August 1, 2007 carnegie newsletter

FREE

NEWSLETTOER

AUGUST 1, 2007

~01 Main Street, Vancouver V6A 2T7 (604) 665-2289 1- -------------------

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carnnews@vcn.bc.ca www.carnnews.org

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Employer's Spin &

The Real Story In Solidarity If the only source of information (actually opinion, since facts are few and exaggerated beyond the pale) on the Civic workers Strike is the TV and daily papers it is meant to convey feelings that're desired by the owners of the press and much of City Hall.

"Our benevolent and likeable City Council and

Park Board NPA majority are doing the best they can in the face of outrageous demands from the evil union."

What a fuckingjoke!!* According to the official Olympic network CTV and the affiliate Vancouver Sun and Province papers, the only issues are the union wanting a 30% pay raise and refusing to accept a 39-month contract. *Ditto!!

ter 500 hours upgrade to $8/hr. The bit about "pay grade 28 and up" is just as sleazy. The union wants the entire contract to apply to every employee, not a select few. Divide and conquer?!

Recruitment, Retention, Lay-off & Recall: This is the most sinister aspect of the corporate contract offer. The employer wants to be legally allowed to hire whoever it wants from wherever pay the people whatever they want to or have to' to get them working, to layoff anyone whenever a~d to stop all bumping of workers [people with

higher seniority can take jobs of those with less time on the job (provided they're qualified of course] so they To get the context of the real story, know first of all that the union responded to the City's offered contract with a detailed examination of each point The City's 'negotiating team' didn't even read it.

They came to perhaps the one and only face-toface meeting with the Union's negotiating team.

After about an hour of giving justifications for each point that the union had rejected as grossly unfair, the Employer's boys said "Here's our only offer. Take it or leave it." And they walked out.

Term (Employer's Spin): The 39-month term is so the contract will bridge the Olympic Games and ensure labour peace.

Real Story: The union also wants the Games to occur within the term of the contract but in a 4- or even 5-year deal. With 3.25 years, how would anything be negotiated for 0.75 years? It's not a huge issue; it's just not business-like.

Monetary Package (Employer's Spin): The offer is 9.75% over 39 months, with increases for all employees in pay grades 28 and up.

Real Money: Again it would put the union in the position of trying to negotiate for the remaining 9 months of2010 with Olympic bills rolling in.

Much more unfair is that the City wanted all the Building Service Workers (Janitors, cleaners etc) to be excluded from any contract, to have their wages frozen at current levels. The obvious step is the City wants to contract out to private companies who pay immigrant employees about half of what City BSWs get for doing the same work.

If a unionized janitor gets $16/hr, a new immigrant with limited English and unable to complain about payor working conditions can be made to work for as little as $6/hr (training wage) and af-

can recall only those employees who will fit into the corporate system as desired.

Acceptance of this eliminates seniority and current classification for employees who apply for ~ny position within the civic pool. Right now any Job IS available to members ofthe union first. If no o.ne who applies is suitable, then and only then can if be posted everywhere. This prevents the hiring of anyone with less experience or less competence than a union member, and stops the corporate practice of laying off or firing senior employers before they retire.

The ball game behind this unacceptable scenario is the desire of th; City to contract out anything they can, to break: the union and eliminate all benefits: health insurance, shift work + overtime pay, sick leave, maternity leave and pensions.

Unions, including the Canadian Union of Public Employees, have fought for decades for their current pay, working conditions and benefits. The Employer comes in and says "We want all these concessions back/cancelled." Of course the Union is going to say No. What m~kes this so much worse is the idiocy of Sam Sullivan, pretending to bel acting as a mayor.

He pants after any media coverage (with emails on his daily schedule, with promotional pablum attached, to almost every reporter and media source several times a day) and then comes out with such oblivious gems as "I'm against a 2-year (then 3-year, then 4-year, then 5-year) contract.

C.U.P.E. is not going to put this poor city into a corner(!)" Even the City's so-called negotiating team must cringe every time Sullivan cons local media into airing his sound-bites.

Make no mistake: This Strike could be ended in

a few days to a couple of weeks if/when both sides sit down and negotiate a new Collective Agreement. What the corporate side is trying to do has already been disallowed by the Supreme Court of Canada when they found the 'government' of Gordon Campbellliable for the slimy treatment of healthcare workers and others when they ripped up legal agreements and fired thousands while slashing wages by 15%. It's the taxpayers of BC who will now have to cover the compensation awarded to all the workers fucked over by Gordie and his Fraser Institute bosses.

The cash cow of the Olympics for corporate insiders won't be enough of a hoped-for juggernaut to wipe out unions. This superficial PR exercise right now is going to result in serious blowback.

Mama, , Today I write you to ask you to forgive me for blaming you for the way I grew up. You tried your best, the best you knew how, you were never given parental skills in residential school, you were never taught to love, and you were never taught to feel.

Your teachers in the residential schools taught you abuse, hatred, malice and torture. So when it came time to teach your own children, you taught them with all these things. You were only trying to be a good mama, when you whipped me with electric cords, straps and red willow. And in your' heart, I know you thought you were doing right, because that is what you learned in the residential' school.

It took me forty five years to understand you, Mama, that you were not a bad mama, you were only inflicting upon me, what was inflicted upon you, which you thought at the time was the right thing to do.

So mama, today I want to tell that I forgive you

Life Time Ban for Welfare Fraud

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We have started a court case on the life time ban on welfare for welfare fraud (conviction). See attached court document. I am interested in talking to other persons who have suffered a similar fate. Please have them call me. See our toll free number below for persons outside of Vancouver.

and [ love you.and I unoerstano It was not your fault to teach me with whips, slaps and punches. I understand that you and Daddy drank alcohol to , numb the pain of your hurts and pains of the residential school. ;',\ I only wish that you could be here today for me . to tell you in person, how sorry I am, when I ~ learned what you endured in residential school, all the beatings, the abuse and the hurts and pains.

