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NEWSLETTER
NOVEMBER 1, 2006
401 Main St., Vancouver, B.C. (604)665-2289
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It's a real pain when reality smacks you up the side of the head. A dose of common sense can cream an intellectual 9 times out of 10, as Claude Richmond, your friend and mine, is learning the hard way. In the last 2 weeks he has done some incredibly fast talking to try and hold an illusion that his latest move of sending his 'swim or sink' letter to 49,000 people receiving assistance money was a good thing. Every recipient between the ages of 19 and 64 not classified as handicapped or unemployable got one. It was not considered whether any among these people might have the education, literacy skills, clothing, safety equipment, money for transportation or typing or photocopying resumes or even food . That is all too time consuming, too inefficient for.the lean, mean, bureaucratic machine that this man is building. Thoroughly Modern Claude is lying through his teeth on a number of the statistics produced: He said on TV that hundreds of people because of the letter threaten' ing them with having no money for food or rent if they didn't; when he , stated that BC had a booming economy with jobs all over the place (at minimum wage or less) ... a statement made on the same day as the unemployment 1 1 rate appeared at a full percentage point , higher than the previous month- 9.2%; ' ~"""~· c when his Ministry claims to have foriJQ'
so many cases of fraud (not picking up a cheque perhaps) that the count won't be made public for at least a week .. . Even while his (and most soc-reds) illusion of superi or morals & ethics lies in ruins, the conscious/subconscious/unconscious thread- " I' m ok 'cause I' ve got mine and screw you" is still guidâ&#x20AC;˘ mg every move. ByPAULR TAYLOR This was the front cover of the September 1, 1989 issue of the Carnegie Newsletter. And here we are, 17 YEARS LATER, and the lies and doubletalk are in full force. Read on ...
What's the agenda? It' s so obvious and just makes sense. Building housing for low-income people is much more cost effective than providing emergency services for the same people when they are homeless and surviving on the streets. In 1993 the Federal Liberal Government stopped providing the funding for social housing nationwide and axed the Canada Assistance Plan in 1996, removing the right of low-income people to welfare when in need from the realm of enforceable law. Virtually every province has since gotten out of building publicly-funded housing, letting "market forces provide for the market" and letting results be blamed on the entire capitalist system, rather than their respective Jacks of political will to do what's best for the majority of low-income people - and the percentage of poor people to the total population in every province is at least 35%. (By the way, if you want to argue about inflated numbers, convince yourself that the average income in Canada is over $40,000 a year. Who? Where? If one guy gets $100,000,000 a year and twenty thousand people get $5,000, the average income is ... ] The Provincial Liberal gov't is composed of and backed by the same Socreds that backed and made up Vanderzalm' s - Claude Richmond was the Minister of Human Resources - welfare & housing then and now. Then, he went from used car salesman to mouthpiece for the transnational and local developers, especially real estate manipulators. The rare times that he was cornered, nailed down and forced to give straight answers, he'd come out with gems like "We* are philosophically opposed to social
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housing" and "kids must be throwing their lunches away if they get to school without one.. It must be the parents' fault.. give each one a shovel.." (ok, the last one was the Zalm, but * Richmond was/is slightly insane, repeatedly referring to himself with the royal "We"). Now the vicious stupidity is in the realm of responding to an across-the-board necessity for a 50% increase in the abysmal welfare rates with setting up a fund whereby local charities can get $1000 to set up classes on how to budget and eat within a month ly income as low as $185 - even lower if rent is more (Hah!) than $325 - and that's for everything including food. The bozo riding the housing train, I think his name is Coleman, is going to subsidise welfare recipients' rents with supplements paid directly to landlords- giving public money to slumlords, restricting eligibility of the rentee with several idiotic regulations (only available to those not on welfare, with kids and making under $20,000; et al), sq~aa~hing poor seniors deeper into the nightmare of ex.tsting on fixed pensions while rents are pegged to an a?solute minimum of a welfare cheque's shelter portiOn and further decimating services and thrift possibilities by making storefront rents too high to afford unless the clientel money is at a minimum five times a recipient' s best. . What does this cause? It wiJl be a steady increase m the number of homeless people at the same time as an increase in the sale/demolition or conversion/resulting cost of new accommodations, which are euphemistically called 'housing' . The poorest most dilapidated and often unmaintained buildin~s now in use, especially in the Downtown Eastside, hotels and rooming houses with the lO'xlO' rooms . . ' are stttmg on the most prime real estate in the urban downtown. The item here is to steadily remove the local residents (us) now inconveniently living in said rooms/neighbourhood. City Council of Vancouver is in lock-step with this
agenda while adding their own perks. The refusal of the Mayor and NP A councilors to consider a moratorium on the juggernaut of replacement of the lowincome accommodations by condos and upscale apartments is just the public face of their solid support of the "right to speculate" trumping the ' 4right to safe, decent, affordable housing" for all the citizens of Vancouver. . They absolutely refuse to apply and enforce their own bylaws: 1) Standards of Maintenance, which gives the City the legal right to inspect and, if/when the owner refuses to correct deficiencies, do the work and bill said owner, with seizure of the property the end result if the owner won't pay up. 2) Single Room Accommodation (SRA) that already imposes a requirement of 1-1 replacement, nonconversion without paying a penalty per room, legally removing and paying displaced tenants, etc. A prime example was the closure of the American Hotel with illegal evictions, blatant disregard for an injunction to cease and desist and the arrogant "Where do l pay the fine?" response by the perp. There was no police action to stop the illegal action but the police were front and centre in the scam to empty the Pender Hotel with a "report" of a mythical meth lab, much the same as the Frances Street Squat was ended several years ago with an anny of police, dogs, bulldozers, etc. after a "report" that someone had a gun. Guess what? No gun, but the scene was likened to the FBI assault on Waco, Texas; no meth lab, but the building was summarily condemned because it was unsafe after police kicked in the door of every room in the place while tenants' offers of keys were moot. Now Kim Capri has been chosen to table the idiotic and insulting motion to allow construction of new housing - I O' x 10' huge.rooms "like on cruiseships" but of course that's similar to the motion in place to buy 2 hotels a year and provide up to 800 new affordable units a year. Fiction Now Gordie Campbell comes out saying "[he] can no longer tolerate the homeless situation" but says there' ll be an increase in the shelter portion of we.lfare cheques - money from the gov't directly into landlords' pockets, welfare recipients Do Not Pass Go, Do Not Collect $200 (do not get even a promise of an increase in the living allowance from the pitiful $185 or less a month.) Again: What is the agenda? What kind of outcome
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is p-lanned for? All this is certainly not unrelated. Add the whole White Caps Soccer Stadium thing planned for over 5 years .to ~ecome the launching point for a line of very highrise condos all along the waterfront with the entire downtown eastside land area being sucked into a supporting role for that, a new convention centre, Woodwards-style shaking of crumbs on the floor for the poor to squabble over. The agenda is to make as much money as possible at the same time as imposing the class system via gentrification to get the poor residents now here the hell out of the way. The province and various municipalities will likely get together to make a public show of their 'commitment to dealing with homelessness' (by then much worse and with the influx of seniors and families to make it be as desperate as possible) and the agreement to construct some kind of modem ghetto out in the fields of Langley or somewhere. New York City did almost exactly that with their "broken windows" policy: the conscious, upfront plan to remove all poor and homeless people from the Island of Manhattan and leave them in one of the surrounding municipalities (Queens, Staten Island, Brooklyn, The Bronx) and the woefully inadequate new or designated buildings for the influx became too dangerous to even be near in a matter of weeks because of the lack of services, affordable shops, etc. The vicious stupidity displayed by both Campbell and Sam Sullivan, still acting as a mayor, doesn' t begin to explain such a string of seemingly unrelated actions but is their public response to the enormous pressure and number of people in BC who demand action on fair housing and Raise the welfare Rates. All Capri's 1O'x 10' crap and Campbell's promise of the shelter portion increase are designed to do is deflate the movements to get real change. They insist on maintaining their illusion that all the protest is so much hot air, when our motivation and spirit of social justice cannot and will not be so dismissed. Go to meetings, speak at City Council, keep educating everyone on the real causes of the housing and welfare crises - the welfare cuts of Campbell and the restrictions of access to same is the direct cause of the homelessness and malnutrition of thousands of people. Bandaids are unacceptable. By PAULR TAYLOR
