December 1, 1996, carnegie newsletter

NEWSLETTER'

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December 1,1996

401 Main Street, Vancouver V6A 2T7 (6604) 665-2220

Jim McDowell, Nancy Jennings, Diane MacKenzie, and now.. .Donald Macpherson.

Yes, Donald is joining that select inner circle living ex-directors of Carnegie.

After a scant nine years (it seemed like a lifetime to the rest of us) at Main and Hastings, Donald is seeking greyer pastures. After all, a person can stand only so much color in hidher life.

No, but seriously folks. He's taking his haggis recipe, his map of the Clans, his standing order for Greek salad at lunch and his little black book with Ken Dotbell's qrivate home phone number in it.

Delicate Carnegie folk are siglung with relief mat Donald didn't exit like he did on his last job. That was in that mine in Atlin, northern B.C. when he took off all his clothes and streaked the shaft.

Well, he did leave on his tin hat with the flashlight on top, his kinky leather work belt and his steeltoed safety boots.

So what does the future hold for Donald? First of all, he's going to take a walk on the mild side, then he's going to get in touch with his inner middle-aged white guy. After that, we may see him wandering the streets of the Downtown Eastside, looking for something useful to do for a change. Maybe his Friend Ken can thi&% of something.

Now that Donald is leaving, the secret can finally be told.

For all those who missed the poster in his office, what does a Scotsman wear under his kilt?

A condom, of course.

Mild Bob

Donny, Donny, We Hardly Knew Ye

Untitled by Bea Funieyhough, 1979 Death's breath is cold, his glowing eyes are black Black is his being and his shadow black And black the doomed ending days in earth O r chilled and stilly ashes, that to birth Offensive are and counteracting thought.

All that could be is now already wrought, All that might be is hapless tommy rot; T h e chance was there, the rooted drive to light And laughter, sunniness, delight - in love In being, seeing, doing, enriching growth, - its all is spent; dead dark leaves living life above.

BEA FERNEYHOUGH

A long-time Carnegie volunteer, community activist and inspired writer, Bea Ferneyhough, has died.

We learned about it just before press time, so it was too late to run a hll appreciation of Bea. Hopehlly, next time. Meanwhile, her memorial service will be Sundav. Nov. 17.

Yet, as we learn the dialogue of life T o speak, we know that interaction sparks Creation. thought and moving deeds through strife, Not deadly, but with moulding strokes - remarks Each subtle touch retouched again regains An oft-returning growth. Where would life be If death should cease? T o be, unknown remains: "It's so" is not, should "not so" neither be.

1996, at the May Gutter~dgeHosplce whlch Pad become her home, atter 88 . i s audacious y m s .

Social act~vist, poet. femln~st belore il b e c m e fashionable, respecter of hwnan~ty,arid lobel oi natural jusl~ce. Left thls world drnonq f r ~ ~ l n dand s family. Much loved and wtll be missed. A :nemoil-11 sewlce lo celebrate Bea's lile w ~ lbe l held ai t h ? Four Slsters Holjsiny Cooperat~ve. 153 Poweli St..

Vancouver. Sunday. November 17. at 2'00 p rn.

Personal Alternative Service. 662-7700

&tbrtied., ma42 Saturday, November 16'~,6:30 p.m.

Carnegie Centre Theatre j%6uum+...Mtbreatd d i i V u 2 4 d u r d ~

with members of S.A.P.E.D./Asociacion Shuswap (coffee and snacks)

Love mysklf anh &hers Respect myself and others Love my god as myself No Alcohol and Drugs 1 am going to school I am going to AA meetings for myself I am volunteering at the Carnegie Centre I am trying to keep busy I am learning to read and write with my tutor I spend time with my friends I am going to budget my money Terry Flamond

WELL DONE, PAUL! Paul Taylor needs no introduction to regular readers of the Carnegie Newsletter. Last week, he won the prestigious Deryck Thomson Award for community social planning from the Social Planning and Research Council (SPARC), a provincewide group that fights to protect the social safety net.

Paul is taking a short break from his editing duties. In the meantime, read what SPARC had to say about him.

-Paul Taylor has been editing the Carnegie Newsletter since 1986. As volunteer editor of the twice-monthly publication, he has seen its circulation grow from 60 in its inaugural year to 800 in 1996, the Newsletter's tenth anniversary. In 1988, Paul was named Carnegie's fust Volunteer of the Year.

Carnegie Centre volunteer Sandy Cameron describes the Newsletter as a place where people of Vancouver's Downtown Eastside "exercise the power to define their own reality.

The Newsletter is feisty and passionate with a strong sense of justice. It is information, entertainment and inspiration. It is a joyous expression of the politics of the heart, and a threat to any rigid ideology."

End Legislated Poverty, where Paul has been on the Board "for years," had this to say.

"Because Paul is on the board of so many groups

that have concerns with poverty and low income people (ELP, DERA, the Carnegie Association, the Tenants Rights Action Coalition, the Four Sisters Co-op), he is a real force for unity among groups."

Says ELP, "The Newsletter talks about plans for the neighborhood, and helps residents fight for a voice in these plans. It deals with social, cultural and environmental planning, decisionmaking and action. The Newsletter constantly advocates for improvements in living conditions for low-income people, and for improved social programs and policies."

Moreover, the publication "gives people in the Downtown Eastside, a group that is normally ignored in the mainstream media, their own voice."

Soon, a small book, the Best of the Carnegie Newsletter, will celebrate the community of contributors who have made their voices heard over the past ten years.

Congratulations, Paul!