Mama you didn't have to die so young, and I didn't have to go on drinking to wipe away the ~l memory that was not your fault. I miss you very ... much and I realized today, that I have never really \ grieved your passing away, and I have never . really grieved for my daddy either.

So in you and Daddy's memory, mama, I am going to try to be the best that I can, and [ am going to live every day to the fullest, knowing now that [ don't have to let the effects off the residential school ruin the rest of my life.

Mama, all I want to say, is that I love you.

Written By Sylvia Sharon Isaac

Stand Your Ground "Stand Your Ground" was a dance performance of the Carnegie/Firehall Community Project. In one part of the performance I saw Ricky standing in the centre of a circle of dancers in the Carnegie gym. He stood with enormous dignity, solid as a mountain. He was standing his ground as his people have stood their ground, and will continue to stand their ground, until justice is done. Standing our ground was a major theme of the dance, and it was created in the dialogue between Karen Jamieson and the participants of Dance 101, an ongoing dance workshop at the Carnegie Community Centre. We know about standing our ground in the Downtown Eastside.

The dance performance that I saw started in the courtyard of the Firehall Arts Centre at 5:00 p.m, on July 9th, 2007. The sun shone warmly in the courtyard. Peace was there, and mindfulness.

About twenty people made up the audience. You couldn't have more than that because the audience had to move to di fferent places in the Downtown Eastside. Stephen opened the event by acknowledging that we were on First Nations land. He called for a minute of silence to remember those who have gone before us. So do the dead open the gate of mindfulness. Stephen then gave a prayer of gratitude. He told us the dance would celebrate the spirit of place and the many cultural traditions of the community. This particular event would be a celebration of our community, the Downtown Eastside, because this is where we are, this is where we live, and the places the dance visits First United Church, Hastings Street vendors, Ovaltine Cafe, the Listening Post, the Aboriginal Front Door, and the Carnegie Community Centre - are all places in the Downtown Eastside. As Bruce Eriksen has said, "The people who live here, they call it the Downtown Eastside."

In spite of all the vicious, ignorant, name-calling

by the media, and the threat of unrestrained gentrification that pushes people out of their community, this dance performance celebrates the spirit of place - the proud, caring, rnulticultural, low income community of the Downtown Eastside.

And we will stand our ground.

At the Firehall Theatre the members of the audience sat on chairs facing the stage in the courtyard. After a powerfully evocative song by a performer in the First Nations tradition, the large iron gate behind us swung open and dancers came toward us, silent and mysterious, like spirits from

the underworld, in dreamtime, dressed in the mu 1ticultural costumes of dreamtime. They came like ghosts and walked among us, muttering short messages about journey, both inner and outer. We entered dreamtime with them and moved with them out of the courtyard and onto the street. As we journeyed from place to place, the spirits sang children's songs, danced and brought joy to streets that have seen too much pain. As I watched the dancers, and the musicians who accompanied them, in dreamtime, in sacred space, that is in space that is saturated with being, I recalled words

by T.S. Eliot in Four Quartets, \ ''At the still point of the turning world. ... Where past andfuture are gathered. ...Exceptfor the point, the still point, there would be no dance, and there is only the dance. " While creating this beautiful performance the dancers have stood firm on their own ground.

This event was a first draft of a dance performance drawn from a three year dance project led by Karen Jamieson which engaged residents of the Downtown Eastside in the process of dance creation. The culminating performance of this project will take place in July, 2008. The dancers, there-

fore, have been working with Karen Jamieson for two years, and they have one more year to go.

They, and the musicians who accompanied them, have created a caring community of their own, and we in the audience could feel the strength and joy of it. It was fun to be part of this positive energy, and to hear the words of the children's song, "If you go down to the woods today, you're sure ofa big surprise." And the surprise is life more abundant - beautiful, caring life, and we in the Downtown Eastside, although we know a lot about pain and sorrow, can show the rest of Vancouver the beauty and caring that is here in Vancouver's oldest community with its long history of struggle for dignity and human rights. Thank you to all the people who created the dance performance called "STAND YOUR GROUND." ~

Sandy Cameron

Where are the children, where are they gone?

Little Mountain housing main and thirty-fifth Empty homes, plastic covered windows ..HIDE. The evacuation and relocation of these children.

So empty homes echo the children's voices, now gone.

The school missing so many children, will it stay?

The ones left look for their friends, They grew up with ..gone gone gone.

Where did they go? Why do we move families?

Is Vancouver to become a city of childless con dos?

We need fami ies, we need children It's so sad to gaze on those empty homes So many families are homeless There at Little Mountain THREE BEDROOM HOMES STAND EMPTY.

s Update on BC Housing & Sunset Towers The notices that said we were no longer senior housing apparently didn't come directly from BC Housing, but from Catherine who was under contract from the West End Seniors Geriatrics as a staff person in the advocasy and leisure programs at Sunset Towers ....This program had been around for many years.

Now we come under mental health and W.E.S no longer has the contract.. ... I don't know why.

BC Housing says that we are still a seniors and handicapped building and the notices were not from them.

The district manager told me that we do, however have a program for new tenants who are in recovery from addictions; she said this program is now in many BC Housing sites.

My dilemma is ['m pleased that these people have a safe place to stay -they could never recover on the street. Apparently they stay here for a year but I don't know too much else. If the government doesn't build more recovery facilities with programs it will only get worse if people who've been waiting get leapfrogged in this way.

I don't want these people who are struggling to stay clean to be homeless; at the same time there are seniors and handicapped people on the waiting list who wait even longer.

It's all about money and real estate ....and there's no federal, provincial or municipal political will to face these problems and give real solutions.