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One must care about a world one will never see. -
Bertrand Russell
I spent the day at City Hall on Thursday and came
away exhausted yet somehow also invigorated. It was an emotional day, my first time at a city council meeting. I was inspired by all the people that came out to speak for the moratorium on SRA conversions. There was such a wonderful expression of community and diversity; so many different organizations and individuals coming together for a united cause. There were over forty speakers, starting with MLA Jenny Kwan and followed by organizations such as SLIHC, PIVOT, CCAP, DERA, and Vancouver Status of Women; many residents of the DE. Together they were a passionate and strong voice. People poured out facts and feelings. They spoke about issues of poverty and homelessness and they spoke about their realities. We cried, yelled, clapped, jeered, spoke - and listened. Vision and Cope councilors listened too; but the vote was deferred by the six NPA councilors. It seemed they were not listening. I was outraged at the injustice of the system. I could not believe the obvious agenda of city council in protecting the interests of the business "community'' over the interests of the community of people whose lives will be directly affe.cted by this moratorium. I am new to social justice work and I was frustrated. I really wasn't expecting miracles but I did hope that after listening to that many speakers council might do the right thing and pass the moratorium. It just seemed so obvious. I couldn' t sleep. I was troubled. I wondered would this feeling ever pass? I reached out and sought an answer to my question from a couple who have been doing this work for a long time. Compassionate and wise words were offered to me. They helped me realize that change will not happen over· night and that the struggle for justice is ongoing. They also helped me to understand better what it means to be a community; what it means to come
together for a common cause and resist social injustice, and to help each other to keep resisting. I came to city hall feeling new, nervous, and unsure of my place in the community but with a.calJ to speak up for what I felt was right. By the end of the day I was on the verge of tears, partly because this community had been let doWn by its government but mostly due to the overwhelming feeling of inclusiveness and richness of this community. I felt like I had found my place and was pleased to be part of a greater voice. A wise and compassionate person said to me, "We do social justice work because it is the right thing to do". This felt right. LISA POOLE
DOCUMENTARY (Saturday) NIGHTS showing in November and December. Nov. II The Take by Avi Lewis and Naomi Klein Nov. 18 Enron, The Smartest Guys in the Room Nov. 25 Walmart-The High Cost ofLow Price. Dec. 9 Outfoxed- Rupert Murdoch's War on Journalism by Robert Greenwald . . Dec. 16 Wall Street's War for Drug Money Dec. 23 Plan Columbia: US war on drugs. Dec. 30 Crop Circlesm
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Starting at 6:30 on Carnegie's 3rd floor, with coffee, snacks and a door · All welcome!
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Mine E_nem.Y Grows Older Mine enemy grows older But then so do i. I used to say you couldn't kill him with a hammer.. A way to kill tapeworms You need a cookie for bait, they say Or maybe a Nanaimo bar out here.
This year Changes appeared or disappearances changed or did it? Really seemed to do so also
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Plus ca change, plus Ia meme chose. Wilhelmina
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My name is Sam Snobelen and I've lived and worked in the Downtown Eastside all of my adult-life. As a matter of fact, I presently live in a single room in the Downtown Eastside. Now, as far as I can see, pretty much everybody who lives in the Downtown Eastside, and a lot of people in other parts of the city as well, will be inclined to see Councillor Stevenson's motion as something that just makes sense. And, very briefly, I want to point out that, if you vote against this motion, a lot pf people in various parts of this city will be inclined to see your vote as a way of punishing the Downtown Eastside community because it has never, ever, voted overwhelmingly NPA. Thank you very much for your time. [When it's all said & done - truth]
The 3nt Annual Downtown Eastside
Heart of the City Festival Wed. 25 October- Sun. S November 2006 Only 5 days left in the 3rd Annual Heart of the City Festival and there is still lots to see and do! • Today, Nov l, go to St. James' Church at 303 East Cordova for the Day ofthe Dead Celebration. At lpm there is a lunch - open to everyone - followed by a Procession to Oppenheimer Park and beyond, returning to St. James Hall for an afternoon Fiesta' Then in the Carnegie Theatre is a rare opportunity to see and hear the internationally acclaimed Uzume Taiko presented in partnership with the Powell Street Festival, 7pm. Free • The Aboriginal Front Door at 384 Main will be hosting a Cultural Story Sharing Orcle on Thursday Nov 2 from 2pm. 'The DTES Aboriginal Women's Drum Circle will participate with a welcvme ano .:ong. Also on Thursday, come to the InterUrban Gallery at I East Hastings for a showcase and fundraiser for the Carnegie CD Project. Music, reception, video screening. Come support your friends~ • Friday Nov 3 is a full day at Carnegie with the Carnegie Band Class at l2:30pm; a Dialogue on Community Arts Qlfd Activism oo the 3rd floor at 1pm; a creative writing workshop with Larry Loyie and Constance Brissenden in the theatre at 3pm, followed by a reading with Larry and Constance at 7:30pm. Th.is evening wraps up the First Nation Communities Read Program. · • Come to Victory Square on Saturday Nov 4, between lpm and 3pm for the launch of the publication of Sheila Baxter's new play Death In A Dumpster, presented with Luara Press; then return to Carnegie for a 3pm screening of Christine Welsh's new film Yurding Dawn, an epic journey into the dark heart of Native women's experience in this country, in cooperation with the National Film Board of Canada. Saturday evening you have the choice between the Monthly Poetry Mght at Carnegie Theatre, 7pm and 17teatre In the Raw One Ads at the Ukrainian Hall 805 East Pender, starting at 8pm, pay as you can. • And then Sunday there is the Mosaic Project at lOam at Carnegie, and the Vancouvu Japanese Language School&: Japanese HaU Food Bazaar starting at l2pm. The Opening COiteeTI of the season for the Association of United Ukrainian Canadians is at 3pm at the Ukrainian Hall 805 E. Pender. Stay after the concert for the Hall's fantastic Ukrainian Supper at 5:30pm followed by everyone's favourite- the Urban Barn Dance with The Three Potato Band, starting at 7pm. Then we can relax until next year!! ! For complete programme information, pick up the Festival Program Guide at the Carnegie Front Desk.
A whole $6! Every day! Unfortunately for our worst-off citizens, that six bucks has to cover food and all the other necessities of life Jon Kesselman Imagine that you wake up each morning with six dollars burning a hole in your pocket. Let's see: How might you spend your money? Maybe contemplate breakfast, a midday meal and supper at nightfall? On some days you might consider buying toiletries such as toothpaste, floss, soap, and grooming items; household supplies like toilet paper, cleaning products, light bulbs, and the like; perhaps replacing some worn-out clothes and footwear on occasion; a movie and the laundromat now and then; periodically repairing or replacing the toaster, radio or TV, and furniture; an over-the-counter medication; a newspaper; a bus ticket to visit a friend or search for work; and so on. But with $6, would you even get as far as lunch? You might ifyou had an operating fridge, range and cookware to prepare your own meals, which unfortunately you do not. So your $6 might get you breakfast at a cheap restaurant and a beverage for your lunch. But forget about the sandwich, and dream on about supper and aiJ the other daily necessities. Oh, don't worry about the rent; that's already been covered at $325 per month, which, if you are lucky enough to find anything, gets you a small room in a dilapidated building with little security and shared but menacing bathroom facilities. And you may have roommates, too - the ever-present bedbugs and rats. These are the conditions that our society finds acceptable for British Columbians who are deemed employable but have no financial resources. In fact, many beneficiaries classified as employable face significant barriers to employment, and others are denied welfare entirely or find it too diffi.. cult to access ... some end up homeless. Welfare benefits for employable single persons in B.C. are $185 per month (the daily $6) plus a $325 monthly shelter portion, for a grand total of $510.
