction to science topics. The group will be supplemented with both scientific and historical readings with the aim of placing scientific discoveries in their historical and philosophical contexts. This reading/writing group is open to all. We encourage participants to attend regularly in order to get the most out of the group. Reading materials will be supplied. The next two sessions are on November 2nd from 11 to 1 pm in the common area just outside classroom 2 on the third floor of Carnegie Centre, and then again on November 16th fi:om 11 to 1 pm in classroom 2. Creative Writing Group with Valerie Raoul, UBC Professor Emeritus, Women's Studies Department. This group is for people who recently graduated from Writing 1 01. For further information on the Study Groups, please contact Jessie at Humanities 101 email or phone us up 604-822-0028.
·----
Award-winning book goes to second printing
The news that the Hope in Shadows book has won the 2008 City ofVancouver Book Award came at the right time for Downtown Eastside residents who h.ave been selling it on the street sin ce Apr.il.
Publ1shed by Arsenal Pulp Press and Pivot Legal Society, the book is a bold collection of powerful photographs and personal stories that document the lives of residents ofVancouver's Downtown Eastside. All the 2,000 copies available for the street sellers sold out in less than three months and the second printing edition wiJl be available this week at a bookreading event that has quickly also become a celebration of winning the book award. The City of Vancouver independent jury cited the
authors' work for its "surprising revelations about residents of the area who are not bound by poverty or addiction but instead driven by a sense of community, kinship and hope."
In his acceptance speech at Vancouver's City Hall on October 14, Brad Cran said, "we are thrilled to be honoured here at City Hall since many of the problems illustrated in Hope in Shadows can be solved in this building." "This is not a book of solutions to social problems nor is it a book about activism," says Cran "we hope it's a book that inspires activism but real! it 's a book about empathy and understanding. We had one main goal with this book and that was to break down the social barrier between the people of the Downtown Eastside and the average reader. We simply wanted to present the. Downtown Eastside as truthfully and respectfully as possible."
For the past five years, Pivot Legal Society's annual Hope in Shadows photography contest has empowered residents of the Downtown Eastsi.de by providing them with disposable cameras to document their lives, resulting in more than 20,000 images of the neighbourhood, giving residents an artistic means to enter the ongoing and stormy d ialogue over the place they call home.
• • ~.. • .. - ....., .. ,.. • ...._ • I
Book Club- Green Grass, Running Water The Main & Hastings Book Club has chosen
Thomas King's Green Grass Running Water as our next book. Selected by Quill & Quire as one of 40 great works of Canadian fiction, Green Grass Running Water tells the story of three men and women all looking for the middle ground between Native American tradition and the modern world. This is a great book to read aloud because it's funny and full of vivid dialogue. It's also a great book to read with other people, because it's quirky and you're never really sure what's real and what's magical. Come and join us! We meet every Tuesday at llam in the third floor gallery. We read aloud to each other, eat treats, and generally have a good time!
New Books Staying Sane When You 're Quitting Smoking, by Pam Brodowsky and Evelyn Fazio (616.86) is full of funny, practical t ips from people who have been there. These are true stories of inspiration and humour from the front lines of the battle to stamp out cravings, avoid other smokers, and finally turn your back on the wicked weed. Over 50? Accord ing to Frank Milligan, it's time to
write! Time to Write: Discovering the Writer Within After 50 (808.02) promises to be a complete guide to take you from a vague idea to a finished, ready-to-publish manuscript. Personally, I think you' ll get a lot more from signing up for one of the Blue Pencil sessions at the Writers' Jamboree on November 13 and 14.
Japanese internment and the treatment of Japanese Canadians during World War Two is one ofthe . most shameful moments in Can ad ian history. In Voices Raised in Protest: Defending North American Citizens of Japanese Ancestry, 1942-1949 (323.1), Stephanie Bangarth looks at the work of anti-internment advocates in North America and offers perspective for today's debates on ethnic and racial profiling, treatment of"enemy combatants" and tensions between civil liberty and security measures.