Sheila Baxter

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Convert STORYEUM to a Shelter There is interest by the DTES community in securing Storyeum as a 24-hour homeless shelter. Members of the DTES community have agreed that the DTES and its Gastown neighbor hood have enough art galleries now. The DTES creates its own art and it is not necessary to import it.

Also, the arrogance of the established art community had it neglect to inform the DTES before deciding that Storyeum should be an art experience centre.

The best use for city-owned Storyeum is as a well-designed homeless shelter. The city was advised to make Storyeum a shelter in November 2006 but refused to even acknowledge the communications made to it. A man died on Hastings Street last winter, just two short blocks away.

Also, there was a pneumonia epidemic on the street.

As readers, please contact the city and tell them you do not want the homeless sleeping on the streets. I am tired of hearing that the homeless population is overly exaggerated and if we leave them they will eventually go away. Because of cutbacks there are few advocacy groups left to fight for the homeless.

According to the Homeless Action Plan, the city's policy is not to allow any more shelters. This is totally irresponsible and cruel.

Audrey Laferrierre, Vancouver Petition to Make STORYEUM a Shelter is at DERA's office, 12 E. Hastings, Vancouver.

Kim Kerr, executive director, is in the process of making a proposal to the City of Vancouver to make this shelter a reality. If you, as a resident, have reasons why we need shelters, pass them on to Dera so your input can be included.

The below is a description of the 2007 federal monies for homelessness. Could you tell me what is wrong with this definition?

The Homelessness Partnership Initiative (HPI) is the cornerstone of the Homelessness Partnering Strategy (HPS). Its housing-first approach recognizes that the first step is to provide individuals with transitional and supportive housing. Afterwards, other supports can be instituted as required to improve health, parenting, education, and em ployment.

It's very general. If following pages (assuming the paragraph is an introduction to a detailed policy paper) layout specific definitions for "transitional" and "supportive" and give realistic timetables and practical plans for immediate implementation of a comprehensive building schedule, then it can be taken at face value. If, on the other hand, it is doublespeak meant only to have readers fit their own kind of housing under one of the loose headings of "Improving Health, Parenting, Education, Employment, ... then it is just on paper.

The words transitional and supportive describe special needs housing - and the criteria that those going to be included would have to satisfy likely, by definition, exclude the vast majority of people who are poor and struggling.

If the leading paragraph stated "Federal monies for housing in 2007: where and how for how many units" and gave specific projects ... then fine.

The one showing here doesn't float many boats.

PRT

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PIVOT

Guiltless and Still Angry "His home was non-violent..." begins the statement About the Past - they say Let it goHow do you do dat ting mon?

My Son -victim of a pernicious system of perverts pstanding citizens Probation officers Hockey coaches "Respectable" -rnarried with children Our neighbours -middle-class or what passes for it And the boys themselves Pawns to do the unspeakable on a regular basis Confusion in the victim always a valuable factor.

Only the "boys in trouble" discovered 'The Secrets' Threats became acts of pain and humiliation At the end of a broken hockey stick Inside the Shelbourne Boys' Home Revenge as a cool dish when the shit hit the fan.

A blind and mute girl the sexual relief for a myriad of 'caregivers'.

Heads really rolled -jobs & reputations lost Big Bucks were doled out to the permanently damaged To "ease the loss" Not enough!

They put the hockey coach away But it took so long so longTo catch the son of a bitch.

W. Miles

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Photo- COYtt'"~ F(;(,V\;

Shooting shots of friends and neighbours, of new sisters and brothers if family is estranged. Maybe no parents, probably could be gone but not ignored in distant, recent memory; perhaps, you know, passed away -spirits in your heart or way up in the skies.

People and pets on whom we desperately hope' to rely, like sun and water.

So I hit the bricks with camera in hand & stop suddenly to catch the lay of this diverse Downtown Eastside land with thirty photos yet totally in a strictly limited amount of time to chase, to search, to frame your subjects ever so sure with the greatest of care, to be steady, no shaking, whether to flash or keep your back to the searing sun. NO don't cover the lens; no sudden moves; you don't want no blurs as the minutes and hours fly speedily by, counting down quickly from thirty to zero, 60 Minutes to go and seeking friendly and engaging heroines (and heroes); participating is a blast - it's not about winning and losing, it's all about snapshots of history in the making and forever. It's about artistic endeavours, the creative process, looking oh so carefully for perfection and beauty in this noble quest of discovering bright hope in the dark and sometimes murky shadows.

Empowering the disadvantaged, the downtrodden and the recovering -all sparkling souls in the wide open jewel of our startling, static, all encompassing, tragic, ageless, entertaining and profound neighbourhood!

Robyn Livingstone

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Crow "On'e For Sorrow" •. '~, :....... ~ r----~----------.

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I can never escape him.

He follows me wherever I go.

I shudder at the mere sight of him even though his feathers drip oil slick rainbows.

Crows "Two For Joy"

Lakota Wisdom:

My friend hangs a painting of crow' s corvid cousin, Raven above the bed where I know she dreams of conceiving a child and I try to keep quiet but I can't, so I cry "That bird can only bring you sorrow!"

How to Flog a Dead Horse

Lakota tribal wisdom says that when you discover you are riding a dead horse, the best strategy is' to dismount. However, these other methods have also been used. [And are printed here thinking of the various governments' ways of "dealing with" the housing crisis and homelessness (with or without the recommendations of their 'experts') ...]

I. Get a bigger whip.2. Change riders.3. Say "This is how we have always ridden this horse."

4. Appoint a committee to study the horse. 5. Arrange to visit other sites to see how they ride dead horses. 6. Lower the standards for riding horses.

7. Appoint a focus group to revive the dead horse.

S. Create a training session to increase our riding capacity. 9. Compare the state of dead horses in today's environment. 10. Declare that "This horse is not dead." 1I. Blame the horse's parents.