SPARC

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Suddenly it broke, the damn toothbrush I was using to turn the antiquated lock on my bathroom door. Now I was really in a jam, for inside the bathroom was my morning fix and my wallet. I could feel the pressure of withdrawal building. If only I hadn't left my wallet in the bathroom, I could take my ATM card down to the machine, run down to Hastings Street, get my self a paper of junk and a rig and be on my way to getting well again. Shit now I'll have to kick in the bathroom door.

Cameron Krause

DECEMBER 6,1996 Remembering the women who have died in the Downtown South, Downtown Core and West End

GATHERING PLACE THEATRE 609 HELMCKEN STREET 4:30 TO 6:00 p.m.

After the Memorial Service we will join the Candlelight Vigil at the Art Gallery For information or confirmation contact Emily Howard at 665-239 1

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God grant me the serenity to accept things I cannot change, courage to change things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.

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submitted by Terry Flamond

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ELECTION 96' DOWNTOWN EASTSIDE Qhat are the civic election issues in the )owntown Eastside?

Solving the many murders of-low-income residents, particularly the many murders of Native women. Instead, the police are focusing on reducing the number of pawnshops, and having a "zero-tolerance" for jay-walking.

How to protect 6,200 SRO rooms for the existing tenants.

Building more than the potential city proposal of 85 new housing units in the area per year.

The pressure on existinglow-income stock is intense.

Building new housing with the top priority being the local Native aboriginal people, who are not accepted in any real numbers into subsidized housing.

Remove the hazardous cargo by rail dock at Campbell Avenue.

Build a number of detox centres outside of Vancouver as soon as possible, so that hundreds of Downtown Eastside people don't continue to overdose and die each year.

Open an active temporary job facility down in the DES for part-time work. roducing a more humane vision for the central raterfkont lands, one that isn't a Son of Seaport :entre. The Son of Seaport-Greystone Properties ,td. proposal is a disaster that would cost the loss f local use of CrabPortside park, and up to 1,500 Gsting, nearby low-income housing units would lso be lost.

Kelly White, Fred Arrance

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Things are going well in school. I like school a lot because it keeps me occupied.

I got a senior's card for downstairs. It only costs a dollar.

School keeps you out of trouble. When you come to school you get your file out and start printing right away. I usually get here at 10:OO. I do my address, phone number, how to tell time,

G h o s t l q hooded figures a r e everqwhere !

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how to count money. It's important because you can make sure you're not ripped off.

Be here on time. Make sure you have a good explanation for why you were late.

The teachers are nice to you. Michelle makes the words bigger.

THE END Harold Whybourne

It is better to be a coward for a minute than to be dead the rest of your life.

Joe Paul

lurking in doonways, rushing from hotel room t o hotel room L o o k ! T h e r e one goes!

Slipping down t h e alleq A n d t h e r e a r e more waiting, w a p p e d in t h e i r packaging waiting.. . t o join t h e i r families on t h e s t r e e t S o m e a r e dying lqing in t h e g u t t e r T h e i r life force draining from them you remember they once stood proud b u t now, alas theq a r e condemned t o die G r a b one if qou can

!

T h e y can slip o u t of you? hand a n d w i t h i t goes your luck!

D e i r d r e Keohane

CONDOM NATION

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choose to defuse the news blues

There's a person prowling around the Downtown Eastside calling herself an investigative reporter and trashing community groups in the neighborhood.

Poor-bashing is a growth industry in these times, unfortunately, but the really sad part of this story is that community people are actually helping her dish the dirt - and it's a kind of dirt that will end up sticking to everyone in the community.

The reporter, named Kimberly-Ann Daurn, is in the employ of some of the biggest scandal-mongers in Vancouver. She has already done a diatribe on right-wing open-mouth Bill Good's show on CKNW; and has joined up with Conrad Black's favorite tabloid, the Province.

Her targets so far are: the only bank in the neighborhood that actually tries to make welfare recipients feel welcome; a housing project for lowincome people; and a training program for people with the least skills in our society.

Maybe these aren't perfect projects. But just name one project that is perfect. Can't be done.

It's hard to believe, but some people actually feed information about other residents to the mainstream media in hopes it will help them in their little turf wars and political squabbles.

Some even go to City Hall (to the NPA councillors, of all people) to bash other residents of the neighborhood.

If there's anything to be learned .from the sad DERARriends of DERA fiasco, it's that highly-publicized cat fights in the community just wind up making everyone look bad.

The NPA and their cronies in Gastown just kill themselves laughing every time they read

about disharmony in our neighborhood. And then they have a perfect excuse to slash funding, since we are so untogether.

Yes, there are genuine differences of opinion and of interest in the Downtown Eastside.

But these should be struggled out in a principled way - in the community, and by the community and not by enlisting the dubious assistance of hostile outside forces with their own agendas.

When a reporter comes knocking on your door asking for dirt about another group, just remember who her employer is.

After all, the next time she could well be asking that other group if there are any skeletons in your closet.

Raymond Rot.

at: SFU Harbour Ceulre

Speakers: Flora Sampson Bill L.ightbutvn Splitting the Sky Monday, November 18th 1996 7:30 p.m.

Clddreu Welcome WJrheekhair Accessible far iuformtion call 251-304s

tora speaks

Any culture that succeeds in evolving through a technological-scientific stage without destroying itself must inevitably come into a psychologicalreligious stage of development.

This can, of course, represent a state of decadence, or a state of evolution, depending upon the system of values from which it is experienced.

Today, we see physic, chemistry, biology, and psychology dealing in an increasing depth, complexity, and refinement of information continuously probing deeper into the sources of existence, and in some cases, already reaching the point of metaphysical abstraction.

At the same time, scientific discovery is creating

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a network of material technology allied with marketplace values which represents an enormous investment of time and energy.

At this point it becomes evident that the technical efficiency of the marketplace, and the possibility of the evolution of human consciousness stand in opposition to each other.

