401 Main Street Vancouver Canada V6A 2T7 (604) 665-2289 Email: carnnews@shaw.ca
Muriel Marjorie
/ Muriel Williams
( ? - Nov 2, 2018)
Gitxsan-Owl
Clan
[Photo: David Cooper Courtesy Vancouver Moving Theatre]
Website/Catalogue:
carnegienewsletler.org
TESTIMONIAL by Muriel Williams
Photo, Oavid Cooper
Hadee, hadee. Hadee 50 when zen? No ma Hello, hello. Hello how are you? Yes. To the Creator a.k.a. God I say no Meegwetch Q=see-em Hitch Ko Thank-you My name translated is Bitter-Sweet and I'm middle-aged. Some of my friends don't like me saying this, as it means they're middle-aged. As usual, I'm an outsider, And you know what? Ifound a home in the DTES with other outsiders .
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In this community, you can be arrested for painting a beautiful water colou r scene at the old Woodward's building. Or threatened with charges far painting a wee little daisy there. In the end. the daisy won out but the struggle continues on. I love the Downtown Eastside because of its beauty and its strength, in its refusal to SHUT UP and its insistence on justice. For example, the missing women. No one hears our voice except to perpetuate stereotypes. Missing women. It takes a Yankee to say "serial killer". THAT voice is heard ... ours is not, although we have been saying this and much mare for some time. One Serial Killeris convicted, and but still the mystery remains and mounts. Former Lieutenant Governor Wally Oppal who insisted that an inquiry wasn't necessary is appointed to headed it up said inquiry! but not to our satisfaction, nor full inclusion. comfortable women bleed for the Montreal women. They raised monies far chiseled stone to sit upon at the old railway station at Terminal and Main. At Crab Park, we have a boulder, a ROCK.Yes! And we are strong in our insistence on Iusttce and our refusal to be silenced. our refusal to move on. to move out our refusal to be pushed aside We claim our Right to Remain! ~ I love this community because of its beauty. It sees beauty, value and worth in those who have been deleted as human beings. I need this community where the Spirit is calling because it gives me strength and sees my worth. na Meegwetch O-see-em Hitch Ka Thank-you e-
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3
Muriel Marjorie / Muriel Williams Downtown
Eastside poet
Bios she created fr The Big House & Storyweaving:
Muriel Marjorie Who? Muriel Marjorie Who? A DTES poet Who? Matrilineally Gitxsan. Who? Of the OWL clan. Whooo Whooo Q "Why are there forests?" A "Because even trees like to live near family & friends"
She contributed an article ("Good Medicine: Reflections on a Downtown Eastside Romeo and Juliet") to the book "From the Heart of a City: Community-Engaged Theatre and Mus ic Productions from Vancouver's Downtown Eastside 2002-2013
..:.•. :.• ~~ \"&'81 •. :.•. :.• Carnegie Theatre Workshop We"re back for the Winter season! "Show thou Carnegie workshop Players"
Whooo Whooooo Whoooo Whoooooo Hum Does someone give a hoot? Muriel participated
in the following productions:
As a performer The Minotaur Dreams: The Downtown Eastside Labyrinth Project, directed by Varrick Grimes (VMT with Runaway Moon Theatre) As a performer/contributing writerI Love the Downtown Eastside, directed by John Juliani (Savage God Theatre) A Downtown Eastside Romeo and Juliet, directed by Gina Bastone (VMT) Storyweaving, directed by Renae Morriseau (VMT) The Big House, directed by Savannah Walling (VMT) As a contributing writer: We're All In This Together: The Shadows ProjectAddiction and Recovery, directed by Kim Collier and dramaturged by Marie Clements (VMT)
As a contributing writer (lyrics) The song- The Crutch, with music by Neil Weisense I - Bah Humbug! (VMT/SFU Woodwards Cultural Programs, presented with Full Circle Performing Arts) She also performed poetry at many Downtown Eastside Heart of the City Festivals over the years
Let's put our ideas together for a '" holiday pageant '"
Performance on Christmas Eve Monday December 24
1st Creative session Wednesday December 5* Sat Dec 8, Wed Dec 12*, Sat Dec 15, Wed Dec 19, Sat Dec 22 Weds 6pm - 9pm~ Sots lpm - 4pm Carnegie Theatre *3rd floor classroom
Free, everyone welcome! m ore info: Teresa604-255-9401 tllirteenofheaIts@hotmail.com
FOl"
5 Muriel Marjorie " Madame X" Her hands would paint colourful yet abstract words on canvas She had this quick draw action with her pen on paper Her laughter was infectious & smile would light up any room She was an activist when it came to women's rights- housing, safety Her ability to improv on a dime was a gem She had this presence on stage when in performance Her spirit was strong like an ox but wise like an owl, "who who" She was a strong Gitxsan warrior who had a sense of humour Priscillia, Gitxsan -witsuwit' en p.s. I had the distinct pleasure working with Muriel in DTES Romeo & Juliet, The Dreamcatchers (DTES Women's group), Storyweaving, Storyweaving, and Much Ado About Something. For a short while with She Rises, We Rise project..Muriel go write away with the angels
