March 1, 2008, carnegie newsletter

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. MARCH 1, 2008

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carnnews@vcn.be.cC! www.carnnews.org

NEWSLETTER 401 Main St, Vancouver V6A 217 . ··- -· ,....

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COWBOY

RALLY AT WILSON'S OFFICE THIS FRIDAY FEBRUARY 29, 1:45PM, EMERY BARNES PARK, CORNER SEYMOUR AT DAVIE. OR MEET AT flARNE6IE AT

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1:00PM

604-665-2289

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LIST OF CRIMES: . l. HOTEL FLIPPER MADE $10 MILLION SELLING 5 HOTELS; 2. CHARGED RENT ABOVE WELFARE RATES; 3. EVICTING TENANTS FROM 334 CARRALL FOR NEW CONDOS; 4. SPECULATOR WILSON STILL OWNS PALACE HOTEL AND WONDER ROOMS. TENANTS DEMAND ROBERT WILSON: 1.,

PAY BACK FOOD MONEY.. FOR A YEAR! THAT. WILSON JOIN US AT A PRESS CONFERENCE CALLING FOR WELFARE INCREASE TO FEDERAL MARKET BASKET MEASURE ( $1300 FOR EMPLOYABLE SINGLE) GOVERNMENTS AND DEVELOPERS MUST STOP OUR HOTEL SPECULATION! PRESENTED BY CARNEGIE ACTION

604.839.0379

Calendar of events I) On Friday Feb 29, meet Carnegie Action and tenants of the Shaldon, Arco and Gastown residential Hotels in the DTES for a rally at condo developer Robert Wilson's office. Meet at the fountain at Emory Barnes Park at Richards and Davie at I :45 this Friday. Wilson is a l1otel flipper who made $10 million by flipping 5 hotels to the Province ofBC. He charged the tenants rent above welfare rates when he owned them. He is also evicting tenants from 334 Carrall Street in the DTES to make way for condos.

Tenants demand: Wilson pays back food money for a year OR hosts a press conference with the Carnegie Community Action Project calling for a welfare increase to the Federal Market Basket Measure.

For those ofyou who do not know what the FMBM is, its $1300 a month for an employable single to pay for rent, food and transportation indexed to costs in Vancouver. Tenants also demand governments end speculation on the residential hotels, the last housing before homelessness. Speculation is causing rent increases and evictions.

Press conference hosted by PIVOT, Carnegie Action and the Impact on Communities Coalition

Monday, March 3, at 11 a.m. in the Carnegie Centre's Theatre.

We are putting forward an official human rights complaint to the United Nations regarding SRO losses in the Downtown Eastside. Canada has signed on to optional protocols which have clear obligations related to the right to housing. By not putting policy safeguards, Canada (the feds, the province and city) is negligent in meeting its commitments to human ri ghts it has signed on to.

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Robert Wilson makes $1Om profit on sales iu less . than two years Susan Lazaruk, The Province , Pub Iis bed: Friday, February 15,2008

Five of six downtown Vancouver hotels bought by the B.C. government for low-rental housing were bought from one man, developer Robert Wilson.The sixth earned BC Housing $1.4 mil when it flipped the property after six weeks. 路wilson, who owns Archer Realty and Georgia Laine Developments, bought the five hotels over 10 months starting in May 2006 for a total of about$ I I million. He sold them for more than $21 million.

His biggest profit was on the Arco at 81 Pender St. He bought the 63-unit, single-room-occupancy hotel in March 2007 for $2.8 million and sold it to the government for $6.9 million. It was assessed this year at $2.6 million.

The Man Hotel was bought on Jan.3, 2008, from an unidentified buyer who purchased it in 2005 for $300,000, for $900,000 by the Provincial Rental Housing Corp., a land holding company administered by B.C. Housing. It's now sold the Marr, shut down in 2004 after an undercover sting targeting stolen goods, for $2.3 million.

"I can't imagine what the purpose of such a sale structure would be," said NDP Opposition housing critic David Chudnovsky. "This looks pretty fishy."

The purchase of the six hotels means the total 330 units will remain as single-room occupancy hotels.

Chudnovsky praised the purchases because they protect single-room-occupancy units, which range from 120 to 250 square feet and typically rent for

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$325 a month. {Try $375-$5QO a month -PRTJ But he said the government's mandate is to help in a cost-effective way. "This doesn't look very costeffective to me., He said the government is failing to implement a . • policy that protects affordable housing. "It's no • strategy for dealing with homelessness," he said .

Housing advocate Wendy Pedersen called the purchases "the best news."

"I'm going to run and tell my friends right now that they're not being evicted," said Pedersen, who knows two people who li ve in the Shaldon Hotel on East Hasti ngs near Main, which was among those , sold. "But ... I hope there are more. There are 4,000 people still living in completely horrible conditions itt the privately owned SROs. '"'

The Provincial and Municipal governments both ) refuse to enact or just enforce legislation to remove the divine right to speculate until people die from exposure or are being forced out everywhere.!

{This is where the Province's editors (or maybe the article's author Susan Lazaruk) stop short and keep the message about one man who, through capitalist ingenuity or inside information, made a cool ten million. Both David C. and Wendy P. praised the government's purchases because at least these hotels will now have conscientious management; you know someone to fix thi ngs that get broke, erad icate vermin, clean up trash and washrooms etc. They may even get public money to renovate when the rot or mold becomes visible. All well and good. BUT ...a real piece of journalism would also have the downside of this, a critical analysis of what actually happened and continues to happen.

