November 15, 2009, carnegie newsletter

NOVEMBER 15, 2009 NEW EMAIL ADDRESS

401 Main Street, V6A Zl7

The

6th

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Annual Downtown Eastside

Heart of the City Festival A huge THANK YOU to everyone involved!!!

Presenting a festiva l on the sca le of the 1/ear/ of/he Cily Feslival is a huge undertaking and a unique endeavor in Vancouver and Canada. We can' t do it without the vast support of comm unity individuals, organizations. sponsors and audiences. Your participation is greatly apprec iated! Particularly we want to thank the ind ividual artists and performers in the community who present their work during the festi val with such commi tment. passion and generosity.

Your strong voices are essent ial to the success of the festival.

We also want to thank those community members and building managers who pem1i tted us to present from your buildings and sidewalks during the Illuminating the Four Corners. We are grateful to you for allowing us to present a spectacular evening of music, poetr). processions, puppets and projections in celebration of the four corners of Main & llastings.

If you have an) ideas or events to contribute or suggest for next year" s Festival give us a call at 604-628-5672 or talk with Rika 604-665-3003. From the Festival program and production team. www.heartofthecityfcsti val.com

The Opening of the 2009 Festival Welcome everyone. Six )Cars huh? I'm sure it wasn't all as fun as this now. There's a thousand people involved. T hat's people w ho. a lithe way from Carnegie to every participant: people who have put o n workshops, people who came together in this neighbourhood. And from people outside our neighbourhood who have come in here. A thousand people. It's hard 10 imagine that there's that man) peop le in a neighbourhood that's been so maligned.

We've a ll heard the stories. We a ll know what people say about us. How then could we get a thousand people who are of this neighbourhood and who care about this neighbourhood? The people here. The stories that we have to tell. Our points of view. The things that we've gone through. The dreams of what we'd like to see in the future in our neighbourhood.

This place has been around for a long time. I've only been here about seven years, but I've heard of the history. I've heard some of the stories. I've seen some oftghe things that people put together to tell us about what's happened for them. What they'd like 10 see. Ho\~ they'd like the future 10 look.

We're in the midd le of a whole bunch of things happening in this city, and I'm glad that we can stand here and say we're standing for our community, we're standing for the beliefs and the varied ways we go about living our lives and I think we do it in a really good way. When you're in a position where you need to count on each other, what happens is you do. When you have to count on people, you don 'I shut yourself away. you don' t call yourself special, don 'I gate yourself and become sort of insulated. We are part of each other's lives.

1 still have a tough time walk ing down the street

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and people saying hello 10 me I'm not used to that it's a bit unnerving. I'm a very private person. But after having lived in this neighbourhood for so long now it's nice, there's this wonderfu l feeling.

Having all these people come together .. you know there's 2 parts: there's the doingness of it: there's the getting people together, teaching, organising events, creating, pracllcmg... Then there's the performing and all the people who will come to watch judge - decide whether or not they enjoy it, what they think this neighbourhood's about and if we have anything to show anybody.

And of course the answer is yes. I mean this is 6 years, this is no accident. There have been people who have been commiued to assisting the Downtown Eastside, to share our voices, to share what we have to say and what we see.

1 want to encourage you to go to as many events as you can and hopefully to think about the things that you've seen& heard well a fterwards, and maybe you'll get a bel1er idea or picture of this neighbourhood, some of the things you may never have heard before, and understood that there really sa community here with something to say that is worthy of existence.

Mallhew Matthew. President. CCCA

HEART OF THE CITY FES1TifAL Downtown Eastside Musical Showcase Live at The Russian Hall T his what-seemed-like-epic production of therecently performed Downtown Eastside Musical Showcase at the Russian lla ll could definitely be classified as ep ic because of the literally thousands of people involved not just o r beh ind the scenes; no, it took and was a lot more than that making all of the seven o riginal musical smash hits come on stage at venues scallered all over our glorious downtown

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eastside neighbourhoods such as the Japanese Hall, Fireha II Theatre, Carnegie II a IVfheatre. Russian and l more. All of these hugel) successfu l (both critically and at the box office) productions received rousing and tear-inducing standing ovations. Every one "as painstaJ..ingly and meticulously accurate, according to voluntary questionnaires circulated over the years, based on innumerable interviews. storytelling circles. speaking with First Nations' Elders and hundreds of hours poring over old newspapers, microfilm, various local histories and whatever else it took to get it right, to present our stories truthfully and factually for anyone who cared to visit or attend any or all of these magical musicals.

