camnews@shaw.ca www.camnews.org
401 Main Slleel Vanc0U119r Canada V6A 217 (604) 665-2289
owned rooms now rent for the welfare shelter allo~~ 颅 ance or less) not tracked by the c ity and rent increases for businesses serving low income residents; - Hotel closures and '路renovictions;" - The displacement of low-income residents from the DO\vntown Eastside, contrary to city policy; ~~lllfi路~- - Increased homelessness measured in the last city ~" survey; - More harassment of low-i ncome residents by security guards and police; -The erosion of unique and authentic community assets such as a strong sense of community, feeling accepted and at home, empathy with people who have health and addiction issues, connection to our cultural heritage, a strong commitment to volunteering, cheap or free necessities that are close by, needed health and social services.
Save the Pantages For low-income People We are Downtown Eastside (DTES) residents and organizations on Unceded Coast Sal ish territories who oppose the Pantages owner's 201 I application to build a massive condo building with token amounts of social housing on the l 00 block of East Hastings St. We encourage organizat ions within and beyond the DTES to support this important campaign and to endorse our resolutions. No Gentrification in th e DTES Stop Market Condo Development in the DTES! The ripple effects of market housing condo developments have been destructive to the low-income community in the Downtown Eastside (DTES); a process we call gentrification. As the price of real estate has gone up tfle low-income community has lost affordable housing, shops, and other low-income friendly spaces. While gentrification changes our neighbourhood into an unfamiliar, alienating, and hostile space for low-income people, police protect the condos and boutiq ues and City Hall eases regulations and provides incentives to developers to speed further market development. The displacement of low-income people from the DTES is a direct result of market housing condo developments and this displacement is reaching crisis levels. We are concerned that gentrification in the DTES is occurring in a context of: -Hotel room rent increases (only 12% of privately
Many of us are worried about the future of the Pantages Theatre site, wh ich is in the process of being demolished. The site was bought in 2004 by Worthington Properties, whose owner is Marc Williams. Marc Williams a lso owns al l the sites between the Regent and the Brand iz Hotels- a lmost all of the 100 block of East Hastings! Marc has been trying to sell the Pantages property and it is highly possible that developers will push for condos on the site. Condos at the Pantages would be a gentrification bomb in the heart of the DTES. The I 00-block of East Hastings is symbolically important because it includes single room occupancy housing for about 400 low-income people. It also includes key gathering places where lowincome DTES residents feel comfortable, including: -Carnegie Community Centre which serves 5000 low-income people and is a hub for food and recreational activities. - Jnsite which ensures access to critical health services for thousands of IV drug users .. - Downtown Eastside Women's Centre which is a drop in and safe-space for thousands oflow-income women. -Aboriginal Front Door which is the only centre in the area run by and for Indigenous people. - The Listening Post which is a quiet refuge for exploring deeply personal matters thru spiritual practice Bringing condos to this block could change all of this. The condo-social housing mixed development at
Woodward's caused rents in neighbouring hotels to increase and pushed out low-income residents. Expensive restaurants and boutique stores sprang up and more private security guards and police pushed lowincome people out of public spaces. This is why we want I 00% social housing, not 80% condos with 20% social housing, on the Pantages site. The Pantages parcel is in the Downtown Eastside Oppenheimer District (DEOD), the o nly zoning area of the DTES that requires 20% social housing in all new developments. This requirement has kept condos out of the DEOD and ensured that the area is for low-income people. It has also kept land prices low, so lots are cheaper for governments to buy for social housing. Under the current zoning, the Pantages proposal wi ll be required to contai n 20% social housing but the other 80% of the project will be condos. This will open the fiood gates to other condo developments in the DEOD. Building more social housing as well as defending and preservi ng our DTES community are more important- and more li fe saving - than letting developers make mi llions in the DTES. Worthington Properties bought the Pantages in 2004 for $440,000 and added it to four adjacent properties. The 20 I 0 assessed value o f all five properties was $3.7 million; about three-times the purchase price. The Vancouver Sun reported that Worthing ton posted the properties for sale in July 20 I 0 for $9 million, almost 7 times the estimated purchase price. The Pantages site is an opportunity to create a project that works for the low-income community in the heart of the Downtown Eastside. We have to come together to defend and preserve the site for the low-income community. We demand that the City buy it and designate it for I 00% resident controlled social housing and a low-income community s pace.
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Downtown Eastside Community Resolution We oppose the Pantages Theatre owner's 20 II application to bui ld a massive cond o building with token amounts of social housing on the I 00 block of East Hastings Street. I. We call on the City to stop the Pantages development permit application because it contradicts the "without displacement" part of the city's policy of "revital ization without displacement" in the DTES. 2. We call on the Pantages owner to sell the property at its 20 10 assessed val ue of$3.7 million to the City of Vancouver. 3. We call on the C ity to buy the Pantages parcel and d es ignate it for I 00% resident controlled social housing with low-income community space on the g round noor: 4. We call o n the City to ens ure that the nature of the development of the Pantages parcel be exclusively determined by low-income residents and communities in the DTES, including control over the final tendering o f the project.
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Aboriginal Front Door. Carnegie Community Action Project, DTES Neighbourhood Council, DTES Power ofWomet Group, Gallery Gachet, Streams ofJustice. Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users. (at deadline) *Support the resolution and our petition. Please email jean.swanson@gmail.com or hwalia8@gmail.com or call 604 729 2380 or 604 839 0379 to add your name or to find out what else you can do!
To Mike & Priscillia, A belated, sincere thank you to you two angels, who picked me and my bike up off the street, dabbed my wounds and saw me safely home. I'm heali ng up well, but it took no time at all for my heart to heal. thanks to your kind and timely actions. Peace and thanks, Sarah (cashier)
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An action that threatens freedom of expression is happening in Canada, that shouldn't on ly concern the theatre community - it affects all Canadians. Summerworks Festival in Toronto lost their Heritage Canada funding last week, and the timing stinksonly a few weeks prior to openi ng night. Their relationship to I Jeritage Canada grew strained after last summer's performance of HOMEGROWN. by Catherine Frid. which is an exploration of Canadian Justice system issues around the Toronto 18 terrorism case. The Prime Minister's Office reacted badly, judging both the play and the festival without having seen the production. The response to the Joss of Heritage Canada support is being put forward by the Federal Government as a simple example of the arts community feeling entitled to fu nding. The actual sequence of events. however. point clearly in the direction of punitive action, attempting to stifle conversation about essential Canadian issues. So- this Friday, July 15, a reading of Homegrown will be presented at various venues across Canada. The Vancouver reading will take place at PL 1422 (1422 William Street) at 7PM. Admission by donation.