A science which has evolved into an extreme technology is in need of re-alignment to its original goals - that is, actions calculated to improve the inner conditions of human life through knowledge must come into play, so that the achievement of an improved state of being within each individual can become a reality.

The word "religion" comes from the root syllables "re" and "ligio" - meaning, literally, "realignment" or "reconnection," since the root "ligio" can be seen in the word "ligament," meaning the point of connection between organic

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tissue and bone. The inner sensory experience of being resides within the nerve tissue contained within the skeletal structure. The original meaning of "religion" is the re-connection of inner and outer space within the body.

Obviously, an ancient science, such as that which provided the source of Egyptian civilization, in evolving past the point of mere technology, would naturally conceive the necessity of distilling its core knowledge into a simplified but powerful psychological symbolism through which the consciousness of the people could maintain direct access to that knowledge.

This system would be designed in such a way that the benefits of core knowledge about the nature of existence would be brought directly into the emotional sphere of the state of consciousness in which the average individual lived his or her eve~ydaylife.

Tora

DESERT STORM I N THE RAINFOREST

G. Gust

attention.

Meeeee .

The Mother of a l l egomaniacs has been shown t h e door, along w i t h i t s v i l e n e s s and c v a r i c e .

N e w World Order has been spanked.

at home with trashhopper On my ceiling I painted what the room above me looks like so I never have to go upstairs. Once when the power went out I had to use the flash on my camera to see what I was doing. I made a sandwich and took 50 pictures of my face. The neighbours thought there was lightning in my house. I have a microwave fireplace in my living room. When I feel co Id I lay down in fiont of it for 2 minutes. I lived in a house on a dead end street. I had to move 'cause I didn't know how to get there. The lights went out again the other night so I bought some batteries, but they weren't included so I'll have to buy them again.

OK. OK. Just one more.

On my way home I got stopped for running a stop sign. The cop asked me if I saw the sign. I said I did but that I don't believe everythmg that I see.

Trashhopper .- -

A note of thanks to Carnegie staff for the Halloween Party. I really enjoyed it. Special thanks to Alicia for the choice (Cooking With Pam) of music. Thanks. ~ l s kthanks , to Sam Rodden for the print. Mr. McBinner thanks you and wants to know your email address.

The old non-smoking room is pretty messy.

Please respect the volunteers and bring back your trays. Thanks.

Carl McDonald

Hell Hellion ~urse@Edition Hallowe'en Over And Out Beasley Quite Unanymous

7:00 pm - 10:00 pm

A& And You Shall Receive.

Four score w d seven yearen.

sk ~n YOUShall Receive

and you shall receive period.

Grasstown on Water Street to the Model Railroad 9 " Store and ask the dude there for some toy train che

In the Dumpster

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Dear Binners and Binnerettes: Once again it's election time in our unfair city.

Fed upOwenmailed me a "please vote NPA" message, so I faxed the envelope back to him with a note on it asking something like - what has he done for me or the rest of us in the D.E.? Ya, you guessed it, he didn't respond.

Speaking of Fax; here's some numbers that may help residents of the D.E. Councillor's Offkes 873-7750 Budgets 871-6193 Environmental Health 736-865 1 873-7064 Housing & Properties Mayor's Off~ce 873-7658 Parks Board 257-8427 Police 665-5078 Social Planning 87 1-6048 These numbers are courtesy of the Internet. Here also are a couple of e-mail addresses. For other government information try www.gov.bc.ca. For the mayor try mayorowen@city.vancouver.bc.ca.

How many mayors does it take to change a light bulb? Only one, but the bulb must really want to change.

A special gudbye to Donald, a bonny highland laddie, eh, Donald? Did ye be a knowin' that the Grand Canyon was formed when a first generation North American Scot dropped a penny in a golf hole? It's true! Eat your oatmeal!

Binning isn't up as it was for me as I've been feeling down and haven't gone out too much.

When I do go out I do pretty good. I'm hoping to get a web page soon so I can advertise for people to save their cans for me. If you are on the net you can drop me e-mail at binne@vcn.bc.ca. Hope to hear from you soon.

Mr. McBinner P.S. If you want to have some fun go down to

Trashhopper Says So there we were, me, Brown and my hard-oflearing neighbour Andy. Andy was an old ~ensionerand did scrap metal and rubbish pick up obs in his old pick'em-up truck. Andy had to go lome for supper so he lefi us. I don't know :xactly who's idea it was, but it was at the time a ;ood one, so we thought. Anywho, the next thing I mow Brown's on the phone. "Is this Andy?" he isks loudly, trying not to laugh. "This is Fred from Fred's coo-coo clocks up on Granville." Andy ived next door to me and I could hear him in the jackground.

Brown goes on. "We got 50 new coo-coo clocks md we need someone to come in and clean up all .he bird shit." Next door I hear Andy, "OK, let ne get your address." Next thing I know he's in lis pick'em-up truck md he's gone. He never told us what happened and of course we never asked.

TRUE STORY! It seems the Parks Bored doesn't want people feeding the birds in Stanley Park. I guess they are like Philip P. 0.Owen who doesn't believe in feeding the poor and homeless in the D.E. In Coquitlam the mayor Lou Sekora promised to donate his first cheque as renewed mayor to the foodbank if re-elected. I don't hearowendoing anything like that. Too cheap. He'll probably go to some casino and live it up for a while. Don't forget to vote. Remember, it's not what your mayor can do for you, but how you can do it to your mayor.

Trashhopper

Developments will put Eastsiders on the Bud Osborm protests new condos in the Downtown Eastside.

