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SLETTER 路 il01 Main Street, Vancouver VSA 2T7 (604) 665-2289
JULY 1, 2007 carnnews@vcn.bc.ca www .carnnews.org
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Working together to end homelessness. Aboriginal peoples have known for millennia that cooperation is as necessary as each individual part to make any structure strong.
Rich Coleman's new strategy for the Downtown Eastside Provincial Housing Minister Rich Coleman says the eventual answer for homeless people in the Downtown Eastside is to move them out to another B.C. community. ( 1) Get them out of sight. Remove them so the take over of an old, low income community by profit-driven speculation in land can proceed smoothly. Dump them somewhere else so Vancouver will look like a world class city during the Winter Olympics in 2010. Getting rid of poor people so others can get richer is not a new idea. Do you remember Expo' 86? A World's Fair came to Vancouver to cele. brate the city's 100th birthday. In anticipation of the tourist invasion, over 500 tenants were evicted ' ·~ from Downtown Eastside hotels in the spring of 1986. Owners renovated the rooms and increased rents. Another 1000 to 1500 lodging house rooms were switched from monthly rental to tourist rental status. After all, "the world runs by greed," Michael Walker of the Fraser Institute said, and he added that displaced tenants (homeless people) would "save everyone a lot of trouble if they were all put on buses to the Kootenays." (2) . . Downtown Eastside residents have been hvmg with the stress of gentrification for a long time. When Senator Larry Campbell was Vancouver's coroner in 1995, he said that the stress people were under was too much for many to bear, and that was one of the reasons why there were so many deaths in the Downtown Eastside. (3) As early as 1985, Jim Green, who was an organizer at DERA from 1981 to 1991, said, "It's recognized by just about everyone in the Downtown Eastside that we have a housing crisis in this area that's been going on for years, and we need thousands more units of social housing in order to stabilize our neighbourhood." {Carnegie Crescent, October, 1985) One old timer expressed the fear that troubles many Downtown Eastside residents when he said, "One day they're going to come down here.with a bunch of army trucks, and ship us all out to the sticks like P.O.W.'s." The Nazis faced the problem of unwanted people in their visionary Third Reich. Jews, gypsies, gays, and people with physical and mental disabilities spoiled the racist vision ofNazi super-
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men. The Nazis decided to move the unwanted people out, as Mr. Coleman would like to m?ve out homeless people in the Downtown Eaststde. At one stage, the Nazi plan was to move all the Jews in Germany to Madagascar, but it was decided that such a plan was too expensive. The technocrats found that the most cost-effective way to get rid of unwanted people was to kill them. ( 4) Mr. Coleman hasn't reached that stage yet, but the pattern of his thinking is totalitarian and therefore extremely dangerous. You can't push people around as though they were inanimate objects, and you can't threaten other communities if they refuse to take the people you are trying to get rid of. Mr. Coleman should resign as Minister of Housing. His new strategy for the Downtown Eastside is unacceptable in a democratic country. If he won't resign, the Premier should fire him. Sandy Cameron {1) "Coleman touts new strategy for Downtown .E~.sts~de sending homeless to other parts of B.C. a poss1b1hty. by John Bermingham, The Province, June 24, 2007. (2) "Economist backs busing evictees," by Terry Glavin, Vancouver Sun, April 23, 1986. (3) "Woodward's a cornerstone of threatened Downtown Eastside community," by Bud Osborn, Christian Info News, November, 1995. (4) Modernity and Holocaust, by Zygmunt Bauman, Come// University Press, 1989.
Connie Fogal comments on the Death of Social Housing
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Social housing is one of those wonderful mixed economy solutions that Canada produced post WW2 whi le governments were reeling with the demand for housing for their returning soldiers. For a few decades after WW2 our governments responded well, utilizing tools at its disposal to address the needs and demands of politically savvy constituents. Housing was seen to be an essential entitlement. Governments prided themselves on ways to help people get housed in financing schemes that the private sector could not meet. The best tool was the Bank of Canada from which money then was and still now can be accessed by the federal or provincial governments at a low or no interest rate. It was the practice of borrowing from the Bank of Canada after WW2 that provided housing for soldiers, built highways and schools, and infrastructure like subways and seaways. People were politicized. If their government could send them off to foreign lands to die, then the same government had the duty to provide for those who had sacrificed their lives or health, as well as to provide for their families, and to provide for those who sacrificed at home for the war industry . . The attitude was the same in all of the western world. Citizens expected and demanded that government exists to take care of the people and to provide a way of living that made it possible for people to go to school, be healthy, get jobs, and to prosper. By the mid 1970's the bankers in Canada were frothing at the mouth, demanding an end to the use of the Bank of Canada which, incidentally, never provided more than 25% of our needs at the best of times. The private banks always had a corner on the market. The big banking families operated the money systems of the world and funded the industry of the world. These famil ies always had a lot of power and influence over governments funding many of their campaigns and choosing their leaders. They still do. The financial/ corporate elite still have their private meetings planning the restructuring of the world
to feed their greed. By the mid I 970's, people were beginning to forget their own power and were succumbing to the pressure of the globalizers who were telling us that the world needed to be privatized for our "own good", but really it was for their profit. Globalization or corporatization is the transfer of the power and wealth of the world into the hands of fewer and fewer people, a global elite. In Canada the legal instrument which really propelled us into that process was the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) entered between Canada and the USA in 1987, followed by the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) a few years later which included Mexico. The corporate elite of Canada (called the Canadian Council of Chief Executives (CCCE)) brag about their ongoing pressure over the years that propelled our government to accept the FTA and NAFTA NAFTA expanded on the FTA to permit corporations to sue a country directly for any action which affected their current or future profits. Corporations can sue any host country for millions to ~ •
billions of dollars if said country changes its labour, environmental, land use and other laws that reduce profits of the foreign investor. Why do our governments no longer fund adequate housing for anyone, including the poor? Housing is a "land use" issue. Governments can now be sued if they provide housing that competes with the private sector. So-called Public-Private Partnership arrangements even give public money to private developers and speculators. We must get out of the FTA and NAFTA. All we have to do is give 6 months notice. But, the Liberals, Conservatives, BQ ,NDP and the Greens
refuse to路 give notice. They refuse to say no to developers. Why? 1., They now fear their government will be sued for lots of money. 2. Their ideology now is to serve the elite, not the people. 3. Their own greed. After their term of office is complete they are rewarded with cushy profitable positions in corporate boardrooms and do very nicely thank you very much. No sleeping on the street s for them. The Canadian Action Party says :1 )Get out of FTA and NAFTA. Give the 6 months notice now. 2) Get back to the use of the Bank of Canada to supply the money needed. 3) Restore the power to the people. : The really bad news is TILMA, The Trade and Investment Labour Mobility Agreement , entered 路 by Gordon Campbell and Ralph Klein, Premier of BC & Alberta in March of 2006, went into effect ' in April of2007. That agreement filled in holes ' left in NAFTA. We heard no warnings or any storm from the NDP or the Greens for the whole year preceding the agreement until only weeks before it took effect. After the fact the NDP whine ' that the matter was not permitted debate. But why did the NDP not raise a fight during that year? Nor do the Greens to this day. Why? They are all too comfortable with their tea and crumpets, and their fat pensions, and pay raises. Not for them the hungry belly, or cold cement, or mind and soul numbing, illicit drug relief! Connie Fogal, Leader, Canadian Action Party
Under TILMA, even measures designed to protect the environment and housing are vulnerable to _路attack from corporate lawsuits with compensation 'penalties as high as $5-million. This quote from Caeli Frampton of Council of ; Can~dian {604-688-8846). ...... __ -- --- .. - ..