Van-
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COMMUNITY DAY AT THE RACE TRACK CARNEGIE VOLUNTEER PROGRAM FUNDRAISER Sunday, July 31, Noon - 5, Hastings Racecourse
"DAY AT THE RACES!" PLEASE JOIN US! Help Support the Carnegie Volunteer Program- Bring your family and friends • Delicious Buffet Lunch • Music • Silent Auction+ Raffle Tickets • An exciting day of Horse Racing A race will be named after Carnegie Community Centre which includes a horse blanket embroidered with our organization's name that representatives from our organization would award the winner of that race. ***NOTE: Everyone Welcome! Volunteers, please sign up with Colleen or Rika to attend the lunch at this event.
Nearly three years ago, an artlcfe written in the couver Sun alerted a number of people to the fac t that the chicken trucks that drove through our neighbourhood were giving off a Jot more than a foul stench. That in fact drug-resistant bacteria were being left in the trucks' wakes. Because they wash the trucks and cages in the Jane way between Jackson and Princess, additional amounts of bacteria laden chicken poop get released into the atmosphere. The Vancouver Sun recently was at a Joss to find a link between antibiotic-resistant bacteria and bedbugs. We think that the missing link can be found coming off the trucks loaded with live chickens that drive by four times a day, twenty times a week. We regard the presence of animal processing plants in residential neighbourhoods such as our own to be a threat to public health. We l1ave done a petition and have gathered 400 signatures and are seeking support to lind the best, most obsequious manner to bring this before city council. Robin Ariel era!
Free University Humanities 101 Community P r og ra mme - Free university-level education for low income people with a passion for learning who live in & around the Downtown Eastside. - There are 3 evening courses (on Tuesdays and/or Thursdays): two 8 month courses in the humanities (humanities 20 I is only available to alumni of llumanities I 0 I) and a 3 month Writing course. - Students receive books, school supplies, student cards, transportation, meals, & child care if necessary. - Your part is actively & regularly participating in class at UBC. l!~formation
and applications at:
Downtown Eas tside W omen's Centr e, 302 Columbia St Tuesday August 2"J at I.JOp.m for Humanities I 0 I, 20 I. and Writing Carnegie Cen tre, Main & liastings Wednesday August 3'J at II a.m for llumanities I 0 I & 20 I Wednesday August 3rd at 1.30p.m for Writing The Ga thering Place, 609 Helm cken St Thursday August 41h at II a.m for llumanities I 0 I & 20 I T hursday August4 1h at 1.30p.m for Writing Cntbtret• Corner, 533 E ast Hastings St Tuesday August 91h at I :30p.m for Humanities 101.20 1, and Writing Vancouver Recover y C lub, 2775 Sophia St Wednesday August 10111 at 11.30a.m for Humanities 101,201, and Writing For more information please call: 604.822.0028 Email: humiOI @ interchange.ubc.ca website: http://humanit RADIO NEWS News of the day sez took 7 bikers to kill one guy set-up brawl beat the life outa some dude who musta been bad if it took 2 patches and 5 wannabees to wipe out one dude who, by the story, was trying to chill the whole scene out so much for the weird respect for these goons, plain as day this time this act shows their real colours radio said first ever murder charge for people busy ' takin care o bus iness' but'll never go to jail; these 2 won' t either the pretenders wi ll take the fall just to be considered one of the "boys" Filthy Frank
.. Dan Tetrault is retiring
service to the DTES community!
as Assistant Director of the Carnegie Centre after over 25 years of
Please drop in to the Carnegie Centre Theatre on July 27th from 2-4pm to say so-long to Dan and share some light ref reshments.
A Stranger Jaimie Elizabeth Noble, was born in Kamloops, BC. She was so beautiful, in the platonic and conventional sense. I wanted to marry her after getting to know her. She was raised in Langley, BC, and wanted to be a writer. I never heard her say an unkind word about anyone. Physically, she was perfection. Every morning, I saw her, she was high on life. I told her about Charlie Chaplin--he married a younger woman . Jaimie seemed to be triple jointed. Never a false move. She was honest, forthright, and generous with me. She was always asking me to drink water. I toted water for her. Huntington's Chorea was in her family. She ran like a deer. Loved muffins. She called herself a klutz. Once she gave me a sniff of heroin and cocaine. I remember saying to her, ' I feel that we met in a previous life." My last words to her-' You must be an extra -terrestial, 3000 years ago'. She was dark and still in kind. She is one of a kind, slender, lithesome and pure magic. Harvey Breen
Yesterday I had an appointment to go to 4710 Kingsway to replace my bus pass, because it was all taped up. I had to transfer to bus # I 06. The driver said it was across the street. I went to the mall but the address was 4700. So I walked out and sat on a bench. I noticed there were construction workers up the street, so I walked there and asked if they knew where . that address was. This tall guy took me back to the mall to their lnfonnation desk and took the escalator to the 2"d fl oor. I told him J would be okay and he left. A Chinese man took me back downstairs, outside to the next building. At last.. on ly to find ! left my bus pass on the bench. I walked back and it was gone. I' m trying to say, don' t give up. People will try to help you if they can. My thanks to the stranger named Greg, who went out of his way to help me. Today 1 made a phone call and they'll mail me a fonn . A lost bus pass is $10. Marlene Wuttunee [Marlene is a Cree Elder.]
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Half my li fe worked on being " bad"' Badass bad as can be but it got me absolutely nowhere one day out in the yard struck me if I'd put half as much chi into being good as I did being ''bad'' I might've been a contender instead of being a pretender coulda found a woman and ways to defend her but it took so damn long to see what was wrong years to see life as I should hardest j ob is trying to be good. Being good translates turn back the hate before it 's too late thank the Lord above the answer is simple .. simply it 's love
Huml Ol: DOCUMENTA.IUES for July Saturdays, 6:30pm, Carnegie Theatre July 16- The Revolution Trap w ho can you trust? 96 minutes also showing G-20 Expose What happened in Toronto, Ontario at the G-20 in 20 10. You never saw this in the evening news. July 23- Power Shift- What if you wake up one day to discover you are living in a make believe reality? According to quantum physics-you are. The Physical world is as much of an illusion as a 3D action- adventure movie . .. and you are playing the leadi ng role. The good news is - you can profoundly influence the way the story unfolds. also showing Gasla nd 2010 how we are getting the clean fuel natural gas and at w hat cost. July 30- Monl{ey Blood- Dares to tell the truth about who we really are. Where did we come from? Where are we going? Due to the mail strike, documentaries I was planning on showing did not come in as yet, so the last documentary will be a surprise, and 1 will announce it when and if the post oflice fina lly delivers. I will be taking a leave for the next three documentary evenings and Georg ina will be g iving me a break for the documentaries evenings for the rest of July. Look fo rward to seeing everyone again in August, on the 13th . ....Colleen C.
