May 1, 1990, carnegie newsletter

Volunteer Recognition Week was a smash h i t ! The photo d i s p l a y i n t h e A r t G a l l e r y took weeks, months, y e a r s t o p r e p a r e and A t i b a and P e t e r and Bob and Claude helped w h i l e an i n c r e d i b l e f e a s t s t a r t e d stomachs rumbling on Sunday and t h e n t h e F r e e Bingo g o t postponed t o t h e n e x t Saturday because of C u l t u r a l Sharing i n t h e T h e a t r e on Monday but Tuesday was GREAT w i t h d i n n e r and awards and s p e c i a l g i f t s f o r everybody s o Wednesday would have f a b u l o u s Carnegie c h i l i f o r f r e e f o r Volunteers t h e n Thursday had everybody r e c o v e r i n g from Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday u n t i l F r i d a y r o l l e d on w i t h t h e S e n i o r s having a dance w i t h l i v e music and door p r i z e s u n t i l t h e wee hours s o Saturday came up w i t h s i g n s proclaiming Free Bingo but t h e t i m e went from 6:00 which was wrong t o 6:03 when a r e s i d e n t g e n i u s saw t h e mistake and t h e n t h a t was changed you know, t h e when Carnegie's dog one w i t h no r i g h t eye, a m i s s i n g , l e f t e a r , t h r e e l e g s , r e c e n t l y cast r a t e d , answers t o t h e name "Lucky" pawed a message t h a t t h e number '30' has t h e ' 3 ' b e f o r e t h e ' 0 ' and t h e time on t h e Bingo s i g n became 6:30 and 5 2 g i f t c e r t i f i c a t e s t o Save-On Meats were on hand a s p r i z e s AND IT WAS ALL OVER except t h a t a Bowling t r i p i s happening on Friday May 4 t h from 12-3pm and Volunteers should s e e P e t e r i f t h e y wanna go! !!

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are the

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I U K I N G I T H A P P E N DOWN H E R E

. . I n no o r d e r at all CKES SY (K) P E T E R EASTMAN ( P R ) BRIAN HETHERING?'ON ( L C ) BARB MORRISON ( B d ) A N I T A STEVENS (A) BEA CHEA ( R ) J O E S A U R I E L (N) R O B I E S C H O F I E L D (K) DOROTHY WATANABE ( R ) COLLIN R O S S 0 (K) J I M MURRAY (K) CHUCK NORQUAY ( S ) TOM LEWIS (N) MARGARET PREVOST ( B d ) PAUL TAYLOR ( N / B ~ ) J E S S E McNAMARA ( P R ) PAT KENDALL ( K ) JOHN LINDSTROM (K) GENE CLARKE ( P R ) FLORA KAYNES ( P R ) J O E HEATH (PK) S l l E I L A BAXTEK (POW) I R E N E SCHMIDT (POW) JOAN MORELLI (POW) VERA KENNY (K) BAIU3 GUDMUNSON ( V i d ) S H E I L A BELL ( S ) 1IICHARD FOX ( K ) G M N T H I R S T (LC) CARRY GUST ( B ~ / N ) DAVE MELVIN (Snd) SHAWNEE SAWYER ( R ) PE'I'ER S H E K S T O B I T O F F (K) IXINALI) HOIJSE (LC) JOHN KUKYLKO (K)

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VERN SANKEY ( P R ) HENRY STEPHENS ( P R / B ~ ) LEN WHITFORD ( P R ) RAOUL PELCHAT ( P R ) MARY BROGAN (K) TORA (N) K E V I N PATTERSON ( R ) BRENDAN McEVOY (K) TAUM DANBERGER ( L C ) HARVEY WONG (K) FRANK RICHARDS (K) EGOR MAROV ( V i d e o s ) JOHN WHYTE ( R ) AL HOGANSEN ( R ) M I K I McMILLAN ( R ) DOUG SATHERTHWAYTE ( R ) C E C I L KAZAKOFF ( R ) D O R I S RATHKE (H) PETER L I T T L E (PR) AL WILSON ( A r t ) BOB S A R T I (K) MUGGS S I G U R G E I R S O N ( B d ) STAN HENDERSON (K) GEORGE NICHOLAS (K) ED BUHR (K) WAYNE KELLAND ( P R ) J A Y CHARETTE ( S ) FLOYD WONG ( L C ) STEVE A K I N S ( L C ) MAUREEN R I V I N G T O N (A&C) LARRY L O Y I E ( L C ) B I L L S P E N C E (WR) J U N E ROSE ( R ) DAVID CHASE ( P R ) PHYLLIS KEITH (S) V I C T O R I A ANDY ( R ) ROBERT ANDERSON ( R e c )

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ANDY HUCKLAK ( S ) B I L L QUINN ( S ) ALBERT MILTON (S) DAVID C A I R N S ( P l a n t s ) L A I L A BIERGAN ( L C ) GRAM HODGKINS (K) PAUL SAA (K) GREG SYLVESTOR (WR) DANNY KORICA ( B ~ / S ) NELSON SOCK ( R ) MIKE D U P O I S (M) GEORGE HARRISON ( B d ) L I L L I A N HARRISON ( B d ) ANDREW S I A H (M) P H I L FOERSTER ( R ) DEBBIE GOSSLIN (LC) ANDY MOWAT (W) HIRO NINO (LC) WAYNE SCHMIDT (M) DAN MacDONALD ( P R ) MIKE P O T T S ( R ) BONNIE STEVENS (K) SHARON GRUMRO (I<) B I L L WONG (K) DAVE WOODALL ( L C ) BARB W L G A R I S (K) C A P R I C E CORMIER (V) BRUCE H A S L I P (K) WARDANCE ( C S ) LAUREL1 ( C S ) THERESA ( C S ) STEVE ROSE (M) BLAKE H I E B E R T (P) RAY CLARKE ( B ) DOUG M c K E N Z I E ( L C ) B I L L DEACON ( L C I B d )

Therew~~s-young writer ....

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The Downtown E a s t s i d e P o e t s t o o k t h e word o u t t o t h e h i n t e r l a n d on t h e i r r e c e n t t o u r of t h e North Coast of B.C. and t h e Queen C h a r l o t t e Isl a n d s A p r i l 5-13.

I n t h e group were P . J . Flaming, Cuba Dyer, Margaret P r e v o s t , Bud Osborne, Mikki McMillan and Bob S a r t i .

Nearly everywhere t h e y went, t h e y met w i t h a s p i r i n g w r i t e r s and w r i t e r s ' groups. Many of t h e groups were s t r u g g l i n g t o g e t s t a r t e d i n t h e way t h e D.E. P o e t s were a few y e a r s ago.

Margaret had t h e f o l l o w i n g t o s a y : "The w e a t h e r was g r e a t ! A l o t of p e o p l e t o l d me i t w a s g o i n g t o be wet- and c o l d . I must admit i t w a s a most e n j o y a b l e o u t i n g . The s c e n e r y a l o n e was f a n t a s t i c (and t h a t ' s my word, n o t B i l l y ' s ) , w i t h snow-covered breath-taking, peaceful mountains and calm thoughout t h e whole t r i p .

...

We c a u g h t a bus from t h e a i r p o r t t o a f e r r y t h a t t o o k u s t o downtown P r i n c e R u p e r t , where t h e bus dropped us off at a mall. I n t h e parking l o t t h e r e w a s a s i g n t h a t I thought s a i d "24 h r s l i m i t t ' , b u t a c t u a l l y i t s a i d 2 h r s . Pam's comment ( a s we a l l l a u g h e d ) "We know t h i s , i s n ' t Van.'' I guess i t w a s t h e plane r i d e o r t h e f r e s h a i r t h a t bobbled my mind. A s we were s i t t i n g i n t h e van w a i t i n g f o r Bob and Cuba a young man came and a s k e d , "Is t h i s y o u r s ? " It was Bob's b a g , l e f t by t h e phone. Again we a l l laughed a s i t ' s n o t l i k e Bob t o f o r g e t something.

P r i n c e Rupert i s a v e r y n i c e p l a c e t h a t h a s n ' t been touched by c o n c r e t e h i g h r i s e s y e t , a s i d e from t h e p u l p m i l l we s a w coming i n . The a i r seemed t o be c l e a n , w i t h a l l o f mother nat u r e ' s b l e s s i n g s of t h e t r e e s , mount a i n s and a n i m a l s . I hope t h i s p l a c e w i l l n o t change because a t t h i s mome n t t h e y a r e as r i c h a s can be.

Our n e x t s t o p was i n T e r r a c e ( t h e h o t e l w a s not wheelchair a c c e s s i b l e ) .

We d i d t h e r e a d i n g i n t h e l i b r a r y which went w e l l w i t h o v e r 17 p e o p l e attending, including Larry Loyie's nephew. H e made a comment about C a r n e g i e b e i n g t o o b u r e a u c r a t i c , because of t h e walkie-talkies i n t h e b u i l d i n g , but throughout t h e e n t i r e t r i p t h a t was t h e o n l y n e g a t i v e comment.

A f t e r o u r r e a d i n g L a r r y ' s nephew and. some. of h i s . f r i e n d s came t o d i n n e r w i t h u s . On one end of t h e t a b l e w a s a young d a t i - g e mothcr and She t a l k e d w i t h h e r d a u g h t e r Meline. us about t h e i r experience w i t h t h e s p i r i t u a l c l e a n s i n g of t h e mind and s o u l . A young N a t i v e mah j o i n e d u s l a t e r and spoke o f Alanon and t h e 1 2

3

I n a l l , t h e p l a c e I enjoyed t h e most was K i s p i o x . M a r g a r e t , o u r h o s t gave u s good f e e l i n g s of warmth and t h e p l a c e where we d i d o u r r e a d i n g made m e f e e l r e l a x e d and a t home.

s t e p s of M. It was v e r y good t o s e e our c h i l d r e n t a k i n g a n i n t e r e s t i n g e t t i n g away from t h e a l c o h o l s c e n e .

Some o f t h e p l a c e s we s t a y e d had e i t h e r swimming p o o l s , s a u n a s o r j a c u z z i ~ ,which were r e a l l y n e a t !

Again I have t o mention t h e mounta i n s because t h e y were s o b e a u t i f u l . . some covered w i t h snow, t r e e s and w i l d l i f e , on e i t h e r s i d e of t h e r o a d .

I! Mother Nature c r e a t e d t h i s ; i t ' s up t o u s t o keep i t t h i s way . I 1 On one hand everyone was f a s c i n a t e d by t h e s c e n e r y and t h e calmness of t h e s u r On t h e o t h e r hand w e were roundings stunned by t h e o u t r a g e o u s p r i c e s .

C o f f e e , i n one p l a c e , c o s t a d o l l a r i n a s t y r o f o a m cup! I ' m n o t q u i t e s u r e how a w e l f a r e r e c i p i e n t would s u r v i v e up t h e r e u n l e s s h e o r s h e had a f a m i l y t h a t c o u l d he1.p.

