June 15, 1997, carnegie newsletter by Carnegie Newsletter

FREE donations acce~ted.

401 Main Street, Vancouver V6A 2l7 (604) 665-2220

_-----I

-I

a r r i m i o n for msroodwe9s a community building a community of the poor in the downtown eastside a vision composed of housing and social services for economically poor and low-income people the woodward's project is so vast and vital a vision is required before discussion of plans there must be commitment to a vision not finances and technical viability first but vision there is money and ability to implement but a vision is lacking

and a vision is needed since there are now and will be increasing numbers of economically poor vulnerable unemployed troubled "marginal" human beings the current economic agendas (the united church calls it "a war on the poor") mean reduction of funding fiom all levels government cutbacks of welfare social services uncertain employment consequently IF the downtown eastside is to be sustained and strengthened

this vision sees a strong social service dimension in woodward's first for the community within woodward's then to address outside need the h d i n g and staffing not necessarily or essentially government-based but volunteers fiom both here and outside the d.e. thereby creating an alternative to diminishing government support

and IF the city of vancouver does not desire to become an accomplice to needlessly increasing the suffering of the powerless there can be no compromise with woodward's the disposition of woodward's must send a strong message of a civic commitment to the poor and vulnerable this vision for woodward's requires a vancouver-community-involving commitment including what the provincial government and what city hall are willing to do financially to help but also requires substantial assistance from alternative sources of funding in the larger community in cooperation and conjunction with the developer-owner of woodward's this leads to a fund-raising effort both inside and outside the downtown eastside a way to involve local residents contributing even a quarter or less an investment in the future of the community fund-raising fiom willing church groups and other organizations but the significant money would have to come from philanthropists CEOs developers together in response to the crisis of the poor in the downtown eastside

this vision suggests as social services daycare education employment recreation health drug and alcohol treatment physically handicapped services and therapy refugee and native services also a grocery store or supermarket as well as retail stores employing local people as for those to be housed single mothers and their children families of the working poor seniors and youth who have an especially hard time obtaining housing native people people with serious illnesses addicts alcoholics mental patients this mixed disposition of services and housing will necessarily draw forth a deeper more cooperative community engaged in war we need a new vision a stronger and deeper community this vision will require cooperation effort and above all willingness this vision is a response to the city health department's call in 1990 for a dramatic increase in low-income housing and social services in the downtown eastside this is a situation which asks who are we? does compassion still define us spiritually or do the global economic imperatives which politicians must obey now have the last word on our lives? Bud Osborn

- we need to have multi-generational housing 3. - Aghtai must be confronted on moral issues and

woodward's and us At a public meeting with residents, people voiced concerns and expanded on the idea of Woodward's being ours, of being an anchor in and for the D.E. It was loosely organised - by PRG (Political Response Group), CCAP (Carnegie Comtnunity Action Project) and DERA people - and a starting point for vetting possible activities in relation to FAMA Holdings and Kassem Aghtai, the ownerdeveloper of the building. - we need to focus on a community vision ple likely won't get in

..~

have his honour & integrity publicly Veaioned - existing social housing is being taken by people with other than welfare incolnes - there are hazardous matelals being handled here - this can be made a human rights issue - a tent town in Shaughnessy to short-circuit their apathy. colnplacency and 'bulldozing' stlategies - use local resources & technology; recycled materials - - buy the building There will be another meeting on June 20 at 1 pm in the Carnegie theatre and, so far, there will be a

FAMA Holdings Attention: Kassem Aghtai

I /

1 II

I am writing this letter on behalf of the Community Enhancement and Economic Development Society, based in the BC interior community of 100 Mile House. Our members are deeply concerned about the recent decision made by Fama Holdings to cancel the affordable housing component of the Woodwards development on Hastings Street in Vancouver. The need for affordable housing, especially in the downtown core, is overwhelming. We were delighted when Fama Holdings announced that part of the historic Woodwards building, which has served the people of the Downtown Eastside so well in the past, would be devoted to low-cost aparhnents. A healthy downtown community in our largest city is the best interest of all British Columbians. That justice and social fairness is guarded and nurtured is the responsibility of us all. Mr. Aghtai, a lot of people are depending on you. Many, many hours of volunteer work have so far been devoted to planning. Now it's time to get the Woodwards project off the ground and a tremendous responsibility rests on your shoulders.

We urge you to do the honourable thing and get this worthwhile partnership back on track. I would appreciate it if you would keep us informed with regard to the progress in this matter. Sincerely, Rob Diether (For the CEED Society)

PRESIDENT'S REPORT By Muggs Sigurgeirson This is for the Annual General Meeting - the 'year' for the Carnegie Association. It's been a very busy year for Carnegie and the Downtown Eastside, and reports presented by the Program Committee, Finance, . Community Relations, Education, the Library, Oppenheimer Park, Volunteers, Seniors, Publications and the Community Action Project give an idea of just how varied our activities have been. Perhaps our single biggest% challenge inside Carnegie was the budget cutback by City Hall. Carnegie people were among the most outspoken in defense of services for low-income people and our community. The result was that we were able to maintain Carnegie's budget and level of programming, even as cuts were made to many other programs throughout the city. Well done, everybody! The Carnegie Community Centre Association is a voice for the patrons of Carnegie. As a non-profit society, we also raise money to help improve the programs in the building and in the community. For instance:

- We help h

d the Volunteer Program, including the out-trips that volunteers enjoy so much, and free dinners for volunteers in five-week welfare months.

- We co-sponsor the Children's Christmas party, New Year's, Anniversary celebration and other events. - We publish the best-read publication in the Downtown Eastside, the Carnegie Newsletter, and an invaluable resource guide, Help in the Downtown Eastside.

- We provide "seed money" to help start programs and buy equipment for all parts of the building

- We participate in the campaign to protect and increase low-income housing in the area and to secure Woodwards for our community - through the Carnegie Community Action Project.

- We work to help make the Learning Centre a true community-based literacy program. - We raise f h d s and help develop programs, including the Mother Earth Celebration (formerly called the Pow-Wow) to ensure Oppenheimer Park is a fun and safe outdoor recreation spot for everyone. All of this activity is only possible because of the dedication of countless volunteers. They make Carnegie tick. All Association meetings are open to everyone. We have a system of committees which do the nuts-andbolts work of developing policies. Each committee's meeting times & places are posted each month through out the building; anyone and everyone can make their voice heard. We have many challenges ahead of us - from how to maintain our level of programming in an era of cutbacks to protecting our community from the twin ravages of gentrification and street crime. I am confident that we will find solutions to these urgent problems. It will take cooperation and hard work but those are two things that Carnegie people have a lot of experience with.

6 ' 5.

We ail know that ants are the most populous bug on this earth.In Toronto, from Big ants to small ants, they were everywhere. When I came to Vancouver 12 years ago there were no ants but now they're all over my balcony.They are not big, just small, but are very hard to kill off. Any suggestions? Doris Leslie

I'm Jean-I-am. I'm Jean-I-am. I do not like that Preston man. He swiped my Big Red Book of Fibs And leaked it out before I did. I told the world the cupboard's bare. But look inside -there's billions there! For health and books and works of art. Buy your vote? I'll do my part! I'm Jean-I-am. I'm Jean-Lam. I do not like that Preston man. I do not like him in this race. I do not like him in my face. He found my book under the sink Just look -it says Quebec's distinct! 'And no tax cuts, but I don't care. Really now, who else is there? But Jean-I-am to save the day, With your tax bucks, which you will pay So I can bribe you for your vote. We're Liberals here, we do not gloat. I said no GST. :. Don't~ast'tirne you know you can't trust me? That's Red Book One, here's Red Book Two. I'll fool you twice, and s h b e on you!