These figures have been unchanged since 1994 despite a rise in living costs of nearly 30 per cent; the benefits are just one-third of what Statistics Canada computes as the low-income cutoff. â&#x20AC;˘ _ So should we be surprised to find B.C.'s city streets and lanes looking increasingly like scenes from a Dickens novel? ¡ ¡ Welfare beneficiaries simply cannot survive without regular resort to food banks, soup kitchens and whatever else they can scrounge through begging, dumpster diving or stealing. When employable welfare beneficiaries find even part-time work, their earnings are deducted dollarfor-dollar from their benefits. As a society we fault these people for not working, but when they find some work we penalize them by confiscating their earnings. No one should be surprised that beneficiaries seek to work for unreported cash, yet we attack them again under the rubric of "welfare fraud." The situation is only somewhat better for persons deemed to have serious disabilities, who draw welfare benefits of around $850 per month. Yet much of their additional funds, relative to employable beneficiaries, is consumed by special health care and personal needs related to their disability. Remarkably, we pay non-aged British CoJumbians with severe physical, mental, or emotional disabilities $250 less per month than the $1, 100 guaranteed to every Canadian elderly person via federal benefits. Are our most defenceless citizens whose work potential is limited by disability worthy of less support than our seniors? Moreover, the B.C. welfare system allows disabled beneficiaries to earn up to $500 per month without reducing their benefits. This provision makes sense in promoting some self-sufficiency. But it is odd that we reward work for those with the most limited employability while penalizing the most employable beneficiaries for every dollar of earnings. Clearly, B.C.'s welfare system is falling far short of the needs of basic decency for our most vulnerable members. These critical problems have emerged and been allowed to grow under both NDP and Liberal governments, so it is not a partisan issue. Even B.C.'s latest program initiative to offer modest rent subsidies for low-income workers has ig-
nored the needs of welfare beneficiaries. Is the low political priority on improving our welfare system the result of voter indifference or simply ignorance of the facts? A campaign endorsed by many community groups, called "Raise the Rates" (www.raisetherates.org), may help to heighten public awareness. Yet it is a sad fact that political actors are stirred more by the threat to tourism revenues and the 201 0 Olympics image than by concerns over basic human dignity. Jon Kesselman [holds the Canada Research Chair in Public Finance with the graduate public policy program at Simon Fraser University.}
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Clamorous Woman There, here and all about Flatter bag a mouth Pretentious in the skin deep alluring glamour she dabbled on some more lipstick powder on cheeks In her twinkle eyes Corner mirror assured her appearance adrenaline rush overcame her to a disciplinary party 'cause Jane disrespected and outta order Rumpunch got her a little tipsy in a mood for anything and not in a good vibration mouth covered with violence her-story-his-story-her-story his soul is in contempt Self-exaltation abound temperance with no discretion she can't even satisfy the breakfast table Snares, nets and traps Come into my parlour Cruel jealousy and arrogant cosy now woman the wind has changed dido 't mama counsel you that you ain't going to be the only one for his life uhuh.. have your morals and conscience perverted how much of him can you endure 路 Oh Clamorous Woman Ayisha
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Carnegie CD Project Concert Thursday, November 2nd 7:00- 9:00pm InterUrban Gallery, 1 E. Hastings This showcase and fundraiser, hosted by Rudolf Penner, features many of the musicians who will be performing on the Carnegie's second CD. Just like the forthcoming CD, the performances will encompass a wide variety of music styles dtong with :,orne inimitable and unforgettable original music. Come by and support our local musicians!
Humans are meaning..making machines. For exam路 pie, if your friend is late for a lunch date, you might make It mean that yot,1 are unimportant. What if you made it mean that she or he was stuck in traffic? What if you made it meaD nothing until you asked her I him? If you continue to look at things the same way, you 路 will believe that 'his meaning is the only way to think about it. Be careful what you make things mean. .路 Submitted by Videha f:lum,ni~es1Q1
at C_ arnegie
Sandy I Iirschen will deliver a talk on architecture on the 3rd Floor Meeting Room at the Carnegie Center on Wednesday, November lst at 7pm. He is a former Professor and Director of the School of Architecture at UBC. He has a Bachelor of Architecture from Columbia University and is a fellow of the Royal Architecture Institute of Canada.
News from the Library New Books: In Nickel and Dimed (305.56) author Barbara Ehrenreich takes a series ofjobs that pay poverty level wages and ends up creating a compelling sketch of the miserable life of the working poor. The Best War Ever: Lies, Damned Lies, and the Mess in Iraq (956. 7) by John Stauber and Sheldon Rampton is the follow up to their 2003 title Weapons ofMass Deception. The title of 100 Ways America is Screwing up the World (327.73) by John Tirman is self explanatory I think.
Canadian history is the subject of the next 2 books. Curse ofthe Na"ows (971.62) by Laura MacDonald is about the Halifax explosion of 1917. Whatever Happened to ••• ? (920.07) by Mark Kearney and Randy Ray provides an entertaining look at 100 celebrities, newsmakers and significant artifacts from Canada's past. Events: Heart of the ~i!I
Among all the great upcoming festival events I would like to draw your attention to two the library is sponsoring Friday November 3. At 3pm in the Theatre Larry Loyie and Constance Brissenden will be giving a free, fast paced and fun writers workshop guaranteed to make your writing zing! Larry is an award-winning Cree children's book author who attended creative writing classes at Carnegie Community Centre. Later that evening at 7:30 in the Theatre Larry will be giving a free reading from his new book When the Spirits Dance, a dramatic tale of his childhood during World War II. He'll talk about writing and researching and how it helped him find the story. Downtown Eastside Poets
Come to the Carnegie Theatre Saturday November 4 at 7:00pm to listen to some poetry or offer up some of your own. Coffee will be served. Book Giveaway
Every Friday afternoon at 2:30pm outside the Carnegie Centre on Hastings Street we have a book giveaway. There are often magazines to take away as well. Come say hi and grab a few books. •
Mark the Librarian
Alice MacKay Room from 7:30 to 9:30PM of the Central Branch of the Vancouver Public Library (350 West Georgia). Admission is Free. InfO! http://www.necessaryvoices.org Nov 2, 2006
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Homeland- A Novel by Paul William Roberts
Sweeping in scope and controversial in subject matter, Homeland is bestselling author Paul William Roberts' deeply disturbing vision of the world to come. Drawing on real events and real people, Homeland chronicles humanity's trek toward a dystopian future under the influence of a corrupt American empire. The year is 2050. The US is by now a global em-
pire, sealed off from an outside world that has been reduced to a series of wars against several Chinese factions. America is little more than a wasteland. The great cities have disintegrated into memories of a bygone glory. New York has become a tourist haunt and theme park. Washington is the hub for central command operations, and only those on official business ever visit the capital. The President and Vice President, along with the Secretaries of State and Defense, are no longer identified for reasons of national security. There is no sense of the past. History, as we know it, ceases to exist.