12. Harness several dead horses together to improve the horses' ,Performance. 13. Declare that "No horse is too dead to flog." 14. Provide additional funding to increase the horse's performance.

15. Do a study to see if contractors can ride the horse for less money. 16. Declare that the horse is "better, faster and cheaper" dead. 17. Form a quality circle to find uses for dead horses. IS. Revise the performance requirements for horses. 19. Say that the horse was procured with cost as an independent variable. 20. Close the horse farm on which the horse was born. 21. Promote the dead horse to a supervisory position.

Submitted by Gena Thompson

Crows "Three For a Girl" My friend just laughs and says to me: "Now we are standing on Coast Salish territory where Raven tucks the sun, moon and stars under his wings to bring the light."

Crows

"Four For A Boy"• Raven winks at her mocking my prophecy, and the next year my friend nurses a baby boy the following year they are joined by a little sister who will learn to laugh at me and call me Auntie.

Crow "One For Sorrow" So why am I sti 11 under the spell Of that other pallbearer ofa bird The one perpetually dressed to eat sweetmeats Roasted on the funeral pyre of my dreams?

I frantically search the sky holding onto the words of my friend shining charms clutched in my mind telling me "In Vancouver, there is always another crow."

Mary Duffy

I destroy homes, I tear families apart, I'll take your children, and that's just the start. I'm more costly than diamonds, more precious than gold, the sorrow I bring is a sight to behold.

If you need me, remember, I'm easily found .1 live all around you- in schools and in town. I live with the rich and I live with the poor, I live down the street and maybe next door.

I'm made in a lab but not what you think. I can even be made under the kitchen sink, in your child's closet and even in the woods. If this scares you to death, well it certainly should.

I have many names, but there's one you know best. I'm sure you've heard of me, my name is crystal meth. My power is awesome- try me you'll see, but, if you do, you may never break free.

Just try me once and I might let you go but try me twice and I'll own your soul. When I possess you, you'll steal and you'll lie, you do what you have to, just to get high.

The crimes you'll commit for my narcotic charms will be worth the pleasure you'll feel in your arms (your lungs, and your nose) you'll lie to your mother, you'll steal from your dad, when you see their tears you should feel sad.

But you'll forget your morals and how you were raised, I'll be your conscience, I'll teach you my ways. I take kids from parents and parents from kids. I turn people from god, and separate friends.

I'll take everything from you, your looks and your pride, I'll be with you always, right by your side. You'll give up every thing- your family, your home, your friends, your money, and then you'll be alone. ' I'll take and take, till you have nothing more to give. When I'm finished with you, you'll be lucky to live. If you try me be warned- this is no game, if given the chance I'll drive you insane.

I'll ravish your body I'll control your mind. I'll own you completely; your soul will be mine. The nightmares I'll give you while lying in bed the voices you'll hear; from inside your head.

The sweats, the shakes, the visions you'll see. I want you to know, these are all gifts from me.

But, then it's too late and you'll know in your heart that you are mine and we shall not part.

You'll regret that you tried me, they always do.

But you came to me, not I to you. You knew this would happen, many times you were told, but you challenged my power and chose to be bold.

You could have said no, and just walked away.

If you could live that day over, now what would you say? I'll be your master; you'll be my slave.

I'll even go with you, when you go to your grave.

Now that you met me, what will you do? Will you try me or not? It's all up to you. I can bring you more misery than words can tell, come, take my hand, I'll lead you to hell!

Submitted by Little Eagle

McCullough, former president of the San Francisco Theological Seminary, author of Say Please, Say Thank You, said, "Gratitude is an acknowledgement of our dependence on each other.

When [ am thankful, [ acknowledge that [ do not live alone, that [ am part of a community, that I am bound by a community."

She must have been a very wise and compasionate woman. What she said to those students that day touched me. It also applies to our own DTES community. We really are dependent on one another in so many ways. I hope you will find room to publish this in the newsletter. Thank you for your consideration.

Respectfully submitted, Lou V.

-Pbwe 11 St'ree'f; Festiva 1 An annual community eventU hJ

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Kids' stuff;

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Music, Martial arts and Taiko Drumming!

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Oppenheimer Park, Vancouver,~ .~,

www.powellstreetfestival.com

Carnegie Community Action Project (CCAP)

Newsletter For more info visit Association Office - 2nd floor Camegie Centre

Aug 1,2007

Time is running out for HOUSING before the Olympics Last month, the Olympic Partners (City, Province, Feds, VANOC) in a joint report said it was unlikely that they could meet the fulfill the Olympic Promises to raise welfare rates by 50% and to build 3200 social housing units before the Games because there is no money to pay for it.

released by the fall, there may still be a chance homeless people and others needing housing will have a new home by the Games.

CCAP volunteers are figuring out how to get the attention of the United Nations, make posters to put up all over the city, they have already collected 1000 support letters for the Olympic Promises from festivals this summer and are planning some creative actions to get some media attention.

The CCAP office at Camegie is closed because of the strike. CCAP Volunteers are meeting offsite. If you want to help out, call Wendy: 604-602-0379 (photo

by Sharon Bums - taken of Joe, CCAP Volunteer at Vancouver Art Gallery Rally for Olympic Promises)

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But, there is plenty of surplus tax dollars (4.1 billion surplus provincially this year alone) and time is running out.

Its not over yet says Bharbara, Rolf, Diane, Robert, Fred, Anne, Rusty, Sandy, Ayisha, Joe, Carmelita and other CCAP Volunteers and its time to get busy. If surplus government funds are '~

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The best thing about our neighbourhood is "the people" mock up a street and learn about the tools we could use or create to make our vision a reality. A few of those tools could be zoning and money from the Senior Governments. Other tools could be the creation of a Community Development Corporation, a community board that filters development applications and more.

