FEBRUARY 15, 2005
60~-665-2289
.tOI Main SI. Vancouver V6A 2T7
wn'\\' . C ~I rnncws.org carnncllsttih'cn. hc.ca
WANTED ..
Cons. Dave Dickson
Constable Dave Dickson is Essential in ou r Community!
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SUPPORT DAVE DICKSON II is time for us 10 gel together (againl) to ensure thai we do not lose Constable Dave Dickson, our valuable office r and an esse ntial pan of our community. Curre ntly Dave has not been re-contracted to work for the Vancouver Police Department, meanin g we could be without him by April 2005. Dave has been an excellent example of what a community police officer should be: his dedi cation to peopl e in the co m muni ty, his outstanding work with women on
the street, his esse ntia l presence in aid ing high risk youth and families, and the fact that he can always be relied upon to " be there." Dave is not ready to go, and we arc not ready to lose him ! We urge yo u to help keep Dave Dickson in the community by doing the following: Wrill' a letter W : Chief C ons ta ble ,Iamie Grah,"" V 'lIIl'fHnCr Pnlin.' Dcparunem 312 i\lain Street, Vanl'u,,,er, Be V(,A 2'1'2 Sil.:11 our petition. Uq':l' frif."lI tis. clients, :11)(1
cnnuuu nity mem bers lei sign till' pet ition tn keep DaH' in the cnnunu ni ty. Please retu rn signt'tl pt.,tit;nlls In the Dn wnt uwn E,,,tsitle Nei~hhuurhuu,1 Sa fety O ffice (501 East Hastings Street, Vancouver, BC V6A I P9 ph 604687- 1772, fax: 604-687- 1776) fur prescntu tiu n W the VHlIl'f1U\Cr Pnlifl' Department . C onun unu v members ran nbu cnme to the NSO's o"en huuse (Tue, Feh 1;;,3:1111"01 to 7:1111"01)1 si ~1l the petitum, Kate Hodgson. Coordinator Downt own Eastside Neighbo urhood Safet y Office
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Different Town, same 01' runaround So I go 10 Victoria, things still look the same try in vain to catch a train bul $40 later I ain't happ y hurtin ' ' n hungry in a fam iliar yet stra nge town lookin ' for some down, lady sez oh I'm old sc hool so like a fool I trust her , much to my dismay takes the money and runs awa y. So I gel mad, grab a buddy, grab a bott le Yo a dandelion straight in half an hour ..buddy asleep I'm up on my feet staggerin' down the street next thing it's 5 stitches in my head, no painkill, off to city cell s ' til 3, kick ed out in the rain So Glad to be back again ... ok, so I lie honky denlist rips out 3 teeth , no painkill, 10 days later the)' lost my de nlure after telli n' me ' 24 hrs job be done ' - at least the incompe tent twits finally found my den ture ; no fixup , no painki l!. Me ' n buddv on the nod , freakin ' eraekhead chick hears her old man cryin ' ove r a hund rd, I get kicked just sittin" onna ground, up and whoofs me one right on my stitchcs ! breaks my g lasses !! you figure I'd stick around after robbing a guy? !?? he had $60 but still cried; threatened to shoo t me if I didn 't come up with a hundred before nine all in 8 days and not even a T3 Victoria is j usl too whit e for me.
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We , the unders igned community members, urge the Vancouver Police Department to keep Constable Dave Dickson work ing in the Downtown Eastside and Strathcona communities . Dave is an essential part of our neighbourhoods, is a trusted link to the police department and is important in making us feel safer. Please make sure Dave stays in the comm unity!
J ~ti;~e~"' ! Emotional Vampires
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Humanities 101
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Facilitato r, Dian Le Cla ir 2~illl.
7PM
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Carnegie Centre
A discussion with lawyer Lisa Helps.
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Facilitato r, Keen an Macdo na ld
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FRIDA Y. MA RCI I 18111• J PM
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Carnegie Centre
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Coffee and Cookies I Book Draw These free comruunitv lectures arc the initiative of the students & graduates of Humanities /III. the cornerslone in UBC's educational outreach in the Downtown Eastside community. Humanities WI: 604.822.0028 /I3U.1!IO I@interchange.u bc .ea
To whom it may co ncern: (you know who ),ou are)
It has been brought to my attention recent ly that some people assume that. just because someone loses a whole bunch of weight. they must be on the "Je nnv Crack Diet." Has no one eve r heard of goo d, old.f;shio ned diet and exercise?' -I had a co mp lete physical and blood tests done; -I'm in great physical hea lth with all tes ts negat ive ; I am not doing drugs, nor ore drugs doing me . I am not sick , nor do I have any diseases. Ncxttimc vou have concerns abo ut someone because they I~ok different, ask t he m ; don 't gossip and assum e. Tiffany
Welcome to Creative Writing Sha re yo ur Poem Write yo ur Story
-inner thoughts -humour .... ...hatever....
...
Everv . Wed nesdal'. lIi th S heila Baxter I pm-a pm, ClIrne gie's J floor.
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"Lawor Just-Us?: The Elite Meet the Street."
A discussion of Albert J Bernstein's acclaimed book with Jocelan Caldwell, public speaker.
