APRIL 15, 2015
FREE. Do not pay for this paper.
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401 Main Street, Vancouver V6A 2T1 604-665-2289
Welfare banners show mainstream support for increased rates What do two associate professors, a lawyer & a dentist have in common? They are all displaying a banner that says, "Raise the Rates. Welfare=Hunger" on their Vancouver home. These folks have three of the ten banners lawyer Megan Ellis had printed for Raise the Rates, to show that people all over the city want higher welfare rates.
VOLUNTEER RECOGNITION WEEK ALLEY HEALTH FAIR OPPENHEIMER PARK FESTIVITIES Bud's been elsewhere for almost a year ...
Index earnegienewsletter.org
Website .
carnnews@shaw.ca email -:arnnews@vcn_bc.ca
The current rate for a single person is $610 a month and $906 for a persori with a recognized disability. "I had the banners made because I found it difficult to remain silent knowing that many people in my community live with hunger as a frequent, if not constant . companion," says Ellis, a lawyer. "The government has allowed the minimal support which is "welfare" to erode to such a point, that people can no longer maintain even the basics of food and shelter, let alone live productive lives. I find it intolerable that people in this wealthy province live in hunger, despite the efforts of food banks and charities to fill the growing gaps. It is immeasurably cruel and short-sighted that children go without the nutrition they need to grow
and to learn. There must be a basic standard of living to which all of us are entitled, even those of us who cannot provide it for ourselves, and welfare rates must be brought up to meet it. The banners are a way of protesting this wrong." "I was excited to have a chance to display my opinion on the welfare rates," said Penny Thompson, a dentist. "I find it discouraging that the public mood on welfare has been shifted by business-influenced politicians toward a much less compassionate culture than we used to have in Canada. I was happy to be offered a means to speak up about it. When we are silent, the politicians think they have support for their ideas." "I live in what many people would consider a 'nice' house," continued Thompson, "and I liked the idea that people would see my banner and know that not everyone who is lucky enough to have enough in these troubled economic times is complacent about how hard a lot of people are struggling to care for themselves and their families." "We put up this banner because Canada is a very wealthy country that can afford to look after our elderly living on fixed incomes, single parents raising children, or people with disabilities," said Charles Dobson and Alex Phillips, both Associate Professors at Emily Carr College. "Making sure that everyone's basic needs are met also saves money in the long run by reducing costs to social services and the justice system. We don't want our country to look like the third world where income inequality is extreme and the elite drive around in huge SUVs while children go hungry. Raising the rates won't eliminate poverty but it will relieve a lot of suffering and maybe make a difference in helping some people get a foothold on self-sufficiency." People with banners are posting pictures of them on Facebook and sending pictures of them to Premier Christy Clark. Raise the Rates is asking people to keep them up for 2 or 3 weeks and then pass them on to someone else. If you would like to get on the waiting list for a banner, 9r sponsor some more banners, email biI150@vcn.bc.ca
VOLUNTEER RECOGNITION WEEKI April 12th to the 18th, 2015
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15th
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Monthly dinner where staff serve to thank you for all you do!
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Five Years
THURSDAY. APRIL 16th
No Plan
Do have a Plan, Pilgrim, and a Plan B
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FRIDAY, APRIL 17th
The year of the Olympics I was writing a paper on social justice human rights HOMELESSNESS never suspecting that Iwas going to find out the reality of these things
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and~re~ 4:00 to 6 pm - Theatre Yummy food! Good company! Prizes! Entertainment by Rodd Chow, Magician / The Singing Waiter / Dalannah This is YOUR appreciation party for all your hard work and dedication!! You don't want to miss this one! Volunteer of the Year and 4 Special Merits are revealed! Your favourite •.•the annual volunteer t-shirt gift!
~JJ,..w.eJ'1' ...
Homeless and gormless for nearly five years Except for those expensive hotels And that terrible place on Powell Street
LIVE BAND DANCE with
Sandy Bone & The Breakdown
Prison in a wet bathing suit because a bus driver said I did not Show my pass I had I had shown it twice Later Ifigured he was either drunk or on drugs I froze in that cell And they stole my diamond ring and new sunglasses A familiar story. I heard. And who do you think the Police believe? Not a crazy old lady Wilhelmina
7 to 9:45pm - Theatre You won't want to miss this one! EVERYONE WELCOME!
SATURDAY, APRIL 18th
S PI" DOWlI"e PITCH & PUTT Meet llAM
(Rain)
(Sunshine)
@ Info Desk
Join Sin y for some serious competition .... or just for fun! Lunch included! Back 3pm ish.
