JUNE 15, 2013
CaiE0egie~ N E W S LETTER
carnnews@vcn bc.ca
401 Main Street Vancouve r Canada V6A 2T7 (604) 665-2289 Email: carnnews@shaw.ca; Website: www.carnnews.oq:; Index: http://chodarr. or~/taxonomy/term/3 Photos by Carl MacDonald
Chickenshit that's what it is over in Abbotsford city's got the answer 路 to the malaise of the homeless just cover the campground with chicken poop so the homeless get a few more diseases courtesy of the good taxpayin' folks good church-go in' folk, you know same ones tryin ' ta run you offa the road whizzin' beer cans at yer head Space and surroundings kept clean, abandoned building, obstructing or inconveniencing no one real compassionate christians oh I know I know it ain't all of ' em just enough to make you sick and die but remember do it somewhere else somewhere where the homeless are welcome just where that is I dunno but it's someplace other'n the burbs all you get from them farmers is chickenshit '
AI
- serendipitously till the day after the election ...
Carnegie Community Centre Director's A nnual Report- Ethel Whitty, J une 2013 Reporting year- June 1, 2012- May 31,2013 The last year has required DTES residents to show strength & tenacity as you have worked on future planning for the neighbourhood through the Local Area Plan Process. I never cease to be impressed with the community's wi llingness to engage with the issues that face this neighbourhood & the determination to affect change. Carnegie Centre staff provided social, cultural, educational and recreational programs and a variety of direct services to 5313 registered members in 20 12. There are approximately 2000 visits to the Centre each day. Special thanks to Assistant Director Sharon Belli who is everywhere at once s upporting patrons and staff and making sure the facility is run ning s moothly. Fo llow ing are highlights of the work done & do not begin to describe the daily comm itment of Carnegie staff. T he Carnegie Outreach team, under the direction of Bob Moss, provides the Homeless Outreach Program (HOP) as well as regular patrols of the back lanes and streets to provide harm reduction supports. HOP is a fast track program to get homeless people onto welfare and into housing, with some 500 individuals assisted into housing in 20 12. At the same time, the outreach team has developed a community kitchen project in the hotels working alongside the hotel owners and hiring peers to provide support. The Volunteer Program, led by Colleen Gorrie, (and in her absence by Sindy Bruno) provided opportunities for 300 volunteers who contributed approximately 65,000 hours of program support, includi ng 27,300 hours of kitchen work, over the past year. Other areas enjoying significant volunteer support included the Learning Centre, seniors lounge, the pool room and weight room, Oppenheimer Park, as well as other programs. The majority of volunteers are local residents and patrons of the Centre. My heartfelt thanks go out to all of you. T he Kitchen, led by Steve McKinley, is the heart of the Carnegie Centre and could not offer its huge contribution without the support of the volunteer base. Last year the kitchen served a total of 182,244 customers, approximately 500 per day. The kitchen staff and volunteers a lso catered for over 300 programs and events. Volunteers working in the kitchen learn valuable skills while contributing to the production of nutritious low cost meals for the DTES community and providing food security to many residents. Arts Programming, organized by Rika Uto, included jazz band, ballroom dancing, two writers groups, Chinese choir, Carnegie Village C hoir, cabaret, music jam, popular and documentary movie nights, poetry night, karaoke nights, and live band dance and workshops in our newly renovated art room. Additional workshops included flamenco dance, improvisational dance, performance dance, music improvisation, choir, theatre, fabric art atJd street band. Performances in the theatre included several community bands, and five exhibits by local artists were hosted in the Gallery. O ne of the highligh ts of the year was the management of the third year of the DTES Small Arts Grants (in partnership with Vancouver Foundation). This project delivered 7 1 grants, totaling $65,000, to individual artists chosen by a community artist advisory board, supported and administered by Carnegie Centre. Funding for the next three years has been confirmed. C ultural Sharing Programs and senior's programs have been led by Marlene George until her retirement in May. We are actively seeking a replacement for Marlene but we don't expect it will be easy to fill her shoes. Marlene provided leadership to the Women' s Memorial March Committee as it struggled with the Missing Women's Inquiry and the emotional tsunami that was created for community members. Senior's support committee volunteer coffee sellers raised $57,509 during 2012. We have 8 coffee sellers on our volunteer roster w ho contribute over 5000 hours each and every year to fu ndraise for the seniors program. The Carnegie van, originally provided through the coffee seller's efforts is used by various programs through-
out the building and at Oppenheimer Park. Seniors trips during 2012 allowed 288 seniors to enjoy day trips in 3 and around Vancouver. Oppenheimer Park, led by Sandy MacKeigan, provides recreational and cultural programming for some of the most marginalized individuals in the DTES. The park organizes large scale events in addition to their regular programs. These include I) National Aboriginal Day 2) Endless Summer Festival the HomeGround Event and 4) The Oppenheimer Park Community Art Show The Sec路,,-ity and Information Desk Team, led by Skip Everall, continue to try to improve services and provided a ~ ~and welcoming environment for patrons and staff over the last year. In 20 I 2 there were 1334 docum ~t{ security related incident reports. The Team successfully implemented its Violence Prevention strategy ani.! had no Use of Force incidents for the year. The Administration Team led by Deleine Chamberlain, continue to provide support in a friendly and respectful manner to the Association by keeping the books and minutes of meetings and to patrons by providing member services such as booking rooms and issuing mail. The Learning and Literacy Centre is a partnership with Capitano College, the