July 15, 2006, carnegie newsletter

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SLETTER

JULY 15, 2006

401 Main Street. Vancouver V6A 2T7 (604) 665-2289

carnnews@vcn.bc.ca www.carnnews.ort::

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June 30, 2006 Mayor and Council City of Vancouver Dear Mayor and Council, I am writing to express my opposition to the proposal for a soccer stadium in Gastown.

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I have spoken to many residents who already feel besieged by the rapid pace of development in the Gastown and Downtown Eastside neighbourhoods.

The intense and overwhelming nature of a soccer stadium is neither compatible nor respectful of the neighbouring residential community.

The Gastown and Downtown Eastside neighbourhoods have more than their share of challenges, not least of which is maintaining a strong sense of community in the middle of a big and increasingly unaffordable city. However, through hard work, creativity and community activism, residents have persevered and made their urban corner of Vancouver a neighbourhood and a home. They have built a thriving, tight-knit neighbourhood in one of Canada' s poorest areas.

But a fragile balance exists between the needs of commerce and those of the community. Undoubtedly the two can co-exist, but cities throughout Canada

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and North America are littered with tragic examples of what happens when the balance is tipped and communities are overwhelmed.

My major concerns include, but are not limited to, the problems created by: * The transport of hazardous materials travelling along the Canadian Pacific Railway tracks, under the proposed stadium. The transport of hazardous materials by rail is a serious matter that has gained higher profile recently due to the numerous CN derailments in 2005 and 2006. * Gastown and particularly the Downtown Eastside are fragile neighbourhoods, which have historically suffered the brunt of people from outside the area coming upon it to wreak havoc. The perception that " anything goes" and that the " rules don' t apply," especially in the Downtown Eastside, encourages public disorder, which will only be compounded by the presence of a soccer stadium. *There is no comprehensive plan for the area. In the absence of such a plan, I question whether a soccer stadium is truly the highest and best use of such prime waterfront land. A soccer stadium will have serious impacts on the livability of the area and make it far less enjoyable for its residents. *There is a lack of affordable housing in this city. I applaud your EcoDensity initiative introduced at the World Urban Forum, and hope that you would use its guiding principle of ecologically responsible development to create affordable housing and community amenities for this land. The less well off in our city are forced to live elsewhere because of the lack of affordable housing. Increased housing supply may help drive market prices down and make tenure more affordable, and increased densification will not only help urban neighbourhoods thrive, but also simultaneously reduce our ecological footprint.

I wish to emphasize that the fundamental issue here is the lack of foresight and planning for Gastown and the Downtown Eastside. I think that it is premature and shortsighted to consider large-scale development in a community that does not even have a comprehensive plan. With such a plan in place, expectations are articulated and mutually beneficially goals are identified. As a result, many problems associated with development proposals can be avoided. Therefore, I urge you to proceed with a planning process for this community as soon as possible .

The idea of a soccer stadium with its attendant nuisances - in a residential neighbourhood no less - is shortsighted and incompatible; it is not in any way neighbourhood-friendly, and will only serve to be a permanent nuisance at best, and devastating at worst.

I respectfully urge you to reject this ill-conceived proposal.

Sincerely,

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Speech to City Council on the Stadium 1. My name is Julia Manitius. I am a Gastown property owner, and Gastown Business Owner, and I speak as a member of the Central Waterfront Coalition. Two years ago, I made the choice to make Gastown my home and the place to launch my business.

Before that, I had lived and worked in Denmark for 28 years, and as such, Danish values are a big part of me. Denmark is a small innovative country with.a deep concern for the protection and regeneration of old buildings and a profound social conscience. It is also a country with very strong soccer tradition, and I am familiar with the Copenhagen soccer stadium, Parken.

2. I support the concerns of the Central Waterfront Coalition because each district of a city is part of a bigger whole, and Gastown is a thin strip of a few tree-lined streets and heritage buildings, cupped by downtown Vancouver and the downtown east side, all of which will be affected by the presence of a huge monolithic structure that, when not standing empty, would flood our narrow streets with thousands of people.

3. If Gastown was not here, I would not have moved here. What happens in Gastown is very important to me. Gastown is a neighbourhood with many realities. And Gastown IS a neighbourhood. I am bewildered when people who don't live or work in Gastown express the opinion that our neighbourhood will only be vital when frrst Woodwards, and then a stadium has been built.

4. MY Gastown is the heart of histoncal Vancouver --a small, diverse, and lively residential and business district of less than one sq. kilometer that stretches along the downtown portside a busy 24/7 port with a gro':Ving number of cranes and often very noisy railway activity, helicopters, floatplanes, and cruiseships. Even so, birds nest and sing here, and heron and owls land on the rooftops outside my window.

5. People of all ages, from one end of the economic spectrum to the other, live side by side in anything from million dollar condos, cooperatives, social housing, to run down hotels (all in an area of four city blocks). People are drawn to live and work in Gastown who have made their careers in creative professions - academics, architects, designers, lawyers, to mention a few. It is the residents and the people working in the district that are attracting the many new specialty shops and as such, a vibrant destination shopping district is growing.

6. But my Gastown is also the home of the poor, the unemployed, the mentally ill, drug addicts, and sex workers. And it is the diversity of people in this small area that makes for a colourful and even lovable environment. We are not strangers to each other in my neighbourhood. When I opened my expensive clothing shop in the Winter's Hotel Building, the residents who struggle to find money for food, came and welcomed me because they appreciated that something beautiful had come to their building. But the dynamic of diversity of our neighbourhood is also what makes it vulnerable and very fragile.

There are extreme social issues that must be addressed and resolved before we can invite tens of thousands of people to flood our streets every second day of the year (200 events).

Don't for a moment believe that the addition of a stadium to our neighbourhood will fix its problems.

I like to use the Analogy -- A marriage in crisis will not be improved by the birth of a baby.

I believe the placement of a open air stadium intending to seat up to 30K and perhaps even more if it · wishes to compete internationally, would have a devastating affect on the Gastown Strip, and the surrounding areas of Downtown and the Down Town East Side.

I not only urge, but implore city council to work with Mr. Kerfoot to find a more suitable location for his soccer stadium.

Julia Manitius

\ Whitecaps soccer stadium moves to the next stage

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"We are not going away. We are not visitors We've lived here for years and we do not support the Stadium." That's what Caryn Duncan of the Four Sisters Co-op and Central Waterfront Coalition told reporters after City Council refused to stop the Whitecaps' stadium proposal on July 11th..