Miles
"The Mayor who •Ended Homelessness" is from Medici nne Hat, Alberta Articles, interviews (see the latest Megaphone) tell how he got this moniker. ' The Mayor, Ted Clugston, is speaking at publicmeeting, which Raise the Rates is oneof the sponsors of, on Wed, April 29, 6:30-8:30 pm, at Vancouver General Hospital's Patzehold Pavilion, 899 W 12th Ave. The show is sponsored by all the groups below. [One from Abbotsford was left out: They are officially chickenshit. Ed] ~II!'.~~A~,~Q~~
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CALL FOR NOMINATIONS BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Full details at dtesnhouse.ca Or admin@dtesnhouse.ca Deadline Noon ~onday,Junel,2015
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I awoke got out of bed brushed my teeth & made it to the Just Awake Salon - if it's my only achievement today I say right on - 'so many disappointments in this city of blue water white skies yet bleeping red, when the ill & the poor are all dead Kleenex tissue paper will be out of business for not a single tear will be shed is apathy the newest bestest disease to be followed only by taxes & their financial dread, cyberaddiets creating micro-sized cities as tombstones & affordable housing are torn down the elderly will whine but they'll be dead soon anyone over fifty can watch their entire existence be erased as they observe from a lovely wreck, like finding someone else's sanity they forgot it on a bus then again memory lapse thieves make sure your life is no better than any of us ... How human suffering turns a once-complete person into a downside lifelong agoraphobic paranoia-filled carbon-based lifeform into a nighttime darktime speeding car soon to crash autowreck, well class what have we learned today our actions become inexcusable when ignorance & power shut off the accusations that need to be said & right away like a loudmouth at a silent auction Please shut your stupidity up it just makes everything worse ... Having been brought up out of the primordial ooze the dramatic inside me wants to know little things like the truth if I am even close to being right our worthless lives are non-refundable uncleansed & soon to be condemned, to forever having to watch the goings-on of this once magnificent planet our solar system & Mother Nature grin&bear us but really they don't understand it the way our morals twist & bend, like bulletproof skin that should be on sale soon like the face you'd like to strike but you just can't reach the moon you'll get your chance when transjoke creates the Moonline failing in a future near you, monolithic in size yet we on Earth shall not compromise our future just so you can play out your over-rated games, like an Abundance of Accommodations Rnt Us comng to town my ancient sources inform me 'human scum like you will be pulverized into the ground if Itold you twice you are your own vice We will for better or worse never change. By ROBERT McGILLIVRA Y "In matters of style swim with the current; in matters of principle stand like a rock." -Thomas lefferson
Downtown Eastside Literacy Roundtable Update As reported in the October 1, 2014 edition of this newsletter the members of the DTES Literacy Roundtable, a coalition of educators from the community, had been focussing on recent cuts to adult education programs. The consequences of these cuts - for adult learners hoping to upgrade their literacy and language skills for the purposes, of work, further education, high school completion and community integration & participation concern everyone. In the months following, members, including the institutions and community-based organizations with which they are affiliated, have faced new and increasing challenges to the education sector. These further funding cuts and policy changes are impacting the ability of Roundtable members to serve and meet learning needs of the community. You can read more about the impacts and cuts to Adult Basic Education at adultlearningmatters.wordpress.com
In February of this year the DTES Literacy Roundtable, in collaboration with UBC Learning Exchange, and funded by Arbutus Rotary, hosted the Downtown Eastside Digital Technology Access Forum: Navigating Technological Needs, Challenges, Innovations and Opportunities. This forum arose out of an expressed desire from community members and community organizations to work together to discuss and potentially create a unified plan to address the digital divide. Comments by presenters including: William Booth ofDTES Literacy Roundtable; Mark Smith ofUBC Learning Exchange; Elder Doris Fox of Musqueam Nation; Adrian Wong of Free Geek Vancouver; April Smith of AHA MEDIA; Roland Clarke ofDTES Street Market; Lucy Alderson of Capilano University Community Development & Outreach; and Richard Marquez of Lookout Emergency Aid Society can be found at http://ahamedia.ca12015/01l28 The forum determined that successful solutions for these matters must not treat digital exclusion as an isolated matter, as it is entwined in all of the lives and complex situations of those it affects. As such it is beyond the means of anyone person or organization to take on independently. The current City of Vancouver digital access strategy outlines a 4-year plan with prospects of rolling out free Wi-Fi as early as Spring 2015. The Literacy Roundtable has been invited to participate in a series of workshops focussing on Social Innovation. Three members of the Roundtable and one member from the community are participating in five workshops from February through May. Most simply, social innovation is about new ideas that systemically work to adess the root causes of difficult social and environmental problems. As part of this exercise, in March, the Roundtable convened two community consultations. The first Community consultation was held at Carnegie Centre and thanks to our colleagues at AHA media video and photographs are available at http://ahamedia.calDTES Literacy Roundtable Community Consultation Workshop on Mar 20 2015 Subsequently, a similar event was held at UBC Learning Exchange of which further details are available at http://ahamedia.calDTES Literacy Roundtable Community Consultation Workshop on Mar 252015 Social service agency workers & community mern-