By OLIVER KELLHAMMER of a three-month waiting peDuring the past four weeks, riod for new B.C. residents to members of the Political Re- collect welfare has added to sponse Group have been stag- homelessness in the community. ing protests at city hall and in "There is an increasing anger front of condominium develop- along with the pain in the people mentsin theDowntown Eastside dolvn here," said Osborne. "and calling for a moratorium on people are looking for a chamel condo development. to express that."

"Thereis still time to do someHence, the support for thing differently in the Down- Osborne's group, which claims town Eastside," said Bud 12 core members and endorseOsborne. leader of the other local Poljtical Regroups such HIV, which Osborne said are s p o n s e as the Down- sweeping through the Down'There is an Group. The t o w n town Eastside.

"Things aren't going to get g r o u p will increasing anger EastsideResikeep pushing dents' Asso- better," said Osborne, "unless for the moraalong with the pain ' a ti a nd people begin to speak loudly torium until a the Carnegie enough that the politicians will plan can be Communi tv begin to make some changes."

One of these changes, which drawn up that is based on the Centre. is controversial in the communeeds of residents in the DownWhile he has noticed a sharp town Eastside community. increase in the number of home- nity, is the provincial According to Osborne, these less people on the streets, government's purchase of 100 condo developments increase Osborne said it's hard to track housing units from a developer l~omelessnessin thearea, whicl~ them because they aren't always currently renovating the old already has thelowest per capita obvious. Osborne, 49, himself Woodwards building on West income in Canada. was homeless, off and on, for Hastings Street.Theseunits will Developnlent pressures and two years in Toronto. be made available to the comescalating property values "When I was in that position, munity at welfare-level rents. threaten the low-income hous- I did all I could to not resemble Osborne said that these 100 ing stock in the Downtown someone who was marginalized units of housing are a "drop in Eastside, whichconsists mainly like that," he said. the bucket" when compared to of around 6,000 badly deterioThis anonymity interferes the negative effect the developrating welfare hotel rooms. with homeless people's access ment will have on the commuLack of affordablehousing is to services such as health care nity in terms of pressureon radforcing people onto the street. and contributes to epidemics of estate value and as a means for The province's implementation hepatitis C, tuberculosis and continued gentrification.

Newsletter of the Carnegie -

Community Action P r o j e c ~ November 15, 199t 'ANT TO GET INVOLVED CALL 689-0397

OR DROP BY OUR OFFICE (2ND FLR CARNEGIEI

the Van Honne the Chnistobona

OF

Yancouven Z

By Shawn Millar

f you walk along Carrall Street it's hard not to ~ticehow massive The Van Home (300 Carrall t) is compared to the buildings that surround it. ou'll also notice that it is nearing completion. oon there will be an 146 condominium units aking down upon the Rainer Hotel, Pigeon ark and the back side of the Dodson Hotel. Just ;k Sonny, whose window in the Dodson now aks upon the back wall of the Van Home stead of Gastown and the north shore lountains, how he feels about the imposition ~dsignificance of this building to the )owntownEastside.

Sonny, like masry other residents of the Downtown Eastside, view the significance of this building in terms of its effect upon transforming our neighbourhood into one that literally will have no interest and no place for ourselves.

This feeling of hsecurity is in many ways how residents felt in New York City's Lower East Side about the opening of the Christodora condominium next to a disputed park, called Tompkins Square Park. The Christodora became the hated symbol of therneighbourhood's gentrification. Ln fact, the tension around (Cont. next page)

around Tompkins Square Park got so bad in the early 1990s that city officials eventually closed the park. The city has redesigned the park so that it now discourages the homeless, some the result of displacement caused by the up scaling of the neighbourhood, fiom squatting in the park and allows better police patrol.

on the symbolism of the Christodora. However, it is more likely that the Van Home will be part of a cumulative effect of detrimental change in, the Downtown Eastside.

Will what is legally public space in front of the Van Horne be like this ?

"used to live at [he IJnily House .... tnuch better here"

Recently, workshop n ere held at the Columbia Hotel, United We Can (for residents of the Cordova and Wonder Rooms), and the Jim Green Residence.

While CCAP normally does workshops in the hotels, the purpose of going to the Jim Green Residence was to asked residents how their lives have improved since moving into better housing. That's why \ye called our workshop Better Housing, Bener Lives.

Here's what some Jim Green Residents had to say "lived at the Seaview Hotel before Jim Green Residence .... li@ is great today.... I'm getting two puppies"

"lived in hotels before Jim Green Residence ... lifestyle has improved ....fr eedom of toiletry, cooking, etc. ... can do almost anything"

Now compare this to what hotel residents had to say about their current housing

"I like a roomy place, ~ ' ambig boy. I don't like living in afox hole" "we live so close to housing but we can 't aflord it" "the$or shouldn 't be forced to live in hotels" "would like both a shower and a bathroom"

Need they say more !

Time will tell whethcr the Van Horne does take

WE'RE THE 'BLOCK BUSTERS' !!

T

housing (which ofien involved heritage preservation) has if anything provided a stable, desirable environment for market investment to proceed within. Just look at the changes occumng around the Four Sisters Co-op.

wo CCAP newsletters ago, it was mentioned how Downtown Eastside residents are referred to as "social service clients who frequent the area" in a discussion paper prepared for the Gastown Business Improvement Society by the development consulting firm, UD & D Ltd, in December, 1992. Even though the report is almost four years old it's worth reviewing because what's happening today has its roots in the kind of logic presented in this report. It's all there in black and white.

On another point, the term 'block busting' has a completely different meaning than how it's used here. Block busting was coined to explain a process of decline brought on by property owners purposely neglecting their own property in order that adjoining property values fall, so that land can be assembled and redeveloped. Cabbage Town in Toronto, for example, experienced a lot of block busting during the 1970s.

This entire report is a wonderful example of a socalled professional consulting firm writing what the client wants to here. Even if this means making absurd coiniilcnts atid remarks.