We practiced 2 visioning sessions already: one at Carnegie and the other at VANDU. If you missed them, don't worry, we will do them again and in other important gathering places in our neighbourhood.

In July 2008, City Planners will attempt to rezone the area around Oppenheimer called the DE OD and the Hastings Corridor area east of Main Street. Why? The pressure to develop the area is high. Both City Council and the Olympics are putting pressure on our area to "revitalize" our neighbourhood.

A key tool to make this change will be the rezoning of our area.

Diane drawing people's ideas CCAP will ask groups of low income residents what they like most about our area this Fall. We'll also find out what would improve our lives in the Downtown Eastside. This will likely be the first step to creating a vision for a low income friendly neighbourhood.

After this we may host some open design workshops to get more information from neighbours about the key areas they think need to be improved. With all that info, we could

The Carnegie Visioning The result of a visioning session at (Continued on page 3) 2

(Continued from page 2) Carnegie has been compiled. We talked to people who lived in co-ops, social housing, hostels, hotels, outside and others who are live outside the

in the neighbourhood and better quality food were important too. Higher welfare rates are wanted too.

And the last top area for improvement was "security". No, this does not more yellow jackets, but the security to know the DTES will be here always and that low income people won't be pushed out. This neighbourhood should be welcoming, residents said. If condos come, that shouldn't change the neighbourhood.

It should still be the kind of place where you don't have to worry about what people think about you.

We hope to do a visioning at the Women's Centre, Aboriginal Front Door, Oppenheimer, Mavis McMullen, Crabtree Housing etc and talk or survey up to 150q neighbours in total. Watch for notices of these workshops if you would like to attend.

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neighbourhood but visit daily and use its services. We brainstormed a list of things we'd like to see improved. Then each person got 3 sticker dots to put beside their favorite ideas.

Do you want to know what the top area for improvement was according to this group? It is a better "home". Residents said more homes are needed instead of just places to stay. Some said they wanted a their own .JJ1~,;:g;;;;;;;;;,;;;,' kitchen, bathroom, a nice view and clean air. One person said "its hurts us to see our friends homeless" and this got a lot of dots.

More harm reduction services and community amenities like swimming pools and grocery stores were mentioned too. And people would like to make it easier for families to live

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100 social housing homes at Little Mountain will be empty until 2010 frill

Where are the children, where are they gone?

Little Mountain housing main and thirty-five Empty homes, plastic covered windows ..HIDE. The evacuation and relocation of these children.

50 empty homes echo, the children's voices, now gone.

The school missing so many children, will it stay?

The ones left look for their friends, They grew up with ... gone gone gone.

Where did they go? Why do we move families?

Is Vancouver to become a city of childless condos?

We need families, we need children It's so sad to gaze on those empty homes So many families are homeless There at Little Mountain

I

THREE BEDROOM HOMES STAND EMPTY.

Sheila at Little Mountain Rally

SHEILA BAXTER

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Like the proposed development for Riverview condos, Little Mountain Redevelopment is an example of social housin that may possibly be built without paying for it out of tax dollars and by giving Developers and other . related businesses benefits.

Why is it that people need to wait until developers make profits before they can have a home? Housing could be built right now out of the Province's

massive surplus from last year of $4.1 billion and out of its 'l4 million housing endowment fund that has been locked away instead of being used as the downpayment for housing now.

vancity "Support for this project does not necessarily imply Vancity's endorsement of the findings or contents of this report."

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VENIAL When I was a child My sister asked me "What is denial"?

I could not reply So she laughed 'til she cried: "De Nile is de River in Egypt Where de Crocodiles smile"!

Though I have tried to hide From the smile that masks Teeth that bite like glass Into inviting violet veins Glowing beneath fragile skin I could not stop myselffrom diving in Jumping from the banks Where flowers of forgetfulness bloom Swimming much too close to him Bathing in sweet seas of delirium Until my sister, the Sphinx Casts out her net Pulling me back through cavernous jaws She shakes me and wakes me to ask: "Child, child what is denial"?

I laugh 'til I cry I've been there and back: De Nile is De River in Egypt Where De Crocodiles smile Mary Duffy

The Powell Street Festival is the one of the very best festivals inVancouver precisely because it is so uniquely community oriented: inclusive and respectful and joyful. It is the one event that my kids talk about year round (how much corn on the cob they ate when they were two years old) and my family never misses it.

I'm deeply insulted by Mr. Moscato's opinion of this cultural gem. I doubt he has ever been to the festival himself and perhaps should come to it first before spouting off about things he knows nothing about.

Wendy Pedersen Carnegie Action desk 604.665.2105

To be viewed with sadness or disgust Poison Pen letters were all the rage at one time and were usually unsigned. If someone wanted to have power over people by doing as much mental damage to one person, several people or a group of people they would write nasty letters to the persons they wanted to hurt.

Poison pen letters have evolved into blogging, which may also go unsigned. The person who writes 'poison pen letters' may be right there amongst those they want to hurt, may even be well Iiked. Or they may be on the fringe of a group and send messages to other people who would then pass judgment on the one being picked on.

The power a poisoner may feel by writing these 'poison pen letters' is an ego boosting mental game by one who really needs to get out into the real world. People have killed themselves over poison pen letters, meaning they were not in a healthy state of mind themselves; marriages have fallen apart, and children have left home.

People in the target zone of the poisoner get suspicious of each other and lives are saddened by the nastiness of the writer. It is very sad to witness the destruction the poisoner causes. The only thing to do is to trust those around you and hopefully the mental illness in the one being so aggressive may go away. That or they will give lip if everyone fully loves and trusts their friends and family and ignores the poisoner

By Dora Sanders

The Carnegie Community Centre Association Following the election held in the first week of June there has been a few issues that have bogged down several committees and even caused at least one Board meeting to drag well past normal time.