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Our f r i e n d Mikki r e a d a t t h i s one.

When s h e r e a d e v e r y o n e l i s t e n e d bec a u s e h e r poems s a i d a l o t and i t r e a l l y made m e t h i n k . Her v o i c e c a r r i e s a magic sound and meaning.

A t t h i s r e a d i n g we had o v e r 30 p e o p l e , some o f them d o c t o r s a n d s t u d e n t d o c t o r s who I met a g a i n t h e n e x t day. The t r a v e l l i n g was g e t t i n g t o me and I h a d n ' t a n t i c i p a t e d u s i n g s o much m e d i c a t i o n . But hey, I ' m h e r e t o t e l l t h e s t o r y ! "

A s a n o t h e r member of t h e group s a y s One of t h e most e n c o u r a g i n g s i g n s was i n S m i t h e r s , a s m a l l l o g g i n g cornmunity e a s t o i P r i n c e R u p e r t . Elore II

Lilan 25 t e e n a g e r s came o u t t o h e a r t h e P o e t s - and t h a t was on a F r i d a y e v e n i n g , when t h e y c o u l d have been p u r s u i n g more t r a d i t i o n a l weekend d i v e r s i o n s ! They w e r e n ' t f o r c e d t o be t h e r e by some t e a c h e r ; t h e y were j u s t interested.

Next morning - S a t u r d a y 9 am - a h a l f dozen young women from Grade 9 a t S m i t h e r s Secondary School m e t w i t h t h e p o e t s t o d i s c u s s w r i t i n g . They c e r t a i n l y take t h e i r poetry seriously It t o o k q u i t e a b i t of i n Smithers. c o a x i n g t o g e t them t o r e a d some of t h e i r poems o u t l o u d . Here are t h e o n e s t h e y r e a d , a good example of t h e serious-minded and c r e a t i v e young t a l e n t i n o u r p r o v i n c e .

(Thanks t o t h e Canada C o u n c i l Explor a t i o n s Program f o r h e l p , making t h e t r i p possible.)

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Sandaled f e e t , s h o r t s and a r e d t - s h i r t . T h a t ' s what s h e was w e a r i n g when s h e walked down t h e p e e l i n g w h i t e s t e p s of t h e porch and o n t o t h e w h i t e s a n d s o f t h e beach. The sun-drenched ocean s p a r k l e d b r i l l i a n t l y , causing h e r t o p e e r through half closed eyes. A w a n breeze wound h e r h a i r around h e r neck and t i c k l e d h e r under h e r c h i n .

Suddenl y a melodic, s l i g h t l y m a g i c a l sound deafened h e r e a r s . The sound was o f wind chimes, t h e wind and t h e s e a s h e l l sound of t h e ocean.

Turning w i t h t h e wind, s h e f e l t t h e g r a i n s o f s a n d between h e r t o e s .

Before h e r , b u t a t a d i s t a n c e , s t o o d a dwarf-sized man wrapped i n l a y e r s of c l o t h s o s h e e r t h e y a p p e a r e d t r a n s p a r e n t . A v e i l covered h i s f a c e and head. H i s a g e showed t h r o u g h t h e w r i n k l e s of h i s hands. The man l i f t ed h i s hands i n t h e , a i r , t h e sound growing l o u d e r and more i n t e n s e as

he d i d s o . From e a c h f i n g e r , b e l l shaped, c r y s t a l l i n e wind chimes eme r g e d on i n v i s i b l e s t r i n g s one a f t e r a n o t h e r . On e a c h , a n opaque f i s h o r s h e l l f i s h f l o a t e d w i t h i n i t . The g i r l watched w i t h amazement, f e e l i n g h e r body q u i v e r . Suddenly t h e b r e e z e w a s no l o n g e r broken by t h e b a r r i e r s o f h e r c l o t h i n g . Looking down a t h e r s e l f , s h e saw s h e was covered i n a d r e s s o f t h e same m a t e r i a l a s t h e man w a s , w e a r i n g . A v e i l descended a c r o s s h e r f a c e , smooth on h e r cheeks.

The melody p l a y e d i n time t o t h e waves, and t h e chimes showered c o l o u r s i n t o t h e ocean. Drawn u n c o n t r o l l a b l y t o t h e w a t e r , s h e suddenly needed t o f e e l t h e c o o l n e s s and t o be a p a r t of t h e dance t h e waves were l e a d i n g . The chimes followed h e r i n t o t h e w a t e r i n t h e manner o f g e e s e migr a t i n g . She s t o p p e d when t h e w a t e r was mid-calf and w a i t e d as t h e music and c o l o u r s formed a s o l i d and compl e t e c i r c l e around h e r , e n c l o s i n g h e r .

Then, w i t h t h e same g e n t l e n e s s as t h e heavens h o l d stars, s h e was c a r r i e d toward t h e c l o u d s , w h i t e sand p o u r i n g o f f h e r b a r e f e e t . Looking down, h e r s a n d a l s s a t i n t h e s a n d , waves c r a s h i n g o v e r them. She began t o s p i n and was merged i n t h e sounds around h e r .

She became d i z z y and c l o s e d h e r e y e s and h e r world became black, s p l a t t e r e d with f l a s h i n g colo u r s and t h e m e l o d i e s of t h e ocean.

Andrea P a i n e

I

She Her Her Her

Wild E l e c t r i c

was only twelve body s m a l l and weak f a c e rosey and always w i t h a s m i l e eyes g l i s t e n e d

Electric Flowing Wanting Needing Nothing But t h e Music b l e e d i n g from t h e boxes Wild s o u l s h e l d i n motion f e e l t h e freedom of t h e m i x t u r e of t h e music and t h e v o i c e s f o r g e t your mind and t a k e t h e r i d e t o hold t h e sound w i t h i n your body and f e e l t h e charge of w i l d e l e c t r i c .

..

Now. Her f a c e i s r e d and swollen And NEVER wears a s m i l e Her eyes a r e p u f f y from t h e t e a r s t h a t streamed down h e r f a c e He s t a n d s t h e r e w i t h t h e s m e l l on h i s b r e a t h And a g r i n on h i s f a c e How could he do t h i s ?

Him...so b i g and s t r o n g Her...so t i n y and weak.

Kelly Hollingswdrth

Trish Elkin

'Memories Each day t h e moon g e t s s m a l l e r .

She s l i p s through t h e a n g e l i c c l o u d s and over t h e m i s t y h i l l s , between t h e f a i r y t r e e s . I used t o be a b l e t o h e a r h e r song whispered i n my ear c a l l i n g o u t t o me..to come and play.

Now, i t i s n o t h i n g b u t a s o f t c r y , beckoning t o t h e h i l l s t o l e t t h e s i n g i n g c h i r p of b i r d s b e heard once a g a i n . The bubbling l a u g h t e r of t h e morning brook has long s i n c e ceased.

I t s g r e e n i s h waves have turned t o an unkind brown, and i t s c a l l i s n o t of happiness b u t t h e sad c r y f o r t h e rainbow f i s h t h a t once f r o l i c k e d w i t h i n i t s h e a r t . The morning dew has turned t o a b i t i n g f r o s t , t h e s t i r r i n g green of t h e o l d f r i e n d l y t r e e s has turned t o a kindred dead grey. But t h e worst of a l l i s t h a t my f r i e n d t h e moon i s g e t t i n g small e r , h e r s t a r l i t glow has faded and s h e no l o n g e r wears a s m i l e .

She i s e lipping away from me each day, o v e r t h e ocean and beyond my f o r g o t t e n world. I wish I could c a t c h h e r i n my n e t and f l y away, wrapped i n ' h e r arms, t o a p l a c e where t h e b i r d s s i n g and t h e brooks where t h e t r e e s a r e s t e r l i n g laugh green and t h e f i s h a r e plump and a r e p l a y i n g w i t h i n t h e brook's h e a r t .

Yet I cannot c a t c h h e r , s h e i s e v e r s o hard t o s e e now, My h e a r t is c a l l i n g out t o her but t h e r e i s never any answer. The d e p t h s of my s o u l are no l o n g e r k i n d r e d , my thoughts a r e no l o n g e r s u n s h i n e and my eyes no l o n g e r s p a r k l e .

Now t h a t s h e i s gone, I f e e l t h a t I should go w i t h h e r .

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Sarah Whately

1 1

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The W e l l The w e l l i s a t r a p door.

It opens i n t o d a r k n e s s , a still, breathless dripping, there again, dripping.

The c a s i n g i s n o t a w e l l h o l d i n g back t h e d i r t and t u m b l i n g g r a v e l ; it is a precarius corridor, a gap, a crack i n t h e s h a l l o w t e n t a t i v e s u r f a c e of t h e e a r t h j u s t holding together suspended above a v a s t p o o l of q u i e t l y d r i p p i n g darkness.

A f i n e t r i c k l e of powdered wood t w i t c h e s and s l i d e s i n t o t h e darkness.

A mouse's waggling w h i s k e r s ' p r o t r u d e through t h e s l i p p e r y wooden w a l l .

A pause, unsure.

The c e r t a i n smell o f w a t e r r e a s s u r e s , . and soon t h e gleaming e y e s a p p e a r .

1 Another d r o p o f w a t e r f a l l s .

- ~ o v e c r a f t ' sm o n s t e r s always come o u t

of w e l l s deep b e n e a t h r o t t i n g t e e t e r i n g ancient f e s t e r i n g building, .ruins, ruined.

But no behemoths l u r k unbidden, no misshapen mammoth b e a s t l i f t s t h e l i d on m o o n l i t n i g-h t s .

No g n a r l e d arms and broken f i n g e r n a i l s c r e e p o v e r the sill.

. buried

Walls These w a l l s t h a t a r e h e r e , L i k e a house f u l l of an i n f i n i t e number o f m i r r o r s , s t o p me.

These w a l l s t h a t a r e h e r e Trap my a c t i o n s And make me aware of a n i n f i n i t e number o f echoes.

The t h e o r y of t e c h n o s i s u s e l e s s t o me For I a m a t r e e Swaying i n t h e winds of time and s p a c e and Yearning t o r e t u r n To t h e o r i g i n a l p l a c e Extending my b r a n c h e s t o t r i l l i o n s of suns I hope we become t h e i n f i n i t e one.

Instead t h e s i l e n c e of missing c h i l d r e n echoes here, and blood-pounding p a n i c .

The t r e m b l i n g hand t h a t l i f t s t h e wooden c o v e r i s warm, i t s f i n g e r s d r y and g r a i n e d w i t h d i r t from f r e s h l y t u r n e d ground.

A mouse f l o a t s

a s i f t h e s u r f a c e was a m i r r o r , solid, r e f l e c t i v e o f t h e c l o u d s t h a t wander a c r o s s t h e b r i l l i a n t sky.

The l i d slams a s , f a r away; children's voices c a l l .

Sheila Peters

E l i z a b e t h Thorpe

The Radio Access f o r L i t e r a c y Proj e c t w i l l be running f o r 2 more months u n t i l t h e end of June.