Giving a shit when you d on' t have to doing more than you got to make a promise yo u see it thru give without even thinkin ' of payback be s urprised how often it will how often people remember your name remember you being strong enough to g ive away what you yourself might need that day this day give what you got to someone who just might need it more ' n you do it ain't what you say it's all in what you do so brother why doncha give it a try, won' t kill ya, you won't die Now I'm sorry if! sound like I'm preach in ', ain ' t playin here j ust sayin here, long time bogged in a fog but it came clear to me people are dear to me wanna keep 'em near to me so try to lose yourself then try it on someone else I don' t mean to alarm ya but belice me workin ' on yer karma doing what you know you should makes you feel good, real good so you think on it bro' I think you already know don' t need me telling you so you al ready know who you' re dancin ' for you already know who's runnin ' this show
Reverend AI
KRIEGER'S VIEW
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IN QUOTES "At a time when there is so much concern in the region about gun violence, all these police resources are being used handing out tickets to people who will never be able to afford to pay them." -Ann Uvingston
The Downtown Eastside Neighbourhood House
is quite settled in the larger space at 573 E llastings, using 501 E llastings for an administration office. The organisation has just welcomed its new director. who is going to different places. drop-ins and centres in the area to say hello and start making connections. This is kind of a rambling introduction, as a curious but not quite unique circumstance should make for some interesting confusion. The new guy's name is, straightforwardly enough one could say, not ne'' to the 'hood. It's Paul Taylor. When the inevi table confusion arises. distinctions include my walking with a cane while Paul has no visible physical disability; I'm pressing 59 and Paul appears to be in his 30's; I'm the quiet one and Paul likes talking to people. We both wear glasses and I think he still has most of his hair(!) PauiR Taylor
a group art show for the month of July MONTANA & RUTH & JENNY
Opening Reception, with live music
Jl:JLY18'", ~- q p.m. Carnegie Centre, 3"' floor art gallery
FROM THE EDITOR'S DESK THE VALUE OF CONSCIENCE The New Westminster VALUE VILLAGE employees are on strike for better Horking conditions, job security & an i ncrease in wages. Seeing the picket signs outside first brought kind of an indignant train of mind into gear: 'This is ~10rk for a good charity, so what happened to their idealism?' Following is the sordid yet truthful story ... \vhat is behind the public image . . . VALUE VILLAGE is owned by a big American corporation with stores in B.C., Alberta and the U. S.A.; it has about $12 million \,•orth of real estate in B.C. alone and .... sales netted over $5 million . V.V. is closely associated Hith the Hentally Handicapped Association tvhich is a charitable organisation. however , V.V. is a profit-motivated corporation which conveys its relationship with the ~lliA in a deceptive fashion, misleading the public and its own employees. Hhen starting a job there, employees are told that the minimum tvage paid to them is to facilitate giving the W1A 50% of the profits. This is also the reasoning used to stonewall raises, complaints anci even job security. Any statements by employees about \vorking conciitions or job security are met with their immediate di smissal . 1-lages paid range from $4 . 50 to $5 .65 an hour with no increase in sight, ye t only about 10% of the profits go to the W1A while the rest go into the pockets of the O\mers of the company. The MHA solicits donations from the general public for a good cause, ye t sell s them to V.V. wholesale; e . g. a garbage bag full of used clothing fetches $8 for ~fi~ and V.V . sells each item retail -
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if some generous citizen takes goods directly to V.V., then ~rnA gets nothing at all. Employees have become a\•are of the guise that this corporation operates under and ho\v il uses MIJA to V. V. 's full advantage. V.V. refuses to pay its empl oyees a decent wage, starting them at the minimum and keeping the pay as close as possible to the minimum even after years of work . And as stated, any employee is expected to do good work for poor pay and is "ruthlessly dismissed" if the company feels their wishes are not being completely complied w·ith. This is the same old story: the rich American corporation gets richer while B.C. and Canadian workers can not afford to feed their families . Charity should not get mixed up \vith the exploitation of the public ' s generosity and the exploitation of gene ral wo rkers. Charity involves benevolent good will tO\vards humanity and in this situation the meaning of that word just does not fit in. By PAULR
TAYLOR
New Books This week we're highlig hting a diverse collection of Vancouver's local literary talent. A nimal Stories, by Sandy Cameron, Illustrated by Diane Wood (820.8 C 182a). When local Downtov. n Eastside hi stori an, poet, social justice champion. teacher and prospector. Sandy Cameron passed on in October 20 10. he left behind this beautiful collection of short stories. telling o f his e>.pericnces with the local natural landscape. Ill ustrations by Diane Wood. a well-knO\\n DO\\ ntown Eastside community artist, organi7er and facili tator. further bring Cameron's \\Ords to life. "There's a shooting star.'' Jean said, ··and there's another.'' ·• t sec them," I said, and then I added, ·•we are made of stardust, you know.'' " I know," Jean said. "That makes us children of the universe." "First Nations people usc the cxpressiOJ1 'All my relations' at the end of some of their ceremonies." I said. We watched the stars and listened to the silence of the night. Then the automatic sprinkler system clicked on, and the ball park became a fountain o f water glistening in starlight. (From 'The Wind and the Stars") Award w inning author and East Van inhabitant, Gillian Jerome, produces a debut book of poetry in Red Nest (821 JER). Previously recognized with the 2009 C ity of Vancouver Book award for her book /lope in Shadows: Stories and Photographsfi'om Vancouver's Downtown Eastside, her poetry takes the reader on an adventure of domestic. urban and inter-