And we welcomed every one of them in our trademarJ.. Downeastside, welcoming with many different performers, Elders and others on the always sacred and spiritual Squamish Nation territory Now do you see and understand what I mean by a cast & crew of thousands. including our ancestors past though still living within all of our hearts, minds and soul.

Ever) audience member who we ever spoke to was polite, encouraging. supportive, ecstatic, glorious, gracious, enthusiastic and quite fulfilled. And so when Vancouver Moving Theatre and Hearl ofthe City Fes/ival producer Terry llunter, along with Teresa Vandertuin and artistic director Savannah Walling decided to combine all of these shows into one humongous production, everyone I spoke to thought it was a tremendously ingenious notion: first of all because we could all get together for a few weeks liJ..e a reunion! to get reacquainted with old friends and meet some new(s); second ly because we would face the exciting challenge of presenting what I call the Downtown Eastside musical showcasing this community's Greatest II its!

Pulling all the logistics of this endeavour together in what seemed like a very short period was daunting but in the end turned out to be blissfu lly perfect.

We performed thirty-one songs over about rwo hours by twenty different singers on stage, along with an orchestra as always under the patient and giving guidance of Neil Weisenthal on a small staging area. It was so crowded there that the Carnegie Village sat in chairs and on the noor on one side and the University of BC musica l students' guest choir on the opposite side; and everything went off nawlessly( !!)

It felt li ke being in a supreme state of blissful electricity, feeding off the collective loving vibrations of the capacity audience at the Russian llall on both October 28 and 30th. After a lot of hard work. fun

and frivolity it was a tremendous success, and everyonc I talked to in both cast & crew instant!) said they'd do it all over again anywhere, either here or some place down the road.

I think I would be remiss if I didn't say that Terry, Savannah and Neil had the agon izing task of whittling everything do\\ n to just 3 1 songs in a collection of over a hundred to choose from. I suppose some would justly call them al l the Downtown Eastside's Greatest !I its! (That's got a nice ring if/ do say so

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myself..)

Most of the singers were in the original shows , or in multiple appearances over the seven years; in I Lot路e tl1e Downtown E11stsitle produced by Savannah right through to Jay ll amburger's Theatre in the Raw and Bruce: Th e /1/u sica/ (formerly known as Tile Tipping Point) with script and lyrics by Bob Sarti, music/score by Earle Peach and arrangements

by Bill Sample. Incidentally, Jay llarnburgcr d id an extremely moving, vividly colourful narration of events in our long history between the various styles of song- jazz to ballads to rock "n roll, classical laments and practicall) all others.

Jay did a stellar job, as always, as the forever dapper and sty Iish host and master of ceremonies, over both evenings.

All of us involved in any way have a host of people to thank, too numerous for here - whether they be volunteers at the front of the house or behind the scenes, staff or members o f Carnegie, past performers, all who made this renaissance in the Downtown Eastside's history, both with words and music, live.

Ali i can say to you reading this piece is to read the Credits and Thank You sections of your program and line by line in Tile 1/eart of The City Festiwd 2009 program. So many people from all walks of life chip in with their valuable time to help, whether as staff or whatever- a gratefu l, heartfelt thanks to the many times anonymous people without your wonderful help and support none of these fabulous productions would have ever been possible.

Possible is a word from which a good segue comes, because sadly, if you do not already know. the "'liberal" provincial gov't of BC has. in the last few years, slashed, burned and cut to ribbons Arts funding, among others like important sports programs for children in school. These funds had been coming from so-called "'Gaming Revenue" (a nice word for gambling). However, as many, many organisations have already been kneecapped, some art galleries are shutting their doors or serious ly considering it Few. like the lie len Pill Galler), got just I/3 of what had

been promised at the last possible minute . But what about next year for even t he handful still operati ng?!

For hundreds of other gro ups and organisations it doesn ' tlook good.

It is virtually impossible to design a budget for a year 's activities if you don 't know what revenue you can count on through 20 10. So much of what we consider Canad ian Culture is being sca led back big t ime, no options, no choice, or lost altogether. Sorry Liberals. but it's unacceptable to be s hafted by you.

By 20 12, I've heard that the government of BC is seriously considering and intend ing to trash Arts funding by 90%, leav ing us a measly 10% of what we've had to strengthen and express our creat ivity.