bers gathered for these two community consultations 'to discuss and generate ideas around creating some kind of a hub, or information network, (yet to be defined) that will provide education, services providers and the community with a user-friendly and accessible way to share critical information about existing resources and tools related to education, social services, mental health support, legal resources and so on. With peer support it was suggested that, in the future, community members will be equipped to increase outreach to members of society who are the most isolated and vulnerable. This pilot community-led model will bring together multiple resources of.various community-based agencies, secondary and post-secondary institutions into a cohesive 'one-stop' literacy resource servicing the entire community. The outcomes and recommendations of these events will be incorporated into a proposal later this year. We will keep you updated. By WILLIAM BOOTH
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or Submissions
For an anthology that showcases the strengths, beauty, community building, compassion, and other reasons to celebrate the Downtown Eastside Writers/poets, Do you have a poem/ story that celebrates the strengths and beauty of the Downtown Eastside that you want showcased in an anthology? Selected pieces will be edited, photographs of the writer/poet will be taken and these will used in the anthology. In addition, photographs and writings will be enlarged to be used in an exhibit which will showcase the positive interactions occurring in the DTES. Please note: Although this is limited budget project, all efforts will be made to provide the writer with some books as an honorium. email Harreson at iamshanti@nilLca
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Carnegie Theatre Workshop
..• Spring classes ...
Movement, Gesture, Voice
ACTING BASICS April 24, May 1,8 & 15 Fridays 1pm-3pm in the Carnegie Theatre Breath, body, speech. Imagination, action, curiosity. Improv, energy, text. Workshops led by Teresa Vandertuin.
No experience necessary Free, everyone welcome! "
For more info: 604-255-9401 thirteenojhearts@hotmail.com
THE DISPIRITED The strength to ask for more has become so hardcore Hey Satan, ya gotta light? Now there's a guy who fits right in he lurks throughout the Downtown Eastside, collecting souls to put in his rubbish bin he's been at it forever & will be out tonight, with suicide family packs on sale at half-price Sooo pristine & devilishly
impeccable he could sell rabid kittens to a family of' mice pure evil nothing less & promising more, opportunistic at every turn we the poor the forgotten are not left out wake up unite & learn we are what he wants Don't Give Up cuz his search will be the next knock on the door, He can telepathically convince mankind he's really a swell guy and means good this monster .could sell holes to a drunken group of people floating on a raft made entirely of wood. He brags of being the best creator since Jesus christ & the poorer the merrier don't swallow this opponent's pack of lies no more. We need each other now more than ever.. he may be sly but we can be pretty clever leading him down E Hastings where all good people can watch him being crucified, like a plastique processing plant printing condolence cards on the other side .. his face has launched a thousand & counting packages of lies, when his darkness can't block out the light then we can begin to enjoy bit by bit our lifecycles ride, like a KKK chapter of the boy&girl scouts of America learning how to say no - this stigmata of racism & poverty will one day create doubts with a positive glow every single day is of our own making so get out there & make your voice heard louder than a million big bangs or a billion prison doors being slammed' closed, like reclining tombstones or a canary with tunnel vision or shortsighted visionaries who've made their last decisions & when asked for a famous last word they deny that global warming exists while wearing 8 sets of winter clothes Like being on the cover of the very last issue of Rolling Stone - in this world so cold we may be dirty but he always seems so repugnantly clean he seems to think everything belongs to him alone, soon Earth itself will need an iron lung his brain tumour phone will be ringing long after his neck has been wrung to the earth ... I love my land line connection anytime you wanna talk just pick up your Spirit and call By ROBERT McGILLIVRA Y ."To see what is in front of one's nose needs a constant struggle." -~eorge Orwell PS A whole 20 cents? What an encopuragng sign of things to come in a city I once loved but now hate... 20 fricken cents what an shut up Robert ' or these will be my last words. For now
1942 Japanese Canadian Internment· Hastings Park In early 1942, over 8,000 Japanese Canadians were detained in Hastings Park before being sent to sites in the BC interior or to work camps across the country. A new outdoor exhibit and related website preserve the stories & images of this important history. [www.hastin2spark1942.com] You are invited to join us for the unveiling of four panels introducing the history of interred peoples on Sunday, April 26, 2015,1:00 - 3:30pm The Hastings Room in Hastings Park Directions: Go through Gate 2 off Renfrew Street, next to the PNE Administration Offices. Tour: Meet in the Hastings Rm at 1pm for s tour of the signs. At 2pm, following the tour, return to this Room for a short pr~gram & light refreshments.