galactic ecologues. . Winner of the prestigious 2008 Uchtm ura Na.oya Prize, Th e Cull (822 MAR), is the first Canadtan play staged in the ancient, ritualized tradition of J~panese Noh. Vancouverite Daphne Marlatt. more v. tdely known for her award wi nn ing poems and novels. can now add playwright to her list of accomplishmet~ts. The Gull is set in the 1950s and dramahzes the htstoricallink between the fishi ng town ofSteveston, home to many first, second and third generation Japanese Canadians, and Mio, the coastal village in Wakayama from which many of their fam ilies originally emigrate. . The memoir Come Back, Jur~y Baba: Mem01rs of India (921 NOR). brings together the stories oft\~ o brave women. In the first portion of the book, Mary llargrcaves Norbury tells of her 1948 ad~enture of moving to a small village in northern lndta to ~11arry an English carpet manufacturer. Mary gave btrth to two daughters at the Mussoorie hill station. When her eldest daughter, Judy, contracted polio, the fami ly moved back to Canada. Judy's memoir picks up the story. recalling her year in a children's hospital, pai~ ful thcrapy and a trip to Lourdes. Undaunted by polto, she grew up to be a mother and a successful si ngersongwriter. After more than fotty years, she returned to India in search of the linlc girl s he'd been. Powell S treet Festival Carnegie Library wi ll have a booth at the lOth. annual PO\\CII Street Festival at and around Oppenhetmer Park on J uly 30th. Come and say hello. design your own button. and maybe take home a book. - Elizabeth. your student librarian for the summer
TURTLE ISLAND Our reality against their reality Silently, we watch and wait. Daily, we hear of our brothers' & sisters' tragedies. \~e hear it in the news. Daily, we see unspeakable scenes of our brothers' & sisters ' suffering lve see on the daily news We see on the idiot box lve see & feel it oursel ves Our brothers' & sisters ' suffering . ... by the hundreds, by the thousands Sometimes, even Our Mother Earth is the apparent cause My Brothers & Sisters, why Have we suffered enough? No, my brother; no, my sister, You haven't suffered enough. Like our other Peoples Here on Turtle Island Since time immemorial We have lived here \Vith our other The Wing'd The Fourleggec; The Plants The Fishes. My brothers, my sisters They, too, are suffering ~~ny are disappearing forever For the Grandfathers have taught us that we must use these gifts in a good way or they will leave. My Brothers, my Sisters The Indian Way lives In each & every one of us. It's in our blood, brothers, sisters, In Our Blood. My Brothers, my Sisters, Leave us not sit stunned A~
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But to accept ourselves for who we are
& what we are We are not lost My Brothers, my Sisters The Medicine People Throughout the Land Say that we are asleep. For I've travelled some for long periods I have seen, heard and experienced a lot. And I have found my Brothers & my Sisters throughout the Land Are just like us. Kind & generous Even tho' a hard time, they're having, Suffering silently. Nore, they a re waking up More, they are turning back to the Indian Ways To what the Elders call The Red Road Which, as you know, runs at right angles to the black road. My Brothers, my Sisters Let us change our roads before the next sunrise or the next sunset. For, as you know, our other People need us. For, as the Elders say, they are lonely and going away. And our Great Mother Earth, our Grandmo ther Suffers the most. We, as you know, are here as guardians of Turtle Island, and of Mother Earth Our Grandmother Who gives us so much and loves us. lnlliam Dominic 0214-396 Powell St., Vancouver.
of the people who have abused me, ~ and of my weaknesses - for I 'm not strong. Of me I'm afraid, of future and failure, but I avoid that; with places to go and with people to see I'm too busy to think of what I could be. For I'm at home in the jungle. No thoughts of tomorrow, not even today; none of others, but only of me. nothing to do, but be. Then \vhy does God keep calling me, with offers of freedom and peace? He made me a human \vith the right to choose , so nmv that I ' ve chosen, \vhy do I feel guilty about the way that I am? Is it wrong to be an animal in the jungle? Still, He keeps calling, "I love you dear child , I gave my Son for you, and I want you for Mine. " "Dear God," I pray, "I don't knmv how to be human, teach me, show me the way . I lvant t o be a person a woman again- guiding, counselling, raising my kids. " So much commotion in my head, my heart barely hears, " You ' ve no longer a father or mother on earth, but your loving Father in heaven I still am; believe me, trust me, you must do as I say, for freedom and peace have no other way . Remember my Son, and worship Me, I a!!l King of both jungle and humanity." And so I begin life ane1-1. Putting the jungle behind and a future ahead, TomorrO\v is alive and the past is dead, while today I'm doing more than just survive . Habits of years have to go- it won 't be easy , but then I've been made tough no more drugs or beer in my body, my temple to Him has been defiled enough . Thinking of ot hers , not only myself , I ' ll work to be human.
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Dear Editor ; Here I go, into the fray - If you have a few minutes, I ' ll give you my two bits worth: abortion. Everyone has their mm unique view on this as on every other issue. For th•' sake of simplicity we tend to see two camps: Anti-Abortion and Pro-Choice. The most important thing to know about this division is that they are not opposite. The two camps represent a collision of world-views far more than a difference of ba s ic values. Maureen McCullough, in her recent letter, failed to see the very important distinction here . Because as poor and working-class women \ole are very much at risk , much less supported and more controlled by the decisions of government, medical, and religious institutions, it's vital to know who is on our side.
