May 15, 2016 carnegie newsletter

Car.negie NEWSLETTER 40111ain street, Vancouver VliAID

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604-665-2289

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(EAY15,2016

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website carnegienewsietter.org ClrDnew@sbaw.CI ClrnnewS@Vm.bc:.ca

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11-2PM, SATURDAY, MAY 21ST FOOD, MUSIC, SPEECHES, PAINTINGI

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GROUPS REPRESENTING OR SERVING OVER 9000 PEOPLE HAVE ENDORSED THE OUR HOMES CAN'T WAIT CAMPAIGN, INCLUDING CARNEGIE COMMUNITY CENTRE ASSOCIATION, VANCOUVER AREA NETWORK Of . DRUG USERS, WESTERN ABORIGINAL HARM REDUCTION, FIRST UNITED CHURCH, DURC, PIVOT, DTESWOM路 EN'S CENTRE, DTES NEIGHBOURHOOD HOUSE, CHINATOWN ACTION GROUP & ABORIGINAL FRONT DOOR.

The Camegie Community Action Project (CCAP) is organizing a Paint-in to tell the city, province and feds to fund our community vision for 100% welfare rate social housing at 58 W. Hastings. After two town hall meetings & lots of committee work, people in the DTES community have agreed that they want this site to be for Chinese and indigenous residents as well as people who are homeless or living in SRO hotels. They want half the units for women and amenities on the bottom floor like peer run services and cultural services.

The new building should be run by residents like co-ops are and everyone should be covered by the Residential Tenancy Act. The top floor should be a garden and amenities like a fitness room and balconies should be provided. Each unit should be a minimum of 500 sq. ft. That's the community vision for 58 W. Hastings that the Paint-in is pushing for.

Jean Swanson, 604 7292380 jean.s.wanson@gmail.com

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CARNEGIE BOARD ELECTIONS WILL BE HELD ON THURSDAY JUNE 2ND 2016 II\! THE CARNEGIE THEATRE @ 5:30 PM NOMINATIONS FOR THE BOARD WILL BE HELD AT THE MAY 5TH MEETING

TO NOMINATE SOMEONE, YOUR CARNEGIE CARD MUST

BE DATED NO LATERTHAN APRil 5TH .

TO RUN FOR THE BOARD A PERSON MUST; •

HAVE A MEMBERSHIP CARD DATED NO LATERTHAN APRIl3RD

2016

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BE OVER 16

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LIVE OR WORK (paid or unpaid) IN THE AREA

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BE AN ACTIVE MEMBER OF THE CENTRE

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HAVE CONTRIBUTED 30 HOURS OF VOLUNTEER WORK TO THE CARNEGIE CENTREOR THE ASSOCIATION IN THE YEAR PREVIOUS TO THE ELECTION

TO VOTE AT THE AGM ON JUNE 2ND YOUR MEMBERSHIP CARD SHOULD HAVE A DATE NO LATERTHAN MAY 2ND; 2016

CARNEGIE NEEDS PEOPLE LIKE YOU

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The Carnegie Board runs our Community

Centre. We are a group of volunteers

and the way it functions.

who care about the Centre

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There is o~e board meeting a month and seven committees oversee different members make up the following committees: Volunteer - chooses those honoured at volunteer dinners and other volunteer

aspects of the Centre. Board matters

Program - recommends events and activities Education/library - deals with issues from our library, one of the busiest VPL locations, and with the Learning Centre on the third floor Seniors -: Our seniors are active and this committee

is dedicated to them.

Community

about issues and events and requests for support, as

Relations - hears from the community

well as overseas CCAP staff and reports Oppenheimer

Park - The park and its programs are a part of Carnegie. We just recently succeeded in

getting a traffic light put in at Jackson and Powell Streets.

Finance - All requests/recommendations are monitored

for money go here as well as grant requests.

Financial statements

here.

Most Board members commit to three committees a month.

We thank existing Board members for their hard work and are grateful for all those who have served the Board in the past. And we look forward to working with those who will serve in the future.

Respectfully subm itted, Phoenix Winter and Lisa David

CKUN t;" N cttea

Steve Edwards the Guitar Man ŠDJBruce Play your guitar, sing your song, Nothing in theworld goes wrong.

Music plays in each heart and soul Without it, we could not be whole: How to keep ourselves at bay, Of things we like to do or say.

A heartbeat with an amazing tune, Above the stars, beneath the moon.