This year the Heart of the City Festival featured two performances of "Material Witness", a play eo-produced by Penny Couchie and Spiderwoman Theater, a renowned all Native American women's theatre company based in New York City. On the Friday morning before the show's opening, Penny led a quilting workshop, where I made a small quilt showing my ancestral background which became part of the Ukrainian Hall's decor for the play. I was lucky enough to be at the show that evening and I was glad to see that many other festival artists (like the fabulous Tom Pickett) were also in attendance, showing their support for aboriginal theatre. Robyn Livingstone and Patrick Foley sat near me, and both remarked that they could easily picture me up on stage with Penny and the rest of the cast. At the reception which followed, I had a chance to speak with Muriel Miquel, and to reconnect with her codirector Sid Bobb, with whom I had worked in Toronto through Jumblies Theatre. It was good to see outside artists coming into our neighbourhood and sharing their creations with us. Perhaps they also had a chance to see some of the talent that we Downtown Eastsiders have available to share with others. -Priscillia Tait
A Huge THANK YOU to everyone involved in the 1Sth Annual Downtown Eastside Heart of the City Festival!
This years 2018 festival, with its thematic focus on Seeds of Justice
I Seeds of
Hope,
featured hundreds of local residents and artists sharing the stories, hopes, dreams and issues of our community, It was an honour and privilege to work with all of you on what was another very successful festival. A heartfelt thanks to all the artists, participants, audience members, community partners, funding partners, supporters, staff, volunteers, work teams, and friends for your participation
in another
extraordinary festival. The Fest!yal is strong because of the relationships, collaborations and partnerships we create together. Next year's 16th Annual DTESHeart of the City Festival, with the theme Holding the Light, will take place from Wednesday, October 30 to Sunday, November 10, 2019, If you have a project or a program idea to contribute or suggest for next year's festival, give us a call: 604-628-5672, or talk with Rika in the Carnegie Community Centre 604-
665-3003. www.heartofthecityfestivaLcom
Sandy Cameron Memorial Writing Contest
AWARDS CEREMONY
I
On Saturday, November 3, this event took place in the Carnegie Theatre as part of The Heart of the City Festival. Many of those who had entered, as well as other supporters of the Newsletter (and at least two of the super-secret judges) were in attendance. The afternoon itself was largely dedicated to spoken & written word, with an hour of story-tellers starting first (which went for an hour-and-a-half), then a program for those engaged in the Thursday Writers Collective (amiably hosted by Gilles Cyrenne) and then the Writing Contest Awards. Lisa David was master-of-ceremonies and Jean Swanson (Sandy's life partner and newly-elected City Councillor) was on hand to hand out prizes and speak about Sandy and his impact on the aspirations of fellow writers. (Sandy encouraged all to write books!) Two panels of people, whose identities remain secret for good reason, reviewed the 17 Essay entries and 11 Poetry entries. Each made written comments on individual pieces to be constructively critical, encouraging better writing. They then ranked the body of submissions. Finally there were 3 levels: Recognition for Merit; Honourable Mention; 3rd, 2nd & 1SI. POETRY Recognition for Merit: Holly Ryan, Karen Thorpe, Gilles Cyrenne ESSA Y Recognition for Merit: Heather Blais, Adrienne Macallum, Gilles Cyrenne POETRY Honourable Mention: Jennifer Nelson, Phoenix Winter ESSA Y Honourable Mention: Arnold Nokohoot, Steve Roberts, Jennifer Nelson
POETRY 3rd place ($50) Ghia Aweida My Life in the Downtown Eastside 2nd place ($75) Lorne MacDonald Seeing Things st 1 place ($100) Barbara Morrison Seeding a Life
ESSAY 3rd place ($50) Phoenix Winter Where He Chose to Die 2nd place ($75) Patrick Foley Summer Peaches 1st place ($100) Priscillia Tait Birth of Chemukh
Each writer whose name was called got copies of 7 one of Sandy's books, either Animal Stories or one compilation of poetry entitled Northern Lights. Jean donated these. Thanks to all who entered and everyone who gives their energy, either financial or in-kind, to support the Carnegie Newsletter. It's been published (with rare exceptions) twice a month since August 15, 1986. It is now in its 33rd year! By PAULR TA YLOR Volunteer editor since '86.