If we cannot pers uade these Cab inet M inisters & MLAs by the tim e the next budget comes up in May 20 10 to reverse course, many o f us in the Arts community wi ll be up the creek in a quickly sinking boat w ithout a paddle, or taking lo ng walks off short

piers.

Where does that leave The Heart ofthe Ciry Fesri\'ari Maybe $5.000 short. maybe with just one red cent. .. and where is all of this ripped-off money going: to the humongous O lymp ic shortfall 'er. possib ly .. we ll . probably- and who cares??WE DO. Let Coca-co la or the IOC cu lt or some other corporations o r conglomerates (Official & unofficial) bale them out.

We must stop them right now from scaling down the Arts communities and clawing back promised funds. We arc all affected and must all be involved, interested and taking act ion; now: W hat to do?!

F irst of all, call or write to Libby Davies MP or Jenny Kwan MLA because they are already on board and have a lways been on our side. At the same time we must get radically political immed iately, whether by protests, access to media or writ-

ing letters to Mayors, the puppet premiere. the prime minister, c ity councillors. to-the-editor (S1111.

Prm·i11ce, C 011rier. Georgia Strmght. C'ameg1e .Vewslelter. Walr11s. Glohe & \fail. ... )whatever and whomever that you thin!.. might go to bat for us! Tell them truthfully that every dollar spent on Arts means as much as $ 1.36 back into the provincial and local economies and affecting thousands of people and their jobs, be it in hotels, restaurants, sponing events, and especially tour ism. Thin!.. o f the domino ~th eof), or a house o f card s: that is when the situation gets really scary and everything starts almost at once to hit the proverbial high-speed fan . All this is polit ical - we have to respond in kind.

Thanks again to all for participating in The Heart of the City Festival, go ing to the many events and venues, and so very much to our sponsors. I lopefully each and every one of us will be right back here in the heart o f the ciry. the Downtown Eastsid e o f Vancouver, next year.

Until we all meet again, · Parting is such sweet sorro" · and oh, by the way, 'break a leg'(really? naw) So now is crunch time: write a mountain of letters o f protest and derision; start marching and hitting the bricks .. let's start immediately and play for " keeps, until al l o r most of the gaming revenue!Arts funding is restored. Let's go to the wa ll for th1s Important issue which is rapidly snowballing into a magnificent province-wide crusade. Stay tuned - I'll most certainly keep you posted.

By ROBYN LIVINGSTONE

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DoH mown Easts1de Heart a( the Cit} Ft!>lll'til. after luJiueles.me.fs ... and the Dialogue Sessions

will generate a Community Action Repon which is designed to inform po licy. I lead lines Theatre has written agreements from six major organ izations, including the City of Vancouver, the Greater Vancouver Regiona l Steering Comminee on ll omelcssncss. BC I lousing and the Mcntall lea lth Cormn ission of Canada, to receive the report for their research. pcali out and be heard.

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ovcmber 21 to 29,2009 Preview ovcmber 20 * Tickets 2 for J Firchall Arts Ccntr·e- 280 E. Cordova St, Resen •ations: 604 .689.0926 Ti ckets: $ 10 + $2 advance purchase fcc

Headlines Theatre presents after homelessness ...

Jlomelessness. We see it ever) day. It breeds rejection and desperation. We want to help, but we bloc!.. it out in order to live with it. to cope. to keep on going down the street.

We know solutions ex 1st - but how do we tap into them? How do '~e create safe and affo rdable housing in Metro Vancouver? . .

I leadlines is o ffering a creative response: us1ng theatre as a conduit to explore solutions together.

Enter after flom elesmess... a Forum Theatre play; a fun, dynamic, aud ience-interactive evening created and perfo rmed by people who have been homeless.

The project includes the Communi!) Dialogue Sessions: housing the homeless, a series of moderated panel discuss ions that will get at the nuts and bolts of creating safe. affordable and supportive housmg and a group art exhibition at Gallery Gachet for the

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llomelessness. We sec it everyday. We wm-11 to helpl ~ ) but we block it out in order to live with it. to cope. 1 ) c-::-1 to keep on going down the street. ~ )~L • t ~ We know so lutions exist but how do we tap into •!• ~ •!• •!• •!• •!• 1.@) •!• them? How do we create safe and affordable hous- '-... ing in Metro Vancouver?

Carnegie Theatre Workshop HEADLINES is offering a creative response: using End of the year class theatre as a conduit to explore solutions together.