Where have all the new books gone? The library display case has been temporarily hijacked by Anthony from the kitchen, who's curating Artists Who Eat A t Carnegie. Check out the art and, don't worry, there are still new books coming in every week, so check out the library too!
Beth, your librarian
I
• r1
oree with DTES writers and The Writer's Studio November 13th & 14th, 2008 Afternoons and evenings at the Carnegie Centre
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 13
1-3 p.m.- Blue Pencil Cafe • Y2 hour consult with professional authors Rachel Rose and
Caroline Adderson • bring 2 pages of writing
(sign up sheet at Carnegie Library from October 29th on)
3-5 p.m. - Round Tables • "Tips on Editing" A conversation with editors for Room,
Tyee Magazine, sub Terrain and VPL Writer~in~Resident Caroline Adderson
• "Taking Care of Yourself as a Writer" Kagan Goh, Joanne Arnott, Diane Wood, Lora McElhinney and others
6:30-8 p.m. - Reading and conversation • with authors Karen X Tulchinsky & Ryan Knighron
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 14
1- 3 p.m. - Blue Pencil Cafe • Y2 hour consult with professional authors Brad Cran and
Betsy Warland • bring 2 pages of writing
(sign up sheet at Carnegie Library from October 29th on)
3-5 p.m. - Round Tables • "Tips from Publishers" with Megaphone, Adbusters, Room
and Commodore Books • "Getting Yourself Out There" with Evelyn Lau, Bakir Junaideen,
t he 3~Day Novel Contest, Fiona Scott and others
6:30-8 p.m. - Jamboree Reading • with DTES writers and The Writer's Studio Featuring YOU • sign up with John Mavin at the event
•
. . . . .. · . .. \
J2
•
' ... ·. . . •') : ·~ .
11 \ a tU''-"1 q l.'V . ¥"11 am to:2 pm
' · Thursday November 6t~
390 Main Street A CAREER EXPO t hat features t he unique
needs of women will take place in the Downtown Eastside. Three agencies
partner to host this vibrant event '
. • '
. , ...... ·... ,... .
for mo,.. tn!o."'"lbo!\ con!.ttct. utt•l: 60: 682 7!Sl ryoo@ITMI<to01o,;,.,IK.c•
PlttiY.a)'t. lnfnrmnon!"-AntJ'q, :¥11~~11'1 6'-.. V.ancou...,.,, 8 C
I
. -~ ' r . , .;:,· I ' '· • t<'- if ACCESS a
' Meet employers like Safeway, The Bay and Zellers at the Women, Work & Life Career Expo at 390 Main Street, Thursday November 6, from llam-2pm. Bring your resume and apply for jobs or come find out about agencies that help you get ready to work. Attend a workshop on Interviewing Tips, Job Search on the Internet, or Fiscal Fitness. Meet Gladys Evoy, winner of the 2006 Courage to Come Back A ward and find your own courage to move forward- in your life. This event is focused on women and is open to everyone. Refreshments and door prizes wiiJ be part of the fun - see you there!
1 We acknowledge that Carnegie Community Centre, and
Article• reetrtltnl II•• wl•w• of IndividuAl I th is Newsletter, are occurring on Coast Salish Territory. I contrlbutort And not of the AttoriRIIon. _ ' - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ..J
0
0 • •
-------- ------- - ~----• Editor: PauiR Taylor; layout help ' I -Usa David. Collation & Distribution crew: Harold, Uu Lin, I
0
• Bill, Mary Ann, Videha, Miriam, Hal, Kelly, Jackie, Nick, Robyn •
0
0
WANTED I
· Artwork for the Carn1gle Newsleller ,
l Rolf, Matthew, Lisa, Tina, Pablo, Red. I - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - • Smallllluatratlona to accompany artlolaa I• TIM STEVENSON
Christopher R.-$180 2008 DONATIONS: Barry for Dave McC.·$260 Anne·P.·$40 Margaret D.·$40 Paddy ·$70 Michael C.·$50 Judy E.·$10 Alayne K.·$50 Libby 0.·$70 Callum C.·$100 The Edge ·$200 Jenny K.·$22 Penny G.·$40 · Wilhelmina M.·$40 Jaya B.·$100 Mell.·$50 Pam B·$50 Roll A.·$50 Otenn B.·$200 · G!~la P J6p Anonymous -$50 Sue K.·$3( Sandy C.-$25 CEEDS -$60
l..