Carnegie Community Centre Association and COY. Together with about 60 volunteers, the Learning Centre and associated literacy outreach programs assist over 400 community members with literacy and upgrading. Volunteers contributed over 9000 hours in 2012. The program receives financial support from Capitano College, the Carnegie Association and Ministry of Advanced Education through the Community Literacy Programs. Patrons at Carnegie library (Stephanie Kripp is our new librarian) checked out almost 150,400 items in 2012 and Lib~ary staff answered at least 58, 226 questions. Almost II 00 people were signed up for new library cards. Our. patrons continue to make extensive use of library computer access, including wireless Internet service. About 15,000 books were distributed over the year through our weekly giveaways o n Hastings Street and a number of author readings were hosted. In September, we partnered with ~ozens of local and health organizations to hold the fifth annual Alley 1:-lealth Fair, celebrating healthy living with DTES residents in the alley behind the Carnegie Centre. The Carnegie Community Centre Association has dedicated volunteers in two programs. Led by Paul Taylor 11 the Carnegie Newsletter, in its 2i year, is produced twice a month (except for the briefest concession to holiday at New Year's) and put together by volunteers who faithfully contributed 2575 hours to collation and production. The news letter has an annual subscription list and is read by residents all over the community, others in the Lower Mainland and beyond, due to the distribution efforts of Paul and others. The free resource guide, Help in the Downtown Eas路tside, extant for 22 years, recently saw its 46 111 edition in English, French & Spanish The Carnegie Community Action Project, coordinated by Jean Swanson, organizes residents and offers opportunities and ed ucation that promote the ability for residents to speak in ways they can be heard on issues of vital importance to them including housing and the future of the neighborhood. Volunteers contributed 2400 hours to CCAP in 2012. My thanks go to the Carnegie Association Board for volunteering your time to make sure that the business of the Association is carried on in a timely and meaningful way and for the support you provide to me by offering advice on relevant community issues and concerns. lt is an honour to serve this community.
Bud Osborn I looked around I looked around and the hippies were gone back to their parents back to universities or wherever they were ab le to get down to business it got cold on the street with the wild homeless ones with the desperate demonized drug addicts with the fierce revengeful ones with other emotionally besieged ones and the vietnam vets l met-
his eyes drowned in fear and despair and tears fell like every star from the sky I was terrori tied expecting we were go ing to be placed in sulphuric acid baths because of what we knew that they didn't but as the guards came and went and we were ordered to bed I told him we won and were safe we'd outlasted them
I never called them "baby killers" I suffered america with them beaten by cops harassed by the fbi driven across the states and into canada and back and forth down assassi nation alleys bleeding with trauma funneled into psych wards and jails it's painful to remembernot long returned from vietnam his hands and legs in cuffs and restraints slowly shuffl ing & rattling across the hard ti le floor in a state mental hospital a nd though he never spoke a single word he fastened himself to me like a s hadow embodiment of the horror of our time continually following and sitting next to me he looked carefully into my eyes we we re four sad shattered blue eyes searching deeply into each other then one night I plunged into delirium tremens conspiratorial imaginings and with great urgency whispered to him: '"don't make a sound don't even move don't look at the guards and maybe they won't kill us tonight"
he smil ed then a thin tear-soaked real smile and even though they kept us separated after that night I still wear his face and especially his eyes within mine and I wonder where he is today but as for how he is now I know his wounds as well as mine- • live
Local DTES artists celebrate Mad Pride 2013 Exhibit runs: June 14th- July 28th, 2013 Opening reception: Fri June 14th, 7 -10pm gallerygachet ate con•• , ••,...,, '"'""'·'''"""'' 88 east cordova street <!> ••C.W...C• ,.,,.,.A"' vancouver c!\fTYOf Vancouver , V6A 1K2 Health http://gachet.org lit~ I ll'>! t . . . . . . (\ l!l;.\1 11! \ wed - sun, 12 - 6pm
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Fathers and Grandfathers 1 salute you all May your journeys go in peace Be at ease Parenthood is so hard sometimes Keep your chin up Be proud! You are special In any child 's heart Especially your grandchildre n To one & call Happy Father' s Day All my relations, Bonnie E Stevens
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I gaze into the fire of your eyes and can see the ice of your soul hrough the echo of your lies e truth is all l know I am no longer your fool I've been dragged down the road of despair drowning in self loathing left gasping and aching for air \ desperate for your touch oblivious to your ho ld constricted by what I thought freed by what l know. But from time to time \ my world spins my guard lets go you sneak back in burn my soul ' - freeze my heart ' 'possess my mi nd leave me runn ing with nothing to find engulfed in darkness leave me blind ' - take everything ' • .that used to be mine I scream but the world is deaf to my cry desperate ly I struggle, I try but my all is never enough ' to tell you goodbye. "'
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Currently under sedation, I'm out of sotts, in a holding pattern, s ituation somewhat unstable/detached .. kind of like out of the groove. Can't seem to move in a straight li ne anymore. Slurring words .. absentminded .. scatter-brained .. caffeined out zoned out next stop checkout-time ... bad deal. Don't want any part of that. Where to go and what for - what's the pay-off and where is it? Your g uess is as good as mine. Can't stop trying & don't want to g ive up! T he answer is out there somewhere. Maybe the good times are just around the corner.. who knows? But I hope so ROBYN LIVINGSTONE.