The provincial government did nothing to alleviate or address homelessness - every one of these hotels is already filled to capacity. The need is for immediate enforcement of the Maintenance By-laws in Vancouver, whereby owners are ordered to fix their buildings and, if uncompliant, the government does the work and bills the owners. The government refuses to implement any kind of rent controls to stop human rats like Wilson from charging exorbitant rents to people on fixed incomes and the vast majority of renters who are economically poor. He knowingly made and makes tenants pay -on top of their $375allotment for shelter- up to half of their welfare support money (maybe $180 a month, supposedly for everything besides rent) to keep a roof over t.heir heads. If you are one of the hundreds ofthousands ' of poor people only making $6-$8 an hour at mini- ' mum wage, even that much is near impossible when ' paying for transport to work, clothes, a phone, etc are also necessary.

[And, rather than ending here, state the fact that much of the government purchases are being turned into special-needs facilities, leaving the majority of homeless and those with no stable housing out in the co ld, having to find substandard rooms or get a wall in a multi-occupant room.

The rally and exposure of Wilson's depredations is to show what happens when a greedy speculator gets to indulge in that power trip and the real people he (or she) affects respond. The complete lack of decency and an overabundance of disinterested greed make Robert Wilson and others of his ilk prime targets for public outrage and action.

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"The rental units will be run by non-profit organizations, including the Union Gospel Mission, which is converting a hotel bought by the province last year in a similar sale of I 0 hotels into a drug- and alcohol- free building at Princess and Hastings.

"Some [tenants] are living on the victory side of addiction and they want to get out of that environment," said mission spokesman Maurice McElrea.

Coast Mental Health is renovating the St. Helen's Hotel, bought by the government last year, to include a lounge, light meals and laundry facilities for tenants. <s lazaruk@png.canwest.com>

Additional text by PAULR TAYLOR

PS: Wilson is the most obvious but Eek! 0 'density is the biggest real estate thing in this city's history.

The owners, developers, architects and specu l~t?rs all showed up at City Hall to agree that an add 1tsonal 20 stories can be added to any building (new oralready up or both?) and, of course, no one ?uil~s old hotels. Also, the possibility of social housmg ss anathema to Campbell and his Socreds I Liberals. As Claude Richmond, once Minister of Human Resources and now Speaker ofthe House said, "We are philosophically opposed to soc ial hous ing."

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Weapons of Self-Destruction Negative thoughts always return to their original source.

Chill out, find peace, it is up to you.

Your thoughts, attitudes and perceptions, Determine your level of contentment and peace of mind.

Let go of that negative thought. It will only hurt you.

Love this moment what ever you do.

Watch for thoughts that can only make you blue.

When they return, remember happiness is what you are into.

Don't let negativity creep inside, instead, Pay attention to what's going on inside your head.

A painful memory, worry, self-effacing, critical or judgmental Soon will make you dead.

Don't be stressed, scattered, anxious, bothered and confused.

Make those bad thoughts be defused.

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Let those thoughts go my friend.

Release them, and in the end.

Peace will flow your way.

And you'll be able to get on with loving this day.

Let bad thoughts go.

Enjoy the moment.

Let peace in you flow.

A better life is there to know.

Quit cheating yourself with resentful thoughts.

Don't let the pain have another second ofyour life.

Release the painful thoughts.

Don't let their harm grow.

Settle for peace and an inner glow.

Weapons of Self-Destruction it is time to go.

SeeSea

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed it is the only thing that ever l1as. "--Margaret Mead

British Columbia Legislative 路l Excerpt from Ha11sard j, 路 Afternoon, Thursday 21 Febl'f POVERTY OLYMPICS

J. Kwan: I rise today to share with members of the Legislature a report of a community event that was held in my riding on Sunday, February 3.

A standing-room-only crowd of250 people gathered in the auditorium of the Carnegie Community Centre to see some of the most creative community theatre and protest in years in a downtown east side neighbourhood. The mascots included Itchy the bedbug, Creepy the cockroach and Chewy the rat.

No, they weren't Olympic mascots~ they were the mascots of the first annual poverty Olympics.

Neighbourhood residents competed in the welfare hurdles, the poverty line high jump and the long jump over a bedbug-infested mattress. Before individuals could sign on to income assistance, they had to fill out an online form, even though they had never used a computer before.

I want to thank Wendy Pedersen from the Carnegie Action Project, Jean Swanson from Raise the Rates, and long-term resident Bob Sarti, who helped organize this festive event.

In a neighbourhood which has seen the free speech riots of 1912, the labour union rail ies of the 1930s and the Gastown riots of 1971, the organizers of this event stayed true to tradition, as they theatrically threw paper money into the audience. As Mr. Vanoc stood up to speak, the boos came from the audience 路as they asked for jobs and housing.

In 1971 residents rioted when Mayor Tom "Terrific" Campbell attempted to implement Operation Dustpan to sweep the streets and increase private security. People protested then, and people still do today. When evictions happened during the Expo 86 period , the neighbourhood rose up and expressed its concerns.

Now, as Olympic-connected gentrifications occur in this neighbourhood, the people who organized the Poverty Olympics will ensure the neighbourhood identity, history and culture will be defended every step of the way. I ask all members of the House to join me in expressing our thanks for the peaceful, creative and entertaining community celebration.

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BC budget a green bamboozle

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On February 19, the provincial Liberal.governmenfs "green" budget was released to the public.

You were expecting funding for the city's proposed · 1,200 new units of social housing? Forget it. There was nothing about housing in the budget except · f~nding for keeping shelters open 24/7 (already announced) plus $10 million for making construction plans. These are presumably for the 16 hotels that the province now owns in the Downtown Eastside, for a total of aP.proximately I ,000 units of housing.

But this "new" housing is to be designated supportive housing. That means that the current tenants will be booted out, and homeless people (or people already housed, but at risk) who have addiction and/or mental health issues will get the housing. So, taking into account the housing lost by hotels being bought by developers and shut down for renovations to convert to condos- while their tenants are evicted- the net gain is zero or perhaps negative.

And perhaps there's another problem as well.

Remember a while ago when stories were circulating that people on regular income assistance were purposely' contracting I ife-threatening illnesses in order to qualify for higher disability benefits?