Oppenheimer Park Cherry Blossom Festival 2015 April 2 - 29, 2015 I
We welcome you to Oppenheimer Park, where Akebono and Kanzan sakura trees, one of the oldest cherry blossom trees are currently blooming. These trees in the Park were planted by first generation Japanese Canadians (Issei) in 1977 to celebrate the Ce tennial of Japanese Canadians in Canada & signified wishes for better lives to future generations. In early 2008, the City renovated Oppenheimer Park & two of them were removed, but most were transplanted. To commemorate the original planting, the renovated park's field house includes a Legacy Sakura memorial window to honour Issei pioneers as well as trees planted by them. The window shows a silhouette of the Akebono & an old poem. From April 2 - 29, Oppenheimer Park Cherry Blossom Festival invites Park visitors & DTES residents to experien-· ce Japanese culture including culinary, arts & crafts & more! We will also be participating in Vancouver Japanese Language School's Spring Market Fair on Sat, April 25 (9:30am 2:30pm). Please visit our table where we showcase jewellery, craft items etc. made/sold by our volunteers & artists!
A Workshop on Shared History Saturday, May 2, 4 - 8 pm St. James' Anglican Church
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Image: Coast Salish Blanket, maker unknown The Indigenous Justice Ministry of the Diocese of New Westminster in partnership with the Ecumenical Working Group on Residential Schools, working with KAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice Initiative, invites you to join in The Blanket Exercise, a workshop to explore the nation-tonation relationship between Indigenous & non-indigenous peoples in Canada. Blankets arranged on the floor represent land & participants are invited to step into the roles of First Nations, Inuit & Metis peoples. The workshop helps us understand how the colonisation of this land impacts those who were here long before settlers arrived. It engages our hearts & minds in understanding why the relationship between Indigenous & non-indigenous peoples is often broken and how we can take action together. The Exercise takes from 60 to 90 minutes & will be followed by a Sharing Circle & Feast. The occasion is part of our commitment to build relationships with our Aboriginal relations based on a growing understanding of our shared history. The Blanket Exercise will take place at St James Anglican Church basement, 230 Gore St, Van on unceded Coast Salish traditional territory. Register email: patmcsherry@telus.net
Carnegie Community Action Project (CCAP) JJD ~ÂĽfÂą l& 1TI}]~tIIJ EWSLETTER J]l~R http://ccapvancouver.wordpress.com
April, 2015
Above, developers picture of what a new condo project at Glen and Hastings could look like.
More condos coming to the Downtown Eastside "We don't want more condos in the DTES." That's what the Carnegie Community Action Project volunteers told Graham Farstad on March 20. Farstad, who works with the Arlington Group, presented a plan for 98 condos
and 25 social housing units to CCAP's regular Friday meeting. Farstad is acting for the developer who is now negotiating with the city about what can go on the site on the southwest corner of Glen and (Continued on the next page ... .)
More condos .... (Continued from front page) Hastings. The site is full of blackberry bushes now. Farstad said the developer would need a rezoning for the project that is planned. It would be 12 stories high and right next to railroad tracks. The 25 social housing units, he said, would be built and turned over to the city at no cost and the city would decide who would run them and what the rents will be. After the meeting Farstad sent an email saying that bachelor sized social housing units would be 320 square feet and the 1 bedroom ones 400 square feet. When Farstad asked the group what the developer could change to make the project acceptable, they said "100%
social housing at welfare rate with low income serving business on street level." To that, Farstad replied that the developer "doesn't want to lose his shirt." The timeline for this project, according to Farstad, could be roughly as follows: public information meeting before summer; rezoning by the end of the year and construction to start next year. CCAP doesn't like the idea of more condos in the DTES because they push up land values and property taxes. Then rents in the hotels go up and low income people are pushed out. Two hundred eighty two condos are already proposed in the same area.