"Those who are incapable of committing great crimes do not readily suspect them in others." La Rochefoucauld, Maxims
Necessary Voices Society pobox 95003, RPO Kingsgate Vancouver, BC, V5T 4T8 CANADA http://www.necessanyoices.ore necessaryvoices@telus.net
Rally to Condemn Canada's Oppression of the Indigenous Peoples of this our country Coast Salish Territory Vancouver 路 October 23, 2006 was the last day of the Residential S~hool Settlement Hearings. On this day, the Indigenous Action Movement called the people together to rally to condemn the treatment of Native People in Canada by the Government, Courts and RCMP at the Sup~me Court in Vancouver. Although the settlement includes as much as the lawyers for the people could contest for, the settlement is far from perfect. The settlement disallows cul.tural.and language loss, two major reasons why residenttal schools were created in the first place. The clauses that absolve Canada and the Churches fro~ future liability and the notification process was lackmg as many survivors are unaware of the hearings. Elders and those with health or other issues have the right to an appropriate time period to understand the settlement information to make an informed decision. Those whose records are lost due !o s~ff' s fault~ record keeping are not being given JUStice. There IS no justice for those who were murdered or died or went missing while in the schools. RALLY DECEMBER 6, 2006 VANCOUVER ~gainst Canada's Justice System; RCMP and pohce systemically criminalize and maltreat Indigenous people. Countless people die, are beaten, sexually assaulted, freeze to death or disappear at the hands of the RCMP or the police. Nine RCMP officers including Constable Justin Harris sexually ab~s~d underage Aboriginal girls yet escaped ~on~JctJon due to the RCMP's manipulation of the JUStice system using RCMP statute of limita!ions,. a free-card- to commit crimes as perpetrators m umform who abuse our human rights. .It's sexual assault when the abusers are in a position of power such as with the young girls in Prince George. It's murder when Indigenous people die at the hands of the police such as in the case of Frank Paul. Gerald Chenery, Lawrence Wegner, Joseph Stuntz, Matthew Dumas, Denis St. Paul, Geronimo Fobister, Lorraine Jacobsen and Connie Jacobs and her nine-year-old son Ty from the Tsuu Tina First Nation were all shot and killed by police or the RCMP. ln Anthany Dawson's case, several wit. nesses report excessive police violence by several
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police officers. "When I saw him being punched made me feel sick." lpperwash activist Dudley George died as a result of gunshot wounds and Bernard George, a member of the band council, was beaten severely whi~e negotiating a road block at lpperwash and Nick George, only 13 or 14 years old was shot in the back. .. Neil Stonechild, Lloyd Dustyhom (Sask), Rodney Naistus were victims of what's known as Saskatoon's 'Starlight Tours' where Aboriginal men are driven to the outskirts of Saskatoon and dropped off in up to 40 below freezing weather. Their bodies were found but it wasn't until Darrel Knight survived, came forward and told his story that two Saskatoon police officers were charged. They only received eight months but were not charged in any other deaths. Melvin Wayne Bigsky was peppersprayed, clubbed and electrically shocked before being shot. HISTORY OF FRANK PAUL RALLY The body of 47 year old, Mi'kmac Frank Joseph Paul was found on December 6th, 1998 in an east Vancouver alley. Twice that night he was brought into the police station drunk tank. Frank's image was caught on police station cameras in an CJ~路:~::"'ed state of intoxication. In the video he is seen first crawling on hands and knees and is let go after a few hours. When he is detained a second time it was decided he was not intoxicated despite being unable to stand. The surveillance video shows a guard dragging Frank's soaking wet, unconscious body from the elevator into the police paddy wagon then along the floor again and eventually into the alley where they propped him up against a building in 4 below freezing weather, and left to sit alone to die. In a CBC News Online statement, Frank's cousin, Peggy Clement stated, "A dog would get better treatment than what he got, I hope someone will be able to do something about it, look into it anyway, what really happened. Only one police officer was given a two-day suspension for discreditable conduct and a one-day sus pension for neglect of duty. The rally and march will begin at Main and Hastings at 11:00 with a prayer ceremony. December 6, 2006. Detailed info next issue. If you want to help, please email Kat at ~ t>Y ~~2 31&1. ~-t, -'1 5路3> indh:;enous action movement@yahoo.ca
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.Lest We forget "To define the real truth qfour lives, and our societies, is a crucial obligation which devolves upon all of us." Harold Pinter, playwright, political activist
and Nobel Prize winner.
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what Canada could do in a national emergency. We had a social democracy for which men and women had died, and we believe9. in_dustrial growth ought to be regulated by ethical priorities. We even dreamed of having our own flag.
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the United Nations' On November II th' Universal Declaration of Human Rights. a large crowd "War has opened the eyes gathered at the cenotaph of working people," a veteran said. at Victory Square in Vancouver ''Never again will we have to remember Canadians the poverty, unemployment, who had died in war. and homelessness of the 1930's." The mood of the people Yet today we see poverty, was somber, respectful, and anxious. hunger and homelessness In these abysmal days So many have died, of food banks, miserable part-time work, everywhere. and war is everywhere. hidden unemployment, and homelessness, In 1944, the hope for justice we need to remember The ceremony was dignified, by ordinary Canadians that veterans fought and sensitive to the grief fighting for their country, for a decent life of veterans who had lost comrades helped Tommy Douglas and the for all our c-itizens, in war, and sensitive also Co-Operative Commonwealth Federation and not just for to those who had lost get elected in Saskatchewan, the corporate elite. family members. and in that same year At the memorial service Prayers calle~ for Of"? ~.;, the Conservative Party on November 11 t\ but there is no peace, changed its name an anguished cry for peace and the people mourned to Progressive Conservative. silently rose into the blue sky, at the cenotaph. In 2003, the word "Progressive" a cry of the Jiving was shamefully removed, and a cry, also, of all Lest we forget leaving our country those who have died in war. but we have forgotten The dead were with us the hopes of retuming veterans with a Conservative Party divorced from its own tradition on that day, in that place. in 1945. of social responsibility. They help us carry on, The First Canadian Division and we have a duty was made up of men Mackenzie King, leader of to work for peace and justice who had Jived through the federal govemment in 1945, in their name. the bitterness and violence was acutely aware As John McCrae said of the Great Depression. that when citizens in his poem Flanders Fields, Gathered at the cenotaph fought for their country, "If ye break faith with us who die in Victory Square, in 1935, they expected to be treated We shall not sleep, though poppies grow unemployed, hungry men, with more respect than In Flanders fields." most of them quite young, as market commodities. asked for food and shelter. He established programs for veterans, Mayor McGeer replied planned for high and steady employment, by reading them the Riot Act. and created the Ministry One million Canadians ofNational Health and Welfare were in uniform in J 945, .. to co-ordinate social programs. 'and their dreams We were proud of ourselves for a better world Sandy Cameron in those days. were expressed in
Carnegie Community Action Project路(CCAP)
Newsletter Written by Jean Swanson
November 1, 2006
Crowd gathers to support North Star squat.
North Star squat escalates fight for housing Surrounded by chants of "no homes, no peace," and "homes, not games," six Downtown Eastsiders were arrested on October 24th for taking over the abandoned North Star Hotel and squatting in it for 3 nights. The squat was supported by rallies of over 100 people on Oct. 22 when it began and Oct.
24 when squatters, including DERA director Kim Kerr, were escorted out of the building by about 20 police. The squatters were charged with assault by
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Squat escalates fight for housing . (Continued from previous page) trespass and released. They are scheduled to be in court on Dec. 11 at 9 am. The squat came after city council ignored pleas by 38 mostly Downtown Eastsiders for a moratorium on conversion of hotels and rooming houses to more expensive accommodation on Oct. 19th (see more on page 3), and after the American Hotel was illegal shut down, the Empress Hotel was bought for $2.3 5 million and the Gastown Hotel,
with 99 rooms, also has a new owner. While the owners of the Empress and • Gastown Hotel aren't claiming that they will immediately shut them down, David Eby of Pivot Legal Society asked city council, "Would someone pay $2.35 million to run an SRA (Single Room Accomodation)? The Anti-Poverty Committee, which organized the squat, is planning to step up the fight and marched to City Hall on Oct. 26, to see the Mayor who wasn't there .
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N PA proposes "Capri Suites" fo.r homeless with bathroom and kitchen) are ok and that Downtown Eastside and homeless people should not be subjected to a double standard in housing. If you would like to speak on the motion at City Hall on Nov. 2nd at 2 pn1, call Denise Salmon at 604 873-7269 in the City Clerk's office. Leave your address and phone number or email so she can contact you.
Six members of city council who belong to the NPA (allegedly "Non Partisan Association") have put forward a motion to build small rooms for Downtown Eastside residents as a solution for homelessness. Councillor Kim Capri made the motion which says: "As a direct means of accommodating the full range of housing needs of the homeless and at-risk; staff work with BC housing and provide support for the immediate replacement of existing single room occupancy units with new, well-designed units of greater floor space per occupant; these units must include modern, properly staffed common areas that permit tenants to interact in a safe and healthy environment." But, when discussing this motion in the media, Capri talked about 10 X 10 foot rooms without bathrooms or kitchens. She likened them to rooms on a cruise ship. On Oct. 19 people from the Carnegie Community Action Project (CCAP) helped put up a "Capri Suite" that magically appeared on 1ih Avenue in front of City Hall, complete with a blow up Kim doll. CCAP will be speaking at City Hall against the motion, saying that existing city standards for new suites (320 sq. ft.