The REMEMBERING REMEMBER! The next time you're starving so bad your stomach begins eating itself REMEMBER you ' re in the Greatest Place on Earth**. the next time a cop assaults you or kills someone you love REMEMBER you ' re in the~ when your purse with all your 10/money & security gets stolen & no one seems to care, it's true but REMEMBER you are in the Greatest Place on earth. When your car (or just you) get broad-s ided by bad guys being chased through busy streets by other bad guys (cops) & even if you survive your (or your car's) life has been reduced to rubbish REMEMBER you're in the GP on E; when the top 5 video games are 5 reasons the morgue is full gotta luv that progressiveness to the point of every living thing becomincr muchmore aggressive but REMEMBER 0 '-'
you ' re in the Greatest Place on Earth! ; and when the toilets above start overflowing with love with that e coli-flavoured water kind of hitting that cancer spot REMEMBER you're ... When the rents are so high my friends are calling their ceiling the sky with landlords who think they are Lords of the Rent Increase one wrong eyeblinik and here comes the Police it's me in the wrong, right? right Jack Lord would not stand for this inhumane insanity he knows his job and that's to keep the peace Peace Be With You my friend McGarret you didn ' tjust show compassion as friends & strangers alike could share it I'm sory for straying [will now be staying & REMEMBER you are in the Greatest Place on Earth!! If you like counting down the years when your only crime was filling buckets with tears that fell on deafened/discarded ears OH Dear Me but REMEMBER you're in the GreatestPlaceOnEarth. Now if you are bored lets count some more cruiseships for the security checklist I bet there's trading cards like hockey or baseball chockfull ofstats like how many at-bats? Wooden and/or electric don't pretend you're epileptic go home, run, because one of us has been Hit& Run that horror.. run all the way home to have less than a cement garden but REMEMBER in the greatest place on earth. Like waiting for agovernor's pardon he lets people down for a living while laughing at people bowing & giving this man wouldn't know compassion if it was written on the front of the bus that hit him but REMEMBER you're in the Greatest Place On Earth welcome to nothing you already knew - for now To Be Committed!!!
By ROBERT McGILLIVRAY
One of Harper's secret agenda items ... By Rolf Auer
... that was never discussed by the Conservatives during the election campaign.
I was reading an article by famous writer Margaret Atwood titled, "Anything but a Harper majority," from the October 6 online Globe and Mail, wherein Atwood explains why she urged Quebecers to support the Bloc Quebecois over any other political party (thus probably s inglehandedly thwarting a Harper majority), when I found this extremely interesting passage:
" Here's another Conservative secret agenda [item]. Right now, Canada is involved in discussions concerning the SPP --the Security and Prosperity Partnership ofNorth America. It's a WhiteHouse-led initiative, thus a creature of Bush and Cheney. It sounds nice - who doesn't want security and prosperity? - but what does it really mean? It means Deep Integration. It means we'll have to throw out our own institutions and procedures and do everything the way the Bush Americans prefer.
Considering the massive crises the world is now in- caused directly by lack of fair and balancing regulation- the American government has just undertaken a massive intervention. But Mr. Harper hugs his True Believer hardcore neo-con faithderegulate and do nothing, aside from weaponry and jails - and he'll stick to it, no matter what he says during this election.
The SPP could also affect our health-care system. The Americans have the most expensive healthcare system in the world, yet, even so, 47 million of them aren't covered by it. Their system is fine if
·you're rich, but it ruins middle-class fami lies struck by illness who run out of their private insurance money, and leaves out the poor entirely. The Americans themselves know their system is awful -that's why health care is such a big election issue south of the border. Why would we want to Deep Integrate with that? During the debates, Mr. Harper kept saying, "Canada is not the United States." He forgot to add the word "yet": If he has his way, it soon will be. These SPP changes wi.ll be made without you ever voting on them, and they'll be extremely hard to change back."