~!!:~~~!~~~: The Anti-Abor tion stance cones out of the long, misogynist history of the Roman Cat holic Church (&its offshoots), which has been around and of influence longer than almost all, pe r haps all, of the national governments i n the world today . The old premise was that women were "t he r oot of all evil" (as the Churchmen had it in ~!alleus aalefecarum, "Ham:ner of Witches" 1500). The Church and the governments i t supported worked together to decimate the old native cultures of Europe - religious and otherwise. Sexism cay be world-wide in some r espects, but for mainstream Canadian culture its r oots are this divide & conquer of the peoples of Europe, to ins tall not only the disorder of the Christian belief system, but the underpinnings of capitalism and the whole "powe r-ove r" sickness - obedience to f aceless author ities . While removing t he local governing systems of the communities , the Church focused its dominating force on women, and whipped up a fury of distrust between the s exes and within these communities , t o fo restall a united f r ont against the decimation of the native cultures . If you have any European blood in you at all, it is not too late to be enraged by what happened and continues to happen wor ldwide: the destroying of native cultures, t hef t and destruction of the lands, and the ins tallation of a r eality which leads t o despair, poverty, suicide, and endless interpersonal violence. Only the frin ges will s a y today t hat women are "the r oo t of all evil". But they do say that in every instance women must be an open door for the potential of life to be made real: love of life, the right to life , is what they claim for every human being. Yet the whole world- view of the Christian and Christian- influenced is based on death; on di•trust and dislike for this life and this body , with the hope that through stern obedience to a faceless and much-disputed authority, the next life will be bet ter. The focus is not on the here and now, but some version of a patria r chal afterlife . The impulse to defend life doesn 't extend nearly as loudly int o the anti-nuclear, e nvironmental, or anti-war/anti- imperialist movements, and yet these death- dealing forces are much more a threat to all present and future generations than is access t o abo rtion . The impulse to promo te life doesn ' t extend nearly as effectively to eliminating imprisonment ; supporting the healing of t hose in pain mentally , spiritually, or even physically; support ing the majority (the poor) and controlling the minority (the rich , the owning-c las s) ; sha r ing (ood, water and space (land) globally ; ending r acism; fostering a truly peaceful co-existence at ever y level and worldwide. That isn't what the antiabortionists are about, so they cannot claim t o be "pro-life" . They are simply against the extension to all women of that fundamental civil right: freedom to govern herself, her life . ~Q:~~~ICE:
The anti-life attitudes that McCullough attributes to the feminists are indeed within the culture , but they are not at hte core of feminist belief. I'm also aware that within Christiani t y there are many ~oo•ho are truly "pro- life" on all levels (but let them s peak f or themselves). The half-baked feminism displayed in feminist classics like The Female Eunuc h (Germaine Greer) where a good deal of loathing is focused on the reality of woman ' s body , was and i s the result of the internalized self-hate fostered in women thro ug h o ur lives in a woman- hating culture. Those of us who have g rown up ~oo•ith ht c feminist movement (I was b. 1960) continue t o be exposed to and formed by soft & hard core misogyny. By "soft " I mean that " God" , the politicians and the business controll ers are all men, and the r ole models for women have histo rically been e rased from t he books , so t hat we have Joa n of Arc and the last Chinese Empress Dowager as the kind of uninviting possibi lities to f ocus - or rather, t o deflect - o ur aspirations to greatness. "Hard" misogyny is sexual
esploitation, intimidation and control of women' s bodies, minds and lives- I'm talking rape, murder, child-theft, pornography, as well as the low-grade brow-beating that many women are subjected t o on a daily basis. Remember that this is our whole lives I'm talking about ; these things don 't start when we turn eighteen. We live and br eathe this culture from birth, and through our mothers' bodies f r o m conception . Feminism is, like all levels of lif e , a dynamic and changing thing. Class and race realities are very slowly , r eluctantly, and through active st ruggle being inco rporated into what was for a long time a middle class whi te woman ' s game . Feminist mothers are in general too f r igging busy raising our kids, and making ends meet, t o be loudly vocal and at the f o r ef r ont of feminist theorizing . But the r e are millions of us. We do cherish life, as Maureen McCullough has passi onately shared . (1/hether o r not s he ' s a parent, t he feeling's the same .)
LETTERS Recreating a world-view that truly demonstrates this cherishing means breaking through the indoctrination of self-loathing, rediscovering a spirituality that affirms and is deeply connected with this body, and this life. It means renovating all of our relationships so that we can be ourselves, ~ole, ~ ' not wasting our time and strength in arguments over our rights, our perc;ptions and bt!liefs . .\L the same time that this inner strengthening takes place, and the strengthening of the c onnections between like-r:>inded people at the community-level and worldwide, there is the other reality going on - the intimidations and rapes, the destruction of cultures and lands, the institutionalized racism, sexism, ageism, class-hatred . Only at the individual level can it be decided: if l have a kid now, I'll beat her or him to the brink of death, like my mother/father/lover beat me; or, given the time and support for healing: if I have a kid now, I can raise him or her to be a freedom-fighter, to cherish this earth and her people, to start from the centre in a balanced way and promote life at every level. Children learn far more from observation than by direct comcunication: you have to be able to be free and life-affirming at home, even in your worst moments, if you want your kids to act that out on the streets, in future boardrooms (and bedrooms). A pregnancy can be seen as a knock at the door, where the child might decide at any time not to come through after all (miscarriage , stillbirth, cribdeath). To be pro-choice means that a woman 1lso has the right t o choose : a few might lock the door forever (though hysterectomy is not under lebate in the same way); many, many more will say, "I'm sorry, I just can't let you through right now . Things are very bad for me. If you come back in a few years , I think I ' ll be ready ." Or even, "Please . Ask somebody else ."
If words & words only changed the world, all would already be well. Saying t hat men , the world, "must" change is not , sadly enough, entirely effective. We can influence others, but we can only
change ourselves , and even that can be a long , long process. The argument that hte fetus is "not human" is a legal argument, and it is the legal system itself which requires such twisting o£ Lhe truth in order t hat a woman ' s right to choose can be entrenched in law. Pro- chiocc balances the ideal and the r eal worlds . I wouldn ' t force anyone to have a kid. Nor would I forbid it . Having a child myself, at a point in my life where il is a safe and good choice for both of us, is one of the most cherished , dynamic, and "enriching" aspects of my life .
.-,.:::· . } r . .•, , ,t/i.. . , .. .-~: ; .. ~ By JOANNE ARNOTT (Survivor, ~!other, Pro-Choice) ~-..r.~ · ~~.....:~ >;. ~· ~:· ...( ~~ ·(·'1-~·"t ..... ~~~·f"-·~~ ·17'~~ -1-':"--:. •' ~ ,- ... ~. c-... . • ,.. .• , ~· ,. " •.. "~. ~' ¥='"!!!:~~ ,... . • • ~-· '-"- ..f • ~ 7~· . . ~ . -( ~ ~,~;-:. ·: · ~, ..,• . ·-· - ·~F,o . • .? ' ; "-z;,:.:· ··-:-. ·'~. \
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26
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Thursday, ~ptf"'tlbt'r ~2. 19~
Lesson on 'bad press' By BRIAN KIERAN
Staff Reporter WHISTLER - \Vhcn the Socred caucus met privately yesterda} the media was the message. Secluded in this resort town's convention centre, the Socred MLAs got a lecture on the media by an ex-hack. The lowdovm on the annoying Fourth Estate was delivered bv Premier Bill Vander Zalm's media guru, Eli Sopow. Sopow, a form <.' r reporter for ThP Province and BCTV and now the Socred administration's comunication director, refused to talk bout his presentation. 'You know I no longt-r speak to :he press," he told The Tab. ' Socred insiders say Sopow and thl' Zalm's new press secretary, fan Jessop, formerly a CKNW reporter. have decided most of the premier's difficulties stem from "bad press." Under their handling, the premier has abandoned his "shootfrom-the-lip style." He refuses to give one-on-one interviews. He has quit his monthly cable TV show and is reportedly considering dropping his monthly show on CKNW. One Socred backbencher said The Tab got a "mission impossible" rating from its ex-reporter. I,; And a cabinet minister said some t of his colleagues need a lesson on ~ how to relate to the media. ~~ Another minister denied that Sopow was trying to blacklist certain news outlets.
