May 15, 2011, carnegie newsletter

MAY 15, 201 1

. "'' c arnegie~ _....~:.,.路. ~路- 1 NEWSLETTER

caiTVleWS@>Olocca

.W.I Main SUeel IJancciMlr Canada V6A ZTI (604) 665-2289

1

~~

carnnews@shaw.ca www.camnews.org http://carnegie.vcn.bc.ca/newsletter

c...~~~~

cortrR OI.IRSV,

THE DOWNTOWN EASTSIDE COMMUNITY NEEDS SOCIAL HOUSING AT PANTAGES

DTES RESIDENTS STAGE "PAINT-IN" AGAINST CONDOS: "PANTAGES THEATRE IS OURS!" One month ago City Hall issued a demolition permit to level the historic Pantages Theatre and rumours have been flying around the Downtown Eastside (DTES) ever since. Will Pantages be a "gentrification bomb" of condos at Main and Hastings? Or will it be a "jewel in the crown" of the DTES with 100% social housing and a low-income community arts centre?

On Thursday May 12th low-income Downtown Eastside residents gathered beneath the awning of the Pantages Theatre on the 100 block of East Hastings to eat pancakes, paint the sidewal k wall of the building, and have their say about the future of the Pantages site. Some speakers referred to the "Paint-in" as inspired by the daisy painting parties at Woodward's in the late 1990s that were an important part of the lowincome community's claim over the building as an asset. The lesson from Woodward's though, Paint-in organizer Ivan Drury said, was, " We can lay claim to a building with protests and community gatherings, but we have to plan the project too."

While the pancake grill heated up the Paint-In was opened by the drummers from the Aboriginal Front Door Society (AFD). People standing in line for pancakes fell silent while the drummers played and sang.

The mood on the sidewalk under the Pantages awning was friendly and warm, but serious and bit somber.

The first words painted on the wall were: " City buy tbis building for us," " 100% Social housing here," and "Tbis is stolen native land." The first image was a tree with roots going deep.

The first speaker at the press conference, where media huddled still within the community hubbub, was Mona Woodward, the executive director of the Aboriginal Front Door Society. Woodward acknowledged that Pantages is on unceded Coast Salish territory and said the rumored plans to build 90 condos and SO units of social housing on the site were unacceptable. She said that AFD supports the Downtown Eastside Neighbourhood Council 's (DNC) call for the Pantages to be redeveloped as I 00% social housing.

"The low-income community wants l 00% social housing with perhaps a community arts centre on the ground floor," explained Carnegie Community Action Project (CCAP) coordinator Jean Swanson. " If condos are mi xed into this project they will contribute to

3.

higher land values, higher -rents in the adjacent hotels, more homelessness, and 'zones of exclusion' where low income people who have fell at home in the DTES will now feel excluded."

Tami Starlight, co-president of the DNC, talked about the potential effects of a condo project on the I 00

block of East llastings. "A condo version of Pantages Theatre would be a knife to the heart of the Downtown Eastside," Starlight said. ''The I 00 block of East Hastings is the ground-zero, the centre of the neighbourhood, and now it's a crossroads. What happens at Pantages could decide the fate of the neighbourhood: A vibrant, diverse, low- income community ... or a cookie cuner consumer area with boutiques that sell clothes for dogs."

A DNC statement handed out at the Paint-In explained that " lnclusionary zoning路路 in the Downtown Eastside Oppenheimer District (DEOD) sub-district of the DTES means that any new development has to include 20% social housing - there can' t be any pure market condo projects in the DEOD. The result?

There has not been a single condo development in the DEOD, not even through the heights of the real estate investment boom. If Pantages was successfully developed as a mixed condo-social housing project it'd be a model for further condo developments in the DEOD and cou ld unleash market development on the most sensitive and (until now) protected area in the city.

The other co-president of the DNC, Paul Martin, pointed at a painting another resident did on the wall of the Pantages of a man standing on top of a hotel and explained that he is a resident of a privately owned residential hotel. Martin said, "I Jive on the top noor of an eight story building in Gastown and the elevator has been broken for six months. My room is not a home, it's just a place to sleep, and not a good one at that. .. The city's policy is to replace all 5,000 SRO hotel rooms because they 're not good places to live. They should build I 00% social housing at the Pantages site as part of what they say is their commitment to replace the crummy hotel rooms."

Kevin Yake, representing the Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users (VANDU), explained that the city's plan of using "socially mixed" housing is not good for low-income residents. lie explained that the DTES is the only neighbourhood where poor drug users fee l comfortable. "Condos here would make things expensive and take away the only place we have," he said.

Ann-Marie Monk, speaking on behalf of the Downtown Eastside Women's Centre Power of Women group, said that hotel and social housing residents need to redefine what "social housing" means. She said that she is demanding "resident controlled" social housing because, "Staff watches me so much in the

building that ! feel like I'm in a permanent homeless shelter. not my home. They even come into my room without asking. We need affordable housing that feels like home!"

Community groups advocated for years fo r the Pantages Theatre to be saved as a low-income commun ity arts space. With the theatre decayed beyond repair residents at the Paint-In imagi ned the ground floor of the Pantages social housing site as an arts and culture centre. Karen Ward from Gallery Gachct said, ..The Downtown Eastside has the highest number o f artists per capita in the country, but we have few places to work and meet. An arts centre downtown would give residents opportunities to work and sell their art, as well as a safe space to meet and collaborate. Safe, decent housing is essential as well: you cannot create art when you're struggling every day just to survive."'