So I did some read in g. I read a couple of back
issues of the CCPA Monitor and an article by Constance Fogal about the SPP. Here's what I found out:
First, the articles. These are: "Elite's 'deep integration ' plot corning out of the shadows," Murry Dobbin; "SPP is not seen as a good iniative for the U.S., either," Laura Carlsen- both of these from the July/August 2007 CCPA Monitor; "North American Union: The SPP is a ' hostile takeover' of democratic government and an end to the Rule of Law," Constance Fogal published on August 2, 2007 by Global Research; "Plan is to 'harmonize' regulations to lower U.S. levels," Bruce Campbell- from the October 2007 CCPA Monitor.
The SPP means non-democratic loss of Canadian sovereignty. Fogal denounces it in the strongest terms: "The SPP is a treasonous metamorphosis of our federal and provincial government bureaucracies into formal instruments to implement the agenda of the shadow government- the military/industrial/financial complex exemplified by the Canadian Council of Chief Executives [made up of leaders of the most powerful businesses in Canada] who are in turn dominated by the U.S. Council on Foreign Relat ions, and the US military apparatus."
Carlsen wrote, " ... [T]he SPP has three fundamental objectives. The Bush administration wants to create more advantageous conditions for transnational corporations and remove remaining barriers to the flow of capital and cross-border production within the framework ofNAFTA. It wants to secure access to natural resources (including water] in the other two countries, especially oil. And it wants to create a regional security plan based on
) 0 • •
'pushing its borders out mto a secunty penmeter that includes Canada and Mexico."
The SPP is being negotiated by bureaucrats (unelected officials) and separate of a treaty process so that nothing official is on record. It gives away far more power and rights than NAFTA did without recording what actually happened, like NAFT A. lt means giving up Canadian governmental influence in favour of an American one. It subordinates Canada (and Mexico, too, I might add) to the whims and fancies of American government and American large corporat ions. lt implies an impending erosion if not ultimate loss of Canada's most cherished and progressive social programs.
1 saw not too long ago that Harper signed an agreement with the Bush government giving the okay for American troops to come onto Canadian
' ,_,
territory in case there ever was a crisis big enough to require that to happen . Is this a direct result of SPP negotiations? The news reports never mentioned such, but it wouldn't surprise me.
To protests regarding the loss of Can ad ian sovereignty, Prime Minister Stephen Harper responded, "Is the sovereignty of Canada going to fa ll apart if we standardize the jellybean? l don't think so." Sorry, Steve, but abolishing Canada isn't the same as standardizing jellybeans. Maybe to you and W. (or whoever succeeds him) it is.
Black and Blue Friday~~~ The government of B.C. has announced a new I
million dollar fund that will be made available to any municipality in BC that chooses to monitor high crime areas in their community
Provincial Lawmakers, The BC Business Council, Bank managers and stock market speculators are outTaged that the government would dare intrude on of their daily activities. The project known as "Within Reach" would mount digital cameras on the floor of the stock market, or any other financial office in the province "We have to do something" said one studied economist. "With GDP growth highjacked by unscrupulous lazie-fair capitalists Vancouver Island, the mainland and inter ior are in danger of another serious depression. We are in for tough times. These are difficult times. British Columbians should not underestimate what we are facing," said a spokesperson for the Clark, Pattisson and Campbell institute. "Freedom may have to be comprised" . "Private conversations recorded"
The luckless buck stops here. Board rooms to cocktail parties, mutual funds to martini's, private clubs to capital markets, Cameras. Cameras and more Cameras. "We are tired of these repeat offenders" We have been forced to endure a hundred years of socialism for the rich and so called free enterprise for the rest of us. It's time to turn and face the camera. It is Time to come clean, admit the crimes and face the consequences.