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A Tale of Two Economists; Part One - The Age of Keynes "' "Economics is known as 'the dismal science'," an English teacher once said. Could be but one economist didn't lead a dismal life. He also helped change the world for the better. John Maynard Keynes was born in England in 1883. His father taught economics at Cambridge University. Some years later so did his son. In the I 930's what was called 'The Great Depression' brought the world's economy to a grinding halt. Tens of millions of people lost their jobs. In Canada the jobless rate soared to over 20 per cent. Factories lay idle while jobless people often starved, for there was no unemployment insurance or many social programs at all. Most economists back then said nothing could be done. In the long run, they said, things would return to normal. Keynes disagreed. "In the long run," he said. "we'll all be dead." In his book 'Tile General Theory ofEmployment, Interest and Money' Keynes urged governments to spend money and put the jobless back to work. Lower the inte rest rates, he said, so business people could borrow money and start up new businesses. Put money in the pockets of the jobless, he said so that they can spend it. And he wanted all governments to build roads, sewers and housing, so that jobless people could work on these projects. Most governments didn't follow Keynes's advice till after the end of World War Two. In fact the Sec-
ond World War did act as a vast Keynes ian employment program. It took tens of millions of deaths in the war to convince western governments that Keynesian economics worked. So from the late 1940's on, most western governments did carry out much of Keynes's advice. From 1945 to about 1975 people's lives improved as a result. Millions of Canadians moved to the suburbs. They bought cars and houses, took regular vacations and didn't worry about getting old. They knew the government would be there to help them if they needed help. Governments back then set up new social programs & didn't cut them like they do now. Of course not everybody shared in this bonanza. About one in four Canadians were poor and lived tough lives. But the rate of poverty kept going down. But then came another economist who swept away parts of the Keynesian world, which was too bad. "Between 1945 and 1975," wrote Michael Harrington, "advanced capitalism went through an unparalleled period of economic growth and ri sing living standards for the mass of the people." In short, govern ment spending along the lines that Keynes had proposed worked and was good. Then another economist popped up who loathed the policies of John Maynard Keynes. His name was Milton Friedman~ by dave jaffe
Problem of the Day "Nothing would be better, if it were possible, than the eradication of capitalism by friendly persuasion and humanistic appeals. In that case the peace of the greater human family would not be much disturbed. But can it be guaranteed that everyone will respond to this approach? Some people may say that a day will come when, as a result of repeatedly listening to such appeals and gradually imbibing them over a long time, as well as through proper mental and spiritual education, good sense will prevail among the exploiters. This argument is very pleasant to hear. Such attempts are not reprehensible. But is it practicable to wait indefinitely for good sense to prevail among the exploiters? By then the exploited mass will have given up the ghost! Though the humanistic approach works in some cases, in most instances it does not produce any result; and even where it docs \vcrk, it ta~es a ver1 !eng time. So, 'Nherever necessary, capitalism must be forced to abandon its ferocious hunger by taking strong measures." -P.R. Sarkar
Medicine Wheel Ceremony the elders have WRAPPED UP THEIR SACRED BUNDLES carefully folded their blankets packed away the ir objects of ritual and having given their blessings departed from this place the drums are silent now the participants gone that were witness to this gathering yet passing by in the days & years to come echoes of that drumbeat linger along with the faint smell of sweetgrass & sage the flouri shing garden the blessings of the e lders Magdelanye
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Hi, I would like this passed onto King Man Chan if possible. Sorry if that is not s pelled correctly by name. I would like to say i understand the art icle sometimes people can be rude in some of these lineups but honâ&#x20AC;˘
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lot of the elderly Chinese people's behaviors. A good example of this would be if Mr. Chan would go to the courthouse on Main Street Saturday morning at I lam and watch how they behave, particularly at the bread table. We all know it should be l or 2 loaves of bread and on your way. Well, a lot of these elderly Chinese take a whole buggy's worth of bread. They also tend to want to hold a spot in line for their I or sometimes up to 5 of their closest friends . The community finds this to be highly unacceptable and why the backlash at times. Everyday and in most li neups this happens. If not the courthouse then at potters place mission or the Open Door. I hope Mr. Chan would take the time and get a team together and go to these places to view and interact with the staff and the elderly C hinese in hopes he can make them understand: we are all in this together, it's our community and everybody should respect one another. I do not understand why they must constantly take so much. I do appreciate your article and hopefully he is willing to go the extra mile and interac t with the staffers and volunteers in o ur neighborhood so these e lderly Chinese can cooperate wi th us and blend in and get along with everybody instead of creating hosti Iities among us just for free food. T hanks, Michael
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Carnegie Community Action Project (CCAP) Newsletter June 15, 2013
Residents demand Social Justice Zone in the DTES In just 2 weeks, over 3000 people signed the petition shown below for a Social Justice Zone. Most of the people who signed were DTES residents. Thanks to all the people who set up tables on the street and went through the hotels and social housing gathering signatures. Thanks to everyone who signed for your support! The petitions have now been delivered to Tom Wanklin, head planner for the DTES, who said he will take them seriously.
Rob Morgan and Tracey rison rom Anti-Gentrification Caucus of the LAPP get ready to delirver the petition
Social Justice Zone Petition Stop the city's Developer Plan for the Downtown Eastside! Block condos today to build social housing tomorrow! Downtown Eastside plan for a SOCIAL JUSTICE ZONE to end the housing crisis and stop displacement:
1. No condos before low-income people's homes 2. Reverse the loss of homes & jobs for low-income residents 3. Ensure jobs for low-income residents 4. Protect residents' safety 5. End discrimination so everyone can access the services they need
NEW! CCAP is on Facebook! "Like" our page at www.facebook.com/ CarnegieCommunityActionProject
Rally and march to stop displacement in the DTES by Jean Swanson Around 300 people took over Hastings St. to tell the city they want to stop condos, to get social housing and to get a Social Justice Zone in the Downtown Eastside. The rally and march took place on June L1. Jt was organized by the anti-gentrification caucus of the Local Area Planning Committee with help from the Carnegie Community Action Project.