To d a t e we've been having l o t s of workshops on t o p i c s such a s i n t e r viewing, sound o p e r a t i o n s , l i s t e n i n g & communications and c r i t i c a l thinking. Some people a r e g e t t i n g i n v o l ved w i t h shows a t Co-op Radio.

I n A p r i l , Channel 4 Cable TV had a 15 minute p i e c e on t h e p r o j e c t t h a t showed u s t a l k i n g and working.

Anyone who i s i n t e r e s t e d i n g e t t i n g involved i n Co-op Radio a n d / o r improving t h e i r r e a d i n g & w r i t i n g s k i l l s can s t i l l come and j o i n .

Our n e x t g e n e r a l meeting i s Wednesday, May 9 t h , 12-2pm i n t h e Carnegie T h e a t r e . I f you c a n ' t make i t , c a l l Brenda o r Helene a t 684-8494.

SPECIAL REPORT (Under t h i s h e a d l i n e i n t h e l a s t issue, Ted Chiang wrote a n a r t i c l e i n Chinese. Following i s a t r a n s l a t i o n ) We hope everyone can t a k e a few minutes t o read t h i s l e t t e r . I f you find i t d i f f i c u l t t o understand, p l e a s e do f o r g i v e and f o r g e t .

The Carnegie Community C e n t r e , which i s on Main and H a s t i n g s , h a s

been s e r v i n g t h e p u b l i c f o r o v e r 10 v e a r s . The s u c c e s s of t h i s c e n t r e i s n o t due o n l y t o s t a f f , i t i s a l s o based on a l o t of h e l p and co-operat i o n by t h e v o l u n t e e r s .

Some people c a l l t h e Centre as "china Library", because i t once was 100% l i b r a r y . A f t e r r e n o v a t i o n i t became a community c e n t r e b u t of course t h e l i b r a r y i t s e l f s t i l l c a t c h e s a l o t of a t t e n t i o n t o everyone. The L i b r a r y i s s m a l l e r now but i t h a s s o many d i f f e r e n t books i n s i d e t h a t you won't b e l i e v e i t ! Also i n s o many n a t i o n a l i t i e s too!

But, how do l i t t l e p e o p l e know what i s r e a l l y i n s i d e t h e c e n t r e and what i s coing on t h e r e e v e r y day? Well, l e t u s t e l l you what we have h e r e and what t o o f f e r ! (of c o u r s e w e ' l l t r y t o make i t s h o r t and s i m p l e ) F i r s t : On t h e Main F l o o r t h e r e i s i n f o r m a t i o n desk, t h e L i b r a r y , smoki n g lounge, S e n i o r s Lounge and t h e auditorium.

I n t h e basement, w e have t h e Weight Room, A r t room, P o t t e r y room and Photo darkroom.

On t h e Second f l o o r we have t h e concession, Kitchen, Pool Room, t h e gym and o u r n e w s l e t t e r ' s o f f i c e .

On t h e Third f l o o r i s o u r Programmers' o f f i c e s , computer room, c l a s s room and o u r Learning C e n t r e ' s o f f i c e .

By t h e way, washrooms a r e l o c a t e d i n t h e 2nd â&#x20AC;˘â&#x20AC;&#x2122;1. and 3 r d f l .

The most amazing t h i n g i s t h a t you can s e e o u r V o l u n t e e r s a r e a l l o v e r t h e Centre, and we mean from t h e basement a l l t h e way up t o t h e 3 r d f .

So being o u r c e n t r e ' s members should always p a r t i c i p a t e . Our Volu n t e e r s work t o h e l p each o t h e r .

The C e n t r e i s open everyday; t h a t i n c l u d e s b a s k e t b a l l games, p i n g pong badminton, f r e e h a i r c u t s , Ballroom dancing, T a i Chi c l a s s , c h i l d r e n and f e s t i v a l s , entertainment, e t c .

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~eaders, community a c t i o n may s t i l l f o r c e Canada P o s t t o keep o u r p o s t a l s e r v i c e s out of p r i v a t e hands i n o u r neighbourhood. P l e a s e , e i t h e r send t h e l e t t e r below o r come t o t h e N e w s l e t t e r o f f i c e f o r a s e p a r a t e copy.

Everyone!

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~ r27, i l 1990

I Harvie Andre I M i n i s t e r f o r Canada P o s t Parliament Buildings Ottawa, O n t a r i o Dear M r .

Andre,

THIS LETTER I S BEING WRITTEN I N RESPONSE TO THE CLOSURE OF POSTAL STATION ' B ' .

THIS I S THE SECOND TIME THAT C A N A D A POST HAS TRIED TO CLOSE O U R POST OFFICE D O W N .

I N 1 9 8 8 , T H I S COMMUNITY FOUGHT LONG A N D H A R D TO SAVE O U R LOCAL POST O F F I C E , A POST OFFICE THAT HAS BEEN W I T H US FOR O V E R 4 0 YEARS A N D DUE TO CONTINUING PRESSURE THE OFFICE WAS GIVEN A REPRIEVE.

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I T I S A SAD DAY FOR US, WHEN WE HAVE T O FIGHT SO H A R D T O KEEP AN ESSENTIAL SERVICE, LIKE THE POST O F F I C E , I N O U R OWN NEIGHBOURHOOD. WE STRONGLY OBJECT TO H A V I N G O U R SERVICES CONTRACTED O U T FOR P R O F I T , .AND WE ASK THAT T H I S OUTLET REMAIN I N OPERATION. I

sincerely, I

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Address Vancouver, B. C.

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On t h e o u t g o i n g t r i p s , i n c l u d e p i c n i c s f e r r y r i d e s , camping, e t c .

Because w e have l i m i t e d s t a f f t o work i n t h e C e n t r e and t h e r e ' s s o many t h i n g s need t o be done. So t h e r e f o r e t h e Volunteers should take a l l t h e credit.

But r e c e n t l y we have some t r o u b l e giving o u t t i c k e t s t o these t r i p s !

It i s g e t t i n g t h e c h a i r m a n ' s a t t e n t i o n and we b e l i e v e soon w i l l have a n answer t o t h a t .

A f t e r a l l of t h e above, we want t o

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make one t h i n g s u r e i s t h a t w i t h o u t t h e Volunteers' help, t h e Centre j u s t won't b e t h e way i t i s now!

Every member i n t h e C e n t r e i s e q u a l and we s h o u l d s h a r e o u r t i m e s t o h e l p t h e C e n t r e t o make i t even b e t t e r .

So p l e a s e , do come i n and be p a r t of u s , t o make u s a b i g happy f a m i l y !

On b e h a l f o f o u r Carnegie C e n t r e s t a f f s and v o l u n t e e r s we v a l u e your comment and we w i s h t o s e r v e you t h e best i n the future.

Thank you.

A moral choice between feast and famine

B Y AL METTRICK

The young c o u p l e s t o p p e d dead on t h e t r a i l , a t a p o i n t n e a r t h e waterf a l l which plunged down behind t h e i r weekend s q u a t t e r c a b i n . T h e r e was a c o i l of smoke coming from t h e s t o v e p i p e . They always l e f t t h e i r c a b i n locked. There s h o u l d n o t have been anybody i n s i d e , no smoke..

I n s i d e t h e y found a m u s c u l a r madman w i t h a L a t i n a c c e n t who s a i d he had moved i n . He had a l r e a d y p u t h i s s t u f f on t h e s h e l v e s . He had burned some o f t h e c o u p l e ' s p l a s t i c p l a t e s and cups. He t o l d them i t was an abomination t o have p l a s t i c p l a t e s and cups amid t h a t n a t u r a l l a n d s c a p e .

Next on h i s l i s t , t h e w i l d man s a i d , was t h e o u t h o u s e . He w a s g o i n g t o make firewood o u t o f i t . I t was s t u p i d , s u p e r f l u o u s , when t h e r e was a whole r a i n f o r e s t a t t h e i r backs t o be f e r t i l i s e d .

It was a b i z a r r e n i g h t m a r e f o r t h e young c o u p l e , a s t u d e n t and h e r musi c i a n b o y f r i e n d who l o v e d t h e i r weekend c a b i n and t h e gorgeous beach which s t r e t c h e d i n f r o n t of i t .

The half-mad c a r n i v a l which f o l l owed, w i t h much of t h e beach s q u a t t e r community t r y i n g t o g e t t h e i n t r u d e r t o l e a v e , w h i l e a t r i o of passing Jehovah's Witnesses i n t e r ceded, seemed a f t e r w a r d s l i k e a dream. But on a s q u a t t e r beach anyt h i n g can happen, semi-somnolence one m i n u t e , Mardi-Gras t h e n e x t .

The beach .where I b u i l t my c a b i n was a c o u p l e of h o u r s d r i v e from V i c t o r i a . Up n e a r t h e West Coast T r a i l . Huge waves coming a t your house a s i f a dam had b u r s t , booming a c t u a l l y making t h e ground t r e m b l e .

Eagles, whales, s e a - l i o n s , purple s u n r i s e s and r e d s u n s e t s ; p e o p l e who know i t c a l l i t a h e a l i n g b e a c h , a p l a c e w i t h s p e c i a l power. S u r f e r s came t o o , f o r t h e b i g waves. But my n e i g h b o u r s were m o s t l y long-term r e s i d e n t s who had b u i l t p i c t u r e s q u e weathered c a b i n s o u t o f d r i f t w o o d , c e d a r s h a k e s and t a r p s .

When I f i r s t moved t o t h e beach I wondered: "Why d o e s n ' t everybody do t h i s ? " The answer i s , of c o u r s e , i n t h e l i s t of t h i n g s s q u a t t e r s do w i t h o u t - a u t o m a t i c h e a t and l i g h t , t e l e v i s i o n , r u n n i n g w a t e r , conveni e n t shopping and s o on.

"Your house w i l l e v o l v e , " t h e man He t h e y c a l l e d Rivermouth t o l d m e . had l i v e d on t h e beach f o r s e v e n y e a r s , w i n t e r and summer, and h e had o n l y one p i e c e of a d v i s e . "Build i t warm. I' The beach c a b i n s r e f l e c t e d a l l s o r t s o f a r c h i t e c t u r a l whims and fancies, but t h e b i g c o n s t r u c t i o n c r i t e r i a , t h e o n l y common denominat o r , was t h a t they f a c e t h e sea. A bemused a r c h i t e c t from Germany o n c e s t o o d on t h e sand l o o k i n g a t arc el's p l a c e , s c r a t c h i n g h i s head. "How d i d you b u i l d i t ? " h e a s k e d . "I had some body h o l d up t h e windows and I b u i l t around them," Marcel t o l d him.

Marcel f l e w a p i r a t e f l a g from h i s sundeck. He had a dog c a l l e d G r u n t , b i g a s a camel. It was r e p u t e d t o have t a k e n down g u l l s and c o r m o r a n t s i n f l i g h t . It had d i v e d i n t o t h e waves and b r o u g h t o u t a s e a - o t t e r .

