604-665-2289
carnnews@vcn.bc.ca www.camnews.org CSOONTO BE CURRW
JAPANESE-CANADIAN CULTURE F A I R SATURDAY AUGUST 6 The Peace Crane Project
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The Vancouver Public Library is participating in this project, to promote peace, nonviolence and tolerance, and in honour of the 60'" anniversary of the 1945 bombing of Nagasaki and Hiroshima. The paper crane is an international symbol of peace and hope. As part of the One Book One Vancouver program, which is reading Joy Kogawa's novel Obasan, the Library hopes to fold, collect and display 1,000 origami cranes by August 9, 2005. Folding a paper crane is like making peace -some of the steps are awkward. At first it may seem impossible. There is definitely more than one route. Patience and consultation are helpful. And the result, big or small, is a thing of beauty. Based on similar initiatives around the world, the Peace Crane Project is inspired by the story of Sadako Sasaki, a young girl from I liroshima, who developed leukemia from the effects of the radiation from the bomb. It is a Japanese legend that the person who folds 1,000 paper cranes will have his or her wish granted. In a heartbreaking effort to get well, Sadako attempted to fold 1,000 cranes, believing that in doing so she would be cured. She only managed to complete 644 before she died in 1955. So moved by her actions, her friends, family and classmates folded the remaining 356 cranes to bury with her. As her story became widely known, people from other countries began folding cranes and sending them to The Children's Monument in the Hiroshima Peace Park as a wish for peace. The following inscription is on the base of this monument, which stands surrounded by millions of paper cranes sent from people around the world: This is our cry This is our prayer Peace in the world
Promenade Central Library 350 West Georgia St. A family fair of arts, crafts, and culture. Learn more about JapaneseCanadian culture with interactive displays, performers and more!
11:OOa.m.-12:OOnoon
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CBC's North by Northwest with Sheryl MacKay including interviews with Joy Kogawa and others, plus the announcement of the winners of the One Book, One Vancouver Haiku Writing Contest! For more informationabout this and other One Book One Vancouver event5,visit unuw.vpl.ca or call 604-331-3615.
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August " ~ i r o s h i m a~ a v " The 60th Anniversary o f <he
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CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS (Art, stories, essays) for September's edition of the Vancouver Richmond Mental Health Network's Bulletin. Its theme will be:
"Mental Health and Addictions" Stories should be ideally 500 to 850 words in length (typed single space) but shorter or longer essays are still acceptable. We especially solicit artwork for the Bulletin, which should be adaptable to black-andwhite print. Honourariums will be offered for submissions that are accepted; . fewer than 500 words, $25; more than 500 words, $50; poetry $15; artwork and illustrations to be n gotiated; cover art $60. Stories or articles (preferably on a computer floppy disk) should be mailed or brought to: Editor, The Bulletin, Vancouver Richmond Mental Health Network, #109-96 East Broadway, Vancouver, BC V5T 4N9 You can also e-mail submissions to vrmhn@,vcn.bc.caor send by fax: (604) 733-9556. For further information call: (604) 733-5570.
Deadline is Wednesday, August 24th 2005
THE SHAD0 WS PROJECT
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Vancouver Moving Theatre is working in partnership with the Carnegie Community Centre to create a shadow play (with images and puppets, storytelling and music) for the whole family and the Downtown Eastside about addiction. Rosemary Georgeson, Jimmy Tait and Savannah Walling are writing the play with a large team of DTES writers. A 20 minute prototype will be presented to the community for feedback in Nov. 2005. The shadow play will prcmiere in Nov. 2006. The writers need your help. Co-writer Savannah Walling invites you to share with her your insights, images, stories and anecdotes around the experience of addiction. She will be available to listen and to answer questions about the project : When? Tuesday August 9 1-5 pm Wednesday August 10 1-5 pm Where? 3rdfloor seminar roomCarnegie Community Centre
Vitamins and Minerals by Prescription Only? Absurd! An article in the March 2005 issue of the CCPA A4onifor, the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives's monthly publication, indicated that some new regulations regarding vitamin and mineral availability were about to come into force. If they did, the article (titled "Codex directive would deny us access to food supplements," by Helke Ferrie) warned that watered-down versions, and much more expensive, would be available by doctor's prescription only. Fcrrie advised people to show their support for private member's bill C-420 having vitamins and minerals classified as food, therefore the Codex directive (which is enshrined, or in the process of being enshrined, in the world's trade agreements) would have no effect on pricing and avaiIabiIity of food supplements, also known as natural health products (NHPs).
