LABOUR
Party leaders eager to win support of working people
O
CONTENTS 9
with an eye to assisting those with mentalhealth challenges. The Liberals say they’ll work with community partners on a fund to support Black Canadians’ mental health.
COVER
TAIWANfest’s guiding light, Charlie Wu, argues in a new book that Taiwanese people can learn lessons about identity from Canada’s multicultural mosaic.
by Charlie Smith
n August 31, the Liberal Party of Canada promised a suite of initiatives to help Canadians cope with mental-health issues. And the timing isn’t a coincidence. Not only does it come in the lead-up to Labour Day on Monday (September 6), but it also offers a rejoinder to the federal Conservatives, who have been trying to make inroads on this issue in the federal election campaign. “In a typical year, one in five Canadians experience mental-health challenges,” Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau said in a party news release. “The pandemic intensified those existing challenges, especially for front-line health-care workers, youth, seniors, Indigenous people, people with disabilities, and racialized and Black Canadians.” The Liberal response has been to offer a permanent ongoing funding to the provinces for a new Canada Mental Health Transfer, as well as a new fund for student well-being. In addition, the Liberals have promised to develop a mental-health and wellness strategy with First Nations and a review of disability benefits and programs
September 2-9 / 2021
By Charlie Smith Cover photo by Shimon Karmel
5
REAL ESTATE
An all-women team is developing a new social-housing project with an international charity not far from Vancouver City Hall. By Carlito Pablo
Now he [Trudeau] wants us to believe he’ll do it after the election. – NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh
The Conservatives have promised to boost funding to provinces for mental health but not through a new transfer program. Leader Erin O’Toole decided instead to boost the annual growth rate of the Canada Health Transfer to deliver an additional $60 billion to the provinces for health care over 10 years. He also said that he’ll “encourage” employers to add mental health to employee-benefit plans with a 25 see page 4
15
MUSIC
As artistic director of the 2 Rivers Remix Society, Meeka Morgan gets to indulge her deep love for, and vast knowledge of, Indigenous music. By Steve Newton
e Start Here 13 ARTS 7 BEER 18 CLASSIFIED ADS 12 COMEDY 6 FINANCE 2 LABOUR 18 SAVAGE LOVE 8 TAIWANFEST 16 WHAT’S IN YOUR FRIDGE
Vancouver’s News and Entertainment Weekly Volume 55 | Number 2794
ON LABOUR DAY, LET’S RECOGNIZE OUR NURSES AND ALL WORKERS www.bcnu.org BC’s nurses and front line workers are working tirelessly. With gratitude, let’s acknowledge and support their resiliency and dedication to safe patient care.
#300 - 1375 West 6th Avenue, Vancouver, B.C. V6H 0B1 T: 604.730.7000 F: 604.730.7010 E: gs.info@straight.com straight.com
CLASSIFIEDS: T: 604.730.7000 E: classads@straight.com
DISPLAY ADVERTISING: T: 604.730.7064 F: 604.730.7012 E: sales@straight.com
DISTRIBUTION: 604.730.7087
SUBSCRIPTIONS: 604.730.7000
EDITOR Charlie Smith GENERAL MANAGER (ACTING) Sandra Oswald SECTION EDITORS Mike Usinger (ESports/Liquor/Music) Steve Newton SENIOR EDITOR Martin Dunphy STAFF WRITERS Carlito Pablo (Real Estate) Craig Takeuchi SOLUTIONS ARCHITECT Jeff Li ART DEPARTMENT MANAGER Janet McDonald
e Online TOP 5
Here’s what people are reading this week on Straight.com.
1 2 3 4 5
Tommy Chong lowers asking price for West Vancouver home. COVID-19 in B.C.: Nearing 6,000 active cases and more than 1,800 new cases. Liberal sold 21 homes since 2005 that would be subject to party’s flipping tax. Female suspect arrested and charged for fire that destroyed Surrey church. Blockstream becomes B.C.’s latest billion-dollar tech titan. @GeorgiaStraight
GRAPHIC DESIGNER Miguel Hernandez PRODUCTION SUPERVISOR Mike Correia ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVES Glenn Cohen, Luci Richards, Catherine Tickle, Robyn Marsh (On-Leave), David Pearlman (On-Leave) MANAGER, BRANDED CONTENT AND MARKETING LEAD Rachel Moore CONTENT AND MARKETING SPECIALIST Alina Blackett CREDIT MANAGER Shannon Li ACCOUNTING SUPERVISOR Tamara Robinson
THANK YOU FOR RECYCLING THIS NEWSPAPER. 2
THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT
SEPTEMBER 2 – 9 / 2021
