May 15, 2019 Carnegie Newsletter

MAY 1, 2019

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401 Main Street Vancouver Canada V6A 2T7 Email:carnnews@shaw.ca

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{604} 665-2289

Website/Catalogue: carnegienewsletter.org

of the Regent & Balmoral A petition in favour of this appeared in the last issue.

It is being circulated by the SRO Collaborative and calls for the City of Vancouver to seize these properties, demolish the buildings and erect quality low-rent housing for the low-income and homeless population.

I wrote to ask what stage the process is at, whether the city is close. "Maybe the end of May" came back.

There was a vague reference to 'negotiations' between the Sahotas who own these properties and the City but it didn't register what that implied.

The Sahota family has a well-earned reputation as the worst slumlords in the Downtown Eastside. They ran these 2 buildings into ruin, refusing to do basic maintenance and even fining staff who had the temerity to call repair companies. Toilets smashed, broken, non-functional; no heat or hot water in many rooms for months on end (Jack Gates took them to court and had to endure false allegations of him being an addict and criminal as they fought to avoid any responsibility); elevators out-of-order and seemingly left that way as an inconvenience. Residents tried to launch a classaction lawsuit. This is just the tip of the iceberg.

The stories told by residents of the 325 rooms lost when the City finally shut the hotels down are gross.

But what's really galling is that the idea of 'negotiating' with Sahota says that City administrators are trying to find some way to buy - to reduce the price ofthe property. Maybe what is being discussed is the amount of unpaid fines registered in court, maybe the cost of tearing them down, maybe the price of removing asbestos or anything still saleable and somehow taking these costs off the 'fair market value.' This is absurd!

The Sahotas, out of blatant greed and total lack of empathy with the people to whom they were renting, (gouging) squeezed every dollar they could in any way they could for as long as they could and remain disdainfully dismissive to any suffering they caused.

What I fear is that this will be decided in some office by men in suits who will dismiss any human consideration and only deal with this in terms of numbers and dollars. The market value of the properties likely exceeds $6 million (maybe as high as $10 million) and the worst possible scenario is that Sahota will get any money at all. If the City ends this with a payment to these scumbags of a million dollars, then Sahota'd end up just saying 'thanks.' And walking away.

This is where the apologists for the City would say it had to be done because other 'businessmen' would

The Expropriation

feel threatened, that because only X$ in fines were levied they couldn't justify just taking it away. Bullshit. The City delayed for years in enforcing its Maintenance Bylaws and cannot now say they didn't know what kind of 'business' Sahota was running.

The Sahota family and whatever legal fictions they hide behind should (read must) Lose both properties without compensation.

Pay every dollar of every fine levied over the history of their ownership.

Pay for the razing (demolition & removal of rubble) of both buildings, including extra costs for any removal of dangerous or toxic materials (i.e. asbestos) Be held liable in lawsuits filed by former residents Be held liable for basic construction costs of new structures on the properties.

There may be more things Sahota should pay for. If you have any suggestions, please let either me or the SRO Collaborative know. This entire debacle must cost Shota in complete loss of the properties and in the construction of new structures geared for lowrent housing, NOT "affordable housing" as currently defined by the City of Vancouver where a bachelor/ studio is only $960 a month.

It is reprehensible that Sahota can let high paid lawyers now speak for him, as if he is free to do whatever he can get ayvaywith as a capitalist. Was there some kind of arrangement between Sahota and the enforcement and building inspection departments of the City of Vancouver? If the City wants anger, let Sahota walk away. Just make sure it's all public knowledge.

By PAULR TAYLOR

rs. Sahota should also pay for the cost of the rats & vermin that will spread out into the 'hood when these 2 buildings come down.

Remember what happened when the Pantages Theatre came down.

3

Vancouver City Council Kennedy Stewart, Mayor Councillors: Rebecca Bligh, Christine Boyle, Adriane Carr, Melissa De Genova, Usa Dominato, Pete Fry, Colleen Hardwick, Sarah Kirby-Yung, Jean Swanson, Michael Wiebe.

City Manager: Sadhu Johnson

Re: BALMORAL

AND REGENT HOTELS ExPROPRIATION

Dear Mayor, City Councillors and City Manager

We are all current SRO tenants in support of the city's plan to expropriate the Balmoral and Regent Hotel properties on Hastings Street.