I am a diabetic and therefore take a full spread vitamins and minerals to help control my illness (and it works). I was therefore personally concerned (as well as for the millions of people who take NHPs) about the implementation of the Codex directive. I e-mailed Libby Davies, our MP in the Downtown Eastside and the health ministry of Canada expressing my concern. Before I discuss the replies, I have to digress a bit. The Codex directive is the product of the Codex Alimentarius Committee of the United Nations. If implemented, it hands unprecedented power and profits to big pharmaceutical companies, and sacrifices many persons' health and well-being through taking NHPs. In the May 2005 CCPA Monitor, an article appeared by Ed Finn titled "Health Canada barred (so far) from treating vitamins as drugs." It made reference to the European Union's imminent adoption of the Codex directive and the resulting influence it would have on Canadian NHPs. In the June 2005 CCPA Monitor, an article titled "European court strikes down Directive restricting vitamin access" appeared. Restricted access to vitamins and minerals has already taken place in some European countries which have adopted the directive, but the EU has withdrawn from it as a whole. E-mail and fax systems of the European parliament broke down for days: more than eleven million protest messages were received from the 300 million EU citizens. Imagine if we could raise a similar protest from one million citizens of Canada! In the July 2005 issue of Common Ground, an article by Dr. Carolyn Dean titled "Kiss your vitamins goodbye" warned that the US had signified in July
that it was ready to accept the Codex directive (obviously at the behest of the Bush administration, which is in cahoots with big pharmaceutical companies). Now to the e-mail replies: Libby Davies, NDP MP for the Downtown Eastside, assured me that the federal NDP would support Bill C-420 to fight the Codex directive. On June 23, in reply to my e-mail of March 19, the federal ministry of health stated: ". ..[the Directive]. ..will not decrease the availability or sale of vitamins and minerals in Canada. .. . [The Directive is] intended for voluntary use by governments and there is no obligation for governments to adopt the standards, either as a member of the Commission or as a signatory to the Agreement Establishing the World Trade Organization. The Directive is intended to provide guidance on the composition, including levels, and sources of vitamins and minerals, as well as on packaging and labelling, so that vitamin and mineral supplements will be safe, eficacious and labelled in a clear and non-misleading manner. However, the guidelines specifically state they will only apply in countries that regulate vitamins and minerals as foods. As vitamin and mineral supplements are classified and regulated as natural health products in Canada, the Directive has no bearing on these products." According to one website I investigated re the Codex directive, the signatories of the WTO (of which Canada is one) voted last November to make compliance with the directive mandatory. It flat out states Health Canada is wrong in its claim that compliance is voluntary. It also states that Health Canada classified NHPs as drugs, making them subject to the directive. That website is http://www.kos~ublishin~.comhtml/codex 2005.ht ml#Anchor-39613 On January 1,2004, Canada adopted regulations concerning NHPs. I went to Health Canada's website to investigate whether the federal government was caving in to the Codex directive. I could find no evidence to suggest that this was the case, other than a hint that NHPs were possibly classified as drugs, which is partly what the hoopla is all about. Obviously, more investigation is needed, and by someone more qualified than me, like a doctor, or a lawvyer . By Rolf Aucr
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Wade Allan Walsh (left) He's been missing for a month and family needs help in finding him. Wade's birthday is Aug.5, 1964 making him 3 1 this week. He's 5'6" with red hair and blue eyes. Call Paul at the Newsletter if you have any information. 604-665-2289
The Parent-Tot Drop-In
has moved You can find us more centrally located at
245POWELL (half a block west of Sunrise Market look for our balloons & sidewalk sandwich board)
10 a.m. - noon
Tuesdays &Wednesdays Bring your youngsters for play and activities with an early Childhood Educator and meet other DTES parents over healthy snacks Organized by DTES residents in partnership with Gordon Neiahbohood House Poverty is an expensive luxury. We cannot afford it. Eleanor Roosevelt
Wednes
PRISON JUSTICE D N MEEMBRIPrL RALLY Cla~reCulhane Memorial Bench, Trout Lake, East Vancouver. Featurmg ex-prisoners, prisoners' rights activists and performers. Ram or Shrne.
Monday August 8th 7:00 pm
RADIO-DOCUMEhlTliRY: Co-op Radio, 102.7 FM. www.coopradio.org Also available for download at www.prisonjustice.ca ...