After hearing nearly 90 speakers, including numerous residents and business people from Gastown and the Downtown Eastside who opposed the plan, councilors from the NPA and Vision voted unanimously to allow the Whitecaps to move to the next stage of their plan for a 15 to 30,000-seat stadium over the tracks next to Gastown. COPE councilor David Cadman was absent.

This means the Whitecaps have about a year to come up with a plan that deals with crowd access to and from the stadium, traffic, hazardous goods on the railroad tracks, making the stadium "fit" better with Gastown, and livability for residents in the area. To resolve these issues, the city says the Whitecaps need to find $40 to $50 million for a new street system in Gastown, and buy more property north of the tracks.

If this plan is approved, it will take another year to go through rezoning and permit processes.

Downtown Eastside residents are concerned that the stadium will block views, increase traffic and congestion, and make the neighbourhood into an "entertainment zone" instead of a mixed residential area.

We want an overall plan for the area that includes more affordable housing and more access to the waterfront for local residents. And we are really afraid that some stadium users will harass and abuse local low income residents, especially when our neighbourhood is stereotyped as a place where anyone can get away with anything, and when there are 8225 licensed liquor seats in the Downtown Eastside, waiting to serve stadium users. Even head planner Larry Beasely acknowledged that the stadium could

create an "impact on the vulnerable street population.

We believe there are things that will happen that will be hard for us to manage," he told Council on the last day of the debate.

Many Gastown business people are concerned that the heritage character of Gastown and the city's investment of about $90 million in heritage incentives for the area will be jeopardized by the huge bulk of the stadium, its planned 100,000 square feet of retail businesses, and large crowds. But restaurant and pub businesses generally support the stadium.

Speakers at the City Council meetings on the stadium revealed that some Gastown property owners and businesses would like to get rid of the tracks entirely and make the whole waterfront area between the Seabus and Main St. into a sort of second Coal Harbour.

This may be a time when the Whitecaps start approaching local groups with offers of"benefits" so that we will support their stadium plan. Before anyone agrees to anything, we should get our community together to see what else we can do to stop the stadium. It's not a done deal yet.

This stadium situation reminds me of the time when DERA was fighting to open the Carnegie as a community center back in the 1970s. At one point, after we had been working for years and building lots of support, the planning department came up with a report that said the building should be turned into a restaurant, a parking lot, or a place to display a rock collection. We were devastated, but Bruce Eriksen kept us going and today we have our community center.

By Jean Swanson

Say no to poor-bashers If Michael Smyth had listened to my presentation to Vancouver city council about why most Downtown Eastsiders don't want the stadium, he would be respecting, not ridiculing, our concerns.

Yes, people in the Downtown Eastside are desperately poor. But it is still a vibrant neighbourhood and community full of caring people working for a de-

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cent life.

It is also stereotyped as a place you can go to and get away with any kind of deplorable behaviour. It also contains 8,225 licensed liquor seats.

We have also seen the Southsiders' web blog.

The Southsiders are Whitecaps fans, some of whom spew hate at Downtown Eastsiders, threaten violence, call residents names, and make numerous, poor-bashing comments. We don' t want a stadium to attract people like this to our neighbourhood.

Jean Swanson, Carnegie Community Action Project

HEPATITIS C "TREAT IT AND BEAT IT" The Canadian Uver Foundation will be hosting a FREE educational program for hepatitis C patients.

Downtown Eastside Workshop # 1

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Monday, July 17, Carnegie Community Centre 401 Main Street (Main and Hastings) Auditorium: 6:30pm· 8:30pm All workshops are FREE. Snacks will be provided. Need more info? Call the Canadian Liver Foundation at 604.707.6430

A trip of an adventure

Who AID I Stewart Gonzales People see me and before they can ask, They've already formed an opinion about me, Without a word being spoken They only see... . .. a native drunk They only see... ... a drug addict ... a savage creature They only see. ..

If only they had asked they would've changed their minds having pegged me wrong, I am...

... a widower without my soul-mate I am... ... a man without a job I am... ...homeless after losing my home

But most of all I am a human being who had endured more than the average man But then again I'm only what people want to see.

Dedicated to the memory of my late friend • Taum God Rest His Soul

I was on a tiny, tiny sailboat with seven passengers and four staff. We started in Prince Rupert and ended up in Juneau 11 days later. We saw much of Alaska's Inside Passage and we got to places most others don't get to in their lifetime.

One spot was in a National Park where mankind had never been before - we stood on the grass which was soft, green and spongy because no one had ever trodden on it. We went into caves and went to a rock that had at least 30 sea lions living on it; we also saw whales and a bear or two. We went to a bird sanctuary, and saw a large glacier with a lot of fallen ice.

Beneath a log and some rocks there were tiny, tiny snakes, turtles, and blue, purple and orange fish.

We went to Sitka, a town that's slowly growing like Vancouver, but at a much smaller rate. There are a lot of clearcuts along part of the route. A lot of the things we saw were because we were on such a small boat, and none of it would have happened on a large cruise ship. The host was telling us all about the large cruise ships, and many of us were very sceptical and don't trust the large cruise ships. When I was asked for any comments, I said "Keep up the good work, and you're doing an excellent job of holding the large cruise ships' feet to the fire." I also wrote that, for me, this trip was about making a dream come true.

Luanne Bradshaw

Shame On The Government Of Canada For Voting Against Aboriginal Rights At The U.N~

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On June 29, the Human Rights Council of the U.N. passed a declaration, by a vote of30-2, to protect the rights of aboriginal people around the world. The declaration said that aboriginal people should be free from discrimination, and that they had the right to " consider themselves different and to be respected as such." Only Canada and Russia, to their great shame, voted against the declaration.

A dozen countries abstained, and three were absent.

Willie Littlechild, an aboriginal lawyer and Treaty Six International Chief from Alberta, said, "I'm very delighted and encouraged by the signal the new Human Rights Council has given the world that they are serious about addressing indigenous issues as we go forward by adopting this declaration." (1) He, and many other people, however, were disappointed that Canada had voted against the declaration.

Littlechild said Canada had helped to draft the declaration, and then the new federal government of Stephen Harper voted against it.

The declaration goes to the UN General Assembly for final adoption in the fall. This declaration recognizes what most people in the world already recognize - the right of aboriginal people to self determination - the right to their own language, culture and land.

By the year 1550, Bartholome de las Casas, Bishop of Chiapas, was explaining to his fellow Europeans who were killing and enslaving aboriginal people, that all people were endowed with natural rights, that they had the right to their own way of life, that aboriginal people had their own social, economic and spiritual institutions, and that they had the right to live. (2) I sense the presence of a number of gigantic, transnational, corporate godzillas behind the decision of the Stephen Harper government in Ottawa to vote against this declaration of the Human Rights Council of the United Nations - a declaration that protects the rights of aboriginal people around the world. Shame on the Govenllllent of Canada.