FRIDA Y. FEBRlJAR Y
Free Public Lecture
Women stay insi de ! The city and the po lice ha ve no inte ntion of hclpi ng yo u. It is too expensive to do so . Jus t put up with being bea t to deat h and havi ng yo ur purse sto len . Shiny Hall wan ts to spend money on 20 10 rather than the need of the people now . Instead of spending needless lime forci ng places like the Lee Building to remove the billboard sign on the roof, According 10 the owner's spokesman Lorry Zehner, the cost could mn SIOO,OOO. If they wont 10 gel rid of an eye sore all they need to co is 86 that ugly clock at Shitty Hall's north wall. I think the mayor has sniffed in too much formaldehyde. He must be on something to allow the exploitation of Vancouver's hard-core drug addicts for experimentation. It is all too much for me . Anyway I'm going bock to binning just to keep myself sane from watching 011\ the garbage on the news the way things ore gomg. earlm04 @hotmoil.eom
" He Got Eyes">
- ·tillc taken from Jack Kcrouac who wrote the intro-
and saw its sacred soul
shining through transparent nags wi lted and waving opaq uely al funerals and on to a baby rockin' and rolli n' on the floor He got eyes and he go t eyes eyes Ihal pried THAT baby boy right into a trolley car eyes that cry in New Orleans "Tell MY story and locked into eyes ....... but...... at the back of the bus I'm not givin' you where a black man what I don't have 10 give. holds and tics into kno ts I'm not givi n' you the gaze no lyin' Pcposede nt smi le." that sto le His face He gOI eyes. cos' HE got eyes ; Now eyes that cry out in dig nity. old man eyes eyes that arc tired He got eyes tired of eyes that look back too man y good-bys ove r the seas bul not 100 tired tha t divi de 10 create beaut y but on the day of ato neme nt in a cra mped apartment there's always under a fan blowing a new beginnin g, the scent of a lily penance and abso lution on the road,
the road that fl ows _ _..... from fragili ty and innocence leaving vio lence
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and its brutal sister: sentimentality on the road from Mabou, Nova Scotia right through BUlle. Mon tana. down to Mexico He gOI eyes; eyes that catch the flas hy, fluorescent beauty ofaj ukcbox playing a Johnny Cash lullaby
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(Inspired by the work of Robert Frank who turn ed NO this November ..for my daughter Catherine. 'cos she got cycsj)
He got eyes eyes that dro ve "oIT 10 loo k for America"
over a bowl full of perfect pea rs and he offers one to a young man
who bites into it and he hands one
duction to Robert Frank's "TIle Americans" . Robert Fra nk travelled across the United States from 195 ~ 1957 taking photos which he published in "TI.e Amcricans" in 1959. In the int roduction 10 this book Jack Kerouac wrote : '''Robe rt Frank. ...sucked a sad poem right out of Ame rica onto film. laking rank among the tragic poets of the wor ld. To Robert Fran k I now give this message: You got eyes .") " from" America" by Paul Simo n and Art Garfnnke l ••• from "Sunday Morning Coming Down" b)' Kris
Kristofferson (as performed by Jo hnny Cas h)
Poverty fa c ts ',' Here arc some facts about poverty that yo u ca n usc to arg ue for bette r wel fare ru les and rates and more affordable housing. T he so urce for each fact is at the end . ' Perce nt of street homeless peopl e in Va nco uver who were NOT on wel far e in 200 I : 15 per ce nt; perce ut of stree t homeless pe op le in Vancou ver wh o were NOT on welfare in 200 4 : 75 per ce nt. ( I) 'Number of ho me les s peopl e in Vancouver in 200 1_ 300 to 600 . Numb er o f hom eless people in Va ncouver in 200 4: 500 to 1200 (de pend ing on the season.) (I ) "A mo unt it woul d eos lto put 800 of Va nco uver's hom eless peo ple in supportive housin g : $6 to II milli on. (I) 'Amo unt it costs to pro vide services and she lter for one hom el ess person: up to $40.000 a year;
to a yo ung wo man
amount it costs to provide supportive housing and
who holds o n to it for dear life unti l the juice of its sweet and so ur truth oozes from her palms and she tries 10 carry his story on 'eos she go t eyes.
services for one ho me less person : up to $28.000 a year. (I) 'Number of people in Vancou ver region who arc at risk of hom elessness: 125.000. (I) 'Perce nt tha t food ba nk use increased across Ca nada between 2003 and 2004 : 8 per cenl; percent that foo d bank usc increased in BC bel ween 2003 and 2004: 16 per ce nt. (2) 'Percent inc rease in Be childre n ha ving to use food ban ks between 2003 and 2004 : 4 1.7 per ce nt. (2)
Mary DuIT)'
WOMEN REMEMBERED 1h
On December 6 thc whol e co untry commemorates thc deaths of fourteen middl e clas s women who were killed in the Montreal Massacre. Nolto take away from the pain their famil ics have endured but ... WHAT ABOUT OUR OW N WOM EN? Alarm bells wcrc tolling loudl y with thc numbers of missing women increasi ng. At least 72 women from DTES have vanished. We, thc women who organized the Valentines Day Women ' s Memoria l March, a lways knew that thcrc was something more to the mystcry of the missing women ; if thc surface was j ust scralchcd a little bit we knew that when one woman was found a mass grave site would bc discovered; Womcn do not simply !go missing ! Women have daily rout ines that mosl followed, women kept in touch with fam ily memb ers; their children long ago apprehended but not forgotten , these wom cn had families and were Mom s, si sters, daughters, cousins,
aunties, friends, companions and most of a ll loved . It is tragic that some of the women who were missing from thc downtown eas tside were never reall y missing, as we now know . Thro ugh the lack of action and investigation on thc part of various pol ice forces trusted w ith publ ic safety, thc reports fro m peoplc who knew of thc far m where thc wome n were last seen was not taken with thc degree of scriousncss that it should have becn ... It is too latc.
Certainly so me of the deaths and disappearances were preventabl e had investigati ve techniques been implem ented earlier. Th c only conclusion one can comc up with for this lack of inve stigation is that som e of thc women had transient lifestyl es, were street workers, were women living in poverty , were
homeless women, were women Iiving in a violent
neighbourhood, wcrc wom en with addictions, wcrc women!