It was a l e g e n d .

Bringing i n m a t e r i a l s i s a h a s s l e t h e o n l y p a r k i n g l o t i s a l o n g way from t h e beach, a n d , anyway, most o f t h e s q u a t t e r s d i d n ' t own a v e h i c l e .

So e v e r y t h i n g , a p a r t from windows and s t o v e , was u s u a l l y made up o f s t u f f scavanged from t h e b e a c h . The powerf u l t i d e s r e a r r a n g e d t h e beach e v e r y d a y , dumping new landmark l o g s , new t r a s h and t r e a s u r e . One s t o r m a l o n e dumped a l l t h e p l a n k i n g I needed f o r a sundeck.

The rain, in turn, rearranged the various watercourses which ran down through t the forest and across the , beach. We got our water from these streams.

I built in August. As winter rain and storms began to rearrange the physical landscape, the isolation and hardships brought on by the changing seasons could provoke dramatic mood shifts. To keep busy was the only answer. I was delighted one night to discover that my homemade table was collapsing. It would give me something to do the next day.

My neighbor Keith had lived through it all before. He carved cedar, read a lot. He brought out a woman he had met in Victoria. She came from the city as she was, in an ankle-length dress. At first the rain didn't bother her. "What rain?" she asked, clutching Keith, in love. "I can't think why anyone would ever want to leave ' this place." On my deck we sawed off the platform heels of her stylish boots so she could walk on the beach.

But it kept raining and she was gone within a week. Keith turned his attention to other matters. He began to teach his dog how to balance bisquits on her nose.

It was the rain of course, which drove Luigi to take possession of the student's cabin. "It was cold and wet and I needed a place to stay," he told me afterwards. Luigi was from Guatemala originally. The beach had been his second home for almost 20 years. He had been away for awhile, however, and he did not know the students. The whole thing, he said, "was blown up by people who came around interfering .I1 The Jehovah's Witnesses, for example. Luigi had met them earlier on the beach. When they showed up to arbitrate dispute in the cabin, 1, Luigi toldthe them: "At least you could do something useful while you're here. '

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Go get some firewood.l1 The stove was 11 burning low. But they persisted in preaching, brandishing the good book.

Finally Luigi became exasperated. He was also getting cold. "Give me one of your books," he said. They handed over a Bible and he tossed it in the stove.

Luigi found another cabin and stayed the winter. He turned out to be a quiet, helpful neighbour. But he was a man with a revolutionary streak, as many of the beach-dwellers are. In one of his 'philosophic1 moods, he said, "Society needs us..the poets, writers, eccentrics, the beach dwellers. We are the frame holding it together. The great painters always felt their canvasses needed a frame.

We're the frame society needs."

The spot I picked for my squatter cabin was on a cliff about twenty feet directly above the beach. It was almost hallucinatory in its atmosphere of beauty. But it was shaded by huge trees and sprawling branches, and it proved to be a mosquito trap in summer and muddy when rains came. I had other problems early on.

A huge dead cedar had to be broken up before I could build and I found out too late that it contained about a million wasps, all of which bit me. Then I didn't sleep for three weeks until I got used to the browbeating surf. The driftwood I burned - because of its salt content created massive creosote buildups in my airtight stove. The stovepipe rotted quickly. And the climate and sand and salt rotted everything else; shoes, clothing, nails, tarp...

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(NEXT ISSUE .PACKRATS AND OTHER HARDSHIPS. AND THE HIGHS OF SQUATTING ON A BEACH.)

The Ode of Ben Johnson

PARKER BENCH R ' Z

Ah Ben! Say how, o r when S h a l l we your g u e s t s Meet a t t h e s e a t h l e t i c f e t e s The Sun, The Dog, The T r i p l e Run Where we such g a t h e r i n g s had A s made u s nobly wild, n o t mad; And y e t each r a c e of t h i n e Out-did t h e meet, o u t d i d t h e swine

My Ben! Oh come a g a i n : O r send t o us Your s p e e d ' s g r e a t o v e r p l u s ; But t e a c h u s y e t Wisely t o c o n t r o l i t , Lest we t h a t t a l e n t spend And having once brought t o an end t h a t precious race; t h e s t o r e of such d r u g s t h e world should have no more. a 'friend' CARNEGIE NEWSLETTER:

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Explore b o r d e r s of your mind space Spies on t h e s t a i r c a s e Privacy a n i l l u s i o n He d i e d w i t h b e e r can i n hand 4,000 dead o r i n j u r e d a t t h e i n t e r s e c t i o n below Be Low Mainly H a s t i n g s , mainly though

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The Downtown E a s t s i d e has always been p o r t r a y e d i n t h e media a s a s o r t of skid-row "den of t h i e v e s " .

Over t h e y e a r s many of t h e r e s i d e n t s & community workers have n o t i c e d t h i s tendency, and t r i e d t o show t h e media t h a t i t ' s a s u p e r f i c i a l & i n accurate portrayal, c i t i n g the fact t h a t j u s t a s many murders & dangerous crimes occur i n o t h e r a r e a s .

F r i d a y ' s Vancouver Sun c o n t a i n e d an a r t i c l e by a well-known Carnegie member t h a t seemed t o push t h i s downb e a t image even f u r t h e r , once a g a i n dragging t h e Downtown E a s t s i d e t h r u t h e mud of s e n s a t i o n a l p r e s s imagery.

The w r i t e r has dubbed H a s t i n g s & Main "cocaine c o r n e r " & goes on t o s a y I I t h e c r o s s r o a d s of t h e downtown e a s t s i d e i s f a s t becoming Vancouver's c o c a i n e supermarket".

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" i n t h e back l a n e you can g e t drive-through s e r v i c e , l i k e McDonald's, and i n t h e f r o n t you've g o t t h e f u l l drug supermarket."

I ' v e l i v e d i n t h e Downtown E a s t s i d e f o r t e n y e a r s now, & p a s s t h e s e locat i o n s almost d a i l y .

I n t h a t time, I ' v e been approached by coke d e a l e r s e x a c t l y t w i c e . T h i s reminds m e of t h e t i m e I was stopped, q u e s t i o n e d & searched by p o l i c e f o r t h e "crime" of walking through a downtown e a s t s i d e alleyway a t 2:30 am. The cop s a i d he was doing i t f o r my own p r o t e c t i o n ; he l e c t u r e d m e on s a f e t y , & s a i d i t was v e r y dangerous t o do what I was doing. I t o l d him I ' d been walking through alleyways i n t h e downtown e a s t s i d e a t n i g h t f o r y e a r s , & had n o t had any t r o u b l e - i n f a c t , i t seemed t o m e t h a t t h e most t h r e a t e n i n g t h i n g t h a t had happened t o m e i n t h e a l l e y was b e i n g stopped & searched by t h e p o l i c e .

Another i n t e r e s t i n g t h i n g about t h e i n c i d e n t was how t h e policeman's behaviour towards m e changed from i n s u l t i n g t o p o l i t e , when he dumped t h e c o n t e n t s of my onto the . pack . hood of h i s c r u i s e r & d i s c o v e r e d i t was f u l l of DERA paperwork.

I n any c a s e I b e l i e v e t h a t a r t i c l e s such as "cocaine c o r n e r " accomplish o n l y two t h i n g s - t h e y i n c r e a s e t h e p r e s s u r e t o " c l e a n up t h e neighbour-

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SUBJECTIVE ALLOYS

By G a r r y G u s t

STUPID THING!?

CONSCIENCE

OFF. NAVLGATOR ON T H I S T R I P ,

hood" - which i s a b o u t e q u i v a l e n t t o "run t h e bums o u t o f town". .& t h e y a d v e r t i s e C a r n e g i e as t h e p l a c e t o buy i l l e g a l d r u g s .

The p r e s s h a s always been a sensat i o n a l i s t muck-raking s o r t of t h i n g anyway, b u t t o have "concerned" r e s i d e n t s & p a i d C a r n e g i e s t a f f appear-

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i n g a s h e r o e s i n a v e r y narrow, ones i d e d image of o u r neighbourhood i s n o t smart r e p o r t i n g i t does, however, allow c e r t a i n individuals t o promote themselves as s a i n t s - & c a s t t h e l i g h t o f s u s p i c i o n on t h e rest of us.

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trade

By ROBERT SARTI The crossroads of the downtown east side is fast becoming Vancouver's cocaine supermarket.

Stand around for just half an hour a t the corner of Main and Hastings, in front of the Carnegie Community Centre, and you will see as many as a dozen drug deals conducted in broad daylight.

Men in jean jackets and runners hand wadded-up $10 and $20 bills to other men and receive small "paper packets in return.

In the bushes by the building are the litter of the drug trade - old syringes, empty Valium and barbiturate bottles and the little papers that hold the cocaine.

Don't Lose Your Vote'

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days at Carnegie have to thread, t h e i r way t h r o u g h t h e d o p e ' dealers to get into the building.

"It's tolally out in the open, it goes on night and day, and it's getting worse," said Carnegie security worker Bob Morrison, surveying the scene Thursday from the steps of the building.

Earlier in the morning, shortly after midnight, the sidewalk in front of the steps was the scene of Vancouver's sixth slaying of the year.

A 29-year-old known d r u g dealer was stabbed to death in an altercation with another man in his 20s. The assailant fled the scene on foot.

Police agree the situation at the intersection -within sight of Vancouver police headquarters - has worsened in the past few months.

"We have noticed an increase at that location, and we have noticed a number of what appears to be new players have gotten into the scene," said S. Sgt. Larry Smith, head of the Vancouver police drug squad. "That spot hasn't been used by the old-timers before."

Smith said the increase in the use of cocaine is worrying. Cocaine seizures by police in the city have grown from 83 in 1983 to 1,188 last year.

If you aren't on the provincial voters' list, you can't vote in the upcoming election. Even if vou've voted in everv B.C. election for 30 years, you may not be on the list.

Check to see if vou're reaistered todav bv calling the ~ l e c t i o n sB.C. office at 660-6848. if you're not on the list, you will be mailed application forms and a portage-paid return envelope. You should also call our community office at 253-7902 to ensure this gets done.

You must register yourself. No enumerator comes and no registration is allowed on election day.

If you are at least 19, a Can. citizen and have lived in B.C. for more than 6 months, protect your right to vote by checking the voters list.

OUT IN THE OPEN: Carnegie security worker Bob Morrlson monitors front steps Thursday after slaying

DONALD McPHERSON: accosted by drug dealers "It (Main and Hastings) is the convenient place to get cocaine," he said. , He said the cocaine sold a t Main and Hastings is primarily intended for intravenous use. But there are indications that individuals are converting it for their own use to crack cocaine, the evermore dm-.: gerous derivative that plagues many American cities.

So far, he said, there is no indication crack is being sold commercially in Vancouver.

T h e Vancouver drug squad

already devotes a "considerable" part of its attention to the Main and Hastings street scene, said Smith. He doubted much more could be done without a decision from the top levels of the police department.