Ada Dennis helps build the Capri Suite at City Hall.
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City Council ignores 38 eloquent and passionate Downtown Eastsiders . . You should have been there just to see how articulate, informed, eloquent, and passionate people from the Downtown Eastside are &bout their community. In the end it wasn't enough to convince the NPA metnbers of council. They didn't want to send the "wrong message to the business community." It was Oct. 19th and 3 8 people spoke at City Hall in favour or a motion by councilor Tim Stevenson for a short moratoriam on the conversion of hotels and rooming houses to condos or backpacker hotels or other uses that don't house low income people. "In the Downtown Eastside a senior is 45 years old," Tammie Tupechka told city council, because poverty kills people at young ages." "Yes, the SRO housing is crap, she added, "and you've got to start using the Standards of Maintenance bylaw to fix them up." . Doug Aason, who works with the food bank, told council, "If an animal was treated like we treat homeless people, the SPCA would rescue them." . . Richard Tylman, a first time speaker, tried to answer some of the NPA arguments against the moratorium. "People who own and run hotels," he said, "aren't the satne ones who want to
build new affordable hqusing." A moratorium would encourage owners to look into ways to make their property work, said Tylman. "We should do better in this affluent time," added Chris Laird, a Carnegie Board member. Matthew Matthew, who lives in an SRO (single room occupancy) told a story about a person he met who slept on a grate near his place. "I don't like where I live," he said, "But I feel guilty that this guy is sleeping on a vent."
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Chris Laird speaks at City Council on October 19th. 4 â&#x20AC;˘
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Speakers argue for moratorium on .hotel conversions ... (Continued from previous page) Colleen Carrall told a story about 4 baby pigeons who got better treatment than people evicted from hotels. "With no moratorium you're saying profits are more important than people," Lisa Poole, CCAP' s student worker told the council. "Council promised not to have evictions, but they are already happening," Muggs Sigurgeirson said, "so your promises are not fulfilled." Sam Snobelen told council they were punishing the Downtown Eastside because it never votes NPA. "These rotten hotels are better than the sidewalk," said Joan Morelli. Jenny Kwan, our NDP MLA, told a story about homeless people having sleep under an awing with their feet sticking out in the rain because there were too many to sleep lengthwise completely under the awning. Susan Henry of First United Church told councilors that government couldn't depend on faith-based charities to solve the homeless problem. "We're not the solution," she said. And Dalannah Gail Bowen said to Councilor, Kim Capri, "Kim, really, I challenge you to go live in that box outside (the Capri Suite) for a month. If you can't, don't ask people to do what you're not prepared to do." â&#x20AC;˘
At about 10 pm after almost 8 hours in council, the speakers listened as the NPA voted to refer the moratorium to their staff for a report in December. What message did they send to "the business community?" I think they said, "Your right to speculate is more important than a human being's right to housing." --Jean Swanson
Matthew Matthew sreaks at City Council, Oct. 19t .
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Momentum for welfare changes grows The Carnegie Community Action Project continues to work for welfare changes with the Raise the Rates Coalition. This month the momentum is really growing with another town calling on the province to raise rates and more people getting involved in the campaign. Here are some of the things that have been happening: The Raise the Rates players have put on their skit, The Price is Wrong, at the Unitarian Church in Vancouver, and at the Heart of the City festival. Another play was performed by a group at the church on Salsbury and 1st Ave., with Cc'llegie's 0\vn Stephen Lytton doing a powerful acting job as a homeless person sentenced to death. The play was followed with a talk on the Raise the Rates campaign by Jean Swanson, and a reading by Dave Diewart. About 150 people attended. About 300 people attended the Make Poverty History rally on October 15th where Emily Mayne represented Raise the Rates and gave a powerful speech about the need to improve welfare. The BC Teachers Federation made a donation of $5000 to Raise the Rates and invited Jean to speak at their meeting. The town of Smithers passed a resolution on welfare. The provincial health officer, appointed by the BC government, issued his annual report on health in BC. Chapter 4 of the
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report repeats over and over that welfare rates are not high enough. "Families and individuals on social assistance in BC have little or no money after paying for shelter to purchase food and other necessities," says the report (p. 64). Even the government minister in charge of housing, Rich Coleman, said when he announced his rent supplement program, that "children are suffering from [poor] nutrition or education outcomes" because their parents' don't have enough money for rent, and he was talking about _ families richer than people on welfare. (Continued on the next page)
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Raise the Rates getting more support (Continued from previous page) On Oct. 26, Raise the Rates and a Victoria group, Faith in Action, held a news conference calling on the government to improve welfare. The mayor of Kelowna, Sharon Shepard spoke in favor of higher rates and told me she agreed with Raise the Rates' demands of a 50% increase in welfare; an end to the barriers to getting on welfare, an increase in minimum wage to $1 0 and hour, and an earnings exemption of $500 for everyone on welfare. She also took some of Raise the Rates' posters. Jon Kesselman had an article in the ·
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Vancouver Sun using Raise the Rate's slogan: Could you live on $6 a day, and directing people to Raise the Rate' s website, www.raisetherates.org. This means the campaign is now getting a life of its own, and we don't have to organize everything that's happening. The provincial government is feeling the pressure. How do we know? Claude Richmond, the Minister in charge of welfare, came up poor bashing plan to give a quarter million dollars to community groups that provide education on cooking and nutrition to the poor. We just have to keep working. '
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The Raise the Rates players, Bob Sarti, Kelly, Colleen Carrall, Sandra Pronteau, and Joan Morelli at the Unitarian Church on Oct. 22"d. · 7
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As we go to press Gordon Campbell says that the government will raise welfare shelter rates. But, of course, he didn't say how much or when, or anything about the support rate.
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Vancouver Public Library presents
On the Downtown Eastside UBC Humanities 101: Undercurrents Pubic Forum Series
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Photo credits: Dan Feeney (top left) & kootenayvolcanao (bottom)
monday november 20 7:30p.m. Alma VanDusen & Peter Kaye Room Lower Level Central Library 350 West Georgia St. Admission is free
A wide-ranging discussion on the effects of gentrification in the Downtown Eastside.
Speakers include: " • • •
David Eby, Pivot Legal Society. Liz Evans, Portland Housing Society. Ken Lyotier, Un£ted We Can. Linda Mix, Former Chair, Impact on Communities Coalition.
• Jean Swanson,
Carnegie Action Project.