Wlio's to say that homeless people desperate for a roof over their heads and who don't qualify for supportive housing (because there's nothing wrong with them) won't purposely take on an addiction so that they will quality? That's another possible consequence of governments ignoring the costs of not building enough social housing to house the homeless.

The federal budget is due to be released by the end ofFebruary. Don't count on the feds to do anything about the housing crisis either, such as reinstate a national housing program. According to federal Social Development Minister Monte Solberg in a letter to The Courier, enough is already being done: (http://www.canada.com/vancouvercourier/news/lett ers/story.html?id= 10669702-ea59-4777-82b0-

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17e00b8ct7e5) or (www.vancourier.com, back issues, Feb. 20, 2008, letters). The really interesting thing here is that if the Harpe'r government wanted to win a majority in the next federal election, the way to go about it would be to institute a national housing program. That would surely garner voter support across a broad political spectrum of Canadians. The Conservatives won't, of course, because they're ... well, Conservatives. But don't count on the federal Liberals to back such a move, either. So far, leader Stephane Dion hasn't mentioned it as being part of his party's proposed anti-poverty in itiative; the only federal Liberal I have even heard mentioning the idea is Ken Dryden (but I don't think ·he's speaking for his party). The federal NDP, on 'the other hand, are all for the idea. (Maybe this will give you an idea on how to best direct your vote in the next federal election.)

What are the other features of the Campbell Liberals' "green" budget? Well, there's a new carbon tax. But major industrial polluters are exempt. It :mostly applies to the average person. The tax is supposed to be "revenue neutral" meaning people won't end up paying more for it. But, in fact, they will. As the price of fossil fuels goes up, so will transportation costs, electricity, food, and other commodities thusly affected. The offsets offered by the Campbell Liberals (lower income tax, one-time rebate cheque) won't compensate for the extra costs in the long run . And let's not forget the $220 million tax break given to the banks. How is this part of a "green" budget? I don't know. Apparently, nobody else does, either.

About the one-time rebate cheque: it's coming this summer, and it's for the amount of $100 per person in BC (for a total cost of $400,000,000). It smacks of a cheap election ploy. About the only good thing that can be said about it is that people on income assistance will be allowed to keep it. There're more interesting things said about it on Pivot lawyer David Eby's blog: bJ Ot."'"""' for-homeless.html and http://davideby.blogspot.com/2008/02/400m-incheq ues-to-be-d istr ibuted-to. htm I. Personally, I have to agree with David: show me the money! Ahhh , $1 00! I'm voting BC Liberal next time for sure! (I think 1'11 use it to get a '/1 tank of gas ror my llutnmer. Now that's a ''grcen"idca!)

By Rolf Auer

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DTES ARTISTS & RESIDENTS! WHAT WOULD LIKE TO SEE OR DO IN THE FESTIVAL?

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News from the Library

MEET TERRY HUNTER, ARTISTIC PRODUCER CARNEGIE CAFETERIA, WEDNESDAY,MARCH5,1-5pm

Dear Editor While the extraordinarily ignorant 'dumb masses' of the Lower Mainland continuously denigrate the courageous efforts of the Anti-Poverty Committee (APC), most of us in BC are getting less of the econita ists are getomic pie, as a small elite of unconscionable ting richer from our collective social justice ignorance.

To get a good grasp of how these capitalist elitists manipulate things, read Chapters 9, 10 and II ofNaomi Klein's book Tile Siwek Doctrine and then you'll understand the mindset of protesters at World Trade Organization meetings as well as in downtown Vancouver. If you read these chapters, when your home gas bill taxes increase over the next several years, then you might understand why I think such groups as the APC are the true heroes of our times.

Garry Gust

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New Books Dances with Dependency: Indigenous Success through Self-reliance I Calvin Helin's 'politically incorrect' message is causing an. uproar and is generating heated debates whenever government, poverty and social issues interact - and he's coming to the Carnegie, March I 0! ... et en francais ... La Petite Fil/e qui Aimait trop les Allumette~· I Gaetan Soucy ( 1998) Un roman qui fut salue par Ia critique aussi bien au Quebec qu'en France et traduit en de nombreuses langues.

Coyote I Michel Michaud (1988) Dans ce roman rempli de sentiments de toute sorte et surtout d'une grande tendresse et d 'une bonne dose d' humour, deux adolescents vi vent une folie histoire d'amour.

Avec, en toile de fond, Pointe-aux-Trembles, le 'bout de l'ile', presque le boutdu monde . . . . yen espanol ... Ines del Alma Mia I Isabel Allende (2006) Isabel Allende, una de las autoras mas respetadas de Ia lengua espanola, nos trae una magistral novela que narra Ia vida de Ines Suarez, una temeraria conquistadora que contribuy6 a Ia funda cion de Ia patria chilena.

Events

Calvin He Iin, Tsmishian author In his controversial book Da11ces with Dependency: Indigenous Succe.-;s through Self-reliance First ations author Helin challenges aboriginal people to recover the pride and self-sufficiency of their ancestors. Come and hear him speak in the Carnegie Theatre on Monday March 10 at 3pm. There'll be time for questions and discussion.

Main & Hastings Book Club Meets every Tuesday at II am in the 3rd floor gallery. Come join us to read or listen to The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time I Mark Had don. Everyone's welcome!

Helen, your librarian.

(Beth's back at the Library on March 4.)

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Downtown Eastside Youth Activities Society Thirty kids from Saskatchewan, ages 14-18, came. to Main and Hastings on February 11th as part of the Downtown Eastside Youth Activities Society's (DEYAS) program, "Art in the Streets". These kids were given the opportunity to see one of Canada's most impoverished areas and create images and art reflective of what they saw and interpreted. These young people offer a perspective that can be built upon to teach them that some things are worth fighting for and that their vision and voices can truly make a difference.