DTES Writers Collective Thursdays, 2 - 4 pm Carnegie Learning Centre
Be part of the past, present & future of our global village. Facilitated
by Gilles Cyrenne
fIREWRITERS Do you feel a creative fire burning inside you? Do you have molten' words begging to burst through your hand and onto paper?! If so you are in luck! The Learning Centre has a cauldron capable of capturing your most outrageous, fantastical or viscerally affecting impulses. The Firewriters meet every Wednesday from 11 :301pm, spitting flames of encouragement with minimal critical coolness. Come. Join us, have some fun & possibly some free coffee(!)
Jenny Kwan MP Vancouver Immigration,
East NDP Refugee
and Citizenship Critic 2572 E Hastings St Vancouver,
BC V5K IZ3
T: 604-775-5800 F: 604-775-5811 Jenny.Kwan@parl.gc.ca
"Where He Chose to Die." Bear was a Caucasian-looking, half-Cree man who'd been sober for 47 years. His grey moustache was stained with nicotine, which matched his stubby fingers. His only jewelry was an AA medallion attached to a hand-crafted gold chain. The man who had created it had died of AIDS forty days later. I didn't know what Bear was dying of; Ijust knew he was dying. At the homeless shelter we were at there were times he could barely breathe. That's why he was grateful for his roommate who could call an ambulance if necessary. Bear didn't want one of the coveted private rooms. He'd be alone then, without company, without someone to keep an ear open for him. His shelter roommate was Glen, a Newfie from Come By Chance who'd been on the streets since he was twelve. He had even lived in his school's gym for a while, nestling in between mats hung on the wall. But Glen's education hadn't stopped there. He'd gotten a health services degree and worked in addictions, his own in particular. Bear and Glen were going to the Yukon Territory. Glen had been offered a chance at a job doing addiction counseling in small, isolated communities, which also meant setting up AA chapters. He and Bear discussed the list of places that needed services, naming villages like Fort Providence or Norman Wells. One would be home base for the pair. Glen needed a native to help him with his work in town during the cold winter months, and Bear's Cree ancestry was a blessing given the large number of indigenous people up North. This was God's purpose for him, Bear felt. It was a chance to give back some of his knowledge. He didn't have paper experience, he had life. Before he ended up in the shelter he'd been lonely and isolated in his two bedroom back in New Westminster. His guest bedroom had been occupied only by his oxygen machine. He had even gone to live by the river for a while. So he was grateful to have a buddy like Glen to share his time in the Yukon. You see, Bear had picked where he was going to die. In an interview Glen had with his prospective employer, arrangements were made. Govenunent services, at Glen's behest, agreed to fly Bear's body back to BC when the time came, in a plain pine coffin. At the round courtyard table in the midst of the shelter, Bear calmly stated that those plans weren't necessary. He didn't need to come back to Vancouver. Over sixty years ago, Bear had been born up North, in the Yukon, and he'd made his decisibn. He wanted to be cremated, and his ashes spread across the northern tundra of his birth. '
* The names
have been changed to protect confidentiality.
Phoenix Winter
3rd prize Essay
HTHERE ARE NO WORDS TO DESCRIBE THIS": LIVING ON SOCIAL ASSISTANCE IS "INHUMANE", SAY ANTI-POVERTY ACTIVISTS IN RAISE THE RATES An empty recipe book has been published to commemorate Welfare Week Challenge. Usually activists take up an annual challenge each November to live on welfare rates for a week - but this year, the rates are so low, and rents are so high, that the welfare-recipe book is completely empty. At a Raise the Rates press conference on November Ist, former Raise the Rates organizer and current city councilor Jean Swanson explained that even though social assistance rates were increased slightly this year under the NDP government, rents went up by an almost equal amount, and as a result, there is even less to live on each month. According to Raise the Rates organizer Kell Gerlings, "It's despicable that we are in this position. We've heard many times about what needs to be done and yet they're not doing it. They're forcing us to choose between clothes and housing and food." Erica Grant Houle, who worked in nursing for most of her life and now subsists on disability assistance, says, "I should be able to afford more. Sometimes you h~ve choose between whether you're going to get a new pair of boots or something to eat during those cold cold days, or cold medication. It's really stressful living in the DTES. We need more housing, and we need to get people off the street. We need the government to take notice of how we're actually living - and many of us aren't actually living.There are no words to describe this. The cookbook says it all. It's inhumane to ask someone to take this challenge and yet we live it day to day and that's what this government is asking us to do." Jean says, "We know the government has a poverty plan and target to reduce poverty, but we're afraid that they're not going to reduce deep poverty - only poverty at the top end of the spectrum. If they raise the rates a little, they can get people over the line, but it doesn't reach the people on disability and welfare:' Fraser Stuart, a spoke-person at the press conference, says, "Less than a year ago, we were excited that there was an NDP government. But [people on social assistance] live on less than what they live on in Zimbabwe. Every night there's at least thirty tents here. Last year the government gave 800 million a year to home owners as a grant. That's half of what we're asking for, right there. Not one penny of welfare increase would add to the deficit of BC. It's a matter of choice"
MOTIONS ON 58 W HASTINGS AND PROTECTING TENANTS FROM RENOVICTIONS PUT FORTH BY CITY COUNCILOR, JEAN SWANSON Two important motions on 58 W Hastings and Protecting Tenants from Renovictions and Aggressive Buy-Outs were heard at a regular Council meeting on November 13. Vancouver City Council referred the Motions to the Standing Committee on Policy and Strategic Priorities meeting on November 14, 2018, to hear from speakers. Keep reading for more information on why these two motions are important for the Downtown Eastside.
