£8 iifitiGei BU~2020 NEWSLETTER
carnnews@vcn.bC.ca
401 Main Street Vancouver Canada V6A 2T7
CRUNCH
Irs
~ c:ltes
.
(604) 665~22B9
A ViL..lIICE To RI4ISE A PRoTEST, :tT TAIcE.s A Pl(oT£ST 10 SAVE A COHMUlliTX ~
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I
TAKE'S
UPDATE ABOUT COVID-19 The Province of BC has moved into 'Phase 3' of COVID-19. This means that while the virus is still spreading, some rules have been relaxed and many businesses that were shut can now reopen if they take steps to keep their patrons and staff safe. It is still very important
We are going to be expanding our services starting July 15 to include drop-in space and increased public washroom access at all three sites. Drop-in spaces will be accessible for. 45 minutes every hour, and space will be limited.
that you:
While the community centres will look and feel very different than prior to COVID-19, we are looking forward to seeing you again and welcoming you back into the centres.
• Wash your hands for 20 seconds on a regular basis • Cough and sneeze into a tissue or your elbow • Stay at least 2 metres apart from other people
Speak with a staff person on site or visit vancouver.ca/covid19 for more information.
• Do not meet in large groups
COMMUNITY CENTRE SERVICES Location •
Phone Number
•
~TYOF
Arts, Culture and I Community Services
VANCOUVER Gathering Place 609 Helmcken street
..
_
..
604-665-2220
604-665-2391
604-665-3075
Everyday:
Everyday:
Everyday:
9 am-8 pm
9am-8pm
9:15am-8 pm
9 am-11 am
9am-llam
10 am -12 noon
$2.00 Lunch "Ill
12noon -4 pm
12 noon-2:30 pm
1 pm-2:30
$2.00.Dinner
5 pm-8 pm
5 pm-7 pm
3 pm-5:30 pm
Daily drop off:
Mon - Fri drop off:
Free Laundry
not available
9 am-10 am. 12 noon-1 pm &3pm-4pm
9:15-10 am & 12:15noon-1 pm
Free Showers
not available
Daily sign up:
Daily between:
9 a01-5:30 pm
. 10:30 am-6 pm
Hours of Operation $2.00 Breakfast
Washrooms
Drop in Space
pm
9 am -11 am, 12 noon -4 pm & 5 pm-7:30 pm
9 am-7:30 pm
9:15am - 7:30 pm
9 am -11 am, 12 noon - 4 pm & 5'pm-7:45 pm
9 am- 2:30 pm & 3:30 pm-7:45 pm
9:15am - 12 noon, 1 pm - 4 pm & 5 pm - 7:45 pm
CARNEGIE COMMUNITY ACTION PROJECT 11J[j)ll1BHÂą~fJ~ij~t~J ~~11
ER
WSLE JULY 2020
A BRIEF
Tne area
HISTORY
OF
CRAB
PARK
now known as CRAB Park is on the unceded, ancestral, traditional
the x ill;J6J.cw;;lY;lffi(Musqueam), Skwx, wri'Zmesh (SquamishJ and dilw;;lta?1 W
territories
of
(Tsleil-Waututh) Nations.
Long
before
it
was
CRAB
Park, numerous
historic First
fishing and camp sites were located all along the south shore of around today's False Creek Flats. The
salmon, herring,
sites of Luk'iuk'i and Kumkumalay.located as meeting
and fishing
seen in great numbers view
of the North
Prior to colonial
smelt and crab fishing
settlements,
used
Orcas and Grey whales were
when Vancouver was first incorporated from
Burrard Inlet and
near today's CRAB Park, were
places for thousands.
Shore Mountains
Nations
the City Wharf
in 1886 and the
were
unobstructed.
the area was known as "Grove of Beautiful Trees."
CRAB Park has a bird marsh, which is home to close to 30 bird species including the blue heron. The stretch that is now Parking Lot 5 was a spawning rock sole fish, Pacific' herring, was an important within
smelt,
place for juvenile
Pacific sand lance, and other salmon
migration
and feeding.
area for fish, and Located
Area 28-11 of the DFO (Fisheries and Oceans Canada), it is a Rockfish
Conservation
area, and is designated
an important
habitat
for pacific
salmon.
T H¡E F 0 UNO A T ION Born out of Downtown
0 FeR
A B PAR K :
Eastside Organizing
Efforts
In 1982, a group of Downtown Eastside (DTES)organizers formed the Create A Real Available Beach (CRAB)Committee. They advocated for the creation of a park in the DTES,a neighborhood that lacks park space, on vacant land on the North end of Main Street owned by the Federal government and
leased to
the
Vancouver
Fraser Port
Authority.