Enter after homelessness? a Forum Theatre play; a fun, dynamic , audience-interactive evening created and performed by peop le who have been homeless.

In Forum Theatre, aud ience members can stop the action of the play and replace characters, offering alternate choices and solutions.

by Michel Tremblay While the show is in Vancouver and New Westmin(in English translation) ster. for everyone outside Metro Vancouver, check out the live, interactive webcast on Nov. 29, 8pm Sat November 21 PST! (http://tinyurl.com/ycdurkd)

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"Les Belles Soeurs"

************** What is a webcast? A webcast is a live broadcast online. Headlines Theatre is a pioneer in webcasting plays, with a nine-year history of hosting live, interactive webcasts of their theatre productions.

The after homelessness? webcast wi II inc lude a chat space so viewers around the world can talk with "webactors" (actors who are on computers backstage) who will make interventions on stage on the viewers' behalf.

I low do I stream the wcbcast?

You will need an Internet connection fast enough to stream video, i.e. if you can play YouTube clips, you can stream the webcast. The webcast will be found at: !llip:{/tinyurl.com/ycdurkd I. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • I lead lines Theatre, led by Artistic Director David Diamond, has been producing imernationally renowned issue-based, community specific theatre for 28 years. SPARC BC is a British Co lumbia based not-pro fit that has \\or ked for over 40 years on issues such as income security, community development and accessibility. PovNct is an onl ine resource for advocates, people on welfare, and community groups and individuals involved in anti-poverty work in British Co lumbia and across Canada.

12:30pm-4:30pm 1st reading of play

Fri November 27 6pm-10pm reading 7pm Open to the Public 2 nd

Carnegie Theatre Everyone welcome!

Bring your Carnegie Reading Room library card to get a copy of the play.

No registration required.

Class size may be limited.

Led by Teresa Vandertuin For more info call 604-255-9401 email: thirteenofhearts@hotmail. com

News From the Library

the writer's studio

DTES Writers Jamboree with DTES writers (we mean yo u! )

November 19th & 20th, 2009 at the Carnegie Centre Special guests: Nancy Lee. Timothy Taylor, David Beers, Fiona Lam, Melissa Edwards. Joanne A moll, Michael Turner, Addena Sumter-Frietag, Michelle Benjamin, Elizabeth Bachinsky, Bonnie Nish, Evelyn Lau, Betsy Warland, Gillian jerome, Charles Demers and Cathleen With. All e\'ents are FHEE!

From 1-3 each day arc mini-writing consultations with an experienced editor. Get feedback on 2 pages of your wri ti ng but sign up in advance at the Library as space is limited; from 3-4 & 4-5 each day there are Round Table discussions on Polishing, Ups & Downs, Writing our own stories and Publishing.

From 7-8:30 on Thursday we"ll have Special Guest readings; from 5-5:30 on Friday will be an info scs~ sion on how to submit your work to an upcoming anthology of DTES Writers; from 7-8:30 on Friday will be Jamboree Readine.s- By You! Uust sign up)

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Butterfly Mind (921 BRO) is Patrick Brown's fascinat ing story of his years as an award-winning foreign correspondent. Brown covered world events from the rise of the Khmer Rouge to the fall of the Berlin Wall , all while struggling with his own personal demon: alcoholism.

Mark Kurlanksy is one of my favouri te non-fiction writers. I figure that anyone who can make salt the subject of a fascinating book is worth reading. I lis latest book, Non-Violen ce: Tire 1/islory of a Dangerous Idea (303.6) is a controversial look at the history of violence and non-violence. l ie looks at non-violence not just as a state of mind. but as a distinct tech nique for overcoming social injustice and ending wars. His manifesto, based on a long historical view, is that violence has never been very successful. while nonviolence has a remarkable record.

Raymond Culos has wrincn a history of some of Vancouver's lesser-known Eastside residents: its shoeshine boys. In Vancou ver'.\· Slroesf1ine Boys: A Shining S otfalllistory (97 1.1 ), Culos tells the stories of young boys and their Italian immigrant families working hard to make ends meet by shining shoes. The book is also an interesting portrayal of the Downtown Eastside in the mid-twentieth century.