Without music we can never see, Or even just let our feelings free.

The music keeps our mind at ease, We can do anything as we please.

Good to lose ourselves each time When we make the music rhyme: Strumming of the guitar plays, Passing time can show us ways.

When gifted talents go very high, Just don't use them on a basic lie.

This is.how life was meant to be Our blinded eyes can make us se~.

Humanities 101 is Alive and Well A Taste of The Middle East When: Every Monday from 6 - 7.30 p.m Where: Gathering Place, Helmcken and Seymour Facilitator: Shahl Masoumnejad Middle Eastern countries have a rich culture, and although they are frequently identified as one region, each country represents a distinguished culture that is rooted in ancient traditions. In this study group we enjoy and explore the beauty of these cultures.

Very Close Reading, Aloud!

When: Every Saturday from 12.00 - 2.00 p.m Where: Camegie Centre third floor seminar room Facilitator: Steve Wexler This group meets every Saturday to read aloud and discuss some time-honored literature. Texts are supplied at the group.

,We need to keep our bodies swaying, To sing our songs that we are saying. •Your music playing is way too cool, 'Allow someone else to play the fool.

But what I mean is, by what I say, Is never throw your dreams away,

Documentaries for Thinkers When: 2nd & 3rd Saturday of the month from 6.00 p.m Where: Camegie Centre Auditorium Curators: Terence Lui and Wil Steele Twice a month you can catch the latest scintillating documentaries from filmmakers across the globe.

These films cover politics, nature, art, society, philosophy, science and more. Snacks and beverages are provided.

Fun and Games with the Ministry

By Joey A ..

At the end of February the Ministry of Social Development and Social Innovation included an invitation to partake in a Customer Satisfaction survey, mailed out with the T5s. Since "customer service" and "The Ministry" have nothing whatever in common what is the true agenda here? The trick with this survey - and there is always a trick to a survey -lies in what wasn't asked. From my perspective the survey had everything to do with informing Ministry clients of all the myriad ways to make contact that preclude visiting the local Office of Despair and actually speaking with a human being, and one lone question about your thoughts on the level of customer service you've experienced. I mean, let's get real: if they were serious about customer satisfaction that notorious 1.866 number would cease to exist.

Looking over the paper copy of the survey I completed it appears the sole rationale for the survey was to showcase the many shitty ways to contact the Ministry, as though they're eager to be helpful, and the bigger picture is to deflect you from actually going to the office.

Ever been forced to call that fucking toll free because some smirking pompous ass behind the glass has refused to answer a ridiculously simple question and slipped the dreaded card under the slot? Don't got a phone? Good luck finding one that will let you hang on hold for upwards of90 minutes --- that was my personal worst: an hour and a fucking half in the queue, and I've heard of even longer hold times. That 1.866 number is a farce that exists for the sole purpose of preventing people in need from actually reaching those assholes at all; gawd help you if you're in crisis.

They want you to call the toll free and wait on hold forever so that you hang up in sheer and absolute frustration. It's deliberate, don't kid yourself; the abandoned call rate is rumoured to be as high as 80 per cent, the kind of statistics that must make that bitch in Victoria positively giddy. Any other inbound customer service centre with that kind of stratospheric abandon rate heads would be rolling. Just a guess but they're probably holding out for 100 per cent.

The other interesting thing about this little joke of a survey is that you didn't actually have to be on welfare to take it. After getting over the shock at the

phone actually being answered by a human beingl, I asked how since the survey was anonymous how exactly they were qualifying respondents and was told that only people who got the notification in the mail would be calling so they weren't worried. Turn that coin over: do you think it just might be possible that some poor starving schrnucks were paid minimum wage to complete piles of surveys and say glowing things about the Ministry's service level? Gee, do yOI think? But then, why bother going to all that trouble it's not as though they're going to confirm their customer service sucks; instead their "findings" will doubtless paint a fabulous portrait of exemplary customer service delivered to all those dimwitted, drugaddicted, losers. Look at how compassionate we are to the undeserving! Try telling them what you really think of their lack of compassion, their lack of humanity, and watch how fast your file gets lost or the) drum up some spurious excuse to deny you benefits.

The Wicked Witch of the West and her Ministry of Truth (thank you, St George) can kiss my ass.