. I'm Jean-I-am. I'm Jean-I-am. I do not like that Preston mari. , But no harm done, I am pure Grit' You know the word that rhymes with it. .

11 years ago a party girl knocked on my door and, quoth the raven, "changed my life forevemore".

At least she was not THEN the norm, not Reform. - far healthier than that, she was almost deform. Of course, peers relatives ruined her individuality but that is yet another naked city soapy story Now we awake to putrid find these Prairie Clowns official opposition in Ottawa, that capitol of clowns. So more immigrant-bashing by reformers (whose antecedents were foreign for sure) until all in this pious land be bland as Raymond Burr. More gay-bashing by loveless religious hacks too narrow-minded to find a closet, let alone come out More welfare-bashing, although most reformers be only corporate welfare bums.. most continuously. Preston-maxi-freeze in the already anemic blood of this conservative country spells fbture mud. What price ultra-conservatives, be they porker liberals (Ont.) or ultra-porker refoddeform dildoes? 1 1 years ago a party girl revolutionized poet me now a deform party may derange deserving voters we.

john alan douglas

Housewarming an SRO Once you 're a pickle you will never be a cucumber. You 're not, however, bound to be relish.

...another dingy room another dingy hotel I kneel on the stained squeaking mattress my bathtowel wrapped around my neck crouching over I hyperventilate ten times then straighten up emptied of air and pull the towel tight... first day living by myself after 3 months of detox treatment centre recovery house working hard to Be again un-ashamed clean and sober striving for sanity here I find myself rewarding with the only . treat I can think of crackling at the end of a small glass pipe stem but I don't get high 'shitty rock' I tell myself

...I come to convulsing territied for the tenth time gasping un-consciousness having loosened my grip on the towel I'm trylng to develop a taste before going all the way but there's only blackness and horror certainly no tunnel of lovelight... I haven't been unpacking

hesitating to put clean clothes in drawers that seem hopelessly grimy and cockroaches land with a small flicking sound on my plastic-bagged stuff having let go of the ceiling the last tenant has left behind thumbtacks bobbypins and a used syringe in the closet I'm engrossed in photographs of painted ladies trylng to recall the feeling of intimacy... (there is this one woman but I feel so awkward when she's near...) I'm left feeling even emptier

...there is endless babbling in the hall outside my door I wonder if they heard the choking and gasping of my attempted suffocation I feel self-conscious at the pay-phone by the office

"I thought I'd better call you I'm trylng hard to kill myself' "did you use?" he asks "yah, I smoked some crack "why?" he demands "I don't know..I guess I've been thinking about it awhile" "don't kill yourself tonight, OK?" I go back to my room and grab the towel then head to the dirty shower down the hall.. . I'm feeling clean now refreshed I have to continue healing from shame it's unwarranted and can only be expressed by suicide everyone's being so helpful and caring insanity swept me away again... tomorrow is another day I've set my alarm for six o'clock Goblin

d t

]

The World Beneath The world beneath this grid, the spontaneous, convulsive, abrupt world beneath the enormous, structural inertia of this quotidian, bland role-inhabitation, beneath this known, expected world, that "unknown, unwanted life" motivating everytlung we do, no matter how unconscious of it we try to be, a world pervading every act and thought we perform, with its waves and swells, its tumultuous depths, its wayfaring passions, submergences and drownings (we remember rain-soaked nights nowhere, when we would have done anything, done nothing at all to get to anywhere else), that world of the forest and the witch, that world of undercurrent, a world the acknowledment of which " we think would be our destruction, a world the existence of which, over and over again, in every situation, contrary to what we believe, is what allows us to continue, that world buried deeper and deeper under our cotlstructions and transactions, hidden more and more behind our dealings, our evasions and equivocations, behind the incredible convolutions we put ourselves and others through, all for the sole purpose of keeping that world at buy, a process by which the appearance of that wild, unpredictable world becomes fern and grotesque, becomes a distorted caricarure, that world is the world, we think, of cruzy people.

And if, by chance, we should meet someone who does not go to ridiculous extremes to deny and destroy their connection to that world, someone who does not spend all their time and energy making sure that that world stays buried, who doesn't view that world as deformed and dangerous, we immediately think that ( the person is crazy, unstable, one to avoid at all costs, because their instability, their craziness and general messiness will destabilize and mess up our lives, we think, though, in fact, our lives would be enriched if we were to have daily, or semi-daily, contact with such people. It is farcical to avoid the very people who could make us less self-centred and inane, people who could reveal whole other worlds to us, because we don't want to be uncomfortable, which we wrongly assume has to do with that other world, since our avoidance of that other world, at all costs, has, in itself, made us #yotesque and unstable, mde us uncomfortable and fearful, turned us into defortned and messy people, people who do extremely crazy, useless things but think we're being sane and useful, deluded about ourselves because the only contact with that world, a world that is driving ev-g we do, is a contfict based on denial arid fear. Dan Feeney

Editor (Vancouver Sun)

I am writing to comment on the June 4th piece from Mayor Owen, as he stands front-page-photographed across fiom the Carnegie Centre at Main & Hastings; the heart of my neighbourhood. The Mayor forecasts the fall of our society and attributes it to "criminals" (the poor) "taking over the streets" (desperation fiom increased depths of poverty forcing more people into homelessness and street-life). Of course he's right in finding fault in higher levels of government, but he doesn't refer to their slashing society's safety-net, suggesting instead a need for more law-enforcement. The article is fearfkl about property crimes (don't flash fancy toys behind your windshields here, obviously!), but the new Police Chief sounds ready for his job. Owen insightfully mentions higher governments' over-extended budgetary focus, and sees the city's problem stemniing fiom the Canadian Charter of Rights. He then closes with the details of his plan to deal with criminality. I would share with the Mayor that there are indeed troubles on the rise here: the interference of gentrification driving us (Canada's poorest off-

reserve community) out of housing; the seeming end of action on all levels of government in addressing the need for social housing here; the profiteers of crime getting criminally rich (altho I can assure you they don't live anywhere near the Downtown Eastside); the toxic shame that drives us to destruction being perpetuated by discrimination against us getting propagated into public opinion via the media and politicians. I would suggest to the Mayor that anyone so committed to solving street-crime problems as to embrace the extreme of amending the Canadian Charter of Rights & Freedoms might do so by adding the rights of the poor to it. The promotion of classist fear and hatred would be guarded against and acknowledged as immoral, thus setting a start for Vancouver poor people's spiral up out of decay. In a country where most enjoy the prosperity of the world's highest standard of living, raising standards for the poor here (e.g. secondhighest level of child poverty in the industrialised world) shouldn't sound impossible, and dealing with street-crime so ominously tricky. Shawn Millar

THURSDAY, JUNE 19.1997 CLASSROOM 2. THIRD FLOOR IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO HAVE INPUT INTO COMPUTER USE IN THE CENTRE, PLEASE JOIN US FOR A DISCUSSION!