The Downtown Eastside Neighbourhood Council has picked the Pantages site as o ne of ten sites that they arc demanding the city buy and designate for social housing before the next municipal election. The first victory of their "Fight for 10 sites" campaign, announced earl ier this spring, was the housing for women and children above the coming Hastings Street library '路The library was number one," pledged Paul Martin, "Pantages will be number two."

Beneath the green tree painted on the Pantages, by the end of the day crowded with images of people, houses, and words of community persistence and unity, someone w rote: "ROOTS: We need them to grow, don ' t kill them with condos."' But by the next morning someone else, someone not from the same community that had come together to colour the broken down walls of the Pantages with a vision of a hope ful future, had ordered the wall painted over.

Jean Swanson shook her head and said, "It was just too beautiful fo r them to leave up."

From the DNC's blog n

conStrUCtion at Carnegie It vibrates through me "Bang, thump, squawk" Construction at Carnegie Rocks falling like bludgeons On my unprotected noggin

My ears echo Soft metallic ' lings' Hard crunches Steel-toed footpads Overhead.

Enclosed spaces "Construction Safety Zone" No airy feel of Skyl ight Stolen spaces in hal lways Hammer thunk thunk thunk A new sound in the symphony Drums with a symbolic cymbal My heart sympathetic Engaged to a beat not my own No calm, relaxing Construction at Carnegie

Marble Staircase She sweeps down the curved marble staircase in"a beautiful white wedding dress, trailing satin and tulle Her scarred face is hidden, obscured by the white net of her veil, hiding her face from her husband-to-be.

He will remove it, lift ing it over her head in a single deft motion and obscure her no longer. How she longs for that moment- a blessing or a curse, depending on his reaction. She is prepared for both actions

Lunch at Carnegie Hearty food that sticks to your ribs. Colourful characters full of stories. Belong ing. Brent with his curling finge rs worki ng still, the efficient one slopping down four meals at a time. The line-up snaking up and down, up and down with people's emotions.

Smells o f fresh cooking, soups swirling in chafing pans. l fi nd you there, tears d rying o n your face. My arms embrace you and hold you safe.

DO YOU WANT TO RUN FOR THE CARNEGIE BOARD?!

CRUNCH -cites

Every year at the Annual General Meeting (AGM), we elect a new Board of Directors for the Community Centre Association. There are about 5000 members!

There are a total of 15 people on the Board, with a minimum of 12 in case we get any dropouts. In order to run in the election you have to be nominated by someone who is also a member.

You have to have been a card-carry ing member for a minimum of 60 days immediately prior to the election date, this year on Thursday, June 2nd at 5:30pm in the theatre. In order to vote, you have to have been a member for 14 days immediately prior to June 2nd. Do remember to bring your membership card to the AGM. Now usually all nominations are made at the May Board meeting, so people have a month to think about it and ask peop le to support them. This year, however, just ten people accepted their nominations (i think there was a hockey game on the first Thursday in May) so nominations from the floor will be accepted at the AGM on June 2"d.

What does a Board member do? Well , first of all we go to 2 or 3 meetings a month. Each director is to help on a Secretary and Member-at-Large. These are elected after least 2 committees, which include: Volunteer, Library I the AGM at a special meeting of the new board.

Education, Program, Seniors, Community Relations and If you want to be a member of Carnegie's Board of Finance. There is also a Publications & an Oppenheime Directors, come out to the AGM on June 2nd and get nominated. Carnegie needs people like you!

Park Committee so there's lots to do.

There are also 5 members on the Board who serve in

By Adrienne MacCallum, Secretary executive positions: President, Vice-president, Treasure ( Director for 2 years and counting!)

r-- --

.....=.:-:..._____:= .

\r r ~~; ~ k)

'-21 \.")

CJ c~ D .~

0

/)

G~ \~

i)

Enter the 3-Day Hope in Shadows Photography Contest!

Downtown Eastside Photography Contest HO P E

I~

S HADOWS

First prize (1 winner): $500 cash Cash prizes for 40 winning photos

liJ

m

contest categories

Pick up at 10:30 a.m., Tuesday June 1 Interurban Gallery (1 East H astings) Free to enter, cameras and training provided!

1. Our Community (hl.tck & .dut< or rolour ph<>tos ;hmnn~ rhe

DTES). Phot<>s rhar <how rlus commu nuy\

Hrengths: respcn tor one .mother, wo rki n g fOr j thttU'\ th e peo ple .tnd ;Ktinril':oo in your ht'e, comp.1"'ion, hopt> ancl

morr!

2. Your City Landscape !'eel ire< t<• phoro~raph your ,·ie\\ o( V,ul cou,-rr or heyon~l

3. The Julie Rogers Award for Best Portrait 4. Best Colour Photo

5. Best Black & White Photo

Each rontt>tant "rll be giwn a free single-u;e camerJ COO a\'atL>blt).

You en rer your photos bv returnmg )OUr rJmcri-1 to rhc lnterurbL 1n Ga llery ( l East l lasrin gs) on S.uurday j u ne 4, llam to 3pm. E•·cr y conre!'r:tnt wtll get $5 cash wht-n th<!y ru rn in thr1 r riltnt·-r;..

PI

OT

HOPE IN SHADOWS c.;.,.., ••u,nu:r

equality liffs eve<yone

f't,t·:,u

~ww.pl\t>dreal.ore

W'\\"\\'.ho~~lnshado" .;.(\)m

,1

'"

For more information, call 604 255 9701

This contest i s open only to low-income residents (including children) of the Downtown Eastside.

conStrUCtion at Carnegie

;z.