ISSUE OVERVIEW 100% welfare and pension rate housing at 58 West Hastings now! In the course of 10 years of community campaign for housing consensus has emerged in the Downtown Eastside calling for needed housing for those in extreme need. Our priority is to on social assistance and pension rates, currently being priced gentrification. This site is on the faultline of a mass dislocation of poor development accelerated in 20 I0, where the community and gained only 125 units of social housing for those on to reverse this trend and prioritize low-income residents community.
at 58 W Hastings, a broad city to provide muchhouse tenants who are out of their community by
people that the Woodwards lost 450 social housing units welfare and pension. It is critical to live in dignity in their
End Renovictions! Protect tenants and affordable units! In the name of "renovations", landlords get rid of tenants and transform affordable housing into luxury housing. Landlords interested only in profit, often hire companies to renovict before tenants are even aware of their rights. Tenants are also aggressively pressured to accept buyouts.We need protection from greedy landlords! MOTIONS Read the two motions moved by Councilor
Swanson on the next page
MOVED by Councillor Swanson SECONDED by
MOTION:
58 WEST HASTINGS STREET
WHEREAS 1.
The low income Downtown Eastside community has been fighting for 100% welfare/pension rate" community controlled social housing at 58 West Hastings Street for over 10 years;
2.
The community vision for the site includes housing for Chinese speaking seniors, people of African descent, Indigenous people, and people who make up the diversity in the Downtown Eastside, with half the units being for women, some with children;
3.
Homelessness has been growing in the Downtown Eastside, and 100% welfare/pension rate housing will ensure that up to 148 units are provided or freed up for people who desperately need housing;
4.
The community lost about 500 units of low income housing in 2017 and lost the Regent in 2018 with 153 Single Room Occupancy (SRO) units were closed for life-safety reasons;
5.
The site is owned by the City;
6.
The Vancouver Chinatown Foundation has promised to raise $30 million for the 58 West Hastings housing project;
7.
The Province, through BC Housing, has committed $30 million and low-cost financing for the 58 West Hastings housing project;
8.
The application has been scheduled for the Development Permit Board on Tuesday, November 13, 2018, at 3:00 pm;
9.
The current proposal is for only one-third to one-half of the units to be affordable at welfare/pension rates;
10.
The current proposal does not provide for community control; and
1 \.r
The former Mayor promised in writing that housing at 58 West Hastings Street would be 100% welfare/pension rate community controlled social housing.
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED A.
THAT Council recommit to the community vision of 100% welfare/pension rate community controlled social housing and the former Mayor's promise for the site at 58 West Hastings Street.
B.
THAT Council direct staff to report back within one month, to outline what funding is required to achieve 100% welfare/pension rate and include at least three (3) options for sources of revenue, including city sources, to meet the former Mayor's commitment and the community's vision for the site.
MOTION: 58 WEST HASTINGS CONTINUED ... C.
STREET
THAT Council direct staff to consult with the Our Homes Can't Wait coalition and Vancouver Chinatown Foundation and propose how the former Mayor's commitment to community controlled housing at 58 West Hastings Street can be achieved.
MOTION: PROTECTING TENANTS FROM RENOVICTIONS AND AGGRESSIVE BUY-OUTS MOVED by Councillor Swanson SECONDED by WHEREAS 1.
We have a housing emergency in Vancouver and one big part of that emergency is caused when investors renovict tenants from moderately priced rental buildings in order to turn them into luxury commodities;
2.
We need immediate action to save renters from eviction and to preserve affordable rental housing;
3.
The Goodman Report on Vancouver apartment building sales from January 2018 through October 24,2018, says that 56 buildings with 2456 units have been sold in Vancouver;
4.
A profit motive exists to displace existing long-term residents in order to increase rental revenues;
5.
Tenants are being approached by their new landlords, sometimes harassed and pressured to accept buy-outs without being fully informed of their rights;
6.
Such buy-cuts are occuring before the landlord is eligible to legally issue notice under the Residential Tenancy Act,
7.