Sandy Cameron (1) "Canada votes against native rights at the UN," by Lisa Schlein, .Vancouver Sun, June 30, 2006.

(2) "Native Rights in the New World," an address by Thomas R. Berger, Feb.24, 1979.

1914 . 1941 VANCOUVER BASEBAll

The Asahi Committee and Carnegie Community Centre Association

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First Annual Powell Grounds Ball Game A Tribute to the Vancouver Asahi Monday August 7, 2006, llam Oppenheimer Park, 400 Powell St, Vancouver

As part of this year's Powell Street Festival, a ball game will take place to celebrate the Vancouver Asahi baseball team's legacy.

This will be a fun opportunity for communities and ball fans to celebrate and learn about the Asahi baseball team on the field where they once played.

This is a free public event. Oppenheimer Park wishes to invite everyone from the community. If you're interested in watching or playing a few rounds come and join us! Hotdogs/popcorn and lemon-aide will be served. Please bring your own lawn chair.

We want Asahi fans and all baseball enthusiasts to play or come watch the game. Please sign up with Oppenheimer Park Staff if you're interested in playing .or see us for more information. You can also contact the Japanese Canadian National Museum for more information or if you would like to register to play (registration is free) .

604-777-7000 ext.109 jcnm@nikkeiplace.org In case of rain the event will be held indoors at the Vancouver Japanese Language School & Japanese Hall Address: 487 Alexander St, Vancouver, V6A IC6.

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Vancouver Asahi player Nagi Nishihara at bat, Powell Ground, ca. 1939

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The unive..se in a autshell

AUDITIONS

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The Downtown Eastside is going to have it's own opera production! Here is a chance for community voices to be heard and seen at this open group call. .

Auditions will be held in the Theatre on Saturday, July 15 at 1:00pm.

Everyone is welcome. No previous performance experience necessary. Bring yourself, an open mind and be ready to try something new.

We will be doing some group theatre work, physical warm-ups, voice warm-ups and singing. This is done in the spirit of the performers working together in a mutually supportive space.

Take a chance and be part of a community opera production.

Auditions will be lead by Director, Susanna Uchatius and Musical Director, Earle Peach.

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Travel to the llndts of latersteu... space, Ia seai"Ch of the Big Baag, Black Roles, Quasars aad C::osanlc mustrated talk byE aof. Mai'k Halp , •us--c:: physicist, cosanologlst aad aa expel't · .· ... ··.. Ia how the uaiverse got.hei'e. . . . . ·. ~

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:· · Wedaesday, July 19, at 6:30 pan

Carnegie Cent..e, 401 Main .1• ee. Jill welcoa~e!

Three Women One had red hair Second had brown hair Third had yellow hair Three women sitting on oak chairs.

Solutions Recovery Homes New Methadone and Abstinence Recovery Home for Males & Females

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12 Step Program Staffed seven days a week Structured, clean program Centrally located Nutritious Meals Probation OK Relapse Prevention Low accommodation cost

Close to services including skytrain, shopping, recreation, hospital. Beds available now.

We are accepting clients now. Please contact: Elsie at 778-882-8745 or • Paul604-649-8243 or 0/ftce/Fax 604-957-1078 '

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One wore pink Second wore gold Third wore purple Three women sitting on oak chairs.

One sported a gold ring finger Second sported a silver ring finger Third sported no ring fmger Three women sitting on oak chairs .

One writes humour Second writes reflective Third writes in the here and now Three women sitting on oak chairs.

Isabel McCurdy

VOLUNTEERS! DJ MIX- So sorry to tell you that DJ Mix will be cancelled for the summer and perhaps indefinitely.

Cody did such a great job for this community for so long and we will all miss him here tremendously.

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NEW VOLUNTEER POSITION

Volunteer Dinner Wednesday, July 19, 2006 4:30pm.

You must have a minimum of 12 hours this month to qualify. Please pick up your dinner ticket in the Vo unteer Program office ahead of time. See you there!

Our very own Learning Centre volunteer, Jack Barry has been published: Who will die in Book 7? Readers say it's Hagrid I think after the graduation party is when Voldemort has to make his move. He finally confronts Hagrid, Harry and his two friends as they leave the reception.

After a long chase through the corridors, they are finally cornered and forced to defend themselves.

Voldemort tries to zap Harry but Hagrid steps in between, getting Voldemort's full force. Voldemort's attention is now all on Harry and he didn't notice Hermione as she gives Voldemort everything she has.

Hagrid dies saving Harry and Voldemort dies trying to kill Harry. Harry and his two friends survive.

-Jack Barry, Vancouver Words ofimportance from Colleen

Where do you find a dog with no legs? (Where you left him.)

What kind of coffee was served on the Titanic? (Sanka)

Calling On All Ladies Who Love To Play Pool

Pool Room Wournament Tuesday. July 18th. I pm Mixed Doubles 8 - Ball AND SO FAR WE ONLY HAVE MEN!!!

Pl~ase

Please Please -ioin us gals we can't do a mixed double without you.

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Senior's Lounge Monitor This person will help out the Coffee Seller by monitoring the room. This is a sweet job for someone who has customer service skills and likes watching television ÂŤ<winkÂť>. For more information please talk to Colleen or Sindy in the Volunteer Program Office or Marlene on the Lane Level.

Cultus Lake trip June 12th- 16th 2006 ... our annual spring kick-off for Volunteers and Seniors was a great success this year despite the rain; we refused to l~t a little thing like that get us down.

We had a full house of 55 on the trip. Due to a hint of gender confusion we had to change the name of Cultus Lake Camp to Camp Cultus ....

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News from the Library New Books

There are lots of new books on spirituality, religion, self-help, meditation, yoga and healing, thanks to a recent shopping expedition to Banyen Books.

In Chicken Soup for the Recovering Soul ( 15 2.4) by Jack Canfield, people in the recovery community share their true experiences of lives reclaimed, relationships renewed and lives full of promise.

Is there information in your past that you think won' t go down too well with a new boss? Caryl and Ron Krannich explain what you should talk about and what you shouldn' t in Job Interview Tips for People with Not-So-Hot Backgrounds (650.14).

They show you how to put red flags such as being frred, time spent in prison, and drug and alcohol behind you, and speak the employers' language.

