July 15, 2020 Carnegie Newsletter

£8 iifitiGei BU~2020 NEWSLETTER

carnnews@vcn.bC.ca

401 Main Street Vancouver Canada V6A 2T7

CRUNCH

Irs

~ c:ltes

.

(604) 665~22B9

A ViL..lIICE To RI4ISE A PRoTEST, :tT TAIcE.s A Pl(oT£ST 10 SAVE A COHMUlliTX ~

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TAKE'S

UPDATE ABOUT COVID-19 The Province of BC has moved into 'Phase 3' of COVID-19. This means that while the virus is still spreading, some rules have been relaxed and many businesses that were shut can now reopen if they take steps to keep their patrons and staff safe.

It is still very important

We are going to be expanding our services starting July 15 to include drop-in space and increased public washroom access at all three sites.

Drop-in spaces will be accessible for.

45 minutes every hour, and space will be limited.

that you:

While the community centres will look and feel very different than prior to COVID-19, we are looking forward to seeing you again and welcoming you back into the centres.

• Wash your hands for 20 seconds on a regular basis • Cough and sneeze into a tissue or your elbow • Stay at least 2 metres apart from other people

Speak with a staff person on site or visit vancouver.ca/covid19 for more information.

• Do not meet in large groups

COMMUNITY CENTRE SERVICES Location •

Phone Number

•

~TYOF

Arts, Culture and I Community Services

VANCOUVER Gathering Place 609 Helmcken street

..

_

..

604-665-2220

604-665-2391

604-665-3075

Everyday:

Everyday:

Everyday:

9 am-8 pm

9am-8pm

9:15am-8 pm

9 am-11 am

9am-llam

10 am -12 noon

$2.00 Lunch "Ill

12noon -4 pm

12 noon-2:30 pm

1 pm-2:30

$2.00.Dinner

5 pm-8 pm

5 pm-7 pm

3 pm-5:30 pm

Daily drop off:

Mon - Fri drop off:

Free Laundry

not available

9 am-10 am. 12 noon-1 pm &3pm-4pm

9:15-10 am & 12:15noon-1 pm

Free Showers

not available

Daily sign up:

Daily between:

9 a01-5:30 pm

. 10:30 am-6 pm

Hours of Operation $2.00 Breakfast

Washrooms

Drop in Space

pm

9 am -11 am, 12 noon -4 pm & 5 pm-7:30 pm

9 am-7:30 pm

9:15am - 7:30 pm

9 am -11 am, 12 noon - 4 pm & 5'pm-7:45 pm

9 am- 2:30 pm & 3:30 pm-7:45 pm

9:15am - 12 noon, 1 pm - 4 pm & 5 pm - 7:45 pm

CARNEGIE COMMUNITY ACTION PROJECT 11J[j)ll1BHÂą~fJ~ij~t~J ~~11

ER

WSLE JULY 2020

A BRIEF

Tne area

HISTORY

OF

CRAB

PARK

now known as CRAB Park is on the unceded, ancestral, traditional

the x ill;J6J.cw;;lY;lffi(Musqueam), Skwx, wri'Zmesh (SquamishJ and dilw;;lta?1 W

territories

of

(Tsleil-Waututh) Nations.

Long

before

it

was

CRAB

Park, numerous

historic First

fishing and camp sites were located all along the south shore of around today's False Creek Flats. The

salmon, herring,

sites of Luk'iuk'i and Kumkumalay.located as meeting

and fishing

seen in great numbers view

of the North

Prior to colonial

smelt and crab fishing

settlements,

used

Orcas and Grey whales were

when Vancouver was first incorporated from

Burrard Inlet and

near today's CRAB Park, were

places for thousands.

Shore Mountains

Nations

the City Wharf

in 1886 and the

were

unobstructed.

the area was known as "Grove of Beautiful Trees."

CRAB Park has a bird marsh, which is home to close to 30 bird species including the blue heron. The stretch that is now Parking Lot 5 was a spawning rock sole fish, Pacific' herring, was an important within

smelt,

place for juvenile

Pacific sand lance, and other salmon

migration

and feeding.

area for fish, and Located

Area 28-11 of the DFO (Fisheries and Oceans Canada), it is a Rockfish

Conservation

area, and is designated

an important

habitat

for pacific

salmon.

T H¡E F 0 UNO A T ION Born out of Downtown

0 FeR

A B PAR K :

Eastside Organizing

Efforts

In 1982, a group of Downtown Eastside (DTES)organizers formed the Create A Real Available Beach (CRAB)Committee.

They advocated for the creation of a park in the DTES,a neighborhood that lacks park space, on vacant land on the North end of Main Street owned by the Federal government and

leased to

the

Vancouver

Fraser Port

Authority.