ststers LV\, OlAY
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On Saturday October 21st the Franciscan Sisters of the Atonement celebrated 80 years of living in and serving the people of the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver. At the celebration we learnt that the sisters ftrst arrived to serve the Japanese community, which was then living around Powell Street. When the tragedy of the infamous Internment of their neighbours occurred the sisters op~ned their convent for safe storage of goods and possessions belonging to those families being sent to the prison camps. A witness described the convent as being" full to the rafters without an inch to spare" .. Moreover some of the sisters accompanied the internees to Greenwood BC and stayed with them. Amongst the celebrants last Saturday was Sister Catherine Marie Fujisawa who was a little girl at the time and vivid memories of that terrible time. Sister grew up and was one of other Japanese women who committed their lives to serving with the Franciscan sisters. Sister Elizabeth Kelliher gave one of the keynote talks at the celebration in Holy Rosary Cathedral on Saturday. She pointed out that the sisters were not alone in serving those of the community in need over the years. She thanked all those who assisted and continue to assist the sisters with "love friendship and loyalty" virtues that we all know are easily found in the DTES ... and concluded by saying "To the thousands of men and women who partake of the various ministries, thank you for us allowing us to serve you, You are. gift to us". ...,· .,.... '•
When the Queen visited the Woodward's Squat as that poster shows, did she know that another regal Elizabeth was being given the "royal wave" by her many friends on the line? Walking to Carnegie to se·e the Opera last evening with Sister Elizabeth was like walking with a "STAR" as she kept being haile~ by name by so many friends. •
By Mary Ann Cantillon
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Music Appredation - Music History from the Dark Ages to the Age of the Machine with Colleen Muriel
Get the low-down on history - Music History (that is) ... with a bit of cultural comparison thrown into da mix. Were the Dark Ages really the beginning? were they really dark? ... we will investigate this sort of stuff while looking at the music of such cool composers as Bach, Handel, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Schumann, Charles Ives and many others. Thursdays November 2 - 30
Classroom II 1-3 pm "
Hello Everyone
I was very sad when I heard about John !urvey'~ passing· he was a man with so much to gtve. So m his me..:.ory we have a book at Carnegie for all those who would like to write a note, poem or a story of how John impacted your life. He was loved by so many people and even some of the politicians, he was able to educate about "Addiction". John was a person who people would stop and listen to because his messages and ftghts had an impact to our Community and those who wanted a different way of life. If you have time, drop by and write a little note and meet those who also can share their stories and/or pictures if you have any. ONCE again when the book is full we will send it to his wife Deb. Margaret
The Linux Corner Hi, welcome to an ongoing (hopefully) series of articles on things Linux. What is Linux you ask? Only the thing that gives people like Billy Gates more to worry about than spam, hackers, or the latest cyber attack designed to cause nothing but trouble to anyone who runs a Windows operating system on their PC, but for reasons that are not as obvious. Poor Billy, I guess being the 800 lb. gorilla has its downside. Especially when confronted with a roaring Penguin; the official mascot and logo critter for what has become my favourite type of operating system. Namely Linux. Linux, a basdardization of the words UNIX and LINUS ( the guy responsible for Linux) is founded upon one of the worlds first SERIOUS computer operating systems. ( That thing that lets aU the pretty pictures dance on the screen, and maybe lets you get some work done with your favourite program is called an operating system.) Picture professoriallookin' guys back in the 60's and 70's complete with beards, suspenders, and sensible shoes, locked away in University research labs full of wires, stuff that looks like props from Plan 9 from Outer Space, or any cheezy sci-fi flick, and the ~ constant smell of hot soldering irons. Those are the guys, or human critters who happened to have been guys, who invented UNIX; an operating system that ~ is still in heavy use worldwide, but originally looked nothing like what you see on computer screens today as far as what, and how you interact with a computer. No pretty pictures back then, just lots and lots of chicken scratch all over the screen that looked like some alien language, or that 'Matrix' thingy of flowing green gobbledygook ....Thankfully, things tend to get better the more smart people discover, and work on them. Go online, and these days you'll find a global community of millions of people (some of them even sport beards and sensible shoes) all using a derivative, or flavour of the Unix operating system. Currently there are about a hundred flavours loosely grouped under the heading of' Linux', with differences ranging from minor to the abstract. Almost like a genetic tree by comparison. Now I mentioned that Billy Gates, the soon-toretire head of Microsoft wasn't too happy with the roaring penguin of Linux. Probably for some of the following reasons:
â&#x20AC;˘ t: Linux can be had for the princely sum of $0.00 Yup, that's right, FREE. Whit~ the reason t~at Billy is the worlds rich~st dude 1s because Wmdows XP, for example, will set you back about $~20.00 for the basic software package. I guess busmess dudes and dudettes have a hard time coming to terms with that kind of competition. After all, they make a profit every time someone buys their product. . *2: Linux has, as I have mentioned, a worldwtde community of people. A lot of' em smart people who do things like write computer software packages they then make available to everyone, for free! Software that sits on top of all that green gobbledygook and hieroglyphics, giving us nice pretty pictures to look at while we do things. Yup, this stuff really works. â&#x20AC;˘3: Linux keeps on evolving and improving, and like the long distance runner who can hear the competition behind getting closer and closer, I believe those Microsoft executives are more than a tad worried about their bottom line. I guess they've never heard the phrase "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em". *4: (This one's political) I believe that people are waking up to the fact that corporations hold monopolies over the simple privilege of using a computer. Charging people with piracy for copying a software package that they, the corporations claim is their 'Intellectual Property'. 1can think of a few guys with beards and sensible shoes who'd take issue with that one. Soooo Free software, usually referred to as 'Open Source', is gaining acceptance due to corporate myopia and basic stodginess. Imagine if Ford Motors attempted to bring charges against every hot rod builder who ever welded together a chassis with a second hand Ford motor onboard, saying that the automobile is their 'Intellectual Property' because the motor was built by Ford. Ridiculous, right?! If someone gives me that motor, or sells it second hand is Ford worried? Or is the whole 'piracy' issue an example of an attempt to monopolise a market, and make more money than they know what to do with? Like I said, that last one is political. Some people say 'Go with the flow', when what they really mean is.'Get with their program'. Others say 'Go with the flow' and leave out the last two words .... ' AND EVOLVE'. Long live the Roaring Penguin.
Call for participants for •
Digital Media Equipment Training Workshops with Cease Wyss
January and February 2007. '
Vancouver Moving Theatre and the Roundhouse Community Centre are now accepting appli~ations from DTES community members to participate in digital media equipment training with local media artist Cease Wyss. VMT has commissioned Cease Wyss to create Bringing Shadows into Light, a short promotional video documenting the making of The Shadows Project. 6-8 Downtown Eastside community members will explore this process with her at the Roundhouse Community Centre between January and February of2007 and gain some hands-on experience learning about digital media equipment. The training may lead to further skill-building opportunities documenting the production phase of the Shadow Play during the months of March and April.
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The project is intended to give the viewer an experience of what it's like to go through an inner city community art process exploring the theme of addiction and demonstrating the nature of the project's community art practice and the work of its artists and participants. What your submission will need to include: • Paragraph stating why you are interested in participating in this training. • Include your name, phone number, address or email so we can contact you. You must have lived, worked, frequented or had relatives in the Downtown Eastside You must be able to commit six weekend afternoons in Jan-Feb, as well as various times throughout March-April for the shoot of the production aspect.
Please Note: This project will require part time hours, apx 4 hours a week at the most, and there will be no financial compensation. There will be professional training with an experienced documentary maker, with support throughout the process oflearning and applying your skills to this practice. What you will get out of this training: The training is being provided free of charge, and will involve learning interview techniques, digital media equipment including camera and sound gear, and there will be other elements of media making that will be explored. A commitment of six Saturday afternoons is required from January to February, 4 hours each week, as well as the possibilities of continuing on with hands-on documentation of The Shadows Project. This project is looking for people who are seriously committed, and are interested in exploring the field of digital documentation. There will be food and light beverages provided at the workshops, also free of charge.
Important Dates Submission Deadline: Selected participants will be announced:
Friday December 1, 2006 Friday December 8, 2006
9:30 pm
Workshop Dates:
Saturdays Jan. 6, 13, 20, 27, Feb. 3, 10 12:30-4:30 pm
Please forward submissions to Carnegie Centre Front Desk Attention - Rika Uto ...