So, you read the papers to keep informed, but what about the stories that never make it to the mainstream media? Each year. Project Censored releases the most censored stories of the year. Censored 2010 (363.3 1) asks why we don't hear about potential deadly storage of nuclear waste in North Carol ina. or about the war being waged by the US in Sudan. or the real story behind the Somali pirates. USdom inated, th is book is still an enlightening read.

presents the 2nd annual

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QULCKREADS The book club for people who don't have rime for book clubs. Whether you're short of time, learning t• read English, or if you just prefer short books, then this is the book club for you I Wednesdays from November 18, II am. Carnegie Learning Centre

---------~lchoose Lu';'-•-------· I () Owned and operated by the Vancouver Women's Health Collective 29 West Hastings Street, Vancouver, B.C. V6B 1G4 604 974 0610

www.womenshealthcollectWe.ca

Health advice?

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VANCOUVE R OPERA

Time to say I don't want to let goIn my journey. to heal is to focus. to live is to begin

"T he ' ig h t Be fo re th e Oper a" ..NORMA.. Bellin1

My life begins "hen I I,no" I go on a journey

And it says to forget all the hurts & learn to forgive Sometimes ifs so hard; think positive about your life We tend to learn forgiveness; it's so easy to say no We are human ; we arc not so easy to forgive We dwell in the past and hatred can overcome us.

Belief in oneself is to become a healing spirit In one's heart it is to be held.

Learning is a great step. forgiveness is to be one.

Knowing your soul is to be in love always.

Bonnie E Stevens

The first 75 people will receive free tickets to the final dress rehearsal of the opera .

Wednesday Nov. 25,2009 @ 7 pm Ca rnegie Centre Theatre

PACIFIC BLUEGRASS & HERITAGE MUSIC SOCIETY presents

A Variety Of Bands Playing Bluegrass, Folk & Country Music

Presented by Vancouver Opera's UBC Learning Exchange in collaboration wtth the Carnegie Cen

ARTTALK AND PANEL M aking Room a t the TablcUIVCI"Sity in Communit y Arts

Tuesday November 17, 7:00-9:00pm Gallery Gach et, 88 East Cordova Street, free Moderator Ami1路 Ali Alibhai IIO\\ do you attract. invite and help diverse groups and people feel included in commu nity-arts projects? How do you bring them together in a way _ that allows honesty and safety, so that all the contnbutions are strong and valued? Panellists include Lina De Guevara (Puente Theatre),Rosemary Georgeson (Urban Ink), Cathy Stubington (Runaway Moon theatre) a nd Bruce Ray (gallery gachet).

There will be lots of opportunity for questions and contributions from the audience.

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Wednesday, December 2, 2009 7 - 9 pm , Carnegie Theatre

Illuminating the Four Corners

by Michael Clague The streets at Main and Hastings are gl istening black in the November drizzle. Traffic, moving east, moving west, moving north, moving south. Buses pause, disgorge and load small, moving, rapid ly disbursing assemblies of travelers. A samba band plays mightily at the Carnegie steps, performers in elegant. colourful odds and ends.

The celebration begins with an Aboriginal Blessing by elder Sam George. "Mrs. Carnegie' tells the crowd how proud she is of her son Andrew for funding this magnificent building.

Spark lers arc handed out to the frie ndly, gently chaotic crowd. A woman who hard ly seems present is handed this ce lebration of light on a stick - and for a moment her face beams from within.

Who are regu lars? Who have come to celebrate?

Who arc trying to catch a bus?

A woman, drawing deeply on her crack pipe asks "What's the Occasion? It's nice to see so many smiles:路 Absent-mindedly she sol icits a trick while

moving on.

From a window high in the Ford Hotel opposite Stephen Lytton's strong, warm voice booms and envelopes the corner and the traffic noise with his poetry of the Downtown Eastside.

A dealer speaks ever-louder Spanish into his cell phone as the band plays on. 路 Kitty corner the faces of the DTES are projected in configurations of fun and humour, of sti llness and reflection across the massive south wall of the Erickson building. A long, black limousine with black windows cruises across the intersect ion on a sightseeing trip from someplace else.

The cro"d is guided by artists Diane Wood's banners to the north-west corner where she reads movingly from her poetry.

And , then, at Carnegie, on the Main Street side, a banjo and songs of so lidarity launch the re-enactment of the 1935 occupation of the Carnegie Museum by unemployed workers.

DTES Poet Laureate Sandy Cameron recites the story as Carnegie's windows suddenly fi! l with pictures of the hungry '30s plus a contemporary sign

" Housing Now." A window on the top floor is thrown open, a rope is lowered, and a symbolic basket of food is attached and hoisted up to feed the occupiers. The Carneg ie Village Choir led by Beverley Dobrin sky engages the crowd in "The Un ion Makes Us Strong!"