---...... We cherish the right to express ourselves freely. That's what helps us maintain our liberties and our dignity. As the sign near the door of the Carnegie Theatre says, To have no voice is to have no power. If we lived alone on a desert island, we could say whatever we want, whenever we want. Nobody would hear us, and nobody would be affected by what we say. But we're not hermits. We live among other people, in a community. What we say has consequences for others. Nobody would defend someone's right to falsely cry "Fire)) in a crowded theatre. Think of the panic it would cause. It would be just too harmful to too many people. And even the bad old.establishment news media recognize there are limits on what they can say. It's the law. They have to take care to print only verifiable facts about people; they know only too well they can be sued for libel and have to pay out large sums of money if they cross the line. Even if they just allow or quote someone else who makes a libelous statement, they are legally responsible. And even if they pretend to not name the victim, that doesn't protect them. If the victim is identifiable, then they are jusJ as liable. / The news media are required to take legal responsibility for what they publish or broadcast. Their name and address is public. If you don't like what they say, you know who to sue. They don't hide behind anonymous masks." When you're anonymous, there' s a greater temptation to be reckless and irresponsible. Anonymous accusations based on unidentified sources are a hallmark of a totalitarian system. The Carnegie community has always held strong views in favour of free speech. But that doesn't mean we can say anything that comes into our
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head. We also want to maintain a safe andrespectful atmosphere, so people are comfortable here and feel it's their sanctuary. The Carnegie Code of Conduct specifically bars language that is "abusive, threatening, derogatory or vulgar." If you verbally abuse somebody or call them names -even if you pretend not to identify your victim you can be required to cool your heels outside the building for a specified period of time.
Carnegie
Located on the DTES, once called Skidrow but not anymore, we're a community Thriving to live, we'll take what ever you can give People visit the Centre everyday to visit a friend or just say Hey A beautiful building with a bit of a tattered past First a donation and then a library came just as fast. Old Mr. Carnegie must have foreseen that this place would be the place within his dream
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The spiral staircase enters my mind as many characters circle her around They step up and down, until the top This roof supports the community And there's the editorial policy of the Carnegie Newsletter. It is something that has been worked out over years of hard experience. You cannot use the Newsletter to attack anyone personally. Nor can you publish anything that is racist, derogatory, or discriminatory of individuals or groups. These are common-sense rules for living i.n a community. Getting along with people means compromise. That's what makes Carnegie the dynamic and welcoming place it is. By Bob Sarti
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I only need to enter the door to see a friend There are so many opportunities for those who attend. Theres food and coffee and even a smile Hell, why don't you visit and stay awhile Enjoy the view thru the stained glass windows The walls will soften the blows from the Downtown Eastside. By Jackie Humber
Oppenheimer Park Committee contacted the City of Vancouver and Park Board during the Capital Planning process of 2005 requesting Oppenheimer Park be considered for redevelopment in the 2006-2008 Capital Plan. This groups' interest is to understand the needs of all the current user groups, to examine design programming, and consider options for redeveloping the existing field house and park. ·
YOU ARE ALL INVITED TO THE OPPENHEIMER PARK AND FIELDHOUSE IDEAS WORKSHOP
Thursday, JULY 12th 2 - 4pm. Oppenheimer Your Ideas Do Matter Coffee/ tea provided.
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News from the Library Summer Reading Club Why Should Kids Have All the Fun? This summer, join Carnegie's Adult Summer Reading Club. Read a lot or read a little. Read in English or in Chinese or in any other language. This is the perfect book club if you don't like commitment no meetings, no obligations, no cost. The Summer Reading Club runs from July 3 to August 12. Each week there are prizes to be won, · games to play and books to read. And if you come closest to guessing the number of jellybeans in the jar above the front desk, you'll win the jar, jelly beans and all! Register at the front desk any time!
Leary was extraordinary in life, but my favourite Leary story happened after his death. Most of his ashes were distributed among his friends and mixed with gold dust, to appear more da:?.zli ng when scattered. But in April 1997, in keeping with his wishes, a small part of Timothy Leary was launched into space. Part of Timothy Leary now orbits the earth; he passes overhead every 96 minutes. Paradigm Wars: Indigenous Peoples' Resistance to Globalization (305.8) gives first-hand repotis of the resistance of the world's native peoples to global corporations that seek the last forests, oil and minerals to feed their unsustainable growth. The book includes chapters on theft of sacred ceremonial objects from First Nations in British Columbia, the fall and rise of the native Hawaiian language, and the fight to get the WTO to recognize that the denial of aboriginal title is an iiJegal export subsidy. Beth, your librarian. (So Yukiko, my relief, is not too stressed!)
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New Books World Party: The Rough Guide to the World's Best Festivals (394 .26) is a guide to more than 200 events all over the globe. Organized by continent, the guide has beautifully illustrated photos of well-known events such as Burning Man and Mardi Gras and more obscure ones, such as Ncwala in Swaziland, which celebrates the harvest and involves the local Bemanti people travelling to the coast to capture foam from the waves. What do turn-of-the-century French cartoonists have in common with modem Indonesian printmakers and people rolling giant balls of trash down Chicago streets? Realizing the Impossible: Art Against Authority (704.94), edited by Josh MacPhee . and Erik Reuland.' looks at anarchist political art and the relationship between aesthetics and politics. The world became more ordinary when Timothy Leary died in 1996. I Have America Surrounded: The Life of Timothy Leary by John Higgs • (150.92), is a mostly objective account of the man who Nixon called, "the most dangerous man in America" and Hunter S Thompson called "a Chieftain. [who] stomped on the terra and left his elegant hoof-prints on all our live." Timothy
THE
FOUR1l:fENTH ANNUAL
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Alice is back - a family picnic with music, costumes and croquet! Come as any character from Wonderland. Bring a TEAPOT, a FLAMINGO, and a TREAT to share.
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• CHARACTERS NEEDED FOR TEA SERVICE, K.IDS TENT, STAGE.MAHAGEMENT • CONTACT: drlnktea@communltyortsworkshop.com ., OR CALL: (778) 230 - FLIP
th~t :edheads are red heads only because they'r~
mtssmg a gene and that's the only reason. At least I that's what I think he said. Course there was a Iotta other stuff but that fact seemed to stick out. Another fact is that our body has over 30,000 genes and each is responsible for something different. Somewhere in there I think he said we h_av~ 4 7 chromosomes. A third fact is we are very stmllar to the animals around us.
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LAZyThat's how I feel and I've felt that way for a coupla days now. I had planned to write a short story last week but here it is, Monday evening and I still haven't done a darn thing. I had a pretty good week. I was kinda busy. Last Monday I went to the Gathering Place to take part in our Science 101 Prestudy Course. We learn about things that are coming up in Science 101. I ate a good meal before class - liver n' onions for 3 and % bucks. And cake for desert . The class sorta gives us some background info on what 's co min up in 10 I so that we aren't completely floored in the classroom and the teachers are pretty dam good. Last Monday it was an instructor in Biosciences named Helmut who had asked us to take swabs of the different areas to find out what was living there if anything. This Monday it was time to reveal what we had swabbed. It was quite interesting. My various partners and I had completed the project successfully and that included our hypothesis. I say various partners because I had one last week and a different one this week with help from the leader of the group, "Greta the great" I call her. They were both good in thei r own way and I was lucky to find such diverse and friendly people to share an experiment with. Someone had tried to steer me wrong in a friendly way but I hadn't fallen for her routine. \Ve both had a laugh.