In 1984{ the CRAB Committee set up a tent city with 60 . tents, where protestors stayed for 75 days to demand the creation of a park. In 1987, after a five-year campaign,

•

organizing efforts finally paid off, and a park was created.

In

1997,

a

Murdered

memorial

boulder

Indigenous.

commissioned

and

Women placed

Today, CRAB Park is the central waterfront

only

for-

Missing

and

and

Girls

was

in

park

CRAB

on

Park.

Vancouver's

area, and is one of few parks in the

DTES. The original CRAB Committee has been renamed to the CRAB Water for Life Society, and they oversee CRAB Park.. The park marks a victory in the fight for the .creation of spaces of belonging for residents of the DTES.

About 600 people attended the 2nd Annual DTES Indigenous

Centre and the SROCollaborative

Day Salmon BBQ and First Nations Day of Well ness on Sunday

The event was proudly hosted and Med by Erica Grant and

June 2'1 st in CRAB Park.

Erica's Downtown Eastside Response Team.

and TORO.

Music was provided by Curtis Clearsky and the Constellations and an open mic. Guests enjoyed a volunteer-run snacks, bannock,

a community

potluck,

salmon BBQ

speakers and free

overdose response training.

Larna's article about street checks:

Partidpatinq

https:/lthemainlander.com/2020t07/08/vancouver-city-

groups included:

Drinkers Lounge, Aboriginal

Front Door, Culture Saves Lives,

Antioch Church, Western Aboriginal Hope

Society, Vancouver

Harm Reduction, Serious

Aboriginal

Community

Policing

council-can-and-should-end-police-street-checksl

.

BCCLA open letter about street checks: '

https:! /bcd a.orq/ou r_work/street jch ecks_ open_I etterl

"Thank. you

(0

everyone

who attended, and the volunteers and donors who made tt possible! Seeyou

nexr year!

"

o

DISPLACEMENT

I-

AND

P 0 Lie -E V I 0 L E NeE : Over 100 residents were violently displaced from CRAB Park tent city on June 16th. For some, this was the second eviction in two months, following the forced closure of Oppenhelmer Park.

w

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D.O

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"

"By raiding a peaceful encampment

Vancouver Police and no presence from danger was created, not prevented,"

or coordination

"Once again, dangerous state sanctioned

Camp KT residents forced

evictions

of poverty say

the

Indigenous

demand

and

the

to

criminalization

and homelessness. encampment

peoples.

an end

Residents

provides

respite

from tile mental, physical, emotional

with housing providers,

stated Grand Chief Srewart Phi/lip, President of

the Union of BC Indian Chiefs ln an open letterobout

poor and homeless

at dawn with dozens of armed

the Crab Park enforced injunction,

violence wcs needlessly perpetrated This conduct

is absolutely

The encampment

against

deplorable."

is a safer

alternative

in the absence of housing, and provides security and community

in the -midst of a

homelessness crisis and health pandemic.

and

psychological toll of moving every single day.

In a 2018

"Having to set up every day is exhausting

professors

anq time consuming.

Gagnon stated, "residents of tent cities have

100

I work

really hard

open

health

letter

signed

protesstonals.

Bernie

Pauly

by over

UVi(:

nursing

and

Marilou

to get ahead -- and they come and take it

repeatedly claimed that living in tent cities,

away. We need a place where we can feel

in the absence of other acceptable options,

secure without the city devastating us on a

improves psychol<tgical and physical health

regular basis. That shouldn't be acceptable.

including community

It hurts so much when they come after us

and self-determination.

like that. There has to be a place where

that tent city residents maintain autonomy

we can be." said a CRAB Park resident.

- and self-determination and

Community

and

are broken witrt

health

connections

indignity

lives while

We must

ensure

over their

also gaining

homes

access to

health, social and public safety services."

each move or eviction.

"Homeless people are being treated with injustice,

belonging, autonomy

and

response

that meet those with lived experience where

repeated displacement is certainly stressful,

they are at because they are organized by

unhealthy and greatly disrupts connections

homeless people themselves. A "sanctioned"

with

the few health have

Millar,

been

former

and

Tent cities are a harm reduction

the

that

racism,

and social services

established."

Provincial

says John

Health

Officer.

tent

city

predicated

on

government

stakeholder input, ease of enforcement and preconceived,

stigmatizing

beliefs

-- like

the short lived- "COV1D camps" in Victoria -- .perpetuates A SAFE,

TEMPORARY

SPACE

negates

further

resident

displacement

autonomy

and

and input.

W HAT

WE

Rerur n the

land:

of Indigenous of colonial

violence.