"I feel it is essential to empower young people with the tools to communicate what matters most to them. Their voices can initiate action and influence change" says Anna Jones, Director of Development of DEYAS. When people feel left out of important decisions, . they will be less likely to become engaged when tough decisions need to be made. Youth are faced with tough decisions daily, so by involving them early and often in education and advocacy we anticipate it will vastly improve healthy choices. For this reason, the advocacy element is critical to the program as it engages youth, asks for their input, help and teaches them how to become young advocates promoting principles of health and understanding among their peers, while instilling enlightened attitudes that will ultimately advance education, improve families, influence change at a community level and provide hope for the neglect ted, abused and disenfranchised youth within the Province of British Columbia. ln the late months of2007, this unique education program was created at DEY AS. Obviously the principal aim of the program was to educate the youth involved about homelessness and addictions and to encourage healthier choices and practices in this area. A second consideration was to design a project that would adopt and demonstrate the principles of health promotion and advocacy. Finally this project hopes to enhance community collaboration with an approach that would showcase the unique and individual communities of British Columbia.

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The goal is to develop a homelessness and addicJ tions education & advocacy model while adopting a collaborative community approach with hopes of preventing and/or reducing the numbers of youth engaging in recreational drugs.

DEY AS is a non-profit society located in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside and has been working with street youth and street entrenched individuals for the last 25 years. DEYAS has become a fixture and a trusted source in the city.

-O"Wtet Sweet

O"Wtet .

(As l write this I am consumed with quiet and ingratitude. I try to convince myself that these feelings are due to my Protestant upbringing & they very well may be.. but who cares) I live in a box of concrete and metal The floor icy to my naked feet The nwritten rule here at sunset is: Never walk on the floor without slippers.

'The walls are damp and grimy Five years of nicotine and candle smoke and incense And something else'Some miasma that creeps in on little eat's feet around midnight' (T.S.Eiiot) l get up and make cocoa or warm milk and take another pill Thank you Jesus for drugs.

Excerpt from Hansard: 14 Feba路uary 2008

The caretakers are amused by my complaints Fatima did not complain (I still get her mail) She was quite the philanthropist. ..

The janitors check my electrical outlets when there is water (unexplained) on the counter, on the floor So I keep wiping up the wet and dampening down the dust Oh homeostasis - where are you?! " It" is on or "It" is off'It's too cold, or too hot, too hard, or too soft and no Baby Bear's porridge or just-right be in sight. )

Even Mozart has forsaken me for Mahler yet the Zen Relaxation COs double My Estonian doctor has pragmatic aphorisms But I am either a) crazy or b) have Ghosties (Newjoundlandese for ghosts)

So day by day and the days are fine Especially when the suns shine Little by little I EXIST in the deathly hollows of Barclay Street.

My neighbor Scottie tells me "Think small."

But what does it mean this Life in miniature?

Even England's damp was never so soul downing The summer will bring long torrid nightsSans air, sans water, sans breath.

So I sweep the Sahara from my floor each morning and by noon it's back Daddy says it's from the atmosphere l believe we are trembling and crumbling; My pictures are askew.

The Hungarians still hate the Russians on my floor The fragile old Moslem ladies arc feared They have been on a hajra for generations As we all seem to be So we have no hope of solving our daily problems SO thoroughly ensconced in the past and its dread Wilhelmina Miles

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At noon today at the corner of Main and Hastings, outside the Carnegie library, the Women's Memorial March was held. Every year for 17 years people from our community have gathered together in support of each other as we honour the lives of women who suffer or die from violence.

As aboriginal leaders lead the march, they often sing the women's warrior song. As they march, they lay single red roses for each woman that has gone missing in the Downtown Eastside. It is no coincidence that this march is held on February 14, Valentine's Day, for each of these women is loved by someone somewhere in our community.

The solemn march is organized and led by women because many women, especially aboriginal women, face physical, mental, emotional and spiritual violence every day. We know that this has a long history. The first official recording of a woman missing from the Downtown Eastside was made in 1978.

Today we know that there have been at least 64 women who have gone missing, and all were probably murdered. This is an overwhelming sense of loss and grief in our community. It is felt by families, friends and everyone in the community.

No matter what charges are laid or what the courts decide, there is a continuing need for communities to come together to express the feeling of loss and grief and to remember all those who still are umiccounted for, whether in our cities or towns or on the highway of tears. Each year we gather to amplify the voices at the margins of life in order to renew our commitment to end violence against women.

We as public officials have an obligation to acknowledge the trauma that' s been inflicted upon those women, their families, friends and our com.munity.

I stand here today to thank the organizers for creating this tradition and all the participants for joining together in this public expression of sorrow. I invite all members of this House to join me in reflecting on the issues which the women in our community face and which the Women's Memorial March raises, and to support these women to seek closure in these tragedies.

Jenny Kwan in the Provincial Legislature

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Moments of the February 14th Women's Memorial March (All photography by Sharon Burns.)

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Every anissing or murdered woman is someone's little girl.

Now, be they grand-daughters, daughters, sisters, mothers, grandanothers or Great-grandmothers, all lives impact all other lives. Remember and act- for the sake and hopes of our children's children's children's children.

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International Day for the Elimination of Racism COMMUNITY MARCH Friday March 21 at 1 pm (Good Friday Holiday) Meet at Clark Park on Commercial Drive and 14th ==>Bring your children and family. ==>There will be food, water and snacks ==> Rest vehicles will accompany the march.

For centuries, communities have Jed countless courageous struggles against racism and the many ways in which it manifests itself in our daily lives.

Although many would like to believe that racism no longer exists, we reclaim the tradition of anti-racist marches to reveal the ugly truth about the worsening reality of racism both locally and globally. Join us on March 2 J to celebrate the dignity, strength, and resilience of our communities End individual and institutional racism, racial violence, and racial profiling!

-Stop the theft of indigenous lands !

-End all racist wars and occupations I - Stop the deportations now!