E I

1 7 ,

1 2

Downtown Eastside AIDSIHIV Project

9. Joy McPhail, the Minister of Health, has provided 3 million dollars to the Vancouver Richmond Health Board to reduce the spread of HIVIAIDS amongst injection drug users in the Downtown Eastside.

How this will work The following process is in place to decide how best to spend the money.

1. Penny Parry has been contracted by the Ministry of Health to assist in the process. 2. Steering Committee - A 9 member steering committee has been set up by the Vancouver-Richmond Health Board and the Ministry of Health. It's job is to make sure that the plans on how to spend the funds meet the project criteria and agree with the directions of the Minister of Health, the VancouverRichmond Health Board, the Provincial AIDS strategy and the Ministry for Children and Families (Vancouver region). The project criteria are based on the Minister's announcements and directions as to the purpose of these funds. The criteria are outlined on the next page. 3. Working Committee - Penny Parry selected the 17 members of the Working Committee. Working committee members were not chosen to represent the organizations they come from. They were selected to provide the committee with a wide range of viewpoints including that of residents, service providers, local planning bodies, and community-based organizations. The Working Committee works with Penny Parry to define how the money will be spent: what types of services or programs will be funded and how these will be delivered. The committee will not decide who will be funded. The Vancouver Richmond Health Board will make this final decision. The recommendations on how to spend the funds will be provided to the Steering Committee at the end of June and to the Vancouver Richmond Health Board at its July meeting. 4. Getting ideas to the working committee - This process is meant to include as many ideas as possible. At this point, the working committee has begun to review recommendations from the many existing reports and projects. The committee is seeking fkther ideas consistent with the project criteria by: distributing this info. sheet, meeting with groups, md receiving ideas by phone or fax. This process is NOT about submitting agency or group specific proposals to the committee. It IS about gathering ideas on how best to reduce the spread of HIVIAIDS amongst injection drug users in the DTES. If you have ideas for the committee, you may fax them to Penny Parry at 738-0405 or if you have ideas or want more information, contact a member of the working committee.

Project Criteria The following criteria reflect the Minister's announcements on this funding. Ideas which meet the criteria will be discussed by the working committee and a final package of recommendations will be put forward of those that best meet this set of criteria.

Ideas will he considered that: 1. Reduce the spread of HIVIAIDS in the DTES amongst injection drug users & those around them. e.g.

the sewicelsupport must show how it will reduce the likelihood of transmission the servicelsupport should be aimed at, or designed to take into account, individuals/groupswhose behaviour sets them most at risk for spreading the infection

2. Benefit the DTES. So, suggested servicedsupports must 0 be located in or work out of the DTES, or where located elsewhere, demonstrate that they relieve pressure on the DTES i 3. Deal with immediate risks of spread of infection or, where aimed at more complex causes including issues such as housing (safe. stable shelter), show a direct relationship to reducing the spread of infection. 4. Reflect the priorities identified by the community in recent reports & the current consultation. I 5. Have an evaluation plan which: demonstrates change in tangible outcomes demonstrates that the strategy will potentially affect more rather than fewer individuals &/or is designed for those individuals whose behaviour sets them most at risk for spreading the infection identifies a mechanism for regular community input and direction 6. Build on the existing services and community support base, to enhance, not duplicate existing resources. 7. Involve partnerships across programs, organizations & Ministries and not create more infrastructure. 8. Show agreementlsupport across several affected sectors of community. 9. Be consistent with the principles of the Vancouver/Richmond Health Board and those of the Vancouver MCF Regional Operating Plan.

Carnegie Community Centre

Health Fair

Draws "My Favourite Meal on a Hot Plate" Door Prizes Idormation Tables Iieding De~uoustralioes Diocucsiou Croups . Arrowo to Freedom Juuior Childreds Dance Croup "Pets and Frieuds" Snacks

,b,

BACKGROUND OF "MARCH FOR JESUS" LETTER

The letter which appeared in the last Carnegie Newsletter (June 1 , 1997) signed by David Carson, Chair of the MFJ (March For Jesus) was written and delivered to the Newsletter after two discussions were held very recently between myself, ether member of the Political Response Group, and members of the committee for the MFJ '97. It is to clarify the context of the contents of this letter that I am writing now. Also, I was asked, by the Carnegie Centre Board of Directors, as a Carnegie Board Member, to respond to the March, and so I have. I met with David Carson initially at the Ovaltine Cafe. Another member of PRG and a female member of the MFJ were also in attendance. I explained at some length the current emergency situation of the Downtown Eastside regarding housing, health care, upscale development, displacement, welfare cutbacks; and I spoke of the resentment and opposition previous MFJ events have provoked here. Last year, after the then-Chairman of the MFJ refused to meet with us, we leafletted the March itself, and our protests were carried on CBC television and on radio. However, this year, after the former Chair dropped out of the MFJ, it appeared the March was not going to happen; but then a new committee of pastors formed to keep the event going. David Carson, and the other pastors, have been willing to meet with us and listen to our concerns. The second meeting with the MFJ Committee took place at the FourSquare Chapel above East

There were half a dozen pastors and half a dozen members of PRG in attendance. Once again, and at length, I explained the critical situation of the Downtown Eastside and the reasons for our objection to the March. And when I finished speaking, I was actually quite stunned when the pastors admitted they had not realized the circumstances of the Downtown Eastside. They had not understood. David Carson said he did now understand how the presentation, unasked for, of a "triumphant Christ" by the March, would cause offense to residents of the Downtown Eastside. Then the pastors, individually, asked for forgiveness for any harm or offense Christians had caused with their previous marches in the DE. As an individual, I accepted their expressions of repentance, but could not, of course, accept on behalf of our entire community. David Carson, along with other pastors, went on to say they now also understood the special offense First Nations People living in the DE must feel regarding the arrogance of previous marches. The pastors made a commitment to do what they could to be of help, real help, to us in our struggles, and take action with us to help save our community from displacement. The said they wanted to do something on an ongoing basis and not just once a year. David Carson said this beginning for dialogue and understanding could "revolutionize" the March For Jesus in subsequent years. Personally, I have held a vision for more than two years now. It is of Christians truly living their essential mandate from the New Testament, which is to "bring good news to the poor". And as I told the pastors of the MFJ, good news to the DE is low-income housing, health care, employment opportunities, daycare facilities. And, apparently,

these men and women of the MFJ understood. I believe that for the Downtown Eastside to survive the massive upscale assault on its land, from the Convention Centre, to City Gate, International Village, the Van Home, the all-condo Woodwards, etc., will require a strong voice and radical action fiom the residents of the Downtown Outside, so it can be seen that we are willing to fight for our community; but I believe this voice must be combined with a loud and public voice of solidarity fiom many people outside the DE. I know for a fact, from having spoken of the DE to numerous groups outside the DE that support for and concern about what happens to us, is in Vancouver and the Lower Mainland in dynamic ways. Organizing this support is difficult, but a united march of thousands of people in solidarity with us and demanding real good news be delivered to our community fiom City Hall, and the Provincial Government, and by private interests, is a possibility. At the conclusion of that last meeting with the pastors of the MFJ, they did not know what response they could make with the MFJ corning up so soon (May 3 1). I felt they could and should make an initial gesture of support by at least declaring publicly what they disclosed in that meeting. The pastors did not want to act hastily and risk