Jan tekes away ell the things you look fonverd to It kind ofjust numbs you lo a lot of things ... Like sometimes you'N get in bouble for laughing In there, like, Shut up, what are you laughing for, you're in jail, It's not funnylmAndy o u h so used tolust, like, puning up with all this stun, and not really caring about whal happens in them because everything's done for you, and you kind ofjust gel numb ... end when you get out it's]ust the same way It's like they send you there to get %onected'end you come out worse than you were in the flrstplace. 'Keera.' young woman \mprisoned In B.C.
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Pr~sonJustlce Day - August 10th was started by prisoners in 1975 asa day to remember all the men and women who have died from unnatural causes mside of Canadian prisons.
FREE Workshops for-and-by
Aboriginal Women
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Fridays 1:OOpm to 3:30pm from May 13th, to September 29th. 2005 Downtown Eastride Womrn's Centre.302 Columbia St. For ~nforrnatlonand rtgtnrroon call Carol at 604 681 8480er.233
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Always remember that you a r e absolutely unique. Just like everyone else. Margaret Mead
Three cheers for GLADYS RADEK
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For once the system worked. A very persistent Aboriginal woman, Gladys Radek, took International Village to the Human Rights Commission for discriminating against herself and other Aboriginal and disabled people. Four years later she won $5000 for herself, and $10,000 for Native Housing. The $15,000 award is the highest ever awarded in BC for in-jury to dignity. As well, International Village has to stop discriminating on the basis of race, colour, ancestry and disability against people who enter their premises, and has to provide anti-discrimination training to all security workers. International Village must also ensure that anyone wanting a copy of the Human Rights Commission decision can get one, and must make sure that all employees are aware that there is a public right of way through the International Village Mall. Radek's four year odyssey for her human right to walk through a mall began on May 10,2001. She was wallung through the mall with a friend on the way to have a coffee at Starbucks. Security guards approached her and asked her to leave. Radek demanded to see the policy that allowed the guards to evict her. They didn't show it, and Radek called police on her cell phone. The police sided with the security guards. A 13 day hearing in 2004 followed, and finally the decision was made on July 13,2005. The 209 page Human Rights decision, by Tribunal member Lindsay M. Lyster, reprints the Mall's horrifLing policy for evicting people. It was in effect from March 30,2000 to May 6,2002. The policy required security workers to remove people with "ripped clothing," "dirty clothing," " attitudes when approached," " talking to themselves," "open sores," " red eyes," and "having bad body odour," among other things. The decision cited one security report where the reason for eviction was "missing teethlnative male unco-operative." The Tribunal ordered International Village to replace its 2002 policy which still allowed evictions of "suspicious" people with a policy that focuses on how people act, not how they look. Seventeen people, besides Radek, testified at the hearing about discrimination at International Village. The mall now has a new security company. By Jean Swanson
First llnited Church did NOT get $12 million The I'oncomer Courier recently reported First United got this huge sum of money for a pilot project rcgarding assessment and referral for people \\ith a substance abuse problem. We wish! Wc actually got $12 thousand from the Vancouver Foundation. This was very helpful, and generous of llie Foundation, but it is nowhere near the sum reported in the paper. The Vancouver Courier made an uinocent mistake. Just so you know. Susan Henry
Editor (Vancoz~erSun) :
25 July '05
In response to the story about the cold or unconccrned actions of a bus driver and passengers to\+ards a man who suffered a heart attack on the bus: My wifc read this story out to me as a shocking csample of some people's behaviour. What came to mind was that on that very afternoon - Saturday the 23'd- I was on a Victoria bus that pulled up to a stop just south of Hastings on Commercial. Three people got on but a fourth, whom I couldn't see, didn't. The driver got off and asked the person if they needed an ambulance. The person answered and the driver imrncdiately called 91 1, giving location and observable details about the person, who I saw then was lying on thc grass strip closest to the street. Two other people who had just gotten on disembarked and got do\\ n to comfort the person, one young girl saying, "She lives in our building!"