In this issue of CCAP we look at how housing and community services for Downtown Eastside residents are kno\wi as agents of "institutional block-busting."

Condos in a 'soured' Gastown (1995 - 1996)

(Gastown is in danger of having its vitality destroyed through well intentioned city policies (and processing.

Quite unintentionally, Gastown is undergoing a phenomenon which may be characterised as 'institutional block-busting. ' The economic and land use climate for market projects is 'soured'by what seems a random distribution of social agency projects throughout the area.

Expedited city processing geared to non-market housing and social agencies 'distorts' both the economic and land use balance in Gastown.

Through 'good intentions' the City is providing a negative economic and laud use climatefor market development in Gastown (page 2) This is complete nonsense. Community services and the nearly 4,000 units of non-market

(number of units)

Captain French (20) 41 Alexander

Alexis (58) 27 Alexander

Mission House (1 6) 150 Alexander

Central City Mission 233 Abbott

Bodega (12) 229 Carrall

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Powell Lane (25) 28 Powell

Harbour Block (5) 73-99 Alexander

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The Globe (1 1 ) 36 Powell Amadon (14) 141 Water

Pilkington House (6) 120 Powell I

Van Home (146) 300 Carrall

214Carrall (4)

Cmall Street Station (75) 298 C a r d

TOTAL # OF UNITS = 465

Campfire Chat

by Jim Ford During a September camping trip I gathered comments and perspectives on Domtown Eastside housing issues from those living in this area. Even though some widely differed there was a certain degree of apathy and hopelessness in the majority of them.

When asked how future relations with condominium owners would be, some felt a large a large wall of discrepancy would divide them from regular Doivntown Eastsiders.

Advocacy among the newcomers, some perceived, would cause further differences. A few of the campers felt a lot of people living in other areas of Vancouver regarded the majority of Downtown Eastsiders as thieves, addicts and anti-social.

A long time Eastsider stated that by-laws and restrictions relating to residential development were surrounded and protected with loopholes favouring the rich. He also mentioned snap decisions in City Hall okayed recent ventures that were of little value to the public, particularly in this area, who had little input in it. The extensive ramp to CRAB Park was used as an example.

Doonesbury

Others mentioned that the mega voices and proposals made them unsure of any positive resolution. Some said conditions were improving and rent prices coordinated with the economy. Renovations to hotels and rooming houses plus confrontations to rich - and wanting to be richer landlords was not unnoticed.

Others regarded the majority of Downtown hotels and rooming houses as fire hazards and death traps. The dilemma of being forced by future condominiums and altering by-laws was answered by the forming of petitions, publicizing protests via radio, newspaper and stand-ins. One said that in order to defend himself he would unite with activists who opposed total gentrification and participate with them in tactics.

All of us have definite opinions and ideas concerning Downtown housing and the great majority are wise to the changes in our neighbourhood

BY GARRY TRUDEAU

i remember back when i was young my momma put me on her knee said "let me tell you son there aint aothin' wrong with you that a little 'treatment' won't fix" said all i redly needed was a really good kick in the ass said all i'd really need was a redly good kick in the ass mister make me work the morning ' got me workin' in the setting sun i know all about your nasty business but you're tellin' me i'm the wicked one 'nd that all i really need from you is a really good kick in the ass you say all i really need is a really good kick in the ass grave-digger diggin crows cawin' in the dew one of these old days Lord i'm gonna make it home to you all i need to get me there is another good kick in the ass the only thing i redly need is a really good kick in the ass Shawn Millar

I resist your cham If you touch me like a porcelain Buddha Over which of my graves do you walk Cold lipped In magnum opus Stretched, Sealed and compacted Remodelling me with eyes that etch If you touch me like a porcelain Buddha Kate

LAMENTATIONS FOR THE DOWNTOWN EASTSIDE she who was a child Brown Bagger beloved of life November 18, 12 noon has now become a slave 3rd floor gallery she screams at night What is APEC? she raves during the day and among all her men Say NO to APEC! $ there is none to comfort her Demonstration and March all her friends have betrayed her Monday Nov. 25 @ 11:45 am they have become like enemies Meet at 45 1 Powell Street (across from and after this ailliction Oppenheimer Park) and harsh servitude in the downtown eastside March to Trade & Convention Centre Canada she is going into exile Place she is being driven out Join us back at 45 1 Powell at 4pm f6r discussion and will find no resting place all those who greedily pursue her have overtaken her in the midst of her suffering and no one comes to celebrate life with her all her streets are cruel her representatives fight among themselves her advocates grieve and she is in bitter anguish her real enemies have become her masters her real enemies are taking it easy her children have been stolen from her carnegie is organizing a Sphen her beauty has been corrupted Word evening for Friday. her dreams of life are like eagles November 29. We'll run tbrougb that find no nests preboohed speahers and tben ope0 in weariness they have flown away up tlye Jc. Sign yourself up with but in these days of her affliction and drunkenness Amy Macfarlane (665-3545)to she remembers the hours of joy and moments of peace assure yourself some time on fbe that were hers in the past before she aiid her people fell into enemy hands and there was no one to help her her enemies now look at her and laugh at her destruction she herself commits crimes she herself makes choices that bring death instead of more life but she has been brutalized she has been stripped naked and thrown into the streets