6Aft

... hallways to weave in and out of while construction ' S he gawks and obsesses, but what can she see workers carryi ng pipes, rails and tubing jostle and jockey around pedestrians - all th is while the build~ 路 nr S he should. Why did she undergoes a face lif1, a change in its decades-old fa!leave cade... Take away the old etched lines, the greying Her cunning words destroy the truth brick, the worn and sunken stairway that time has Yank ing her deeper Release trodden into concave pools of marble... l ler hope gets rejected like her last meal ... the marble staircase, not to heaven, not to hell; J USl a gentle easing arch winding melodiously to one's Her "old friend" left her empty. Again destination - or simply just to meander - to play and A lone ease upon - step lightly a slig ht shuffie of the feet - a She hugs the cold tiles, they don' t return the favour slig ht dance - or think again...

She's scared o f being loved Pain ... a place to dwell- to ponder - its stairs, its steps older than o urselves .. ' it' has stood the test of time She reminds herself that she's disgusting this test metered o ut in graduations...

She tells herself she's beautiful Roger Stewart Numb The tao of touch senseless, pointless She remembers the fam iliar feeling She knows this blanket holds no warmth degrees of down ~~~ Wh at mag1.c docs touch create rig ht dirty down that we crave it so. T hat babies right vomit, Thoughts of a distorted long ing do not thrive without it. That discretion painful For something that no longer exists D id it ever the nurse w ho cuts tough nails thwarts and really Abby Sophia Glanz and sands calluses o n the elderly putrid beyond comprehens ion tells me sometimes men weep Orange Juice as s he rubs lotion on their feet. the nature of the beast the fires Used to be oranges were Medicine Yet the touch of a stranger of hell are claimed in my family the bumping o r predatory thrust by our own doing Vitamins C and so on in the subway is like a slap. let it go and amazingly Lacki ng a proper diet in isolated. snow-bound We lo ng for the familiar, the open it has a different villages palm of love, its tender fingers. point of view, far Lack o f nutrition It is our hands that tamed cats more amazing than The barrel of apples lasted all winter ; into pets, not o ur food. our small-minded Grapes I saw fo r the first time The widow looks in the mirror escapades o f extreme when I was three thinking, no one will ever touch deceitful pleasures A way station during the war me again, never. Not hold me.

On our way to the city you think get over Not caress the softness of my O n our way to Canada yourself he lp another breasts, my inner th ighs, the swe ll Wilhe lmina and really help 1 was an outport child of my belly. Do 1st ill live another not for Sem i savage if no one knows my body? ulterior motives Country bred We touch each other so many it's not about Goat's milk soup, homemade bread crusty, baked ways, in curiosity, in anger, what U can get apples, country butter -sl ightly rancid- only a cool to command attention, to soothe, o r how much you place under the pantry floor, smell oflime and dusty to quiet, to rouse, to cure.

I have or obtain vegetab les Touc h is our fi rst language it's about how Mason jars of veal and salmo n and often, our last as the breath you live your life Canned Carnation in strong black tea ebbs and a hand c loses our eyes.

It was the war and the Russians were starving Nora Rickman

I

member. This is a moving and compelling DVD from a Mohawk woman's perspective.

Cedar and Bamboo

By recounting the life experiences of four descendants of mixed heritage, Cedar and Bamboo e>.plores the inter-community histori~s and shared experiences of Chinese Canadians and First Nations. Set in British Colu mbia. their stories reveal the diflicu lt circumstances of Indigenous people and early Chinese immigrants. The lir~t generation of mixed blood descendants share captivating stories about the hardships they endured as aresult of their confusing cultural heritage. The younger generation is drawing strength from the proud p~ts of their elders, and they're chm>sing to take the best of both worlds.

~:\

,,, .

\

News From -the LibrarY NewDVDs Hop e A documentary that follows artist Ken Paquette, his partner Winnie Peters, and his five young sons as they cope through a year of change, and how, over the course of the fou r seasons, the family cycles through poverty, addiction, violence and love. Capturing the joy and laughter as well as the pain, of this complex family, this is a fully realized portrait of people and place. The story takes place on the Schkam Native Reserve. across the river from the town of I lope, with the directors living amongst the family and becoming an intimate part of the unfolding events. Each fami ly member offers a unique voice, describing their frustration and anger with each other, as well as their love and dreams fo r a better life.

Raw honesty and a deep humanism explode stereotypes, capturing the joy and laughter, as well as the pain of this complex family. club native; flow thick is your blood?

This documentary is by Mohawk filnunaker Tracey Deer who examines the mean ing of Mohawk identity politics at Kahn awake by follow ing the lives of four women from the community as they tell in their own words what it is like to have to defend your cultural heritage in order to live at Kahnawake. Of particular note is the presence of Olympian Waneek Hom-M iller in the film. She explains her view ofth policy regarding band membership and explores her views post-Oka. Three traditional women explain their circumstances regarding identity and membership. One woman is filmed during a horne birth and the family impact of Bill C-3 1 and Kahnawake membership ru les are explored on this newest family

Wapikoni mobile 2007- 10 short films; 2008-15 short films The travell ing ~tudi os of Wapikoni Mobile have enabled young people from Aboriginal communities in Quebec to express themse lves through videos and music. Short films presented were made with their guidance and are a mosaic of rich, contemporary and original works. With the " hands-on" philosophy of Wapikoni Mobile, these young artists were involved with practical training, starting from script writing to final editing. The result: thought-provoking documentary shorts and original music Aboriginality Aboriginality follows an urban youth as he heads down the mystical Red Road, where the sweet grass grows, to re-connect and be inspired by both new and traditional elements of First Nations culture. In the five minute animated film the young boy learns about his culture and the choices he makes as he 'walks down the red road".