In 1984{ the CRAB Committee set up a tent city with 60 . tents, where protestors stayed for 75 days to demand the creation of a park. In 1987, after a five-year campaign,
•
organizing efforts finally paid off, and a park was created.
In
1997,
a
Murdered
memorial
boulder
Indigenous.
commissioned
and
Women placed
Today, CRAB Park is the central waterfront
only
for-
Missing
and
and
Girls
was
in
park
CRAB
on
Park.
Vancouver's
area, and is one of few parks in the
DTES. The original CRAB Committee has been renamed to the CRAB Water for Life Society, and they oversee CRAB Park.. The park marks a victory in the fight for the .creation of spaces of belonging for residents of the DTES.
About 600 people attended the 2nd Annual DTES Indigenous
Centre and the SROCollaborative
Day Salmon BBQ and First Nations Day of Well ness on Sunday
The event was proudly hosted and Med by Erica Grant and
June 2'1 st in CRAB Park.
Erica's Downtown Eastside Response Team.
and TORO.
Music was provided by Curtis Clearsky and the Constellations and an open mic. Guests enjoyed a volunteer-run snacks, bannock,
a community
potluck,
salmon BBQ
speakers and free
overdose response training.
Larna's article about street checks:
Partidpatinq
https:/lthemainlander.com/2020t07/08/vancouver-city-
groups included:
Drinkers Lounge, Aboriginal
Front Door, Culture Saves Lives,
Antioch Church, Western Aboriginal Hope
Society, Vancouver
Harm Reduction, Serious
Aboriginal
Community
Policing
council-can-and-should-end-police-street-checksl
.
BCCLA open letter about street checks: '
https:! /bcd a.orq/ou r_work/street jch ecks_ open_I etterl
"Thank. you
(0
everyone
who attended, and the volunteers and donors who made tt possible! Seeyou
nexr year!
"
o
DISPLACEMENT
I-
AND
P 0 Lie -E V I 0 L E NeE : Over 100 residents were violently displaced from CRAB Park tent city on June 16th. For some, this was the second eviction in two months, following the forced closure of Oppenhelmer Park.
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"
"By raiding a peaceful encampment
Vancouver Police and no presence from danger was created, not prevented,"
or coordination
"Once again, dangerous state sanctioned
Camp KT residents forced
evictions
of poverty say
the
Indigenous
demand
and
the
to
criminalization
and homelessness. encampment
peoples.
an end
Residents
provides
respite
from tile mental, physical, emotional
with housing providers,
stated Grand Chief Srewart Phi/lip, President of
the Union of BC Indian Chiefs ln an open letterobout
poor and homeless
at dawn with dozens of armed
the Crab Park enforced injunction,
violence wcs needlessly perpetrated This conduct
is absolutely
The encampment
against
deplorable."
is a safer
alternative
in the absence of housing, and provides security and community
in the -midst of a
homelessness crisis and health pandemic.
and
psychological toll of moving every single day.
In a 2018
"Having to set up every day is exhausting
professors
anq time consuming.
Gagnon stated, "residents of tent cities have
100
I work
really hard
open
health
letter
signed
protesstonals.
Bernie
Pauly
by over
UVi(:
nursing
and
Marilou
to get ahead -- and they come and take it
repeatedly claimed that living in tent cities,
away. We need a place where we can feel
in the absence of other acceptable options,
secure without the city devastating us on a
improves psychol<tgical and physical health
regular basis. That shouldn't be acceptable.
including community
It hurts so much when they come after us
and self-determination.
like that. There has to be a place where
that tent city residents maintain autonomy
we can be." said a CRAB Park resident.
- and self-determination and
Community
and
are broken witrt
health
connections
indignity
lives while
We must
ensure
over their
also gaining
homes
access to
health, social and public safety services."
each move or eviction.
"Homeless people are being treated with injustice,
belonging, autonomy
and
response
that meet those with lived experience where
repeated displacement is certainly stressful,
they are at because they are organized by
unhealthy and greatly disrupts connections
homeless people themselves. A "sanctioned"
with
the few health have
Millar,
been
former
and
Tent cities are a harm reduction
the
that
racism,
and social services
established."
Provincial
says John
Health
Officer.
tent
city
predicated
on
government
stakeholder input, ease of enforcement and preconceived,
stigmatizing
beliefs
-- like
the short lived- "COV1D camps" in Victoria -- .perpetuates A SAFE,
TEMPORARY
SPACE
negates
further
resident
displacement
autonomy
and
and input.
W HAT
WE
Rerur n the
land:
of Indigenous of colonial
violence.