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where she is mocked and dishonoured as one diseased and unwanted she herself groans and turns her face fkom the mirror she did not take this day seriously enough her destruction is astounding her destruction is an abomination and there is no one to comfort her "look at me! see my face!" she pleads for help but the enemy has triumphed the enemy is laying hands on her heart and her soul and her flesh she sees predators of all kinds enter her streets all her people groan as they search for bread they barter their lives for what they need to relieve their suffering to keep themselves alive she says "look at me and please consider me for I am despised and forsaken and abandoned" she who was a child beloved of life has now become a prostitute for her enemies and she says "am I nothing to you, you who pass by? is my suffering any less deserving of relief than others?" this suffering that a cold inhuman system has inflicted upon me allows epidemics of death in my blood it has made me think of suicide day and night it has kept hope far from me and this is why I act desperately this is why my eyes burn with fear and my eyes are dark and disturbing with anger and my eyes are crushed with despair and my eyes pour down painful tears for there is no one near to comfort me

no one is here to restore my life and my children are becoming destitute with me because the enemy has prevailed and the downtown eastside stretches out her hands but there is no one to comfort her the downtown eastside has become an object of loathing and derision to her neighbours and to those who could rescue her and what is worse to herself the visions of our politicians are self-seeking and destructive to us their words are worthless their meetings are humiliating the advice they give and the questions they ask their seeming concern are deceitfid and hypocritical and.they laugh at us they pass through the downtown eastside and shake their heads but were we not once children born beloved of life and now become no better than objects to be kicked and manipulated? social failures to be whipped by this cruel system? and our good friends our enemies they s q 'we are swallowing up the downtown eastside we will d i v e the low-life out this is the day we wait for to make our city a city for tourists and corporations this is the day we work for when we drive out the bad poor and drive out their agencies except for the good poor who will live quietly and intimidated in enclaves of social housing' and our enemies gloat over how easy it is to destroy our community

how easy it is to divide our community how easy it is the hearts of the people of the downtown eastside cry out oh hard-pressed homes of the economically poor and politically pwx!ess let your tears fall like november rains day and night give yourself no distraction or sedation give your eyes no rest arise! come alive! resist! cry out in the night as the pressure on our lives increases pour out your heat like hail so that ail will hear and feel and see let us lift up our lives for the lives of all of us who walk hungry and oppressed at every street corner look oh city of vancouver look oh politicians and planners and bankers and developers whom have you ever treated like this? would you tear your children away fiom their mothers' breasts would you deny life to them as you do to the downtown eastside people all over have heard ny suffering cries but there is no one to comfort me no one to comfort the community of the poor in the downtown eastside all my enemies have heard my pleas and anguish but they are satisfied at what they are bringing about so may they experience what is happening to me may their lies and greed and politics and manipulation and their hardness of heart and their abandonment of the downtown eastside

come back to haunt them come back totear theirfcommunities' apart come back to drive them to acts of desperation come back to make them objects of scorn come back upon them to destroy their lives with no one to comfort them no one to help them for my pain is immense and my heart is racing and my heart is weary Bud Osborn

"The congress is having a ball, but there is no volcano in sight to dance on. The guards outside are on their guard. Out pysche calmly produces pertinent statements, and we agree that deep down in any given brutal pig a well-meaning public servant is to be found and the other way around. Abracadabra!

Like an enormous handkerchief we unfold our theories..."

Hans Magnus Enzenberger

I like to do traditional dancing. It's fun to do because of the diffient drum beats. When you do traditional dancing, they give you a fast beat. The only time they give you a slow beat is when you do a Roundup Dance. That is when everyone joins hands and dances around the drurn. All the dancers use the same drum.

There is also a dance called a Grass Dance.

During this dance, the dancers stamp[ the grass down. The Plains Cree discovered this dance in the fashion. Another type of dance is called a Hoop Dance. The hoops we use are smaller than Hula-hoops. It is because of the different types of dancing that I really enjoy being a traditional dancer.

Richard Lavallie

CASE STUDY

In the spring of 1995, Robert Case asked the CCCA if he could conduct part of his research project, "Sociopolitical Control and the Political Participation of Low-Income People," here at Carnegie. Assured that he would be sensitive to the residents of the area and to the users of the building, we agreed to let him distribute questionnaires.

Robert Case writes: "...I am now in Papua New Guinea with CUSO. My partner and I are both working at a local NGO, trying to do some work around the devastating effects mining and logging is causing on the environment and on indigenous peoples and cultures. It's disgusting what greed can do."

From a summary sent to the newsletter: "Generally7people.. .resented that opinions were being reduced down to numbers on a questionnaire. While I had all along intended to follow up the questionnaire with a couple of focus groups on the topic, many of the study's participants made it very clear that open discussion should be the most important part of the study, not an afterthought....According to this research, people in the DES already have a political voice. I don't mean to imply that there are not organizations or organizers who listen....However, there are many well-intentioned organizers and activists (and, admittedly, researchers) who do not. ...there is a clear role for Popular Education in organizing efforts in communities like the DES...."

It may have its short-comings, but if anyone wants to peruse the full thesis, copies are available in libraries at the Carnegie and UBC(M.SW. thesis), and First United Church, the Dugout, and the Vancouver and District Public Housing Tenants' Association also have copies.

SUNDANCE PLATEAU

Garr y Gust 1996 The r a n c h b o s s had a problem. He wanted more g r a z i n g p a s t u r e , b u t t h e o n l y l e a s a b l e l a n d n e a r b y had a n I n d i a n ceremonial s i t e on i t . Even though t h e t o o k p l a c e o n l y a few times a year, old Percy, t h e Pipe C a r r i e r , s t a y e d on t h e l a n d a l l t h e time. P e r c y even had t h e g a l l t o p u t up a f e n c e s o t h e s t o c k w o u l d n ' t d e f e c a t e on t h e "sacred1' ground o f t h e c e r e m o n i a l s i t e .

T h a t was t h e l a s t straw. The b o s s made up h i s mind t o t a k e a c t i o n . He t o o k a pen a n d w r o t e o u t a n e v i c t i o n n o t i c e which f a l s e l y c l a i m e d t h a t h e had government a u t h o r i z a t i o n t o p o s s e s s t h e crown p r o p e r t y .