Musqueam, city,

continued

displacement

Oppenheimer,

park

and

belong

to

CRAB Park,

the Squamish,

Ts leil-Waututh

province,

port,

We continue

to

support

construction

of

a

Indigenous

or

nations,

private

the

healing

house in the parking from

KT RESIDENTS

people on our own land is a form

and Strathcona

the

The

not

Some of us have been on the BC Housing list for 19 years and we are forced

demand

for

and

the long-

lot of CRAB park coming in

the

DTES.

home: We are not fighting

the right to be homeless to

go

the

and

need

K.T. tem

and

Parks

to

city

we are

Board

provide'

infrastruct.ure.

more

garbage

Wbile' ~e

demanding sorne

all 'residents

more he nd-washing

of

of

the

hot

water,

reapply every6 months, us homes. We demand

that BC Housing stop requiring registerevery6

applicants

months to stayeligible

to re-

for housing.

Stop policing the crisis: There is no need to evict the

the

city

tent

then

on the

criminal

first

from

CRAB park,

every

morning

streets. and

housing.

and if

that

displaced

of

are

us are sleeping.

an- end to

enforcement

us

Oppenheimer all

we

We demand

all

Some of

Park have been

months,

from

. displaced

City basic

if we have

rwice in two

sweeps

expect:

city

living at Strathcona

at

are the

statio ns, electricity

cans,

for

but we have nowhere

survive.

(0

but it does not guarantee

and A safe, temporary

DEMANDS

business.

lodge

communities.

FOR

FIGHTING

ARE CAMP

of

street

bylaws

criminalize

and

code

laws

homelessness,'

drug

illicit economies

like drug dealing and sex work.

use,

and

poveny,

informal

and

sources,

and

showers.

Healrhcare

and safe supply

for all: We demand

a safe, high quality supply of opiates, stimulants, Homes for

for

everyone

homes

for

units

everyone

social who

in

governments

construction housing

wants

fighting

B.C. We demand

and municipal

imme~ate of

BC: We are

everyone

Federal, Provincial, begin

in

on

every

10,000

year

to. be is safely

until

housed.

tobacco,

.alcohol,

products, diapers

pregnancy and

Replacement pharmacies cost.

We

without

that

We

demand

the

units

operated councils, and

we

rent

with

are

be

at

least

offered

the

control

kitchens, people

no

can

guest safely

600sq

options,

at" welfare/pension

under

where

units

that

rates, of

ft.

are

residents

El路路

supply

nutritious

of

$2000/mth

food

to

all who

whether

or

at

without

increase

-- welfare,

COVID-19 test.ing for all members communities

and

immediate

to. over

control, Hormone.

available

prescription

assistance

hygiene

birth and

medications

the

disability,

and

wipes,

Therapy'

demand

as feminine.

tests'

baby

all government We demand

as well

of

pension, and

the

need

it,

of vulnerable

not

they

have

restrictions,

symptoms ..and make sure everyone has access to

use

cleaning supplies

路drugs.

and sanitary

living conditions.

Strathcona Park is located on the unceded territory of the Squamish, Museum, and Tsleil路Waututh Rrst Nations.

â&#x20AC;˘

CRAB

PARK

RESIDENTS'

r

STATEMENT

'Residents of Camp KT tent city in Strathcona Park call for all three levels of government to pnontize safe permanent housing for all over government sanctioned tent cities, an end to Hr cycle of dsplacement through laws and- byolaws that criminalize poverty, and repatriation of unceded Indigenous land.

The Indigenous-led encampment at Strathcona Park currently has 170 tents and over 180 residents, appropriately spaced apart and organized around a 24-hour sacred fire in a culturally-safe space. 'll's like a sanctuary.

I can come and be at peace with the elders, organizers and p ople that help this camp;' says Da! Stonechild.

Residents say the camp isa respite from daily debilitating displacement from streets, shelters and doorways. "The water spirit guided us to the trees. Alltrees are one-legged creatures and there is an eagle's n st there to watch over all of us that stay there and help us grow. This is a new community!' - Eagle Littieboy, (amp KTnreke per. . Camp KT residents demand housing for ever/one --. not just the most visib! horn s., less people living in encampments. Only a fraction of the over 7,500 horn less people in BC were housed through recent provincial safety orders in Vancouver and Victoria.

Many residents have been on BCHousing "waitflsts" for years, with no end in sight "1got on BC housing list when my daughter was one ~ear old and I got a caltwhen sh was 19 yearsold:' saysJohn, a tent city resident.

Evicting people from tent cities to nowhere targeting tent citi s for stockpiled housing that pushes other people farther down the list, and government-run, state nforced "camps" sre not a proprlate options -- the focus should remain on adequate, permanent housing.

The provincial encampment guidelines presented at a Homelessness Services Association of BC panel on June 24th refer to tent cities as a "complex health problem," rather than as a fixable social and economic issue of poverty and homelessness. Framing tent cities as a health problem rather than a lack of t1Ccessible housing problem invites stigma, pathofogization of the poor end more 'experts' ahd specialists, instead of focusing on building permanent' t10using as the immediate, possible solution .to horrelessness.