Aboriginality also features and provides an in-depth interview with world champion hoop dancer and hip-hop artist Dallas Arcand, a seventh generation member of the Alexander (Kipohtakaw) Plains Indian Cree Nation where he discusses his own choices made walking down the red road.

Writers' Jamboree - looking for Lorren Stewart We're sti ll looking for one of the winners of the Jamboree Writing Contest- Lorren Stewart. If you are Lorren, or if you know how we can get in touch with Lorren, please come and see Beth in the library.

Thanks so much to everyone who was part of the Writers' Jamboree- it was a wonderful day!

Beth, your librarian (with thanks to library technician student Tracy Bergey for the annotations!)

vancouver Public Library needs

Thursday May 19, 5-9 p.m.

Aboriginal Friendship Centre 1607 East Hastings

Monday May 30, 5-9 p.m.

S.U.C.C.E.S.S. Centre 28 West Pender

Thursday May 26, 5-9 p.m.

Ray-Cam Cooperative Centre 920 East Hastings

Wednesday June 1, 5-9 p.m.

Carnegie Community Centre 401 Main Street

Saturday May 28, 1-4 p.m.

Oppenheimer Park 400 Powell at Jackson

Sunday June 5, 1-5 p.m.

Strathcona Branch (VPL) 592 East Pender

Free refreshments Children's activities Door Prizes!

Dear Mayor Ro bertson,

May 10,201 1

We are writing you as the Mayor of Vancouver and Chairman of the Vancouver Police Board about the ongoing issue of criminalization of poverty in our community.

We are low and no income people who have been profoundly affected by the City policy and police practice of criminalizing behaviours linked to poverty, marginalization and illness. Specifically we are concerned about current City bylaws around vending, jaywalking and public urination/defecation, and the discriminatory and harmful way these bylaws are being enforced.

It is very clear to us that the enforcement of these bylaws through ticketing creates more harm than good. People who are ticketed for behaviours that are the consequence of inadequate social and economic supports face a number of serious health impacts: â&#x20AC;˘ â&#x20AC;˘

increased feelings o f humiliation, stigmatization and marginalization added stress and anxiety of having a ticket you can't possibly afford to pay hanging over you jail time for tickets or related 'failure to appear charges': in jail, community members face a litany of health Consequences: they lose housing, jobs and volunteer positions, they go off medications and face painful and harmful withdrawal from illicit drugs to which they arc addicted & they acquire new illnesses and diseases.

On the nip side there is absolutely no evidence that ticketing deters behaviours which are for the most part poverty survival strategies (vending), the consequence of unacceptable social conditions (public urination and defecation), and symptoms of illness, disability and addiction Qaywalking).

For the past two years VANDU has worked with the City to develop positive, community solutions to the problems identified by the city as 'public disorder': )>

We conducted an 8 month study on Pedestrian Safety in our community and produced a high quality report "We're A ll Pedestrians" with short, medium and long term recommendations for improving pedestrian safety in our community (none of which was to hand out jaywalking tickets). The City sent a staff member to the Urban llealth Conference in New York City to present the report. Nonetheless, to date only one recommendation has been partially implemented (countdown signals in two locations in the Downtown Eastside).

)>

Working with the Downtown Eastside Neighbourhood council VANDU has developed and supported a weekly Sunday Vendors Market where people selling used goods as an economic s urvival strategy can do so without fear of police harassment, brutality, ticketing and arrest. This initiative needs to be strengthened and supported so that it can be extended throughout the week. The funding which is currently being provided for the market ($20,000) is inadequate and represents a fraction of what the public is already paying for police foot patrols, the administrative costs of ticketing and prosecuting, and the high direct and indirect costs of imprisoning people.

)>

We recently completed a project with the City on access to toilets in the Downtown Eastside. The report recommends, among other meas ures, immediately extending the hours of the existing public toilets in the

Downtown Eastside. This demand has been put forward by the community in numerous reports, consultations and committees for more than 10 years. The report is currently stalled and we have received no further comm itments from the City towards addressing this urgent issue.

We undertook these projects in collaboration with the City in good fa ith and with the understanding that there was a real interest in creating alternatives to the law enforcement and criminalization approach which has been so s pectacularly unsuccessful. We now fear that we have wasted our time and energy and that the City has no intention of implementing the creative, constructive solutions we have been working so hard to develop.

We would like to request a meeting with you to discuss these matters. Our group regularly meets at 2pm on Tuesdays; we would be happy to move our meeting to accommodate your schedule. This is a matter of some urgency to us and we look forward to hearing back from you soon. You can contact us through our group coordinator Aiyanas Ormond at 604-683-6061, or at aiyanas@ vandu.org Sincerely, Tuesday Group, Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users (VANDU) www.vandu.org 380 E. Hastings, Vancouver BC V6A I P4 604-683-6061 vandu@ vandu.org

The darkness that binds me I cant see Darkness has consumed me The light is gone But I am not afraid Of the darkness the binds me I chose to embrace it Left with the pain Of my missing heart She stole from me She has left me empty I-1 urt and alone Anger consumes me Fed by the darkness that binds me I gave her everything l gave her all of me Anger dies And sadness replaces it Also fed By the darkness that binds me Why cant I forget about her I loved her and she harmed me Yet I still want her Could it be That she is the darkness that binds me?