Asked if the department was contemplating a crackdown, he replied: "A crackdown wouldn't be much more than what we're doing now."

Community workers say many drug dealers in front of Carnegie used to work further west on Hastings, in front of the Regent or Ralmoral Hotels or at Pigeon Park; and were moved on by police pressure.

Before t h a t , t h e d e a l e r s operated out of the Granville Mall or Mount Pleasant, which have also been subjected to "clean-up" campaigns.

Donald McPherson, senior programmer at Cdrnegie, walked out on the steps Tuesday and was immediately approached by a scruffy looking man who asked: . "You want to buy some coke?"

McPherson ignored him and the man sat down on the'steps. He was finally ejected from the steps by a Carnegie security worker. '

"The other day, I just walked down to buy a newspaper, six doors away, and I was asked eight times whether 1 want to buy coke," McPherson said.

Another time, he pulled his car out of the lane in back ofcarnegie, and while he was waiting to enter the traffic on Hastings, two men approached him with drug offers.

"In the back lane, you can get drive-through service, like McDonald's, and in the front y ~ u ' v ~ gthe o t full drug supermarket," he said.

Morrison, 33, and the other security workers routinely bar anyone from Carnegie who is observed dealing drugs outside, but this can bring new problems.

"I've been threatened, and told: "You're going to get it at night,' " he said.

The husky former truck driver and paramedic just shrugged and said: "I don't pay attention to that kind of talk."

Most of the dealers around Main and Hastings seem to be in their 20s and 30s. Many are white, but there are native Indians, Asians and Hispanics as well.

Street worker John Turvey said the lack of social services makes it

di'ficult to wean many of the young people off the street.

In the past few years, his caseload of Latin American refugees has skyrocketed, hut he has no place to send them if they agree lo seek an education or a job.

"I would say 90 per cent of the young men are divertable (off the street) if we had the services," he said.

Downtown Eastside Resitletits Association worker Stephen Learey said DERA has been trying to deal with the problem of drug use in Pigeon Park, but therc are no easy answers.

He said some residents want increased police patrols in the neighborhood, while others fear too strong a police presence.

"Young girls, 13 years old, come down here, and say: 'This (drug scene) is fun,' " he said.

"Six months later, they're strung out and hooking on the street."

DERA has a $2,000 grant from the solicitor-general's department to study the problem.

"What do we want to do - push it out of Pigeon Park to Carncgie, and then where does it go from there, to Crab Park?" he said.

"That's no answer."

"Restricting sexual activity to marriage and adult monogamous relationships cy

"Girls need to have the same attitudes as boys" (in order to achieve equal pay). " Carol Gran, Socred minister responsible for the status of women

"(Abortion) has nothing to do with my ministry. " Carol Gran, minister responsible for the status of women

Former Socred health minister Peter Dueck on the sex lives of British Columbians

"I want to get back (into cabinet). In fact I thought Imight have been back today. I deserve to be back. " Former Socred minister Bill Reid after he bent the rules and qave lottery dollars to his aolltical friends.

"The man must be either morally blind or politically foolish, either one of which is reason enough to keep him out of cabinet forever ... And there hasn't been a word of criticism from Premier Vander Zalm."

The Provincial editorial (March 2)

"I don't think there's anvthina in conflict with me takina f art in a decision for the use of agr~culturalland thafl'm the min~sterrespon&ble for " Socred agr~culturalm m s t e r John Savage on the S1 3 m ~ l l ~ odollar n prof11111s farnlly stood to make by hls governments d e c ~ s ~ oton allow conversion of agr~culturalland Into golf courses

SUPPORT THE SQUATTERS on F r a n c i s S t .

Learning C e n t r e The Learning C e n t r e c o n t i n u e s t o be f u l l of a c t i v i t y . Bing Ming Lau humbles u s a l l w i t h h i s c o u r a g e i n w r i t i n g h i s s t o r y (Carnegie Newsl e t t e r : A p r i l 1 5 , 1990). He i s going through a g r e a t d e a l of p a i n remembe r i n g what happened t o t h e p e o p l e i n B e i j i n g on June 4 , 1989. Both of t h e Lau b r o t h e r s a r e admired i n t h e Learning Centre. Bing Ming i s v e r y gifted as a pianist a s w e l l as a writer.

Sometimes I wonder who i s t h e t u t o r a s I have l e a r n e d a g r e a t d e a l from Bing Ming. Learning i s a twoway s t r e e t i f we j u s t t a k e t h e t i m e t o l i s t e n . The Learning C e n t r e l o o k s l i k e a United Nations Assembly - we are truly multicultural.

The L e a r n e r s Conference was a g r e a t s u c c e s s . My f a v o u r i t e i t e m was t h e v i d e o c a l l e d "Home of t h e Brave".

It showed t h a t N a t i v e s i n both North and South America a r e exp l o i t e d i n t h e same ways. The Welf a r e R i g h t s workshop w a s v e r y i n t e r e s t i n g w i t h a l o t of new p e o p l e . One important t h i n g I l e a r n e d was how d i f f i c u l t i t i s f o r s t u d e n t s who are l e a r n i n g E n g l i s h t o u n d e r s t a n d what i s going on i n a l a r g e s e t t i n g . Yet i t seems easy on a one-to-one b a s i s .

T u t o r s need t o g i v e t h e i r s t u d e n t s support i n l a r g e gatherings. A t t h e n e x t c o n f e r e n c e i t would be good f o r s t u d e n t s t o conduct a workshop on what they e x p e c t o f t u t o r s . T h i s may b u i l d c o n f i d e n c e a l l around.

The L e a r n e r s Conference was v e r y worthwhile..many of u s now have new friends.

I r e n e Schmidt

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The Developers e v i c t e d f a m i l i e s on F r a n c i s S t ; f o u r houses are due f o r demolition. Squatters a r e l i v i n g i n t h e empty houses.

They s a y , "Why s h o u l d homes be empty when p e o p l e a r e homeless and on t h e s t r e e t ? " The g e n t r i f i c a t i o n of low r e n t a l communities by d e v e l o p e r s - b u i l d i n g condos t h a t o n l y t h e a f f l u e n t can a f f o r d - must s t o p . They e v i c t low-income t e n a n t s and n e v e r r e p l a c e t h e low r e n t a l homes.

These d e v e l o p e r s t r e a t u s l i k e cockroaches b u t remember, t h e cockroach i s tough and always r e t u r n s t o f i g h t again.

Support t h e S q u a t t e r s .

S h e i l a Baxter

The poor d i e long.

The r i c h l i v e good.

The middle masses t a k e up t o o much room.

The The The and

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r i c h pour w a t e r . poor make waves. middle masses t u r n t o wine squire the tax bitch.

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The middle masses make wheels go round s o t h e r i c h won't have t o c r a w l .

The poor s i n g of r e v o l u t i o n , and t h e E a r t h s h i p j u s t s p i n s on.

Garry Gust

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Talking Dirty in The Pas Four white boys talking dirty, Whispering four-letter words in The Pas ''Girl - Rape - Kill - I' knowing The Pas won't protest, 'COS "Squaw ain't a four-letter word, and fifty-three stabs with a screwdriver or a word like "justice" don't mean a fuckin' thing, when you can't count to seven.

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White citizens talking dirty, know the murderers, but stay silent cops also is a four-letter word.

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When Whites kill the Native Indian, they kill the country, and the land does not forget but lays fallow, waiting.

Sixteen years, blood of Helen Betty Osborne

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like roots, has been coiling round the foundation of lies sustaining The Pas; sixteen years, Helen Betty's spirit has been forming wings, sixteen years and Helen Betty bursts back from death, an eagle plunging from the past to rend the conspiracy of silence hiding The Pas, and all those lies tumble out, disembowelled and stinking while truth roars like a forest fire through this shattered town, and the silence goes up in dirty smoke signals seen nation-wide.

White citizens of The Pas have had their good names scalded, have had their dirty mouths washed oul by the blood of Helen Betty.

She has reformed the language forever made the name, "The Pas" 1 ., I

I-

the name of The

Distance "some p e o p l e a r e n ' t meant f o r happiness1'

I am f a r away now from p a i n a s w e l l a s joy.

I am v e r y f a r from c a r i n g about any one of you.

I c a r e a s l i t t l e about m y s e l f .

T h i s i s my f a t e d d e s t i n a t i o n and I have worked hard t o be h e r e : K i l l i n g myself a l i t t l e , e v e r y y e a r T h i s i s t h e p l a c e from where Marc Lepine took aim.

The o n l y d i f f e r e n c e s a r e he w a s angry h e ' d a r r i v e d and h e blamed women f o r b e i n g h e r e .

I am f a r enough away now t o know he was n o t a monster.

I am as f a r away a s he was.

from t h i s d i s t a n c e I endure, n o t happy, h a r d l y sad a t a l l .

In the next ten years I ' m sure I w i l l deaden myself t o s a d n e s s : a t home, a t l a s t , i n t h e d i s t a n c e .

A d e a r f r i e n d c a l l e d m e up and asked i f I could do a poem. A l o t of t h i n g s came t o mind b u t what s t u c k o u t most was when I f i r s t m e t him.

It was on Alexander S t r e e t i n a prot e s t f o r a l e v e l c r o s s i n g t o Crab Park. He was l i k e a s e a s h e l l coming o u t of h i d i n g - when he s e n s e s no danger. H e ' s come a l o n g way, cove r i n g a l o t of ground. H e y e t f i n d s comfort among t h e people who helped him o u t of h i s s h e l l .

Keep up t h e good work my f r i e n d .

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TREES A s I s i t h e r e l o o k i n g a t them t h i n k i n g t h e y were born h e r e t h e y grew up h e r e t h e y blossomed h e r e and t h e i r r o o t s a r e h e r e t h e y l o o k p r e t t y gruesome, w i t h t h e i r limbs p o i n t i n g i n e v e r y d i r e c t i o n But you know, t h e y l o o k b e a u t i f u l w i t h any shade of g r e e n . Who you a s k ?

Why t h e t r e e s Mother Nature c r e a t e d .

Now You want t o end t h e i r l i f e h e r e .

Margaret

I I

PEACE

L i f e i s n o t always what i t seems Love can be sung and i t ' s w r i t t e n i n reams L i f e i s t h e p h y s i c a l t h a t moves us a l l Love i s t h e g i f t t h a t can l e a v e with the f a l l L i f e i s what I s e e k Love i s n o t what w e ' r e supposed t o speak But w e break t h e r u l e s Like t h e r u l e s of s c h o o l Some r u l e s were meant t o be broken Not a l l o f u s E l i z a b e t h Thorpe

One day t h e r e w i l l be Peace throughout t h e World.

When t h a t day comes fll w i l l be calm and q u i e t Cries of hunger w i l l no l o n g e r be.

Sounds of l a u g h t e r w i l l always be.

Dreams can come t r u e When t h e sky i s b l u e Iâ&#x20AC;˘â&#x20AC;&#x2122; o n l y t o f i n d Deep i n your mind..