Yoko-Gak Downtown Eastside Reuters
I
ExpertS. Insipid Inspiration By the way I think you're cruel and your profes
sionalism class is irrelevant, effusive academic with babbling brook monologue and dis-missive laugh. Do not ever listen, and make anyone wrong when they say anything. By this I know where I. stand, clearly, it is a intellectual posturing, a way of talking, that keeps me in my place, masculine communication. l am distinctly aware I am a woman, a small person, a person who never had finishing school.
Lawyers and architects and other professionals, that can pat each other on the back, these good people of society, the ones looking out for the rest of us, us inarticulate misfits, us who do not talk like crocodiles.
His head was an ass, like a mask, I thought of the movie the wall, as though his face represented all dismissive superior coolness, that blocks real connection and understanding that is so prevalent in how academics speak and debate, as though the mere point of talking, is primarily to say I AM RIGHT. Beige architectural glass frames, steely grinning grimace, cynical posturing, barely tolerates my presence, in this space, th is public space, which also happens to be my entrance to my home, as it borders on a community garden.
And that laughter, that jibing dismissive laughter that went with any response to anything I said, had a palatable measure of fear to it or malice even. A I am right badge, like if I just laugh at you, I therefore dismiss any points or concerns or ideas you have. If you say that all those people who live here in this social housing experiment, are basically crazy, because they share their actual experience of living in an ideological instant pc community, sort of inferring to any one who disagrees with your utopia, your green agenda your social wonderbar, is somehow below your intelligence or morally reprehensible. The other "good people" can continue to congratu
late themselves, for all the good work they have done, for all us misfits, who really should just be dismissively laughed at. Or made in to a scientific study for classes on architecture, community and social housing, whose students basically make pc comments about "those people on welfare those mentally unwell people".
I said I lived in 180 square feet of space and then moved into about 300 square feet of space. He said I was lying, he said my apartment was 600 square
I
feet of space, (wh ich it is not), and that there were no apartments in mole hill that were 180 square feet, (which is entirely misinformed, I know someone who lives in the smallest suite and it is 176 square feet and my apartment was 180 previously). This development which set president of regulation space sizing for single dwellings, which up till then at least for the record, had been minimally required to be 350 square feet. l doubt he has ever had to live in some of the places I have lived. I doubt he knows what it is like to have no sound proofing or the other systemic problems of this development.
He looked to further discredit me, I guess my very being was somehow intim idating, my vagina magneta too over powering, and he needed to generate a feeling of further belittlement, by appealing to his two friend's, by saying, as though I was not present,
. to them in th ird person "what am l supposed to say she is lying". I said in response, I can al-ready tell this place would never be big enough for you, and I doubt he caught the subtle message of my reference to his arrogance.
Move back to Ontario, where you can take your super optimist version of what good: housing, gardening, art projects ect., which are all public, middle class, state funded space. Go back east with your creepy dismissive laughter gloat on your assumptions.
I tried some shock value, because that is what
I
/
. ~ -
•
~-
... ,r
• ..
crazy people are so good at, to say the idealistic presented utopia of Mole Hill is illusory, jus: ask anyone who lives here. Why do I bother talkmg to anyone, I should have known that all he could say was Oh I hear lots of stories and that they are , usually told with all kinds of dramatic embellishments or whatever he said, to basically say to me
' "your another one of those crazy people who live here". I could hear the things I have heard about what "we crazy people should do", like if you are just say positive things and think positive thoughts, that somehow social critique, is out of fashion, that class analysis is fanatical. I wanted to say that you know what buddy, you do
not know what you are saying, and that perhaps you should take a moment, to reflect that maybe, possibly, you might not have all the answers. But this "1 am right", this one dimensional perspective, that seeks to paint reality, in a way that is; you agree or you are somehow other excluded is no surprise. It is part of the fanaticism one should expect from political geniuses and professionals. I am ever reminded by these "mislogicists", these
"daydreamers of utopia" to: be grateful for what the state provides you, agree with us, that all is well, do not have a different idea, or question , us, about our privilege and as-sumptions ideologies.