Marching on Hastings St.
The anti-gentrification caucus is a group of low income LAPP committee members and supporters who meet every week to discuss what is happening with the city planning process, what points they want to bring up and how to support each other. "The city is not listening to us," Karen Ward explained as she began co-chairing the rally at the intersection of Main and Hastings. Karen announced that the group had collected 3000 signatures on a petition for a Social Justice Zone in the DTES in
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only 2 weeks. Dave Diewert, who worked hard to help collect the signatures, said that signing the petition was a way for residents to say, "these are the demands we want implemented in the neighbourhood." Meanwhile Herb Varley, also a LAPP committee member, told the media that he was not speaking on behalf of the LAPP. ''This is the big crunch, said Varley, "and the signs are troubling. We see no definition of social housing that low income people need. I am frustrated. We just got over 1000 condo units. Every condo unit is a show of bad faith . I'm gonna be dead before the SROs are replaced at this rate."
''Our women are at risk, Nadina Morin of the Aboriginal Front Door, said. "A Social â&#x20AC;˘ Justice Zone in the DTES is so important on many different level s. Support networks are all down here. The most vulnerable should get the same rights as others." At the BC Housing office, Victoria Bull, another LAPP committee member speaking for the community, not the LAPP, said "children are getting sick because of poor maintenance in these buildings." Byron Cruz told the cheering crowd, "We are united in resistance against displacement. I'm not going to allow developers to displace my community." Speaking at the sile of the proposed condo development, Sequel 138, Dave Hamm. spoke as president of Lhe Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users. He is also on the LAPP committee. "Insite was fought for and
paid for with lives. Condos here will be the death blow to insite. [The Sequel site 1 needs to be 100% social housing with a healing and wellness centre. We need access to treatment immediately.''
force to be reckoned with," he said. King-mong Chan of CCAP got loud applauo.;e when he said, '·we either get there together or don't get there at all. Chinese sen iors have the same problems as others. They shop at Sunrise, go to the bottle depot. We need to fight for everyone in the community and services need to be accessible to everyone."
Karen Ward from the Gallery Gachet Karen Ward introduced Colleen Boudreau, another LAPP committee member, as ·'a brave and powerful woman fighting for all of our rights." Colleen didn' t disappoint with a strong speech: ''They might tear our housing down but the power of this community cannot be torn down ," she said. "The city has the power to buy this site. I am not representing the LAPP. I'm representing the people down here. City, listen to us. No more deceivinab us with niceness. Everyone needs to be housed with social housing at welfare rate. The city, province and feds need to finally liste n to us .'' ··How many people have to be homeless before we get help?" asked Stella August of the Power of Wome n group. ''How many people have to be hurting and suffe ring?" Rob Morgan spoke to the crowd in front of United We Can. which the city is pushing out of the community. ·'Aboriginal people arc a
Kwakwaka'wakw elder Kelvin Bee Karen Ward quotid Audrey Lord who said. ·The idea that you can't fight City Hall is a vicious rumour started b y City Hall.''At the e nd of the march, in fron t of Wood wards a delegation of LAPP committee members took the petitions with 3000 signatures up to the city planning office to give to Tom WankJin , head of the city's DTES planning staff. When they returned, Tracey Morrison. another LAPP committee member, representing We~tern Aborig inal Harm Reduction. told the crowd what they told Wanklin: ''We want the definition of social housing to be at welfare/ pension rate; the city should use zoning to stop condos. Stop harassing us for vending. And social housing. That's what we need." See a comple te list of the Soc ial Justice Zone demands on page 8.
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"We want to be treated equally" By King-mong Chan "We want to be treated equally." T his is what many patticipants of our monthly community meeting in Cantonese said when we gathered on May 23rd at the Oppenheimer Park House. Discrimination is an ongoing issue for the Chinese community and racism occurs not just from people on the streets but also at service agencies (see May 15th's CCAP article titled, " Discrimination Aga inst Chinese People" for more background information). At our meeting, we di scussed possible actions and steps that we could take to address the discrimination goes on in the Downtown Eastside. Changes that the participants thought would help reso lve some tension was for service agencies to have hiring policies to hire Chinesespeaking workers and volunteers. This would include dialects like Cantonese and Mandarin, although it needs to be recognized that many Chinese-speaking community members speak other dialects as well. The Chinese-speaking members of the Downtown Eastside are just like every other member of our dear Downtown Eastside community - we all have our own stories. Unfortunately, the language ban¡ier prevents the sharing of these stories in both directions, leading to misunderstandings, "othering," and divisions. As Velma Demerson wrote in her article titled 4
"WE ARE ALL EQUALS," which was published in the June I st edition of the Carnegie Newsletter, "the vibrancy and compassion of the neighbourhood will be undermined if citizens are treated as outsiders.''