-Good wages, healthcare, education, housing for all! [[[ Events organized and supported by a communffy network including No One Is Illegal, Indigenous Action Movement, Komagata Maru Heritage Foundation, Canadian Arab Federation, John Graham Support, Siraat Collective, Association of Chinese ' Canadians for Equality and Solidarity Society, DTES Elders Council, SIKLAB - Overseas Filipino Workers Organization, Anniversaries of Change, International Indigenous Youth Conte' renee Secretariat, Canadian Muslim Union, Asian Society for the Intervention of AIDS, Justicia for Migrant Workers, AI-Awda Vancouver, Salaam Vancouver, Coalition of South Asian Women Against Violence, Iranian Federation of Refugees, Cafe Rebelde Coalition, VIRSA, Latin American Connexions; Hogans Alley Memorial Project, Filipino Nurses Support Group, La Surda Latin American Collective, Indigenous Free School, Canadian Network for Democratic Nepal, Group of Relatives and Friends of Political Prisoners in Mexico, South Asian Network for Secularism and Democracy, Friends of Women in the Middle East Society, Consejo lndigena Popular de Oaxaca Ricardo Flores Magon (CIPO-Vancouver), Chetna Dalit Association, Philippine Women Centre of BC, Vancouver Status of Women, The North Shore Women's Centre, Battered Women Support Services, Women Against Violence Against Women, Canadian Union of Postal Workers, Hospital Employees Union, Industrial Work-rs of the World, SFU Teaching Support Staff Union, Vancouver District Labour Council, Canadian Union of Public Employees- Local1004, Gallery Gachet, Rhizome Cafe, New World Theatre, Colouring Book Project, UBC Realities of Race, SFU Public Interest Research Group, BC Committee for Human ·Rights in the Philippines, StopWar.ca, Anti Poverty Committee, Politics Re-Spun, Building Bridges to Chiapas, Alliance of People's Health, International Solidarity Movement Vancouver, Vancouver District Labour Council Young Workers Committee, Filipino-Canadian Youth Alliance Ill

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~ ~ Life is so many tasks

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One can strive in many directions Individuals take the paths they choose Some arc lost on the Black Road of no return.

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~ Some are the positive ones. They build a '.'i:l!li'U•'

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Red Road which leads them in the right direction

If you are confused about life in genentl ~-· Always seek help from the Great Spirit in the Sky lie never fails to give you the best way to go

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• So, my dear friends, 1 wish you all the best in whatever endeavours You choose .

All my relations, Bonnie E Stevens

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A Few Good Men

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They gave me some tickets to trade for a meal So 1 wrote down these words so I didn't have to steal, rob or plunder - that's already been done by those who deal death and lock up the sun.

A long time ago Love laid down to rest And in its own nature Created the best A jewel on its own In these clusters of stars Now wakes up disturbed By hatred and wars.

And steel that was once At peace in the rocks Now thunders out bullets And melts into locks.

Can a "few good men" really handle the truth Or are they just wasting time Looking for proof One thing for sure, I don't really care I've got nothing to prove, because it's already there.

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Freedome

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So 1 SUCCUMB I submit a little poem Altruistically; benevolently; with conviction &intent No need for permission or approval or censuring content I'm anticipating criticism, scrutiny and ridicule with every word If anything I am sarcastic Very spastic Sometimes eclectic Frequently elastic Adaptable, agile; I possess strength, knowing restraint

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I am grateful my equilibrium is intact I can observe, react and experience my olfactory senses Bringing memory to mind, or a smile to my face This is a daydream to embrace.

I cannot make you feel guilty I don't want to suffer another sucker punch, while debat ing another self-right-ous fanatical sociopathic individual.

Not lost or looking I don't see what you are saying Introverted in my own thoughts Arranging sentences and words Then writing them down on this piece of paper Another song, sonnet or poem Derived from past, present and future perspective For me it's a perpetual exercise It's an ex-essential existentialism Me, myself and my diabolical pencil.

Drcwjo

For Real Raw Deal Dead Fish Embryo Ectoplasm Just say "No'' to the fuckin censor!

UnCivil City Shakedown

Metropolitan Concert BancJ Wednesday, March sâ&#x20AC;˘h, 7:30 I

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In the Carnegie Theatre Repertoire will include a wide variety of music: Broadway, classics, , ballads, jazz, even movie themes ... Come and enjoy the bi band sound!

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Forget budgets, counting embezzled beans (yah that's the scene) of monumental surpluses not just hidden on the sly. It's all about cooking the Oh Yikes, ain't that so obscene, like, you know, maybe poss ibly buying some votes, hundred-buck cheques with not a string attached, don't try and get my goat, sleazyscheming do not co-opting, as we get the gears methinks they' re trying to get us, grab us by our throats all awhile their shufflin ' flippin' Downtown Eastside Real estate - check yours, scan your lease - ya know sometimes I feel many of us we are maybe sadly possibly born too late and I simply can't stand how they so like to muddy the waters .. can't give an inch 'cause they'll take the proverbial Texas mile to swipe our land, cash in & then totally

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defile. If you hold your breath or would rather wait awhile you may be moved and grooved and kicked around in an awful style. I' m so damned tired of government schemes and their nasty, apocalyptic, grasping, grinding, covetous, dastardly dreams. and then they've got these shabby games they so like to play, right, like sticks and stones are gonna break our bones. It's so surreal man are they out of the loop? they'll be quite surprised as the truth will out over shallow lies. These dudes and damsels will be in such a reversal of stress after their past performances - crude- like their conniving self-righteous grandiose stark attitude ... with tlim flam they score another cache, get death-defying trophies to clutter up their mangy mantles, for their wars of wearing wrongs on their sleeves and which they glorify as right as rain, over-looking squalor and bypassing pain ' like I'm right' they think they know and seemingly say they know best: always they claim to have the better way Oh Yeah!! The days of reckoning will eventually come to pass, when they'll be sent the bills 'cause we've got the knack thei II have to march to the beat of an extremely different drill 'cause it's about getting even and really truly giving back. I cannot detect a feeble pulse or sleight of conscience although the staggering homeless human costs are steep, soon to be, maybe, down the road and and who knows, lost. Along with poverty steep, oh yeah, and who really pays and how many get shaken so far down and are force fed countless runarounds, is so Olympianly regressive far from progressive. Uh huh, that gaudy, fogbound excessively corporate circus .. so like what's in it for us?