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Next day was Tuesday and I usually go swimming before class. Then I have a qu ick bite before six when class starts. This Tuesday, Tony gave us a lecture on genetics and he was good. I learned quite a bit and was impressed by the fact
Thursday was Big "A" day and that stands for Aboriginal in case yo u were wondering. I still don ' t like that term but it's the only term that peopJe seem to know what you' re talking about. I started the day out by sleeping in. I had planned to walk up to the Vancouver Aboriginal Friendship Centre to have the free breakfast for anyone on this particular day. But I slept in and had to take a bus. It was raining and as I said 1 slept in. I was hoping to run into my kids as l had in years past but no luck today. I did meet a few people l knew from Science 101. They left and I didn ' t feel like walking up to the park (Trout Lake) so I decided to walk home instead. On the way home I stopped in at Oppenheimer to see how the celebration was going there. 1 sat on a bench and talked with another person for a while. Then I saw someone I knew. I went over to say hello and ended up staying for a coupla hours and helping out by giving away books n' movies n' cds. It was fun and I gotta tattoo and talked some people into getting one. They were temporary and Beth and Big "E" Em ily did a good job of applying them. I called her Big "E" because I have a friend who I call little "e" E mily. That's what she prefers. It being Thursday I had to hurry off to UBC for my regular Science 101 class and pre-class swim. Also I wanted to take part in a special class discussion about vaccinations but I couldn't find the dam place where we were supposed to meet. It was too early to go swimming so I had something to eat and then went and fell asleep in the sun on the knoll outside the SUB building. Best thing I did all week. I slept for about 25 minutes. It was great. Thursday's lecture was on
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Evolution with Jim giving us the lowdown on the subject. His main point was to paraphrase Darwin " Survival is usually by the one most adaptable to change." A fitter indi vidual is only fitter in a spec ific environment. Change the environment and someone e lse will be better adapted. Friday I worked the PM shift in the learning centre after attending the weekly CCAP meeting at I lam on th e third floor. We were invited to go to the Operetta. "Condemned" .I don't know the difference between an opera and an operetta but I'd seen people I knew and half of them were in the show. What a great feeling to realize that I know so man y talented people. They did an outstanding job and the show was really good but it seemed a trifle short - about 45 minutes. Maybe it's called an operetta because it is so short. This one was about a wheel-chair bound poor man who gets evicted so the owner can gouge out more money from a better clientele. In order to get better clientele he has to empty the building so he pays someone to condemn his building. The peopl e get sick of what's being done to them so they fight back. It tells the story of how certain people get things done so they can make a few more dollars. How they don~t care what happens to the people who are forced to li ve this desperate life. As Ed would say " It's a really good shoe" and the ending is appropriate. It also reflects what is really happening in the downtown eastside as a result of the winter Olympics coming to Vancouver. It shows how a few people are gonna make a lot of money because oftwo weeks of
world class barbarism. They could actually do a lot of good but they seem intent on just making money. We' re fighting back but it's a struggle to get people to do what's right and what should be done without any prompting. After all we are a worl d class city whether the Olympics come here or not. We should be taking this opportunity to show the rest of the world how humane we are in a time of greed and avarice. Now for Saturday, the crown jewel of the week. We had a special class (our usual class is about 2 Y2 hours and this one was gonna be an all day class) to learn about Bryophytes- mosses, Iiverworts and hornworts to you ordinary people. T here were 3 pretty neat people, Shona, Sam n' Jackie, there to help us in the lab and on the field trip. Their leader was a wonderful woman named Shona who has a great passion for her field of science "the elves of the woods.'' She sure knows how to toss around those Latin names for plants and there is such a huge variety of plants. I couldn't name two things when I went to class that morning but by the end of the day I could tell you that there sure is a wonderful world in the forest or bush or even anywhere there isn't to much foot traffic. They look great under a microscope. Very intricate and beautiful. Its fun learning how to use a microscope and we learned how to use 2 different ones. These bryophytes make it possible for everything else to exist. Bryophytes make it possible for trees to grow and trees make it possible for us to exist. They clean the路air we breathe, Well that's the impression I got and its great to see that passion is still a huge part of the world of education. Her voice had an almost musical quality as she spewed out the names. I see my story is getting kinda long so I better cut it off. That's usually what happens when I write a story. I get carried away and want to share everything. My intention was to write a short story and all I was gonna talk about was aboriginal day and the opera. Somehow it turned into a life story of my week. I guess I'll leave it this way. These things have a way of being appropriate whether I want them to be or not. What's that sayi ng "Men plan and God laughs!" Wonder what's gonna happen this week. Bet ya it's not gonna be half as interesting as we're outta school for a one week break. I'm lookin forward to the rest of the term. hal
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A multi art-form experience
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Refreshments, Co-op Radio recording, Community Access TV, CD release. SPONSORED BY THE VANC
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July 25, 2007, 7:30pm
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Carnegie Community Centre Theatre 401 Main St, Vancouver, BC
Heidi Morgan with Band Richard Tylman with John Cote on guitar Bud Osborn Mystery Music Band Ariadne Sawyer & Alejandro Mujica-OIE~a Diane Wood
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COMMITMENT TO FAIRNESS --
FOUNDATION
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I call you in the mornmg when the terrors of the night still press their dark shape against my soul. I know that later these frights will fade and the sun will flood my narrow room. But it is now, the time that only a Human vo ice can dispel this sterile emptiness. Your voice. Later, you say. Later we will talk of pain and fear- after the usual habits of everyday. Now is the time for work. And yet, I know by then the pain and sorrow will be forgotten .. .or maybe just buried 'neath the Wilhelmina noises of a new day.
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com·mit·ment: apledge or promise; obligation. as part of their olympic bid, vanoc and the three levels of governmentwrote &si ned their inner-city inclusive ICI'I COMMITMENT STAT MENT. In that document, they commitled to: 1) Protect rental housing stock. 2) Prov1de alegacy of affordablehousing. 3) Provide visitor and worker accommodation. 4) Ensure the Games do not increase homelessness. 5) Ensure no displacement evictions, or rent-gouging as aresu~ ol the Games.
WHERE AREi HESE COMMIIMENTS NOW1
The Question of Banners in the Downtown Eastside 'The people who I ive here, they call it the Downtown Eastside'' Bruce Eriksen For years the Strathcona Business Impro vement Association (Strathcona B.I.A .) has wanted to put up banners in the Downtown Eastside that labeled the neighbourhood ~~strathcona'' rather than the Downtown Eastside". It can point to a City of Vancouver Planning Department map that shows the Downtown Eastside Oppenheimer District as being in the boundaries of the Strathcona B. I. A .. Also, the B.I.A. has said that the Downtown Eastside name is bad for business, and it is true that the corporate media has treated our neighbourhood viciously with irresponsible, unbalanced and sensational reporting. Traged y sells newspapers and advertising space. Yet the Downtown Eastside is one of Vancouver's more stable communities. It has a long and proud history of struggle for dignity and human rights by First Nations people, working people, immigrant people, people with disabilities, people with addictions, and by women who organize powerfully against violence, racism, poverty and homelessness. The Downtown Eastside is where Vancouver started. lt is a community rich in history, poetry, art, theatre and music. It is a community that has one of the most active community
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centres in Vancouver, with over 350 volunteers to help it run smoothly. It is a community where people support each other, and give each other the gift of hope. It is Vancouver's soul. When banners went up in our community without ' consultation with the residents, Margaret Prevost, President of the Carnegie Community Centre Association (CCCA), said, It's the community that makes that decision. That's the way things are done here. Others don't have the right to make that decision for us." Also, most Downtown Eastside residents had no knowledge of the Planning Department map that showed the Do wntown Eastside Oppenheimer District as part of the Strathcona B.I.A .. The City might consider the words of Bessie Lee of the Strathcona Property Owners and Tenants Association (SPOTA), "We have to remind the City that when they decide to change things in a community, they must always consider the total planning of that community, and the concerns of the people who live in it." In a letter Margaret Prevost wrote on behalf of the CCCA to the Strathcona B.I.A. on February 22, 2007, concerning banners hung in the streets of the Downtown Eastside, she said, "The community does not wish to see the Downtown Eastside Oppenheimer District (DEOD) changed or rebranded to become Strathcona. Therefore it is not in the community interest to have the name Strathcona on the banners that are hung on the streets in the DEOD neighbourhood .... The Downtown Eastside name is a source of pride for residents who strongly identify with the neighbourhood and make it their home." On April 30, 2007, the Strathcona B.l.A. responded to Margaret's letter by saying it had engaged a local artist to design a new banner. On the tail of this new banner is the logo of the B.J.A. and the words STRATHCONABIA.COM We haven't seen this new banner yet, and we don't know if the words DOWNTOWN EASTSIDE are prominently displayed on it. A public meeting of the Oppenheimer Park Committee will take place on July 10, at 3:30 p.m, in Oppenheimer Park, and representatives from the Carnegie Community Centre Association, the Carnegie Community Centre, the Strathcona B.I.A., the City Planning Department 11
Carnegie Community Action Project (CCAP)
Newsletter For more info visit Association Office- 2nd floor Carnegie Centre
July 1,2007
Surprise! Ci , VANOC, and Province Agree to Break Olympic Housing Promises Vancouver is at a critical moment when it comes to lobbying for Federal and provincial housing dollars. The Olympics are coming; Provincial and federal governments have huge cash surpluses; a group of community, government and business organizations (the Inner City Inclusive Housing Table--ICI) came up with 23 unanimous ways to implement Olympic housing commitments; the Vancouver Sun editorial more or less endorsed the main recommendation of building 3200 units of soci~l housing in time for the Olymptcs.