The driver got what critical information he could, apparently requested by the operator to give to the ambulance attendants: age, serious or critical conditions they might need to prepare for en route, etc. He then turned to the other passengers and said, "We're going to be here for a while." No apology or denigration of the sick person; i.e. if anyone had a problem with his actions they were welcome to walk. This entire scenario struck me as decent and what almost anyone would expect: doing for a person what you could and doing it right. After hearing the end of the newspaper story, I felt somewhat sad that the actions taken by 'my' dnver, while happening likely 10 times for every time a driver or passenger did something like that described in the press, would not be reported on at all. In my experience, well over 90% of all dnvers are decent people doing good, even exemplary work, while the actions ofjust a few make them all look bad. Respectfully submitted, PaulR Taylor,
THOSE BLASTED BUS DRIVERS. It is just too much. I have seen those #3, #8, #19 and #20 buses that pass through the downtown eastside at Main & Hastings and at Pender Street just go right past people waiting for buses. Those drivers do not seem to want to do their job, which is to pick up passengers. Even when they have to drop off someone they will pass the stop and people waiting and drop off whomever some distance from the bus stop and then move away quickly before those at the stop can hurry to board the errant bus. The drivers don't seem to like crowds. They act as if they are perpetually late and must get to their turn around station before another minute has passed. I'd like to see action taken toward those drivers. I am sure many bus riders are very fed up with those drivers. If the working passengers are late at the job sites they could be fired, especially it being late happens often. Not everybody starts work at 9am. And when it is time to go home they're not picked up, and after waiting ages for a bus that will pick them up it means the time it takes to get home is worse than normal which can be problematic. Single mothers have to pay day care centers up to $5.for every minute they're late picking up their
Artful Sundays
child, or children. I know because I used to have to pick up a child at a day care. Old persons get frantic if they are out late; family dinners are delayed and possibly ruined. There are numerous other things that can go wrong for passengers who are forced to wait for the next bus. such as missed connections at the next bus stop. That can mean up to a one hour wait for buses in some areas of the lower mainland Those careless, thoughtless bus drivers should be fired. Yes, fired. Fricking fired. Enough is enough. The bus riders union have a worthy cause, which is to tell the truth about the bus system. It is lousy.
Every Sunday until August 28, Britannia Community Centre is presenting an outdoor, multimedia arts market in Napier Square from noon 'ti1 4:OO. This is the paved area at Napier and Commercial streets between Circling Dawn and Sweet Cherubim. This is a free open-air event which will showcase the work of neighbourhood artists - paintings, photography, metal and glass, mixed media, collage, paper arts, sculpture, needlework and quilts - and will also feature live music and other surprises. To reserve a table, leave a message for Katherine Polgrain at (604) 7 18-5800 or pick up a registration form at the Britannia Information Centre. The participants on Sunday August 14 will be collage artists Famous Empty Sky, Trish, Mitchell, & Margie White; paper arts by Anne Vicente; prints, painted glassware, bowls and boxes by Marianna LaViolette; wooden creatures by Laurie Marshall; ceramics, cards, & "Urban Icons" by Diane Wood; and fabric wall hangings by the women of the Carnegie's "Hen Party" Sewing Circle. Live music will be provided by Songtree, featuring Earle Peach and Barbara Jackson.
By Dora Sanders
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Sunday, August 14,2005
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I think that people who go to a psychiatrist ought to have their heads examined. Jane Ace
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First Annual Dragonfly Children's Festival
August 7,12-6pm, Cates P a r w h e y - a h - W i c h e n , North Vancouver. The First Annual Dragonfly will inspire young people to change the world. We are not a high-priced children's event, but a festival designed "by and for" young people. We launch the participatory fun with a summer camp, we set-up and decorate the Festival, and explode on Sunday, Aug 7!
Dragonfly Stage htcrnational and local artists, big and little musicians, and you try your hands at an electric guitar or drum kit between sets! Hear some young people grab the mike to talk about child and youth rights. Sponsors: Deep Cove Music, Musart, Windsor House School
1240 Young Musicians' Showcase Deep Cove Music 1 :00 Improv Theatre Games Windsor House School 1 : 15 Hip Hop in the House 1:45 Drums! Drums! Drums! Our guests slam it! 2: 15 Improv Theatre Games Windsor House School 2:30 What if young people could vote: Children & Youth Rights. Add your voice! 3:00 First Nations' Songs + Storytelling 3 3 0 1 grew up a Punk! 4:00 School, School, School! Speak out! 4:30 Guitars! Guitars! Guitars! Under the Volcano musicians from around the world join the stage! 5:00 Tsleil-Waututh Storytelling Damian George 5:30 Young Musicians' Showcase Deep Cove Music
That 70's Midway! Tightrope Walking, Whacky Clown and Balloon Animals, Face Painting, Stilt-Walking, Soccer juggling, Bowling...
Dragonfly Printmaking Drop i n and create a block print on paper and fabric, and take home your own dragonfly!