f k h e r offense to the DE, so I composed a statement I believed they could endorse, and a somewhat re-written version appeared in the Newsletter. This letter contained what I believed most important - the naming of our specific struggles down here; the presence of Jesus Christ with us in our sufferings and struggles; and an acknowledgment by the MFJ of past insensitivity and offense. This letter was not at all meant to make up for all harm caused by all Christians elsewhere or here; nor was it intended to make anythmg "okay". But this letter, in my opinion, is a very significant first step towards a real healing between Christians and the DE. There is certainly a long way to go, but I have always been about building bridges of understanding and support between both individuals and groups in the DE and between groups and individuals outside the DE. The motto of PRG is: "In Unity Is Our Hope" and though as an individual, I contribute more than enough discord and offense on my own, I believe unity is our only hope. I will certainly keep attention focused on this first step of bridge-building between the DE and the MFJ to insure it does not wither away or go off the rails. Please let me know of any thoughts or suggestions you have on this matter. BUD OSBORN

Well, the good news: the election is over. What's so good about it? The election is OVER! I was over at Libby Davies' party on election night when she was asked what her plans were. "I'm going to Ottawa!" God, it's so good to see people frnally able to get out of the area... Thank you Paul, by the way, for the poster on "The Forgotten Country". I like it lots. As you may have guessed, I am no longer on the Board and no, I wasn't planning on running at the AGM. I'm spending the next year adjusting to my job and getting some further training, so I really won't have the time to get politically motivated... for the next little while anyway.

News from the Computer Room .

One of our native computer users has left us to look for work back east. But first he will use his million dollar lottery win (YES!) to upgrade his teaching skills and buy his mom a house. Another computer user is one of our seniors who keeps getting his income cut down. Irene Schmidt is working on this one, but the victim has been told he can't fight it. So, our senior will use his next cheque to look for work in Calgary. Best of luck to him. The computer room is used by many unemployed people who benefit from Mike McCormick7s expertise. That man is so knowledgeable on what works in a resume! ! Our area is also humming with writers working on articles, plays, television and movie scripts, short stories, poems and letters to, publishers, newspapers, music companies, social services and workers' compensation. They also write to politicians in Vancouver, Victoria and Ottawa as well as world wide. The writers concentrate so much they sometimes

Here's something for all you Saturday night 13. philosophers: Based on the fact that people have the strongest desire to do the things that Authority tells them they are not allowed to do, is it possible that we, as activists, have created the social problems in the Downtown Eastside by focusing so much attention on them, thus attracting new people who wish to hang out in the 'cool, tough scene'? (I'm not going to even speculate on this!) As a final note, quitting smoking is not all that bad. Kinda like having the few days before seeing the dentist. Yes, it's aggravating, but there's nothing else to do but sit & wait it out. But that's my opinion.. could be wrong...

go so far as to lock in their overcrowded files with too many ideas. Each writer is allowed 10 pages of matrix or 4 pages of laser. When revisions are done those with 10 pages of matrix can't keep up with their scrips and have to return daily to print out their work. Business persons thinking of becoming independent (or who may already be independent) use Carnegie's Computer room after hours. They come in tired and work to improve their prospectus and office skills or just to keep up with their posters. Most times these people leave exhausted from their long day. Students come in to practice typing skills and work on school reports. The computer room can accommodate a turnover of 16 to 18 people in a 4-hour period and we print a list of 4 resumes during that time. Sometimes we are so busy we have to turn people away, which makes being a monitor a tough job. Conversation is not welcome in the computer room because it can be distracting, diverting the thought process! By DORA SANDERS

Church, Government and Corporate Collusion in the On-going Take-over of First Nations Land:

The Case of Lot #363 of the Ahousahts The sale and speculation of Ahousaht First Nations land on Flores Island (Lot #363) on Canada's west coast by the United Church of Canada, BC Provincial Government, MacMillan-Bloedel and two local businessmen was brought to light and challenged between 1992 and 1994. The two individuals primarily involved in making these disclosures, hereditary Ahousaht Chief Earl Maquinna George and United Church Minister The Rev. Kevin Annett, have now been expelled from the United Church over these same events. Their expulsions occurred simultaneously in the same two-month period of DecemberIJanuary of 1994-1995, clearing the way for the subsequent consolidation of Lot #363 into the hands of MacMillan-Bloedel. Lot #363 consists of 100 hectares of what is commonly regarded as among the most valuable stands of ancient rainforest Red Cedar on the west coast of Vancouver Island. It is estimated to be worth millions of dollars. Against the wishes of local Ahousahts, who had provided the land for the Church to build a residential school in 1904, the United Church sold Lot #363 in 1953 for $2000. Chief Maquinna George raised the unresolved issue of Lot #363 with government and church officials in correspondence as early as December 1992. George asked that a way might be found for the Church to get the land back for his people. In NovembedDecember 1994, offtcials of the United Church failed to provide funding necessaty for the ministerial training of Chief George under a special Master of Divinity program of the Native Ministries consortium. This prevented him from entering the ordained ministry of the United Church, even though Chief George's candidacy for ministry had already been approved by Comox-Nanaimo Presbytery and his acadernic requirements had been cleared by the Vancouver School of Theology. No written notification or explana- . tion for this failure was provided. During the ten-year history of this joint Anglican-United Church funded program, Earl George was the first and only native chief in BC to present himself as a United Church candidate for this program. 1 2

Within weeks of this action, and after having written a letter critical of the Church's handling of the Lot #363 issue, Kevin Annett's terms of pastoral ministry in Port Alberni were summarily changed, through the intervention of Church officials outside his congregation. Annett was removed immediately fiom his pulpit without stated cause, review or advance notice. A letter was sent to him from the Church two days later advising him of the Church's intent to remove or "delist" him fiom ministry unless he complied with demands normally reserved for mkisters under discipline. To this day the United Church has denied it has placed Kevin Annett under disciplinary action and/or the reasons for it. He is currently testieing before a precedent-setting formal hearing in Vancouver as the last of the Church's delisting procedures. At no point in the past two years has the matter of the Church's action against Rev. Annett been presented to the wider delegate bodies of the United Church, including his own congregation. The matter has been handled from its outset by a small executive group whose actions are shared with wider church representatives through minutes "received for information" only. Over that same two year period the land interests of the Ahousahts were M e r eroded with the purchase of an additional portion of Lot #363 by MacMillan-Bloedel in late 1994. The land is now being used in negotiation tactics to secure joint-venture access to the tree stands on Flores Island in the Clayoquot. This strategy has been aided and abetted by Aboriginal Affairs Minister the Rev. John Cashore (a United Church minister) whose actions have conveniently left the Church out of proposed negotiated settlements and contrary to the

;

expressed wishes of the Ahousaht Chiefs. It is our view that these extreme and unwarranted actions by the United Church constitute an attack on First Nations Peoples and those persons within the Church who uphold historic claims to Aboriginal Lands. The United Church is attempting to silence Chief George and Rev. Annett to avoid public scrutiny of both its dealings with Lot #363 and the allegations of the murder of at least one native child by a senior church official at the United Church Residential School located on Lot #363 in 1938.

ast en xe ms Y

The collusion of church, state and multi-national business officials in the take-over and exploitation of native laud resources - specifically Lot #363 - and the attempt to silence Chief George and Rev. Annett constitute a violation of both hereditary land claims and basic human rights. It also undermines the spirit and intent of the "new partnership" called for by the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Affairs. These actions by United Church officials are at complete variance with the history, conscience and soul of the United Church of Canada.