In The Deepest Blue: How Women Face & Overcome Depression (616.85), Lauren Dockett gives insight and advice specifically for women who are facing depression. The book includes firsthand accounts and lived experiences of women from all walks of life.

My condolences to Charles Luscombe and family on your loss. I thank you for the time I have known your Mom. Her loss is very heart-braking. On behalf of the Seniors'· Coffee Sellers and Carnegie Centre, Norma-Jean B. Thanks to Colleen, John Dun.nings, Marlene & Ian for the wonderful time had by all at Cultus Lake!

Early morning Early monung - the bitter coffee in my cup the necessary potion.

Automatic I make the rounds of kitchen and bath; Soon, I know, life will begin to flow.

Every day I face the challenge of body and of spirit.

Before the dawn is not the darkest time; Now is the darkest time.

Read any good books lately?

Check out our book review board for more of what Carnegie folks are reading. We're always looking for more opinions on books you' ve loved, books you' ve hated, and everything in between. Just one or two sentences will do - this is your chance to vent! And remember, each month, there's a draw for fabulous prizes! Congratulations to Delanye, the winner of the June prize draw, who won one of the new VPL book bags and a selection of books.

Beth, your librarian

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And yet, dark is not what I mean to say.

Instead a quality of light bringing Awareness of weariness and pain.

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Our Precious Tyler Dzienis November 06, 1972 -June 09, 2006

It has been a few weeks now that Tyler has left this world and I still see him wandering the halls and streets. I still expect to see him come into my office to get yelled at for putting his feet up on the desk Thank you all who came to his Memorial. It is what I love about this community .. .. no matter what has or is going on, when it is a matter of the heart, we join together as one in respect for the loss of a brother we cared about.

I know it seems like Tyler died too young, but considering his history, it was kind of a miracle that he lived as long as he did. He certainly beat the odds more than once.

Our Tyler was born in Kitchener, Nov. 6, 1972.

13 years ago (20 years old) he moved to Vancouver where he spent the rest of his young life. Tyler was born with an extra blood vessel close to his brain.

His mother had a crucial decision to make .. .let nature run its course with a prognosis of baby Tyler's life expectancy to be 5 years and for the later part of those years in a vegetative state.. or perform surgery to replace this vessel with a metal plate for which there was a 30% chance success rate. Carol made the oruy decision her mother's heart would allow, which .. was to give her son a chance no matter the odds! At 11 month$ old the surgery was successfully performed. Carol's courage gave her son 33 years of active life.

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ugn the years, resulting adhesions formed around this plate causing Tyler massive headaches and seizures by the time he was 16 years old, which understandably often resulted in frustration and anger. But most importantly, Tyler was a good man with a gentle soul and loving heart. I often caught him doing random acts,of kindness when he thought no one was looking. He was particularly sensitive and protective to those he saw as vulnerable and who needed help. I was often proud of Tyler by the way he painstakingly worked so hard to overcome and work with his barriers; we all watched his commitment and successes over the years for which many of us quietly applauded and cheered him on.

Tyler's mom wants us all to know how much she loved her son and that she will miss him tremendously.

She is very very sorry not to be with us today, but she is going to sit quietly at home during the Memorial and join us in spirit. To give you some comfort, I want you to know that Carol is taking care of Tyler's ashes in a way I just know he would have loved had he known. We thank you Carol for lending us your son for the time he was with us. We have a soft spot in our heart's for your son; he left everyone who knew him with a legacy of sorts simply because you knew him. For now, Tyler has gone on ahead and some day, we will all catch up in our own due time.

We w111 miss vou until then. Tvler Colleen and all those who love you, OX

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Editor:

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The Greater Vancouver Steering Committee on Homelessness and those who work with the homeless are appalled by the idea of encouraging people to dine at dumpsters.

It is unacceptable that the most vulnerable people in our community have to depend on food from dumpsters. It is simply not a viable, nutritional or healthy practice.

Those who provide shelter and services to the homeless have worked hard to negate the stereotyping of people seeking assistance. Encouraging dumpster dining implies that garbage food is OK for "garbage people." We fmd that unacceptable.

Promoting dumpster diving places the less fortunate at greater risk. Instead, our region needs to focus on real solutions such as affordable housing, support services and adequate income for all residents of Greater Vancouver.

Cheryl Prepchuk, Regional Steering Committee on Homelessness I live in BC, so I receive a section of The Globe and Mail titled "Globe British Columbia." In today's section, July 11, there was an article titled "Dumpster diving for buried treasure."

The article talks about the perils faced by the poorest among us, who are forced to forage among g<>.rbage bins to survive. It also talks about the recent pamphlet printed, which offers, among other things, tips on how to safely "dumpster dive."

What this article neglects to mention is that dumpster diving would be completely unnecessary if the proper social supports were in place to protect those forced to resort to such extreme measures to live.

A single, employable person on welfare in BC today gets $510 per month. Typically, about $395 goes towards rent, leaving about $115 to live on.

That works out to less than $4 a day on which to live, which is far from being enough.

Instead of promoting the idea of dumpster diving as a living, the city should be lobbying the provincial government to raise welfare rates to a level where such activities are unnecessary.

That a country as rich as Canada promotes activities such as dumpster diving as an alternative to properly supporting people is a disgrace to our sense of social values.

Rolf Auer

"The job ofthe newspaper is to comfort the ajjlicted and ajjlict the comfortable."

Finley Peter Dunne

Editor: There are increasing numbers of homeless people on our streets -- so hungry and desperate for food they are reduced to scavenging through dumpsters.

Please help me understand how trying to appease their hunger is a "bad habit" or why picking through rotting fruit and stale-dated yogurt to stay alive is described by The Province as "self-destructive and anti-social behaviour."

As with food banks, self-help pamphlets for binners are not the solution to the problem ofhunger.The "big question," as you put it, is not whether this pamphlet is a service to starving, homeless people. It is why, in our prosperous province, 74,000 people have to rely on overextended food banks, and countless others must forage through garbage to meet the most basic of human needs.

Your newspaper should instead question why our governments continue to violate their obligations under international law to ensure that all our citizens have access to adequate food -- a fundamental human right.

Linda Korbin, B.C. Association of Social Workers {This is a letter to the editor of The Province in response to an article about a leaflet with tips on how to eat from others' garbage ... ] Ed

Strange Strategy This must be part of Premier Gordon Campbell's strategy to make B.C.the "healthiest jurisdiction to ever hold an Olympics:" Firstly, keep welfare rates frozen for 12 years so that single people who pay $3 80 for rent have only $4 a day left for food and everything else.

Secondly, bring in new rules in 2002 making it extremely difficult for vulnerable people in need to receive welfare.