Pcoplc pass thro ugh thc neighbourhood of the down town eas tside pointing fingers, laughing, staring and gaze at the violence that has become the norm for many in the area. We , as a socictv - politi cian s,
com~lUnitv members decision n;akcrs, and citi zen s
- arc all responsible for what has hap pened to thc Missin g Women , not j ust the pol ice or RCMP. Physical assa ult is not the only form of violence inflicted on women everyday inthc downtown east side ; issues of sex trade work , homclessness, addictions , healthcarc and poverty arc rea l forms of violencc to women . Lack of care, empathy, support systems, medical intervention, treatment centres etc
arc contributing to this violence and keeping women in unsafe situations. Society's neglect of thcse issues perpetuates viol enc e against
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Sarah DcVries wrote a poem lon g before she hersclf would bc listed as Missing. It is printed here (We arc gra teful to Sar ah 's fa mily for allowing us to print this poe m)
eyes. Last seen February1998. '\
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Woman 's body found beat en beyond recogn ition You sip yo ur co ffee Taki ng a dra g of yo ur s moke Turning the page Ta king a bite of yo ur toasl Jusl another day Just anoth er death Just one mor e thing you so easily forget You and your so ft, sheltered life Just go on and o n For nobody speci al from yo ur world is go ne Just another day Ju sl another death Jusl another Hastings Streel whore Sent enced to death The judge 's gavel already fallen Sentence already pass ed But you You JUSI sip your coffee Washing down yo ur toast . She was a broken down angel A child lost with no place A human being in disguise She touched my life She was somebody She was no wh ore She was som ebody speeial Who j ustlosl her way She was somebody light ing for life Tryi ng to survive A lonely losl child who died In the night, all alone , scared Ga sping for air. Sarah deVries How haunting arc Sarah 's words. She knew that no one would lislen to the truth of wom en's lives and
how they arc dism issed as wh ores. T his is the hard es t lesson society should have to learn. As a soc iety we shou ld all be asham ed of o urselves for not paying attent ion to the signs. for not hearing the al arm bells. for not listening to wo men who were visiting the farm. and had in fact disregard ed these wom en ' s lives as valueless . For the Feb 14'" Wo me n's Mem ori al March, Dian e Wood
OH102/05 A lberta Williams, Alcisha Germa ine, Alice l lall . Amanda
P. Flen (Mandy), AIlIY McCauley, Ann Wolsey, Angie Williams, Annie Cedar Jr. , April RC'lCh, lIarb Mills, Bar- ,barn Charles, Barba ra Gus, Barba ra Larocque. Barba ra Pa ul. Basrna Rat ay. Bernade tte Campo, Bernad ette G race Pierce, Bernadine Stan di ng-R ea dy, Betty Case , Betty Lou Williams, Bever ley Ann Desjarlais, Beverley Whitney, Beverly Wilson. Brenda George, Bonnie Ca tagas. Bonnie
Lincoln, Bonnie Peters, Bonnie Pruden. Carol Cardinal, Carol Ann Waddell, Carol Davis, Came Ann Starr , Chantal Venne. Chantal Gilladc , Charity Cassell, Charlene Kerr. Chcry lc Joyce Vicklund, Christina Lorr ain e Christison. Christine (Chrissie) Billy. Christine Elizabeth Met.rae. Cindy Williams. C le rissa Mal)' Adolph, COIlnic Chartrand. Connie Rider, Carol Ann Wa dde n, Corrine Dagna ult. Conine Sherry Upton La Fleur, Dana Draycott, Dar lene M . Johnston. Darlene Small-Legs, Dar lene Weismillcr, Darlinda (I><H\n) Ritchie. Da\\TI Lynn Cooper, Debbie Ann McMath, Debbie Kenned y. Debbie Nea slose. Deborah Chisholm. Dehra Foley, Debra Lucas. Delilah Martin. Delores Rivet. Denise Stillwell. Diane Lanca ste r, Donna Rose Kiss, Dora Jo seph Patric k, Edna Shandc, Elizabeth Chalmers, Elsie Sebastian, Elsie Tomma. Enola Evans, Florence Isaac, Fong Min Wong. and her 3 week old daughter. Gail Worm , Gerri Ferguson, Gera ldine Williams. Gertrude Copcgop. Gloria Duneult (Sum). Gloria Baptiste. Harjindcr Knijjar, l lelena George. Itclen Lcssardc (Bowers), 1I0l1y Cochran, Jacqueline Michelle. Janet Basil, Janet Pelletier, JaniceSaul, Jane lI ill, Jean McMillan, Jeannie Wiebe, Jennie l.ea Water,
inch~ (162 em). 7 PII '
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Jen nifer Moerike, Jenni fer Pete, Josephine Johnson, Joyce Paquette, Julie Mai Sm ith , June Hill . Kandicc Mill " Kanwaljitk Gill, Karen Ann Baker, Kathleen Da le Wet tley, Katherine 1'. August , Kell y Myers. Lana Morin , Lauric Ann Rix , Lauric Scholtz, La vern Jack, l.a vema Avivgnn, Leanne C upcllo, Linda Jea n Coombes. Linda L~mi sc
Grant, Linda Learning, Linda Nelson, Lisa Leo,
l.isa MarieGraveline, Lisa Moo somin, Lois Makie. Lorn a Ca rpenter, Lo ri Ne w man, Lorn a Ge orge (Jo nes ), Lorna Lambert, Lorra ine (Ray) Arrancc , Lo u-Anne Srola rchuc k (Bonnie), Margaret Vcd.1 J1., Maria Ferguson, Marjorie Mack, Marjorie Susan Prisncn, Martha Ga vin. Marv Ann
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Charlie. Marina George, Mary Ann Jackson, Man: Anne Monroe , Mary Ja mes, Mal')' Johnson. Mavi s McMillan. Mathil da Cha rles , Maureen Riding-At-The-Door , M3\; S Hippo lyte, Maxine Paul, Melody Ne wfeld , Meranda Isaa c, Mertyl Roy. MIch elle La lles he, Michelle Liza Webster, Michelle Wing. Monika Lillmeier, Marietta Smoker, Naazish Khan, Na dine McMillan , Nancy Jane Boh , Nancy Anne Clark, Nan cy McDonald , Nancy Jane Poole. Norma Clarke . Nya Ranc Robillard, O livia Gale William, Patrici a An~ew, Patricia Ann Wadhams ( Trish), Patricia Thomas, Pauline Joh nso n, Peggy Pavel , Peggy Snow, Peggy Suhner. Rachael Davis. Ramona Wilson, Ranjitk Toor. Rhonda Ga)110r, Rhonda MacDona ld. Rita Holy-WhileMan, Roberta Lincoln, Rose Merasty, Rose Peter s, Rose
Piapst, Roxanne Thiare, Ruby Williams, RuthAnderson, ie
Ruth O liver , Sadie C hartra nd. Sally Abou, Sall y Jackson, Sa ltana Rafay, Sandra Am os (Geo rge), Sandra Flamond, Sharon Arrance. Sheila Hunt , Sh irley Nix, Soni a Ma thews , Susan Ball , Susan Jo nes, Susan Pres vic h. Swaranjitk Thandi, Ta mmy l.ee Pipe , Tan ya Emery, Tanya Marlo, Tanya Wallace. Teresa Brewer. Theresa l lumchitt, Tracy Lyn Hope, Te rry Lynn , Tracy O lajidc, Vanessa Ferguson. Vera Lyons, Vema M issar . Vema Parnell, Veronica Harry, Vicky Buchard , Vicloria Joe sph (Misty), Victori a Yonkers, Violet Delores Herman,
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Wendy Grace Lewis, Wendy Poole. Yvonne Stevens
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'Some names have not been included, to have a name of a woman added, please ca ll Marlene at (604) 665-3005. List is compiled from 2004 & pr VIOUS files & at the request of some families.