LesaDeeTree
Feds attempt to block sex worker lawsuit
A landmark constitutional challenge to Canada's prostitution laws \Vi II take another step forwar today. but not without co ntro'v ersy. Lawyers for the group of marginalized sex \·vorkers
bringing the case argue that government lawyers are attempting to shut out vuln erable women who want to present the reality of sex work to the court. ''The plaintiffs in this case are women who face appall ing and dangerous conditions every time they go to \·vork in the Downtovm Easts ide ofVancou-..... ver,"' says Katrina Pacey of Pivot Legal Society, who with Joe Arvay is representing the plaintiffs. ·'These voices have never been heard in anv chal-
~
lenge to the prostitution laws and it is unacceptable that the federal government is attempting to block them from this process., .
The case argues that Canada's criminal laws rel<tt-~
ing to adult prostitution endanger the health and I ives of sex workers. Lawyers for the government have given the Plaintiffs notice that they will be argu ing for the case to be ended immed iately. The government's argument is that most of the Plaintiffs are not currently en~a!!ing in sex work. and those .. ....... - -who are en•)a~inu in sex work have not b~en crimi-,:, - e nallv charged. - ...
Shervl Kiselhach. a former sex worker and one of •
the plaintiffs in the case, can' t understand the government's position . ' ·Having been a sex worker for 30 years '"ho has experienced violence under the current la\vs. I fullv understand the harm that
" comes from those laws. Who could be in a better position to chaJienge them?'' Our clients meet every legal requirement to have
the constitutionality of these laws challenged in . ... Court,'' says Joseph Arvay Q.C. ''The government's argument that the Cour should recognize as plaintiffs only those sex workers who are presently active in sex vvork or \·vho are presently facing an actual prosecution is neither sound law nor good pol-. .. ICY.
The hearing on the standing of the 50-member Do,\ntown Eastside Sex Workers Against Violence Society and former sex \.vorkcr Sheryl Kiselbach is being held in B.C. Supreme Court today and Th ursday. October 23 starting at I 0 a.m. If the government appl ication fails. the case itself is expected to be heard in February, 2009. Contact: :'Vaomi Brunemerer 604.786.3921 -
~-----------------.r---------~------------~· I I
Hello people I thought I'd write another I ittle story to keep you up on my weekend or portions thereof. It started out as usual with my Friday night trip to the Hospital for dialysis. Saturday I went to Carneoie to get a little work done as the data management ~erson and maybe a little work on the website that I help to take care of"citywidehousingcoalition.org" and then I was going with a CCAP group to city hall to back up the group camping out on the lawn there. 1t w~s the "~treams of Justice" who organized this thmg I thmk. Anyway about torty or so of us went and there were about 400 people with a lot of organizations represented. It turned out to be a kinda warm, not raining, sunny fall day and everyone was in a great mood even though the reason we were there was rather sinister, you know the need for more social housing in this age of CONDO DEVELOPMENT. This was our attempt to get some kind action workin before the election or at least a promise of action from the soon-to-be elected City and Provincial governments. I met a great number of people and I said hi to a lot more. My foot was hurting so I couldn't even stay standing for the little pre-march speeches that were taking place. So about half way thru I went and sat the curb at the back of the crowd and wouldn't you know I picked a spot where everyone had to pass when they started marchin. It wasn't a long march just a big sorta circle on the driveway and s idewalk in front of City Hall. Since I was gonna be in the way I moved across the driveway and sat on that curb. About half way thru the march (they circled about 4 or 5 times) Sandy came and sat down with me and complimented me m my last story in the newsletter. He also talked to a lot of people who came by. One of them was a granpa with his grandson who was a coup Ia months of age. The grandpa was s leep in at the site. The child was also carrying a sign which was especially made for him. It was very small but he seemed to holding it up and protesting, really very cute. Sandy seems to like my stories and a coup Ia years ago had suggested that I keep track of them and maybe make a compilation into a small book of some kind so I'm doing that and may have a book ready to go by the end of the year or maybe not.
On Sunday I waited for my street nurse to come and change my foot dressing.