Where's our end when you folks get all the stuff??

We want our end because we won't ever be broken and, guaranteed, we'll also for sure refuse to bend.

By ROBYN LIVINGSTONE

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Almost Alike

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Like opening your coat in a Safeway lineup unveiling a strung-together girdle of dynamite, 9 items or less I must confess 1'm wearing a vest with one million pieces of light, like going to a crematorium to top up your cup of coffee, mistake turns to anger wh ich turns into full-on-war while the coffin occupant .burns away softly, !ike driving across a drawbridge no-handed so you can draw said bridge before you die, like my train of thought that cannot be stopped I even gave a nuclear transfusion a try, like fi ghting over the spoils of a world that's been totaled the selfishists deserve what is left of a once beautiful paradise, like putting all your worldly possessions down like a dog extreme measures must be taken to rid ourselves of these goddamn parasites, like having cheated death over and over thinking the 8 lack Angel has given up on tracking you down, like the moon & the sun always on the run never ever and forever like the Terminator it will continue until you are found, like the aboriginal and mentally ill and us social misfits who if kidnapped for whatever purpose would be front page news (if the front page was Section F page twenty-nine) yet the rich impotent important kid from a rich neighbourhood has every paper on land at his command a new definition is born for cutting in line, like all your negative baggage vacuum sealed & neatly packed it took 9ine years of schoo ling actually Grade 9ine minus math no fooling before I realized I could learn more with all the knowledge I've lacked, like houses built in the shape of cash registers help yourself to my front lawn while I build myself a fort in the back, I am so much more than just a liability I hold those in power guilty I' m not the poster boy for senility this prestigious moment excludes both you & r, like hot potato $ad $acks like rain-drenched in obscurity am I all that's left from me? Wait For IT: then it starts pouring out of every human faucet this venomous poison pouring out of what was in your closet like it's some kind of surprise, like correcting two mistakes to correct a lie as you can tell the time has come (to say goodbye) but those throats on fire路 al't~oisoned eyes Good-bye.

by Robert McG illivray

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LAUGtlTE'R YOGA

All About Me - or

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C~to-W~r...GU'

Coming to Carnegie - March 5, 2008 -

I came to womanhood late Younger sister already initiated into the Rites of Passage

No doubt we have all heard the terms "Laugh your way to freedom" "Laughter reduces stress" "Laughter is the best medicine"

Reluctant I was - physically and mentally.

Havi ng only one breath for a long time "Perfectly normal, pronounced the family doctor but he didn't know my girlfriends ...

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In 1995 a medical doctor in India, Dr. Madan Kataria started the first laughter club. Now there are thousands of laughter clubs all over the planet.

I personally have decided to facil!tate laughter yoga as a way of reducing my stress level and bringing down my blood pressure as well as lifting my spirits and alleviating depression.

I have known for years the many benefits of laughter, yet I could not bring myself to laugh alone. Reduces stress, strengthens the immune system; thus reducing and eliminating many diseases. It benefits people who suffer from ·depression, anxiety disorders, nervous breakdowns and insomnia. It reduces high blood pressure and strengthens the heart thus reducing heart disease. Laughter releases endorphins which are natural pain killers. Laughter is one of the best exercises for those suffering from asthma and bronchial problems. It is an internal jog which improves circulation of the blood and massages the internal organs especially the intestines to promote better bowel movements.

Laughter brings people together, increases self confidence, brings clarity of thinking and gives and all round feeling of connectedness. It eliminates negative feelings which improves relationships. As you can see there are multiple benefits from laughter. We are all one.

Laughter in a group promotes community. Anyone can do it. All that is needed is a willingness to laugh. My hope is for World Peace through laughter.

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And there were many trees unciimbed And more dangerous hills to rollerskate My knees never scabbed for long I had an underground fortress, a real sanctuary in the dark and shady woods Sometimes I had problems finding the opening, well-covered with leaves and branches where the Lady Slippers grew, delicately pink.

A sunken barge with rusty deck beckoned us Imagining ocean voyages to China and India.

Oh - and BOYS - who cared about their pimples & clammy hands Eying the blossoming chests of girls my age, Going steady, holding hands and kissing.

I was a country girl from another country - literally r wore long, stu pid braids .. fres h off the boat style I was invited to dance - the nerds knew I'd agree Being polite and unassuming I pitied their failure.

At lhe university I met a boy from Trinidad Black as the ace of spades A gentleman, smelling of Yardley's cologne Who danced well and asked for my phone number.

I hung around tennis courts & the men's residence Learning about steel band music and Calypso His friends suspected my motives and I certainly was motivated but he wasn't accepted for med ica l schoo l and moved to Montreal.

We wrote letters for 7 years and then I lost his address OC2 1 wonder what he is doing now ...

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Wilhelmina

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LAUGHTER YOGA EVERY WEDNESDAY 3-4pm CARNEGIE GYM STARTING MARCH 5TH, 2008

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fbo C\0 £96 CD OOQ (ji)

C)\)

Gyata Schulz

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; A recent independent study shows that a West End : grocery store's dumpster receives more patronage ; than the store itself.