City changes definition of social housing: no low income residents required How do you build lots of social housing? .Simple. Change the definition of social housing so that poor people can't afford to rent it. That's what Vancouver City Council did on March 26 when they banished the term "low income housing" from their bylaw definition for the Downtown area. In the old definition, low income housing specifically listed "persons receiving War Veterans Allowance, Canadian Pension Commission Disability pension, Page 2
Guaranteed Income Supplement, Spouses Allowance or income from Guaranteed Annual Income for Need." After hearing 28 speakers against the new zoning and only 6 for it, Council adopted the new definition which says only one-third ofthe housing has to be at
(Continued on the next page ... )
Definition of social housing continued ... Housing Income Limits (HILS), a BC housing term. HILS means rents for a
bachelor unit can't be above $912 a Harold Lavender speaks at City Council month. "I don't know what your plan is," DTES resident Harold Lavender told Council on March 16, "given the severity of the housing crisis. Councilors say we'll house people elsewhere and now we get this definition. " "The HILS limit is higher than my whole disability pension," added Lavender. The definition is important because the city can allow developers to build bigger
buildings in exchange for "social housing." But if social housing is defined as apartments that rent at market rents or at $912 a month, low income people won't be able to afford to live in them. It's way easier to build apartments for people who can pay market rents or $912 a month than it is to build for people who can only pay $375 because it costs a lot to build apartments. The definition is also important because the Downtown Eastside Local Area Plan called for 3000 DTES residents to move to other places. But if "social housing" is too expensive in other places like the Downtown area covered by this Council decision, where will they be able to afford to live? After hearing all the speakers, Councilor Andrea Reimer made an amendment to the proposed definition to say that the 30% of housing units at HILS "may include households such as those that receive Income Assistance or rent supplements or basic Old Age Security pension and Guaranteed Income Supplement or disability assistance or War Veterans Allowance." "May" is the important word here. There are no teeth in the definition that would require social housing to be affordable to low income people. In the DTES residents fought for and won a provision that onethird of social housing units have to be at welfare shelter rate. Page 3
Raise Welfare Rates to Give Strathcona School Students an Equal Opportunity to Learn and Succeed An open letter to Michelle Stilwell, Minister of Social Development Dear Ms. Stilwell, I am writing to you today as the Chair of the Parent Advisory Council (PAC) at Lord Strathcona Elementary School. Strathcona is located in the heart of the Downtown Eastside in Vancouver and has an incredibly diverse student body, made up of children from the massive social housing complexes that bound Strathcona east and west, to million dollar homes and everywhere in
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between. We are a fiercely proud school community, and we are very conscious of our diversity. In everything we do as a PAC we ensure that all of our students are able to participate. Our school administration and teachers put a huge amount of effort into ensuring that all of our students are ready to learn (Continued on next page ...) Below: Caitlin Pencarrick Hertzman reads statement at media conference on April ISI, the 8th anniversary of no increase to welfare rates.
Open letter continued ... in the classroom as well. The school seeks out funding and resources to give all of our students the opportunity to learn successfully every day. The majority of this funding is spent feeding our students, from our breakfast program, to subsidized hot lunch, to our "back pack program", run by the Strathcona Community Centre. These programs provide breakfast and lunch while at school and send students home with food over the weekend. 204 families, that's at least 36% of our students, rely on these programs. We spend $30,000 a year on emergency funding for our low-income students. That's 60% of our private funding going to food, clothing and other essentials like mattresses. Students who have empty stomachs, inadequate shoes and coats or unfurnished homes are not equipped to spend 6 hours a day focused on learning. This funding should be spent on field trips. It should give our students tools to broaden their educational experience - like musical instruments, arts supplies, arts equipment, books and school supplies. Instead, the majority of our school's fundraising efforts are spent on making up the shortfall in families' incomes. When our government doesn't raise welfare rates to keep pace with inflation they're telling our students and our school that their education isn't a priority. If welfare rates stagnate, our students'
chances at success also stagnate. It's time to raise welfare rates, and give all of Strathcona's students an equal opportunity to learn, and to succeed in life. Caitlin Pencarrick Hertzman Chair Parent Advisory Council
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Raise welfare rates, diverse crowd tells government Vancouver, Coast Salish Territories Chanting, "What do we want, raise the rates," and "Tax the rich to feed the poor," over 150 people took their colourful signs and positive energy on a loud march down Hastings Street to the Government offices at the foot of Howe
Street, on March 31. "People are tired of chasing food lines all day," Bill Beaugarde of the Aboriginal Front Door told the crowd. At $610 a month the welfare rate means that people don't have enough to both pay rent and eat nutritiously.