He went t o t h e foreman and s a i d , "Get t h e boys t o g e t h e r , Ross, we're g e t t i n ' r i d o f t h o s e I n d i a n s o n c e and f o r a l l . " H a l f a dozen men s a d d l e d up and r o d e o f f t r a i l e d by a s e e t h i n g c l o u d o f d u s t . (showdown at Gustafson Lake)

P e r c y groomed t h e f e a t h e r s on a ceremonial s p e a r t h a t stood near t h e sweat l o d g e . H e t o o k q u i e t p r i d e i n h i s work. The s y m b o l i c d e t a i l s required f o r p e r f e c t attunement with t h e C r e a t o r were p a s s e d down t o him when h e was c h o s e n P i p e C a r r i e r some y e a r s ago.

I n European terms h e might be described as a p r i e s t i n charge of a c h u r c h , and belonged t o a s m a l l brotherhood o f o t h e r P i p e C a r r i e r s i n t h e P a c i f i c Northwest.

But t h e I n d i a n "church" had n o c o n c r e t e walls o r s t a i n e d g l a s s windows.

I n s t e a d i t had t h e s u b l i m i n a l s p i r i t v i b r a t i o n s t h a t t o l d t h e s k i n on t h e face and t h e b r e e z e i n t h e n o s t r i l s t h a t h e r e among t h e h i g h e v e r g r e e n s t e e p l e s was a p l a c e o f s a c r e d communion.

From t h e memories i n h i s v e r y g e n e s , !Percy knew s o m e t h i n g was wrong. The b i r d s s t o p p e d s i n g i n g a s a d u l l rumble p l o w l y b u i l t i n volume u n t i l h e c o u l d

c o u n t 24 drummings on t h e ground.

They came a c r o s s t h e c r e a k a t f u l l s p e e d forming a wide c i r c l e a r o u n d P e r c y , who s t o o d h i s ground t r y i n g t o i g n o r e t h e snap of a bullwhip t h a t c u t t h r o u g h t h e a i r above h i s head.

The r i d e r s p u l l e d up. One man g o t o f f h i s h o r s e and walked s l o w l y toward P e r c y . 'IT h i s h e r e p a p e r s a y s you g o t t a tear down t h e s e s h e d s and move a l l t h i s j u n k o f f my p r o p e r t y i n t h i r t y d a y s . You savvy?"

The man h e l d o u t t h e p a p e r , b u t Percy r e f u s e d t o t a k e i t .

The v e i n s on t h e man's t e m p l e s f l a r e d as h i s e y e s l o c k e d on P e r c y ' s f o r what seemed l i k e a n e t e r n i t y .

The man t u r n e d , g o t back on h i s h o r s e , then charged f u l l speed a t P e r c y , v e e r i n g o f f a t t h e l a s t moment and s t o p p i n g l o n g enough t o punch t h e eviction notice onto t h e t i p of t h e c e r e m o n i a l s p e a r which f e l l t o t h e ground.

"We'll be back a t t h e e n d o f t h e month. I f y o u ' r e s t i l l h e r e , w e ' l l s h o o t you o u t . " P e r c y watched t h e r i d e r s d i s a p p e a r i n t o t h e f a r trees. I n less t h a n a n h o u r h e was on t h e phone t o a c h i e f P i p e C a r r i e r i n Washington s t a t e . " S i t t i g h t , " s a i d t h e b r o t h e r , "I'll make some c a l l s , and y o u ' l l have some h e l p up t h e r e by t h e weekend. They've gone t o o f a r t h i s time. Again"

T h i s s t o r y h a s been e m b e l l i s h e d i n p a r t s , but t h e facts o f t h e i l l e g a l e v i c t i o n n o t i c e put o n t h e s p e a r , t h e b u l l w h i p , and t h e t h r e a t o f v i o l e n c e have been documented a s e v i d e n c e i n t h e c u r r e n t t r i a l t h a t is t h e aftermath of t h i s incident.

You may very w e l l a s k y o u r s e l f why t h e s e f a c t s a r e n o t b e i n g r e p o r t e d i n Conrad B l a c k ' s newspapers o r G r i f f i t h s ' TV newshours.

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DOWNTOWN STD CLINIC - 219 Main; Monday Friday, 10a.m. 6p.m.

EASTSIDE NEEDLE EXCHANGE - 221 Main; 9a.m. - 8p.m. everyday YOUTH Needle Exchange Van - o n the street every night, 6p.m. 2p.m. (except Mondays, 6p.m. midnight) ACTIVITIES SOCIETY Census Employees -$200

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1996 DONATIONS: Paula R. - $ I 0 B/ - $2 0 L i l l i a n 11.-$25 So11yaS.-$100 Kettle F . S . - $ 1 6 Ilazel M. $10 Joy ?'.-$I0 Bca P . - $ 3 0 Frances -$50 Charley -$25 Libby D. - $40 Guy M. -$20 Tom D.-$17

IVlrl/

N e i l N--$13 Diane M. - $ I 5 Lome '1'. -$20 Me1 L.-$17 Sara[).-$20 CEEDS -820 Susan S . -$XI DEYAS - $ I 0 0 R r i g i d R . -$?dl Amy E. - $ 2 0 Rene F. -$50 Kay P . - $ 1 5 Anonymous $67 Sam R.-$35

THE NEWSLETTER IS A PUBLICATION OF TtiE CARNEGIE COMMIJNITY CENTRE ASSOCIATION

Articles ropresent the views of individual contributors and not of Ute Association.