Superhero Costumes You know your own power, so make a costume that matches your style! Capes, cuffs, colouring, stamping. All materials supplied.
lmprov Theatre Games Young people lead off hilarious and participatory theatre sports. Join in or watch the fun! I
Sponsor: If indsor House School
Take A Walk in the Forest Join Damian George of the Tsleil-Waututh Nation to learn about the uses of local plants. Gather at TsleilWaututh Natiooakaya Tours display at 3:30pm. Smnsor: ??!hey-ah- WichcdFacing the Wind
Speakers Corner Be on video; share ideas about changing the world. Smnsor: Windsor House School, ICTV
Takaya Tours Canoe Rides
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Bring your parents for a traditional canoe ride and storytelling about local history with Tsleil-Waututh Nation's Takaya Tours! This exciting one-hour group paddles in Indian Arm and is offered by special arrangement and a special price-just for Dragonfly! Departing at 1:30pm, 3pm, 5pm. Gather 15 minutes in advance for orientation. You can reserve your spots in advance: Email rnl'o tr he\ -ah-\\ ichcn or%. Donations welcome but not required (suggested is $1 Wperson, $9 low income). Smnsors: Takaya Tours, Whey-ah- WichenRacing the Wind
Used Toys + Clothing Swap
Bring toys or (washed) clothes for other families, and exchange for something else.
Swimming and a Beach! Suwrvision: No childcare provided. Children must be supervised by a parent or guardian at all times. Lifeguard may be on duty for swimming. Bring your parentlguardian, hat, and sunscreen! Healthy food vendors on site.
Dragonfly Volunteer Orientation Sessions Help make Dragonfly a reality. It's a great way to work with your daughter, son, niece, nephew on a child-focused empowerment project. Show up at a session, or contact: ~ n l bN \\ hc\ -all-\\ ICIICI~ or? or 604.644.4349. Volunteers are needed for postering, set-up, take-down, operating arts stations, midway
Festival Tickets Suggested entry donation $5/child, $10-201adult inc1udcs:entry to the adjacent Under the Volcano Festival; complimentary pass to Maplewood Farm; organic fruits; art supplies; your chance to win children's books; plenty more! No one will be turned away for lack of money.
Transportation Transl~nk604.953.3333 for bus info routes #211, #212 from Phibbs Exchange. Free Festival shuttle bus leaves Broadway Station Safeway parking lot starting at 11am.
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VOLUNTEER OF THE MONTH (JULY)
Pierre Voisard, Weight Room - Pierre is one of our most consistent volunteers in thc Weight Room, a tough position to fill in a wellused room. Besides being reliable he is an encourager and motivator who provides safety and order . . for our patrons. Pierre, thank you. '.
Ken Koo, Ballroom Dancing Ken has been supporting the Ballroom Dancing Program for many, many years. For those of you who have participated in this, you will know how much,joie cie vivre is involved. For those of you who have not, I strongly urge you to stick your nose in thc Theatre Sunday afternoons.
VOLUNTEER DINNER Wednesday, August 17th, 2005 Theatrc @ 4:30pm SHARP!!!
M ~ Xand
W k d s - Hawaiian Luau Theme Wouldyou rather hear one ofGrandpa Lou's stories or one ofCo@'s ancient Hawaiian sayings?
This is a dinner for all Volunteers with a minimum of 16 hours service for the month of July. This dinner is onc way STAFF show our appreciation to all of you for all that you do for the community.
Friday, August 5th,2005 7-10pm in the Carnegie Theatre
I Friday, August 12 7pm - lopm in the Carnegie Theatre We arc building up a library of songs to suit everybody's musical needs and desires. If you have a particular favourite that we do not carry, please let Colleen or Darrell know, and we will see if we can add
EVERYONE WELCOME -ESPECIALLY YOU! Refreshments served to the thirsty
'Teddy Bear' Picnic and BBQ Vo~unteerISeniorAnnual Soiree Britannia Beach~Picnicand hike at Shannon Falls, BBQ dinner at Alice Lake
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Wednesday, August l o t h , 9am 6:30pm Rain or Shine (...snack at sign in 9om Sharp!) Everyone bring your favourite Teddy Bear, prize for the cutest or rattiest (same thing), Sign up with Col-
leen (3rd Floor) or Marlene (Lane Level)
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LIVE BAND DANCE -Run Amok with
D U C I & @D E X U X E
Rockin' blues and rootsy grooves featuring Michael McCartney Friday, August 1 9 ' ~ 7- lOpm Carnegie Hall
C A M P FIRCOM September 12 - 16th Pack your bags and join the fun! We are once again travelling to the exotic Gambier Island. We are holding one camp planning meeting and for camp at the same time. Anyone interested in coming to Gambier must attend this one meeting. The meeting is on the 2nd floor back room at 10:00AM on Wednesday August 17th volunteer dinner day.