Arts News from Oppenheimer Park Oppen Arts Program Thursdays at Oppenheimer Park: Workshop: 10:30, - I pm, OpenStudio: 2:30pm - 4:30pm This month at Oppen Arts Workshop, we're weavir: Learn some new and creative weaving techniques 8create your own textile pieces.

Afternoon is open studio. Please feel free to bring your own project, learn how to paint from our volur teer teacher Marko or explore your artistic talent wi our art supplies!

Vote for the 9th Annual Oppenheimer Par Community Art Show theme!

Online at http://goo.gl/formslPk8eySvIFM OR visit Oppenheimer Park on Thursday during the Oppen Arts Program to vote in person The 9th Annual Oppenheimer Park Community A Show is currently brainstorming this year's theme a title. The art show features artists from Oppenheim Park and its community, and will take place in Sep tember 2016, Visit the link above, or stop by the Park on Thurs. and vote for your favourite ideas! The online surve closes May 31 st.

OPEN LETTER April 27, 2016

Council

Dear Prime Minister Trudeau and Cabinet members, The economies and workforces of Alberta and Canada have been hit hard in recent months. There has been considerable pressure on the federal Liberal Cabinet to respond, including Premier Notley's recent address in Kananaskis and former Prime Minister Brian Mulroney's public comments urging Cabinet members to ensure major pipeline projects are approved.

This most recent push for new tar sands, or oil sands, export pipelines exhibits a number of problematic arguments that deserve response. Adding new pipelines will not solve economic woes caused by instability in world oil markets and a world that is rapidly - and necessarily - transitioning away from fossil fuels in order to safeguard our climate for future generations.

We must proceed with a fair review of pipeline projectsthat includes all scientific evidence, welcomes public participation and puts in place a climate test that ensures Canada doesn't build infrastructure that makes the 1.5 degree limit of global temperature rise impossible. The review must include true consultations with Indigenous communities and respect the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People.

Oil to tidewater won't fix tar sands troubles As argued by Ross Belot, former senior manager with one of Canada's largest energy companies, a new pipeline won't solve Alberta's woes because " ...the problem a pipeline to tidewater was intended to address doesn't exist anyrnore."

The abundance of cheap fracked oil in the U.S. and the global oil crash have contributed to narrowing the price differential between North American crude (whose benchmark is West Texas Intermediate, "WTl") and global crude (whose benchmark is Brent) to almost zero. As a result, the benefits Canadian tar sands producers once sought by trying to access higher returns on global markets have vanished. The discount that now exists for Western Canadian Select (WCS) relative to WTl is now due to inherent quality differences that make WCS more costly to refine.

Building new pipelines to get tar sands crude to tidewater and foreign markets cannot overcome the quality discount.

New pipelines incompatible with our fair share towards a 1.5 degree world The Kinder Morgan, Northern Gateway, Line 3 and Energy East pipelines would lock Alberta and Canada into producing and shipping heavy crude for many years to come, well beyond the 2050 deadline in the Paris climate agreement set as a goal for weaning ourselves off of fossil fuels. Building more pipelines conflicts with the expertise of more than 100 scientists in Canada who have publicly called for no further expansion in the tar sands.

With the realities of climate change intensifying, more people are demanding action and world leaders will need to respond. In an increasingly de-carbonized world, particularly carbon intensive forms of heavy oil, including tar sands crude, will become economic risks.

Uniting for the protection of our climate and water These pipeline projects present significant risks not only to our shared climate, but to critical waterways along their paths. The proposed tar sands export pipelines would see diluted bitumen transported over, under and through critical waterways including the drinking water sources for millions of Canadians.

The U.S. National Academy of Sciences (NAS) recently released the most comprehensive study of diluted bitumen to date, affirming it substantially differs from other types of oil when spilled near or in water. Diluted bitumen creates a unique and complex spill scenario as bitumen sinks in water after a short period of weathering. The study concluded that special response strategies and tactics are needed to respond and cleanup diluted bitumen spills; however, these have not yet been fully developed in Canada or the D.S. Respecting the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples It has been suggested that Canadians must unite around a nation-building pipeline, and Prime Minister Trudeau must lead us to this, even before a fair review of these projects is complete. Doing so would require agreeing to force a pipeline through the lands of Indigenous communities that have raised clear concerns about the duty to consult, as well as the impacts these pipelines will have on their lands. Forcing a pipeline approval will be on a collision course with respect for the UN Declaration on the RIghts ofIndigenous Peoples; be it Northern Gateway, Kinder Morgan Line 3 or Energy East.