She told me it was healing quite well. Then Roberta picked me up and we went out to have a meeting bout the upcoming NSGP year-end celebration. e and my 2 cohorts Sandra and Vanessa are being tored or mentored by Roberta for the NSGP. 1
think she's doing a great job and I have a feeling she' ll be back next year in the same position. Roberta asked if anyone was interested in going to RayCam to take part in the cake-making grant we had given out sol volunteered to go. Only it wasn't the cake-making grant but it was the same person, Marilyn, only she was there in a different capacity with a different grant helping kids make costumes for the upcoming Halloween night. Damn she's good with kids and the kids seemed to be enjoying the idea of making there own costumes. There was Maura and Danie lle who were making different
•
pnncess costumes and they were quite proficient at making costumes. It was then that another person, Jesse came in with her grandson (about 3 or 4 years old) and you should see his costume. Its gonna be fantastic, he's gonna be a Transformer and you should see the work that Marilyn is doing. She's quite adept at making costumes. That transformer is gonna be real good lookin so I hope you get a chance to see him . I'm goin back next weekend to take part in the cake makin grant. While I'm at it I thought I'd comment on the latest election in our community. You know the federal one. Well in my case on Election Day I put it off for a while but I finally went to Carnegie to vote and was to ld I had to go to the Chinese Cultural Centre to put in my "two cents", so offl went to select my choice for Parliament. When I got to the Centre I was told at the front that I couldn't vote without the card they had mailed to me. So I said ok and left, but as I was walking out, I thought, DAMN I have a right to vote and being without a card shouldn't be able to stop me. So I went back and asked "the front" who was running the show and they pointed me to an area where there were a lot of people sitting and waiting to sign up to vote. So I sat down and waited my turn. Eventually I got my vote cast- the guy in front of me tried to accuse me of spying on him because we had been in the line-up together and he told the enumerators th~t I might be spying on him so I exaggerated the thmg and said yea im here to see how you're gonna vote. Then I told those people about the treatment I got at the front and they said that shouldn 't have been done then the big moment came and I cast my
••
vote. Then I went back to the front and told those persons that they shouldn 't be stealing people's votes by sending them away because they didn't have the mailto card. Then I went home and rested. It's kinda nice being community minded at election time. I remember when I never bothered to vote. I guess being in Carnegie most of the time just makes a person want to get involved. Today is Monday and I' m helping Jean make buttons for CCAP. They're real nice look in and I'd be proud to wear them so I took one of each to wear. Weds. i went over to Oppenheimer Park to take ~art in the band practice. I don' t know how I got mto the band but it feels good. There was a coupla
The BC Liberal government refuses to change the legislation to help tenants
VANCOUVER - Recent mass evictions by corporate property management companies have resulted in skyrocketing rents in Vancouver neighbourhoods. Legislative changes to the Residential Tenancy Act introduced by the BC Liberal government in 2004 make it more attractive for property o~ners to engage in mass evictions to dramatica lly ratse rents, but the current RTA fails to protect tenants fro m losing their homes, and does not address the current affo rdable rental housing crisis, declares Renters At Risk Campaign
Renters At Risk called Vancouver renters to attend a 30 minute rally and march on Saturday, October 25, starting at 2:00 PM in Nelson Park in Vancouver's West End, in support of evicted tenants. Renters At Risk co-founders Sharon Isaak and Janine Fuller speak in Nelson Park at 2pm and were joined by Christine Ackermann, a tenant who was evicted from Hollyburn Properties' Glenmore building in 200~ . After the speeches, the march went along ~avte Street to Jervis Street, and ended by a buildmg where a land lord is currently evicting tenants for renovations and raising the rents s ignificantly.