I

Ritchard Stard

JUST BECAUSE I WORK HERE DOES NOT MEAN I ACTUALLY "WORK" HERE

Downtown Eastside Neighbourhood House

573 East Hastings@ Princess

7 Right to Food mobile murals Thursday, May 19

3:00pm- 6:00pm

@ SOLEfood Urban Farm (East Hastings@ Hawkes) Remember the Food Murals at HomeGround? Drop by SO LEfood Urban Farm and celebrate the public launching of the 7 mobile Right to Food murals.

Each one represents a Food Solution developed by the DTES Kitchen Table Project, a Community Led Food Action Plan to bring more healthy and tasty food to the Downtown Eastside.

Get to know you r neighbourhood Farm, what's growing & how you and your friends/family can participate.

The DTES NH acknowledges and honours the fact that our community lies within the Traditional Territory of the Coast Salish people.

And another social activist burns out Burnt out Crashed and burned over and over and over So i stopped flying Stopped high steppin' in my high heel sneakers Stopped climbing those chicken wire fences Short cuts through the ravine, through gardens signed NO TRESPASSING Through private nature preserves of virgin timber Stopped staying up late to see a good movie or ballet or opera, Thinking only of my fatigue The endless sitting, killing time until i could sleep and escape the humdrum existence of necessity and normalcy Pervasive madness put away Took too much energy And made me different Unable to communicate Aloner- suspect and unpopular Not fitting in A square not even trying to be round Wilhelmina Miles

Humanities 101 DOCUMENTARIES Saturdays, Carnegie Centre, 6p.m.

May 2 1st

HOXSEY The Quack(?) Who Cured Cancer 96 minutes.

A New America - A New Canada Times arc changing, and unless \\ e 1-.now what is happening the changes are not going to be for the better. Knowledge is power. Get powerful.

May 28th Talk by David Ealing o n the banking system and how it v.orks in Canada. Followed by a documental) and discussion. Also World Without Cancer- the story of Laetril.

Exploring the scientific rationale for Laetril therapy.

Cancer a de fic iency disease caused by an essential food factor deleted from the diet of modern man.

Case histories of terminal cancer patients who have recovered using Laetrile therapy. 60 minutes.

Deception Was My Job - The Testimony of Yuri Bezmenov Propagandist for the KGB interviewed by G. Edward Griffin. 90 minutes.

Fade to black

The Art of Rudolf Kurt Penner

.

in the month of May, 2011 at LUMS Office: 360 Jackson off E Cordova Open during office hours and especially

Wednesday - Friday, lOam - 4pm

Eyes open The fear sets in I've lost myself In the darkness I cant see Through the pain Wishi ng everything Would fade to black Thinking maybe I will find myself In the darkness I've become Numb Thinking maybe Without the pain I can find myself Love Oneself l see myself now Respect your own heart l chase him Let it heal But he runs away From all the wrong that No matter what I do was brought on you I cannot catch him Learn to forgive As I realize I am Don't dwell in the past Truly lost It will eat you alive Numb and broken Ask the Creator to Wishing everything would lighten your soul.

Just fade to black Go to the water to cleanse yourself to make all the hate go away Go to the forest Hug the tree of life Scream, cry and laugh it all away Always bring tobacco to give thanks If youi take anything from Mother Earth, always make an offering Tobacco is the best medicine for Mother Earth

Sunday May 22. Doors at 1pm, showtime 2pm Tickets $10 at AFD (384 Main), $15 at the door.

Venue: The Yale Hotel, 1300 Granville Street

I hope your healing journey goes well Be safe & love oneself.

Bonnie E Stevens

Ritchard Stard

Sisters, Brothers, Friends, You are now part of"the left," because Harper's right-wing extremism is go ing to put the overwhelming majority of Canada's population in that category.

(I'm assuming there are no billionaires, Nazi skinheads, or rabid anti-abortionists on my e-mail list.)

You believe in unions? universal health care? public education? peace? adequate welfare benefits? a woman's right to choose? government responsibility to stimulate job growth? That used to put you in the centre. Now you're on the left.

The s hort list of points below is a bit academic, but it starts the discussion about what we have to do to get our act together--our "left" act, our fight back act.

Or do you think we should just watch the destruction for four years until the next federal election?

Solidarity, Gene P.S. Also, check out the accompanying e-mail focusing on trade unions --"a movement in trouble."

I. Now that the Conservatives have won a majority of seats in the House of Commons, we will see just how right-wing they are. Thi s is arguably the most right-wing party elected to federa l office since the Tories under RB Bennett were in office ( 1930-1 935), and the context of global slump makes it likely that they wi ll pursue their agenda vigorously. They are fervently ideologically committed to expanding the profits and power o f capital ( in both its market and state forms) and gutting the public sector through

cuts, privatization and the infusion of market fo rces .into public services. They will continue to oppose any meaningful moves to reduce e missions of greenhouse gases that drive climate change. They are comm itted to a racist immigration policy based on increasing the number of people admitted o n temporary work visas and decreasing the number accepted as permanent residents, and an aggressive fo reign policy for Cana- 路 dian imperialism in all iance with the US. T heir ranks include the most reactionary sexist and heterosexist elements in society, who will press for measures to their liking.