Call For Action:

ef n-

I 1

1. We call on the World Council of Churches to undertake an investigation into these actions of the United Church of Canada with respect to the treatment of Chief Earl George and the Rev. Kevin Annett, and to establish an International Tribunal to provide an appeal forum and process to ensure fair and impartial rulings on these human rights' violations by its member churches. We also call on the World Council of Churches to assist in the establishment of a public forum in which Kevin Annett's suitability for ministry can be fairly and objectively evaluated, especially in the light of the preceding facts concerning the violation of native and human rights.

2. We call on the Executive of the BC Conference of the United Church to publicly apologise to Earl Maquinna George and his family for its withdrawal of support for his training in ministry and immediately provide funding and support required for Chief George to complete his ministerial training on his request. 3. We call on the provincial government to conduct a thorough and impartial investigation into the conduct of the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs, the Rev. John Cashore, in the above matter and that, until such time as his role has been clarified and cleared of any conflict of interest, he be relieved of his portfolio. 4. We call on the Chief Executive Offlcer and Directors of MacMillan-Bloedel to demonstrate their good faith for future negotiations with the Ahousahts by returning Lot #363 for the sum of $1.00.

,f I-

)

5. We call on the federal government to establish an independent commission of inquiry into a) the collusion of state, church and business in the sale and speculation of native land in Ahousaht, BC and b) the particular behaviour of the United Church of Canada in relation to Lot #363 and the alleged abuses and murder at its Ahousaht Residential School, in order to determine whether such behaviour violates the United Church of Canada Act (1925) and the Charities Act (1987), under which the federal government has authorised the United Church to operate. 6. We call upon the membership and clergy of the United Church of Canada to abstain from financially supporting that Church until these matters are publicly rectified and to initiate their own inquiries into the behaviour of those officials described in the above matters.

The Rev. Kevin Annett, B.A., M.A., M.Div. The Rev. Bruce Gum, B.A., B.D., M.A.A.B.S., M.Div.

Before You Judge

THE MfOMEN5 MONUMENT PROJEm When the idea was first presented in this community, to establish a memorial to women who have died by violence, it was in the context of the 14 women murdered by Mark Lepin in Montreal. Rightly, women in the Downtown Eastside and throughout the Lower Mainland spoke to the fact that over one hundred and thirty women have died by violence in this neighbourhood in the last 10 years alone.. and that recognition of this temble situation must be part of any monument. The Committee started contacting families of the women who have died and found that including specific names was mostly unacceptable to their mothers, not wanting their daughters remembered In such a way. Following is suggested wording for a proposed dedication tile at the Women's Monument in Thornton Park, based on excerpts from a poem by Barbara Gray. If it is accepted by the community in general, Barbara will be asked for permission use ~tas the dedicahon:

TO ALL WOMEN ON THE DOWNTOWN EASTSIDE: WE COME TOGETHER TO BEGIN THE HEALING. WE HAVE TRUDGED THESE PATHS BEFORE TOO MANY TIMES. WE HAVE HAD ENOUGH ENOUGH VIOLENCE ENOUGH BEATINGS ENOUGH STABBINGS. WE SHOUT WE SCREAM NO MORE.

See that junkie in the lane Spaced out, grinning a blank Your way Picture a little boy Before you judge A father leaves him screaming In his crib Mom and dad have needles in their arms They set the course See the young prostitute on the street Fishnets under half a skirt And breasts Picture a little girl Her mother comes home with a john Lets him have it off with the kid How else is she supposed t o feed her?

An empty quart stands guard

Much liquor on their breath Sometimes he was in the line of fire See the senile bag lady Toothless, and muttering Picture a little girl Before you judge An orphan who never fit, She ran from the convents To chase her soul Finally she found some kindred A t a soup kitchen

I 1

Who are you And where do you sleep? And you, weaving Dervish Drunk with your lot Your paintings neglected on the sidewalk

Iwas at the bus stop the other day When a man asked me to buy his transfer just 75 cents for a coffee please That's all I need I gave him a dollar

And a well dressed man in front of me Turned to interfere You're breaking the law They'll find you out What are you helping him for? When I came to this country I worked hard Had two cents to my name I didn't take any handouts, no sir Idon't have to be ashamed

111 11

No man, Isuppose you don't But shame another man you will Because he's not like you Picture a little boy Before you judge And think please with your heart You and that other little boy My friend You're not so far apart

QPete Schweitzer

The bus rolls to a stop Brings a lapse to my thought At the fertile corner of Hastings and Main Swaying and groaning Under the load Of afternoon shoppers Rushing in like foam Over the seats and down the aisle Their coffers filled with the smells Of Chinatown And a chorus of new sounds Thickens the air Bees droning in a swarm I cock an ear To the pulsating rhythm Of a land far from here "Fuckin' Chinese"

427 41 - Like a blade on the tongue

'Ik

"Look what you people are doing to us

Woman On A Bus Fuckin' Chinese ..." Hangs on her breath I sit alone The way I like t o

In a single seat By the window Soon I am cruising the street With my mind Sitting comfortably to one side Of the stories unfolding Before my eyes Rundown hotels, pubs and pawnshops Grocers, diners and downtown detox A girl in shorts and pink high heels

I search the faces For the disembodied mouth See only a profile Half a frown Before she turns her raven head All the way 'round

"We shared our land with you And what do you do Fuckin' Chinese You take over Fuck youn

Felled to the quick The elders shift Exchange knowing glances Try to dismiss The drunken intruder In their midst But the grandmother pinned Across the aisle Cannotescape Being shamed and defiled "Your culture is different It doesn't belong Fuckin' Chinese Leave our land And go home" The old gray face Seems to send me a plea I instinctively rise Offer to change seats But she misunderstands In her protective way, Motions a matriarch Into my place Now I am standing Shoulder t o shoulder Faceto face With the woman behind The voice against race She is tall, indigenous, a pillar Her drunkenness makes her No less attractive to me "Fuckin' Chinese You don't belong here..." But the words languish In her far-away stare I look into the wells behind her Black pools of pain Rage can only disguise I reach out and touch her Tell her, I understand how you feel

But these people They are not to blame Like you and me They just get through the days Someone long ago Caused you to be displaced It was someone The colour Of me Her body deflates Beneath my hand Racked with sobs For all that was robbed From her Cry, I whisper, it's OK Cry to wash your pain away The community falls witness To our embrace I see they forgive her Absolved of her hate I tell her, I used to drink It'll all be OK But she has scarcely begun To sob in that guttural way That heals every corner of the heart Like the sun Does Do you have somewhere safe, Somewhere comforting to go? She looks up Wipes a hand across her runnirjg nose Her eyes trust me She tells me I'm going home We ride on in the silence Of lingering sobs Connected in another place and time Connectedwith God You are a beautiful woman Don't lose faith I want to take her face