Our t houghts a nd pr ayers are with thc fam ilies whose daughters have bccn tragicall y murdcrcd Andrea Bor haven , Andrea Joc shury, Angela Jardine. Brenda Wo lfe, Cera Ellis, Cindy Feliks. Dawn Theresa Crey, Debra Jones, Diane Melnick, Dianne Rock, Georgina Papin, I lea ther Bottomley, I leather Chinn ock, Ilclen Hallmark , Inga Iia ll, Jacqueline McDonell, Jennifer Furm inger . Kerry Koski, Marcella C reis on, Mamie Frey.
Mona Wilson, Patricia Johnson, SarahJean Devries. Sereena Abot swa y, Sherry lrving , Tanya Holyk , Teressa Wil liams, Tiffany Drew, Wendy Crawford, Yvonne U OL~ , & 3 as yet unidentified WOmL"f1 kn own only as Jane Doc.
O ur prayers remain with the women who are slill un accountcd for Angela Arseneault, Ca ra Ellis, Catherine Gonzalez, Cindy Beck , Da niello Larue. Delphine Nikal , Dorothy Spence. . Elaine Al lenbach, Elaine Dumha, Elizabeth Chalmers, Elsie Seba stian, Frances Young, Gloria Fed ysh yn, Ingrid Soct, Janet Henry, Jacqueline Murdock, Julie Young. Katherine Knight, Kathleen Wanlcy. La na Derri ck , Laura Mah, Leigh Miner, Lenora Olding, Lillian O 'Darc. Linda Gr ant , Mari lyn Moore, Marie Laliberte, Mary Land s, Michelle Gurney, Nancy Clark. Nicole Hoar, Olivia William, Rebecca Guno, Richard "Keltic" Little,
RubyI tardy. Sharon Abraham, Sharon Gosclin, Sharon Ward, Sherry Baker. She ryl Don oh ue, Sheil a Ega n. Sherry Rail, Stephanie Lane. Tammy Fairbairn, Tania Peterson. Teresa Triff Vc ma l.ittlcchicf Wcndv Allen, Yvonne Abigosis
LUST IS NOT LOVE One has to walk thru the pain of betrayal In order to reach beyond to the other side Tra nsformation of lost pleas ure into new possi bilities To ven ture along the path ofli fe Alone again, yet dete rmined: "don't let the bastards get us do wn"
To act on fantasies of vindi ctiven ess Is 10 puke on yo ur own dig nity Despite righteous indignation.
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Spite does not bring back a luv that never was . Acts of vindictive ness only fuel the self-rig hteo us bastard to say: "sec the w om an is w acky "
Neither stille the anger and grief wit h harmful su bstances only 10 lose yourself forther But a good party co uldn't hnn ! Waltzing thru pain to the other side Means not wallowing in destructive self-pity
Nor acting on visions of retribution Gel back 10 living yo ur own purpose ful path There lies yo ur rede mption Despite the frustra tions & betrayals of everyday survi val Find & light yo ur own spark But don't stan fires of passion with so meo ne (a nyo ne) who Sadisti ca lly do wses your en thusiasm with scornful co mme nts & passive-aggressive behaviour -like pretending u don't exist . He never cherished yo ur essence!