Peace w i l l come from c o a s t t o c o a s t .

One day t h e r e w i l l be peace.

Margaret

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Just blink, and a year goes by.

That's the way if feels sometimes with the Carnegie Community Centre ~ssociation. So much happens in the course of a year that it's hard to keep track.

That's one reason why every nonprofit society, like the CCCA, has an annual general meeting (AGM) every year. It's a way for the membership to take stock of the progress of their organisation, and to plan the next year's growth.

One of the important things that happen at an AGM is election of the board of directors. The CCCA has 15 Board members. They carry out the wishes of the membership over the year. Any member in good standing, who has been a member for at least three months prior to the AGM, is eligible to stand for election. The

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all candidates

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main qualification is a desire to serve the people of Carnegie - all parts of the building. Board members are expected to participate i n the regular monthly meetings, and to take part in at least one of the standing committees.

There will be an all-candidates' meeting held sometime in late May, so members can meet and talk to anybody who is interested in running.

The exact date and time will be posted later, and published in the newsletter, so keep an eye out.

The date of this year's AGM is Sunday, June 3rd, at 2 p.m. in the Theatre. The meeting is open to the public, but you have to have been a member of the CCCA for 14 days to be able to vote.

The CCCA belongs to all its members.

To be strong and democratic, it needs participation from all of us.

See you at the AGM!

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c ~ m m u n i t yW r i t i n g "The workshops will be hands-on, informal and subject to change due to availability of people. Most importantly, we want to help each other blast blare and blather more poetry everywhere all the time and then some!'

This quaint quote is from Pam Fleming and Sheila Baxter, who both organised and participated in this event held Saturday, April 21. The 3 workshops were: - HOW TO ORGANISE A POETRY GROUP 6 PERFORM YOUR WORK' (Sheila Baxter Organiser & Poet Sher-D Wilson Performance Poet) - HOW TO GET FUNDING (Don MacPherson Carnegie Programmer Gord Murray Normal Arts Society)

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~ c h a n g e / HOW TO PUBLISH YOUR OWN WORK (Tim Lander, Cuba Dyer, pj flaming ..poets & publishers) Sher-D began, following welcome by Sheila, with a clear secret of performing on stage: "You cannot do anything wrong." People laughed, but soon joined her in various 'warm-ups' and ways to loosen up for readings.

Tim Lander has been a self-publishing poet for years. He demonstrated how to make books. Cuba covered the history of publishing works of our own Downtown Eastside Poets and Pam talked of making collective, crosscultural statements with writing.

Thanks were given to the Carnegie Assoc. & Bob Sarti for his hard work.

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WEAPONS MAKE MONEY Weapons make money and money and power a r e t h e r e a s o n s a r e war t h e market p l a c e is i n i t making money. is a t war, i s a t war. c a p i t a l i s t , communist religious, atheist k i l l the children The c h i l d wakened from a deep s l e e p by t h e w a i l i n g sound of t h e s i r e n . jumped o u t of bed s h i v e r i n g and s c a r e d ran f o r s h e l t e r i n t h a t d a r k cupboard under t h e s t a i r s . l i s t e n i n g , waiting, a s t h e s i r e n wailed. t h e s t e a d y hum o f a bomber p l a n e came c l o s e r , c l o s e r then t h e w h i s t l e wheeeeeeeee hmmmmmmmmmm t h e house shook a s t h e bombs dropped s h e d i d n ' t udderstand why.. : ?

She j u s t knew t h a t w a s war you k i l l them and t h e y k i l l you s t o r i e s of hcuses blown away body p a r t s in trees headless corpses never finding t h e i r body people b u r i e d a l i v e o r scorched and f r i e d were h e r bed t i m e stories peace came

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. ...... . ..

but not r e a l l y because ever s i n c e t h e r e h a s been war a f t e r war always someone k i l l i n g t h e children\( PEACE HAS NEVER REALLY COME Weapons make money in their wars for power Peace.

I am a Grandmother now and I have n e v e r known a time when t h e world w a s n ' t somewhere a t war What a l e g a c y I g i v e my g r a n d c h i l d r e ] A world always a t war. and Weapons make money weapons make money and b a b i e s a r e s t a r v e d and maimed Peace?

W i l l I know i t before I d i e ?

How many c h i l d r e n j u s t l i k e me a r e still victims of war?

1

S h e i l a Baxter

7

What happened t o me d i d you w i t n e s s t h a t ?

T e l l me judge w e r e you w i t n e s s t o t h a t ?

Jehovah, w h a t ' s i n your name?

Can .you t e l l me why?

W i l l you t e l l me why?

I d o n ' t t h i n k you w i l l You p u t m e i n h e l l f o r your purposes b u t why d i d you a l l o w Time t o a l l o w i t t o happen t o me?

There i s no r e a s o n And you make a mockery of your own l a w s When w i l l t h e y l e t me be t o do what I t h i n k i s r i g h t ?

When w i l l you l e t m e be t o do what i s o b v i o u s l y r i g h t ?

1i

E l i z a b e t h Thorpe

{ e r e ' s a g l o b a l warm s p o t Zight under t h i s b r i d g e lack o f funds : a n l t i n h i b i t you, Iecause t h e wine las a l r e a d y been bought. l e r e ' s a n i c e w a r zone lou can always t e l l 3y t h e f a c t i o u s propaganda Ind t h e l o n e l i n e s s t h a t abounds 3ut everyone seems a l l r i g h t Chere's a d r u g s t o r e nearby. l e r e ' s a democracy i n a c t i o n .

Zight h e r e on t h i s beach 3uy i t cheap and Sell it dear Che l a s t g r e a t d e p r e s s i o n Began r i g h t h e r e .

Greg

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A s I gazed through t h e window, and o v e r t h e t r e e - l a d e n h i l l s , I t r i e d t o f i n d i n my mind any gay thought t h a t might be hidden b u t I could n o t .

Once a g a i n , I began t o t h i n k of how t h e y e a r s were f l y i n g by s o quickly.

Every day seemed t o b e g i n gayly but t h e n , suddenly, i t would t u r n and end as s a d l y a s a l l t h e days before it.

I always wished I could h o l d a day, any day, i n my arms and squeeze i t n e x t t o m e . T h i s way i t could n e v e r e s c a p e me; i t would remain w i t h i n m e t o r e v e r , s t o p p i n g t i m e and more h e a r t b r e a k s from coming a l o n g t h e way.

Even today i t seems t h a t t h e days a r e g e t t i n g s h o r t e r . . e a c h morning I open my e y e s . T e l l m e - why c a n ' t they l a s t f o r e v e r .

They have seemed t o s l i p through my f i n g e r s , as r i p p l i n g w a t e r does, down a w a t e r f a l l . They have gone i n t o t h e p a s t - t h a t wonderful p a s t s o f a r away.

Now t h e days t o come a r e approachi n g f a s t e r and f a s t e r , l i k e a f i e r c e b l i z z a r d r a g i n g through t h e t r e e s , and each minute t h e y come c l o s e r they push back my p a s t even f a r t h e r away.

I want t o hang o n t o my youth. ..but I c a n n o t . It t o o i s b e i n g pushed f a r behind..behind t o l i n g e r w i t h my p a s t . . l o c k e d f o r e v e r w i t h i n t h e boundaries of my h e a r t .

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H i s r e g u r g i t a t e d a t t i r e makes of him a n anachronism f u r l s of smoke s e e p from t h e volcano of h i s f a c e , t h e physiognomy of which i s a rough and r e d o l e n t p l a c e .

And s p a r k l i n g f o r t h from t h i s t e r r a i n , baby b l u e e y e s t h a t d e f y K.P. t h e mechanisms of h i s b r a i n .

Sarah What e l e y I

NOON, MAY 12. BC COALITION FOR ABORTION CLINICS

i s having a March & Rally s t a r t i n g a t ------------G r a n v i l l e & H a s t i n g ~ . G u e r i l l a T h e a t r e and c e l e b r a t i o n s of t h e 2 0 t h a n n i v e r s a r y of the ; Abortion Caravan.

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SECOND SPRING More i s t h e sorrow t h a t t h e R e l i e f o f t r u t h evades my s p i r i t .

I n no u n c e r t a i n terms should s h e Give v o i c e t o t h e m a t t e r of my Desire f o r her affection: Is i t d e l u s i o n o r i n t u i t i o n That beckons me t o l i n g e r Upon t h e thought t h a t t h i s Is a mutual madness?

Aucunement, ou, vogue l a g a l e r e ?

G. Gust

685-4488

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ntial)

Wed. evening: 5 t o 8:30 D r . AL VENNEMA

Drop i n

STD n u r s e s a r e on s i t e through t h e weekdays.

men t

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INCEPTION: Yanum Spath -$Zoo Nancy W.-$300 W i l l i s ~.-$110 George B.-$15 Rich P.-$41 Robert S .-$70 J a n c i s A.-$45 Luis P.-$20 Tom - $4.02 Marg. S.-$20 L.B.T. -$I00 Ted B.-$5 S h e i l a B.-$2 L i l l i a n H.-$20 James M.-$50 1,MacLeod-$200 Kelly -$3 J. East -$1 Nancy J .-$50 Sue H. -$20 s t e v e R.-$10 N e i l M.-$2 B. & B. -$8 Ian -$5 P e t e r E .-$5.32 CEEDS -$lo Keith C.-$20 Linda F.-$50 Etienne S.-$20 Mendel R.-$15 W i l f r i d B.-$5 K' l e m G . -$5 Anonymous -$48.73 Terry t h e T e r r i b l e -$lo0 Archie M.-$100 Linda K.-$100 Maureen R.-$5 Sandy ~ . - $ 4 0 \

DONATIONS SINCE

E&gf@ggg@F, NEWSLETTER l l l E NkUSLETlCl I S A YUULlCATlUN O t l l l L CARNECIE C O H H U H I ~ ~CENTRE A S S 0 C I A T l 0 H

C i t y I n f o e t a f f c a e ' t accept dunatlone f o r t l r l s N e w s l e t t e r , eo I f you can I ~ e l p , f l n d Paul 'I'oylor e t ~ dh e ' l l g l v e you a recellbt.

l l ~ i r l r l t so v o l ylbotly.

NEED HELP ?

DERA can h e l p y o u w i t h :

* * * * * * DEHA

any welfare p r o b l e m s U I C problems g e t t i n g l e g a l assistant u ~ l s a f e l i v l ~ l gc o n d l t i o n 111 I i o t e l s o r a p a r t m e n t s cl l s p u t e s w i t I i 1 a i r d l o r d s 111col1le t a x

i s L o c a t e d a t 0 Kast or p h o t i e ti82-0931.