Swim & Picnic with Sindy - Volunteer day hip Thursday, August 4th I lam - 4pm. Meet at the Info Desk. Sign up with Sindy in the Volunteer Office
' Word for the day: Moody lust XI all know. I'm not offended bv all the dumb : blonde jokes you tell me, because I knok I'm not dumb YOU
$C - and I'm also not blonde. Colleen Marvel at the ancient First Nations midden. Wonder at the woodland fish factory. Gape at + Happy 5OthBirthday to Stephen L~tton the derelict beehive burner and donkey boiler.. 6 an awesome free Camegie picnic lunch! from all o/yourf~ennrls, coNeagues C c and girlfriends!
Friday, August 5,9am to 4pm
Open to all who have Carnegie memberships.
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WOT'S THIS?
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WOTS stands for the Word On The Street is an annual one day festival, held at the Central Library and on the streets bordering it on Sunday, September 25. It celebrates reading and writing with free exhibits, performances, readings and hands-on activities. Last year Vancouver's WOTS attracted an estimated 40,000 visitors, with hundreds of participating exhibitors, authors and performers. WOTS invites poets to read their work at The Poet's Corner. Poets will be given a 7-minute spot to perform in, between 12 and 5 pm.. Submissions should include a SASE if you wish your material to be returned. Artists are strongly encouraged to send an audio tape or CD of their performance. Sorry, no e-mail submissions! The deadline for entry is August 19,2005. Please send submissions to: The Word On The Street C/o Poet's Comer 1974 Grant Street Vancouver BC V5L 2Y9
Writer-in-Residence at Library Square Maggie de Vries will start work as the Vancouver public library's first writer-in-residence. Her hope is that she'll be able to spend some of the time helping disadvantaged people on Vancouver's Downtown Eastside to work on their writing. Many people there want to write, she says, "but they have no idea how to get started."
De Vries, 43, is the author of Missing Sarah, a 2003 memoir about her sister, a drug-addicted prostitute with whose murder the notorious Robert (Willy) Pickton has been charged. The book movingly shows how Sarah de Vries came from a loving home but was snagged by the lure of the street and was unable to extricate herself. As one of Sarah's friends has since said, "It portrays Sarah and the other girls and me as people, not just street scum." Missing Sarah was the first book to be read by Beyond Words, a book club for Downtown Eastside sex-trade workers formed in the spring of 2004. "I was wanting to get that book into the hands of Downtown Eastside women," recalls de Vries. "They were the people that I most wanted to read it, and they were the most interested in it." But because of poverty, "they had the least access." De Vries remains active in the club, which last read Rohinton Mistry's A Fine Balance. The core group of 15 or 20 women, who meet to discuss books seven times a year, "started bringing their writing to share," says de Vries. She hopes to start a separate VPL workshop to help them work on it. The publication of Missing Sarah turned Maggie de Vries into an advocate for prostitutes and a speaker who regularly enthralls high-school students by "channelling Sarah. Rebecca
X E W S FROM THE KXBRARY The library is thrilled to announce that we now have videos available for loan. They can be borrowed for one week. There's a sample of what we have in the Level 3 display cabinet, and the videos are on the low shelves outside the librarian's door. How about Clint Eastwood's Unforgiven or Kurosawa's Rashomon? Maybe you're a fan of classics like The Manchurian Candidate, Five Easy Pieces and Rear Window. Or you're an armchair traveller who wants to check out Touring Ireland, Fodor S Italy or Michael Palin's Pole to Pole. If you're into classic literature, try Richard I?? with Laurence Olivier or The Trial with Anthony Perkins and Orson Welles. And whether your favourite Bond is Connery, Moore or even Pierce Brosnan, we've got the James Bond film for you. We have lots more in the library, so come down and tell us what you think of our selection. We're losing our Provinces! We get 4 copies of The Province every day. One copy is kept behind the desk, and we ask for ID if you want to take a look at it. The other copies are left in the library, and we rely on people to return them to us so that everyone can read the papers. So come down to the library and read The Province. But please give The Province back to us before you leave the library. Thank you! Remember that you can put a hold on any of the items in the display cabinet on the third floor. If you don't pick up your hold within two weeks, we'll pass the item on to the next person on the list. The library now has two copies of Harry Potter and the HalfBloodPrince. If you'd like to add your name to our waiting list, please come down to the library. Main & Hastings Book Club We're reading No Crystal Stair, by Mairuth Sarsfield, an absorbing novel that explores an increasingly difficult contemporary reality: functioning as though White while surviving as Black. We meet every Tuesday at noon in the Learning Centre, but this summer we're heading outside to read in local parks and gardens. Please come and join us!