Thirdly, fund Vancouver Coastal Health so it can support a booklet on how to get food from dumpsters. 路 Sandy Cameron

Lamentation for the Downtown Eastside she who was a child â&#x20AC;˘ beloved of life has now become a slave she screams at night she raves during the day and among all her men there is none to comfort her all her friends have betrayed her they have become like enemies and after this affliction and harsh servitude in the Downtown Eastside she is going into exile she is being driven out and will fmd 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 her beauty has been corrupted her dreams of life are like eagles that find no nests in weariness they have flown away but in these days of her affliction and drunkenness she remembers the hours of joy and moments of peace that were hers in the past before she and 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 from 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 am object of loathing and derision to her neighbours and to those who could rescue her and what is worse to herself the visions of 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 deceitful 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 â&#x20AC;˘ our enetmes they say 'we are swallowing up the Downtown Eastside we will drive 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 powerless 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 heart like hail so that all 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 from their mothers' breasts would you deny life to them as you do to the Downtown Eastside? people all over have heard my suffering cries but there is no one to comfort me 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 to tear their 'communities' 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 Originally in Signs ofthe Times 'This poem was written in 1997 when the situation in the Downtown eastside was literally as horrific as described. As a Director on the Vancouver I Richmond Health Board, I was able, against bureaucratic opposition, to have a motion passed declaring Vancouver's first-ever public health emergency, because of the pandemics and overdose deaths besieging the downtown eastside. Since then, residents of the Downtown Eastside and people in Vancouver and elsewhere have indeed responded to inhuman suffering with concrete initiatives intended to relieve it.. Though many battles are yet to be fought, the preservation and strengthening of a rare and immensely important community of economically impoverished, brutally afflicted and extraordinarily creative and committed human beings, is much closer to enduring than it appeared 8 years ago.

While the poem specifically names the Downtown Eastside, the circumstances expressed prevail throughout the world, and will intensify unless the neo-liberal socio-economic ideology and its institutions, so ruinous of all that is human and natural, is turned upside-down to fully respond to the needless suffering and destruction of authentic community this system produces.

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In Recognition of James Pau We are blessed with many fine volunteers here in the DES. Often, they have spent years, even decades dedicating their time, skills and compassion to the community and to others. One of them is James Pau. This year is James' 30th anniversary as a volunteer in the DES. It is also the 31th anniversary of his arrival in Vancouver and the first year of his retirement from professional life. The Buddhist Order will be celebrating James anniversary and retirement with him this summer.

On May 1st 1975, James arrived in Vancouver to work as a nurse., at Vancouver General's Geriatric Ward Banfield Pavilion. From his work at seniors' ' he acquired an in-depth understanding of facilities, the suffering of old age; loss of independence, isolation, abuse and fraud, etc.

As a consequence of his experience, James began volunteering with the multicultural organization, SUCCESS, as a frontline worker in their 'Home Visit Program", where volunteers visit seniors and new immigrants in their homes, listen to their concerns and issues, assess needs and act as a translator and advocate for the clients with the necessary government, social or medical agencies.

At this time, James also began to participate in many of the seniors' classes and group events such as, Tai Chi, ballroom dancing and music, in order to help seniors retain and enjoy their independence. In order to help these groups function, James also worked on several group committees, eventually helping with the organization of a number of non-profit societies including several years as a steering member of the Elder Abuse Network Education of youth, especially immigrant youth has been another passion for James. In the mid 80's he began to volunteer with the Vancouver Community Colleges' Homefront Program. The program's aim ~as to teach students at home, when they are ill and not able to attend school. Today he continues to tutor English through the North American Buddhist

Friendship Order.

James is one of Traditional Chinese Medicine's earliest advocates and practitioners. Through his work in T C M, James expanded his volunteer efforts to include people with disabilities. Up until his retirement, his clinic offered treatment to anyone requesting it, regardless of their ability to pay.

In the mid 90's James became a founding member of the Consumers' Board, a non-profit organization that runs a needle exchange and acts as a bridge between medical services and their clients. During this time James also co-founded the Buddhist Friendship Order in order to consolidate and expands on his work with seniors and immigrants and the poor in general. The 'home study program', advocacy, advice, translation services, companionship for isolated seniors and practical help in food, clothing and money are all offered on the basis of individual need through the Order.

In addition to his advocacy for individuals James has used and will continue to use his skills to advocate for seniors and other marginalized people at the board and committee level at the various public health agencies and committees, which have included: The Neighbourhood Advisory Committee, St Paul's Hospital: Acute Care of Elders, Vancouver Health Board; Seniors Population Health Advisory Committee, RichmondNancouver Health Board and the Vancouver City's Advisory Committee on senâ&#x20AC;˘

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Even though he is retiring, James will still be active in many seniors' organizations, continuing to promote their shared values, visions, and principles. He is very proud to have served his ninth term on Carnegie's Senior Executive Committee and his eighth term on the Carnegie Board and will continue his efforts, at a reduced capacity, chairing meetings, planning programs, out-trips, indoor and out-door activities, parades, celebrations, translating English, Cantonese/Mandarin and financial programs Three decades after he arrived in Vancouver, James Pau caitlook back on his long career as a volunteer with pride. It is perhaps a fitting beginning to James' retirement that he recently won a bronze medal in Tai Chi at the annual Can-Am Competition. Welldone James!

By Melissa Eror Coordinator Buddhist Order (

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December 5, 2005 Stephen Harper, Leader Conservative Party of Canada # 1720 - 130 Albert Street Ottawa, Ontario K 1P 5G4 Dear Mr. Harper, I write to express my disappointment in your reading your comments to cut a successful drug treatment and outreach program in my community.

I was shocked to hear of your ill-informed position on North America' s only safe-injection site which is located in my riding in the Downtown Eastside.

I invite you to meet with Insite staff and its clients on your next visit to Vancouver to see for yourself the valuable and necessary service this program provides to our community.

Community service organizations in Vancouver East are national leaders in drug treatment and outreach programs. They understand what you do not, that poverty, addiction and homelessness are human problems, not criminal problems, and won' t be solved with longer prison terms.

This unique program has been successful in reducing HIV and Hepatitis C infections as well as connecting drug users to treatment services. As pointed

by B.C.'s Provincial Health Officer, Dr. Perry Kendall, " The facility has played an essential role as an entry point to the health-care system for treating those with addictions," I urge you, on your next visit to Vancouver, to accept my invitation to get the real facts on drug use and the safe-injection site.