So muc h for shaggi n with someone who neve r ho Nor even cared en ufto become yo ur frie nd (except to pretend 10 be when it soiled him - to gc
) As if, once he reli eved himself, Your use fulness was then fl ushed down the toilet Beca use he ca n't tolerate the sight & sme ll of his (
You were merel y the rec ept acle to re lieve his anxi And now that his stressful life is tempora rily sootl by your titillation and tender embrace He has not desire to honour who you r are Seduc tion followed by reject ion . Y our sexual service
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longer required -
Lest yo u bog down his wre tched life with cxpectal
reciprocal emo tion
Blow up barbies & s ubmissive succ ulent porn Iliel T hat crea te eve r unful fillable erotica ; A real woma n with emotional wants is 10 0 much b Lust se para ted from love : Too much responsibil ity to return affec tions >Easier to have ej acul ation discmbod ied from Heart , mind , so ul
U defec ate on me: T he templ e of my body which houses my sac red s U defecate o n my essence 1 am not the Handmaid And yo u are not the Holyrnan Spent hen
Trystyn and Telma My holiday was so good. I got to see my son on Boxing Day at my churc h. He was ge lling dedi cated 10 the Lord. his foster mother's parents drove in from Alberta ju st to be at this ceremony for their first grandson . They are very nice people. I wish they were my famil y. Trystyn was wearing a $200 outfit made in France. II was a soft wool material. II ca me with a hat and booties 10 match. He has now got ten teeth and weighs 13 and a half pounds . I like when 1 hold him because all he docs is j ump on my legs . He is reall y fun ny to be aro und. Evcryone has told me thai he looks identica l to me ; even my facia l cxprcssions are the same. Also ove r the ho lidays his na me
ver honoured you - 10 get your juicy body )
: toi,bt of hi own shit
lis anxiety y soothed
xpcctation of irn flicks nu ch bother ;-
n
icred soul
changing papers ca me back and they were accepted. His na me was Tris tan Mic hae l Nob le, now it is Trystyn Cadcn Matteo Ratcliff I kno w that he is my son even if his name is not the same. I will lo ve him either wav. I will be able to see him grow up an d that's all am asking. I know that the Lord works in mysterious ways, He is act ually letting me wa tch one of my children grow up and that's all I have ever dreamt about in my wh ole entire life. I am so blessed with the way my life is goi ng . I gOI adopted over the hol idays - they are lovel y peo ple w hose names are Faith and Andy. They are elderly peo ple and they love me 10 de ath. I go over 10 Faith's place everyday 10 help her with the running aro und and hou seh old duti es. I lo ve bei ng there because s he also has a 5 months-o ld Basset Hound. Her name is Telma and she thinks I' m her chew toy. She knows tha t I come at I I in the morni ng and when 1 don't show up, she starts to pace an d look out the door, she even starts to wimper and cry, Bu t when I ge l there she j umps all over me and she se tlies down quickly. She likes to go up on the rooftop and play in the garden, but she hates her harness and leash. She ge ls really scared of the ou tdoors, of the peop le, cars, other dogs, everything scares her. We arc tryin g to tra in her that outside is a good place but it is takin g a very long time, I ha ve tak en her to Crab Park a coup le of times and she mak es me run all the way thcrc., then all the way back aga in. When we ge l home, she loves to play with all her bouncy ball s and 10Ys. We do not have 10 play wit h her beca use she plays all by her se lf. We are still training her to go to the ba throom on the pa per, but I guess it wi ll take some time . She loves to eat frenc h fries , I thin k it is her favo urite meal (o ther then her dog food that is.) She also thinks that she is a lap dog, but she isn't. Faith is gelling really upset with her and is almost rea dy to g ive her away. BUI I know tha t she won't; she lo ves hcr to muc h. Tel ma is mak ing new friend s eac h and every day , I just ho pe tha t she kee ps it up . I know that s he ca n't be afra id of the o utdoo rs foreve r. We wi ll gel her used to it so mehow,
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By T RAC Y NOBLE
my cat
I Saw Jesus Again Today
MY CAT HE DOES NO TRICKS MY CAT GIVES HUGS AND LICKS MY CAT HE GETS HIS KICKS MY CAT GETS STONED ON CATNIP MY CAT HAS CLAWS THAT RIP MY CAT HAS PAWS THAT GRIP MY CAT TAKES NO LIP MY CAT AIN'T NO DIP MY CAT HE AIN'T RICH MY CAT IS NO ONE'S BITCH MY CAT IS A FLIPPED OUT FLIP MY CAT THINKS HE'S IT MY CAT DON'T GIVE A SHIT MY CAT AIN'T GOT NO FLEAS MY CATS NAME IS "SOCRATES"
I saw Jesu s again today He 's still beggiug at the Library Living under a bridge Has no ID so Welfare can 't sec him . He showed me his wounds Said he 'd be going tojail I pressed a coin iuto his dirty, hardeued palm along with my regrets. He asked rnv name: where I could be found If I lent him' money he could repay Tuesday.
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. Mavbe he 's a junkie Mavbe a con-artist who believes his own stones. Fo~ sure he is desperate, for sure he is Jesus. Wilhelmina Miles
Carl MacDonald
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PTERODACTYLS
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\::::;;.:)),i Communication
language a blunt instrument renders partial meaning often not even ... often total misinterpretation tragedies & travesties occur and in the beginning was TIlE WORD who said that? it ain 't necessarily so . so go figure Pilgrim - this language thing not the grammar not the words not the gesture not the assumption No a clean slate. learn and unlearn Plato, Khyamm, Shakespeare Begin a new Dance, Sundaneers. Wilhelmina
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Carnegie's ancient stones Rise up from ancient floors Based on history No mystery.
Carnegie's walls arc not smooth As arc the walls of the local sleuth's Observing the upper floors of the police station From the newsletter office there was elation! Seagulls new in the sunshine The ir wings reflecting on the station Large ancient birds eireling The old ones now presently mingling Above Main and Hastings. Ancient times. Many Pterodactyls were out there , flying again! Cas I in shadow on smooth granite Birds with a very long wing span Startled and made one scan The walls with amazement. The Seagulls' thin wingspans were so enormous! The bird shadows so large! Made one think and recoil At Pterodactyls returning Dora Sanders
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Ju nk Lo, e {written while e"joy'''X the lemon raspberry whipped-cream pief or Carnegie dessert s
INTRODUCTION for En Route 2004 Once agai n, it is our great plea sure 10 introduce this yea r's editio n of En Route. Wc present o ur collection of stories and poetry . For the past 2 1 years we ha ve shared our life experiences and varied stories with others through our writing, Wh ether it's a famil y reminiscence or a human-interest story that hap pen ed j ust last week, the monthly get-toge ther where anecdotes, stories and poe ms are shared and rea d out is something that everyone enjoys all year. MEMBER OF THE YEAR
Dora M. Sanders , Playwright, Ca rneg ie Centre volunteer, and President of the Writer's Discovery Group, Dora Sanders is the 2004 En Route Member of the Year . We salute her warm , giving nature, splendid orga nizational skill s, and her litera')' talent. Dora joined our group in its early stages nearly 20 years ago . As President, her leadership abi lities have played an integral part of this publication both as a contrib utor and as a highl y valued editor. This year, Dora's play, 'That Transit Allthority' will be performed on stage in Vanco uver at T heatre in the Raw.
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son and luscious smooth and creamy
And sooo irresi stible (oh ye s give it to me !) Mmmm ... how I crave it Ca n' t get enough Even tho ' it' s ju st j unk food I know it's not go od for me Why do I keep hoping for a few more crumbs? ~ But I'll be back Oh yeah I' ll be back " ~ You ca ll bet I' ll be back ~ for one more laste of tha; ~ Sweet, sweet lo ve.