Community Meeting in Cantoneseon May 23rd
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Through our community meetings, it is apparent that the Chinese community faces similar challenges as the wider low-income community in the Downtown Eastside- rising expenses (i.e. rents, food) yet without a conesponding increase in income . Some Chinese-speaking members of the community, even seniors, don't receive any financial assistance from the government. ln the last part of our meeting on the 23rd of May, I spoke to the group about the activist work that others in the community are doing, includin g the Social Justice Zone Campaign, as well as the impact of
gentrification in our Downtown Eastside neighbourhood. I think many Downtown Eastside residents are aware of the division and racism in our community ; the article written by the Dugout volunteers, published without the original swear words in the June Jst issue of the newsletter is further evidence of that. My hope is that
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"Emerging directions" of city plan could change by Jean Swanson The City has asked us to keep the ''emerging directions" of the new Downtown Eastside Local Area Plan confidential, but the Anti-Gentrification Caucus thought it needed to be shared with the community. The AntiGentrification Caucus is a group of LAPP committee members who meet together weekly to di scuss the LAPP process and to support each other. City staff members say that they still need time for the LAPP committee members to have input on what the city has proposed for a basic plan for the future of the DTES community. On June 4th, city planning staff presented a rep011 on "Emerging Directions'' to the LAPP committee and other members of the pub! ic who attended the meeting at the MacLean Park Seniors Centre. On June II th, LAPP committee members and others discussed the emerging directions with each other at a LAPP meeting. Some committee members argued that the information should be public so they could show their groups what the city was thinking. But staff" asserted that the document was "confidential'' because they didn't
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want anyone to get the impress ion that the "emerging directions" are final and unchangeable. One staff member said that changes will be made. So, with that in mind, some elements of the very change1 able "emerging direc~ tions" for the DTES )~~ll!JI~II, Local Area Plan are I ' as fo11ows: •Zoning rules that would keep new condos out of the Oppenheimer subarea of the DTES. This could be a good way of keeping land values low enough so that hotel room rents don't escalate too much and push low income people out; • Zoning .... rules that would encourage condos in most of the other subareas. This could push up land values quickly and result in hotel and business rent increases; ~
• A plan for the city to build only about 80 units of welfare rate housing a year for the next 10 years. We still have 850 homeless people and about 4400 in SROs that need replacing; • Allowing at least 2 condo towers close to Pigeon Park. This could push up land values in that area and further gentrify it;
• A very broad definition of social housing that means low income people would not necessarily be able to afford it. Low income members of the LAPP think soc ial housing for the DTES needs to be defined as affordable for people with welfare/penston tncomes;
the province has not agreed to provide these. Remember, all of these "emerging directions" could change in the future and only City Council has the final say. City Council's decision is expected on November 20th.
• Relying on rent subsidies from the province for low income housing even though
Are you eligible for a transit pass? People at the weekly Carnegie Community Action Project meetings have been talking about the need for free bus transit for people who arc on welfare. With transit cops checking more and more people on the buses and new turnstiles at the skytrain stations, it's more important than ever to get a bus pass if you arc eligible for one. To be able to get a bus pass that costs $45 a year, you need to be in one of the following groups: • Receiving federa l Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS), or the Federal Allowance, or the Allowance for the Survivor;
• 18-64 years of age and receiving Persons with Disability (PWD) assistance from the Ministry of Soc ial Development;
• 60-64 years of age and receiving Income Assistance from the Province of British Columbia; • Over 65 years of age and would qual if; for GIS but docs not meet the Canadian I 0 year residency requirement;
• 18-64 years of age, living o n a First Nations reserve and receiving disability assistance from the band office; or
• 60-64 years of age, living on a First Nations reserve and receiving assistance from the band office. The big problem is that people on welfare can't get the bus pass unless they arc over 60. Because welfare is only $610 a month. people don't have enough to pay rent and cat nutritious food. People on straight welfare also have to look for work so they need transit but can't afford to pay for it. That's why so many people are getting expensive tickets for not paying on transit. Raise the Rates is the coal ition that is working to get the province to increase welfare rates. It is considering working on also trying to get a bus pass for all people on welfare.
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The DTES Social Justice Zone Demands 1. NO CONDOS BEFORE LUW INCOME PEOPLE'S HOMES Use zoning laws to keep all condos and real estate speculators out of the DTES Oppenheimer District until the SROs are replaced and the homeless are housed in social housing. In the Hastings Corridor and Thornton Park, use L.oning laws to make 2/3 of all new developments social housing for people on welfare/pension and also the working-poor. Protect DTES spaces for social housing and advocate for senior government housing programs.
them . Adopt hirine polic:es for IO\\-income residents with barriers. includ ing langu ages, for jobs in city-owned, city-supported and city-operated services. Order police to exempt survival work , such as binning, street vending and sex work, from ticketing, harassment and arrest.
4. PROTECT RESIDENTS' SAFETY Create a resident-directed DTES pollee and security ombuds office to receive complaints and direct investigations . Provide free public transit passes to all low-income Vancouver residents. Expand, don "t cut, funding to support residents and programs organizing for the safety of women, trans and other people vulnerable to violence.
5. END DISCRIMINATION SO EVERYONE CA.N ACCESS THE SERVICES THEY NEED Adopt policies for language,
2. REVERSE THE LOSS OF HOMES & SHOPS FOR LOW-INCOME RESIDENTS Create and use bylaws to freeze
cultural and mobility accessibility in all services, including hiring plans for Indigenous residents, people with di sabilities, seniors, queer and trans people and women, as well as Chinese and Spanish speaking workers. Create anti-colonial planning and service organizations. Make the DTES a sanctuary zone where all have equal access to health , housing and social services regardless of citizenship status.
rents and stop renovictions in SRO hotels while improving conditions and making landlords pay for violations. Create a social impact asse:-,sment process directed by lowincome residents to approve or deny new .-----------------------------------~ business applications.