Indicating support for one of these pipeline projects as requested would require ignoring the voices of major cities along the pipeline routes, countless communities wanting a fair review ofthese projects and stands to run in conflict with ongoing provincial reviews of certain projects.

There are solutions. Opposing new tar sands export pipelines isn't anti-Albertan Clearly workers and their families, even whole communities, are hurting in Alberta. No one wants this. But more of the same will not fix the problem. A new poll asking Albertans how they would like revenue raised by a proposed carbon tax spent indicates that, by more than a two-to-one margin, people favour spending it on green energy projects, transit and energy efficiencies. 144,000 Albertan jobs can be created with government policies that encourage and invest in renewable energy, energy efficiency and public transportation.

Let's unite around a better future, one we can be proud to hand to our children and grandchildren's

children.

Sincerely, .

Action Environnement Basses Laurentides (Quebec) Association quebecoise de lutte contre la pollution atmospherique Brandon/Westman chapter, Council of Canadians Canadian Parents For Climate Action Calgary chapter, Council of Canadians 'Citizens' Climate Lobby Canada ClimateFast Climate Justice Saskatoon Comox Valley chapter, Council of Canadians Conseil regional de l'environnement de Montreal Council of Canadians Cowichan Valley chapter, Council of Canadians Ecology Action Centre Ecology Ottawa Fredericton chapter, Council of Canadians Georgia St~ait Alliance Greenpeace Canada Green 13 Toronto Guelph chapter, Council of Canadians Kent County chapter, Council of Canadians Leadnow Leap Manifesto-Peterborough L'Equipe d'Action Environnement BassesLaurentides Les Citoyens au Courant London chapter, Council of Canadians Manitoba Energy Justice Coalition Mid-Island chapter, Council of Canadians Montreal chapter, Council of Canadians NON it une maree noire dans le Saint-Laurent Northumberland County chapter, Council of Canadians Northwatch Ottawa chapter, Council of Canadians Oil Change International Peace NB People for Peace, London, Ontario Peterborough Chapter of For Our Grandchildren Peterborough and Kawarthas chap, ter, Council of Canadians Pipeline Awareness Renfrew County Polaris Institute Prosperite sans petrole Quill Plains. chapter, Council of Canadians Quinte chapter, Council of Canadians Quinte Water Watchers Regina chapter, Council of Canadians Saint John chapter, Council of Canadians Saskatoon chapter, Council of Canadians Sierra Club, BC South Shore chapter, Council of Canadians Sustainable North Grenville Stand (formerly forestEthics) Stop Energy East North Bay Tanker Free BC Team Ecohealth Thunder Bay chapter, Council of Canadians Transition Initiative Kenora Vancouver I Burnaby chapter, Council of Canadians Victoria chapter, Council of Canadians Watershed Sentinel Educational Society, Comox BC WaterWealth Project West Coast Environmental Law Association Wilderness Committee WilIiams Lake chapter, Council of Canadians 350.org 350Toronto 350Vancouver

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NDP: ALBERTA NEEDS MORE THAN A LIBERAL CABINET MEETING While the Liberal cabinet holds private meetings with high-paid consultants at in the comfort of Kananaskis, many Albertans are being left behind by the decisions of the Liberal government.

"What Albertans want the Liberals to be discussing while in Alberta is the actions the federal government could be taking to support the thousands of laid off workers " said Linda Duncan, NDP MP for Edmonton Strathcona. "Many Albertans are wondering why this government continues to deny them equal access to the employment insurance they paid into."

Alberta Premier Rachel Notley has said the exclusion of Edmonton and surrounding area workers from expanded El benefits is both "unfair" and "makes no sense."

"I think it's great that the Liberal cabinet has come to visit Alberta but instead of holding communications sessioris behind closed doors why not meet in Calgary or Edmonton or Fort McMurray and hear from those being directly affected by the current hardships?" asked Duncan.

J11)d0(

From The Library

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It is growing season, and our "Hives from Humanity" contacts are filling up the DTES Seed Library tubs.

Come check out the display and grab some packets of free seeds. We've also received some kind donations including the magazine alt.theatre which contains articles by local contributors such as Savannah WaUing, Columpa Bobb and Lee Maracle on the topic of community arts and (de) colonization. The magazine is loaded with inspiration, photographs, interviews and book reviews.