Sincerely, Libby Davies MP

June 1, 2006 The Right Hon. Stephen Harper, P.C., M.P. Prime Minister of Canada Room 313S Centre Block House of Commons, Ottawa, ON KIA OA6 Dear Prime Minister, I would like to draw to your attention to the enclosed recent scientific evaluation ofVancouver' s n1edically supervised safe injection facility.

This paper shows very clearly the positive impact

of the facility, both in improving public health and in decreasing crime. You may be aware that the chief of police in Vancouver recently called for the ongoing operation of the facility for three years. While I realize that such a facility may appear to be at odds with your views on drug use, the hard evidence is showing us that safe injection sites are a key component in responding to the drug crisis in many urban areas.

I sincerely hope you will renew the exemption, and not leap to erroneous conclusions about this valuable program.

Yours sincerely,

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Health Minister Tony Clement Mayor Sam Sullivan

July 4, 2006 The Hon. Tony Clement, P.C., M.P. Minister of Health Room 278 Confederation Building House of Commons, Ottawa, ON Kl A OA6 Dear Minister, I am following up on a letter that I sent to Prime Minister Harper, and copy circulated to you, on June 1st of this year regarding Vancouver's Safe Injection Site, known as Insite. In that letter, I included arecent study by "Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention, and Policy" , which showed that Vancouver' s lnsite was not associated with a marked increase in drug-related criminal activity. In fact, it showed a significant decline in break-ins and thefts since its opening. However, since Insite is up for federal review in September, I felt it urgent that you receive as much evidence as possible that shows the success of Insite, in the belief that Insite must continue.

Enclosed, I have included a research summary by Vancouver Coastal Health, which shows the tremendous success of lnsite in reducing harm to those who use illicit drugs. Most notably, the research shows that Insite is leading to an increase in users who â&#x20AC;˘ choose to enter detoxification programs and addiction treatment, and that 453 overdoses have resulted in no fatalities thanks to the availability of qualified medical staff. I hope you find the included facts helpful to recogruze that Insite is performing well

and needs ongoing support.

Because of the importance of lnsite in reducing harm to so many of my constituents in the downtown eastside ofVancouver, I am requesting a meeting with you in order to further discuss this matter. I hope you will seriously consider my request. I feel very strongly that the evidence is clear, and would welcome the opportunity to let you know how strongly Insite is supported in Vancouver.

I thank you for your time, and anxiously await your reply.

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Neighbourhood Small Grants Program 2006 Downtown Eastside and Strathcona

2nd Deadline addgd! Fridtv July. 21•t!

The Advisory Committee has set Friday July 21 s\ 5pm as a 2nd deadline to apply for grants of up to $500 for projects that enhance your neighbourhood socially, physically or culturally. If you missed the frrst deadline here's a 2nd chance to apply.

A big thank you to all the people who have applied to the 2006 Neighbourhood Small Grants program for the Downtown Eastside and Strathcona areas.

There are going to be some wonderful projects in the neighbourhood over the next 4 months. We will i form you of the committee's decisions by end July.

For more information or for an application form, call 604-713-1850 or email: teresa-nsgp@hotmail.com.

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Dear Mister Prime Minister

In my experience of using [narcotics] before the safe injection site was open, I unfortunately had one close call with overdosing. Luckily I had a friend with me who was able to call 911 - and that saved my life. But, for some other people who rve known personally, they were not so lucky. God rest their souls.

In regard to keeping the S.I.S. open, I' ve witnessed the nurses in action. If it were not for their skills, calmness and ability to work under pressure and stress, a number of people would not be alive today.

My heart goes out to them.

I'm also sure that the clean supplies alone cut down on the spread of Hep C & HIV, to name a few.

In closing, the S.I.S. only helps this community: please keep it open; it might save some of your 'ends' lives too.

PennB

SOME WANT A PIECE OF GLORY SOME WANT A PIECE OF PEACE SOME WANT A WISH THAT'S SORRY SOME WANT ALL WAR TO CEASE POVERY WANTS FOOD IN THE BELLY BOWLS ARE BROKEN ON THE STREETS SOME HAVE BELLIES LIKE BOWLS OF JELLY SOME OF BONES WHERE FLESH DO MEET OR SHALL I GIVE TO YOU A SEE-THRU MEDICINE BAG FOR YOUR NAKED HEART PEOPLE ARE HUNGRY FEED ME.!!!!!!!!!!!!

I did give Yoko a see thru medicine bag FOR THEIR NAKED HEART. , with medicine THEY would understand UNDERSTAND? BETH BUCHANAN

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History Sociology Political Science Architecture At1 Philosophy Logic & Critical Thinking Psychology · : ~-.

First Nations Anthropology Canadian Literature Cultural Studies Sexuality Urban Studies Poetry Religion & Theology Gender Economics Geography . . . even Children's Literature?

Classics

This is what you will do in Humanities 101 , an 8-month non-credit course for people living in & around the Downtown Eastside who have a real passion for learning but who face financial and other barriers to education .

We provide students with books, school supplies, UBC library card, UBC e-mail account, bus fare, meals & child care if they need it, academic support, tutoring and mentoring. Free.

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University and College instructors lead classes

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If you are serious about learning ... ..if you like intellectual challenge .... .if you can make a commitment to coming to UBC Tuesday & Thursday evenings, 7 - 9:30pm, from September 2006 to April 2007, to study .. .then you may want toattend our first info & application session where staff and graduates will answer your questions.

Applications also available on the third floor ~~Education" bulletin board at the Carnegie. Application. Deadline is July 22nd •

To find out more about the course, please call us at 604.822.0028, e-mail hum1 01 @interchange.ubc.ca, or see our website: http://humanities101.arts.ubc.ca/

CARNEGIE-DTES The Carnegie building has come through some interesting history during its hundred plus years. Much of its history may be found at the front desk or in some literature in the library. In the latter seventies it was slated for destruction but was granted a reprieve and opened its doors as a community centre in 1980.

When Carnegie Community Centre opened, a good deal of its focus was to assist people of low income in the neighborhood. The neighborhood was, in fact, the Downtown East Side (DTES). Over time, there seemed to be a great resistance to the very fact that the DTES even exists. Thankfully a merry band of local residents have fought and still fight for the recognition of our community.

Out of all this came the many safety nets, in the form of community centres, clinics and various committees that work tirelessly to keep operations rolling in our community. The pioneers who began the work to make this all possible were faced with myriad obstacles at every endeavor. Some are still with us; others have moved on to bigger and better things and visit us from time to time. Unfortunately, some are no longer with us but we still carry the gauntlet they passed on to us.