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So 30 speakers went to City Hall on June 28th to get Council to take Some leadership and advocate for the 3 200 units we need to end homelessness. The specific issues were a staff report on the Olympic Inclusive recommendations, a response by the city, province, federal govemn1ent and V ANOC on the Olympic Inclusive recommendations, and a motion to hold a special meeting of all 4 to deal with the Olympic housing commitments. "This is an enormous opportunity," said Councilor Heather Deal of ( corttin.ve.c.l ~~e 2.)
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Vision. "We can say to the other levels of government, "We've got the land, you've got the surpluses. Let's dream." But Mayor Sam Sullivan (NPA) who wasn't in council to hear most of the speakers, replied that he wanted to "be a good partner" to the other levels of government. And it boiled down to the usual 6 to 5 vote with 6 NPA councilors voting against holding a special meeting on housing with the other levels of government, and against endorsing recommendations of the ICI Housing Table unequivocally as proposed by the 5 COPE and Vision councilors. "We can't put our names on a report that says the money isn't there," Wendy Pedersen of the Carnegie Action Project told Council. "We know the money is there. We need your help to get it." Pedersen also urged council to come us with some accurate figures of how many SRO units remain available to low income Downtown Eastside residents, and how many new homes (not shelter beds) have been built. "If there's the illusion that there' s lots of housing, then the public will think we don't need it." Dave Eby of Pivot presented a plan to fmance building 3440 units of housing by simply using resources that are already available.
Robert Bonner of CCAP said that he saw homeless people in Champlain Heights and urged Council to live up to its Olympic commitments. Bharb Gudmundson warned Council that they would be held responsible by voters for homelessness. Do"vntown Eastside resident Aaron White told council, "I don't want it to be ok to say 'I want to house you on a mattress."' White told Council they have an incredible opportunity to leave a legacy or 3200 homes. Sociologist John Cleveland said Council could do nothing and fight the symptoms of homelessness by criminalizing people, or fight the causes with housing. Andrea Lum told Council "You're not advocates for us. It's like you're being the instruments of the other levels of government." The only slight movement from the NP A was that they agreed not to endorse the provincial and federal responses to the ICI report. So the struggle for 3200 units of new housing continues. ,._,_Jean Swanson
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PIVOT can find the HOUSING WHY CAN'T our Politicians??? This is a summarized version of a plan that Dave Eby presented to City Council at the June 28 meeting where they decided to not live up to their Olympic Housing Promises for 3200 new homes - ask Wendy at Carnegie for full version with footnote references Step 1: Cancel Quick Fixes ~ $1.3m Project Civil City ~ $.5-$2m planned increase in "beat police officers"路 and video surveillance program ~ $45.5m V ANOC employee incentive program ~ $250m BC can take out of its housing fund out of the bank ~ $64.5m profit on first phase of South East False Creek and 12 social housing lots Step 2: Combine resources to achieve Olympic Promises );;.> All parties in step 1 contribute savings or funds received to BC Housing for Legacy Housing Funding. ~ Combined available resources are $360.8m, plus 10 lots owned by Vancouver plus 2 latest lot purchases (Drake and Broadway/Fraser) Step 3: Build the Housing );;.> On March 8, 2007, the Urban Development Institute estimated that
the construction cost of a 240 unit rental building built in downtown Vancouver would be $36.5m, or $ 152,000 per unit (all units 400 sq. ft., self-contained) ).- Assuming no economy of scale, 2373 units to be constructed in Vancouver with the $360.8m creating ten 237-unit buildings on 10 lots. ~ If those 23 73 units each have one low-income single renting at current welfare shelter rates ($37 5/mo ), that income stream is at least $889,875 per month. ~ Rents to be directed to a 40-year mortgage (6.05%, 7 year tenn), leveraging an additional $162.2m from a conventional lender, secured by the other properties ~ Assuming all costs as above, BC Housing to build another 1067 units. These units to be built on the social housing lots, and/or could be distributed throughout market housing developments as part of an amenity agreement with developers ).- These 1067 units will produce $400,125 per month in rental income. This annual $4.8m income stream to be re-directed to offset operating costs. ~ When combined the minimum total number of new units is 3,440.
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Minister Coleman threatens to clear homeless out of DTES not lack of housing or income. "The Downtown Eastside is going to have to change," he said. Coleman said he wanted to focus on "the client," rather than "ribbon cutting" (building new housing). He told the Province that he wants Downtown Eastside residents "integrated into the housing market." But Coleman didn't specify how low income people would be able to afford housing in Vancouver or where they could find it when we have a vacancy rate of nearly 0. "His answer to send everyone out to the 'burbs is not really what they promised," said CCAP member Robert Bonner, referring to the Olympic commitments. "They said to the world that no one would be made homeless or displaced." The government's welfare and housing policies have created homelessness throughout BC. In the 1980s and 90s government built thousands of units of housing a year in BC. People in need could get on welfare, and welfare had a lot more purchasing power than .today. Since government stopped building enough housing and welfare benefits have been denied to people in need, homelessness has grown a lot. "I didn't sleep, when I read the article, cause I thought, the rumors of hiding
Our housing minister, Rich Coleman, thinks the solution to homelessness is to move Downtown Eastside residents to other BC towns. That's what Coleman told the Vancouver Province, according to a June 24th article, Coleman touts new strategy for Eastside. In the article, Coleman implies that addiction is the cause of homelessness, 4
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people before the games are true, said Wendy Pedersen, of the Carnegie Community Action Project. " Then I thought Coleman could be just floating a trial balloon. We need to gather everyone's support for social housing, 11 said Wendy, and pop that balloon. --written by J eail Swanson
The same social housing units Coleman refers to as "projects" are award-winning social housing complexes. It's not rocket science: Homes solve homelessness. I will seriously rethink voting for the Liberals during the next election, based upon their faulty treatment of the poor. ~written by Parminder Nizher, Riley Park, Vancouver Citywide Housing Coalition
Read these Letters to the Province Editor on Displacement
**************************** Dear Editor, So Mr. Coleman thinks that towns in the Fraser Valley and the Interior offer a better chance at an escape from the addiction cycle that leads to homelessness. I wonder how that can be? Where are the Detox facilities, where are the recovery houses? It is also misleading to state that addiction leads to
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Letter Published: Wednesday, June 27, 2007 - As a Vancouver resident, I'm incredibly saddened and ashamed by B.C. Housing Minister Rich Coleman's viewpoints on social housing. Dispersing the homeless doesn't work, as the 1996 Atlanta Olympics showed us. It wasn't long after those Olympics before homeless people found themselves back in Atlanta. It seems that Coleman has forgotten the part his government played in creating the current homeless situation in Vancouver. Placing barriers on welfare, slashing welfare rates and canceling hundreds of units of social housing is precisely what led to the dire situation we have today.