This month we are hosting author Stella Harvey, presenting her novel The Brink of Freedom (2015). It's a harrowing fictional story of a well-meaning Canadian aid worker who decides to take on a refugee boy in Greece, only to be suddenly jailed and accused of kidnapping. The book covers a variety of issues around global aid, refugee camps, and the politics of "helping." Come on down to the Theatre on Thursday May 19th from 3 :30 - 4:30pm for a reading and discussion of Harvey's on-the-ground research. Further on the topic:'

Carnegie Theatre Workshop

... sessions for May ...

1 Saturday 1 play to read May 21 ---1pm-4pm

"400 Kilometres" written by Drew Hoyden TayLor Join in the reading of "400 Kilometres" the final play in Drew Hayden Taylor's hilarious and heartwrenching identitypolitics trilogy.

City of Thorns: Nine lives in the world's largest Refugee camp (2016) by Ben Rawlence. Dadaab is the most notorious refugee camp in the desert of northern Kenya. Rawlence goes there as an investigaive journalist and brings to life the true stories of people seeking sanctuary, such as a former child soldier, a school girl, a youth leader, and more.

The Lightless Sky: a twelve-year-old Refugee's harrowing escape from Afghanistan and his extraordinary journey across half the world (2016) by Gulwali Passarlay. Well, the title just about describes it.

This true story is an epic account of perseverance and survival by a young boy escaping the Taliban. He endures violence, a near drowning in the Mediterranean, eventually finding asylum, and becoming an inspiration to the world.

The Muralist: a novel (2015) by Barbara Shapiro.

Alizee Benoit is a young Jewish artist in New York whose disappearance is mysterious and heartbreaking, as she was seeking to obtain visas for her family trapped in Europe. This story is a well-researched commentary on the "cold-heartedness of government" in their response to refugees, in particular, artists.

Your librarian,

Natalie

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ABCs of HaHaHa: a comedy intensive with Jacques Lalonde

Sat May 28 --1pm-4pm Be prepared to teLLa 1-2 minute funny story.

"Every day is a good day to share a story. n No experience

necessary

Free, everyone

weLcome!

All classes in the Carnegie Theatre For more in/a: Teresa 604-255-9401 thirteenofhearts@hotmail.com

I HAVE SEEN HIGHERSKlES Bulletholes Home Design have been working overtime to create the authentic decor that can only be created by mankind as far tension blood pressure & vast neglect are our DNA - an awesome resume or what - like Dorian Gray on Let's Make A Deal trying to win back pictures of lifetimes lost his bank loan has been ok'd so eh's not uneasy about the cost I seem to remember a thousand words but? And I that we had begun building human bodies that would waver but live on & last once again I am wrong but that suits me fine I've wasted my past like a tennis player with too many lovers the harder they fault, like buiding tunnels to find any available light' ultraviolet or dark mankind has been constructing & destructing anything that could squeeze out any kind of spark as we inch closer to world war feast mankind has been mathematically eliminated god if you are listening feel free to scream HALT, did you ever hear the joke about the customer 'dead or alive' being right when catastrophic inner peace comes to town I am hitting the nearest pharmacy things like priorities must be absolutely sound & within sight give me my music my chemicals & higher skies, like paintings that cause actual physical pain or an epileptic forger who lives off ripping off counterfeits all extremities out of joint of what have you gained!? you never know 'til you die.

Rumours of purgatory being pure come strictly from the stratosphere of the dead like the Blood Fairy leaving a pint under your pillow (hey there is now a refund for the empty bottle!) alive or not you still come' out ahead did you ever wonder what this Earth smelled like before we started to subtract & multiply like the "just married" not much thought went into how many would have to be buried then the armoury shows showed up making the little things harder like accidents & facts.

Like a child sitting on the ground covered in blood & crying as passing ignorance in human form ask what if anything is wrong too much misery it seems to be our everlasting song I think we have amputated the long arm of the law & things had been going so swell, Hermetically-sealed views of approval have been around since I was knee-high my hatred toward realtors continue to grow soon they will have outgrown the sky have you ever thought that we could already be in hell, like being the beneficiary of sons & daughters who made a suicide pact we must throw caution

rules & gossip away have you any idea how many scavengers it attracts the higher skies have always kept me safe & warm I will lead the way ... like your lovely children begging fora summer holiday in an immigrant camp (my they'll grow up so fast) like going to the fights & a Donald Trump party breaks out can four percent of the world's population make our future become our past I will choose Canada or the higher skies I am no pawn for or of the USA. I am not stoking unrest Ijust have much to much more to say enjoy your day. For the rod to ruin could run through this country I shall speak more truths look several ways. good day