They are equally unimportant, but this is for clarity. The first involves the City of Vancouver's policy that any member of a Board of Directors in

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a public facility -eg. The non-profit CCCA, a registered charity in the Carnegie Centre - may not at the same time be paid for work in said facility or be employed by the City of Vancouver. One new board member found out after accepting nomination and being elected. A staff person told this board member that the paid work couldn't be done by her as long as she was on the Board. But instead of accepting this and deciding which one was more necessary in her life, said member has seen fit to bring the issue up at at least 3 different committees.

To be clear: It is a City of Vancouver policy.

The Association has no say and can pass no motion making the policy inapplicable. nd The 2 issue is much more serious. It involves the election ofWilliam Sirnpson and his almostnext-day banning from Carnegie Centre for the sadistic, lying attacks on various individuals in Carnegie - all via a Blog (or web-log) created and kept up on an in-house computer. Sirnpson repeatedly denied that he was the author - too uncomfortable having to answer face-to-face to those people he consistently maligned.

Prior to the election his identity as the writer of this slime was verified. Unaware of this verification, everyone at the Annual General Meeting heard Sirnpson get up to take his turn at soliciting

votes. He stated at the outset that "I am not the blogger!" The following minute had a Mont 'n Apple Pie' platform' and he got enough votes to be ~mong the top 15 members running.

It IS my contention that Simpson lied outright; ~hat he became a member of the board of directors Illegally and immorally, that he has no basis for d~fence and the Board should, at its first opporturuty, declare his election null and void and hold a By-election to fill this vacancy. ~is. activities and writings on the blog were criminal and his subsequent denial, especially as a strategy to get elected, constitute fraud. No COUlt would waste its time with such a case, but as members of Carnegie's Association, I feel we h~ve every right to invalidate any bogus claim Simpson makes. To the Board: do the right thing.

PaulR Taylor, Volunteer Editor.

July 23, 2007

CUPE Sisters and Brothers: On behal f of our entire national union, all 560,000 members, we are writing to offer you both our full support-and our message of solidarity.

Lower Mainland employers have to date refused to bargain in good faith and to address the real issues in this round of negotiations.

BC's economy is good, but the cost of living has risen and as workers, we are entitled to share in good economic times and to have some protection against the rising cost of living. In short, we want fairness and to date this has not material ized at the bargaining table.

The communities you work in benefit greatly from the services you provide. There are many issues within your respective communities and these must be dealt with in a fair way, at the bargaining table.

CUPE members across Canada applaud your solidarity and your resolve. Please know that our entire union is behind your efforts to secure fair collective agreements. If we must strike to achieve fairness, so be it. We are all with you and urge you to stand together and stand strong.

In solidarity, PAUL MOIST National President

DOWNTOWN

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2007 DONATIONS: Libby 0-$100 Rolf A-$50 Barry for Oave McC.-$125 Christopher R-$50 Margaret 0.-$40 Penny G.$50 Janice P-$35 Wes K-$50 Gram -$400 John S.$60 leslie S.$20 Michael C.-$80 Sheila B.-$20 Wilhelmina M.-$25 CEEOS -$50 Saman -$20 Phyllis L -$200 Paddy -$125 Bob S.-$100 Barry M.-$125 .

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Editor: PaulR Taylor

"In the interest(?)

of children"

Child welfare authorities don't owe parents a duty of care, Canada's top court ruled Friday, saying such an obligation would put the treatment of children at risk by creating a conflict of duties.

The unanimous Supreme Court of Canada ruling marks the end of a lengthy battle by a southwestern Ontario family for millions$ in damages.

They claimed a treatment centre and social worker owed them a responsibility and had been negligent by depriving them of a relationship with their daughter.

But the court ruling found there can be no dual responsibjlity because it would hinder the care of the children. The system's paramount duty is to do what is best for the child, the ruling says.

"To recognize such a legal duty to the family of a child in their care would pose a real risk that a secure treatment centre and its employees would have to compromise their overriding duty to the child," the ruling says.

In 1995, the family'S 14-year-old daughter, identified in the case as R.D., was taken from their custody after she wrote a short story claiming her parents sexually and physically abused her. The parents claimed the allegations were false and that she had a history of mental illness. No criminal charges were laid and the case never went to trial.

The family filed a lawsuit against a case worker and the treatment centre asking for $40 million in damages.

The suit alleged the centre treated R.D. as ifshe were a sex abuse victim even though she wasn't and failed to try reintegrating her into her family.

They argued the interference caused thememotional distress and nervous shock for having been

Mr. Marko Puharich, WaldorfHotel Ltd.lZagora Holdings Ltd., 1489 East Hastings Street, Vancouver, BC. V5L 1S4

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depri ved of a relationship with the girl.

The girl had been sent to a facility for mentally disturbed teens, the Syl Apps Secure Treatment Centre, after three suicide attempts. She later agreed to become a ward of the state, despite her parents' objections.

When the family filed the lawsuit, Syl Apps tried to have it tossed out. In 2006, the Ontario COUlt of Appeal quashed their attempt and the treatment centre and social worker then appealed to the Supreme Court.

David Mossop Q.c.

Community Legal Assistance Society 300 -1140 West Pender, Vancouver BC V6E 4GI

"We are here to walk each other

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On the above-mentioned date, your staff assaulted, committed theft and threatened low income residents on the sidewalk outside the WaldorfHotel.

I was a witness to your staff (Tiny Huey) assaulting a low income resident and threaten him with bodily harm. When the low income resident asked' what he was doing wrong, he was told he was a bum and not good for business. The low income resident refused to leave as he was not doing anything except being on the sidewalk Cl was a witness to this). The police were called and the low income resident was falsely accused of causing a disturbance and was jailed.