Many of these tenants have to find new apartments paying hundreds of dollars more per month or move out of the City;
8.
Evicted tenants have fewer resources left to spend on necessities and in local businesses;
9.
Losing affordable rental housing stock to renoviction and buyouts will nullify the positive impact of new lower income social housing that governments and non-profits can build;
10.
The BC Tenancy Policy Guideline of May 2018 says a landlord cannot end a tenancy for the purpose of renovations or repairs if "It is possible to carry out the renovations or repairs without ending the tenancy (Le. if the tenant is willing to temporarily empty or vacate the unit during the renovations or repairs, and then move back in once they are complete)";
11.
The buyout and renovic!ion process is incredibly stressful and anxiety-producing for tenants;
12.
The implementation of vacancy control at the provincial level could substantively resolve some of these problems; and
13.
The province's Rental Housing Task Force will be making recommendations this month.
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED A.
TAKE
THAT the City immediately amend its Tenant Relocation and Protection Policy to: L
Apply to all forms of rental accommodation, all areas of Vancouver and to all permits which will result in the temporary or permanent displacement of tenants; and
ii.
Require landlords to offer displaced tenants the opportunity to temporarily move out for the necessary duration of the renovations without their leases ending or rent increasing.
B.
THAT the City devise methods to keep track of all apartment buildings sold in Vancouver and immediately inform Vancouver tenants of their rights.
C.
THAT the City explore measures to regulate and publicly register all tenant buyouts.
D.
THAT the City immediately and forcefully call on the province to implement effective vacancy controls for British Columbia, or alternatively, to give Vancouver the power to regulate maximum rent increases during and between tenancies.
ACTION!
Organize with Our Homes Can't Wait Coalition The Our Downtown dignified
Homes
Can't Wait
Eastside advocating
is a group of organizations
for a community
housing. Join us in the organizing
every Tuesday, I pm atVANDU Territories
Coalition
of the Musqueam,
where
every person
for our community
on 380 E Hastings,Vancouver,
has decent and
vision for unceded
Squamish, St6:lo and T sleil- Waututh
at http://www.carnegieaction.org/ourhomescantwait!
in Vancouver's
58 W
Hastings
Coast Salish
Nations.
Learn more
CARNEGIE COMMUNITY
ACTION PROJECT 111:15AM EVERY FRIDAY
The Carnegie Community Action Project (CCAP) is a project of the board of the Carnegie Community Centre Association. CCAP works mostly on housing. income. and land use issues in the Downtown Eastside (DTES) of Vancouver so that the area can remain a low income friendly community. CCAP works with english speaking and Chinese speaking DTES residents in speaking out on their own behalf for the changes they would like to see in their neighbourhood. Join us on Fridays 11:15am for our weekly volunteer meetings! Downtown Eastside residents who want to work on getting better housing and incomes and stop gentrification are welcome to attend. Lunch is provided!
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CONTACT US: Office: 2nd floor of the Carnegie. 401 Main Street. Vancouver Phone: 604-665-2105 Email: info@carnegieaction.org Website: www.carnegieaction.org
vancity
Thank you to Vancity for supporting CCAP's work. Support for this project does not necessarily imply that funders endorse the findings or contents of this report.
Seeding a Life [after Mary Pipher's "1 am from"] I am from Irene and Bill, Bess and Gus, Hazel and William. From the citrus groves of California and the wild salmon shores of British Columbia, from mountain fed rivers and deep snow drifts, from ancient Scottish battlefields and Irish myths and legends. I am from fish and seafood eaters, homemade jam eaters, porridge and scone eaters, from beer and whiskey drinkers, tea and coffee drinkers, and the odd bottle of stout for nursing mothers, from clam diggers and crabbers, berry and fruit pickers, flower and vegetable growers. I am from readers, storytellers, and child- and elder-minders. I am from solitude, humour, doubt, and growth. I am the skein of yam creating warmth I am the morning crow travelling westward I am the steward defending words and ideas. I am from the oasis tucked away in community gardens and concrete landscapes, from the writings of Wait Kelly, Ray Bradbury, and Louise Penny from the music of Fats Wailer, U2, and Leonard Cohen. My own joyous humming joins dusty smocked women and paint-splattered men, whilst we repair the Bosnian refugees' new home. Barbara Morrison
1st prize Poetry
'lI
You're invited to drop by our neighbourhood
OPEN HOUSE The purpose of this Open House is to inform local residents ~nd businesses of the plans for the proposed renewal of the Salvation Army's Vancouver Harbour Light facility, and to provide the opportunity for your comments.