We understand there is a May 2019 deadline for negotiations between the city and the owners, the Sahota family, about the price for these properties. We urge you to stand firm with the city's commitment to expropriate these two hotels. We also urge you to replace the lost 325 rooms, at these sites, with rooms available at a rent that those living on very low incomes can afford (such as income assistance rates). Many of these rooms were double occupancy. Tenants were moved into empty rooms and social housing, catapulting to the top of waiting lists, which reduced the housing supply overall and contributed to more homelessness in the area.

Why is it important to expropriate?

Expropriation will send a strong message to all slurnlords that if they abuse the public trust, they will lose their properties. There is widespread support for punitive actions against slumlords.

Expropriation is the fastest way to get replacement housing on these sites. The Sahotas have a history of promising repairs and never delivering. • The Sahotas are incapable oftaking care of their buildings and retaliate against tenants who complain about the deplorable living conditions.

Many people have died violent deaths in the Regent and Balmoral Hotels over the years, especially women. They have become a symbol ofthe neglect and abuse of vulnerable community members. The DTES community wants these two monuments to death and homelessness to be demolished and replaced wit decent housing that serves those most in need: There have been years of welfare fraud and exploitation of the public trust and the poor. These buildings were sinkholes of public funds, with the mortgages paid off many times over and used as equity to finance millions in real estate:

We are only in favour of housing that meets the minimum standard of human habitability. We do not want more tent cities and slum hotels. We are asking you as one group of human beings to another. Please act with the greatest speed and with all the resources at your disposal to allow this community asset to benefit those who need it most. Let's be neighbours and make this a city for everyone again.

To sign this petition, contact: Dtes.sro.collab@gmail.com

https:/Idtescollaborative.org

how they do us I was a director on the Vancouver/Richmond health board which was at the executive level run by wealthy white racist guys 'racist' because 3 First Nation's women on the board were marginalised ignored insulted and resigned anyway the Downtown Eastside was in flames with epidemics among impoverished drug users who had the highest rate of HIV infections in the western world and more health money had been spent dealing with a dozen bee sting reactions on the UBC campus than on the vast misery and deaths of the epidemics then I attended a meeting with the top health officials from across the province and the money guy from the health board drew a pyramid on a blackboard depicting the rising HIV rate and the point at which "saturation" would be reached and then the rate of new HIV infections would naturally decrease (until it would sometime later rise again) but at the point of saturation with fewer new infections the health board could say it successfully reduced HIV without the board having to do anything or spend any more money on the HIV epidemic actually "pandemic" which means out of control with no end in sight I EXPLODED OUT OF MY CHAIR and ripped into that bureaucratic deception for what it was - a form of genocide "genocide" was coined and defined

by Rafael Lempkin who declared genocide wasn't the number of people killed but any group targeted for destruction like vulnerable drug user in the Downtown Eastside eventually I was able against board executive pressure and more skullduggery to have a motion passed declaring Vancouver's first Public Health Emergency which forced money loose for several initiatives but this is merely one example of how THEY dous BudOsborn

This was written 20 years ago. There have been a number of articles and pieces of poetry over the last six months that speak directly to ongoing social problems - homelessness, poverty, gentrification, addiction, violence against women, racism and more - and in this one the machinations of the rich gentry in doing what seems natural: avoiding any responsibility.

Reprinting some years' -old writings gives us all a perspective on how far we've come and how the forces of darkness keep twisting the knife.

At the time Bud wrote on being in the room when the 'way they do us' was obscenely stark, the yearly death toll from overdoses was an appalling 350 per year. Now, with the addition offentanyl to the drug supply, over 1400 people a year are dying. In the US the catastrophe numbers in the tens of thousands.

The fundamental need is for decent, low-rent housing for people to stabilise their lives With a housing model based on need rather than consumption many of these burdens & social problems will be lightened.

From the Library May is Asian Heritage Month, and I hope everyone will have a chance to take in at least one of the many events planned in the Centre to highlight Asian Heritage in our community. As well, feel free to swing by the library and check out the many items we have. In addition to our collection of Chinese language books, DVDs and CDs, we have movie DVDs in many other Asian languages, and plenty of books by Asian authors, or about Asian history and culture. Here are a few items from the collection: Starting things off very locally - you may have noticed the historical displays on some Chinatown windows, providing historical information about Chinatown. These are all collected in Chinatown History Windows which is a great, quick and easy way to read up on the Chinese history of this neighbourhood.

Anoushka Shankar is the daughter of Ravi Shankar (bonus trivia fun fact: Norah Jones is her half-sister), and a virtuoso sitar player in her own right. Land of Gold is her newest CD - a themed, multi-genre album about the refugee crisis.