New books for August: Happiness: The Science Behind Your Smile by Daniel Nettle. (1 52.4 NET). What is happiness? What makes us happy? And if happiness is good in itself, why haven't we simply evolved to be happier? Daniel Nettle, a psychology professor from the UK, looks at scientific research behind happiness, and decides that it may be unrealistic to achieve lasting happiness. Philip Larkin: Early Poems and Juvenilia edited by A. T. Tolley. (821 LAR). A new collection of the English poet's earliest work, from the age of about sixteen until 1946, by which time he had become a librarian. Everyone has to start somewhere, and this is a fascinating look at a developing poet's processes and changing style. No Lights, No Sirens: R e Corruption and Redemption of an Inner City Cop by Robert Cea. (363.2 CEA). Robert Cea was an idealistic cop when he started working for the NYPD. But just a few years later, he had spiralled into the depths of the criminal underworld; he had become a criminal, not a cop. It's not the best-written book you'll read this year, and Cea is a bit self-centred, but it's still a fascinating look at the seedy side of law enforcement. Beth, your librarian
T h e Cost of Doing Business?! This is an open letter to the Police and the Mayor. The greatest and best plans for our neighbourhood seem, in the eyes of City Planners at least, to start with the set-in-stone axiom that re-locating wealthy middle-class yuppies and businesspeople throughout the downtown eastside is the beginning and end of revitalizing this section of Vancouver. Our contention, which is based on common sense without the bias of developers wanting this geographic area to pioneer, is that giving the purchasing power lost through cutbacks and the voracious greed of the wealthy and powerful back to poor residents will revitalize everything. Jean Swanson makes an excellent case for just this approach. Jean's book, Poor-Bashing: The Politics o f Exclusion gives wise insight into the attitudes and biases of those who 'have'. The glib phrase "All they nccd thcrc are good, honest people." white~vashesthe more subtle but malignant outlook that thc vast majority of DE residents (and poor people in gencral) arc "bad & dishonest". Dan Feeney threw it 111 their faces when he had one Newsletter issue with thc cover dcclaring: Carnegie Newsletter. By, For & About the Bad and Dishonest people of the 1)awntawn Eastside." So Tar. all of the above has been raised many, many t~mcs.We get nothing without fighting hard for it. Why, thcn, is this letter going to the Police as well? Hccause of their apparent neglect or dismissal of ~,ariousactivities in this community, based again on
this bias of disrespect for all the non-criminal people living and having their daily lives here. That's pretty broad and vague. A few specifics: -a Community Relations committee meeting was delayed and disrupted because the head of Security turning to other staff to assist in some way to deal with a dealer named Tai or Ty, who was about 10-12 metres from Carnegie's entrance at 4 o'clock in the afternoon. He had a plastic bag in his lap that had two cakes of crack cocaine, each one seen as the size of half a deck of cards. Given that a 'rock' selling for $10 is about the size of a matchhead, the strect value of his load was in the thousands. He had a little razor and was openly cutting off bits from this giant 'rock' and selling them to the many people gathered around him and coming up steadily, and money was changing hands constantly. The mentioned head of Security, seeing this from across the street, knew exactly what was going on - it happens all the time with this Tai or Ty: he's called the hero of the comer by regular users. After hurrying back from the work-errand, the Security person called 9 11 but no officers came. The result was expected; the frustration mounted. He's said that the Police have the attitude that this kind of activity at the entrance of the community centre is our own fault. Security staff are expected to somehow force everyone hanging around outside to move away; the staff at the Health Contact Centre next door report that they, also, are expected to keep people moving through the alley outside their door if there is any problem related to dealers and users congregating. The attitude is the same or based on the same idea as the Planners et a1 work from: poor and marginalised people are uniformly bad and dishonest.. . do not need adequate law and order.. . can just live with blatant disrespect while 'we just contain it.. . until the juggernaut of development gets rolling and all these slobs and crooks are forced out.' It might be very helpful if all officers and City Planners and developers read the Newrletter regularly. The first thing noticed might be the plethora of people/groups/events and more that live and make interesting - even exciting - lives in this community. They might notice how thoughtful and experienced many of the articles and poetry and artwork penned by the same people are. Also (but not likely) noticed might be the way almost every need and service all neighbourhoods/communitieshave is addressed here
and the local residents so easily dismissed or disrespected are integral parts of those efforts. The unspoken but adhered-to policy of doing cosmetic policing and holding empty consultations wit local groups representing the majority of the current "bad & dishonest" crowd is both childish and unacceptable. We live here. This is our home. We are not going anywhere. The discriminating fact of exposure i.e. public awareness and visual confirmation of the social ills of our community allows just that: these ills are present in your communities, your neighborhoods, your recreational facilities and places of education and work. Treat us as you'd be treated; no more, no less. By PAULR TAYLOR
'Articles represent the views of individual contributoks and not of the Association.' This statement appears in every issue of the Carnegie Newsletter. It does not permit contributors to malign or attack or relegate any person or group or class, including addicts and Door people, to a level referred to or implying 'less than human'. Such is hate-mongering and is not justifiable on an ~ssumptionthat everyone (sic) shares the proffered view.