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Louisa de Plum e
TransLink Open House Mo nday, February 28 12:00 - 3:30 pili Carnegie Ce nt re T heatre
Time I've had a good Iime Wa lkin ' the straight line I' ve had a good tim e I've had some rough limes threw down some good lines rolled ill the grass in the swee t summerti me And I don "t mind. I do n't mind
if it's lime for my dyin ' Calise I've had a good time
in sweet sunshine lakin ' my own time walkin ' that line line Ya, I've had a good time I've hadagoodtime and I' ve died , yes , I've died Trying. R.Locwen
Get involved in our public process and let us know what you think! TransLink is planning transit service improvements for the City of Vancouver and US C area for 2005 to 2010 . The Vancouver and USCTransit Plan (or VUTPj will identify local transit issues and propose improvements toexisting services. It will recommend new services for Vancouver and USC and connections with nearby areas tomatch expected growth. Your comments and ideas are essential tothe success of the Transit Plan. Come to the Open House to lea rn more and tell us what you think! www.translink.bc.ca. or call: 604-453-4660,
Enemy of the State: The New Nigger
·BC welfare cuts Amount per month support rates were cut for single parent s: $43 For employable people age 55-59: $47 For employable people age 60-64 : $98 For employabl e couples age 55-59: $94 For employable co uples age 60·64 : $145 (3) .Shelter allowance cuts for famili es with three or . more peopl e: $55 to $75 . (3) . *Minimum amount of earned Income a single parent could keep in 201l!: $200 ; in 2002: ~. (3) • Amount of child support payment from an expartner that single parents on welfare could keep in 200 I : $ 100 per month; amounl III 2002 : ~ (3) • Amou nt raised for Food Banks by CBC Food Bank Day in December, 2004: about $160,000; amount of similar fund raisers CB C would have to have to make up for the money cut from welfare in a 20022003 : about 3806. (5) ·Per cent of BC families that arc worth over $1 mil lion : 3.3 per cent. H) · Number of milli onaire fam ilies in BC in 1999: 56,218. (4) • Province with the highest percentage of millionaires: Be. (4) Sources : ( I) City of vancouvc.-r's . DraftAction Plan on Homclessness. November 2()().t (2) flungc; Cow~t 2(X>4, by the Canadian Association of Food Banks, November, 2004. (3 ) A Bod Ti me 10 t.: Poor by Seth Kle in and Andrea Long, of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives and SPARe BC, June, 2003 . (4) OC's Bountiful Crop of Millionair cs by StC\ 'C Kerst etter of lhe Canadian Centre lor Policy Alternatives. August 13, 200 1 (5) Calculation by Jean Swan son .
To be homeless in North America is the mark of Cain . While the struggle to survive rages on a hom eless person must fend off the insult added to injury as an everyday occurrence . If looks alone could kill there would be no more home.'ess. Whatever colour your skiu may be, to be obviously homeless is to draw down upon yourself the fear and loathing of the vast majority of the taxpaying public. To hav e a wallet full of money yet be denied entrance to a pub on account of carry ing a full y loaded packsack is just one fragment of the hostility felt by every home.'ess person. Denial of the use of public washrooms is another fragment. Shouted insults of teenagers • " Get a job yo u bum! " is a refra in heard all too often, screamed by those yet too young to understand life 's twists and turns. To sleep in doorways invites robbery and allack. How long before we set aflame the sleeping wino the way they do in New York City? How many people have woken up to find themselves without shoes (after being so naive as 10 leave them out)? I am reminded of an older gent a few years ago who was found under the Georgia viaduct with his stoved in by a rock ; wrong place, wrong time . Personally, recently, I was chased off a church's property by the caretaker at 8 0 ' clock at night. It seemed to me that this good Chri stian gentleman deemed me unworthy of sleeping beside his garbage in the rear of the church. I walked 25 blocks to another church, s pread my bedroll on a bed of grave.' and slept until four in the morning without any more " Christian eharity" . To be told by the O\\11er of a convenience store that the building has no water is just one of a thousand reasons to insure the abhorrent bum moves along quickly. Mothers shield their children as you walk past with yo ur 40 lb. pack . I'm glad to be homeless right now . It' s been enlig htening to see how our just, great Canadian soc iety treats the downcast, the disabled, the walking dead. Coming from the ' (,Os I know how to camp urban
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style. It appalls me that in 40 years noth ing has
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changed. Rumour has it the Law wants to reinstate
the vagrancy laws. The idea of bei ng co nsidered a crimi nal for the crime of having nowh ere to go IS just somethi ng I ca nnot fathom . . . Yes I'm homeless, but I still have my dignity, my frccdom , mv . desire to he on in peace.
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"Sic kness , death, and crime" arc the results of not ending homclcssncss, one woman pointed out.
Several peop le who were homeless objected to the part of the Action Plan that described most homeless peo ple as having mental or phys ical health probl em s Some times people have 10 prove they arc crazy to get on wel fare, or eve n threaten to com mit suicide, one person said.
Everyone should have a place to live. "Every man , woman and child shonld at least be entitled to a place to live." That statement, from a man who was homeless, see med 10 sum up wh at everyone felt at a Carnegie workshop o n Van couver's draft Homeless Action Plan. The work shop
was a one lime combination of Sheila Baxter's writing gro up and the ongoing human righ ts discussion gro up of the Learning Cen tre. It was held at Carnegie on Feb.2"". Abou t 25 peop le, including some who were home less, lis tened to a summary of the report and then spoke their minds abou t it. The Action Plan is 60 pages long and has 86 recommendations. Several people were skeptical that the politicians would listen to anythi ng we say or even do what thc report says they should do after it is passed . BUI almost everyone seemed to agree with the report's major recommendatio ns that governments should · end the barriers to gelling and staying on wel fare ; · raise weifare rates ; · build more affordable housing; · provide more services for people who need them .