"I have a long list of illnesses including diabetes," said Tracey Morrison. "The amount of money we get is not enough
for a proper diet. 1 work really hard to survive on welfare. 1 sit on the phone [with the Ministry] for an hour and a
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Raise the rates continued ... half just to talk to someone who makes me feel like dirt." Fraser Stuart, called the "passionate cockroach" because he was wearing a cockroach costume, suggested that roaches like low welfare rates because they mean that roaches have lots of crummy housing to roam in. "You can reduce health costs in BC a lot by raising welfare, takling poverty could save $1 billion a year" said Stuart. "We need students, profs, and everyone from all walks of life to tell Christy that we need a raise in welfare," said Shila Avissa, a UBC student who joined other students on the march. Raise the Rates organizer Bill Hopwood said that the government's announcements earlier this month would
impact only a few thousand of the 174,000 people on welfare. "But it shows they are feeling the pressure and that we need to keep it up." The march was held to mark 8 years since the last increase in welfare. No one else in BC has had no increase in income over that long. Over the same time the Premier of BC's pay has gone up 53%. Hopwood stated that the government has choices, "BC is a rich province. The government chose to give no increase to 174,000 people on welfare, a 20 cent increase in the minimum wage and $227 million to the richest people in BC. Government policy seems to be to starve the poor to fee the rich. We need to build the pressure to make them change policy." •
The Downtown Eastside SRO Collaborative has launched into the community! Who are we? The SRO Collaborative Project is working to improve habitability and prevent renovictions in SRO hotels in Vancouver Coast Salish Territories. Our strategy is to start organizing within the worst of the worst - the privately-owned SROs. We bring tenants together to file complaints for safety and management conditions at the Residential Tenancy Branch and
to support City Inspectors' efforts, where possible, to bring buildings up to code. Modelled after the SRO Collaboratives in San Francisco, we hope to help build a stronger renters movement here. We have a little bit of funding to get this (Continued on next page ...)
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SRO collaborative continued ... project going. If this project is useful to tenants, we'll continue to develop it. What have we been up to? Since January, the SRO Collaborative has been helping the remaining tenants on fixed incomes to get compensation at the Clifton Hotel (1125 Granville) which is in the last stages of emptying out and renovating likely for higher income renters. We are also at the West
There are many vulnerable Chinese seniors living in SROs in the neighbourhood that are isolated and becoming increasingly impoverished. Chanel Ly, our Chinese advocate, will be coordinating tenant rights services for Chinese seniors in the neighbourhood and bringing young Chinese people to the neighbourhood to learn how to be advocates themselves. As we organize, SRO tenants will be producing short films to share their stories through video. This project will be led by Indigenous filmmaker and community planner Wilson Mendes. How can you get involved? SRO tenants are invited to our strategy meetings e ery Saturday from 12 noon to 1:30pm at 253 E Hastings (next to the Ovaltine) starting on April 18, 2015! We'll be choosing our next buildings to work in soon! Wheelchair accessible. Lunch will be provided.
West Hotel resident shows evidence of rat infestation Hotel (488 Carrall) working to improve security, habitability and tenant rights. This is our organizing model - we will be taking on a building one at a time. West tenants will file ajoint complaint through the Residential Tenancy Branch soon. If successful, over $20,000 will go into the pockets of the tenants!
Contact information: 604-6468585, dtes.sro.collab@gmail.com
Vancity Support for this project does not necessarily implY..Vancity's endorsement of the findings or contents of this newsletter
CARNEGIE CLASSICS CONCERT . The 16th Season Saturday, April 25, 2015,1 :30 - 2:30pm' The Hall at the Carnegie Centre
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Erin lames Wong (violin) lanna Sailor (violin) Tawnya Popoff (viola) Olivia Blander (cello) lohanna Hauser (clarinet) Monica Pfau (piano) Playing Antonin Dvorak & Sergei Prokofiev