Moto Hagio, so Wikipedia tells me, is a pioneering Jap'" anese Manga artist and writer. Her Otherworld Barbara is a sort of existential mystery story, which highlights the author's love of Sc-Fi. Finally, how about our fantastic collection ofDVDs. I picked one from the Korean collection called The Villainess - a revenge-therned action film about a female assassin trying to gain her freedom from the criminal organization that controls her.

We've also got a film screening planned! Join us on Saturday, June l st, in the Theatre, for Call Me Salma, a documentary about a Bangladeshi transgender girl's search for love and acceptance in the city of Dhaka.

Enjoy!

Jenny Kwan MP Vancouver Immigration,

East NDP Refugee

and Citizenship Critic 2572 E Hastings St Vancouver,

BC V5K IZ3

T: 604-775-5800 F: 604-775-5811 Jenny.Kwan@parl.gc.ca

If you're a storyteller,

it's your job to make it a

story that wants to be told.-Eileen's mother

5

Grand-

This is a novel. Ethel wrote it in "stolen moments" during her 12 years as Director of the Camegie ~ommunity Centre. Yeah, that Ethel Whitty! I've Just completed reading it and am impressed by the fluidity of writing, her language choices, and most of all by the story.-telling that kept me interested, almost enthralled, throughout.

From the beginning it's a narrative of the family, from the character of one of six siblings living poor on Cape Breton Island. Traceries of ancestral events/ relatives help to augment understanding of some family dynamics. Ethel mayor may not have drawn on personal history, but the story is not a 'squeezing of one's soul' to perform some psychic surgery.

There are gems in the narrative. "The worthless nature of my insecurity became obvious." That made me laugh, but one sentence has lingered with me as a spotlight on my early travelling. The para/?iraph?egi~s ';ith t~e concept of 'culturally imperative migranon and includes, "It was the first time it crossed my mind that we were meant to leave, or that leaving has taken on a place of honour, because for generations there has been no other choice."

Eve:yone has to find their way, and seemingly only family keeps a future gathering possible.

This book is available for purchase and is, of course requestable from the Public Library.

[The following letter came to the Carnegie Community Centre Association as an invitation to the Annual General Meeting of the Tenant Resource & Advisory Centre (TRAC) While it doesn't invite any readers it is reprinted here to show what kind of work they do on behalf of all tenants across British Columbia.]

Dear member, On behalf of our staff and Board of Directors, I would like to thank you for being a member of the Tenant Resource & Advisory Centre (TRAC). With tenants across the province still facing a rental housing crisis, your TRAC membership has become more important than ever. We hope you will continue to support TRAC's mission to promote the legal protection of BC tenants through the provision of information, education, support, and research on residential tenancy matters.

It was another busy fiscal year for TRAC, and I am incredibly proud of what our small-but-mighty staff (currently 4.5 FTE) accomplished. The following is a brief overview of our program outputs from 2018-2019: • 6,543 Tenant Infoline calls ·64 Public Legal Education Workshops for 1,386 tenants • 23 Advocate Training Workshops for 551 advocates ·466,794 website visits ·362 people assisted through social media messaging • 6,593 Tenant Survival Guides distributed ·29 cases involving 275 closed files through our Direct Advocacy (full representation) Program • 427 certificates of completion issued for our online course, Renting It Right TRAC also worked with the provincial government's Rental Housing Task Force to recommend changes to the Residential Tenancy Act and Residential Tenancy Branch dispute resolution system. Although TRAC was disappointed with the Task Force's [mal report, we are pleased that at least some of our key recommendations made the cut. For example, the Task Force recommended limiting the standard rent increase formula, recording all dispute resolution hearings, and including procedural fairness as a grqund on which a tenant can apply for a review of their hearing. TRAC will continue to push for more meaningful change - particularly in the area of renovictions / demovictions - while also ensuring that the Task Force's recommendations are implemented with the best interests of BC tenants in mind.

For a more detailed overview ofTRAC's past year and future plans, we encourage you to attend our 2019 AGM. We are pleased to announce that City of Vancouver staff members, Allison Dunnet and Jennifer Hales, will be joining us as guest speakers to discuss the City's new Renters Office.

[TRAC is an ex-cellent resource. Their contact information follows.]