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be a repeat and I would have hoped that everyone in all levels of government would have learned from this travesty. My first reaction on reading Mr. Coleman's remarks was that he was talking about toxic waste. Something that nobody wanted and that we could pay someone enough money to take off our hands. Toxic at waste is not inevitable. We would do best not to create it in the ...~ first place. There ¡, are methods of dealing with it where it is generated, which may be expensive 1 but are effective. How much simpler to deal with human beings. How much simpler to give someone adequate housing, ensure they are fed and then see what can be done to help them with their addictions or other mental health issues. It is well known that provision of the former may eliminate the need for the latter. ~Written by Maggie Geiser, Kerrisdale, Vancouver Citywide Housing Coalition
Addicts and homeless people are human beings above all else. Human beings are social beings and as such have friends, and in their own communities they have resources they rely on, from the Street Nurses to social workers, to neighbours both housed and not. To remove people I from a social network creates its own set of problems. We only have to look at the experience of new immigrants to Canada to know how disruptive this move can be. As an immigrant to Canada, who spoke the language, possessed marketable skills and who also came with money in my pocket, I know how hard it was to come to Vancouver where I knew nobody and had no social network. We also have the experience of the closure of Riverview, which clearly illustrated that dispersal of a group of individuals into a situation where there were not support systems in place prior to their discharge has been a complete disaster. Relocating the homeless would â&#x20AC;˘
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WHITECAPS want C
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produce a third report about this The Whitecaps are onto Plan C and its CRAB Park. proposed location. The Central All of this is going Waterfront to further delay the Coalition ,, project (which could work to our recently learned advantage). The that the Whitecaps are ewe encourages everyone to get now talking involved and about a new 3rd location - Crab speak out against Park - for their this crazy idea, which will rob us waterfront ~n Lcu-!>On. ftmv\ CM6 Wo..ter fOr L\fe. uJ'l.S stadium. one. o.f ~ ori<3IM.l S'l_.UA\t~ uJ~ jo+ us +hls 1 of Crab Park. The Whitecaps abandoned Plan B. As '\ reen~F'-e 路 we all anticipated, the seabus tenninal is unworkable because of the cruiseships and seabus access. A city planner has also said that the city will not entertain building the stadium over the railway tracks, so Plan A is definitely off the table, as well . Now the Vancouver Port Authority A FREE, All Ages Event Celebrating , --Official Opening of.Crab Portside and the Whitecaps are talking about w_ith ~~~s]~~~~p~i!lt~.~ i' anau:rrusic J- Lf building the stadium where the heliport The Whitecaps are setting themselves Prn pad and parking lot are. Of course this up for an unwinable fight. The will affect Crab Park and have a neighbourhood will mobilize against negative impact on the development of the central waterfront. A waterfront that this stadium location like never before. --Written by Caryn Duncan Co-founder the Central Waterfront Coalition wants Central Waterfront Coalition & Resident everyone to enjoy. Plan C will have to return to city our Sister's Housing Co-op, Downtown cotincil and city staff will have to Eastside rna
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WOMEN at CARNEGIE STAND UP FOR HOUSING •
Hello Wendy; Yesterday during the march, when we got to the Hastings area by San
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stepped in to take a look and see if they had any decent . \ video cameras for sale. A ~ l£M (above. J 1 LtJ u. (b~low) J Koxe.nlt'-1 61-w.r b; While I was there a member of heir staff 0(o..n.e.. 1 ])]") Noooa_ Tean 1 Aud.~ , hollared out loud to the women marching '<VlOJN( \ VV\o...V\y 1 VYta..n.X we me.~ + ~€-r'\. +outside "Ah, get a job " and then OtlltAren Vv\.o..rched. fur hOJSI~ ful~ .Mord·h. immediatly walked into the back area of -: T the store. ~ w ·~• I stood and glared while another staff 1 person laughingly agreed with him. i When he saw me watching he tried to f backtrack but I said very loud these are women speaking out about homelessness and I will not be back in this store again with this kind of thing being said. I turned and walked out. That store should be called on that type of behaviour. --written by Bharbara i . . G~dmundson, CCAP Volunteer and \ I, _
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and the local community will be there. This is an opportunity for authentic dialogue based on mutual respect and trust, It is important to develop a respectful relationship. At the same time we must ensure that the integrity of our Dow ntown Eastside community is respected. Too often the Downtown Eastside Oppenheimer District has been seen as "the wrong side of the tracks" by those who don't live there. The power to name is the power to say what is and what is not. You change the name and you take over the territory. As Kathy Walker, a local resident, said, "If the Strathcona B.I.A. renames the Downtown Eastside, it will then begin to speak for our neighbourhood." Any banner acceptable to Downtown Eastside residents would have to reflect the pride that people feel for their community. Mike Harcourt was the Mayor of Vancouver in 1983 . In that year he presented a civic award to DERA which declared that this citizens' organization had helped to change the perception of part of Vancouver formerly known as skid road.' to the Downtown Eastside. Oppenheimer Park has seen thousands of festivals and events covering politics, sports, health, cultural celebrations, and aboriginal ceremonies over its long history- from huge demonstrations by unemployed people in the 1930's, to the famous Asahi baseball team before the Second World War, to the annual Powell Street Festival. In the park stands the aweinspiring Oppenheimer Park Totem Pole with its dedication, "To our sisters and brothers who have died unnecessarily in the Downtown Eastside, and to those who have survived. " Stephen Johnson, a Carnegie Oppenheimer Park worker, wrote, "What most people don't know about the Downtown Eastside is that we are a family . Despite the hardships that come with addiction and poverty, we love, suppoti and protect each •
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Don't take anyone for granted, or one day you will wake up to find you have lost a diamond while you were too busy collecting stones. Submitted by Mr. McBinner
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other as if we were blood relations. We survive because there is strength in belonging. Wherever you come from, you will find acceptance here." Hopefully, it's possible to work with the Strathcona B.I.A. to design an appropriate banner. There may be differences between us, but we are more likely to be successful if we work together. What we have in common is our common humanity. That's a good place to start a dialogue. Sandy Cameron
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l\1ESSAGE TO THE BOARD AND CARNEGIE MEMBERS! First off I would like to say that it was a pleasure being your President for the past year. A lot went on this year and the biggest of them all was losing our friends Bob and Muggs to Hornby Island. They gave us so much and asked for so little, and learning from them has given me the strength to carry on. So for that Bob and Muggs thanks for all you did for us here at Carnegie. Our board knows that you both are only a phone call and/or email away. Good luck in the next journey! As for the Board I would like to take this time to thank you ALL for your dedication too helping making our Centre an even better place for people to visit a job well done. Also to our members who replaced Bob and Muggs, my hope is that you will be able to keep volunteering as a board member and within the Centre. Your journey has only just begun. Also I would like to thank ALL the Carnegie staff for the support you have given us, look forWard to working with you in the coming year. Keep up the good work and don't forget to keep smiling. For our members who passed away this year my thoughts and prayers are with your families. I look forward to keep volunteering as a board member once again; qmtting is not an option because I still have so much to give. Margaret Prevost CCCA President, 2006-'07
God and Them Some of us watched Stargate on Sunday, June 24th at the Carnegie Center. The movie takes us through a gate, out into the universe, and another planet, where the god Ra supposedly rules, and people are kept as slaves. Ra is unmasked. It was only technology that made him look and act like a god. Amazing what technology can do. Spew fi re, bullets, bombs, and make "Magic". Most are in awe of it, since certain uses can destroy or hurt. One thi nks of all the weapons the U .S. has and how they appear as the controllers of the worl d Through my reading I have come to question my earlier conceptions of God. We don' t see God but it is incomprehensible that man made the universe, although some say so. Man can harness nature at t imes, but I haven't seen him build planets and stars. Our lives are directed, protected, controlled. We are surprised by our situations, coincidences and meetings at times. It seems as though some beings or being is affecting or guiding us. Is it God? Is it angels? Did people of the past create similar powers through technology and magic? We are left wondering. Did they make it seem like God or the Gods were rain ing fire and brimstone upon us? Are mi li tary powers creating hurricanes, floods and earthquakes by bomb power? What is our reaction to what is out there as gods or God? Are our decencies and moral programming al igned with God's characteristics? Instilled by Him? Or are they just habits developed through long being controlled by men in power? Does the idea of technological magic alter our conception of historic events since there is often a wizard of Oz behind it all? The existence of Jesus as God's son has been oft disputed. He implied in the New Testament that we are all sons of the most h igh; gods even, he told those listeners. Maybe he or the writers of his story knew something we don't. Would the idea of there being wise or
manipulative men behind the controls of what we are thinking change the validity of moral edicts presented as coming from God? Do things work better when we do accept the morals encapsulated in the Bible, other holy books or phi losophy, law manuals and systems of thought? God knows I find it no easier to learn Photoshop because I have the instruction manual. In the past much of the western world was told the commandments were set in stone. But how often are these commandments twisted and added to? We are given so many, many directives with the voice of authority, backed by threats of excom munication or imprisonment. We even start making up our own requisites, inspired by these, fo r our friends and acquaintances, probably because we fi nally wish a little power for ourselves. We are so very much controlled nowadays, maybe always have been. So many advantages seem to accrue to those who hold the reigns of power: access to natural resources, control of t he marketplaces, making money out of nothing through the vehicles of banking, ideas and inventions. The latter two are o ften swept out from under us by threats or purchased from inventors, then limited to the use of military and industry. One example of this is the capturing of any invention related to the creation of alternate forms of energy. An example from environmental ethics is that you could be extradited , tried and go to jail for a long time for tryi ng to protect too many trees from being chopped down. Man seems to create limitation, whereas what I once held as God provides a horn of plenty in the form of resources, people to deal with and a multitude of ideas and experiences to have. Tree fruits, for instance, produce many thousand of times their own kind through their seeds. Would we have thought of God had we never been instructed in the concept? Would we have needed to? Visions and miracles have traditionally implied a God-presence, a direction man should take in developing a moral fibre. Is this all merely Myth? Many say that myth has a source, and that it is based on human experience. The Greeks' gods had human characteristics, both evi I, good, creative/destructive, and 1itniting. What to make of it all.