25 the carnegie newsletter has helped save my life I fled toronto for the downtown eastside as though all the furies in my life were chasing me and I began living here in 1986 not long after Paul Taylor published the first issue and Paul was the first person I met who not only encouraged my writing but inspired and befriended me and allowed me to work on the newsletter and since I'd never known real community or home the newsletter and all the knowledgeable writers and contributors who entered the newsletter office taught me about community about our unique and amazing shared history of resistance our fierce committed activists the brilliant satirical and imaginative artists and the truth-talking words of our many poets and it was through this incredible activity I discovered and was welcomed into a precious community and Paul Taylor, Sandy Cameron and others I met possessed and exemplified the vital and wondrous qualities of our community while the newsletter has insured the communication of information so important to us all for 25 years .an accomplishment of fortitude courage and dedication I can scarcely imagine Paul is and has been my friend in so many ways ever since I first entered the carnegie centre and I have been glad when Paul and Lisa attended readings I've done and performances with bands in public venues to speak of the newsletter as the most important pu~lication I know of and Paul Taylor the most extraordinary editor and fearless defender of our community with his writing I was at my last gasp when I arrived here and the newsletter introduced me to a life & place & friends never previously conceived or believed possible I could not be more grateful Bud Osborn
It's been about a year since Bud carried on. This is a memento, I guess.. I hope. It look to be self-serving to put 25 on the same page as WOFdsto say how Bud was a friend. Mental health is shaded with deep depression; not feeling anything is normal but unnatural. Many times it was true that we had 'conversations' but never longer than 1-2 minutes. When I learned Bud was dead this hit home Reflection gave light to the fact that all my conversations with most anyone have been under a minute, maybe two, rare to be three, for the last 40 years. A testament to the value of our friendship -Bud never . pressed for more from me, maybe savouring a bond that didn't necessitate ongoing verbiage. Go well. PRT
Alley Health fair 2015 The Alley Health Fair is happening! After juggling the date and location we've been given the green light to launch on Tuesday April 21st on the 400 block of Columbia street (between Hastings & Pender), from llam to 3pm. This is great news to be on Columbia, considering all the renovations happening along the traditional "alley" beside Carnegie & along Hastings. I was flipping tbrough Saltwater City by Paul Yee and noticed a photo of Sister Teresa Fung in the '30s (Vancouver's first Chinese nun) who set up a free health clinic and dispensary right on Pender street, and Wayson Choy in his book All That Matters acknowledged that she was the go-to person in the community for health. I would like to imagine that Sister Fung would appreciate this event! Some of the features will include a variety of health testing, a hearty meal of beef stew and salad provided by WATARI, a fruit smoothie station hosted by the DTES Neighbourhood House, wheelchair repairs through Wheelin' Mobility, haircuts offered by severallocal stylists, and lots of informative tables. From my perspective, the best part of helping out
with the event has been the opportunity to connect with people in the community who have so much to offer and share. There are some really talented and compassionate folks here who genuinely care about getting good services to their friends, and folks in need. I'm especially grateful to Jeff (UGM), Byron (W ATARI), Caroline (Beauty Night), Caroline (VCC Nursing), Carole (DTES Neighbourhood House), Perry (Strathcona Mental Health), Mary (Mobile Access Project Van) and Roland (DTES street market) for their wisdom, service and encouragement. The Camegie Library will be teaming up with VPL's "Accessible Services" staff, who have a variety of tools like Braille readers and DAISY readers for those with print disabilities. Definitely stop by the information table (or visit me in the library) to learn about what's new in health trends and how to be savvy when it comes to medications / prescriptions. Fingers crossed for fine weather, but we will out there "rain or shine"! Special thank you for funding from The City of Van.couver (Homeless Connect) and the Vancouver Public Library Foundation. Your librarian, Natalie
Former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of Canada, Paul Hellyer & the Modern Knowledge Tour
Sunday April Tickets: $50-$75
is", Rio Theatre
@ 1660 East Broadway, Vancouver
Registration and Admission: 1:30pm - 2:30pm; Presentation:
2:30pm - 9:30 pm
The tour will focus on the past, present & future of the truth embargo on the~xtraterrestrial presence issue. Paul T. Hellyer: What You Don't See Is What You Will Get! Origin of the New World Order, and the Cabal Grant Cameron: Canada and the US: Disclosure: A Timeline of Secrecy Richard Dolan: The Real Power Struggle and the End Game Victor Viggiani: Media Mendacity
& the Truth Embargo- Earth is being engaged by off-world civilizations.
Stanton Friedman: Earth's Cosmic Watergate
Stephen Bassett: The Truth Embargo's Last Days?