Tenant Resource & Advisory Centre (TRAC) Tenant Infoline: 604-255-0546 or 1-800-665-1185 Administration: 604-255-3099 www.tenants.bc.ca I www.rentingitright.ca ++'HH

H'HH

Charles Silverr Fox.

Oppenheimer Park in May New Programs: Haircuts, dancing, maybe Reiki Bike Club - Sundays 11 - 1 Bring a bike if possible

A pledge for revolutionary poets

Write then if you must if you really do prefer Asian Heritage Month the vowel Okinawa Taiko Performance and Workshop to the bullet Saturday, May 18-2-3 PM In the Carnegie Thea- but use venom tre Watch and learn the basics of Eisa, traditional instead of ink Japanese dance and drumming using an Okinawan and never forget handheld drum. that as a writer China town Transformation Team Engagement you are no better Tuesday, May 28-12:30-3:30 PM In the 3rd Floor than a peasant Gallery What places or spaces are meaningful to you remember also in Chinatown? What aspects of Chinatown do you that Che was a doctor value? What is heritage? Come provide your input in this mapping exercise.

This Land is Your Land - This Land is My Land (lyrics from Woodie Guthrie online) is a song written for both Americans & Canadians which leads me to ask the questions: who created the land? and who has the right to sell it to individuals at million dollar prices?

Ingag

Who Created Our Land ? and who has the right to sell it?

Land is given to you and to me naturally from the Creator wherein we have to go back to the drawing board as a country and work our Lot of gifted land by planting and building upon it with our labor and purchased materials and this is all that we can call our own ... that which we built ourselves created ourselves . . . being the structures, the town .. not the land for it originated from the heavenly zone.

The Stuff on Jack Schitt Many people are at a loss for a response when someone says "you don't know Jack Schitt."

Now, you can handle the situation.

Jack is the only son of Awe Schitt and O. Schitt.

Awe Schitt, the fertilizer magnate, married O. Schitt, the owner-of Knee-deep Schitt. Inc. In turn, Jack Schitt married Noe Schitt, and the deeply religious couple produced 6 children: Holie Sch!tt, the twins; Deep Schitt and Dip Schitt, Fulla Schitt, Giva Schitt and Bull Schitt, a high school dropout.

After being married for 15 years Jack and Noe divorced. Noe later married Mr. Sherlock and, because her kids were living with them, she wanted to keep her previous name. She was known as Noe Schitt-Sherlock.

Dip Schitt married Loda Schitt and they produced a cowardly son, Chicken Schitt.

Fulla Schitt and Giva Schitt were inseparable throughout childhood and consequently married the Happens brothers in a dual ceremony. The Schitt-Happens children are Dawg, Byrd, and Horse. Bull Schitt, the prodigal son, left home to tour the world. He recently returned with his bride, Pisa Schitt .

Now, when someone says you don't know Jack Schitt, you can correct them.

[Submitted by Bob]

CARNEGIE COMMUNITY

ACTION PROJECT

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May 2019

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Photo Jennifer Gauthier

Shelter-rate housing protest to show support for people sleeping in Oppenheimer Park!

Tuesday May 7, 2019

Oppenheimer Park tent city - May 2019 update Two days after the protest was publicly announced on social media, the City and Parks Board released a CCAP and its partners and dedicated members press statement. It stated that due to the planned have been working to help and protect the people protest, the fence was being taken down!. Even the sleeping in Oppenheimer. There has been organizers were shocked, as we realized that the misinformation in the mainstream media and a fences were down. Either this meant that occupation misunderstanding of the core issues at times, but is a sore point for the authorities and a bargaining we have also made some progress. tool, or it was clear they thought we may tear down After the Vancouver City Council voted to protect the the fences! people sleeping in Oppenheimer, we saw little Either way the protest, which took place on Tuesday progress and, furthermore, weekly raids where the May 7th, was a success. About sixty people and homeless there were treated like garbage as they groups met and marched with a wonderful banner had their possessions thrown away and many other from VANDU to Oppenheimer Park. Media were actions (or non-actions) that showed a true lack of Present, and drumming on a large round drum understanding of the issues as well as compassion. accompanied this protest. It was so beautiful to see people celebrati~g as well as starting to talk of orTwo weeks ago, after the weekly raid, fencing ganizing themselves. contractors put up fencing that was keeping the homeless from utilizing the space. The City and Community organizing works! Sometimes we take a Parks board stated that it was for re-seeding the step or two back but we also take some large strides, lawn for festivals, such as Aboriginal Day. which seems to move the shelter rate housing movement forward.