One of my favorite people in these processes is Michael Clague. He lent himself to us in the sunset of his career. With his resources he proved miraculous in the results he produced in five short years. One of his megaprojects was the celebration of the Carnegie building' s lOOth anniversary. While be was with us, it really seemed like he cared about our community and its concerns. Ahh but alas, all good things end.

One of the things that my career in the service industry taught me is that a person must be able to change with the times or be left behind only to become obsolete or extinct. Further, my generation has seen the most change ever in history. And it hasn't stopped yet. Evolution in our fair city has come full circle. We live in the beginnings of Vancouver and it has been rediscovered for its heritage and realty values. Of course this is old news but let' s look into the future a bit.

Big money is at work as I write this article. The TES could possibly be a spin off from Gastown. any students from both universities have begun to equent our community. Woodwards has big plans the making and sold all of their future condos in

record time. The surrounding commercial buildings are also a rea~ty boom. There are other interesting developments that I haven't even learned of yet. And what does this all have to do with Carnegie?

Well we did invite the public into the living room of the DTES didn' t we? During the hundredth anniversary bash, they were quite amazed at how well we keep this building that they wanted to demolish way back when. And then the wheels started to tun1. Hey, this building is too good for a bunch of bums! One thing leads to another and soon enough they' ll want us skidding down the road on our butts! And you 路know, with all the back biting that goes on in here we'd just be making it easy for them. So where would we all go????

On the other hand we could actually get back to doing what we were so good at before this government came and depleted our forces; that is helping people to better themselves when they ask for help.

When they misplace or drop their dignity, we could return it to them graciously. I notice that a few of the services we used to offer are vacant i.e. : advocate or tax person. There are the standard obvious services in the food industry but only so many people can fill those spots. What are you most good at that can help others? Poor and less fortwtate people will always need a hand. One of my favorite quotes is " never look down on anyone unless you are helping them up". I wouldn' t mind seeing more people with that frame of mind. I know it's idealism but things do start somewhere.

Carnegie is a community centre; that is a place where people can function without inhibition or intimidation. Lately we' ve seen a lot of misbehavior unbecoming of a community centre by self centered egocentrics. This behavior is counter productive at least. At this point in time we cannot be found shooting ourselves in the foot! A lot of people have worked too hard to get us here. We could show them the thanks forthcoming by joining together with dignity and pride and facing the future cohesively. Is that unreasonable to ask?

Gerald G Wells

DEYAS Needle Exchange Van Schedule ·

DOWNTOWN EASTSIDE YOUTH ACTIVITIES SOCIETY 49 W.Cordova

Telephone (604) 657-6561 AM Van 7:00am- 5:00pm (on the road 8am-4pm) PM Van 4:00pm- 2:00am (On the road ~pm-lam) 7D~ys/Weck

2006 DONATIONS Libby o :-$100 Rolf A.-$50 Barry for Dave McC-$100 Christopher R.-$30 . Margaret D.-$40 Bruce J.-$15 The Edge-$200 Mary C-$10 Penny G.-$50 MP/Jelly Bean -$20 RayCam-30 Janice P.-$30 Wes K.-$50 Paddy -$60 Glen B.-$25 John S.-$60 Leslie S.-$20 Wm.B -$20 Michael C.•$80 HumanitieslOl-$100 Gram -$20 Sheila B.-$20 Ben C.-$20 Brian $2 CEEDS -$50 Joanne H.-$20 Wilhelmina M.-$1 0 Saman -$20

604-251-3310 FREE - Donations accepted.

THE NEWSLETIER IS A PUBLICATION OF THE CARNEGIE COMMUNITY CENTRE ASSOCIATION. Articles represent the views of individual contributors and not of the Association.

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Contributors may not malign, attack, or relegate any person, group or class, including drug users and economically poor people, to a level referred to or implying 'less than human'.

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Thursday, July 27

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HAS.BEEN LIBitAiliAN, 35 SEEKS YOUTH AGED 13·2 4

W70-16-'l Commertial Dr VSL JVJ , Phone: 775-0790 Fax: 775-0881 Downtown Eastside Residents Association 12 E. Hastings St, or call 682_.t9J I

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SEE BETH AT THE LIBBIB! DB B-M41L C4BUSE@VPL.C4

ALLEGRO FOR FLUTE AND PIANO David Hamilton -piano, Colleen Muriel -flute

Come and enjoy a fast paced, energetic program of HEAVY, SERIOUS AND LOUD music for flute and piano. Included in the program are selections from Mozart's two flute concertos, Concierto Pastoral by Joaquin Rodrigo, Le Merle Noir by Mess aen and 2 Fantasies by Faure and Telemann.

Friday, July 28, 2006 7 p.m.

Carnegie Centre Theatre '

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The Carnegie Community Action Project has been working on these issues: INCOME: Raise the Rates is a loose coalition of groups that want welfare increased at least 50%, barriers to getting on welfare ended, an earnings exemption of at least $500 for all, and a minimum wage of$10 an hour.

CCAP is the most active member of this group and we're on a roll. Three beautiful posters and a leaflet were printed with money from the BC Nurses Union.

They have been distributed a bit in our neigh- hourhood and all over the province. People seem to really like them. We have been to 3 city festivals with them with good response to our petition and form letter.

Other festivals are in the works and Oxfam has our materials and is using them when they go out to community festivals.

Other groups and unions are getting interested and want more posters and leaflets .. we have to get more printed. We're hoping to get some translated and distributed in the immigrant community. The goal is to make people aware that welfare is abysmally low so they will pressure the politicians to meet our demands. If anyone would like some posters to put up around the community (inside), come to the CCAP office after July 17th . We' re getting more printed.

We produced a skit with Sam Slick, oilier than a

dipstick (Alias Bob), Colleen, Matthew, Diane, Trish (our student) and some others. The skit is designed to show that welfare isn' t enough to live on. It was performed at the Alexander St. Block Party. We might work on revising this a bit for future performances.

As a result of our campaign, Maple Ridge City Council forwarded a resolution to the Union of BC Municipalities calling for a "substantial increase" in welfare rates. We're hoping more city councils will pass resolutions like these.

We have a student, Trish Garner, working 2 days

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week on Raise the Rates. She has designed and is working on a website called raisetherates.org. Check out the website to see how you can get involved in the campaign, or come to the CCAP office most mornings and talk to Jean.