In the midst of all this an ambulance with lights flashin g but no siren (respectful of what is going on) gl ides to the Carnegie corner and quietly attends to someone who is down.

On the Erickson wall. the scene has changed: the massive art of Richard Tetrault's black and white wood cuts thrust out their dramat ic DTES images silhouenes of people and streets and from somewhere in the Carnegie building Bud Osborne路s voice arcs out onto the street with poems of community, o f defiance and anger and determination while o n the roof of t he Four Corners Bank, a lone horn player is il luminated and the strong. sad, aching notes penetrate and seemingly still for a moment the noise of Hastings and Main ("Wastings and Pain" as Mr. McBinner would say).

The samba band resumes. Two youths, already travelling lig ht. hip-hop against the red traffic signal. cross the street and perform in the midst o f the band.

A man in a purple cape and b lack top and pants appears with a wide smile, joins briefly in the clapping, and then moves on down Ma in Street, comfortable in h is own world.

The dealer slams his phone s hut and j oins in the samba dance while a the commun ity p lay dragon .s nakes its way through the crowd, s upported by a cast of men and women of all shapes and sizes, ethnicit ies and cultures.

Saturday night, at Main and ll astings - a community in ce lebration. Glimpses of the person behind the person, the momentary revelation of a name, the hint of a story, a me lange of harsh, honest reality amids t all the ro les and parts that have to be played.

A g limpse of warmth . and love and caring and of celebrat ion when the inner door opens.

To paraphrase a DTES poet:

Look past the look and see what you see, Near past the sound and listen to whal you hear At the Heart of the City Festival, Saturday, November 7.

The Occupation of the Carnegie Museum They were you ng these men of Division 113 o f the Relief Camp Workers' Union.

T hey marched up the winding staircase o f the Carnegie Library to the museun1 on the third fl oor o n May 18, 1935, at two o'clock in the afternoon.

They were young hungry desperate and disciplined.

For six weeks they had s truggled w ith prov incial and federal governments that wanted to starve them back to the re lief camps called "National Defence Concent rat ion Camps"

by Angus Macinni s Member o f Parliament for Vancouver South, a nd called slave labour camps

by the unemployed men who worl..ed in them for twent) cents a day.

While three hundred men occup ied the Carnegie museum, hundreds of others took over the food floor at Woodward's.

T hey walked the aisles chanting "When do we eat?" for they were hungry, and the government wanted to starve them back to s lave labour.

Inside the museum the boys hung a banner from the windows of Carnegie's third floor .

It read. "When do we eat?"

That question was answered when a crowd of supporters gathered outside the Carnegie Library.

Ropes were dropped from the third floor, and sandwiches, coffee and cigarettes were hauled up by the men occupying the museum.

Eighteen year old Willis Shaparla c limbed onto the roof of the Carnegie to get a better view of the street. lie looked in the direction of Wood\\ard's and saw a large group of unemplo) ed men marching on llastings Street towards h im.

They were marching four abreast, and were weaving from one side of the street to the other in a snake parade.

At the same time the) were s inging the song that became the rallying cry of the Relief Camp Worl..ers' Union during the On-To-Otla\\a Trek .

These arc the words that Willis heard from the roof of the Carnegie Library o n that g lorious day: "We meet today in freedom's cause and raise o ur voices high: we'll join our hands in un ion strong to battle or to die.

II old the fort for we are coming. unionists be strong.

Side by side we battle onward, victory will come."

By early evening a crowd of four thousand citi zens had gathered outside the Carnegie Library in support of the three hundred men occupying the museum.

Relief camp workers. led by Arthur Evans, tried to negotiate fo r food and she lter. but Mayor McGeer was rigid.

He. after a ll, was the one who had read the Riot Act to hungry men at Victory Square a month earlier.

Po lice C h ief Foster told the men at Carnegie that he would have to evict them. but Oscar Salo n en, a longshore leader. told the Police Chief that if he tried to evict them. one thousand, five hundred longshoremen would come to their aid.

Foster met with McGeer and the M ayor agreed to give two days' relief for all the men who were on strike from the relief camps.

At 8:00 p.m. the men left the museum, and were met ~ ith loud cheers

by the crowd outside.