Great weekend It was a pretty good weekend. Now I am sitting at home all tired out from the sun and the millions of people. Well maybe there weren't millions of people but there were 2 or 3 anyway. Last Thursday I went on my 2nd Bob Sarti walk. This time we went to Eagle Island up at the other end of West Van just before you run into Horseshoe Bay; the place where all the ferries gather. And West Van is where most of the money lives in B C (or so I was told). First we pulled off Marine Drive and parked next to a bush and it seemed like the middle of nowhere. Bob led us back up the road and down into the bush where it was really cool, man. Actually it was really cool in the bush being as how it was so hot out in the sun. It was also very quiet except for us making noise enough for such a little group of people. We walked on a stream bank (more of a dribble than a stream); we passed a playground and some tennis courts; we emerged on a paved street and followed it down to a bay of some kind. Bob informed us of something or other. I wasn't close enough to hear all his words and that's too bad
because this guy is full of info about wherever he takes us on his walks. We walked along the shore, around a building and down onto a dock or a pier as some would say. I guess I shouldn't have said we went to Eagle Island because this was as close as we were going to get, a good 100 feet or so away across a little stretch of water. Then Bob said we were going up the trail a bit and eat lunch in the shade. About an hour or so later we were up about 2 or 3 hundred feet, maybe more. I don't know because I was too damn tired to care. I guess you could say it was a bit of a climb, but the view was very nice and we passed a lot of people with dogs on the way. Everyone was very friendly and we had taken it very slow so no one except me would get tired.. . Wc ate lunch and started back down, which was a bit of challenge - try and stop from running down these steep roads. We had crossed some gated area to get to a street and damn if that wasn't one of the steepest roads I've had to walk down. I don't think I would want to dnve up there in some of the cars I've owned thru-out my life. The rest of the trip wasn't that eventful and some people even fell asleep on the way back to Carnegie. It was a nice way to start off the weekend.
After getting back I had to go to Jericho Beach for a meeting about my duties at the upcoming Vancouver Folk Music Festival on the weekend. I had submitted my name to be a volunteer at the festival and this was my first time to Jericho. I had come down on Weds evening to make sure I could find the place on Thurs. Everyone was really hendly and people were saying hi for the first time since last year. I was going to help out in Sales on Fri and Sat evening from 6 to 10, then I was to work Sun from 11 ti1 3. In between I could listen to all the music I wanted and I was to be given lunch & supper each day. I was happy with this arrangement since I love most kinds of music. I was kind of scared to be a sales person but I figured that I'd get all the help I needed from all the friendly people at the meeting. Besides, there were going to be 4 of us in the one tent and there were going to be overlaps with people starting and stopping their shifts at different times. As it turned out, I didn't need any help because people seemed to enjoy coming in to buy something and all the other volunteers were very helpful. I had such a great time that I told them that I'd be back next year and they seemed to like that idea. And the music was fantastic. It didn't matter where I went because I didn't know any of the bands or artists playing the festival. There were 7 stages and I visited them all; each one was unique and special. These people are all pros and they sure know how to entertain. The day time hours were filled with the different artists putting on workshops-different artists jamming. I guess I heard most of the musicians but I doubt if I heard them all. I made a few friends and I had a great time. The food was pretty good too. I'm glad a couple of my Carnegie friends told me about t h s FANtastic event. I was tired because after my last shift on Sunday. Each evening they had a concert but as I worked the first 2 evenings I didn't get a chance to go and by the 3rd evening I was too tired. Anyway I had a great time and volunteering allowed me to make some friends and listen to some great music for free while the fans were paying quite a bit for the privilege of being there. Maybe next year you'll join me and we can listen to beautiful music together ......
Hal
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THIS NEWSLETTER IS A PUBLICATION OF THE CARNEGIE COMMUNITY CENTRE ASSOCI.41'ION Articles represent the views of individual contributors and not of the Association.
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Editur: PaulR Taylor; cover art & layout, Diane Wwd.
Sr~bmissionDeadline for next issue: Thursday, August 1 2
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