Musqueam, city,
continued
displacement
Oppenheimer,
park
and
belong
to
CRAB Park,
the Squamish,
Ts leil-Waututh
province,
port,
We continue
to
support
construction
of
a
Indigenous
or
nations,
private
the
healing
house in the parking from
KT RESIDENTS
people on our own land is a form
and Strathcona
the
The
not
Some of us have been on the BC Housing list for 19 years and we are forced
demand
for
and
the long-
lot of CRAB park coming in
the
DTES.
home: We are not fighting
the right to be homeless to
go
the
and
need
K.T. tem
and
Parks
to
city
we are
Board
provide'
infrastruct.ure.
more
garbage
Wbile' ~e
demanding sorne
all 'residents
more he nd-washing
of
of
the
hot
water,
reapply every6 months, us homes. We demand
that BC Housing stop requiring registerevery6
applicants
months to stayeligible
to re-
for housing.
Stop policing the crisis: There is no need to evict the
the
city
tent
then
on the
criminal
first
from
CRAB park,
every
morning
streets. and
housing.
and if
that
displaced
of
are
us are sleeping.
an- end to
enforcement
us
Oppenheimer all
we
We demand
all
Some of
Park have been
months,
from
. displaced
City basic
if we have
rwice in two
sweeps
expect:
city
living at Strathcona
at
are the
statio ns, electricity
cans,
for
but we have nowhere
survive.
(0
but it does not guarantee
and A safe, temporary
DEMANDS
business.
lodge
communities.
FOR
FIGHTING
ARE CAMP
of
street
bylaws
criminalize
and
code
laws
homelessness,'
drug
illicit economies
like drug dealing and sex work.
use,
and
poveny,
informal
and
sources,
and
showers.
Healrhcare
and safe supply
for all: We demand
a safe, high quality supply of opiates, stimulants, Homes for
for
everyone
homes
for
units
everyone
social who
in
governments
construction housing
wants
fighting
B.C. We demand
and municipal
imme~ate of
BC: We are
everyone
Federal, Provincial, begin
in
on
every
10,000
year
to. be is safely
until
housed.
tobacco,
.alcohol,
products, diapers
pregnancy and
Replacement pharmacies cost.
We
without
that
We
demand
the
units
operated councils, and
we
rent
with
are
be
at
least
offered
the
control
kitchens, people
no
can
guest safely
600sq
options,
at" welfare/pension
under
where
units
that
rates, of
ft.
are
residents
El路路
supply
nutritious
of
$2000/mth
food
to
all who
whether
or
at
without
increase
-- welfare,
COVID-19 test.ing for all members communities
and
immediate
to. over
control, Hormone.
available
prescription
assistance
hygiene
birth and
medications
the
disability,
and
wipes,
Therapy'
demand
as feminine.
tests'
baby
all government We demand
as well
of
pension, and
the
need
it,
of vulnerable
not
they
have
restrictions,
symptoms ..and make sure everyone has access to
use
cleaning supplies
路drugs.
and sanitary
living conditions.
Strathcona Park is located on the unceded territory of the Squamish, Museum, and Tsleil路Waututh Rrst Nations.
â&#x20AC;˘
CRAB
PARK
RESIDENTS'
r
STATEMENT
'Residents of Camp KT tent city in Strathcona Park call for all three levels of government to pnontize safe permanent housing for all over government sanctioned tent cities, an end to Hr cycle of dsplacement through laws and- byolaws that criminalize poverty, and repatriation of unceded Indigenous land. The Indigenous-led encampment at Strathcona Park currently has 170 tents and over 180 residents, appropriately spaced apart and organized around a 24-hour sacred fire in a culturally-safe space. 'll's like a sanctuary. I can come and be at peace with the elders, organizers and p ople that help this camp;' says Da! Stonechild. Residents say the camp isa respite from daily debilitating displacement from streets, shelters and doorways. "The water spirit guided us to the trees. Alltrees are one-legged creatures and there is an eagle's n st there to watch over all of us that stay there and help us grow. This is a new community!' - Eagle Littieboy, (amp KTnreke per. . Camp KT residents demand housing for ever/one --. not just the most visib! horn s., less people living in encampments. Only a fraction of the over 7,500 horn less people in BC were housed through recent provincial safety orders in Vancouver and Victoria. Many residents have been on BCHousing "waitflsts" for years, with no end in sight "1got on BC housing list when my daughter was one ~ear old and I got a caltwhen sh was 19 yearsold:' saysJohn, a tent city resident. Evicting people from tent cities to nowhere targeting tent citi s for stockpiled housing that pushes other people farther down the list, and government-run, state nforced "camps" sre not a proprlate options -- the focus should remain on adequate, permanent housing. The provincial encampment guidelines presented at a Homelessness Services Association of BC panel on June 24th refer to tent cities as a "complex health problem," rather than as a fixable social and economic issue of poverty and homelessness. Framing tent cities as a health problem rather than a lack of t1Ccessible housing problem invites stigma, pathofogization of the poor end more 'experts' ahd specialists, instead of focusing on building permanent' t10using as the immediate, possible solution .to horrelessness.