2. The Conservatives won a majority of seats not because they convinced a much larger number o f people to support them, but because of how a small increase in support was translated through the peculiarities of the "first-past-the-post" version of capitalist democracy. The Tories won 37.7% o f the popular vote in 2008 and 40% in 20 I I. T here hasn't been a maj or swing to the right in the population, only in the way seats are distrib uted in t he Ho use of Commons.

3. The record-high 3 1% vote for the NDP (up from 17.5% in 2008) represents a major change in the voting choices among the very large numbers of people who support minor soc ial reforms and defence of existing social programs within the frame work of the neoliberal consensus that defines official pol itics (whose touchstone is "fiscal responsibility" and deficit elimination), above all in Quebec. It means someth ing that so many people voted for the party seen as most on the left. But the NDP ran on its most moderate platfo rm ever, with the goal of replacing the Liberals as the party perceived as the main and 100% res pectable alternative to the Tories in adm inistering Canad ian capitalism -- not as a party that stands for a social democratic alternative to the business parties.

So support for the NDP in 20 II means something different than support for the N DP did in, for example, the 1988 federal election (when the NDP won 20% of the vote, its previous high). Then, faced with pressure from people opposed to the C anada-US free trade deal to campaign only against the deal, leader of the NDP Ed Broadbent argued that the Tories (profree trade) were the party ofmWall Street and the Liberals (who at the time opposed the deal) were the party of Bay Street. Nothing like that was heard this time. Unfortunately, the NDP vote in 2011 doesn't represent a significant shift to the left in working people's views or any growth of radicalism in society.

~

4. Aggressive Tory moves to take advantage of their long-sought opportunity to implement their full agenda without restraint will likely meet with dismay and outrage. There may well be a deepening political polarization that creates opportunities to mobi lize protest and resistance against Tory attacks. But the serious problems within the working-class movement will make it difficult to channel anger and dismay into militant resistance by the working class (unionized and non-unionized).

5. The NDP leadership is thoroug hly imbued with parliamentary creti nism, to use an old socialist term. so we can expect to see NDP MPs criticize what the Conservatives are doing but not do anything to mobilize people in the streets or in their workplaces to try to stop Tory attacks. Major strikes against public sector cuts or large-scale protest will probably be treated by federal NDP leaders the same way their provincial counterparts treated the Days of Action in Ontario ( 1995-1999) and politicized public sector strikes and the handful of "Days of Defiance" in BC (20022005): behind-the-scenes opposition to them happening, with NDP loyalists at the top of the union officialdom engaging in outright sabotage.

6. For everyone who wholeheartedly opposes neoliberal ism, the main challenge will be to reach out to people who are repulsed by what the Tories are doing and argue that action is needed now to try to block attacks. It will also be crucial to argue for no cuts (rather than smalle r cuts) and against racist and antiimmigrant measures that will have some support among some people who oppose other Tory moves.

Wait ing til 20 15 to vote the Tories out of office is a recipe for demoralization and defeat. We need to start mobilizing resolute opposition in the streets, in workplaces, on campuses -- not rely on the NDP in the I louse of Commons with their "leave it to us" stance.

7. To fight the Tories, we need a left that sees collective action in struggle as essential and doesn't reduce politics to elections. That lefi- the radical left-is currently at a historic low point in the Canadian state. If there is a new wave of protest, it may create new opportun ities for the growth of the radical left (th is isn't guaranteed, as the experience of anti-cuts protests in Ontario and BC show). To take advantage of such opportunities, rad icals will need to find ways to overcome our fragmentation, marginalization and political divisions.