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People were critical of the part of the Actio n Plan that suggests the city allow s uites with less than 320 square feet of space . So me said the recomm end ed increase in welfare support payment s from S I 85 to S230 is still not enough to live on for a month. Our next steps 111e meetin g w as chaired by Muggs Sig urgci rson, Carneg ie Co mmunity Ce ntre Association vice chai r. At the end of the meeting Muggs agreed to re port o n the discussion at the work shop to the Association Hoard. Later III the week the Board of the Association ag ree d to support Vanco uve r's draft Hom eless Ac tion Plan in principl e; to make some reco mmenda tions on the plan 10 Jill Davidson (the author of the report) before it is officially prese nted; to speak at Ci tv fl ail whe n the report is disc ussed by Co uncil in M;rch and to encourage Carnegie members to do the same. Thanks to everyone who participated. If you arc interested in learning more about the repo rt and/or spea ki ng at the City Council meeting, ca ll Jean at 604298 1614. Wa tch the Carnegie Newsletter for information about when city co uncil will deal with the re port . By J EAN SWANSON
ODE TO AN AN GEL r ve carried picket signs in mean streets. don 째t you know Wi th a special, trippy girl, ten long lost yea rs or so ago She wore pink bows in her hair , quite tall and quit e lean , Most .welle if yo u wish, do yo u know what I mean? Yesterdays I remem ber like today, do n' t yo n sec ? O h how she bo unecd and danced in this s ummer, so free Eyes that glo wed as they glistened, romancing me, so ncar As we marched in lock- step down tense streets with no rear . I dream back upon this surreal scene; 'twas a mighty good year. Throug h crusa des and thro ugh causes, amidst the ch ills and tears, When we waltzed to sweet music we were one , that's for sure . If yo u're in tunc with eac h other -if yo u' re in lo vc- jhcrc ' s no cure, Way back in thc ' 90s we all went 10 lectnrcs ' n most went to sc hoo l With rebellious upbringings we ra rely co mp lied : we broke all the rules. We 'd stay oul too late, party long I study Icss I rem ember, I suppose, Funny thing I reca ll fro m that decade ago ... but I can't tell you here , I wo n ' I let you know . Because a secret is sacred, I belie ve, if yo u trusl o ne a nother my love is real (docs it show") " I don 't reel well ," she told me o ne day as she blinked vio let eyes thro ugh tea rs, She was so strong, so determined 10 win, to ge t well in the end - no rears . Have yo u eve r known so meo ne, wh o you adored, who was slow ly slipping away? Yes, yo u have (you ca n lell me); yo u've been throu gh sim ilar bittersweet days. In what seemed suddenly the end came upon her .. the spirits took her away To the heavens, I know as I crie d and tried to ca tch her wh ispering please let her be ' Now, as I lay and gaze with wonder ar twi lighted stars, I realize the world is s till spi nning , the s un secms to shine, but I am still missin g her terrib ly.. No more mirth, no more glee, although I will not give up easily, Please heal my heart or set me free .
New Kid on the Block The Vanco uver Schoo l of Drugwar History and O rganic Cultivation, otherwise known as Her b School, can be found between Co-op Rad io and Vancouver's new Safe-Inj ection Site : 123A East Has tings (at Main St) A Drugwar history walking lour begi ns at Victorv Square (Cambie and Has tings) , T uesdays and Sun: days from 3 :pm to 4:20pm. Organic grow workshops are Sundays from 4:30pm 10 6pm. The tour will end up at the schoo l wh ere a mini- museum photo dis play and video/news pri nt arc hive can be found. Admission will be $3 to $30 for the lour and
another $3 ~o $30 Ior the class (de pends on inco me). Photo co pies and organic nutrient s will also be avai lable for a reasonabl e cos I. For more inform ation and to book privat e tours please call Dav id at 604.842.7790 ' Please note, there is no can nabis, opium or any other drug on the pro perty, and there arc no drug or herb sa les at the sch ool (not that there is any thing wron g with selling herb s). "In wise han ds poison is medicine. In foo lish hand s medicin e is poison". A quote fro m Casanova
ists. An imcrnational task force says in a rcecnt rcport that global warming is pushing the world's e1imate past a point of no return that could be reached years. (7) lU within a few Kcnncth Galbraith. in a small boo" that takes an in the Downtow n Eastside "now that ple peo Many honest look at the violence, hypocr isy and cruelly of !:!: OU f present avaricious economic system is cruel and 0 so-calle d western civiliza tion. (I ) nced its violence through ::J violent. We have experie much States, United thc about Although his boo" is unemp loyme nt, poverty, hunger and homclessness. 0 of what Galbraith savs applies to Canada, and the The peo ple running the sys tem , like George Bush in . as well. Hc depl ores the takeglobal corpora te world the U.S., or Gordon Campbell in B.C., won't change over of thc United States by private power - thc their friends arc getting richer, lU II because they and corporations. Hc refers to the warning of the late eve n though their polic ies are leading to social and President Eisenhower about the dangers of thc milienviron me ntal disaste r. Those of us who arc bein g tary/industrial complex, and says that thc arms inpushed further and further to the margins of society dustry has taken over public weapons policy. Hc can clearly scc the suffering caused by unrestra ined writes, "For som e years there has also been corpogree d. We can support each other and speak what rate control ofthe Treasu ry and ofenvir onmental we feel, not what we o ught to say. That's what John palicy ." (2) Hc notcs that the corpora te media has Kenneth Galbraith did when he looked at so-called supported the control by private power of weapons civilized life in the United States, and found it cordesign, missile defense and the military