By ROBERT McGILLIVRA Y "The urge for destruction is also a creative urge." ______ -M. Bakunin

Deepness From the deepness of the earth Spring awakens colours White whiter Yellow cheerier Red jubilant At dawn In the sun's renewed glory

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Flowers bloom in ecstasy At dusk . The sun closes his weary eyes Petals fold gracefully Spring - the parade of stupendous

colours

Š Assumpta

hummingbird kisses The flutter byes of hummingbird sends me kisses of complete and utter love life lessons of invasions taught me not to dwell or stew or stir the pot mean spirited defeats the purpose driven life of hope faith and courage. I thank you for my present situation ~hich. is waking up to serve my creator retreat go inSide pick a spot scan the virtues of loving thyself & loving the life you are given focus on the now's cause that truly most intently matters of the heart get a head start love life as it unfolds such beauty within discover who you are truly meant to be - I promise you will get excited!

NoraKay

The spirit of To invoke jealousy spawns great hurt it bubbles and festers in painful deceit The demon of jealousy lies deep within let it go - like a leaf fleeing the rest of the, leaves with a crimson colour ever-changing in multitudes of examinations peace the spirit of at ease and no panic attack!

NoraKay

On Being at the Butt-End

. How far back or off-track do you have to go to make It make sense? How many times does something have to happen until the "more-than-coincidence" pattern becomes a little less obscure, a little more clear?

Let's start with Woodwards. The recognition of this empty site a~ a great place for people to live was universal; people here struggled for years to have the low income needs recognised, to have cultural and community interests included in any working plan. The condo-only, shop-til-you-drop cash register vision of Kassem Aghtai and the Gastown Business Improvement Alliance had met its match! And this kind of Pyrrhic victory was almost convincing. There was a committee or council that had several community members on it and things seemed possible. Then the day after some approval came the real plan was revealed: This committee had to give approval for a whole other condo tower for the site or everything waslost. There would be no access to any of the amenities for the low-income tenants, access to the parking garage, and of course no low-income serving businesses. Rents for all spaces were standard COI11~ercial rates with no lower amounts for any community-requested stuff. This nixed several things and the remaining stuff had to quickly form a coalition and raise enough money to pay. It was all being done on a business model. And no one could believe it!

Fast-forward to the Local Area Plan that community members participated in for a few years. All attempts to have genuine recognition of the low-income resi-

no

( dents' needs got side-lined and dismissed in the final report. The housing needed at welfare shelter rates and affordable to those on government pensions was relegated to a few units in any new building or any renovated structure. Social housing was redefined or fixed to be at a rate almost triple what low-income people could afford. Again, it was unfair.

Even more recently we have the cutting of funding for the Gallery Gachet. Someone somewhere decides to try a different way of delivering mental health services, and all the work done and invested in by those di:ectly affected can be scrapped while experimenting WIthwhatever. No one making this decision can be identified and of course no one takes responsibility.

Ditto with the surgical removal of the Drug Users Resource Centre from the administration of the Portland Hotel Society. After 13 years of growing this essential service the bureaucrats and political appointees running the Vancouver Coastal Health thing are carrying out their orders to destabilise the Downtown Eastside. VCH is behind the de-funding of Gallery Gachet and in cahoots with the real development plans for this neighbourhood. Do not trust them.

Okay. So far we have a pea-brained picture of developments that are 98% in favour of decimating the D!ES low-incom.e community. We seem to end up WItha few crumbs here & there while the years-long push to depopulate the area of low-income people is bubbling along. So why haven't people just given up?! Could it be that each defeat or small victory makes us stronger, makes our minds expand in learning the myriad ways that the devious dilettantes do shit?? Every ending is a beginning. The sharing & coalescing engendered by defeat shines as we each tap into an infinite store of energy born of righteousness. We fight back. We resist. We raise shit.

The victories just in this neighbourhood are awesome: Carnegie Community Centre; Downtown Eastside Women's Centre; Women's Health Collective' Portland Hotel Society & Insite; Woodwards housing (!); the Lookout; DURC; Four Sisters & Lore Krill Co-ops; Gallery Gachet; and the many many more that each person reading this will say "don't forget

" Our continuous struggle makes each of us better, and the sure guarantee that we are making the world better helps. Join us!