Jason
a resident at CRAB. and Strathcona
tent cities, said that the result of provm-
cial guidelines will be to set up outdoor "ghettos" rath r than help people get off the streets.
CARNEGIE PRO·J
COMMUNITY E C T I 1-1 : 1 5
ACTION AM EVERY FRIDAY
The Carnegie Corrirn urttty Action Project (CCAP) is a project of the board of the Carnegie Co rnrru.m ity Centre Association. CCAP vvor ks m ost ly on h ous rrrq, tn corn e, and land Lre issues in the Dovvrrtovvri Easrs id e tOTES) of Vancouver so that the area can rernern a low tn corrie friendly co rnrn uritty. CCAP works vvit h english speaking and Chinese speaking DTES residents in speaking out on their own be half for the change: they w ou ld like to see in their neighbourhood. Join us on Fridays 11:15 arn for our '.·veekly volunteer nleetlngs! Do vvritown Eaststcle residents'. lho wai t to vvor k on getting better housing and tnc orries and stop genuincation are we+corrie to attend. Lunch is provided!
I
CHINATOWN CONCERN GROUP
J@fAfiJ~5:E*J3.
chinaro·.·... nconcerngroup@gmail.con,
I d-,lnatovoJnconcerngroup.wordpress.com .
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CONTACT
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Office: 2nd floor of the Carnegie, 401 IVlain Street. Vancouver Phone: 604-665-2105 Erriatl: inro'<!'Jca rne qte act tori .org vve b stte: www.c arne qte ac ttori.orq
Libraries are Opening The Vancouver Public Library is doing a paced reopening, with 5 branches having hou~s fo~ people to come in (albeit briefly). Central, Britannia, Renfrew, Kitsilano and South Hill are listed and the hours are uniform for all sites: Sunday and Monday closed; Tuesday and Thursday Ipm to 8pm Wednesday, Friday & Saturday Ham to 6pm These branches following are operating for picking up material only, so you have to call first: Schedule pickup: 604.331.3670 Champlain Heights 1604.665.3955 Dunbar 1604.665.3968 FirehallI604.665.3970 Hastings 1604.665.3959 Kensington 1604.665.3961
The Powell Street Festival is going to be a 5-hour telethon this year. Fromtheir newsletter: . . "100% of the Telethon proceeds will fund our When all libraries closed many people had books, new PowellStFest Community Kitchen that will DVDs and CDs on loan and have likely watched & service the Downtown Eastside neighbourhood. listened & even read stuff several times while waiting This initiative is an addition to our DTES Comfor branches to reopen. Ten sites now have open Book munity Care Program, a suite of social justi~e I:>roDrops, accepting returns between lOam & 5PI? Tuesgrams including Hanami Che~ l?lossom Picnic, day through Saturday. They are the same ten listed Minori Harvest, and the Asahi Tnbute Game. above. These programs provide meaningful connections to Paueru Gai and aims to raise awareness of JapThe remaining 11 branches are closed with no seranese Canadian history and culture while creating vices until at least September. They include: inclusive, capacity-building experiences that fosCamegie*;Collingwood*, Fraserview; Joe Fo~es *i ter economic and social equity for everyone. Kerrisdale; Marpole *; Mount Pleasant * Oakndge Through our practice of social justice through art n~ca{mat et ~trathcona *; Terry Salman * and culture we honour our heritage while seeking West Point Grey to be accountable as settler-eo Ionizers on the un* Holds inactive until Sept 8 ceded territories of the Tsleil- Waututh, Squamish, Britannia and the Central libraries have computers and Musqueam peoples. . with the usual rules on how long one can use them The money raised during the Telethon will allow and any other COVID-19 restrictions. Masks or other us to establish our own Community Kitchen to face-coverings are likely required but that's a small help advance food sovereignty, skills development price to pay. andjob creation, and community building in the Powell Street neighbourhood." go to powellstreetfestival.com
In Memory Joi;lV)V)yJaworski Writer,
singer, Learning
Centre volunteer,
Our good friend, Johnny, corner
of Strathcona
as we honour
fri'end
passed away in June, 2020. There will be a small gathering
Park on Thursday, July
zs=
in the southwest
at 3pm. Please observe the social distancing
practises
our friend ..
5th'Annual SANDY CAMERON MEMORIAL WRITING CONTEST The talents and resourcefulness of Downtown Eastside writers and poets, regardless of where you reside, are extraordinary. Please consider sharing your work with others through this event. Categories fpoetry and non-fiction essay will have cash prizes, given at a special event during the Heart of the City Festival in November. For contest guidelines and entry form, either pick up an envelope at the Food Service window on Carnegie's 1st floor or email camnews@shaw.ca for a virtual copy. Dead' e for entry is noon, September 15, 2020