3. ENSURE JOBS FOR LOW-INCOME RESIDENTS Create job training programs for anyone who wants
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Supporl necessarily imply Vancity's endorsement of the findings or contents of this newsletter
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Congratulations to Denise Folland, who won the two opening tickets to Les Miserables:The Musical Phenomenon. She is very excited and looking forward to seeing this new show at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre soon! We often have draws for different theatrical and movie events, so drop by the library regularly to see what is being offered. I've been really pleased to see that this bookl ist submission is popular with some folks- I have noticed an increase in interest in some of the books that are highlighted with reviews. We' d love to hear your comments about any new great books you've read recently and hope you'll check out some of the titles in our new book display. Stephanie wi ll be returning to Carnegie near the end of June. In the meantime, I've really enjoyed chatting with & getting to know some of you in the community. The Friday Book Giveaway has been a personal highlight. Here is a list of some of new titles we' ve recently added to the glass book case: 5 Ingredients 10 minutes: delicious, healthy recipes for tired and hungry cooks (Jules Clancy) Based on the Italian cooking concept that simple is best, this book is full of great recipes that only use 5 ingredients- simplifying the cost of meal preparation time for making delicious meals with intense flavour. This is a must-have cook book for busy urban cooks who want fast, easy and accessible meal ideas and includes a host of super simple rec ipes (from appetizers, through main courses, and fini s hing with desserts) ! Farmacology: what innovative family farming can teach us about health and healing (Daphne Miller) As a fami ly physician and professor, Miller has been studying the links between farming, medicine, and health over the last I 0 year period. Farmacology is a remarkably thoughtful book that evolved from her studies that included visiting different American fanns, while asking the following questions: *What can rejuvenating depleted soil teach us about rejuvenating ourselves?
*How can a grazing system on a ranch offer valuable insights into raising resilient children? *What can 2 laying-hen farms teach us about stress management? *How do vineyard pest-management strategies reveal a radically new approach to cancer care? *What are the unexpected ways that urban agriculture can trans form the health of a community? *How can an aromatic herb farm unlock the secret to s ustainable beauty? Miller's resulting book demonstrates a profound new approach to healing based on sustainable farming practices that are presented w ith holistic and practical advice about treating disease and maintaining wellness. Gangster Redemption: how America's most notorious robber got rich, got caught, and got his life back on track (Larry Lawton, 20 12). Not a sugar-coated story, this is a tough read that tells a tough story about a traumatized kid who made certain choices in his youth. Lawton's road led him to organized crime and a lengthy imprisonment in an American maximum security penitentiary. Now, hav ing developed a "Reali ty C heck' program that is meant to catch the attention of youth, Lawton shares his stories tOt help inspire young people to make different choices and reclaim their lives. Grow Your Own in Pots: with 30 step-by-step projects using vegetables, fruit, & herbs (Kay Maguire) From the writer of, 'Grow Your Own Veg,' th is book shows you how to grow bags of potatoes- in bags -as well as lots of different vegetables, herbs, fruits, and flowers in the smallest garden spaces imagi nable. As an urban gardening guerrilla, Maguire has lots of practical sections and plans for starting with seeds and materials, nourishing and pairing plants with complementary plants, and best harvest techniques. A must have for garden ing novices and people who live in the city, with many simple project ideas and step-by-step instructions. Leonard Maltin 's 2013 Movie Guide Here's the latest 2013 edition ofthe 'mother of all' movie and DVD guides by Maltin. With 300 new entries this year, tons of indexes and guides for buying and renting titles, this ed ition also includes lots of info about leading performers, exact running times, and Malt in's personal list of fifty notable debut features.
Neil Young: a life in pictures; six decades ofphotographs of one of rock music's most influential art. ists (Colin Irwin, 2012) This beautiful table top book is full of huge photos from every phase and decade ofNeil Young's iconic, long, and influential musical career. Using his knowledge of folk and country rock music, Irwin weaves information about the prevailing cultural and music history of different time periods, to offer a compelling portrait of Young's artistic career. New Dress a Day: the ultimate DIY guide to creating fashion dos from thrift-store don 'ts (Maris a Lynch, 20 12) Full of amazing before and after photos, Lynch shows very simple and easy ways (with and without a sewing machine) to turn frumpy thrift store 'finds" into both chic and urban casual outfits. A fashion blogger and fashion consultant, Lynch celebrates creative vision by s haring her do-it-yourself ideas for creating an inexpensive collection of great clothes and accessories. This is the perfect and book for people on a budget and those who choose to buy clothing second hand. Stan Douglas: every building on 100 West Hastings (Reid Shier, Editor, 2005) Originally written to accompany local Stan Douglas film/video installation, Journey into Fear, this collection of four essays examine the intersections of social, geographic, po.litical photographic, and economic discussions that Douglas' panoramic portrait, 'Every Building on 100 West Hastings,' generate. Having become an emblematic still photo that represents central themes in the social history ofthe DTES, the writers focus on the historic role the DTES has always played in housing and segregating marginalized people in Vanf)IIVer
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DTES-Strathcona Library/Housing I' m delighted to let you know that the plans fo r the new Library Branch and YWCA safe, a ffordable housing at 720 East Hastings have been submitted to the City for a Rezoning and Development Permit. On Thursday, June 20, the City is hosting an Open House so that you can see the plans, meet with the City of Vancouver, VPL and YWCA staff, and the project team. Your feedback on this exciting joint project is welcome and needed.