1?1

~

~~~(~~~-~-~ ~~-Carnegie Theatre Workshops -It's time for theatre In June 1886- 125 years agoSparks from a clear cut fire in False Creek leapt into an inferno that destroyed the new city of Vancouver

Let's stage the story of The Great Fire!

Actors, dancers, musicians and stage crew ! Everyone Welcome!

- Fridays 1pm - 4pm May 13, 20, 27, June 3, 10, 17 Class/Rehearsal in the Carnegie Theatre Performance date, time & place still to be determined For more info: Teresa 604-255-940 I

ij:'"fo~ailoom

Prayer for les Slaugltterltouse Chickens!

Les Poulets didn't vote in Fed Election they seem to have few civil rights few Animal Rights few rights!

So next time U sink Consumer Chops into anonymous C hicken Burger or 'KFC' do remember les pouvres poulets who, in either language feel their lot truly clucks!

John Alan Douglas

GOOD NEWS! The DTES Small Arts Gran t s Pr oject is back to provide funding opportunities for

Individual Artists !

In June of last year, the DTES Small Arts Grants Pilot Project ended with a fabulous gala at Centre A which featured artwork and performances by 37 grant recipients. The evening showcased the vitality of the art scene in t he DTES and demonstrated the value of an individual-based grant, the first of its kind in the neighbourhood.

Carnegie Community Centre is very happy to announce that the Vancouver Foundation has refunded this successful project, and with added support from Vancity, we will once again offer 65 grants of up to $1000 to artists living in the Downtown Eastside.

Applications for the first round of jurying will be available on Friday, M a y 6th at various locations in the neighbourhood including the Carnegie Center and Oppenheimer Park.

Deadline for submission is Monday, May 30th, at 4 PM . Among the first tier of applicants, those who are shortlisted will be invited to submit a more detailed project & budget proposal for a second round of jurying. Successful grant recipients will be announced in mid-July.

Information sessions about the project and the application process will held at the following : 1. Tu esday, May 17th, 6 - 7 PM: Carnegie Community Centre, 3'd Floor Classroom II 2. Thursday, May 19th, 2 :30 - 4:00 PM : Oppenheimer Park, Field House To apply online, visit http://dtessmallartsgrants.blogspot.com/ To view our online gallery, please visit: http://va ncouverfou nda tio nsma II arts .ca/ For more information, please contact Jason Bouchard, Coordi nator at: Email : dtesartsg rants@gmail .com Phone: 778-879-9843

van co uver foundation With additional support from.

Vancity

car'l-legie~ N E WS LETTER

carnnews@vcn.be ca

401 Ma1n Street Vancouver Canada V6A 2T7 (604) 565-2289

Advertising Rates (Prices are per issue and all invoices must be paid within I (one) month of publication.)

Business Ca rd:

$15

fw x h] '/.a page (Scm x lOcm)

S30

[w x h] Yz page (17cm x lOcm)

$55

[w x h] 1 page (17cm x 21cm) $100 Ads may be submitted by hand or email to carnnews@shaw.ca The Carnegie Newsletter reserves the right to edit content if necessary.

Publications Policy: #8 No political pamphlets, tracts, advertising or contributions from political parties or people seeking election will be published during an election period. However, politicians are free to utilise the newsletter outside of these periods to indicate what they are doing for our community and readers are free to respond with their views.

The Carnegie Newsleller is a 16-28 page, twice-monthly publication with 1200 copies per issue and a readershi p of likely twice that. Depending on how much easier stereotypes make your perceptions of this community, contents are "By, For and A bout the Bad and Dishonest people of the Dowmown Eastside.'' This description is to counter an uninformed declaration that "all that's needed to ' revitalise' that area are good, honest people."

Contents, in the form of articles, writing, poetry, locally-produced art and some graphic input, cover all manner of life and living in Canada' s poorest postal code. Issues include poverty, housing, homelessness, the drug trade, sex trade, 路'free" trade, safe injection sites, health and lifestyles possible on welfare, women - murdered, missing, violence against, children - drug mules or forced prostitution, playgrounds and possibilities in our community, gentrification, treatment re alcoholism, addiction, despair, the deinstitutionalization of mental health consumers & and of course much more.

At the Carnegie Newsletter website www.carnnews.org there is a link to a resource guide called Help in th e Downtown Eastside. It is free in hardcopy, available in English, French & Spanish, and lists organisations/ agencies/drop-ins/services in our neighbourhood and some that people here need to access from time to time, like hospitals and where to get identification. It also makes avai lable a bit o f in fo about each and is a good place to find opportunities to volunteer. The names, addresses and phone numbers are there; if you want to know more, call them!

A STATE OF Flf/X She bites into a coloured pill, bright in the hanging darkness, heavy as iron. A trivial thing, I know. yet I wonder... then again why should I care? I feel close to her. like a sister. She gingerly steps off the stoop of a jagged porch, trying mightily to avoid potholes, rats and other frightful hazards too numerous to mention.

Purposefull y stabbing her stile tto hee l into a now shattered, murky crackpipe s he s ilently screams. No one hears; they hardly ever do or cruelly pretend they don't. .. so jaded and out of touch, like so many of us.

We try so hard to be concerned, benevolent, kindly.

Oh well, that 's the current state of the situation ...

Hey, am I crazy or does everyone in this east side area smoke cigarettes (or am I jus t going crazy)? Can't run can't hide from the tar-and-ni cotine-hooked crowd; it is not a very exclusive club down in these parts, it's safe to say...

It can be so annoying sometimes, being pestered and bothered fo r this n ' that, although in the end I really do not mind at all. I truly believe that we are all our brother' s and siste r's keeper on this crazy spinning sphere fl oating around in the middle of nowhere!

Oh, sorry, I digress. I suppose you are wondering what else happened to the poor soul in the alley? Who knows? She wandered off into the fog, like a dissipating vapour herself in her tattered, soiled, creamy, nuanced hip-length dress to do he r business and errands. Whatever they may be, she tends to keep them especially quiet, private affairs; acknowledged and understood by all those who skiHer and scatter around her, day in & day out... so it goes.

ROBYN LIVINGSTONE.