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Editor's NoLl!- There is upset over the accusation that the Newsletter seems to be repressing certain writings. The gist of the situation concerns a letter by Don Larson and his view of p~ople in Carnegie, DERA and Crabtree . The last letter 1~as the latest in a series that included a 'report on Carnegie, letters to Strathcona C. C., City Hall, the East Ender and the last two Crabzillas. In every case, people working here and in the conununity are pictured as sheeplike followers of " 3 people who run Carnegie~'! In each Don Larson gives a lopsided opinion and tries to ma ke it read like the " truth." Underlying all is the monotonous repetition of "I am the Founder and Organizer of C.R.A.B. " The Carnegie Newsletter is a gem in the Downto1ro Eastside . Carnegie itself is one of th<.' brightest star s in the world. The people here- that's us- are not perfect, but an ongoing harangue of misinformation and discounting o t hers ' 1vork takes us all away from spiritual progress and social change and keeps us at each others ' throats . Politicians and power-brokers, who might actually be in the D.E . one<.' a year, must love this kind of internecine bickering. They have a much easier Lime ramrodding their development plans through levels of government when those opposed - us, again - are caugh t up in petty, mundane crud like this . It ' s also much easier t o be a saint or a martyr if you can convince people that you are being oppressed or repressed; or if someone like me writes something do~m , t o take the t~ords and \vail self-righteously that they aren ' t correct/true/even in the right order. Lat,ryers do t his and make a mockery of justice. The Carnegie :\e~Vsletter is a forum for the neighbourhood ' s ideas and a medium for examples of our individua: and collective spiritual evolution. It isn ' t a place ~Vhere anyone can puke on paper and make others smell 1t. PAULR
TAYLOR
I went by the House or Deva Vu Mach Two ... on East First & Clark 50 years of river washing under my bridges Bridges across the Hellespont. the Rubicon. the Po -especially the Po Smell of swamp water bearing fever even now in the Second Mile Bach there before the bridge Lazy and hazy East Van Cappuccino on the Drive Soccer in the Stands -Mar/ina & San/as Grappa at Roma Hall Those cool austere rooms of the Sicilians when I was Madonna in the nineteen sixties Before the Beastly Electric Before the scent of new moon grass! Afghani hash guaranteed to get you there Kelowna Red on our tongues Rabbit Creek Gold we planted in Texas! Brush cuts in the 'burbs Classy Classic cars 'guaranteed to pick up chicks' "Draggin' a Skirt to the Brawl" KafTee klatched in rollers & mumus the tinkle of glass.. weird chemicals Sherry in the P.M. pre-din din a cocktail or two ivory on the cigarette holders Basic black and rhinestones or pearls Silver set with abalone from Mexico ... The Black Swan where soup was 25 cents -good hearty German soup Cilanis and Goulois cigarette smoke blueing the air Sour cherries and Kirsch crumble Ice cubes tinkle in the newly minted sunshine C hocolate parfait at the Mozart Cafe Gardens lush and everywhere sparkle and shine -silver on the grass! Engraved from the past of Lunenburg County Hanover all over again Mahler One played by the visiting students Busking on Spring Garden Road. Plums turning purple and soft Ripe for jam and jelly Smell of pickles: Dutch and dill Smoked salmon and sauerkraut from the Island No vehicle license required ... Autumnal rhymes almost over- slow -
A little tired and bitten by the bugs Cabbage butterflies, army worms, Caterpillars- orange inside, ugh! Munch & crunch their way through July & August Cinnamon in the pumpkin pie rolls Nutmeg in the ratatouille Partridge berries, winter apples, hearth fire, furs, Christmas Finis Wilhelmina
Hi to share the excellent news! II you recall, I sent an email onto you about one of our Green tenants, Michael, who although he is severely disabled, wanted to ride his tricycle in the Enbridge Ride to Conquer Cancer. He had to raise $3,000 to participate in the ride, and needed sponsors. And thanks to your support, and the s upport from some Urban Core agencies, Michael raised almost $3,000 ($39) short, but was still able to ride in the two day marathon to fundraise for cancer research! The attached picture is him at the last checkpoint before crossing the finish line! And cross it he did! He is so excited and so grateful to everyone for their sup路 port! He has been offered a space at next year's ride! During the ride, he was truly inspirational to a numbe ofpeopl!!, and was featured on a Kelowna radio sho\\ Thank you for helping him! And special thanks to First United Church for your awesome support! He couldn't had done it without you!!! Karen
lr. Joe Wii/Kii/Ya ~ack cast in the Kootenays they got one 1e masquerades as a doctor. addictions no less ocals call him Dr Joe \VillKiiiYa; he likes o see people suffer.. gives him a rush .vouldn"t gh路e me a pain pill even tho had 2 broken wrists, broken ann. 12 stitches put the screws to one of his helper bitches 路cause she wrote for 6 whole Percoset got himsel r incensed at her, made her sign a legal document promising not to prescribe any narcotics to his little Methadone slaves gave her supreme shit. called me a con 'cause it hurt just a bit finally I just quit, Dr Farm home or somcthin' or other had to stop and wonder. what compelled this creep ever to get his methadone license in the first place?