It may be inconvenient for people to deal with tents in the park. But ibis mild inconvenience can provide Thank you to all the organizations and individuals for a sense of safety for those forced out on the streets making the protest, and our work, more successful! and those that chose the park over the shelter It starts and ends with the residents of the DTES system and/or run-down SROs. organizing. Through organizing, we will see the After seeing the fences go up, CCAP and its partners change we need to see in the DTES! VANDU and the American Indian Movement decided to organize a protest about the fencing and If this issue speaks to you, join us at our next volunteer meeting every Friday at 11: 15 3rd floor of about the conditions for the people sleeping in the the Carnegie Community Centre at Main and Haspark. tings.

Crab Park Expansion Motion If one were to walk through the core of the DTES, they may have a hard time trying to envision a healthy and vibrant community. We are facing many issues such as a lack of quality and shelter-rate housing, racism, VPD assaults, institutionalization, a lack of treatment options, gentrification, and a life-expectancy of 45. One way we are working towards bettering our community is to have more green space in the area which includes park space.

Crab Park has long been a jewel for people in the area. Many residents love to take their dogs, family and others to the beach to enjoy nature, as nature truly heals. Proposed is an expansion of Crab Park brought forward to council. The motion follows:

ecologically to the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh Nations, and every opportunity should be sought to partner with them on the potential of such spaces; 6. Based on the Park Board park provision targets, the Downtown Eastside is park deficient and would benefit from the addition of greenspace; 7. Community members have expressed an interest for an arts and cultural centre in CRAB Park; 8. The Park Board's Biodiversity Strategy identifies shoreline habitat as a key priority; and 9. The Port Authority has stated its commitment to being a good neighbours to local communities, municipalities an? First Nations, and to demonstrating this commitment through Its investments in those communities.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED: A. THAT the Vancouver Park Board request the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority to identify further opportunities to make Expanding Downtown Eastside Greenspace and Waterinvestments in the local community with a particular focus on front Access parks, recreation, and Reconciliation, and to engage with the 1. In 2015, the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority announced City, Park Board, Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh the Center Expansion Project, which involves a series of imNations, and Urban Indigenous communities on future planprovements at the Center container terminal, including extendning processes and opportunities for the Central Waterfront ing the terminal to the west; area, including CRAB Park, that would support: 2. On May 24, 2017, the Vancouver Park Board sent a letter i. vulnerable populations in the Downtown Eastside through to the Port Authority outlining four potential enhancements to equitable access to expanded, high quality greenspace; improve CRAB Park to offset impacts from the Center Expanii. improving community access to existing parks and greension Project, which included: space; I) expanding CRAB Park onto Port Authority lands to the west iii. exploring the feasibility of a new healing centre or cultural of the existing park to mitigate lost North Shore views, support centre; equitable access to greenspace, enhance shoreline habitat, & iv. creating and enhancing significant shoreline habitat; and expand city-wide focus 0 increasinq waterfront access; v. the city-wide focus of expanding waterfront park access; ii) improving park facilities, such as paths, recreation features, B. THAT the Vancouver Park Board copy Vancouver City seating areas, plantings, beach areas & shoreline facilities; Council, the federal Minister of Transportation, the local Memiii) improving access and transportation to better connect the ber of Parliament, and the local Member of the Legislative park to the surrounding neighborhood; and Assembly on this request to the Vancouver Fraser Port Auiv) enhancing marine habitat areas; thority.

3. On April 18, 2018, a project permit was approved for the Center Expansion Project; The (Motion will be heard May 27. To speak 'ay 4. On June 20, 2018, City Council approved recommendations be r~or send letters: 604-257-8158 for staff to continue to work with community, health sector, foundation and government partners to plan for the developdebt pbmeetings@vancouver.ca. For help: rt, ment and operation of an Indigenous Healing and Wellness plee call CCAP at 604-665-2105 Centre in the Downtown Eastside; 5. Waterfront spaces are critically important both culturally and

Oppenheimer Park -

photo essay

DEFEND OPPENHEIMER UNCEDED TERRITORV THE PEOPLE'S PARK IF THE CITY WANTS US OFF THE PARK THEY SHOULD HOUSE US FIRST ••

FIGHT THE EVICTION qUR HOMES CAN'T WAIT

TUESDAY MAY 7 2PM

THIS TENT IS MY HOME It is a dwelling-house: a private residence where I live.