By PAULR TAYLOR

The Wealth of Poverty Poverty builds character.

People learn to face challenges

Strathcona Fire Last Year

Though saddened by the report of two casualties in i the fire on Hastings and Campbell in April of2015, I thought nothing further of the incident until observing how quickly the large new development of Strathcona Village began after the apparently accidental conflagration of the existing structure on the site, a derelict warehouse scheduled for demolition but containing homeless squatters. I am unaware of any reports of conflict between squatters and developers, nor do I know how long squatters had resided in the building, or whether they wereconsidered to be holding up redevelopment. But for the last year, I haven't been able to look at the new development site without recalling my suspicions .

I have not yet requested the fire department incident report or tried to obtain more information than what is publicly available. What I do know is what Global and the CBC reported: that the two surviving witnesses, Simona Marsh & Greg Pushie, were awakened by an "explosion on the.ground floor" at about 1:30AM, attempted to go alert their two friends, Louise Spence and her son Norbert, who were elsewhere in the building, but were "quickly forced out a second story window by the smoke and flames," and clung_to the window ledge until firefighters arrived.

According to the CBC report on the day of the incident, the fire department "did not say" that the fire appeared to be suspicious. One week after the incident, the police issued a press release asking a possible third surviving witness to come forward.

There is also a rather good piece in the Megaphone magazine describing the casualties as a "tragic reminder of the cost of homelessness."

Be that as it may, the fire could have been more thar a reminder: it could actually have been arson motivated by profit, and Ido not believe that the community has been satisfied that evidence has ruled out the possibility of arson.

-Anonymous Downtown Eastsider

and think creatively.

People live simply and don't/can't acquire useless gadgets and unnecessary junk and clothing. Is your legacy from this life what you have or who you loved?

The great saints lived simply and embraced povertySt. Francis, Mother Theresa, and countless others.

The Creator loves, honours and respects the poor: "Blessed are the poor in spirit because theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven" When you have less you depend on The Creator more.

.•

When you have less you depend on friends and family more.

Poverty helps to build community. ' When you are poor you have to make your own entertainment and so you are in touch with your creativity and you share that with your community. This brings joy, hope and self worth from your own soul and is the Creator's gift for all not just the super stars.

When you are poor you are acquainted with humility.

"Blessed are the humble for they shall inherit the earth"

J

You cannot afford a car or travel on airplanes and therefore you don't contribute to the pollution of this earth.

Poverty is more environmentally friendly and it is the poor from every country who are bringing about the changes we need to save this earth because the earth belongs to everyone.

;

I

The majority of our brothers and sisters in this world are poor and we stand with them. They are not the ones oppressing others, buying & selling the weapons of war or destroying this dear earth in their greed.

Poverty is a hard taskmaster and a dear teacher when we embrace her and she reveals the true wealth of the soul.

Karen Thorpe

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. THIS NEWSLETTER IS A PUBUCATION OF THE CARNEGIE COMMUNITY CENTRE ASSOCIATION Articles represent the views of individual contnlmtors

and not of the Associ~on.

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

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The edilor can edil for darily, formal & brevity, but nol at the expense of the writer's message.

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LAW,STUDENTS' LEGAL ADVICE PROGRAM DROP-IN Monday, Tuesday & Thursday 9 - 5, Art Gallery, Carnegie

WEAPONS OF MAssnzsrnucrtos • AIDS • POVERTY • HQMELESSNESS

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ABORIGINAL GENOCIDE -TOT AUT ARIAN CAPITALISM

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DONATIONS 2016

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5heila 8.$200 Roberl McG.-$110 Elsie McG.-$200 In memory of Sam Snobelen: Anonymous -$100 In memory of Harold David: Susan S.-$200 In memory of Bud Osborn: Kelly F.-$40 In memory of Gram: L.-$10 Barb & Mel L.-$100 Cory K-$19 5id CT -$50 Laurie R-$50 Winnie T.-$150 Glenn B.-$200 Craig H.-$500 Ellen W.-$35 Leslie 5.-$100 Michele C.-$100 Wilhelmina M.·$44 Humanities 101 -$300 Yasushi K.-$50+ Michael C.-$50 The Far~ -$150 J New Star B?o.ks -$56 Jeremy S.-$30 Mana Z. -$~O

Vancouver's non-rommercial, listener supported community station.