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Vancouver Moving Theatre P.O. Box 88270 Chinatown PO Vancouver, B.C. V6A 4A4 604-254-6911
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Our Mother Earth As I sit down gently on our Mother Earth, content to be feeling free, never lost, in perfect tune with her in place - to touch the earth and embrace her soul. I reach up high to fondle and hold the moon that's lost like stone, in murky waters. As if I gaze through shimmering, frigid waters and yet knowing it is there just beyond my stretching reach. Through the steady clock-like precision, as my heart bets peacefully. As in minute, breathing, gently lapping waves, Mother Earth loves us so.. unconditionally, with no strings attached. She is ever wann and cozy, her essence just beneath her presence in shallow, soft, slightly shifting, slowly spinning beckoning trust. Her soul lies deep - wholly enveloping and welcoming. Yes, her perfect Spirit. She glows throughout my earthly battered body, yet, although neglected, not defeated; although my bedraggled being_,my scat-
tered psyche gathers pleasant thoughts, rejecting the negative patterns. My Mother Earth, in eternal motion, forgives it all. She hugs me hard regardless, even when I'm desolately al<?ne._Our Mother Earth is always there, even when we are face down on her sacred, hallowed ground - in perfect tune and hannony, feeling and coasting at a much more leisurely pace, recovering oh so slowly from my most recent solo period of rack and ruin,.. maybe to another distant time and most certainly off to that magnificently glowing space where I may find myself. Wherever, whenever, she will most willingly bestow - upon me, you, us all - her most splendid state of grace ... our Mother Earth, our miracle. By ROBYN LIVINGSTONE
Ladies in Waiting Time Out from the Street
Onward We Go Squatting minions, have no homes, nowhere, they just drift and float among the gentry's darting disdainful casting stares. Our endless roam and dreary drudge from here to there ... like climbing limitless mountains or scaling craggy heaps of steeply sharpened stars. Arcing skies, enshrouded by mystic clouds ovaled and edgy; a flightless, unidentifiably trembling bird flits about, toddles to the winds of change blowing harsh from east to west - safe travels my friend. I bonded while bundled on this weary trek as my life's blood slows, trickling away. Drop by drop I blew the ice off calloused, cramping, soaked hands gloveless, mo cash. You think it's time, maybe, to take a justified human stand when you are anonymous, already tossed and exiled away? As long as you can ably speak you will have a voice, and can rightfully have your extremely valuable and quite important say. Someone will have to answer ••• Someone will have to pay ••• Robyn Livingstone
I've started tearing up the photographs It's more than thirteen years now the pain is dulled The memories reconstructed. Living with homeless hookers on Brunswick Street The Priest came each weekend as most of the girls were Catholic and white Lost children of the mother church but worthy of charity 2nd-hand clothing leftover food ... . and the restraint of curfew. The "boyfriends"·circled the block Cruised the tree-lined street of Victorian houses in their impressive Cadillacs, the music blaring The girls hanging out the front windows calling to their lovers Like Cinderellas imprisoned in a Tower of cleanliness and respectability Until they get bored And do not come back from that movie downtown. Wilhelmina
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Quis custodiet ipsos custodes? The title of this article is probably familiar to a lot of you, dear readers. In case it isn't, please allow me to explain: it is a Latin phrase meaning ''Who will guard the guards?", and I used it because this article is about police who police themselves, or themselves investigate complaints against them. To me, the idea is obviously wrongheaded, because it is too open to abuse. What I am about to relate to you will seem to bear this out. I' 11 start with the 1997 APEC protest at UBC, where student protestors were pepper-sprayed in an effort to clear them out of the area where the APEC leaders were to meet. The RCMP Complaints Commission began an inquiry into the incident almost a year later, in 1998. It found that the person responsible for giving the order to use pepper spray made an unfortunate decision. However, his decision reflected limitations of poor planning and time constraints. Here's the capper, though: in June of 2002, the officer was promoted. This is a strange kind of disciplinary action to take. On April 4, 2005, The Vancouver Courier reported that Vancouver Police Department head Jamie Graham stated that 56 complaints made by the Pivot Le~l Society against the VPD were unsubstantiated. He called the complaints "libelous and slanderous." •
Further questioned by The Courier, Graham said that Pivot was not a "credible organization." Founded in 2000 by lawyer John Richardson and Ann Livingston, then of the Vancouver Ar~a Network of Drug Users, Pivot Legal Society is an advocacy group for drug.addicts, sex trade workers, and the homeless. A report from October 19, 2005, from the Pivot web site, is titled ''Pivot complaint forces VPD changes." It stated that the more than 50 complaints by Pivot against the VPD forced it to implement significant policy changes. These changes involved the way the VPD seizes property, and makes arrests. (One should note, however, that these changes didn't seem to matter to VPD officers seizing the possessions of homeless people in September of this year. One wonders if any investigation of this action will ever take place, and if so, if the result will ever amount to anything.) Two articles in the October 5, 2006 edition of The Globe and Mail are striking in their indictment of the RCMP. These are, "Mistakes plaguing RCMP: Errors made in several high profile cases raise questions about force's competence," by Rod Mickleburgh, and "Trust in RCMP grows weaker by the day," by columnist Gary Mason. Both articles refer to a number of prosecution failures by the RCMP. The case of mistaken charges against Shannon Murrin in the murder case of Mindy Tran was noted. A legal technicality dismissing the case of sex charges against an RCMP officer was noted. A number of other cases were mentioned. Perhaps the most damning was the in-custody shooting death of Ian Bush. Bush was arrested for having an open beer and giving the officer a false name. In September of 2006, the RCMP decided that the rookie officer who shot Bush in the back of the head acted in self-defence. The investigation that resulted from this incident was noteworthy for taking so long and being so secretive. Another article in the same paper was titled "Officer abused in Ian Bush case, police body says: RCMP's investigation of constable's action took too long, [Canadian Police Association] official tells conference." In the October 7 edition of The Globe and Mail, again Gary Mason takes the RCMP to task, this time
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for the seemingly indifferent response by the provincial government to the sex charges that were dismissed against an officer, "Many questions, few answers in RCMP case". On the same page is another article, "Mounties release internal memo: Imageboosting e-mail leaked in an effort to improve forces's tarnished reputation," by Terri Theodore. The e-mail reminds officers of their proud tradition of integrity, and their "amazing success, given the difficult challenges we all face on a daily basis." This comes just after the two prominent, previously mentioned cases, and also after the stinging judicial report slamming the RCMP for their handling of the case of Maher Arar, who, apparently on the RCMP' s say-so, was deported by the US to Syria, where he was tortured as a terrorist. Federal Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day expressed his confidence in the RCMP. However, he also said there is work left to do and changes may be needed to the laws governing RCMP officers. An editorial in the October 10 issue of The Vancouver Courier stresses the need for greater civilian oversight monitoring the actions of police forces, "Cops need civilian oversight." It concludes wondering if the political will exists to challenge police standard operating procedure. In the October 10 issue of The Globe and Mail, an editorial, "RCMP weather report: under a perpetual cloud" reports on aforementioned cases, and concludes that the RCMP must become accountable to Canadians. That's the key issue in this article: police accountability to the public, or, rather, the inexcusable lack of it.
By Rolf Auer
PACIFIC BLUEGRASS & HERITAGE MUSIC SOCIETY PRESENTS A VARIETY OF BANDS PLAYING BLUEGRASS, FOLK & COUNTRYMUSIC Nov. 15, 2006 7-9 pm Carnegie Theatre
Hon. Tony Clement Minister of Health"' House of Commons Ottawa, ON K 1A OA6 Dear Minister Cle~ent, •
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October 13, 2006
I am writing to you about an exploding health issue
in the Downtown Eastside but, an issue where it is clear that many hotels (both expensive and modest) across Canada are experiencing a crisis in bed bug infestation. I am deeply concerned about the deteriorating situation in the Downtown Eastside where ultimately, every hotel and rooming house, as well as social housing, is crawling with Bed Bugs. This has a significant and heavy impact on our low income residents who have no resources to cope with this infestation. To quote from a recent letter from the First United Church: Bed bugs are a major problem in Vancouver, particularly in the Downtown Eastside; however few people outside this area know or care much about the problem. At the moment, there is no treatment for these horrid pests that is simultaneously safe, effective, affo rdable and efficient. Ifyou have money and you own your own home ;·v,. ~:·'1 get rid of them. (Otherwise it can be a nightmare.) In addition to the creepy physical and mental misery they cause, I am hearing rep orts ofpeople who are suffering serious infections from bed bug bites. A contact at AIDS Vancouver reports this is p articularly worrying/or people with compromised immune systems.