I do not consent to anyone opening, entering or looking in my tent without my express, written, permission.

This includes law enforcement.

I have a reasonable expectation of privacy in my tent protected by s. 8 of the Charter.

- Pivot Society

Sahota Lawsuit: Jack Gates' next steps after Supreme Court In the latest development of the legal battle against the Sahotas, the Supreme Court of Canada has dismissed Jack Gates' application to appeal the B.C. Court of Appeal's decision denying a proposed class-action lawsuit.

class action was going to go through, tenants were going to get their justice, the community would see something happen, setting a precedent against these slumlords, but the Supreme Court of Canada just didn't see it our way," says Gates.

Gates, a former resident of the Regent Hotel, began this civil suit against the Sahotas back in August 2016. The lawsuit sought damages for tenants who endured uninhabitable living conditions in the Regent, and an injunction ordering repairs.

The court's judgement, which was publicly released on May 2, comes as "a bit of disappointment" to Gates, just seven months after the B.C. Court of Appeal ruled that his proposed class-action lawsuit against the Sahotas could not move forward in B.C.'s Supreme Court for jurisdictional reasons.

The B.C. Court of Appeal decision explained that disputes between landlords and tenants are handled "exclusively" by the Residential Tenancy Branch of the provincial government, except under two conditions .

••

The court found that Gates' claim did not meet the requirements of those conditions.

'Tome it always felt like that the class action lawsuit was going to go through. Even though I was feeling confident about it, my expectations were not high. I would look over and they were feeling confident too -I saw Pal Sahota sleeping in the courtroom. So they knew much more than we did, but I never got my expectations really high. I thought the

Written by Chanon Lui. Chanon is CCAP's new summer intern.

Mother's Day action for truly affordable Housing It was truly an honour to gather on May 11 to ask for more supportive housing for families and for more family housing in general.

It was all-in-all an emotional and powerful event.

Although small it captured a lot of attention as it moved down into a main intersection in East Vancouver. The kids had a ton of fun as there was t-shirt making, hat making, face-painting, bubbles, and sign-making activities for all to enjoy. There seemed to be a strong knowledge of the issue already. We look forward to supporting this action next year.

It has been known for quite some time that there is a lack of housing for families and children in the DTES. This issue reaches people in other areas of the city as well. I was asked to volunteer time to helping organize a May 11th March for Family Housing.

We gathered on a beautiful day in Grandview Park. The event lasted from 11am to 3pm. We tmarched from the park chanting "Stable homes create stable people" and "Families before profit".

The march was opened by two traditional singers and drummers. These powerful women warriors are greeting the MMIW walk across Canada to see how the walkers are doing. They came to the march to show their support and draw attention to us as a group. They certainly made a deep impact with their drum'tning and singing speaking to the heart and soul of many people.

It was an honour to then march from Grandview to East 1st Avenue at Commercial Drive where many cars honked and passers-by took photos with their cameras and media. We also captured some great images from today. It seemed as if many were very aware of a lack of truly affordable housing for families. This issue reaches into all neighborhoods.

Indigenous women marching down Commercial Drive from Grandview Park to East 1st at Commercial Drive.

Photo taken by Daniyah Angel S. Story by EIIi Taylor, CCAP Communications Assistant.

The Carnegie Community Action Project is a project of the board of the Carnegie Community Centre Association.

CCAP works mostly on housing, income, and land use. issues in the Downtown Eastside (DTES), so that the area can remain a low income friendly community.

CCAP works with English-speaking and Chinese-speaking DTES residents in speaking out on their own behalf for the changes they would like to see in their neighbourhood.

Join us on Fridays 11:15 am in classroom 2 on the third floor of the Carnegie Centre for our weekly volunteer

Join the

Carnegie Community Action Project

meetings!

Downtown Eastside residents who want to work on getting better housing and incomes and stop gentrification are welcome to attend. Lunch is provided.

~Afijrnm)l~.l11 CHINATOWN

CONCERN GROUP

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CONTACT US: Office: 2nd floor of the Carnegie.

401 Main Street. Vancouver Phone: 604-665-2105 Email: info@carnegieaction.org Website: \NV\f\N.carnegieaction.org

Jhank you to Vancity for supporting CCAP's work. Support for this project does not necessarily imply that funders endorse the findings or contents of this report.