Into my hands Make sure She understands When at last her stop comes She hesitates At the door Turns t o brand her eyes into mine Forever more As she vanishes completely lnto the crowd I long t o run after her Hold her up, proud

6: 15 - 6:30 1000-blk Granville (alley) WISH 7: 15 100-blk East Hastings 7: 15 - 7:30 Hawks & Hastings 8:00 - 9:00 100-blk East Hastings 9:30 - 9:45 Hastings & Semlin 10:30-11:15 100-blk East Hastings 1 1 :30-1 1 :45 1000-blk Granville 12:30-I :30am 100-blk East Hastings 2:45 - 3: 15 100-blk East Hastings 3:45 - 4:00 Dundas & Lakewood 4:45 - 5:00 100-blk East Hastings

=A* $&Q'6:40 e% 0 00 6:45 -

$83

'b;o e8

But I know I am only A furl in the braid of a destiny woven Day by day I know I am only A note in her song A song of lament That makes her strong The woman on the busLives close t o me .Umost 90% of N drug users in Vancouver's Downtown Eastsidr are infected I am comforted by her presence with Hepatitis C. By the emotions she freed Hepatitis C - like Hepatitis B and HIV - is spread by blood contact Hep C is more Sister I love you common than either Hep B or HIV. Walk forward in peace

DEYAS

HEPATITIS C

You may have no .symptoms when you first pick up the infection. As time goes on, you may begin to feel quite ill tired, lethargic, have flu-like symptoms, vomiting, fever, jaundice. It can take years for serious disease to show.

Afterword; It is only now I have expelled this story That I hear "Fuckin' Nazi" With all the horror All the little white faces Leering at me "Fuckin' Nazi, go back To your own country" And l know That the woman On the bus Cried the tears that belong To all of us Q Pete Schweitzer

There is NO vaccine to protect you against Hep C. There are also few treatments, but more research is being done. There are over 20 different types of Hep C virus. Being infected with one type of Hep C virus does not protect you from being infected with other types of the virus. The more virus you have in your system, the sooner you are likely to become ill. Experts say that bleach kills Hep C. It takes 30 seconds to kill HIV. No one seems to know how long it takes to kill Hep C. It's safer to use a new rig or re-use your own rig. The only protection against Hep C infection is NOT TO SHARE AllYTHLVG - EbTR!! Don't share works - filters, needles, syringes, spoons. Don't use other people's water. Don't share by backloading or frontloading. You can also come into contact with the blood of someone with Hep C through razor blades, toothbrushes. tattooing, body piercing. The virus is very small and can be passed on through traces of blood that arc so small you can't see them.

For more information, ask an Exchange worker.

binner@thepentagon.com binner@vcn.bc.ca mcbinner(ii?lhotmail.com

fax: 684-8442

Greetings fellow binners & binnerettes. Congrats to Libby Davies! Now maybe something will get done. As for you non-voters - remember to keep the faith. Maybe, next election, Mr. McBinner will run for the Middle Finger Party. A little update on the Rocking Guys first infamous member, Tom Lewis. Last issue I stated he was playing guitar for Dollie West. That should be Dottie West. Sorry to any Dollie West-type people dead or living. It seems Mayor Owen has his finger up his ass again. The taxpayers and others in Woodlands1 Grandview are pissed off about drugs & hookers in their 'hood. It is such a breath of fresh air to know that the Downtown area, places like the 100block of East Hastings, are crime-free and don't need help from our esteemed mayor. If you are on the Internet, check out the list of names in the Toronto Freenet guestbook. This problem of crime involving drugs, revenge, or just plain vandalism has plagued communities across Canada for many years. The only reason Owen is addressing the issue now is because of public pressure, mostly from the newly-arrived yuppies who are shocked to find, homelessness, poverty, etc, as real-life tragedies. The only time Owen has come down to the Eastside was to have his picture taken next to a poor but harmless alcoholic named Claude. (Yes, Phil, the man does have a name.) If you saw the photo, you could see Owen leering at an African-Canadian passing him on his left. That man works at Carnegie and is one

of the warmest persons I have ever met. Criminals, addicts or pan-handlers are not born; neither is one 'label' interchangeable with another. Individuals may be the products of broken homes or a broken society. One of my best boyhood friends, who had a much better home life than me, was sniffing glue the last time I saw him. He'd started sniffing when his parents divorced and it just blew his mind. He thought nobody loved him anymore. There are lots of reasons why many people just give up and quit: 'what is the use of trying?' 'why vote?' 'who gives a shit anyway?' 'who's gonna hire me?' 'I got no education?' ..... Booze or drugs give a reason to keep living to some people; it's sad but true. Taking $96 from people's welfare just makes it worse.'

-- ..

You want more crime? Take $96-away from the 'have-nots' and you'll have crime. Take $96 from me and I'll have to sell my medication to get by. Some days I'm so sore I can't ride my bike. Some times, even when I can, there is nothing to bin 'cause of so much competition. Mav The Bins Be With You. ...and hey, let's be careful out there. MR. McBINNER PS: Trashhopper is on vacation, but you can reach him at surreylanka@hotmail.com

DOWNTOWN S T 0 CLINIC 219 Main; Monday Friday, 10a.m. tip.m. EASTSIDE NEEDLE EXCHANGE 221 Main; 8:30am-8pm everyday 1 YOUTH Needle Exchange Van -3 Routes: City (5:45pm-l1:45pm);

A- C T I V I T I E S O ~ ~( 12:30am-8:300m) ~~~~~~ Downtown Eastside(S:30pm-l :)()am) S~~~~~~ 1997 DONATIONS Rocking Guys-$30 0 rr)

,-I

cA I I

I 1

1 I

.r( u

VI 0

. r i

k 0

I I

V1 4

cd -0 0 2

Paula R.-$30 Diane M.-$15 h'm. B . -$20 Lorne T.-$20 L i l l i a n 11.-$25 Me1 L.-$20 Joy T.-$20 S a r a D.-$20 F r a n c e s -$25 CEEDs - $ l o C h a r l e y B.-$15 Susan S.-$30 Libby D. -$40 DEYAS -$75 Guy J . - $ l O B r i g i d R.-$10 'I'oln L) . - $10 Amy E.-$10 I k n e I:. -$30 Kay F . - $ 5 Saul 11. -$20 Neil N.-$10 K i c k Y.-$63 Sharon 5 - $50 BCClV -$SO llolden l l o t e l -$5 Sonya Sommers - $ l o 0 Census Employees -$ZOO S . C . PLURA -$I000

TIIE NEWSLEllEn IS A PUBLICATIONOF TIE CARNEOIE COMM\JNITY CENIRE ASSOCIAIION Adlcler raprerent (ha vlewn o l lndlvldunl conlrlbutorn and not o( Iha Assaclrllon.

Submission Deadline for the next issue: Joan D. -$5 Mike M.-$15 Bill G.-$20 Ray-Cam -$40

26 June Thursday

NEED HELP?

The Downtown Eastside Residlents' Associatio can help you with: any welfare problem "information on legal rights *disputes with landlords *unsafe living conditions "income tax *UIC problems "finding housing 'opening a bank account Come Into the Dera office at 425 Carrall St. or phone us at 682-0931.

DERA HAS BEEN SERVING THE DOWNTOWN EASTSIDE FOR 24 YEARS.