TERMINUS STATION Well St. MINUS is in his glory today, what with Royal beddings unsharp Harper unsettling & Uncle Sam getting his cousin (once removed) Osama out of his way, more years of kissing U.S. ass while the worser reams second-in-command & has already picked his targets for the next 9/11-ish bash, like war

crimes groupies or hundreds o f d ead s led dogs named Snoopy - shallow graves like victories do not last - I see little kids playing their little games. like Cowboys & Dungeons or Indians & Dragons the outcome is pretty much the same. I see yanks dancing in th street cuz Laden got it right in the head, when other Evils met their fate people were happy to be alive & free not because another ma11 is dead, here we have blankets o f unsecurity as they s hut down shelters but are giving out one-way tickets for you & me, we are not worthy so the next stop is T erminus Station do you have your garbage of necessity?

Say bye to all your relations. you knew this world had some great countries, so many tht your yearly income was encrusted on your knees. then this oppressive festival of hate with signs like 路'Beware ofWanted"or " II ELP TOMORROW"' for a job a poor man wouldn't think twice & leave this new minimum wage with ma.xi mum rage is now the poor person 's new di sease back to the States where everything's great Pulp FictiOJ1 is reaching a feverish pitch did god lead the m to Pakistan then authorize thi s ki lling now just who is the evilist son of a bitch ...

St. MINUS tells me his body was carried out in a U.S. flag w ith "Tell Hitler we said I lello" written on it talk about do-it-yourself bodybags, like a universe garage sale with gods ' devils' icecream trucks & all you ce~n crucify nails talking about kicking the hornets' nest this could be the mos t comfortable unrest as more countries join our nuclear mess I'll leave all that to the tw its I'm sure it is on sale, I may not know how to work this fururistic shit but as one in 7 billion I have no idea how you can get off on it, how many people won't see their teens as this world keeps on going up & down at least there will be no more c hrist Lohans & C harlie Sheens to burn our childrenn's minds to th( ground, some have said when life gives you lemons start a le monade stand and be your ovm boss is that ru good as it sounds?

You' ll never know cuz Earth has lost control as our newest war to end all wars WW Ill to you and me ha! turned hardcore but wait there is a tiny bit more ...St. MINUS has asked all flags to be flown at half-mast now he has this feeling we will never see the pictures marked AFTER only the ones saying BEFORE

By ROBERT McGILLIVRAY

'"Three may keep a secret,

if two of them are dead."'

Benjamin Franklin

Ca rn eg•1e FREE

NEWSLETTER

~ "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful

carnn<>«s@J<:1bcca

committed citizens can change the the only thing that ever has."

worMida.rlgnadreeedM,eitad~••sp

1

L.....------------..::.....--.....1

401 Mdlrl Street VancWJ!!J Ca'!a<la V6A 2T7 (604i 6€5-22e9

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

WANTED Artwork for the Carnegie newsletter Small illustrations to accompany artides and poetry.

Cover art- Max size: 17cm(6 :Y.")wide x 15cm(6")high.

Subject matter pertaining to issues relevant to the Downtown Eastside, but all work considered.

Black & White printing only.

Size restrictions apply (i.e. if your piece is too large, it will be reduced and/or cropped to fit).

All artists will receive credit for their work.

Originals will be returned to the artist after being copied for publication.

• Remuneration: Carnegie Volunteer Tickets Please make submissions to Paul Taylor, Editor.

• • • • • • • • •

Next Issue: SUBMISSION DEADLINE MONDAY, MAY 30 We acknowledge that Carneg,.... ie-:C::-o-m _m _ u-n"""'it,...y""'C,....e_n_lr-e-. a- n-d'"'i this Newsletter. are occurring on Coast Salish Territory.

2011 DONATIONS: Libby D.-$50, Margaret D.-$50 Rolf A .-$50, Brian H.-$100, CEEDS $100, Barry M.-$15( ' X'-$52, Savannah WfTerry H. -$2001, Jenny K.-$25 Vancouver Moving Theatre--$30Qi, Barbara M.-$100, Leslie S.-$50, Wihelmina M.-$20, Sheila B.$100 CUPE 15 -$145C

QUESTION .AUTHC»R.ITV

}. /

GET CLEAN! Shower up at the Lord's Rain 327 Carra II Street Oust off Pigeon Park)

HOT SHOWERS (towels, soap, shampoo, the works! & coffee) Monday 11 am-3pm;..Juesday Wednesday 6 :30-9am "WiiN!am- 12 LADIES Only!

Friday 1 1am-3pm; Saturday 6:30-10am

,.eB _,. .;;

lei on parte Francais Hablamos Espanol

-

_.-.:::;; -----~--

carnnews@shaw.ca www.camnews.org http://carnegie.vcn.bc.ca/newsletter http://harvestors.sfu.ca/chodarr Jenny Wai Ching Kwan MLA WORKING FOR You 1070-1641 Commercial Dr, V5L 3Y3 · Phone: 604-773-0790

Only those that risk going too far can possibly find out how far we can go. T.S.Eliot

Rolf Auer www.clearpolitics.wordpress.com (Click About rolfauer@yahoo.ca

Solder & Sons 247 Main Street Coflee & T~ Used Book.

Curious Audio Recordi~s

There were several complaints about the cover of the May 1 51 issue. *People at the Listening Post, a place for spiritual practice, were loathe to display that Newsletter face-up; it would just make those inside nauseous , seeking inner peace and seeing Stephen Harper at the same time; *Copies that usually get picked up weren't - and people in various places cited the disgust expressed at having this cretin on the cover of the semi-sacred Carnegie Newsletter. *a few were sad, angry that the facts on the cover and certainly in the content were not spread nationwide, in the same manner as Harper's controllers had him trying to sound momentous while PR and tourist photos of Canada were on screens as commercials ...

I could apologise but you can get that and

a coffee for half-a-buck.

Harper now has his majority, just like Brian Mulroney had his. Mulroney became the most hated man in the country for the garbage he perpetrated, and the next election saw the Progressive Conservatives reduced to TWO seats.

Harper used the last 5 years to stack the Senate with crooks who got caught and will surely do the same thing with any vacancies on the Supreme Court. Then, with both levels of Parliament and the courts, laws & programs like the right to safe abortions and universal healthcare will bite the dust.

The treason referred to on that illustrious May 151 cover will become apparent as our separation from th United States gets foggy and our laws are changed to mirror theirs.

Then the Fortress North America (including parts of Mexico and Latin America, where global corporations have their onceAmericanadian factories) will become reality, because "there is no alternative."

PAULR TAYLOR, Editor.