Thursday, November 22,2018, 4pm to 7pm 119 East Cordova Street Vancouver
HOPE AND JUSTICE Evidence indicates life is better with hope and justice with seeds of hope with roots of justice Hope brings justice to streets Hope brings justice to all the people Hope transforms aspirational documents charters and bills of rights and freedoms into justice for all Hope transforms tent cities cardboard yardage on concrete transforms being homeless naked on the street to square footage with bath kitchen a roof with a little help from justice What a world just imagine transforming hope into real justice Homes for all A truly just society What a world we will have when we transform hope for homes for all into justice that makes having a home a human right enforceable by law Homes for all gets real When hope and justice Become just a little more Street smart Let's do it. Gilles Cyrenne
From the Library We've got some great new books hitting the shelves soon. I'm always a sucker for popular science type books - anything that explains our world in bite-sized chunks. The Physics Behind ... by Russ Swan is a great example of one of these. Learn in no more than 2 pages everything from how electric guitars work, to what the Dark Universe is. The Doonesbury comic strip is almost 50 years old. Yikes. But apparently still going strong as a Sunday only strip. #SAD! Doonesbury in the Time of Trump is its latest collection. Spoiler alert/trigger warning: it features a lot of Trump. The opioid crisis hits close to home here and in a lot of other communities around the world. Ryan Hampton's American Fix: Inside the Opioid Addiction Crisis - and How to End it looks at what is perpetuating this crisis, and what needs to change, societally and politically, for it to end. It's written from the American context, unfortunately, but much of it is still universal enough to resonate here in Canada. Is anyone out there curious about Hinduism? If so, check out Living Hinduism: Scriptures, Philosophy, Practice. It's a good all-around introduction to this way oflife, practiced by about 15% of the world's population, covering both its history, as well as its beliefs and practices. Finally, a little fiction: Artemis, isAndy Weir's follow up to The Martian, which was made into a movie starring Matt Damon in 2015. Set on the moon this time, it's more of a heist caper than a survival narrative. Looks like a fun read. Please join us on Wednesday, November 21st, for a screening of~grant Dreams. A documentary a~out Migrant Workers in Canada, and the often exploitative conditions that they face. The movie will start at 6:30PM, in the theater. See you then, Randy
DTES SMALL ARTS GRANTS 2018-19 Application deadline: NOV 23, 2018 If you are an emerging artist from the Downtown Eastside with an idea for an original art project, this program is for you! WHA T IS THIS PROGRAM? The Downtown Eastside Small Arts Grants (DTES SAG) program is a
partnership between Carnegie Community Centre and Vancouver Foundation. Our goal is to help emerging artists to develop their skills and increase the visibility of their artwork. HOW CAN THIS PROGRAM HELP ME? We support emerging artists to develop their skills and increase the visibility of their artwork with grant awards ranging from $500 - $1000 to individual DTES Artists. With this money, you can buy what you need to take your art to the next level! WHA T DO I NEED TO DO? Apply! In order to receive a grant, artists have to complete and submit a grant application. Then, the Volunteer Resident Advisory Committee reviews applications for funding. The Volunteer Resident Advisory Committee is made up ofDTES Artists. Please note, not all applicants receive funding. If you are successful in your application, in addition to creating your project, you are required to complete a final report by June 30 2019. A Final Report Template will be provided. WHEN DOES All THIS HAPPEN? Applications are due by 4pm on Friday, November 23, 2018. If your application is approved for funding, you will receive your cheque in February or March 2019. INTERESTED? GREAT! Complete an application! Apply online www.vancouverfoundationsmallarts.ca. You can also pick up a paper copy from the 3rd floor of the Carnegie Centre after . HA YE QUESTIONS? We would love to be in touch with you. Ask us about group opportunities. Contact the DTES Small Arts Grants office by phone (604) 6652213 or email atdtesartsgrants!@.gmai1.com.
o Event for Indigenous Disability Awareness Month Thursday, Nov 22, 1:00 pm Kwantlen Polytechnic University Conference Centre (Surrey Cedar 1205), 12666 72nd Street,. Sur:r~y British Columbia Aboriginal Network on Disability Society (BCANDS), Kwantlen Polytechnic University and Inclusion BC invite you to an event recognizing Indigenous Disability Awareness Month in British Columbia and identifying many of the issues facing indigenous people with disabilities. The event will feature speakers Stephen Lytton and Symbia Barnaby, followed by the screening of the short documentary, the Language of Love (2012) directed by Marie Clements
In November gallery gachet is pleased to present:
Out of Maelstrom November 17th to December 22nd, 2018 . Join us for the opening reception with live music from Haisla with Nasty, Brutish and Short on Saturday, r November 17th from 69PM. gallery gachet, 9 West Hastings. tuesat 12.00 - 6.00 Vancouver BC V6B IG4 6046872468 The 2018 Gallery Gachet annual members' exhibition features new work from thirteen gallery artists responding to the theme: Out 01 Maelstrom. Emerging and resurfacing from turbulence, chaos, or confusion, Out of Maelstrom reflects on systems of support, resilience, and how we "live to tell the tale". Orbiting currents can focus an ocean into a whirlpool, asking what directs us, what moves us, & what do we carry? In consideration of these questions the artists manifest replies through illustrations, mixed-media sculp_~res, paintings, and other interactive works. ~sl.pJ Artists: Afuwa, Sharon Bums, Stella Castell, Haisla Coli ins, Edzy Edzed, Lara Fitzgerald, Karen Irving, Pierre Leichner, Chav Petkov W.N. Pope, Bruce Ray, Rebecca Slattery, Anthony Wilson. Gallery Gachet is an artist-run centre located in the downtow eastside neighbourhood of Vancouver. Providing a creative refuge for culture-building, education and advocacy, we believe social justice and mental health are critical elements of a healthy society. Our practice and participation challenges social marginalization while strengthening wellbeing and community. We respectfully acknowledge that the work of Gallery Gachet takes place on the traditional and ancestral territories of the xwm<l0kw<ly'<lm (Musqueam), Skwxwu Zmesh (Squamish), and sal'il'wota? (Tsleil- Waututh).