budget, Just ruptcd by "unima ginable cruelty and death" (8) His 100" at how corpora te power in Canada , including words carry great authori ty because he was part of the media, has supported the dangerous Ballistic the ruling es tabl ishment that he, at the venerab le age Missilc Defense System of the Bush Administration. of ninety- five, is now ex pos ing as a fraud. John Kenneth Galbraith is saying, as many others Dr. Ursula Franklin said, "We have 10 reclaim our havesaid before him, that the United States is not a country from those who occupy it on behalfoftheir democracy, but a corpora te oligarchy in which only global masters ." (9) No t an easy task Citizens will a few people rule. Canada, also, is not a dem ocr acy, need to organize widespread popular rcsislancc but an oligarchy. "We (in Canada) are nOlI' in the through intense , intelligent coalilion building and midst ofa CO liI' d'etat in slo w motion ," John Ralston non-vio lent action. Voting will only be one part of Saul WTOtC (3), and he co mpared this corpora te takethe struggle, but voting can help to avoid civil war. over of thc COUllI!) ' 10 a modern form of feudalism. By SANDY CAMERON The eminent Canadian educator, Dr. Ursula FrankF raud, by John Kenneth ent c o Inn of ( I) 111t' Economics lin, " TOtC, "We (in Canada) are occupi ed the lI'ay the Co., 2tX14 , p.62. Mifflin n Iloughto h, lbrait Ga French and Norweg ians were occupi ed by the (2) Galbraith, p.36. Nazis during World IVar Two, but this time bv an (3 ) The Unconscious Ci,ili:.utum , by John Ralston Saul, army of market eers ." (~) Even the cstablishn;cnl Ana ns i Press, 1995, p.90. ~ 4) tlCmllltj~ under the occupation of an army of murkctcrs." "Titer, Peter Newman, understood that Canada was Inc Canadian Centre for Policy Altern ative s' Monitor, controlled by an elite few. Hc WTOtC, "Canad a 's July/A ugust, 1997, p.22. establis hmen t (ruling ell/e) consists ofa surpris ingly (5) The Canadian Eu abliJhm enl , vol. I , by Peter Newman compac t, self-perpe tuating group ofperhaps a thou' S"'IIIl<Xlks, 1977, p446. linked
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"Mass slaughter has become the ultimat e civilize d achievement. War remain s the decisive human fail- < _. ure. " So WTOtCthe world-famous economist, John N
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sand men who act as a kind ofinfor mal junta, more c losely 10 each other than to their country, " (5)
The global, corpora le economy, with thc Bush Administration in the Icad, is on a path of self-destruct ion. The war policies of the American Empire have created enormou s suffcring and death. In Iraq alone, over 100,000 civilians have bccn killed in that illegal war, (6) Unrestrained corporate pillaging of Ihc carth continues in spite of the warnings of ellvironmcntal-
<.6) ".I~}(} (.)(~) Iraqi civilians have dic..-d since invasion. survey hnd.s, by Sarah Bcsc lcy, The Guardian Weekly , Nov.5-II ,
2004 , p.lO . (?) "0 10001 warming nears point or l1o rctum ," by P. Wintour and P.Morcnko, The (j uan/it", Weekly, Jan.2S to Feb.3, . 2005 , p. 1 p.61. (8) Galbra ith, ~9) "~ ana~ under the occupation of un(amy of marketers," Inc Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives' A/ollilOr.
July/August, 1997, p.22.
._.We ';ck~~~';dge' th;t C;'-';'eQ;';-Co;':;';;-U~i~ C'; ~ire',·a~d this·" . Newsletler are happening on the Squamish Nation's territory.
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Contact
Jenny WolChlng Kwon,MLA
'n u: NI;WSLF.TTE R IS A l' UIlLl CATI O N OF ru e CAII NEG IE CO~ I MUNITY CENTI IE ASSOC IAT ION. Artlc les re prese nt th e views of indivi dua l contribu tors a nd not of t he Associa tion.
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.r,1J 'C'~ r
PA CI FI C BLUEGRASS & H ERIT AG E M USI C SOCIEI Y prese nts
J. A VARIETY OF BANDS w ith BLUEGRASS. FOLK & COUNTRY MUSIC
Neighbourhood News will be more o f a piece in the next issue; space ran ou t, but thcre arc a lot of negative change s 10 Ihe Resid enti al Te nancy Office functions to be dissec ted. Pre-election goodies from Ca mpbell and cohorts in Victoria barel y black out the o ngo ing slash&bum. On a much brighter note. congratulations to Stephen Lytton on his perform ance in Crime and Punishment the Musical, All reviews in variou s rags (Province. WestEnder. Co urier. etc. ) g ushed with pra ise. but Stephen had somehow gotten fluen t in Polish rather than given kudo s for the polish of his craft . The DE rules! PRT
Feb. 16t h 7.9pm Carnegie
Theat~e
News from the Library Pop ular New Books : The following new titles. wh ich have several holds in the VPL system. arc ava ilab le for yo ur hold at Carnegie Library: B irds without Wings by Louis de Bernieres( author ofCap tain Carelli's Mandolin) 124 hold, 01 1'/'1.... ... put yourself # I at Carnegie; Plot Against A merica by Philip Roth 74 hold, downtown ... non e here Da Vinci Code 630 hold, dO\<"OlOI<"O ...non e here .. ...put yourself on the list. New in our Libran': Operation H oll ywood iHowthe Pen tago n S hape.• and Cens ors the M ovies by David L.Robb Overcoming A n.t';ef)', panic and Depression: New
It'{~l'.\· to regain your confidence by James Gardner Willkillg with Fi.•ts [poems} by BiII~' Co r ri ~lI l1 ( ,'ti l: Rille: Oil th e suppression of Dissent anti th e .• tijli"g of D emocracy by Lewi s. II . Lapham S MIiIl: A hiogmplry by Rohert Se r vice Vancouver lIa ck..tage: by Grcl: Potter and Re~
Rohinson Launching History: Tire S aga of Burrnard Dry Dock by Fr nnc is Mansbrid~e New Display Case...Check o ut disp lay case in the Library. We arc sho wing some of the bea utifu l new Reference Books which arc for in-library usc o nly. We hope you find them of interest to browse thro ugh when you have to time to spare in the libra ry. M ain & Ha stings Book Club at Learning Centre Tuesday at 12.00 Copies of M a ir ut h Sars field's No cry,stal Stair arc now available for those who have been ask ing.. Please attend next Tuesday's meeting if interes ted.