Submission Deadline for the next issue: 26 November Tuesday

NEED HELP? The Downtown Eastside Residents' Association can help you with: * any welfare problem "information o n legal rights *disputes with landlords *unsafe living conditions *income tax "UIC problems *finding housing *opening a bank account Come into the Dera office at 425 Carrall St. or phone us at 682-0931.

DERA HAS BEEN SERVING

THE DOWNTOWN EASTSIDE FOR 23 YEARS.

William Shakespeare Is Part of the Carnegie!

If you look closely at the stained glass windows by the winding staircase at Carnegie, you will find the figure of the English playwright, William Shakespeare.

Shakespeare could see the ending of the medieval way of life, and the approach of a new world order led by egocentric, acquisitive, and unscrupulous men who modelled their lives on Machiavelli's book "The Prince." Edrnund in King Lear, Iago in Othello, Claudius in Hamlet, and Macbeth were such men.

Today, power-intoxicated men wheel and deal in politics and economicsjust like the villains in a Shakespeare play.

Shakespeare didn't give the last word to the bad guys, however, and in this respect he reflected the spirit of the Carnegie Centre. For example, King Lear gave up his youngest daughter, Cordelia: "When you ask me for a blessing, I'll kneel down And ask of you forgiveness: so we'll live, And pray, and sing, and tell old tales, and laugh At gilded butterflies, and hear poor rogues Talk of court news; and we'll talk with them tooWho loses and who wins; who's in and who's outAnd take upon us the mystery of things As if we were God's spies."

The evil Iago was found out and imprisoned.

Claudius, who murdered the father of Hamlet, was killed by Hamlet. The tyrant Macbeth was killed by Malcolm, who became King of a united Scotland, and ruled fkom the town of Dunfendine, fourteen miles northwest of Edinburgh.

I Dunfermline, therefore, had a tradition of ijusticeand liberation, and Andrew Carnegie, \whodonated the money to build the Carnegie j~ibrary,was born there in 1835. He was proud f that tradition, and wrote in 1897 that, "My hildhood's desire was to get to be a man and

t

kill a king." The motto on the escutcheon Carnegie designed for his family coat of arms read, "Death to Privilege."

Shakespeare's plays show that the cynical, acquisitive, and aggressive values of Machiavelli's Prince (or our modern corporate barons) lead only to death. We know that at Carnegie as we, "...take up011 us the mystery of things As if we were God's spies."

Smdy Cameron

"Why Did They Do That?"

"Why did they do that?" the ex-Viet Nam helicopter pilot asked. "why did they make me bury a fly with h l l military honours?"

Six of us were having breakfast with..

Stuart Blusson of the Geological Survey of Canada a Macmillan Pass on the Yukon/North West Territories border where mining companies used the local airstrip.

The man who spoke had been shot down twice in Viet Nam, but the wound of which he spoke was not.f?omguns.

"At training camp they found a dead fly under my bed.

My room was neat. The bed was made according to regulations, but they said I had an unauthorized deceased fly in my room.

They gave me a matchbox to use as a coffm and ordered me to stand guard over the fly's grave for twenty-four hours.

And I did it.

Why did they make me do that?

Why did I do it?"

Sandy Cameron

Officials at Vancouver's emergency shelters expressed shock at remarks the mayor made in a TV debate.

Owen alters stance on homeless LARRY PYNN Vancouver Sun

Saying he was tired after a long day of campaigning, Vancouver Mayor Philip Owen did some back-pedaling Friday on his comment that people sleep on the city streets because they choose to and not for lack of accommodation.

Vou're tense, you're tired," Owen said , in an interview. "What was my direct quote? I don't even remember what it was."

During a debate of mayoral candidates Thursday night on Rogers cable TV,Owen was asked about the plight of the city's homeless during the cold winter nights.

"The people that sleep on the street are doing it by choice and you can't arbitrarily dictate that they go into a shelter," he replied.

Then he added: "When it's real cold for a long period of time, it becomes a problem. But there are enough facilities to accommodate them because we can open up these areas at night."

Operators of the city's overburdened emergency sh'elters expressed shock and anger at the mayor's comment, saying it suggested Owen, of the Non-Partisan Association, is a west-side mayor Out of touch with the Downtown Eastside.

As the controversy mounted, Owen conceded that his original statement was too broad. "The word missing is 'some' people. I guess what was sort of in my mind is that there are some people that are homeless that don't want to go in shelters."

On the second point, that there are enough facilities to accommodate the homeless on c ~ l dnights, he now says: "I don't think there ever will be, espedally at this time of the year. Jt's getting

cold in the Prairies and the East and people pour into this area."

Owen said the situation is cornpounded by the B.C. government's threemonth residency requirement for welfare recipients, combined with the psychiatric fadownsizingof R i v e ~ e w cility without adequate transition housinn.

Officials of the city's emergency shelters said they are already overwhelmed with the homeless. And while they make special arrangements to take people off the streets on the coldest nights, these overflow homeless put the shelters out of compliancewith city licences.

"We're desperate, therey$definitely not enough beds," said Kafen ,O'Shannacery, executive director of Lookout on Alexander Street. The shelter has just 42 emergency beds, and turned away 1,800homeless over the last year. " O'Shannacery said one man who refused medical treatment alreadydied at the shelterafter contracting pneumonia from sleepingon Kitsilano beach.

Lookout is in the midst of a campaign urging citizens to donate blankets and sleepingbags for the homeless.

Mark Smith, executive director bf Triage, a 28-bed shelter on Powell that turns away 150 a month, said he too was amazed at Owen's comments.

"He comes to the open houses and ground-breakingceremonies," he said.

"But do I personally believe he has a real good grasp on what life is like for people who live on the Downtown Eastside...? I'd have a bit of trouble belie* ing that."

"Theeconoy u weah and w e b p t to do r o m p b cultmng. Lell replace some o/ o w pard workers w& rlnves. "