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Today we know that some drugs and fungi found in nature or even combined by man, produce visions and hallucinations similar to the dreams and visions recorded in the Bible, in which people see hells, God, and experience many new things. All I know is that things don't work quite as I had been taught. The God-fearing don't necessarily do better in this world, as large chunks of the Old Testament and a few in the New say they will. Are they really happier than the secular man? I remember being quite joyful and high at times, praising and worshipping God and Jesus, feeling I was doing their will. But depression also still lurked, although perhaps this was due to the repression and threat of being shunned by others, the threat of punishment for not obeying them or worshipping Them . I am always asking, "What should I do?" "What is your will, that I may do it?" and neither God nor people are willing to spell it out. There seems to be a mysterio.us secrecy in most cases, which leads me to conclude that it is only for reasons of maintaining power over me/us that their wills are presented. lf\路Ve knew that it was merely man, or woman, who wanted us to perform or be in certain ways, we might reject their ideas. Are they merely positioning themselves for access to resources and benefits? And yet it seems that sometimes people are really trying to work for the better common good. If everyone has access to the same resources, then those who hide or limit them, however, may not be the only beneficiaries and may not be able to offer them as rewards to those
who help them. I believe that there are plenty of resources and ideas to go around. So why 1imit them? Avoidance of responsibility is often cited by those who govern and guide the rest of us. This responsibility implies a necessary should to those who may not want to play this game. ByRudolf Penner
Vancouver Moving Theatre & Carnegie Community Centre present
PREPARING AN ORIGINAL COMEDY with
Master Clown Gina Bastone
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MONDAY, 23 JULY 2007, 7 pm Carnegie Theatre, 401 Main Street FREE- ALL WELCOME This lecture demonstration will include formula outlines for putting together an original script as well as some m11sk and character demonstrations. Gina Bastone is an award-winning performer who has toure? internationally with her company BASTA! and Cirque du Soleil.
Gina Bastone is the only performer who has made me laugh so hard I thought I might actually loose my mind. Colin Thomas, Georgia Straight
BC Field Ornithologists Against Capitalism At their Annual General Meeting in Lillooet on 26 May 2007, the BC Field Ornithologists (BCFO) adopted a position on the fundamental conflict between economic growth and biodiversity conservation. The BCFO addresses the study and enjoyment of wild birds in British Columbia through research and conservation efforts to preserve birds and their habitats. The timing of the vote was opportune as Birdlife International announced the previous week that 22% of the planet's birds are now at increased risk of extinction. 1,221 bird species are presently considered threatened with extinction and an additional 812 species are considered Near Threatened, an increase of 28 species from last year. In British Columbia, 43 avian taxa are considered extirpated, endangered, or threatened and a further 48 species are of special concern. Dr. James Ginns, BCFO President, noted that "Our position statement is precedent-setting in that the BCFO is one of the first conservation organizations in British Columbia to focus attention on the causes of biodiversity declines rather than simply focusing on the symptoms as most environmental organizations are doing today. Unless the causes of the problem are addressed, biodiversity declines are likely to continue." One of the causes for these declines is growth.
The economy grows by appropriating natural capital from the economy of nature (ecosystems) and using it for the human economy. As a human economy expands it removes resources, displaces healthy ecosystems, and degrades rema.ining ecosystems with waste. Thus, economic growth reduces the quality and quantity of bird habitat when it's converted as throughput to the human economy. It's this growth that can swamp any gains made with conservation and policy efforts. Similar positions on economic growth have been sanctioned by a number of professional scientific organizations in North America including: The Society for Conservation Biology, The United States Society for Ecological Economics, The Wildlife Society, and The Center for the Advancement of the Steady State Economy. The BCFO position explains not only the fundamental conflict between economic growth and biodiversity conservation, but identifies an alternative: the steady state economy. http://www.bcfo.ca/index.php
The First United Church is NOT closing!! The 'church' part - the congregation and Sunday services etc. is no longer there (at 320 E.Hastings) but the First Church Mission is and will remain there for the foreseeable future. Seems that a news story on this practical separation implied that the whole place was shutting its doors. Susan Henry, staff with the Mission, has been getting literally hundreds of calls from worried people. SO: Don't worry, Be happy! The mission aspect in this location is expanding out of necessity.
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Ballad of Coitus Lake
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Written by Keith and Jason (Based off theme song of "Gilligan's Island) Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale. A tale of a fateful trip. That started from the Cultus Camp, Along this tiny strip. Mike thinks he's a mighty hiking man, Believes he's brave and sure. A dozen campers set hike that day, For a three hour tour. A three hour tour!
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The trail it started getting tough, Someone's lunch was tossed. If not for the courage of the fearless few, The hikers would be lost. The hikers would be lost! The hikers abound on 1.th e side of this, Greatly sloping hill With Captain Mike and Sindy too. The Binner and his Pal. The Garbageman. The Damsel and Hairy Man. Here on Tea Pot Hill. So this is the tale of our castaways, They're here for a short, short time. They'll have to make the best of things, It' s an uphill climb. Captain Mike and Sindy too, Will do their very best. To make the others comfortable, on the hillside west. A phone,a lunch, no binner's cart. Not a single luxury. Like the Downtown Eastside, ft's as primitive as can be. So Join us next year, my friends. You're sure a hike to take. Or silde down waterways, Here at Cultus Lake,
There's still time to submit your work for
Poet's Corner... The Word On the Street Festival invites poets to read their work at The Poet's Corner, Library Square, on Sunday, September 30, 2007. Poets will be given a 7minute spot to perform in, between the hours of I 2:00 pm and 5:00pm. Submissions should include a SASE (a selfaddressed, stamped envelope) if you wish your material to be returned; artists are to send an audio tape or CD of their performance. Sorry, no email submissions! Please send to:
Poet's Corner , c/o 442 Cardiff Way Port Moody V3H 3T1 Deadline for entry is July 15, 2007* For more information, call us at (604) 788-8340 or email srduncan@shaw.ca
DOWNTO\VN EASTSIDE YOUTH . ACTIVITIES SOCIETY
612 Main Street 604-251-33 I 0
NEEDLE EXCIIANGE VAN -J Routes: 604-685-6561 Citx- 5:45pm- II :4Spm
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Overnight- I 2:30am-·8:30am Downtown E11 stside - 5:30pm - I :JOam n®~.'IIFIW
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Ed itor: Pau1R Taylor; layout by Lisa David Cover photo by Jackie Humber
Who Could It Have Been? TillS NEWSl.UT l:R IS A PUOUCATION OF TilE CARN HIIE COMMl JN ITY CENTRE ASSOCIATION Arl1clcs repre sent the v1cws of individual rnntub utors and nul o f the Assuc Jatllm
2007 DONATIONS: Libby D.-$1 00 Rolf A. -$50 Barry for Dave McC.-$125 Christopher R. -$50 Margaret D.-$40 Penny G.$50 Janice P.-$35 Wes K. -$50 Gram -$400 John S.$60 Leslie S.$20 Michael C.-$80 Sheila 8.-$20 Wilhelmina M.-$25 CEEDS -$50 Saman -$20 Phyllis L.-$200 Paddy -$125 Bob S.-$1 00 Barry M.-$125 Mel L.-$20 The Edge -$200 Greta P.-$20 The Rockingguys -$25 Jaya 8.-$100 Submi~slon
deadline for next ls~ue: Carnegie Community Cenlre
Thursday, July 12 .