Get it Right in 2020: A Call to Action for the BC Government on Poverty An Open Letter to the BC NOP-GREENS government, BC Liberals, all ministers and staff, It is undeniable that we have seen a shift in the priorities of the government in BC, for the first time in decades regarding the lives of poor people. The release of "TogetherBC" this March 2019 is an indication that this government sees poverty as a serious issue that needs to be addressed in our province. A poverty reduction plan is a heartening start.

If it is followed up with action.

Unfortunately, there were two key significant gaps in taking action on poverty this year. The miniscule $50 increase to income assistance rates was a missed opportunity to show this government's commitment to actually tackling deep poverty. The increase does not even cover the recent increases in rents. For those deepest in poverty, there is a risk that this government will not actually succeed in reducing poverty, but will entrench it.

Additionally, without legislating the policy of vacancy control (rents tied to units and not tenants, so landlords cannot raise rents in between tenants) within the Poverty Reduction Plan, there is a real danger that any increase in assistance or wages will go to landlords. This is entirely preventable and common sense public policy.

We, the undersigned, understand that to reduce poverty, and eventually to end it, we need a much stronger, more comprehensive, and caring social welfare net. This means that we need to see a significant increase in income assistance to reach the poverty line and vacancy control.

And there is an opportunity for this government to get it right, in Bud9e:t 2tJ20.

We call on the BC Government to commit to a significant increase to income assistance in Budget 2020, and commit to implementing a plan to reach the poverty line for income supports while implementing TogetherBC. Signed, [To sign onto this letter, even just to give agreement

or (better) new ideas on how to proceed"

Rates BC and contact Kell Gerling. Also involved is BC Poverty Reduction. income assistance gOJnto individuals'

pockets and not landlords.-Ed.]

Let's have hard-won

go to Raise the increases in basic

ordinary everyday events asian male

said he was lookin for a girl to go on vacation with the guy paid but couldn't cum he threatened to shoot the worker took his money back east indian male

had $100 bill and asked for change grabbed the worker told her to go with him grabbed a knife and said they were going to his car she screamed her brother chased the guy away caucasian male driving flew red trans am picks up working women and gives them fake $20 bills he's very good looking and well built 3 males 2 east indian and 1 caucasian driving 4door blue chevrolet pretend to be dates and after they pick up a worker they ask her for money and when she refuses these guys pun a gun and rob her they claim to be 'from the willows gang caucasian male brown eyes short brown/blonde hair no facial hair no scars or tattoos drives brand new black cherokee with black tinted windows picked worker up asked for blow job and after they did the date she asked for her money he said he already paid

he threw her out of the car and in the process of taking off ran over her ankle resulting in serious injury he also took her shoes and jacket native male brown eyes short black hair freckles 011 face guy was walking drunk and edgy asked prices for blow job and lay said his car was parked nearby became physically aggressive and tried t<:1grab worker' s head she retaliated

with a shot to his head black male drives 2door red low-riding sports car paid for blow job this guy was very rough held worker by the hair forced himself on her possibly mixed native male mid 20s drives 2door purple pontiac cruises and stalks women sits staring at women definitely creepy caucasian male shaved head fu manchu mustache drives 2door white van

fishing equipment inside paid $70 for a blow job then offered $40 more if she took offher shirt and pants' he said he'd cum faster . the worker stripped he went to the front of the van and returned with a big machete forced her to bend over ripped offher panties and raped her anally the guy took his money back told her to get out and kept her underwear

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said he want~d it"'4 for a "souvenir" 3 or 4 east indian males drive new model sporty looking metallic blue car a working girt hit in the neck by these guys with pellets from a sling shot or bb gun she says they shot at her severa 1times '1\

mulatto male long dark hair wearing a white shirt and black cap drives 2door red sports hatchback asked for blow job agreed on date worker got into the car the guy began driving and a second male rose up from under a sleeping bag in the backseat and began strangling her she'd been unaware the second guy was there

, he choked her so hard she blacked out and when she came to she was lying on a sidewalk all her money was gone and her leg was injured possibly from being thrown from the car black male asked for blow job without a condom and assaulted worker she ended up with a black eye cut mouth scratches east indian male drives dark blue van paid for lay worker started doing the date the guy was drunk and couldn't get hard he wanted his money back she said no he grabbed her by the throat reached behind the seat pulled out a steel pipe she managed to getout of the van and report incident to police caucasian male blue eyes blonde hair drives blue truck has history of robbing working women compiled by judy mcguire edited by bud osbom

7.

A Green New Deal for Canada You only need to look out your window to see that climate change is here.