Open House details Thursday, June 20 Strathcona Community Centre- Activity Room 601 Keefer Street; 4:30pm to 7:30pm Our latest newsletter includes details of the Open House as well as next steps for the project. There's also more information on the project web site at http://vpJ-ywca-project.ca/. Looking forward to seeing you at the Open House, -Beth Davies Neighbourhood Services Manager Vancouver Public Library Office: 604-331 -13791 Cell: 604-365-7643
[arnesue Theatre workshop ACTING BASICS • • •
Create characters, Use imagination to discover actions, face surprises on stage.
Summer classes - in the Carnegie Theatre
Mondays 6pm-9pm • •
July 8, 15, 22, 29 August 12, 19, 26
No experience necessary. Everyone welcome! Teresa 604-255-9401; thirteenofhearts@hotmail.com
MILK x LOC x HSC Co.
FRIDAY JUNE 21st 11am-4pm
Q&oop
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Fashion Show 2pm
Live Art Music Refreshments Giveaways Aboriginal Designs
COMMUNITY UNITY CELEBRATION will be taking place in four different locations in the DTES and downtown Vancouver; Woodward's Atrium, Lek Lek I (Blood Alley), PHS 58 W Hastings Farm and Pigeon Park, between !lam- 4pm on Friday June 21st 2013.
BLOOD ALLEY Ill am-4pm I Friday June 21st Join MILK Event Production for an all ages public event in Gastown's historic Blood Alley, known to those indigenous to the area as Lek Lek I, as we experience and celebrate the unification of cu ltu res and community. ~ LIVE ART by Larissa Healey, Jamie Bizness and Jordan Soakr ~ FASHION SHOW 2:00pm with Locals Only Crew, Hold Steady Clothing Co, Charli New Moon,+ Local Aboriginal designers and talent directed by Baseline Joleen Mitton ~MUSIC:TBA ~REFRESHMENTS
by David's Tea Gastown & giveaways by MILK Event Production and distribution of the Save On Meats 'Tokens' from Pros~vs-Cons tattoo art show
~Prizes
**OFFICIAL AFTER PARTY with MlLKxLOCxHSCCo at Fortune Sound Cl ub Happy Endings Friday 19+- FREE cover w/ stamp before II :30pm** I COMMUNITY UN ITY CELEBRATION has been spearheaded and would not be possib le without Debbie Krull, Diane Johnston and talent organizer David Champagne
Friends This is a true story of two friends I knew long ago. They were very nice people, kind and caring. They both looked in the garbage bins for beer bottles. One man was nicknamed Fox; he was from Newfoundland. The other was a lso from the east coast. This one day was a nightmare. They were both attacked by two men with baseball bats. They were mentally ill ; they were maniacal. I heard my friends were in St Paul's hospital so I went to visit them. I was badly shocked when I saw them. They were in baby incubators, in a fetal position. The left side of their heads was severely caved in. They knew me. I gave them gum ... they didn't last long. This was senseless murder. Why? Brutality. The two men were never caug ht. No justice. Marlene Wuttunee
AN !fOtt Nadj;1! The Vancouver International Jazz Festival June 21 -July 1 The Festival will be taking over the city. For those of us on a limited budget, take heart - many of the best concerts are free! Check vanjazzfest.ca for a full line-up or pick up a printed schedule in programs available all over. Here are some free ones withion walking distance: *Afternoon Piano Sessions at the Ironworks June 25-28, 5pm Inc ludes a lecture/demonstration and represents a broad range of styles. *Canada Place June 21-28 4pm, 5: I Opm ; Performances *St Andrew's Wesley United Church June 21 ,23 , 28, 30 noon : Performances The Downtown Jazz Weekends, unfortunatel y, has left Gastown but with a little extra effort it's worth the walk to Robson Street where 3 stages give us a wide choice. Saturday, June 22 and Sunday, June 23 from noon throug h the evening and from 5-8pm a rink-side dance party with DJ Kubanito. Kytami w ill be on Robson stage at 6:45 Saturday. *David Lam Park Weekend June 29-30 noon: Lively outdoor concerts, including a performance by Royal Wood on Sat at 7pm. It ends with Roberto Lopez Afro-Columbian Jazz Orchestra on Sunday at 8:45pm.