She hadda clean up his mess after he left infection ran rampant to the point nearl) lost my right arm to the infection he let run loose, cost me 8 weeks tied to an IV pump, saved my life same life he didn'tthink worthy of saving he was off in Totino playing hip young MD like it was a club only he could belong to. Now you know it's illegal to threaten, even promise to say what comes around goes around 'specially in a small town never know when the axe comes down which one of his victims'll come back some sunny summer day to settle some scores and start a few fires B. Redi
FIGHTBACK! First they carne for the people on welfare, and 1 did not speak out because 1 was not poor; Then they came for employment cquit), and 1did not speak out because I was not a member of a minority; Then they came for health care, and 1 did not speak out because I was not sick; Then they came for education, and 1did not speak out because I have no children; Then they came for pensions, and 1 did not speak out because I was still young;
Then they came for my union contract, and 1 did not speak out because I didn't think I needed my union; Finally, they came for me, and there was no one left to speak out.
So speak out BCGEU I before it's too late!
LLOYD
Wheels on the Bus Go Round and Round
The children-care machine (responsible for wholesale kidnapping of (now) 3 generations of Cree children) preferred my wacky sister-in-law over Lloyd's own grandma. It gave power to a witch who would later marry Lloyd's aunt. denying any concern that Lloyd's real kin had for him. ~he sent back any gifts Grandma sent, denied and d1s~bused ~loyd ~fan~· real family so he would grow up m a wh1te family w1th more lies than the Grand Trunk has tracks. Na_turally the teenage years drew Lloyd to the IP family and he ended up in jail.. surprise!d(?) Lloyd, they lied to you from the word go, the first hello. No wonder you hate us all now. I'm the uncle you ~ever knew. I was just as brown, just as guilty g_rowmg up with Gary on Vaughn Street.. the criminal s1de of a shady bunch. You~ white father thinks of you; this is, 1 know, hard to beheve. I grew up with all your relations in Knowles. in Porta_ge; and now they say you can never go back. _ why 111 hell would you want to?!
Circular my existence is going round the dial all the while wondering what I'm supposed to learn on yet another turn of the wheel of time penance for some crime? some point that I'm forced to learn before yet another bridge burns I am supposed to find out some truth be of some use, create some kind of truce keep going thru these phases in all the same different places change my looks change my faces only I don't know why maybe if there's time God' II tell me difference between reality c>nrl I he lies maybe one day I'll understand growing from a boy to a man stranger to a friend someone real, no need to preter maybe someday maybe undersl who I am ~ AILoewen
• WAR There's a war going on war on poverty is killing me war on drugs is killing us all from 300,000 in jail in 1983 grown to 3 mill ion today and 3 strikes you're out, Iotta people not here today safely locked away fo rever and a day6 war on the poor leaves us shivering in the snow nowhere to go and you better hide or police take you for a ride only you might not make it back your "suicide" unfortunate oh well, oh well another loser lost on the trail won't be needing to make bail no more room lefi in the jail mother's looking pale
' at the news about what cops really-do to little sister, lit1le brother them and me and you war just keeps going strong get us al l. won't be long so don't tell me no one told you you got to be a soulja look after your soul ya ' fore they get you for they take you, make you pay the ultimate price better open your eyes don't think twice Ray Brown
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-If one's education fails to enlarge our hearts increase our compassion instill a great curiosity a hunger for the truth then all our "learning" has been wasted time disappointed energy wastec if free speech fails to allow the discussion of provocative ideas, give vent to emotional realities and factual possibilities then our "democracy" mea nothing if you are judged, juried an dealt with harshly because of ideas you broke then there is no such thing as freedom AI Loewen
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http:J!e arne gie.vc:n.b c.cainews letter http:f.lha JVesto.s .sfu.ca.lc hodarr Jenny Wal Ching Kwan MLA WoRKING FOR YOU
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[Puttl.VI-0 [.~~~,a U~llersl.tl::Jjo b postl.VI-0 l.s UI'UA.Suat. The rate of 1-tfV l.wfectl.o~~~, l.s hl.gher [.~~~, the !>OWV~,tOWV~, e;astsl.cje tha~~~, a~~~,!::jwhere eLse[.~~~, the wester~~~, w orLcj, so thl.s prograw.. or whatever l.t ts s houLtl heLp] The Community Education Program at Simon Fraser University invites applications for Tutor/Classroom Facilitator for Certificate in Community Capacity Building The Community Education Program is seeking 2 part-time classroom facilitators/tutors to work with 30 learners in the pilot offering of the Certificate in Community Capacity Building. Position provides support to the instructor in preparing appropriate lesson plans, resources and classroom set-up; facilitates small-group work in class; works one-on-one with learners to assist them with class projects and assignments and reaching personal learning goals, specifically related to community capacity building, and HIV and other health content; helps to enact pre-planned conflict resolution strategies in the classroom when conflict arises; and generally supports learners who have diverse' literacy and essential skill levels. The position also assists the instructor and project manager in liaising with community-based project coordinators regarding learners, keeps accurate records and files with regards to all tutoring sessions , meetings and classes, and keeps regular reflective field notes on the program that will be used for project evaluation. Background The successful applicants will support learners as they work through a 26-week curriculum. The curriculum is framed around identifying, planning , implementing and evaluating a community project that captures something the learner feels passionately about in the area of HIV, social determinants of health, and community literacy. Learners will be recruiled and selected by staff at collaborating community agencies. These agencies work primarily with members and clients who experience vulnerability to HIV for a variety of reasons. Learners will have some experience or a strong interest in community leadership and will likely have experience in peer training programs. They will be supported with bus tickets, food on class days, money for child care, a small financial stipend, regular meetings with a community-based support person, and a supportive learning environment, which the successful applicants will play a significant role in creating. Qualifications Formal tutor and/or facilitation training at a recognized post secondary or training institution required . Certification an asset. An undergraduate degree in Adult Education, Social Work, or a related field, or an equivalent m i xtur~ of education and experience. At least three years experience and high comfort level working both one-on-one and in group environments with adult learners who experience multiple barriers to participating in university education. This includes active injecting drug users, learners with mental illness, street-entrenched youth , and sex workers , as well as lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer, transgender and two spirited people, Aboriginal learners, people with low-incomes, women, and people who are HIV positive. Strong understanding of the varied and complex issues and strengths that learners with these experiences may bring to the classroom. Strong understanding of and experience using a strengths-based education approach and a belief in the potential of community capacity building. Ability to build relationships and bridges across difference in a non-judgmental, respectful manner. Ability to exercise sensitivity to, and to assist in creating an environment that is inclusive of and safe for people with diverse genders, races, ethnicities, sexualities , abilities, faiths and socio-economic backgrounds. • Basic proficiency in Microsoft Office and use of Internet. Excellent interpersonal, oral and written communication skills. • Excellent organizational skills. • Ability to exercise mature judgment and initiative. • Ability to establish and maintain effective working relations with community representatives. Ability to work independently and as a member of a team. Ability to give respectful and constructive feedback. Excellent proofreading and editing skills. Ability to work off-campus (in the community) .