Entire communities are flooding, Arctic permafrost is melting, forests are burning, and heat waves are claiming lives around the world. States of emergency - declared for once-in-a-century floods - are becoming commonplace, and millions around the world already face dislocation and starvation. And we know that Indigenous peoples and people of colour are disproportionately impacted by these disasters.

Politicians across the country are also failing to act with the speed and scale necessary to tackle this crisis.

They are also the same politicians failing to act to build a nation-to-nation relationship with Indigenous communities and tackle rising inequality.

That's why, today, I'm asking you to stand with the Council of Canadians and people across the country to bring a bold and ambitious plan to the forefront of Canadian politics. Sign the pledge to show your support for a Green New Deal for Canada.

The Pact for a Green New Deal, an alliance of people, communities, and organizations, is building an ambitious vision for tackling the climate crisis in a way that also addresses other crises we face, such as injustice towards Indigenous communities, job losses, rising racism and economic inequality.

This kind of ambitious plan requires a transformative policy platform that stretches across sectors. By signing the pledge you will be a part of the mass movement of people that will come together to define exactly what it looks like.

At its simplest, a Green New Deal is a plan for massive public investment to meet the demands of justice and address the climate crisis, see the full implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights ofIndigenous Peoples, which includes their right to Free, Prior and Informed Consent, as well as the Truth and Reconciliation Recommendations - and create more than 1 million jobs in the process.

Imagine how we could transition autoplants to build electric transit infrastructure, allocate public funding to build affordable homes for everyone, and provide clean public transit and improve air quality in our cities. Imagine a country where every single person has access to good work, clean water and a liveable future. Imagine politicians investing billions in improving life for ordinary people and working-class families instead of filling the pockets of Big Oil billionaires. Imagine enshrining Indigenous rights and title into law and ensuring that Indigenous peoples are leading the conversation about retooling our economy.

This kind of future is possible. But first, we need to demonstrate that thousands of people from all walks of life are willing to stand behind a vision for a Green New Deal.

Together, we can build a "movement of movements" to tackle the multiple crises we face. The reality is these crises - climate change, the continued denial of justice for Indigenous peoples, racism and the rise of the farright, inequality, global housing instability, and the exploitation of migrant workers - all serve to divide ordinary people like us so that billionaires can make their profits.

To face down our challenges as we stand at the intersection of all these crises requires a transformative policy platform that stretches across industries, walks of life, beliefs, and geography.

And it requires all hands on deck. Please take a moment now. Google Council of Canadians to sign on to help make a Green New Deal for Canada a reality.

What happens now is that from May 20th to 31st, people of all walks of life will gather in their communities to discuss what we want to see in a Green New Deal. We call on workers, students, union members, migrants, community organizations and people across the country to gather, and design a plan for a safe and prosperous future for all. At these town halls, we will discuss what a Green New Deal must include to help our families and communities thrive. We will invite our MPs and local candidates for October's federal election to sit and listen in. On the CoC website you can join a town hall meeting near you. Thanks for standing with us.

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THE CARNEGIE COMMUNITY CENTRE ASSOCIATION BOARD ELECTION WILL BE HELD IN THE CARNEGIE THEATRE ON THURSDAY, JUNE 6, 2019 at 5:30PM

Nominations for the Board can be made on Thursday, June 6,2019 in the Carnegie Theatre at 5:30 PM To nominate someone, you must have a membership

card dated no later than APRIL 5,2019

To be a candidate for the Carnegie Board you must: -Have a membership card dated no later than April 5, 2019 -Be over 16 -Live or work (paid or unpaid) in the Downtown Eastside area -Be an active member of the Carnegie Community Centre Have contributed 30 hours of volunteer work to the Carnegie Community Centre or the Association during the year prior to the election

To vote at the AGM on June 6, 2019 â&#x20AC;˘ Your membership card should have a date no later than MAY 6,2019 The Carnegie Community Centre Association will hold its Annual General Meeting on Thursday, June 6th, 2019 at 5 :30 in the Theatre, 401 Main Street. The election for members of the Board will be held at this meeting. To run for the Board, you must have a membership card dated no later than April 5th, 2019 and have contributed 30 hours of volunteer work to the Centre in the previous year and you must be present at the meeting. To vote at this meeting you must have purchased a membership card on or before May 6th, 2019. Registration will take place between 5:00 and 5:30 pm.

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We acknowledge that Carnegie Community Centre, and this Newsletter, are occurring on Coast Salish Territory.

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

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