you are a beautiful disaster my ~@IUttifEil disaster you are the car door I caught my fingers in or maybe actually the sting of pain I felt for the days that followed you are a blueprint gone wrong the architect desig ned you perfectly construction went awry the foundation is crumbling you are unstable 1 was raised to be wary cautious of you r kind an angel-faced devil with a silver tongue behind your pearly whites I never fell for you l crashed into the shoreline of your abyss no one ever saw me again the black hole you call a soul swallowed me e ntirely
now I'm j ust a quilt made only to keep you warm I'm beginning to fall apart at the sea m s !'m worn f~om overuse kiss me or kill me I don't care Delaney Streng
Ruff Judy Graves Judy Graves, who has been the C ity of Vancouver's homeless advocate for over 20 years, retired on May 29. In an interview with the Georgia Straight, Graves said she thinks that it is "very possible" to end homelessness in Vancouver by 201 5. " We've got to ery, very quickly have hous ing stock, and we've got to have something to move people in to that they can afford the rent on," Graves said. By Sam Snobelen
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Like the Planet of the Pigs or a cancer clinic w1thout wigs I see nothing but a lot more lifetimes of misery dead ahead, children with shaved heads hidden in shame the perfect ones to take the blame 'Let 'em die' as your pitbull wizards like that human flavour as they bark to be fed, all the doors in & o ut of your soul get s lammed ins ide fear runs this show as if there were anywhere at all to go, like finding 2 oneway tickets to Hell Hamlett & Pigletta pass the abandoned refrigerator playground where all the Jacks & Jills fell the rest O.D'd on a ll the yellow snow, our story might be '路Future is Friend lyized O h dear God no as we play in rush hour traffic all the water in the world is pouring out of our eyes, if there were ever a good time to disappear if it weren't for you Pigletta that time would be right fucking now. You did your best to make me smile that just might keep me sane when my job becomes throwing dead bodies into piles yet tJ;lat e lus ive thing called hillm.Y. will probably be the very next thing after India begins slaughtering all their cows, dismissed, disliked and disowned we used to consider a few special places our o ther homes where we'd climb out on the roofs and bathe in its astonishingly stellar moonlight, give me and my Pigletta the courage to spit in the faces of those about to cut us down before being dragged to some s ick form of judgement across this carnival-strewn g round in broadcast daylight. .. We knew this counter-culture guy Saint Minus be his name his intentions let alone actions echoed infinite wisdom only hatched by our sun's flame, if you ' ve wondered -yes! Officer Down is Pigletta's dad (we are talking one evil motherfucker.. when his own friends kill him Hal lmark Greeting Cards will have to make a couple billion more with the words llappy and tf/ad. Will the dead hate him more or the same?)
I
Maybe Hamlett and Pigletta some day in the future won't have to eat out of garbage cans, whenever the next World Series of wars starts its P.A.I (Plans Altered Instantly) the Air Force landscaping company w ill always be in demand, they continue their journey through disgraced pigs and serial killers as for the dead they had it coming; no one but me is counting the thumb 'n ride people, the homeless and the ever-present poor vanish from the faces that actually have worth yet it is only apathy that is mounting and soon this city s hall bur4n to the ground ... a li ttle later even that wi ll be burnt down HEY! Let's pretend this has all been a bad dream. Everything (plus a little bit more) is now ashes that could fit in the smallest grocery store Hamlett & Pigletta look at each other then around them then both let out the~oudest silent screams - they only asked for a tiny piece of land but instead were given a list of tortures they could choose from to see how much pain and loneliness they could withstand Piglctta tells Hamlett sometimes he sleeps with a finger in his mouth and his thumb cocked like a g un , once they are both awake there is no room for humour nor "humans" they have just realised they have stumbled into the most fatal mistake But you love her too much to kill her out of her misery and be forever on the run, all the others took this real cool world and turned it into a ball of fire, as for Hamlett and Pigletta will their search for peace ever expire? (I for one & probably the only one who hopes not.) Run your bursting hearts out and never ever let mankind forget you. PS: When Ea1ih dies does this universe have a pretty place for its burial plot? Probably not. By ROBERT McGILLIVRAY "Better be ig norant of a matter than half know it." -Publilus Syrus
Dedicated to the memory of Dr Henry Morqentaler!
carttegie~ N E W S LETTER
caronews@vcn be ca
401 Main Street Vancouver Canada V6A 2TI (6il4) 655-2289
Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has. -Margaret Meade
THIS NEWSLETTER IS A PUBLICATION OF THE CARNEGIE COMMUNITY CENTRE ASSOCIATION Articles represent the views of individual contributors and not of the Association.
Vancouver's non-commercial, Iistener-supported, community station.
WANTED Artwork for the Carnegie newsletter • • • • • • • •
Next Issue: SUBMISSION DEADLINE
Small illustrations to accompany articles and poetry. Cover art - Max size: 17cm(6 %')wide x 15cm(6")high. Subject matter pertaining to issues relevant to the Downtown Eastside, but all work considered. Black & White printing only. Size restrictions apply (i.e. if your piece is too large, it will be reduced and/or cropped to fit). All artists will receive credit for their work. Originals will be returned to the artist after being copied for publication. Remuneration: Carnegie Volunteer Tickets
THURSDAY, JUNE 27TH
Jenny Wai Ching Kwan MLA Working for You 1070-1641 Commercial Dr, VSL 3Y3
Phone: 604-775-0790
Please make submissions to Paul Taylor, Editor.
DONATIONS 2013: (Money is always needed & welcon;2.)
WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION •
Sheila B.-$100 Jenny K.-$25 Elsie McG.-$50 Terry & Savannah -$100 Robert McG.-$100 Leslie S -$25, Laila B -$20, Dave J -$8, Anon -$25
• •
Christopher R.-$100
• • •
If you \Nant to take me down I' II stand back and pass you the gun if you want to take me down i'l! step out from behind my wall let my guard down leave myself v ulnerable if you want to take me down look into my eyes as I shut mine tight so the last s ight I will see is your endless beauty standing before me if I can no longer lay in your arms you can ho ld my life in yo ur hands and take me down. Sarah Foisy
AIDS POVERTY • HOMELESSNESS VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN TOTALITARIAN CAPITALISM IGNORANCE and SUSTAINED FEAR
COMPOST5Atf: St. James' C hurch, corner of Gore and Cordova
Monday, June 17th Sam until 7pm or until all sold $5.00: Large bags, approx 35 litres All the proceeds go towards the greening of the DTES. (gardens at St. James' Church, St. Lu ke's Court and St. James' Place) Generously donated by Harvest Power
CRUNCHAofdtes