Position start date: August 29, 2011 . . Position end date: March 30, 2012. Please note this is a part-time contract, conststmg of 24 hours per week. The contract includes 2 weeks of paid training and orientation, 27 weeks of classes (including a paid week of Christmas closure) and 2 weeks of debrief, including working with project evaluators. . Hours are Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, 10:30am - Spm (includes a % hour unpaid break) . Thts time includes some prep time, attending classes (1 pm- 4pm), leadtng group tuton_als, and one-on-one tutoring hours. Some reasonable fle xibility in hours and work locatton may be req utred . Salary: $1248 bi-weekly plus 8% pay in lieu of vacation. Location: SFU Harbour Centre in downtown Vancouver. Please send a detailed cover letter and resume by 5:00pm, Sunday July 24~ to communityed@fsfu.ca addressed to the attention of Shanthi Besso, Program Coordinator. In the subject /me please mdtcate . . . 'Tutor/Classroom Facilitator position, (Applicant name)". All application information must be included in the body of the email or combmed mto 1 attachment (Mtcrosoft Word document preferred). Tl1is should include the cover letter, a detailed resume an? any other r~l:vant . documents. Do not send separate attachments for each document. We thank all appltcants for thetr mterest,
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[w x h) 1 page (17cm x 21cm) $100 Ads may be submitted by band or email to carnnews@sbaw.ca The Carnegie Newsletter reserves the right to edit content if necessary. Publications Policy: #8 No political pamphlets, tracts, advertising or contributions from political parties or people seeking election will be published during an election period. However, politicians are free to utilise th newsletter outside of these periods to indicate what they are do ing for our community and readers are free to respond with their views. The Carnegie Newsletter is a 16-28 page, twice-monthly publication with 1200 copies per issue and a readership of likely twice that Depending on how much easier stereotypes make your perceptions of this community, contents are "By, For and About the Bad and Dishonest people of the Downtown Eastside." This description is to counter an uninformed declaration that "all that's needed to ' revitalise' that area are good, honest people." Contents, in the form of articles, writing, poetry, locally-produced art and some graphic input, cover all manner of life and living in Canada's poorest postal code. Issues include poverty, housing, homelessness, the drug trade, sex trade, "free" trade, safe injection sites, health and lifestyles possible on welfare, women - murdered, missing, v iolence against, children- drug mules or forced prostitution, play&r:~;pris and possibilitit;s in our community, gentrification, treatment re alcoholism, addiction, despair, the d7," jtutionalization of mental 1 health consumers & and of course much more. '
HEY!!!TheAugu st 15,2011 ed itio nofthe Carnegie Newsletter w ill mark this paper's 25m : Anni versary. • An event will take place on Sunday, August 21 ", from 2- 4pm in Carnegie's Theatre to ce lebrate & see what's been done a nd what this publ ication has meant and contributed to the Downtown Eastside. As always it's free and everyone is invited. Donations accepted!
CARNEGIE CENTRE N EW~LETTER 25 YEAR BIRTHDAY (via Brainslorm, stream ofconsciousness(!)) Twenty-five years, ongoing and counti ng, timeless for sure .. no doubt. Contributors - thousands; cc;mtributors always the same. Paul Taylor, Tora, Cuba, Sam Roddan Diane Wood, Bud Osborn, Robert McGillivray, [Robyn Livingstone], Sandy Cameron, Jean Swanson ... legendary al l. .. j ust to name a few. Betcha you know some, probably seen them; Wendy Pedersen, Rika, both Dans. Many more that you've chatted with or just seen around The Cam egie Newsletter, on which you can always rely: accuracy and fac ts and truths 'cause that's as it ought to and should be. Whether knocking high-falluti n' politicians, captains o industries, kings and queens ofT thei r high horses o r bet ter, out of their so-called ivory towers, stripped ofthei[ arrogant anonymity and their asses exposed for abuses
of (in their minds) absolute power.. by cartoons, covers, poems, odes, essays - The Carnegie gets the news both good and bad. ·']fit bleeds it leads! .. for sure don't go down here 'cause we got high standards, givi ng it to you straight, often times with sad, burning tears. It prints about marches & protests, events & dances, 'if no one knows call our paper' - all thanks to a constant benevolent army of forever unselfish Carnegie Centre volunteers. Read all about it! Get reading for entertainment in the Newsleller fo lks 'cause the buck stops here. You got a beef, got a rant, got a rave, got a vent ; get it printed get it published and sent out on-line to the whole wide world where you can make an exceptional impression, a contribution .. the possibi lities are endless!! You've heard it and found it first and forem ost, etched in history, all that the Camegie Ne wsletter contains and all of our unending battles, endearing, empowering and ground-breaki ng adventures and endeavours. We ain't going nowhere, anytime, we will not be moved or pushed out or abused out of our neighbourhood/community, of our Downtown Easts ide by the "powers that be" whoever they are, wherever they hide, whatever they seek. We are relentless and determined as a whole, you know, '·all for one and one for all" - we love that ancient phrase it sti ll holds a lot of water, 'cause livin' down can often be a hit-and-miss teeter-totter, making us easier targets for corrupt politicos, ruthless developers, too-rich tycoons, the list is long; and yet the Camegie Newsletter and its contributors, DTES residents relentlessly continued to protect and defend, at all costs, our heritage, history & neighbourhood for us all against the seemingly endless hordes of corruptible corporate establishment campaigners to get their way unconsidcrate of the multitudes, the majority if you wish. It's a fact -no democracy from their side of the fence, no surprisethe records say so; as the crooked cliques storm th gate. Well i've got news for them : The Carnegie Newsletter and the residents of the Downtown Eastside are gonna stick around in these parts for a long, long.... long time et while the pathetic people that oppose us all will slowly but surely fall one by one, exhausted, worn out, spent, by o ur determination, passion, and steady hearts of persistence for our chosen way long after they have gone. We Shall'Overcome. Power to the People, right on. A very happy birthday, Cam egie Newsletter, with many many more to come!!! ROBYN LIVINGSTONE
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