Ilastings

D E H A l l A S B E E N S E R V I N G '1'11E 1)OWNTOWN E A S T S T I I E FOR 16 YEARS

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JEAN SWANSON:

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A Tribute

Jean hit my hero's list recently. ~t was during a meeting with Carol Gran (socred minister responsible for Women's affairs) and various women's groups. Mrs. Gran (as her staff refer to her) was telling us that most students are content with minimum wages. She went on at length and I tuned out. Then I heard She elaborJean say, "dot true ated only enough, and I didn't tune out to anythihg she said.

Till last year, my hero's list was comprised of B Guys in my world, like Carl Sagan Rankin, Beethoven, a former boss by the name of Walter Camozzi and such people who, in my life, had impressed me mightily.

During the 1986 civic election Joe Barrett checked the list regularly (it changed depending on which politician said what), but I told him there was no way he could be on the list until he did something outrageous..like lose his temper at City Hall with magnificent effect and have his name blasted across all the front pages. You can't be just any fool to make it to this list, but I like Joe very much.

When I first met Jean I didn't know what to think. She didn't fit into any of my people categories, and I accept a broad range of people, so I decided to study her ti1 I knew what to do. Last year I began attending some of her meetings, and I was slowly becoming impressed. Lest she think me too eccentric even for her circle I was careful what I said for months.

It seemed a good way to learn some of the endless facts she seems to have forever stored in her head. She seemed a complete person: human, intelligent, funny, endlessly punctual and organised, yet she never lost her temper of looked askew in any way.

She wasn't even an oddball like, for instance, Norm Levi. She was, as well

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accessible, thorough, generous and always polite. When she ran for mayor I was worried that if she won I wouldn't have a chance to know her.

The amazing part is that she did so much, all the time, with no fanfare, no headlines, no snide cracks and no head-bashing. She had a magic combination of qualities the like of which I could never hope to achieve.

Wherever I went, there was a steady stream of: 'I Where's Jean? She'll be here, won't she?"

'II just saw Jean over there. Sure glad she's here .I1 "Did Jean bring those things we need?"

11 Jean's working on it right now."

I' 1 I m not sure - ask Jean. She'll know " I' ~on'tworry. Jean will know what to say I' You mean to say Jean isn't here today?"

That one amused me. I said, 'We can't expect her to do everything all the time. It's tough to be ubiquitous.

I'm her unofficial rep today."

That worked, In fact, mentioning her name works even with some socreds.

Recently 1 was stuck for a reason to be at a private press conference with Health Minister John Jansen. Using "my sick old parents" didn't feel right because I don't much like my parents (everyone in my family~votes socred - can anyone blame me?).

I tried this one: "I'm a colleague of Jean Swanson, though 1'm not here at her request." The woman said, "Oh, fine! I know Jean. Come on in."

Now, is that what we call "clout"?

I hope she never quits fighting against poverty. If she does, one of us will have to do it, and not one of us can do a better job.

Thanks, Jean Swanson.

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By JONENE BICKETT

END LEGISLATED POVERTY (ELP) i s a c o a l i t i o n of 2 2 g r o u p s ~;-B.C. involved i n a l l a s p e c t s o f s o c i a l change. The Annual G e n e r a l Meeting o c c u r r e d i n A p r i l w i t h r e p o r t s on a c t i v i t i e s and t h e e l e c t i o n of o f f i c e r s f o r t h e n e x t y e a r . P r e s i d e n t i s Sam Snobelen, S e c r e t a r y i s S h e i l a B a x t e r and T r e a s u r e r i s Margaret Ennenberg. Following i s a p a r t i a l l i s t of ELP a c t i v i t i e s from March, 1989 t o March, 1990:

Major Accomplishments: Vancouver s c h o o l food program was expanded t o 12 s c h o o l s . Vancouver School Board a l s o s e n t v e r y good b r i e f on C h i l d P o v e r t y t o f e d e r a l committee s t u d y i n g t h i s . V i c t o r i a s c h o o l Board p u t $100,000 i n t h e i r p r o v i s i o n a l budget f o r a p i l o t food program i n two s c h o o l s , and S u r r e y i s on t h e v e r g e of d o i n g i t .

We had a s u c c e s s f u l campaign t o i n f o r m 49,000 s o - c a l l e d "employable" p e o p l e on w e l f a r e of t h e i r r i g h t s when t h e s o c r e d s t h r e a t e n e d t o c u t them o f f welfare i f they d i d n ' t look f o r jobs.

We s u c c e s s f u l l y f o u g h t SS&H's a t t e m p t t o f o r c e s i n g l e p a r e n t s t o s e e k employment by c i r c u l a t i n g about 1 , 0 0 0 c o p i e s of a n o l d l e t t e r t o F i r s t U n i t e d s i g n e d

by Claude Richmond. I n t h i s l e t t e r , Richmond s t a t e d t h a t " s i n g l e p a r e n t s w i l l n o t be f o r c e d t o s e e k employment."

We helped found a new c o a l i t i o n , Women f o r B e t t e r Wages. T h i s c o a l i t i o n i s u n i t i n g t h e demands o f working and poor women f o r b e t t e r wages and w e l f a r e .

We helped keep t h e l o c a l b r a n c h of t h e P r o Canada Network i n B.C. a l i v e and f u n c t i o n i n g t o b u i l d t h e u n i t e d f r o n t n e c e s s a r y t o c h a l l e n g e c o r p o r a t e agenda.

We p u l l e d o f f q u i t e a good province-wide

F i g h t i n g P o v e r t y Conference.

Membership: Our new members are T o g e t h e r a g a i n s t P o v e r t y i n V i c t o r i a , S t .

M a r g a r e t ' s Anglican Church, and McLean P a r k T e n a n t s A s s o c i a t i o n .

S t a f f : Our s t a f f f o r t h e y e a r have been P a t Chauncey and Linda M a r c o t t e who worked, t h e o r e t i c a l l y h a l f - t i m e b u t a c t u a l l y more, on t h e s c h o o l food p r o j e c t .

Pam Fleming h a s been o u r h a l f - t i m e e d i t o r of FLAWline and f a c i l i t a t o r f o r t h e Front L i n e Advocate Worker m e e t i n g s . J e a n Swanson c o n t i n u e s as c o - o r d i n a t o r .

Money: The BCTF, a s u s u a l , i s o u r b i g g e s t s u p p o r t e r f o r c o r e f u n d i n g . The VMREU, which h a s s u p p o r t e d u s f o r y e a r s , gave u s a n un-asked-for c o s t o f l i v i n g i n c r e a s e of $68 t h i s y e a r . HSA s e n t t h e i r u s u a l d o n a t i o n of $1,000 b e f o r e we had time t o a s k f o r i t . We r e c e i v e d o t h e r d o n a t i o n s from u n i o n s & c h u r c h e s .

For s p e c i f i c p r o j e c t s w e r e c e i v e d money from United Way ( p o v e r t y k i t ) ; Oxfam, Van Dusen, Urban R u r a l Mission, C h a r t e r C h a l l e n g e s ( c o n f e r e n c e ) ; L e g a l Servi c e s (ELP n e w s l e t t e r ) ; Law Foundation (FLAWline); and Laidlaw Foundation ( f o o d program work).

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E d u c a t i o n : We s e n t i n f o o u t monthly t o ELP members and f r i e n d s , womens' centres, FLAWline l i s t , and anyone else who a s k e d . W e t r i e d t o make t h e s e m a i l i n g s i n t o a s o r t o f a l t e r n a t i v e media package w i t h news t h a t i s n ' t i n t h e d a i l y p r e s s . W e i n c l u d e d m i n u t e s o f v a r i o u s m e e t i n g s , FLAWlines, ELP n e w s l e t t e r s , and i n f o on t o p i c s l i k e w e l f a r e f o r b u s i n e s s , e f f e c t s of f r e e t r a d e , GST, U I c u t s , p r i v a t i z a t i o n o f t h e p o s t o f f i c e , p o v e r t y f a c t s , v o t e r enumerat i o n , CPP, how t o f i g h t t h e crackdown o n "employables", h o u s i n g , i n f o from P r o Canada Network. Some o f t h e i n f o was d e s i g n e d s o t h a t g r o u p s c o u l d copy i t and c i r c u l a t e t o members..flyers, pamphlets, l e t t e r s t o p o l i t i c i a n s , o r p o s t e r s .

Thanks t o David J a f f e , o u r v o l u n t e e r who p u t s o u t t h e m a i l i n g once a month.

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School Food Programs: ELP h a s been u s i n g t h e s t r u g g l e f o r a food program i n s c h o o l s t o broaden t h e b a s e o f p e o p l e who f i g h t p o v e r t y . I n Vancouver we worked t o broaden t h e e x i s t i n g program from 4 t o 12 s c h o o l s . T h i s p r o c e s s h a s r a i s e d t h e n e e d s o f p o o r c h i l d r e n t o t h e t o p o f t h e agenda of a r i g h t l e a n i n g School Board. A c o n f e r e n c e on i n n e r c i t y s c h o o l s was h e l d i n t h e C i t y , a t t e n ded by o u r P a t Chauncey. The School Board a l s o s e n t a b r i e f t o t h e House of Commons c a l l i n g f o r a n end t o p o v e r t y and l i s t i n g ELP's ways t o end p o v e r t y .

T h i s shows t h a t u s i n g o u r t h e o r y o f u s i n g h t e s t r u g g l e f o r a food program t o broaden o u r b a s e o f p e o p l e f i g h t i n g p o v e r t y d o e s work and goes on t o have a l i f e o f i t s own.

I n addition, the kids got fed.

I n V i c t o r i a , where we have h e l p e d TAPS work on a food program, t h e School Board j u s t p a s s e d a p r o v i n c i a l budget t o i n c l u d e $100,000 f o r a p i l o t s c h o o l l u n c h p r o j e c t i n 2 s c h o o l s . A f e l d g i n g group o f low income mothe r s working a g a i n s t c h i l d p o v e r t y i s forming.

I n S u r r e y a p i l o t program i s a p o s s i b i l i t y . I n Nanaimo a committee i s worki n g on t h i s . A l l o f t h e s e p l a c e s have h e l d C h i l d P o v e r t y Forums. I n Burnaby we are o r g a n i s i n g f o r t h i s .

Union S u p p o r t : ELP w r o t e s u p p o r t l e t t e r f o r Women i n t h e C i v i c Workforce p a p e r on pay e q u i t y a t C i t y H a l l ; s u p p o r t e d BCGEU w o r k e r s on s t r i k e a t Looko u t w i t h l e t t e r s and p r e s e n c e on p i c k e t l i n e ; gave s p e e c h e s a t B . C . Fed Pay E q u i t y c o n f e r e n c e , HSA; s u p p o r t e d CFU i n h e a l t h and s a f e t y campaign; c i r c u l a t e d CLC Tradewatch t o ELP m a i l i n g l i s t ; s u p p o r t e d CUPW i n e f f o r t s t o p r e v e n t p r i v a t i z a t i o n ; s u p p o r t e d garment workers on p i c k e t l i n e .