Ironically, on Health Canada's website, there is no mention of this issue and no information to help people with health concerns. I respectfully ask you to immediately contact the appropriate officials at Health Canada and ensure they provide information and assistance to help people deal with this invasive problem. I also ask you to respond with concrete actions as to what your department is prepared to do to deal with this growing health problem. Yours sincerely, Libby Davies, M.P. Vancouver East c.c.:First United Church Carnegie Newsletter
DOWNTOWN
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Telephone (604) 657-6561 AM Van 7:00am· 5:00pm (on the road llm·4pnt) PM Van 4:00pm • 2;00am (On dae ro1cf' ~pm·lem) 7 Da)'l/ Week
SOCIETY 49 W.Cordova 604-2.51-JJIO
2006 DONATIONS Libby D.-$100 Rolf A.-$50 Barry for Dave McC-$100 Christopher R.-$30 · Margaret D.-$40 Bruce J.-$15 The Edge-$200 Mary C-$1 0 Penny G.-$50 MP/Jelly Bean -$20 RayCam-30 Janice P.-$30 Wes K.-$50 Gram-$$ Glen B.-$25 John S.-$60 Leslie S.-$20 Michael C.-$80 HumanitiesiOI-$100 Wm.B -$20 Sheila B.-$20 Ben C.-$20 Brian $2 CEEDS -$50 Joanne H.-$20 Wilhelmina M.-$1 0 Sam an -$20 Phyllis L.-$200 Paddy -$125 Anne P.-$20
FREE - Donations accepted.
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NEWSLETTER
'--------------------------~· THIS NEWSLElTER IS A PUBLICATION OF THE CARNEG IE COMMUNITY CENTRE ASSOCIATION Articl.:s rtprcsent the views of individual contributors and not of the Association.
Conlributors m~y not .malign, allack, or relegate any penon, group or clals, tncludmg drug users and economically pnor people, to a level referred to or implying 'less than human'.
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--------~------We acknowlct.i6 .. iital Carnegie Community Centre, and this
NtwJitlttr, ue on the Squamish N"lion 's tcrritorv.
Editor and layout: PauiR Taylor.
Submission deadline for next issue: -Friday, November 10 . Carnegie Community Centre
Contact
Jenny Wai Ching Kwan MLA •
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Working for·You
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1070-1641 Commercial Dr V5L JYJ Phone:775-0790 Fa1: 775-0881 Dpwotown Eastside Residents Association 12 E. Hastings St, or call682-0931
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San Quentin The days are interrupted by the endless body count, 5 to be exact. The nights are long and lonely; the , sounds of pain never stop. Inmates come and go, but they mostly stay for long periods of time. Few people know who I really am and I don't let anybody in to see what I feel. My person~ or, who I front to be is this huge, tough skinhead who doesn't bow to no-one. The guards bring in my drugs, and I pay them for their service. I run a business and people fear me, or die; life is black and white, here, there is no mercy. My gang of hoods is respected and well organized. l am the boss, no-one denies that. Once, someone tried to take over, he is dead now. I spent 9 months in the hole, no light, no clothes, and no contact with the outside. The weight I lost was a deterrent, but still, when I got back to general population tny gang accepted me. I did my time in the hole, I did not rat. That was the key to survival: rats die. One day they will let me out but when that will be, I don't know. I killed a man to get here, and many more while inside, doing my time .. . although they could not prove any crime. So day after day, count after count, I survive. Hope does not exist, freedom is only a dream. Michael
No Babies and Children Woman with child Her daily work is cut out for her Changing diapers cook and clean and some days she must go to the office too, pay for daycare, taxes, and to satisfy the boss she glares deep in his innocent eyes son another day to go out hunting room to rent in the tenement yard
gleaned through the newsreel ~ ah, this one should be it advert posted on the ,... :~~ a room for me and son more phone calls away "Sorry Ma'am no babies and children are allowed." ~hopes tumh to the cod-ops h ?' ~ ow muc money o you ave. s Aha! B.C.Housing "We advise you to put your name on the waitlist.. at, call us every month .. and we'll call you in 3 years." Mamamia Which way now mama ' Son, they said we should wait and pray to the man in the sky 't for affordable housing How can she raise children for the nation? ... when yard manager says • No babies and children. or • Politrickcian - too many tricks • and promises - oh no no no e wake up from your slumber sleep 1s nave you no more responsibility and pride th the solemn declaration the convention of the rights of the child the aged protected .• infants nourished and cared for the Oh no Mr. Gullible ain't no man up there to pray to for affordable housing rtg no more picking up the crumbs that r1e. fall off your table for mama ~pe What a world are we bringing children into No·babies and children? Ayisha /n
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COME TO THE LAUNCH OF THE BOOK . DEATH IN A .D_U MPSTER: A Passion Play for the Homeless .. by Sheila Baxter WHEN: Saturday, November 4, 1-3 pm WHERE: Victory Square (Cambie and Hastings) If it's pouring with rain, Carnegie Community Centre Theatre (Hastings and Main)
*free chili and cornbread from the Carnegie kitchen * free coffee and cookies * readings from the play * music and an open mike on homelessness All royalties from the play go to the "Feed the Homeless" project at StJohn's United Church. Lazara Press, Penny Goldsmith, Owner. (publisher@lazarapress.ca) 604 872 1134 (ph); 604 874 6661 (fax) http://lazarapress.ca 226,9. VMPO, Van, R~ V6B 3"'72
Conversation on Sin I'm waiting to be Wise The time is right- I'm old enough I understand human motivation on those clear days Greater distance; less passion Still, il est tres difficile to keep silent When silence is the only thing Not making a bad situation worse. Anger, my old enemy, and puny disappointment, its pitiful twin Continue to prod me into extreme displays of righteous reaction, passionate destruction At the injustice that blooms And of course the sin of Pride. Wilhelmina '
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Neighbourhood News Nothing but Praise, Applause and more Praise! - for the judge who issued an arrest warrant for the owner of the Bum's Block on Hastings. That one had lost Arbitration over something involving the tenants and said judge ordered him to rectify it. The guy didn' t. The judge then ordered him to appear in court to explain, in public, why not. The guy didn' t show up and the judge had had enough. Jail him!! - for Fcrtrless, the !1ew publication put out by and in support ot tne arts community. It is a bold and insightful product of much thought; input and publication is to be considered I done 4 times a year. FEARLESS Box 88211-418 Main Street, Van, BC V6A 4A5 editorial@fearlessmag.org - for the first created-in-the-Downtown-Eastside Opera! Condemned: a work in progress is amazing in all aspects. From the writing, music, and stageset all through the entire performance, the quality and talent are top-notch. It was sold out for every show and standing ovations following were well-deserved -for the participants, venues and productions of Festival activities presented so far. Talk about irony! In a slide show accompanying The Tipping Point Cabaret telling some of Bruce Eriksen's story, there was a headline in The Downtown East, Dera' s first newsletter edited by very young Jean Swanson and Libby Davies in the early 70s. It said, on the front page, "Mayor and NPA Council ignore 19 speakers Against Demolitions." Two days previous "Mayor and NPA Council ignore 38 speakers supporting a Moratorium on SRA Conversions." deja vu - for the Rhizome Cafe and The Foundation, two 路 socially conscious businesses at Kingsway & Broadway and 8th & Main respectfully. Rhizome
offers its space for community meetings, fundraisers and petitions for Raise the Rates; The Foundation has the following painted Qn its outside wall: ' "Don't ever think that a small group of committed individuals cannot change the world. In fact, it is the only thing that ever has." - for Jean Swanson for all the organizing work she does within and outside the boundaries of the Carnegie Community Action Project. Raise the Rates has gotten further and has more widespread support than anything she saw done in the last 30 years. People are learning the truth about poverty and are appalled at the criminal minds supposedly in charge of all levels of government lying and stealing. - for the Potluck Cafe at 40 W .Hastings, for the Radio Station Cafe at 101 E. Hastings, and of course for the Carnegie Kitchen, the best of a11!! PRT
Those who say it can't be done should not those who are it
1"he
owntown Eastside Poets
RID拢A6AIN 'tis indeed fortuitous that such mystics, seers and prophets come down from their mountain fastness and hermitages to grace the Heart o_[the City Festival as it completes its sojourn amongst artists, musicians and seekers of truth. It'll be a blast tor the rest ot us too!
Saturday, November 4 at 7pm In the Carnegie Theatre An Open Mike, with refreshments