Reported by Shawn

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poWNT()WN NE~~I)I.~E

EXCIIANGE VAN- 3 Routes: 604-685-656 I ~Uy- 5:4Sptn- II :45pan

EASTSII>E y()IJ'fll

()vernight - I 2:30am- 8:JOan1 Downtown Eastside ..... 5:30pm - 1:JOtu11

ACTIVITit:S SOCIETY 612 Main Street

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CFRO 102.7FM CO-OP RADIO

604-251-JJJO

Subnlission deadline for next issue: Tuesday, March 11

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Paulll Taylor has been volunteer Editor of the Car11egle Newsletter since Dec. IS, 1986 - 21 years.

C-over artist unknown & Layout assistance, Lisa avid

NEWSLETTER litiS

NI ~ W:-il .t:lTillt

IS A l'lJUUl'AliON t>JI TilE

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CAHNii<ill! COMMUNtTY U!NTIW ASSOCIATION

I Wt •cknowltd~t thtt c:nnrglt t.'ummunUy f~tntrt. •nd this

1 L N.!w!!rt_!!r~r!_h':!!p~l'!! o!! f~ Sj~~ml!,!t ~t~n'!''!.''~'Y.:. _ t ·

Articles retm:scnt the views of Individual contributors and nul of the Assucfatlnn .

WANTED Artwork for the Carnegie NcwRiettcr

TIM STEVENSON CITY COUNCILLOR

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and poetry •

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Size restrictions must he considered (i.e., if

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SERVING THE COMMUNITY WITH PRIDE CITY HALL 453 WEST 12TH AVE. V5Y 1V4 Phone: 604.873-7247

tim .stevenson@vancouver.ca

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Jenny

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WaiChing Kwan MLA

Cover m1 -· Mnxinmm si1.c: 17cm (6-J/~" )

wide x 15 em (6") high Subject matter relevant to issues pertaining to the I )nwntown l~aslside i~ preferred, but aU work will be considered.

Black nnd white printing only

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Email:

Small illustrations to accompany articles

your piece is too large. it will he reduced anti/or cropped to fit) All artists will receive credit for their work Originals will be returned to the unist ancr hcing copied for publication.

Remuneration: Carnegie vohtnlecr tickets Please make sybmlulons to: •

1•aul Taylor, F.t.liCor

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2008 DONATIONS: Barry for Dave McC.-$250 Rolf A.-$50 Margaret D.-$40 Paddy -$70 Huddy $50 Michael C.-$50 Judy E.-$1 0 Wilhelmina M.-$15 Libby D.-$70 Callum C.-$100 The Edge -$200 Jenny K.-$22 Penny G.-$40

Working for You 1070-1641 Commercial Dr V5L JVJ l•hone: 775-0790 ft~ax;_TIS-0881.. .... -..

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you read YY\a\"'lt.\\h'\~ ~t (tj;:~': \ \ "God is no where"? ~'n~ ~\my\\('~j . ~) ,J .1 Or did you read "God is now here"? o1 S<no'N. ·'- ="' Well, that little puzzle prompted a lot of interesting , feedback. II ere are a few of the creative responses we ··~! ~ received. ~)' J *I processed today's opening I ine as "god is no .J~ · where". But I personally define that as "God is NO where" (in other words, God is in "no specific place" which-- to me-- means, God is EVERYwhere). So the potential for differences in perspecti ve among people can go beyond definition into interpretation.

Which calls for even more tolerance! *I thought it was interesting, I knew that the line godisnowhere would be about perspective, and I read it as, "God, I snow here". This statement can be taken as, 'I play an essential part in whether there are 1 - - ( C') beautiful snowflakes that pass through my life, and ~ ·~ ~ similarly, whether I see them.' ' l'w~rds&-plct~res-Jos~Me~jTvar Interestingly, my friend's 9 year old deaf son read this · ~ :ts GOD 1 SNOW HERE! Ul<l

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To Vancouver Politicians and Police Why is it that the police feel it necessary to con a situation with 13illyclubs and Pepper spray?

Most of us in the Downtown Eastside are intelli gent, normal Canadians. We are forced to live he · because of such a high cost of living compared to • our mcomes.

What if we felt like evening the playing field , ar1 ing ourselves with Billyclubs and Pepper spray?

Could you imagine?

Just because we like to kick back in a non-violen way and have a little sun ... We are not bad, evil people!

They should open their eyes and hearts. They' ll find out we're not all criminals, j ust normal, proud Canadians.

Sincerely, Jeff Cadillac Thompson A Story from the Tuesday Seniors Basic English Class

Last week we had a party. 13o I Iua brought fish.

We also had dumplings, steamed buns, Chinese 10odles, vegetable salad , pork, cake, cooked vegeables, yams, hot water, juice and coffee.

Oo llua, Gao and Luo Qin did Tai Ch'i. Amy sang eautiful songs. At the end, our teacher taught us to ing "You Arc My Sunshine."

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P•·esen,tation given t·e:

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EcoDensity

My name is Wendy [Pedersen] ; I' m the organi zer for Carnegie Action and one of the reps of our 5000 member association in the DTES. To start I'd like to say that we agree with the letter from the 26 neighbourhoods and what they want to delete from the report before you *Remove action number 12 which expands eco-d to the DTES because land prices around the Woodwards tower are going up and we do not have adequate protections in place to maintain our low income housing stock.

As you know, c-cap is doing a visioning with low income residents. We are interviewing peoplt: who live in the hotels, in shelters and those who are homeless. They represent anywhere from 5000 to 7000 people. Housing at welfare rates is their number one need. We are interviewing people who live in social housing too. They represent another 5000 ~ people in the area. That sector will occasionally mention a swimming pool but mostly they want better housing for their neighbours who are living in hotels or homeless. That's about 10-12,000 people in total who want mainly welfare rate housing for their neighbourhood.

Clr Anton told me that condo towers could help us get some of our housing needs met. We all know that condo developers are entertaining tower sites in the area. In this context, Clr Anton told me the top 20 stories of a 40 storey building could potentially generate $20 million in bonusing which could equal l 00 new homes, but that competition for that money is steep between heritage, public realm and maybe greening he encouraged us to start negotiating for this. I appreciated her advice and candor and hope to keep the door open to more discussions, however, getting 1000 units of social housing by building 4,000 new condos in the DTES is inappropriate for a number of reasons.