S p e c i a l L e a f l e t s and P o s t e r s : We produced p o s t e r s on t h e CPP r i p o f f by SS&H and t h e GST. W e produced l e a f l e t s on t h e 1989 f e d e r a l b u d g e t , t h e GST and t h e r i g h t s o f p e o p l e on w e l f a r e i f t h e y a r e "employablett.

Meetings, E v e n t s , Demos Organized: We o r g a n i z e d a m e e t i n g of community g r o u p s t o s e e i f we c o u l d f i g h t f o r b e t t e r t r a n s i t ; h e l p e d w i t h s u c c e s s f u l p o v e r t y forums i n V i c t o r i a , Nanaimo, S u r r e y and Vancouver; h e l p e d w i t h t h e lobby t r i p t o V i c t o r i a o f Women f o r B e t t e r Wages; r e g u l a r ELP and FLAW m e e t i n g s ; p l u s l o t s o f work on C o a l i t i o n A g a i n s t F r e e Trade demos and e v e n t s .

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Out o f Vancouver Work: We d i d food program work i n Burnaby, Nanaimo, V i c t o r i a , Kamloops and S u r r e y ; met w i t h t h e C h i l d P o v e r t y A c t i o n Group and BASIC a n t i p o v e r t y group i n T o r o n t o ; i n Nelson d i d workshops f o r Women's c e n t r e and a l o c a l s o c i a l j u s t i c e group; a t t e n d e d FAPG c o n f e r e n c e a t Naramata; C h a r t e r Comm i t t e e on P o v e r t y i n Ottawa; PLURA meeting i n C a l g a r y ; gave workshop on food program i n T o r o n t o ; C a l g a r y S t a t u s of Women h e a r i n g s on p o v e r t y .

B r i e f s : To C i t y of Vancouver on t r a n s i t , t o t h e P a r l i a m e n t a r y Committee on U I and GST, t o t h e S e n a t e on U I , t o P a r l i a m e n t a r y Committee on c h i l d p o v e r t y , t o C i t y on F a l s e Creek r e z o n i n g and R i l e y P a r k .

T a l k s and Speeches: To B . C . Fed on pay e q u i t y ; t o P e a r s o n C o l l e g e on p o v e r t y ; a t Mayday r a l l y on f e d e r a l b u d g e t ; a t P a c i f i c Group c o n f e r e n c e on c o a l i t i o n b u i l d i n g ; a t HSA c o n v e n t i o n on p o v e r t y ; 2 workshops a t Adult Ed. c o n f e r e n c e ; Capilano and Langara and UBC on p o v e r t y ; Maywood home on w e l f a r e r i g h t s ; Calg a r y h e a r i n g on p o v e r t y ; L u t h e r a n M i n i s t e r s on p o v e r t y and c o r p o r a t e agenda; a t a l l t h e p o v e r t y forums on p o v e r t y .

C o a l i t i o n A g a i n s t ' F r e e ' Trade: We p l a y e d a major p a r t i n t h i s c o a l i t i o n , o r g a n i s i n g m e e t i n g s , d e a l i n g w i t h m i n u t e s , h e l p i n g t o o r g a n i s e t h e demo a t Canada P l a c e , demo a t Royal Bank on t h e Budget; t h e Budget Watch; Pan P a c i f i c demo; U I demo; GST workshops; S w e e t h e a r t d e a l demo. We a l s o c i r c u l a t e d l o t s o f i n f o from t h e P r o Canada Network t o o u r m a i l i n g l i s t .

ISSUES WE WORKED ON INCLUDE ...........................

S i n g l e Mothers - Informed women o f t h e i r r i g h t s r e s e e k i n g employment i f t h e y a r e on w e l f a r e . We c i r c u l a t e d a b o u t 1000 c o p i e s o f a l e t t e r s i g n e d by Claude Richmond p r o m i s i n g t h a t s i n g l e p a r e n t s would n o t be f o r c e d t o s e e k employment. T h i s was a good weapon f o r women t o u s e ; we g o t l o t s o f media c o v e r a g e on t h i s i s s u e .

GST - Wrote and c i r c u l a t e d a r t i c l e s on GST; w r o t e and d i s t r i b u t e d p a m p h l e t s on GST t o low income p e o p l e ; p r e s e n t e d b r i e f t o p a r l i a m e n t a r y committee on C for fair GST; w r o t e news r e l e a s e s ; h e l p e d t o o r g a n i s e P r o C a n a d a / ~ ~ campaign t a x e s ; h e l p e d d e v e l o p and p r e s e n t workshop on a l t e r n a t i v e s t o t h e GST. U I Cuts - Wrote b r i e f t o P a r l i a m e n t a r y Committee on U I ; h e l p e d demo a g a i n s t U I c u t s ; h e l p e d o r g a n i s e p r e s s u r e on S e n a t e t o h o l d up U I b i l l ; p r e s e n t e d b r i e d t o S e n a t e on U I c u t s ; c i r c u l a t e d i n f o t o ELP members and f r i e n d s on e f f e c t s .

C h a r t e r Committee on P o v e r t y

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ELP j o i n e d t h i s committee and i s s e e k i n g t o d e v e l o p a C h a r t e r c a s e on p o v e r t y i s s u e s .

I l l e g a l S u i t e s - P r e s e n t e d b r i e d t o c i t y h a l l on i l l e g a l s u i t e s i n R i l e y Park. ' ~ m p l o y a b l e s ' - When Claude Richmond w r o t e l e t t e r s t o 49,000 s o - c a l l e d "employable'" p e o p l e o n w e l f a r e t h r e a t e n i n g t o c u t them o f f i f t h e y d i d n o t s e a r c h f o r j o b s , ELP and FLAW and member g r o u p s o r g a n i s e d a campaign t h a t informed p e o p l e of t h e i r r i g h t s , g o t good media c o v e r a g e t h a t e x p l a i n e d t h e r e a l s i t u a t i o n of t h e "employables". Then we b i l l e d t h e M i n i s t r y f o r o u r e f f o r t s . We h a v e n ' t been p a i d , b u t we k e p t p e o p l e from b e i n g c u t o f f .

Housing - We p a r t i c i p a t e d i n t h e TRAC demo a t C i t y H a l l ; p r e s e n t e d b r i e f s t o C i t y on R i l e y Park and F a l s e Creek r e z o n i n g s ; c i r c u l a t e d i n f o on h o u s i n g p o l i c i e s t o members.

D i g n i t y P l a y e r s - We c o n t i n u e d t o s u p p o r t D i g n i t y P l a y e r s , a t h e a t r e group made up o f low income p e o p l e who have p r e s e n t e d p l a y s on t h e hous2pg s i t u a t i o n , w e l f a r e r a t e s , food banks and hungry c h i l d r e n .

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We continued producing FLAWline and holding FLAW meetings monthly for frontline advocate workers.

These meetings are useful to advocates who attend. We get new requests every month for FLAWline which one women's centre called their "lifeline". nAWline and FLAW Meetings

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The ELP Newsletter continues to be produced monthly and distributed by volunteers in food line-ups and at community agencies. People seem to look forward to getting it because they know it is on their side. Thanks to Billie Nash, Joan Holloway, Kevin Anett, Sandy Cameron and Les Gallus for all of their dependable volunteer work in distributing it.

ELP Newsletter

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Held on Jan.26 & 27 with about 120 people from around B.C. attending. Highlight of cultural component, with art, crafts, photos and poetry created by low income people. An evening of entertainment gained all many new friends; helped analyze our struggle in the context of the corporate agenda, and priorised the issues we need to act on for the next year.

ELP Fighting Poverty Conference

END LEGISLATED POVERTY : 3 2 1 - 1 2 0 2

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There is a monumental groundswell of grassroots national displeasure being expressed in solid volumes of G.S.T. denunciations, aimed directly at the perpetrators of the conservative cartels that are supposed to be the government of Canada. In effect, a revolution of no small significance is taking place Canada-wide.

It is no wonder the working citizenry is up in arms, when the tax burden increases like an endless stream to a point that defies sanity.

While we are being forced to "tighten our belts", the arrogant blowhards in the Commons Zoo in Ottawa exult in their proliferation and exuberance with the limitless luxury handouts to both their personal and foreign friends.

The conservatives are decaying within their own ranks, having assured themselves of-the~divlnepdwer of rule..rather than public service to those who mistakenly elected them.

Too long have we suffered the abomination of multiplied repetitions of defiance and abuse in silence, This nation is aroused, angered and vociferously bellicose. This is a

tax revolt, the same kind that initiated the United States of America!

So Ottawa's conservative majority will by the will of the people, 9 disintegrate into oblivion from whence it came.

HOOHOO (. .more?!)

The Mulroney conservative mismanagement of Canada's affairs has definitely earned for itself the connotation of a devastating masterpiece of mindless mediocrity at best, totally dedicated to defiance of the public will, and the perpetuity of incompetence, scandals and cover-ups galore. Add to all this an arrogance of unlimited proportions, equalled only by its unbearable hypocrisy reflected in its self-ingratiating luxury of tax-financed puffery and chauffeur-driven affluence.

And now about Meech Lake, free trade and the ignominy of the GST.. take your pick, dear citizen; either way you are bewildered and boated by the baloney that Brian has peddled to the population. You have my comments!

HOOHOO

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CONDITION CRIT ICAL:

'She P r o v i n c i a l Government i s f o r c i n g s c h o o l s t o h o l d what a r e c a l l e d REI:EI<ENI>UMS t o g e t more money t h a n t h e y , t h e G o v e r n m e n t , w i l l g i v e f o r c h i l d r e n . On SATURDAY, MAY 5 t h , a v o t e w i l l be h e l d i n Vancouver.

O N '1'11E BLOCK I S A FULL-TIME J O B I N C A K N E C l E LEARNING CEN'I'KE. O N THE BLOCK I S THE SCHOOL LUNCH PROGW1 'SILAT PEOPLE PlADE 'I'HE SCI100L BOAR11 SET UP TO FEED HUNGRY KIDS. ON 'THE BLOCK ARE LITERACY PKOGRAMS TO TEACH PEOPLE TO READ.

I f you v o t e d i n t h e C i v i c E l e c t i o n s i n 1988 y o u r name i s o n t h e v o t e r ' s l i s t . You d o n ' t h a v e t o b e a p r o p e r t y owner t o v o t e .

You c a n r e g i s t e r t o v o t e on v o t i n g d a y a t t h e p o l l i n g s t a t i o n .

The p o l l i n g s t a t i o n f o r o u r community w i l l b e i n C a r n e g i e a n d w i l l b e o p e n f r o m 8 : 0 0 a . m . t o 8 : 0 0 p.m.

Because t h e b u i l d i n g d o e s n o t o v e n u n t i l 9 am, p e o p l e w i s h i n g t o v o t e b e f o r e t h e n , b e t w e e n 8 a m a n d 9 am, c a n g e t t o t h e T h e a t r e by u s i n g t h e d o o r w h i c h i s n o r m a l l y t h e w h e e l c h a i r e n t r a n c e - t h e d o o r o n b l a i n st.

Feeda child,