HOUSING: People from all over the world organized opportunities for us to get media attention on Downtown Eastside housing issue!? .during the World Urban Forum. They organized a rally where Jean and others spoke and we got some media atten-

tion to housing issues. They took 2 tours with Jean around the Downtown Eastside looking at housing and gentrification. Since they were from different countries the media seemed interested in them. They were pretty horrified that conditions in such a wealthy country could be so bad. In the end we got appearances on Global TV, CBC TV, CBC radio, and the Sun, as well as 2 folding benches and some packing tape from our housing friends from around the world.

WHITECAPS STADIUM: Wendy Pedersen and her group, the Central Waterfront Coalition, have done a fantastic job of organizing the DE against the stadium. She has made lots of .contacts that we usually don't work with and many of them have been up to city hall speaking against the stadium.

Wendy organized several meetings with local residents and business people to lobby individual councilors. CCAP went to 2 of these. There have been 3 nights of speakers at City Council so far with the next night scheduled for Monday at 7:30pm, and then, maybe, Tues for a decision, if they don' t get done Monday. It is apparent by the speeches to council that a lot of Gastown business people want the city to get rid of the tracks entirely and develop another Coal Harbor type project just North of the Downtown Eastside.

CCAP is a project of the Carnegie Community Centre Association that works on income, housing and gentrification issues in the Downtown Eastside.

By Jean Swanson

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DTES Arts and Culture Framework and Investment Plan: Communi~ Consultation from 4-6 pm July 25t 2006 at the C · Centre Jrd Floor Gallery What ways are people being consulted?

Community Groups Benefit from Free SFU Research A recent initiative at Simon Fraser University bridges the gap between community groups and academia. Through the Action Research exchange, local non-profit organisations and community groups can now obtain support in their community based research projects and programmes by partnering with SFU student researchers.

The Action Research exchange (ARX) connects students with non-profit community organisations that need research but have limited resources. Projects can range from research papers to statistical reports to video documentaries or informational pamphlets. ARX hopes to integrate more community-initiated and -directed research into student education at SFU, as well as support the development and sustainability of community groups working towards change. Similar research exchanges have been successfully developed at campuses all across North America, yet no academic institution in the Lower Mainland has a comparable programme.

Every summer ARX releases a new batch of community project proposals on its website. Students then pick up these research proposals and complete the projects for course credit throughout the academic year (September to April). Community organisations are invited to submit an online proposal to the Action Research exchange through www.sfl)irg.ca/arx before July 21st, 2006.

On July 6th we held a very successful open house at Gallery Gachet. We've organized focus groups that are being held with key stakeholders from each of the following disciplines and sectors: Literary, Print, and Publishing; Film/Sound Recording/Gaming; Design (Graphic, Fashion, Furniture, Industrial); Visual Arts; Festivals; Venues; Theatre, Dance, Music; Heritage and Architecture. Those who aren't able to attend sessions are being surveyed and surveys are available for those interested in contributing to the process. A community at large consultation on July 25, from 4:00 to 6:00PM is being held in the 3rd floor Gallery and Classroom in the Carnegie Centre at 401 Main St. At this session, we will be presenting a report on "What We Heard" during the sectoral consultation sessions, and inviting the public to provide further input into the Investment Plan.

So what it's all about?

The Downtown Eastside has one of the highest rati~ls of artists per population of any community in Canada. Work is produced and presented by individuals, non-profit organizations, and both large and small commercial businesses. The objective of this project is to create a strategic framework and economic investment plan for arts and cultural activities in the •

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Downtown Eastside. The plan will identify arts and cultural activities that will support and facilitate sustainable community development and economic revitalization without displacement. The geographic boundaries of the Downtown Eastside include Richards to Clark, and Burrard Inlet to False Creek. Opportunities to further the economic development of the area will consider what is or is not working, and where hubs and networks of activity could be further enhanced. When investment is made, where is it most needed?

Who asked for the plan?

A Steering Committee came together to commission this project. The Committee is comprised of representatives of the Province of British Columbia through the Ministries of Tourism, Sports and 'the Arts and Community Services, Vancouver Agreement, and 2010 Legacies Now as well as staff from the City of Vancouver Office of Cultural Affairs ' Park Board, and Planning Department. Consultation will help to identify and prioritize the type of strategic investment that should be made in the different sectors and will help to formulate recommendations to the steering committee on the type of investment that is required.

Who' s doing the work?

The fmn ofNorth Sky Consulting Ltd. was selected through a public tender process to·undertake this work. The consulting team for this project includes Donna Spencer, Irwin Oostindie, and Sharon Kravitz. Each of these individuals has a strong commitment to sustaining and enriching arts in the DTES for the benefit of the individual artist as well as the community as a whole. The knowledge and skills of these team members are augmented by the skills of Sandie Romanczak and Maurice Albert.

Sandie and Maurice have the experience, skills, and knowledge to frame the Plan within an economic community development context.

Your feedback is essential to creating a relevant and positive plan for our community. We hope to see you on the 25th!

If you have further questions please contact out project manager Maurice Albert at ¥ malbert@northskyconsulting.com •

Community Dreams: A Poetry Showcase in support of Co-op Radio On Thursday, July 27th, Vancouver Co-op Radio proudly presents a live poetry and music showcase at the Rhizome Cafe (317 East Broadway). A fundraising event, it will feature local, talented and underrepresented poets, authors and musicians performing to promote themselves and the station. An interactive poetry contest will take place, where the audience will experience poems written on the theme " COMMUNITY DREAMS" and participate in choosing a • wmner.

Vancouver Co-op Radio, 102.7FM, is the city' s alternative voice, offering non-commercial, community-based radio programming everyday. Co-op Radio provides a forum for people in Vancouver to express their opinions, visions, motivations and views.

On July 2ih, the station helps introduce local and underrepresented poets and musicians to the city' s art lovers.

People of all ages and backgrounds have submitted poetry on the theme of " COMMUNITY DREAMS." A jury consisting of Co-op Radio hosts Ariadne Sawyer (World Poetry Cafe, Mondays at 9pm), Robin McNabb (Storytelling Show, Sunday at 9pm) Steve Duncan and Randy Weslowski(Wax Poetic, Wednesday at 2 : 39~m), will select writers of the most touching and convincing submissions to be featured at the July 27 showcase.

Featured artists like Marni Norwich and Delanye Azrael will have the opportunity to present and promote their work, be heard on the air and engage with new audiences to express their visions and ideas on community building. Audience members will select three winning authors, who will receive prizes that include $100 cash, personal creativity coaching and chapbook workshops, and books published locally.

Join in building our community dreams! Tickets are available in advance or at the door for $4 - 10 ~ ~ ~ ~~

communitydreams@gmail.com or call 604-684-8494 extension 226

1shing, New Star

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