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We would need 50 - 40 storey towers like Woodward to get the number of homes we need. That would mean an extra 20,000 condos to get 5000 social housing units. I guess we'd need even more condos if we want homes for the homeless too in our neighbourhood.

Getting benefits from bonusing is not a good idea because we have a history of losing to the developers. At Woodwards we had to give a second condo tower in order to keep our social housing. At SEFC Cameron Gray says in an email to ccap says we' ll be lucky to get 25 homes for people at welfare rates ..... we don ' t want to horse trade for life and death housing with developers because of this. We have no trust. They tell us we'll get housingj ust to keep us quiet until it's too late to go back.

Another reason it's a bad idea, is: we don't want the income mix to change. We want to retain the culture, character, history, especially of the First Nations, and retain the services oriented to low income people and we need our body heat to do that. The income mix at Woodwards tower overwhelms the low income community. And, we don't want any more stores like Nestors which is coming to Woodwards that sell $3 loaves of bread and will make people feel poor just by their very presence, especially when there is no a lternatives for us.

We don 't want towers to continue to escalate property values so high that governments will have the excuse that they can't afford to buy lots for social housing. We need you to do something to slow the market not speed it up with eek - o 'density.

Here 's another reason to get rid of# 12 on the list.

Because of tower speculation, the hotels west of main are. going bizzerk.

Next to the Wonder Rooms (which is still owned by Robert Wilson, the condo millionaire who just made $ 10 mil flipping SROs) is a hotel called Cordova Residence - tenants there were told by the new owner that they have l-3 years before eviction because they are going to build a big condo project there. There is a big sign there advertising this.

Tenants are anxious as yo u can imagine.

Check out the Columbia I Iotel's website advertising to backpackers. They arc now evicting some of their last monthly tenants.

The Golden Crown across from Woodwards is now renting for $575 a month for a single room. People on welfare can't afford this.

The point is, you are sparking a real estate frenzy and we need yo u to be responsible for the li ves of

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low income peopie and put in strong rules to protect our housing and use what Brent T mentioned to me last week which is to use the DOWNZONJNG tool to control development in the DTES. After we get our core need housing, THEN we could afford to absorb a condo tower or two and horse trade for working poor housing and public realm benefits like a swimming pools.

Please be the advocates of the 12000 low income people in the DTES who want more housing at welfare rates. We don't have money to offer you, but we outnumber the developers and our need is greater. llelp us build the most amazing non partisan lobby to get our core need welfare rate housing in place FIRST. Slow down the developers and make them come to the table as advocates as they see they can't get what they want until we get what is right for low income people.

We are in support of the Coalition of Vancouver Neighbourhoods and we signed their letter to say we need an open, democratic process to design our neighbourhoods. We need your support for that.

If the reason for ccoden is really to become environmentally sustainable and not to help developers make massive profits, low income dtesers have to be living the most sustainable lives of anyone in the city. No single family homes, no cars, no stoves for many, no spending on luxuries or frills.

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The killer whale lives in the ocean fi·om the Arctic and Antarclic regions lo the warm tropical seas. They can be found in the open ocean and coast<.\! waters less then 200m deep. The seasonal movements of killer whales are influenced by the migration of fish and other prey. Some feed mostly on fish, and others hunt marine mammals, including sea lions, seals, and even large whales.

They are not an endangered species but some local populations are considered threatened due to pollution and the depletion of prey species. The killer whale population in the Antarctic range from 70,000 to 180,000.

By Christine Blanchard

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C~l' CorV\.ef""for Carnegie's Volunteers

DJ MlX and Friends- MOVE TO THE GROOVE - it is with great regret I inform you that DJ Mix is now cancelled indefinitely.

1. KARAOKE with Steve Fridays March l4'h and 28t\ 7- IOpm Karaoke is a form of singing available for everyone. It is a golden chance for people to discover the joy of singing in an encouraging and accepting environment.

Come and sing along and have some fun with Steve, our maestro! EVERY WELCOME! Refreshments served to the brave souls.

2. VOLUNTEER COMMITTEE MEETING

Wednesday March l2

1 h,

2pm in Classroom 11

ALL VOLUNTEERS WELCOME! Your voice is needed and appreciated.

3. VOLUNTEER DINNER: 111 Wednesday, March 19 Theatre, 4:30pm SHARP! Your contribution and hard work is appreciated by the many people who benefit by your services. Let the staff serve you! If you have 12 volunteer hours this month, please pick up your dinner ticket from the Volunteer Program Office on the 3rd floor 4. 01d Timer's Hockey Vs VPD Annual Hockey Challenge Sign up with Colleen in the Volunteer Program Office on 3rd Floor- leaving directly after the Volunteer Dinner to arrive at Coliseum for 7pm Game 5. POOLROOM You will be happy to know that the Pool tables are going to be recovered on March 41h and 51h• Calling all Pool Room Volunteers for a meeting · Wednesday March 5111 • This is a very important meeting. Please attend if you can. Door prize ..... meeting chaired by Colleen 6. MAD HA'ri'ER'S TEA PARTY •..• EVERYBODY WELCOME! ST PATRICKS DAY .... hosted by Colleen and Marlene Monday, March 17'", 1 - Spm - in Ca•·negie's Theatre Bring your mad zany nutty self! Prizes: Most Creative Hat, The Highest Hat, The Most Sophisticated Hat (we will be making our own hats; supplies provided).

Door Prizes. Live Music. Lunch with little green thingies. Laughter will be the language of the day. Please join us, we need your company.

Volunteers of the Month- February Karen Raschke, Learning Centre and helping with all kinds of creative endeavours.

Egor, our very own Eyore in the Theatre

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