Being a witness to this blatant injustice, I created a sign with the words: BOYCOTT WALDORF, and as I stood in front your employee (Big Betty) flew out of the Waldorfand violently took my sign and in the melee she assaulted me. To this day, the injury is still painful.

I left a message that very day for you to call me but you haven't. If you are not going to take responsibility for your employees, I am considering suing you in civil court for theft, assault, threatening and using your position of power to disperse low income residents from the front of your business by depriving them of their right to use public common space, that is, stand on the sidewalk. I was also told by various customers of yours (both current and those who have been barred) that you've a reputation for executing this type of behaviour.

I am also sending a copy of this letter to the City in hope that your business license will be rescinded for these illegal acts. This is to remind you, that you have supply a service to the low income residents of the area as well as those with money.

Yours very truly, Audrey Laf'erriere

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My dear Paul,

June 27, 2007

I'm writing this thank you note on behalf of Amy & Leo [ESL students from Quebec].

Unfortunately I didn't make enough time in class for them to write you on their own.

On their final program evaluations both of them wrote their time with you in the Downtown Eastside was the highlight of their 5 week program. (really!).

Thank you for taking the time and energy to ex plain your thoughts and share your passion. ~

Janice Penner BEd Med Douglas College

Carnegie News (c/o Paul Taylor) Dear Paul, I was over to Hastings Street last week, both day and night. All the business shut down and people milling somewhat uselessly for hours and hours, young people openly doing drugs, handsome men without jobs, waiting in files for something to eat.. .

From what I read it seems the papers are tainting history a bit, possibly "They" think people knowing the truth is dangerous. Clues to this 'experiment' are in tales of death 'n dying and falsification of both.

There is a street paper here in Victoria called Street Newz, sold by donation (give 50 cents+j). I keep thinking of the Force being with you ... could you somehow link the Carnegie Newsletter with Street New: as a real statement? So many things there are happening here!

Out of Line is a gDod name for a radical newspaper but it was used years ago by the Trade Union movement.

Another name could be Boot Black, referring to the not-so-old practice of rich people who hired poor people to break in their new shoes. Besides the pittance paid, the advertised enticement was the reward of having clean feet --- at least until the shoes were nicely ready for the owner(s) to wear. (I'm just saying that because an old gal told me; I don't know.)

I never gave my consent to be an experiment!

Anyway, hope you are well. I can't really do much as . I'm retired I guess.

Sincerely, Wendy Thompson

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Strawweight I see the American Camel strolling with his feathered straw hat not a Iife I'd want to live if on ly like ostriches sticking their heads underground leaving others to live their own life; they brag about who they've killed, a hero in butcher's clothing now where did that camel go not far just around the corner smoking on the cracked side of the walk I'm talking nervously 'cracked' with colony collapse complete It's time to assist another race of people who couldn't finish a race if they tried how difficult it is to keep track of every route you've lied.

Go for it go ahead and hit me if it'll make you feel cleaner God's already spit on me out of spite but not much meaner, somewhere on a map is the location ofthe next Wharnrno! Shipping 'n handling fees paid in advance by American Camel.

Using my fingernails as I would a pencil I begin to write as he the AC is strutting that straw and feathered hat again muttering lines like "Let there be Light" excuse his giddyness there's been an overload of war and fear, your unnamed Reaper squadrons (very quiet yet grim) give new meaning to the phrase 'NOT IMPRESSED with Civilisation' come to think of it I can feel what Shakespeare was absorbing while he was creating the King. At times adversity was my strong point but with one chance in a thousand on the promising scale my strongpoint became needlepoint boo hoo for me said society go on buy y'sel f a drink free of charge charges pending, Unfortunately we wait with baited breath what kind of message are they sending? By now Steve McGarrett would be shouting "Book 'Em Danno!" as the perpetrator asks for one last Camel.

Born between wars which one was yours the Finishing Touch has been arranged for yours, we are just straw weight in the race course of fate. Why does my horse just stand there?' oh, his number is stuck in the gate. LIFE: a nice place to visit but we would want to die maybe give the promising scale one last time and the Strawweight gets a

die maybe give the promising scal one last time and the Strawweight gets a fresh try. Did I ever tell you Good-bye!! Try telling a jury to disregard the last two hundred words that went by, there . goes that feathered hat strawweight again paid for and endorsed the American Camel waves goodbuy.

Robert McGiIlivray

BEFORE COLUMBUS/COLONIZATION/ CONFEDERATION/CANADA DAY an INDIGENOUS EDUCATIONAL DEMONSTRATION AUGUST 6, 2007 The August 6,2007 BC DAY henceforth will now stand for: Before Columbus, Before Colonization, Before Confederation, Before Canada ... Day) Each year, we will hold Indigenous Educational Demonstrations at "random" and at important locations to detail and educate the public and our own people as to the true history of each locale.

Events will be held throughout the year and this demonstration at what is now called Kitsilano will be the first.

The event: Opening prayers, smudging cere.â&#x20AC;˘Ci;;;(e(~~~3I~ mony, speakers, drumming, singers, spoken word, photo display, map display and a roadside memorial will be placed to show our sorrow at the loss of one of our indigenous territories.

A DOWNTOWN EASTSIDE ROMEO AND JULIET QUESTIONAIRE Hi Everyone, Vancouver Moving Theatre is working in cooperation with the Carnegie Community Centre to create a new play, with and for members of the Downtown Eastside. The play will be about a longstanding grudge between families from different social backgrounds. Two "star-crossed" lovers fall passionately in love. Separated from each other by social forces, the lovers - in a tragic mix-up - take their lives, putting an end to the feud. Or do they? It's a tragic-comedy clown show inspired by Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet and Leonard Bemstein's West-Side Story. Our adaptation is in the Downtown Eastside and we invite your suggestions to help on the journey.