poverty ACtivism I consider myself to be a poverty activist. Not to be c.onf~sed w.ith anti-poverty activism, where the objective IS to raise the standards of living for the poor. As a poverty activist I encourage everybody to be poor and for my activism I simply endeavour to be healthy and happy with as little as I can. I committed myself to a life of poverty in my early teens, as part and parcel of choosing "holy man" for m~ career. I was raised in poverty and had a horrific childhood, so I had no romantic delusions about the difficulties I'd encounter on the life path I picked. However, even after an utterly humiliating, twentyyear detour through cocaine addiction I am pleased to ~ay that I am now successful in my life's work and enJOY all of the free, natural bliss that I can fathom. But.trying to sell the notion of abundant, free happines.s IS not why I am a poverty activist. I am a poverty activist because it's the end of the world and global poverty is the only way out. The planet is in the middle of man-made mass extinction. I personally find this situation totally unacceptable, but I am shocked to find that folks whose lifestyles a~e ~heroot cause of extinction are violently opposed to dialing down their prosperity for any reason at all. These are the folks that I wish I could be an activist for I wish! could let them know how good a simple, aus- . tere existence can be. Instead of trying to have & consume as n:uch as one can it can be a fun challenge to see how little you can survive on, how lightly you can walk on this world. On~ of the gr~atest gifts simplicity has given me is the emotional kaleidoscope of wonder there is to be had simply in breathing. Each breath you take has mole~ules from ~ll over the place, so if you pay close attentwn,. breath111~can take you on an olfactory adventure that IS every bit as entertaining & informative as surfing the internet. Fuckhead Jones
very sad in my little outside alcove directly across the street from an entirely upscale condo I hear and see many ignorant and degrading things from the anti-social mixers invading and occupying ~ur downtown eastside community like the other night an older man in rough thick clothes ~lowly moved a loaded shopping cart 111front of the condo then he returned down the street to move his other 2 carts but when he was gone young anti-social mixers appeared and saw the 'abandoned' cart which they pawed through giggling and laughing at the contents tossing items and one said "look at this!" and another pocketed something then they continued their merry way towards gassed town finally the older man laboriously pushed his other 2 full carts behind the first one looked io.side at the chaotic condition of his possessions saw what was missing stood up straight stared down the street in the opposite direction from the giddy upscaled lights stared a long stunned time beside his violated home and it was a very sad and shameful event Bud Osborn
My Downtown Eastside Life I walk the streets each day, to the Centre that nourishes me, abiding by the rules set, while waiting patiently. I see the women interacting, some homeless some desperate some fighting and swearing, some needing an ear to listen. As I come through the door, I greet the women with a smile though I get ignored by some who once talked to me, others greet me back with a smile when I choose my utensils to pick up the meal that is cooked and I opt for the options appealing, thanking the woman who serves me. I go to get my refreshments as I socialize with the women who would talk with me, tuning out the rough language spoken, allowing staff to diffuse conflicts others have encountered while taking part in activities and passing on snacks of stale sandwiches and pastry. I hear the housing advocate call the women who wished to see them, their loads of heavy burdens when a woman wants immediate attention for movinl; into shelters does not feel like home, as she hauls all she owns wishing she can settle into a home she can call her own. I grew accustomed to the women tuning out the chaos of upsets for I keep myself composed that the woman shouting at me might diffuse her anger that falls on deaf ears. GhiaAweida (3rd prize)
Is War a Necessary Evil? Wars destroy - but they also protect when communication has not been met with a solution. Wars can destroy body, mind, and spirit but they can also recoup losses ... Who are the bosses who can gain from war? and what and who is tossed? Is war a necessary evil? when man is not just body and mind man is spirit and spiritually - there is good vs. evil. So I would think that wars are not racial, for: until" Love can conquer all " man will take a fall for spiritually "we wrestle not against flesh and blood; btft against principalities, , against 'powers'" (eph.6:12) inga g. ROOTS OF JUSTICE, SEEDS OF HOPE Chorus: Roots of justice, seeds of hope. They give us strength and help us cope. They lift us out of our despair They give us courage help us love. They keep us going when we're lost Within life's struggles turned and tossed Our hearts are thankful, we are free To be the best that we can be. Chorus And we're not fearful. We can fight for what we know is truth & right And so we plant these seeds of hope For roots of justice in this world. Chorus Karen Thorpe
Letter from the
Board of Directors, East-End Food Co-op, 1034 Commercial Dr.