Jason

a resident at CRAB. and Strathcona

tent cities, said that the result of provm-

cial guidelines will be to set up outdoor "ghettos" rath r than help people get off the streets.

CARNEGIE PRO·J

COMMUNITY E C T I 1-1 : 1 5

ACTION AM EVERY FRIDAY

The Carnegie Corrirn urttty Action Project (CCAP) is a project of the board of the Carnegie Co rnrru.m ity Centre Association. CCAP vvor ks m ost ly on h ous rrrq, tn corn e, and land Lre issues in the Dovvrrtovvri Easrs id e tOTES) of Vancouver so that the area can rernern a low tn corrie friendly co rnrn uritty. CCAP works vvit h english speaking and Chinese speaking DTES residents in speaking out on their own be half for the change: they w ou ld like to see in their neighbourhood.

Join us on Fridays 11:15 arn for our '.·veekly volunteer nleetlngs!

Do vvritown Eaststcle residents'. lho wai t to vvor k on getting better housing and tnc orries and stop genuincation are we+corrie to attend. Lunch is provided!

I

CHINATOWN CONCERN GROUP

J@fAfiJ~5:E*J3.

chinaro·.·... nconcerngroup@gmail.con,

I d-,lnatovoJnconcerngroup.wordpress.com .

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CONTACT

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Office: 2nd floor of the Carnegie, 401 IVlain Street. Vancouver Phone: 604-665-2105 Erriatl: inro'<!'Jca rne qte act tori .org vve b stte: www.c arne qte ac ttori.orq

Libraries are Opening The Vancouver Public Library is doing a paced reopening, with 5 branches having hou~s fo~ people to come in (albeit briefly). Central, Britannia, Renfrew, Kitsilano and South Hill are listed and the hours are uniform for all sites: Sunday and Monday closed; Tuesday and Thursday Ipm to 8pm Wednesday, Friday & Saturday Ham to 6pm These branches following are operating for picking up material only, so you have to call first: Schedule pickup: 604.331.3670 Champlain Heights 1604.665.3955 Dunbar 1604.665.3968 FirehallI604.665.3970 Hastings 1604.665.3959 Kensington 1604.665.3961

The Powell Street Festival is going to be a 5-hour telethon this year. Fromtheir newsletter: . .

"100% of the Telethon proceeds will fund our When all libraries closed many people had books, new PowellStFest Community Kitchen that will DVDs and CDs on loan and have likely watched & service the Downtown Eastside neighbourhood. listened & even read stuff several times while waiting This initiative is an addition to our DTES Comfor branches to reopen. Ten sites now have open Book munity Care Program, a suite of social justi~e I:>roDrops, accepting returns between lOam & 5PI? Tuesgrams including Hanami Che~ l?lossom Picnic, day through Saturday. They are the same ten listed Minori Harvest, and the Asahi Tnbute Game. above.

These programs provide meaningful connections to Paueru Gai and aims to raise awareness of JapThe remaining 11 branches are closed with no seranese Canadian history and culture while creating vices until at least September. They include: inclusive, capacity-building experiences that fosCamegie*;Collingwood*, Fraserview; Joe Fo~es *i ter economic and social equity for everyone.

Kerrisdale; Marpole *; Mount Pleasant * Oakndge Through our practice of social justice through art n~ca{mat et ~trathcona *; Terry Salman * and culture we honour our heritage while seeking West Point Grey to be accountable as settler-eo Ionizers on the un* Holds inactive until Sept 8 ceded territories of the Tsleil- Waututh, Squamish, Britannia and the Central libraries have computers and Musqueam peoples. . with the usual rules on how long one can use them The money raised during the Telethon will allow and any other COVID-19 restrictions. Masks or other us to establish our own Community Kitchen to face-coverings are likely required but that's a small help advance food sovereignty, skills development price to pay. andjob creation, and community building in the Powell Street neighbourhood." go to powellstreetfestival.com

In Memory Joi;lV)V)yJaworski Writer,

singer, Learning

Centre volunteer,

Our good friend, Johnny, corner

of Strathcona

as we honour

fri'end

passed away in June, 2020. There will be a small gathering

Park on Thursday, July

zs=

in the southwest

at 3pm. Please observe the social distancing

practises

our friend ..

5th'Annual SANDY CAMERON MEMORIAL WRITING CONTEST The talents and resourcefulness of Downtown Eastside writers and poets, regardless of where you reside, are extraordinary. Please consider sharing your work with others through this event.

Categories fpoetry and non-fiction essay will have cash prizes, given at a special event during the Heart of the City Festival in November.

For contest guidelines and entry form, either pick up an envelope at the Food Service window on Carnegie's 1st floor or email camnews@shaw.ca for a virtual copy. Dead' e for entry is noon, September 15, 2020