Contact
Jenny JVal Ching Kwan ML.A
\Vorking for You 1070-16-H Commercial Dr V~L 3Y 3 Phone: 77~~790 Fat: 775~1HR 1 lu\Witown [a~hide Rc~idrnfJ A~~ociation 12 E. II a~ting~ St. or call 6R 2~193 I
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Who is hou nding and harassing the people on the street? Not protected nor peaceful-from where do they come? From a City HaJI dictum bearing a quorum of fear. They've got the numbers; how do we defend or compete? You've seen them; you have, with their focused eyes, so intense with uniformed columns in two, in four, whatever it takes. From hither and yon loud footsteps pace behind you - don't look back -play it cool -close to the vest -no recompense. What's that sound, do you hear it, over there, in the shadows??? Darkened doorways around bluish, greasy dumpsters. What's your name by the way? Mine's Robyn .. please do give it a try, just remember. Don't forget me like a dream you had, then awakened and it vanished like burning embers, blown away. Let's coast on for awhile, if you could hold my hand; a little get, a little give and a Iotta go. I see glowing neon reflected like a placid pool and shimmering rainbow, like liquid heat in the hue of your eyes. What are you thinking right now please tell me. Or will you keep it a secret, too shy, too tim id, to possibly face rejection. I feel we are safe now, no longer tailed nor observed. We've defi nitely arrived at the shimmering bright, the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel. Will I ever really see you again or will you vanish? To be gone forever never to return or cross paths or to stick together or any blast of deja- vu ... I'll see you around somewhere or somewhen , down that lonely road, some day. There she goes; who could it have been? Will I see her again- chance /never. I may often look up and gaze at the moon, and remember our brief time together and our little warm endeavour. Robyn Li vingstone
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town Eastside. I have seen some of the results of that decision. It is wonderful how much it changes an unskilJed person when they can learn reading, writing and job seeking skills, and then find a job.
It is almost fifteen years ago now, when I too worked in the Learn ing Centre helping tutor ESL students. I was so proud of myself, so happy that I could be of some help to those students. I originally came to Carnegie to buy cheap meals, , ~= ·- ~- 0 ~ ----<:· n- · 4; ~~.::.~.,_..:::__ ~ii -::::: . -----"}.... "' \ then I started hanging around the building because ~-~~~z;;ri- __ r ! _=_...·-=-: ~ - .'1-0-~"""' the place intrigued me; it still does. I was eventu- ((_··d · --- :· - _·,-,:- ;.O . __ ~~-=-=~-= ,~~ ally invited to sit in on a morning class in the ~ ~:3-=:.'!.r ::7l ").. ~ ~-' '"" ~ Learning Centre where people were learning to PUS HOVER read articles in the newspapers. Discussions took There are desperate questions with half-mast place regarding those news items. Words in the apologies, indescribable answers that defy human items were chosen and explained to the ESL stubel ief, trying to get as far away from today as dents until their meaning became clear. It was one soon as possible, but the possibilities create a new way for newcomers to Canada to learn English. batch of impossible relief. That winning attitude After a time I was given a few ESL students to you display deserves applause, I only wish I had a teach. They were mostly middle aged or elderly hand in making you see miracles have been outChinese people with a few Spanish, Japanese and Iawed to the full extent of the flaws why am I French in the class as well. The students really shaking, let alone shaking hands with the devil, wanted to learn English so they came regularly, your devil, all your O\Vn did you knew Mount Evand were very attentive. As the days went by the erest is his personal landfill? I didn't right up til now manna saves so bring the poor man in but class began to grow. They taught me a lot while I was doing my best to assist them with their 2nd with no margin for error let out history lesson belanguage. After some weeks the class grew too gin. I have never been a pushover but was pushed big for the Learning Centre so we moved to the over the line a hundred million times; what are Art Gallery. your thoughts on tomorrow & today ... the point I It became clear that the mostly elderly students labour to make has already begun to decay; it's were coming in from areas other than the Downhard enough standing on your own two feet like town Eastside: Richmond, Surrey, Burnaby and running toward gunfire knowing full well the two elsewhere. Sometimes they would inform me that shall meet people today will shoot any thing but they were going to be away for a few days. I the breeze, but with ears and eyes upon us the would learn later that they went on long trips, to only safe place in this madness is in very small visit their families in their country of origin, or to degrees. take expensive sight seeing trips overseas. It beI guess I was a pushover - so little time for the came obvious that they could afford to pay to atrocities laid in my path, I wanted this, I wanted that, until the dog came I just wanted to be wanted learn ESL in their own nearby communities. Car- · negie had become quite the magnet for people I was that pushover but now it's time to make a stand; just one more thing is needed here: a river from miles around. The crowds of students caused a strain on other with a view well I'll be damned. My landscapes students who lived in the Downtown Eastside at _J are filling out one by one by two, no need for an that time. They could not get the help they needed act when someone's subtracting my division that because of the large number of people coming to is when i hear something in my head go crack my ESL classes. It was heartbreaking but my I've fallen on the floor please say no more by the classes had to be cancelled to make way for the way did anyone else see or foresee my fall; there is no such thing as luck but i lucked out in my Carnegie Commu.nity Centre to go back to being a true Downtown Eastside Community Centre. The near-depth experience witnessed by a stranger .Learning Centre found it more important to have myself and a ·dead phone line hangs from the wall one on one tutoring for those living in the DownI' 11 be damned Robert McGillivray
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AUDITIONS
Tired of shelving your social and envi ronmental justice projects due to a lack of resources?
Actors, comic actors, comedians and musicians with Director and Master Clown Gina Bastone and Musical DirectorYa-Wen V. Wang(tbc).
Put th e world of academia to work for your community group. Have on SFU student volunteer their research, video production, graphic design, business planning or communication skills. Make your social or environmental project a reality. .
MONDAY, 30 JU LY 2007, 7- 9 pm Carnegie Theatre, 40 1 Main Street This new ensemble production for I 0 actor/ musician/comedians will begin rehearsals in September for a preview at the Heart of the City Festival 2007. Full production will take place March to April 2008. Honourariums provided. For more info phone Savannah or Terry at 604-254-6911.
Action Research eXchange at the Simon ·f raser Public Interest Reseach Group
-ll.nking, university research to community needs '
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Lost and forgotten souls weren't born Misguided dreams would weep and mourn Indian residential school children crv• 'n scream in fear Their parents and people are far away, not near.
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July :20th · www.sfpirg.ca/a..X or call 604-291-4360
They didn't hear though knew of the twisted lies for more information. Behind old walls you can still hear baby spirits cry Thousands of souls need to be freed to go on to the other side Trapped 'cause they are victims of calculated murder and genocide.