Just a few months ago, the board asked for your support in helping the co-op through a crisis that threatened our very existence. We were so honored by how the co-op community stepped up to invest, volunteer, partner and support the store during an incredibly challenging time. In large part due to your commitment and the sacrifices of the staff and our new manager, we can report that our financial situation has stabilized. The store is now breaking even- a huge improvement from the major losses we experienced starting late last year. For this we have you, our members and shoppers to thank! Thank you to all the members making the Co-op your first choice of where to shop! Our sales have now stabilized thanks to your consistent support. Thank you to all the members who have signed up to volunteer with the co-op. We have just hired a new Member Engagement coordinator and one of her first tasks will be to reach out to those that have offered support. Stay tuned! Thank you to all the members who stepped up to support our call for investment. Notices will be going out shortly to confirm investment amounts and we will be following up with those that have pledged additional funds in the coming weeks. Thank you to all of our stafffor their dedication and support through this difficult time, including the willingness to accept reduced hours & benefits in an heroic effort to save the co-op. Thank you to our landlords Jim and Betty, who provided critical rental relief and continue to support the coop in so many important ways. Thank you to our new manager Louis CampbeIl (the big carrot above!), who brings impressive experience, leadership, and passion for community to the role. While this is a critical tuming point, breaking-even with reduced staffing is not enough to ensure our longtenn viability. Our new manager Louis is aggressively implementing positive changes including improved pricing, new promotions and community engagement like the Halloween coloring contest and Thanksgiving Turkey draw, and new partnerships with other community organizations like Skipper Otto. We ask that you continue to Shop Co-op First and promote the store to your friends and family, and help us keep up the positive momentum so that we can grow our capacity and eventually expand our space. Thanks again for all that you have done to support us in these recent and critical months! Onwards and upwards, together! Sincerely, Graham Anderson On behalf of the Food Co-op Board of Directors, East End Food Co-op [This letter is reprinted here to show what a community can do to save and create for everyone. Well done.]
The Carnegie Newsletter relies on donations to continue. At this time of year, when people are thinking of making yearend gifts, please consider helpi~g. You can use the form below or go online camegienewsletter.org
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We acknowledge that Carnegie Community Centre, and this News/etter, are occurring on Coast Sal ish Territory.
THIS NEWSLETTER IS A PUBLICATION OF THE CARNEGIE COMMUNITY CENTRE ASSOCIATION Articles represent the views of individual contributors and not of the Association. WANTED Artwork for the Carnegie Newsletter -Small illustrations to accompany articles and poetry. -Cover art - Max size: 17cm(6 Y')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 Please make submissions to Paul Taylor, Editor. The editor can edit for clarity, format & brevity, but not at the expense of the writer's message.
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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER WEAPONS
27
OF MASS DESTRUCTION
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AIDS
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POVERTY
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HOMELESSNESS
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VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN
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ABORIGINAL GENOCIDE
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TOT ALlT ARIAN CAPITALISM IGNORANCE and SUSTAINED FEAR
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DONATIONS 2018 In memory of Bud Osbom -$125 Kelly F. For Bob Sarti, playrightffor the DTES community, & all those whose lives have been hit by racism & prejudice -$100(Jay) Craig H.-$500 Winnie T.-$200 Teresa V-$50 Barbara M.-$100 Robert -$40 Elsie McG-$50 Robert McG.-$145 Laurie R.-$175 Leslie S-$200 Michael C.-$100 Michele C.-$100 Ashley -$20 Vancouver Moving Theatre -$500 Douglas Z-$5 Christopher R.-$180 Laila B.-$100 Aiden S-$10 Rose B.-$20 Elaine V.-$100 Phoenix W -$20 Sheila B.-$50 Marvin F.-$20 Karen T -$50 Ron C.-$50 Angie Z-$10 Stephanie F.-$50 Mathew A & Reuben J -$50 Sharon J -$25 Anonymous -$165 Fundraiser-$1267 Penny G.-$20 -»
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