1. What are the social backgrounds of our two families? And what is the grudge between them?

2. Who are our lovers? What do they look like? What old are they?

3. What are the social forces that separate our lovers?

4. How should our play end?

5. If you were to send a friend up to five photographs to describe daily realities ofli{e in the Downtown Eastside, what would they be?

6. If you wer' to send up to five photographs to describe all the things you love best about the DTES, what would they be?

7. What are your favourite stories about lovers in the Downtown Eastside?

If you would like to be kept informed about the play please print out your contact informationNAME, ADDRESS, PC>STALCODE, EMAIL, PHONE OR MESSAGES:

News from the Library New Books

The Dark Stuff: Selected Writings on Rock Music (781.57), by Nick Kent profile some ofrock's most gifted and often self-destructive talents, from Brian Wilson to Kurt Cobain, from Miles Davis to Eminem. Nick Kent has been a rock writer for more than thirty years, and in 2002 received the NME's "God-like Genius" award.

The Earth's Blanket Traditional Teachings for Sustainable Living (304.2), by Nancy J Turner, explores the wealth of ecological knowledge and the spiritual connection to the world that is fundamental to indigenous communities. Turner has worked with Aboriginal peoples in North America for more than twenty-five years, and her indigenous teachers have allowed her to share their perspectives about the natural world.

Lots of books on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan this week. America's most famous ex-soldierturned-peace-acfvist, Scott Ritter, has written

Waging Peace: The Art of Warfor the Antiwar Movement (327.17); Eric S Margolis' War at the Top of the World: The Struggle for Afghanistan ami Asia (327.54) has been revised and updated.

In Paul Rieckhoff's Chasing Ghosts: Failures ami Facades ill Iraq: A Soldier's Perspective (956.7), a former commander in Baghdad writes a "scathing" and "riveting" criticism of the Iraq war. There's a very different perspective in Tom Clancy's Into the Storm A Study in Command (956.7), "an insightful look at one of the greatest American military triumphs since World War H." This is mostly about the first Iraqi conflict, but also contains newer chapters on the latest conflict.

Stevie Cameron is a Toronto journalist bestknown for her investigative reporting of Bay Street financial scandals and Ottawa political shenanigans. So it's a bit of a surprise to see that she's turned her attention west in her latest book, The Pickton File (364.15). It's a strange time to bring out a book about Pickton, at a time when his first trial on six counts of murder is still taking place. Perhaps Cameron and her publishers wanted to be "the first" journalistic account?

Cameron's book contains very little that we don't already know, and is clearly aimed at readers who don't know our neighbourhood or the story behind the missing and murdered women. Although she interviewed some of the missing and mur- . dered women's families and friends, there is very little space devoted to them. In fact, much of the book isn't even about Robert Pickton. Instead, Cameron concentrates on her own story: how she came to sign the contract to write this book, how she went about investigating the case, who she interviewed, where she went. If she was doing this before the police arrested Pickton, it could have read like a detective story. But since her investigations take place afterwards, it reads instead like a book that was published too soon, and that was edited too little. The library has 5 copies of this book.

Beth, your librarian.

Our Libraries Hold Our Future The Library is at the heart of intelligent/creative job action in the current civic strike ..

Library staff took a "study session" when BC Tel workers were on strike to show their solidarity.

In the current strike, with all members of the Library's CUPE Local 329 doing picket duty at the Central Branch on Georgia Street, it was something when Telus workers showed up with a work order to fix something in the management's offices. This big, strapping Telus guy asked one of the petite librarians to 'threaten' him, so he could refuse to do the job due to fear for his safety Imagine someone like Beth threatening anyone!

The librarians' issues are similar to those of Locals for the inside and outside workers .. and similar to those of public sector unions across the country. The main points are adjusting wage increases to at least equal the rising cost of living; to retain and improve long-fought-for rights of seniority and tight restrictions on contracting out.

The last is especially poignant for Vancouver Public Library staff. The prime example is the excellent job done for many years by staff in repairing and binding books. In a system with over a million volumes, keeping the stock in good repair is essential. Many other libraries in both public and private institutions also utilised the VPL's expertise and went away satisfied.

For reasons unknown or inexplicable, Library management decided to shut down the in-house bindery, dismiss all the technicians who repaired and cleaned books and contract this great service to a private company that promised to do it cheap.

Lo and behold the uality of workmanship plummeted and costs soared. The intelligence of those making the management decisions seems to be on vacation (to put it politely) as, rather than just sitting down with the staff in the bindery operation and a business planner to improve the working conditions and provide more training to new employees, they just went with a quick fix, fired everybody and believed a salesman's pitch extolling the virtues of this private company.

The library staff members deserve all the support we can give them, both to improve their lives with better working conditions, better pay and solid benefits, and to (by association) improve our

public library system.

The worst idea among many is the one whereby all public libraries would be privatised into profitmaking enterprises. And we and our children get shafted; we would likely rely more on such biased stuff as TV for what might now be passing for education. (and text-messaging words, grammar and spelling become the norm ... ) PaulR Taylor

Summer Dreams of the Downtown Eastslde A multi art-Iorm experience A treat of music and poetry with local musicians, singers and poets was presented on July 25 in the Carnegie theatre.

It was the idea of'Richard Tylman, himselfa poet of note, and got operating funds when he submitted aa written version of what was certainly possible to the Neighbourhood Small Grants Program. This, in its 2nd year, provides up to $500 to local people who have a good or even great idea for a neighbourhood project that will involve a number of their neighbours and will benefit the community just by happening.

The band with Heidi Morgan was playing when I entered and I missed the names of its members.

Music was great!

Four poets performed their work; each giving a unique perspective. Richard was first, followed by Bud, then a Spanish/English duet with Ariadne and Alejandro, and ending the experience with Diane Wood speaking from the heart of her own life's learning. Well done!

DAY

AUGUST 10