Misguiding dreams, genocide and forceful confinement are crimes Committed by churches: Spirit avows they'll not escape unpunished this time Most survivors are condemned to alcohol, drugs and suicide at their door Wanting disclosure and national apologies, but church & Canada say what the hell for? They are in denial and their leaders continue on a path of the walking dead Hiding poisonous lies, devilish injustices ... what do they dread? Truths shall prevail, lies die, and that lingers in the past Justice must be served on the guilty; then baby warriors will rest in peace at last. Conspiracies of the Indian Residential Schools, leaders of holocaust Committed crimes of rape, torture and murder; mega lives were lost Murdered children were buried in orchards and countless unmarked graves A mass of angels shall descend upon Mother Earth and bring back our braves . .
Mine spirit cries, mine heart surrenders, I'm ti red and exhausted with lies Bring home their remains and wipe away the tears in mine people' s eyes. Peacefully we waited so long, singing many a healing and spirited song Knowing our brothers, sisters and baby spirits of genocide shall remain strong. All my relations, William Arnold Combes
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Condemned- A Downtown Eastside Opera
"Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and his family, including food, clothing, • ... housmg Universal -Declaration of Human Rights. II
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An ·opera is a play in which the actors sing the words instead of speaking them. An opera~ _: therefore, needs a band or orchestra to accompany the singers, and a creative musical score to turn the drama into a successful musical play. The opera "Condemned" has fine singers, a talented orchestra with the conductor/composer Earle Peach, and a beautifully crafted musical score. These guys are good. When I was watching the play, I could feel the hair on the back of my neck rising, and I could feel myself sitting up very straight and listening intently. At the end of the play, the opera group got a standing ovation from the enthusiastic audience. I first saw "Condemned" in the fall of 2006 when it played at the Carnegie theatre. The opera was so successful that people involved decided to do a new version of it at the Fireball Arts Centre. Thank you to all the people who made this production possible. Thanks to the writers Leith Harris, Patrick Foley, James Elmore and Jason Logan Thanks to the actors Rosemary Collins, Robyn Livingstone, Lu Davika, Rachel Davis, Luke Day, Sophia Freigang, Naomi Narvey, Tom Quirk, Mike Richter and Gena Thompson. Thanks to the chorus, Wendy Chui, Bharbara Gudmundson, Diane LeClaire and Joan Morelli. Thanks to the musicians, Tim Adkins, Elaine Joe, Tom Saul, April Smith, Philip Smith, Peggy Wilson and Maggie Winston. Thanks to John Cooper for restaging this production; to musical director Earle Peach; to stage manager Darlene Brookes and assistant stage manager Deborah Blair; to Cindy Mochizuki for the visuals, and Marguerite T. for the costumes and props; to Diane Wood for the leaflet telling about the unjust
treatment of SRO residents in the Downtown Eastside, and·to members of the Citywide Housing Coalition who came each time the opera was presented in order to pass out information about housing and about how to become involved in the fight to abolish homelessness. Thanks, also, to anyone whose name I have accidently left out. The opera "Condemned" is based on an event that actually happened in the Downtown Eastside. On September 15, 2005, members ofthe Vancouver Police and the Vancouver Fire Departments raided the Pender Hotel without a warrant, allegedly in search of a crystal meth lab. In the opera, tenants are thrown out of a hotel because a scheming Mr. Con has phoned the police to tell them, falsely, that there's a crystal meth lab there. The story zeroes in on one o ld man who is homeless because of the eviction. Street people and a group of people on a political demonstration try to help the old man, but he rejects their help because he doesn't think fighting back will do any good. Neither does the panhandler who is in the opera. The street people and the feisty demonstrators, who are the chorus iiYthe opera, keep fighting for justice, and they bring both the old man and the panhandler over to their side. The opera ends with a rousing song calling for people to stand together to fight for human rights - especially the right to decent housing. I felt like joining the chorus and singing along with them, and I'm sure many other people in the audience felt the same way. The opera was inspiring. I wish everyone in Vancouver could see it. It would encourage citizens to come together to end homelessness, and that is democracy in action. By Sandy Cameron
MAD PRIDE EXHIBIT + CABARET
MAD PRIDE WORKSHOPS
YOU ARE NOT ALONE
CREATIVITY AND MADNESS: CELEBRATION OR STEREOTYPE?
Mad Pride 2007 Group Show july 6-28, 2007, Gallery II Opening reception july 6, 5-9pm
Mad Pride Day. Sunday.july 15, l- 3pm
A group show of work by 18 local artists addressing mental health issues, and human rights and psychiatry. The exhibit features both amateur and professional artists, with work in a range of media: painting, sculpture, installation, video, and photography.
Correlations have been found between creativity and mental health diagnoses, but there is an inherent danger in ascribing talent to one's health condition. It can deny the voice of the individual, and reduce the success of consumer/outsider artists to a stereotype of the mad artist. Workshop participants have the option of creating an art piece and having it photographed and displayed as a part of a dialogue for the duration of this show.
RosE HEART, MARILYN BLANFORD, FREDERICK CUMMINGS, CRISTINA PERRI, PIERRE PAUL LEICHNER, YuRt GoRDIN, GEORGE ABRAMISHVIll, LEEF EVANS, JUSTINA VANOVCAN, DANIEL NoRRis, MoNTANA KING, Gus FAux, All LoHAN, DouGLAs HAGERMAN, EvA WALDAUF, MARINA YANEN, BEY HEMSWORTH, W.N. PoPE.
CHANGING THE MENTAL HEALTH SYSTEM Mad Pride Day. Sunday.july 15, 3-5:30pm Free, light meal served at beginning of session. The Alliance for People's Health and Gallery Gachet Collective are jointly conducting a workshop to examine the roots of ill health in our community and people's visions for change within the psychiatric and mental health system.
MAD PRIDE CABARET Saturday. july 14, 7-1 I pm, By donation PERFORMANCES BY: Ros£ HEART, PAUliN£ LEAH RANKIN, MILDRED GERMAN, L1z THoR-lARSEN, RoN CART£N, DIANE THORN, KATHY MANCUSO.
Celebrate Mad Pride with other mad artists and allies at our annual celebration of mental health and human rights. Show your solidarity with other mad artists and supporters worldwide. Solidarity messages will be read at the Cabaret. Mad Pride strives to challenge stigmas of people living with mental health issues, and contribute to the recognition of their human rights. info: madpride@gachetorg
Presented By: Gallery Gachet. Vancouver Richmond Mental Health Network. Motivation, Power, & Achievement Society (M PA), Consumer Initiative Fund (CIF), Richmond Mental Health Consumer & Friends Society. Unity Housing Society. The Kettle Friendship Society. .
For worldwide events visit http:I!WWoN.mindfreedom.org/cam-
paignlmadpride/madpride-07
LUX OUTDOOR ART OPENING
The objectives of the workshops are to: identify key health issues community members face; discuss the human rights of mental health consumers and psychiatric survivors; investigate health in our mental health and Downtown Eastside communities; document the health concerns of workshop participants; explore the roots of these issues; discuss possible strategies and actions to improve community health; encourage community members to take action for health. The workshop will involve popular education, discussion, and presentation. All participants will have the opportunity to actively join in, share their experiences, analysis and visions for possible change.AII sharing will strictly respect participant's confidentiality.
The Alliance for People's Health (APH) is an organization of health workers, grassroots organizers and people committed to the struggle for health for all, and affiliated to the People's Health Movement WVYW.phmovementorg. We envision healthy communities where everyone has access to health care, housing, education, transportation. childcare, food, and meaningful employment
july I, 3-9pm, 65 East Hastings (during Fearless FestivaO join 12 Gallery Gachet m~mber artists as we officially launch our year-long outdoor art exhibit at the lux housing construction site hoarding. The artists include laurie Marshall, Quin Martins, WN. Pope, Clare K- V. Diane Thorn, leah Martin, Barb Hinton, Sharon Burns, Frederick Cummings,Take 5, Riel Manywounds, and Gord Hill. The site is becoming a Triage Emergency Services & Care Society housing site for adults living with mental health issues. Join us July I at 4pm for the Fearless art celebration on Hastings! http://fearlessfestblogspot.com/
2008 PROPOSALS Deadline: July IS, 2007 Accepting proposals for solo, group, juried, and curated exhibits in our exhibition spaces for April 2008 March 2009.