,
&E£ W§
people who came by to watch one of their friends be a band member. I tried to get them to play but they sorta laughed and just sat there. I bugged them a bit more and one of the ladies got up and played the guitar. She was really good and she played and sang "Hotel California" really good. I hope she comes back next week as we can use al l the band members we can get. Well its Sunday at about 4pm and I completely forgot the cake makin class. I was busy do in somethin else. You know how it goes. Maybe there ' II be another class I can go to next week. Hope you enjoyed this little s ide show and I' ll talk to you soon. Hope you have a good week. - ha l-
LY ra sa usr!U& 2S
The gov_er~ment o~ Ontario has taken action to stop mass evtcttons by tmplementing the Right of First Refusal. This right provides tenants the option to move back into thei r homes after renovations are complete under the same tenancy agreement. This does not interfer~ with existing guidelines enab ling a landlord app lymg for additional rent increases to recoup capital expenses. The BC Liberal government refuses to chanoe the legislation to help tenants and even denies that mass evictions and rising rents are a problem! "This is not acceptable. The law must chancre to ensure the diversity of existing communi tie~ re-
. " mams. says Janine Fuller. Sharon Isaak arrrees and adds, "The courts have spoken, and i sn~t it time we had a government that protected renters from these types of unfair business practices? Both Fu 1-ler and Isaak went to Supreme Court over their apartments in 2007. A number of political candidates are confirmed they ~re attending, including Vancouver's Mayoral candtdates Gregor Robertson , Vision, and Peter Ladner, NPA, as well as the Provincial Vancouver-Burrard riding by-election candidates, Spencer Herbert, NDP, Arthur Griffiths , Liberal, and Drina Read, Green. Renters At Risk Campaign is a community group of renters standing up for a balanced system of renters' rights. CONTACTS: Sharon Isaak 604.880.2743 [email protected]
Janine Fuller 604.669.1753 emai I@ I ittles istersbookstore.ca
I
•
..J
•
t ,
FLASH: Andy Hucklack's 81st birthday is Sunday, November 9th. (Sorry if I misspelled your name!)
'
I •
' : Bruce· M . I" USICa ... Playing at the Russian Hall Nov.6-9 and Nov.l2-16 Call 604-708-5448
An original two-act musical drama, Bruce - The Musical, recreates key events in the life of the late founder of the Downtown Eastside Residents Association (DERA), and the individual most responsible for transforming the image of Vancouver's lowest-income neighbourhood from Skid Road to residential community. It is a story of tragedy and triumphs, told with humour, action, human drama and song.
The play is a blend of historical characters (Eriksen, Rankin, Davies, Swanson) and representative characters (older single men and working people trying to survive and maintain their dignity, Chinese elders in a strange new land, politicians grappling with difficult issues- and you can expect a couple SRO hotel cockroaches too).
The play chronicles events in the period 1973-76, when Eriksen overcame his addiction to alcohol, went on to become an Ironworker on the Knight Street Bridge project and then fought successfully to make the l?eer parlors and hotels of the Downtown Eastside safer for the old loggers and other retired resource workers who lived there. Later, he won a seat as a city council member, where he was a constant "headache" to the centre-to-right NP A dinosaurs.
The playwright of Bruce- The Musical, is Bob Sarti, an awardwinning Vancouver Sun reporter who covered many of the events depicted in the play. For more than 20 years, Sarti lived and volunteered in the Downtown Eastside. He is now retired. The music has been composed by BC Entertainment Hall of Famer Bill Sample and also Earle Peach, two established musiciancomposers with deep r9ots in the community.
The play features a professional and semi-professional cast of nine, under the direction of Jay Hamburger, artistic director of Theatre In the Raw Society, an award-winning professional company which has a long history of commitment and work within the East Side of Vancouver and to social justice issues - "Giving Exposure to Voices Seldom Heard" since 1994.
Bruce Eriksen passed away nearly ten years ago, and many of the people he worked with are gone, too. Accounts of those early struggles are not always accessible to the new generation of community-minded residents. Unfortunately, the gains of that era are now being eroded under pressure of the growing illicit drug market and by the trend to gentrification.
Bruce- The Musical is an initiative to reclaim the history of the Downtown Eastside, to equip current residents with an understanding of how their community came to be what it is, and to reacquaint them with some of the strategies for positive change that have succeeded in the past in community-building. Bruce often spoke for those that found it hard to speak for themselves; an inspiration for many .