Free Legal Advice in your neighbourhood CARNEGIE CENTRE 401 M A I N STREET AND HASTINGS VANCOUVER,BC,VGA 2 T 7

MON,WED, FRI:10-4 TUES:2-9 DROP-IN CLINIC W E ' R E T H E LAW S T U D E N T S ' L E G A L A D V I C E PROGRAM.

FOR MORE INFO, C A L L U S A T 8 2 2 - 5 7 9 1

JOB SEARCH CLUBBING Another success story at Klein & Associates. A waitress has been hired full-time for the minimum wage, working weekends. It's Monday morning. Everybody's working the phones, following a printed "response-tree" on each table. "Good morning. May I please speak to the Manager?" > 'I am an enthusiastic person looking for a job opportunity in the field. Would it be possible to come in and meet with you for an interview?' No? When do you think you may be hiring again?' No? Well, thank you anyway.' It is a rainy day in downtown Vancouver. Gray concrete on the office tower across the alley is the only view. The feeling is that of a cement canyon. Inside, the atmosphere is prison-like: food is not allowed and coffee is for counsellors only. Clients are confined to makeshift cubicles from 9am-3pm facing a blank wall with a sign saying "No Personal Phone Calls Please!" Clients know that any

bad move they make, like speaking out the truth about the lack of any real job opportunities out there can get them reported to their worker--and out on the street without anything to live on in no time flat. So people keep to themselves. Days keep passing by with repetitious efforts not resulting in anything authentic, which is demeaning. On the wall by the entrance there's a row of boards mounted, with names of people recently hired. From one course to another the boards are being doctored in order to show a high success rate in employment obtained. Only after a while it finally becomes obvious that the names of people stay up even when the jobs are lost - in a couple of days or at best a week or two. At least 30% of those hired through Klein & Associates are being laid-off before the end of the full course.. to the dissatisfaction of counsellors and their supervisor. Who else would have considered a pushy stranger for a job over the phone if the job itself wasn't ridiculous? The positions that clients are allowed to apply for belong to the high-turnover category only. The objective is for the clients to disappear fiom the records. Hopefully they will smarten up enough to move away.. to another District Office jurisdiction to escape further mindless harassment. Many welfare recipients are survivors and, as such, ofien make the same mistake in their selfassessment. This is how it goes: "IF one is being chased like a fugitive and abused at the hands of bureaucrats, one must deserve it somehow; otherwise the workers - assumed to be benevolent - wouldn't do it to them, would they? Being guilty, one might punish oneself ahead of the game and take the blame. Punishment is said to work. So be it ..." The only way to escape fiom this cycle is by acknowledging that people who hurt others, individually or institutionally, do it because they themselves are hollow inside and have completely suppressed their spirituality. They tend to get themselves into positions of power, then strike, often at random and with full destructive force, unable to foresee the consequences of their actions. By RICHIE YOURS

Looking at the swamp at the southern part of Strathcona Gardens, it's easy to imagine how countless millions of years ago our species evolved out of similar swamps elsewhere on this earth.

Perhaps, in another hundred million years, the descendants of the creatures now dwelling in Strathcona Gardens' swamp will be where we are today. Only better off because we really gave "it" an effort.

Somehow, probably due to different climates and available foods, our species differentiated into four main groups commonly referred to as Yellow, Red, Black, and White.

The Yellow, who's numbers are greater than the others, seem to have about an 800 year head start on cultural matters in this millennium; based on their population, and certain of their inventions, such as gunpowder andpaper that preceded European usage byseveral centuries. The Red separated from the others perhaps 25,000 years ago to settle in the remoteness of what is now North America, where they preserved their way of life undisturbed until 500 years ago. The White, who have the second least number of the species branches, began to thrive hundreds of years ago and took advantage of innovations and discoveries, and set on a course of failed conquest over the Black and the Red. Today, in 1997, the four groups of our species appear to have set aside past differences and are congregating in some parts of the world, settling down to live together, which, will eventually create a new stronger culture as the groups exchange the best of their foods, ideas, arts, and philosophies. It may take fifty or a hundred years for the boiling pot of groups to be cooked into a cultural dish that will please all tastes, but in places like Vancouver we're well on our way to creating a society of new greatness.

SUNG 70 ?HE 'IUNE OF "Hello, Dolly"

Hello, Libby. Well, hello, Libby! It's so good to see that you w n the draw. You 're looking d, Libby, We can tell, Libby; You'11 be great, you'll set them straight Bedc in Ottam.

We see the Liberals dozing, And brown nosing all those Corporations who defer their tax. So, give'em hell, Libby, Really ring their bell, Libby. Libby, in four years We'll give them the ax!

z(d urn M G ~ u r n . d ( d u

a . d

( d - d d a J r l aJ

v a t

s as

would have us believe that

, 1..

red raspberry leaf

7saint john's wort 1

, la,

antihistamines

7antimicrobials '

hawthorn berry

B.,

cough & cold drugs asthma therapies cardiovascular drugs

stinging nettle white willow bark

antidepressants

LITERACY AND CITIZENSHIP SCHOOLS PART 1 Esau Jenkins lived on Johns Island, on of a chain of sea islands off the coast of South Carolina. In the 1950's he ran a bus line for black islanders who worked on the mainland, mostly in Charleston tobacco factories or as domestics for rich families. He was also active in his church and community, and wanted to be the first Ahcan American on the local school board. When Esau Jenkins drove people to work, he taught them how to read and write so they could register to vote. To get on the voters' list in South Carolina, a person had to read a section of the state constitution. In '54 Jenkins asked Myles Horton of the Highlander Education Centre in Tennessee to set up a night school on Johns Island so people could learn to read and write enough to get on the voters' list. Myles Horton thought about this challenge for a while. He knew the word "school" was a bad word for a lot of poor people who had experienced little but failure there. He visited Johns Island a number of times over the next six months, learning that a state supported adult literacy program already existed on the island. The trouble was that nobody went to it. Adult classes were taught in children's classrooms with small chairs and desks, and adult students were called "Daddy-longlegs" by the professional teachers. Teaching materials and methods were geared to children and elementary school grade levels, and questions about citizenship and voter registration weren't even mentioned. Horton thought a lot about Esau Jenkins. Here was this man, who wasn't a teacher, teaching adults on his bus at 5:00 a.m. in the morning with no materials except the state constitution - and his riders were getting on the voters' list. How come people were learning to read and write on Jenkins' bus, but they hadn't learned to read and write in formal school? Horton decided that the setting for the kind of citizen education Jenkins had in mind couldn't be a formal school because that place would bring

back too many humiliating memories to the adult students. It seemed to Horton, and to Septima Clark who was Director of Education at Highlander, that the teachers for this new project had to be respected members of the community. They had to have faith in the ability of their adult students to learn, and they had to understand literacy in the context of citizenship and community power. For the most part, they could be neither white nor professional teachers. In January, 1957, the first Citizenship School started in the back of a community food co-op on Johns Island. SANDY CAMERON To be continued

Dear Downtown Eastsiders, Thank you so much for supporting me on June 2, Federal Election Day. I really appreciate your faith in me. I will work hard and do my very best to work with the community to ensure the Downtown Eastside is heard in Ottawa. We will carry the fight for social and economic justice to Ottawa. We will challenge and push the federal Liberal government at every level to end poverty and homelessness, and fight for jobs, safety, decent housing and equality. The votes in the Downtown Eastside reallv made the difference in the election in Vancouver East. The dedicated community organisers who made this possible in the DE did a wonderfid job. To see so many people pull together for such a huge effort gives us all hope. Thank You!!! Yours in solidarity, Libby Davies MP

Tel (519) 832-6744 coming all too soon... THE DISMANTLING OF PUBLIC EDUCATION in CORPORATE ONTARIO

Join JOHN SNOWBLOWIN' the Minister of Lernin at the prestigious nev COLLEJ OF T E E C A W S and discover for yourself vhat we've been doing vrong all these years... "Youse guys vill be amazed:" See what a grade 10 graduate can do to your children: "Failing Grade?" "Broken System?" "Tax Dollar Value?" "Second-rate Students?" The loss of a mind a terrible thing. Just watch the magic as ve do far more for and vith far less. eh?: 2 plus 2 equal -1.