From the Library In anticipation of the Alley Health Fair (Tuesday April 21st llam - 3pm, on Columbia Street) the Carnegie Library has a display of health-related titles for yourself, your pet, your friend or neighbour. Some highlights include: Diabetes Family Friendly Cookbook - A collection of 500 tasty recipes with nutritional details, catering to the diabetic diet. Emergency First Aid for Dogs- To help your pooch stay healthy, and what to do in an emergency such as resuscitation, animal bites, and allergic reactions. The Healing Circle- Doctors RutJedge and Walker help to integrate science, wisdom and compassion for those dealing with cancer, to help heal body, mind and spirit. Improve your Eyesight- The "Bates Method" is an attempt to improve eyesight without relying on glasses, includes exercises for the eyes. Painkillers, Heroin, and the Road to Sanity - The author offers "real solutions for long-term recovery from opiate addiction." Controversial advice to recover from prescription addiction. Understanding Why Addicts are Not All A like- An academic guide to understanding our differences, and the variety of approaches regarding intervention and treatment of addiction. VPL subscribes to online databases such as Science Full Text Select (from agriculture, biology to ecology), and Health Canada, which is a directory of chronic and mental illnesses and health services. As well, there is e-Therapeutics - essentially the Compendium of Pharmaceuticals (CPS), featuring patient self-care, identification of medicines, drug interaction analyzer, etc. Your librarian, Natalie
I am 88 think I'm 28. It doesn't work I miss the bus and think of a poem line: "They also serve who stand and wait" Will I be too late to gathyer rosebuds this May and pay my $10 rent increase on the way? At 88 do I care?! And it's never too late to gather rosebuds any day. At 28 was life so great? At 88 life is greatenjoy Enjoy! AHHH here is the bus so around the bend at 88 on my way to Thursday's writing class ... James McC
CCAP wants city action to protect DTES from Port hazards March 16,2015 Dear Mayor and Council, and City Manager, Re: emergency response to chlorine fire on March 4 At two well-attended Carnegie Community Action Project meetings on March 6 & 13 people were really disturbed about the lack of proper emergency responses to the dangerous chlorine fumes in the Downtown Eastside neighbourhood due to the fire at the Port of Vane. on Mar 4. Concerns included the following: # 1. Children were let out of Strathcona School when there were lots offumes. Were the school, children and parents notified adequately? #2. Not everyone was reached by police using megaphones; the police were hard to understand when they spoke through the megaphone, and when police did tell people to stay indoors they didn't explain why. #3. Dozens of people were left waiting at bus stops amidst the fumes because all the buses in the neighbourhood stopped running. #4. Were all SRO's informed that all residents should close their windows? We don't think so. #5. If people weren't listening to the media or on the internet, they didn't know there was a problem. #6. Were vulnerable people in seniors' residences notified to stay in and close their windows? In the discussion afterwards, people expressed condcern that there is no way for DTES residents who don't own cars to escape from a similar potential disaster without exposing themselves to fumes. If buses stop running there is no way for people to leave the area except on foot where they would expose themselves to fumes. This will be an even bigger problem if the port expands, as is being considered. CCAP volunteers are hoping the city can take steps to prevent hazardous materials and chemicals from being loaded in such a populous area. We urge the city to ensure that this is done. We are also thinking of hosting a public meeting on this or working with other groups to do this as there seems to be a lot of concern in the neighbourhood. Please let us know what you plan to do about this. Thank you. Jean Swanson on behalf of CCAP volunteers
HEAR YE, HEAR YE!!! THE CARNEGIE BOARD ELECTIONS WILL BE HELD IN THE CARNEGIE THEATRE ON THURSDAY, JUNE 4TH 2015 @ 5:30 PM
Nominations will be held on Thursday May 7t\ 2015 in the Theatre To nominate someone at this meeting you must have a membership card dated no later than APRIL 5th, 2015 To run for the Camegie Board a person must: • • • • •
Have a membership card dated no later than April 5th , 2015 Be over 16 Live or work (paid or unpaid) in the area Be an active member of the Centre Have contributed 30 hours of volunteer work to the Camegie Community Centre or the Association in the previous year to the election
To vote at the AGM on June 4th, 2015 •
Your membership card should have a date no later than MAY 5TH 2015
'TLE
CARNEGIE
HISTORY
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FREE. Do not pay forthi. paper.
Carnegie~ NEWSLETTER
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on Coast Salish Territory.
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"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." -Margaret Meade
THIS NEWSLETTER IS A PUBLICATION OF THE CARNEGIE COMMUNITY CENTRE ASSOCIATION Articles represent the views of individual contributors and not of the Association.
TUESDAY APRIL 28TH WANTED Artwork for the Carnegie Newsletter
• • • • •
•
• •
•
Small illustrations to accompany articles and poetry. Cover art - Max size: 17cm(6 '!.')wide x 15cm(6')high. Subject matter pertaining to issues relevant to the Downtown Eastside, but all work considered. Black & White printing only. Size restrictions apply (Le. if your piece is too large, it will be reduced andJor cropped to fit). All artists will receive credit for their work. Originals will be returned to the artist after being copied for publication. Remuneration: Camegie Volunteer Tickets Please make submissions to Paul Taylor, Editor. The editor can edit for clarity, format & brevity, but not at the expense of the writer's message.
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