"BREAKING STUFF with JOHN SNOWBLOWIN'" Just when you thought it vas safe to let your child go to school...

playwrights Union of Canada 54 ~ o l s e l e y St., 2nd Floor Toronto, Ontario M5T 1A5 tel: (416) 703-0201 / fax:703-0059

CAW*TCA

CANAIM

DOUNSIZE THEATRE COElPAW C.A.W. Family Education Centre R . R . # l , Port Elgin, Ontario NOH 2C5 TEL: (519) 389-3200 FAX: (519) 389-3222

carnegie community centre association Fat. M. Lee 2 1 1 26 Ave. W., Vancouver.

9 June 1997

Dear Mr. Lee Over the past year there has been an increased number of community workers and residents familiar with the ~ooseveltHotel commenting on how bad the conditions are within it. Reports of no doors on rooms, filthy hallways, uncollected garbage, the smell of urine, moldering carpet lee in hallways, completely destroyed rooms, unsanitary bathrooms, etc., are all too common. Though you may be waiting for other development or sales opportunities to occur, it is your responsibility to ensure that the Roosevelt Hotel is managed properly and that it complies with the city's Standards of Mainten - a c e and Environmental Health By-laws. By all accounts the living conditions within are the worst of any hotel in the Downtown Eastside. We are deeply concerned that residents living there must endure this kind of neglect. You wouldn't neglect a property you own in your own neighbourhood; we expect the same courtesy. We will be looking for improvements to occur in the very near future. Sincerely, Tom Laviolette - Canegie Community Action Project. cc: Ray Mariani, Property Inspector, Property Use Vergina Jorgensen, Health Inspector, Environmental Health Nathan Edelson, Central Area Planning HAND DELIVERED on June 12, 1997 NOTICE Take notice that the conditions in your premises (ROOSEVELT HOTEL 166 E.Hastings) are detrimental to health. You are, therefore, ordered to Vacate until they comply with the requirements of Vancouver's Health By-law #6580 and until the Medical Health Officer grants permission to re-open the premises. All rooms must be vacated before 12 noon, Monday, June 16th, 1997. Failure to comply will hold you liable to prosecution without further notice. F.J. Blatherwick, M.D., F.R.C.P.(C) Medical Health Off~cer ... and the shit really hit the,fan.Tom Laviolette had sent a cover letter to the inspectors, asking that they get

back in touch before serving the slumlord with any legal papers. Instead a call on the same day the above letter was delivered and no idea if it was to be that day or what. Since DERA had had the funding for its two hll-time relocators cut out by government, people there tied to get the Health Dept. to keep the lower floors of the Roosevelt open, but Judy Graves (the city's relocator) knew that kind of precedent would cause more problems down the line. She and Tom tried to find rooms for displaced tenants while working with DERA and TRAC to keep the Roosevelt from being destroyed over the weekend by the dealers and criminals who had "taken over" (according to the manager). It's precisely this kind of neglect and putrid conditions that slumlords perpetuate, knowing how much hassle community workers go through trying to get things changed for the better. To them the bottom line is all.

* The Frascr Institute, bless its pointy little head, is holding a day-long conference on June 25th to talk about The Privatisation of Liquor. Some professor from Alberta did a study and crunched his numbers in a way that pleased the greedy sots (sorry, non-teetotallig entrepreneurs) flocking to Michael Walker and he's going to pump this for all it's worth. Just imagine how much we're missing, not having liquor sold out of 7-1 1 or any comer drug store. Wouldn't you love to have it like every American city, where alcohol is sold everywhere escept the local church0?(Thismeet is $85 a plate.) * From thc Housing Centre, City of Van, came word that City Council voted to ask the Province to change Vancouver's Charter to give municipalities the power to regulate the conversion & demolition of SRO hotels. This could be real progress, since the 12-15 people labelling themselves Gastown Residents, Land Use Planners, Historic Snots Business somebodies etc. have already nosed their two cents worth ~ n t othe media, saying they have "rights to do whatever they please with their own propcrty .. yaddayaddayadda" They still persist in the fantasy that they 'speak for stakeholders in Gastown' and keep forming different societies so each will have a voice/vote, even though the members of all are the same people.

* Off-the-wall input at a local meeting from Bill K wanting everyone present (for talk &: strategy over Woodwards) to put all their energy into circulating a petition to recall the local MLA. You're right if you're wondering what the hell that has to do with Woodwards, but it's this private agenda stuff that screws up the whole community. A Poor People's Conference happened recently with the same kind of thing - come to share stuff about poverty and surviving and find organisers tqing to talk you into civil violence - for which you alone will have to answer as the self-same friendly organisers vanish to.. fight another day.. read their press.. . *

Got a report called "Mean Sweeps" from the

National Law Center on Poverty & Homelessness in D.C. It examines the 50 largest US cities and the increasing trend towards the criminalization of homelessness through laws and policies, such as restrictions on homeless people using public spaces and on beggindpanhandling . Victoria just passed a by-law against people who sit on the sidewalk... Vancouver has a few very mouthy people on Granville and in Gastown who make poor people sound like lepers - who want this "unsightly trash" (that's us I guess) cleaned up! A while back there was even a letter from one of 'em saying that they had gone to the expense, out of their civic pride no doubt, to hire private Gestapo to go to each and every poor person hangin' out on their streets and give them a good talking to... Anyway, look for info from this book in coming issues, a l l l e s c a

* The Gaming Commission gets its way: they're trying to shut down Jackpot Bingo on Hastings St. because They revoked the charity or nonprofit status of DEYAS because of no annual general meeting or something; they did the same thing to the Camping Bureau. Then Jackpot was robbed (pros cut security wires and sawed off the safe, taking the whole thing). The Gaming boys then said that the charities having licenses would not get their required 25% for that month - in effect punishing 23 organisations operating bingo events out of the Jackpot Hall for being robbed!! Carnegie gets about $1400 a month through this bingo, as do the other non-profits there, and the funding for Ye Olde Carnegie Newsletter is raised this way. Kind of an end run to fuck over Eastside charities who raise money from other poor and low income people and try to keep as much as possible in this neighbourhood - for services, programs, volunteer outings, kids' summer stuff and so on ... * Congratulations to Libby Davies on becoming the Member of Parliament for Vancouver East!! * Congratulations to Jean Swanson on being a Grandmother! !! By PAULR TAYLOR