By the e nd of May the unemployed strikers had reached a dead end.

Vancouver citizens had supported them. but private charity can never deal rea listically with pub lic catastrophe.

Neither the provincial or federal governments would he lp them, so the unemployed workers decided to go to Ottawa on their own.

They demanded "Worl.. and Wages", and this was the beginn ing of the On-To-Ottawa Trek.

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In the autumn of 1935 the federal government of R.B. Bennett \\aS defeated, and the Conservative Party would not hold power again in Ottawa until the election of John Diefenbaker in 1957, and in 1936, the new federal government, led by Mackenzie King, abolished the hated relief camps.

So the young men of the Relief Camp Workers' Union he lped to change Canadian ll istory.

Today we face hunger and homelessness as those men did who occupied Carnegie in 1935 right here at the Four Corners.

Their message to us is, Never, ever, give up.

We are strong when we stand in sol idarity from one generation to another.

Memory is the mother of community.

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Sandy Cameron

Hi Paul, I recently mel an e lderly. wheelchair bound lady. see her often ou tside of the liquor store on commercial. She al"ays had her companion Precious (dog) sitting on her lap with her. We had a great chat yesterday, and I agreed 10 help her find a new companion dog ( I myself have lost two dogs in the last ten years) Please post an ad in •he newsletter looking for a new dog for her:

ANDY.. ,

Calm Lap dog wamed' I recently lost my lillie companiOn. I u ant to find a new dog. anew best fi'iend..

I am wheelchair hound and elderly. so the pooch

29 YEARS

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cARNEGIE

.lhoulcf not require a lot ofexercise.

I can gil·e it constant love and attention 2-117.

Mv new friend should have a calm and loving temperament. and 1101 be pur offby busy siruations.

Do you know ofa dog tharneeds a home?

If so please comactmy fr rend Tascha 60-1-6 I 6--167 I stubbs699fa>shaw.ca Thanks Della.

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Downtown EastsideCentre for the Arts CrMmg Opportumt>es for the ArtJst mEveryone

is pleased to present:

The Ephemeral Outside November 26-December 5 The Ephemeral Outside is an exhibit ion of photographs by Sharon Burns . The wo rk focuses on the Downtown Eastside community's disappearing street aesthetic, paying tribute to the often unnamed artist as well as to "outsider art" in its unpolish-ed , unhomogenized beauty.

InterUrban Gallery 1 E Hastings, Vancouver Opening Reception: Thursday, November 26, 2009, 7:30-10 pm Gallery Hours: Wednesday-Saturday 1-Spm

Down here we speak a myriad of tongues no need at all to exclude anyone Down here there is no colour line, all of us are blind 10 all except shafts of light crystalline tentacles stream from our bel lies Down here the only difference is direction those who are prone and those prone to perfection.

Down here I am in an interchangeable mosaic Do\\ n here is on ly life AI

Missing Posters

DTES Community Gamelan Project Do you live in the Downtown Eastside? Are you interested in exploring and developing creative, interpersona l, and life ski lls using music?

The DTES Community Gamelan Project is a 4 day hands-on music worksho p presented by students of the University of British Columbia's 'Heart of the City' music class in wh ich participants will learn about the high ly communal and accessible tradition of Indonesian gamelan an ancient form of music making ut ilizing various metallophones, gongs and drums played in large groups.

The project will engage both UBC students and members of Vancouver's DO\\ntown Eastside community in creative and experiential learning through playing, listening. improvising and collaborative composition and will end with a short performance for the community.

Presented by UB(' School o,{Music. UB(' Learning F.xchange. Portland 1/otel Societ) /mer( 'rbm1 Gallel)'.

Dowmown Eastlide Centre for the rlrts. UBC t;mergmg Leaders, and Sprouts Food Co-op

INFO: "Taster" session Saturday Nov. 28 1- 4pm (come get a taste- no strings attached) Carnegie Ccnt•·e 40 1 Main St. Wo rks hop Sunday 'ov. 29Tuesday Dec. 01 I l am- 4pm lntc•·U r ban Ga llery, I E. ll astings REGISTRATI ON: please e-mail commun itYfamelan(@.vahoo.ca or visit the Program Office, 3' floor Carnegie Centre (open Monday to Friday 9- 5pm).

Limited spaces available.

Faces on the walls. the missing ones the ones who arc missed and worried over •grieved over and left lii-.e unanswered prayers waiting for some smal l word from all the faces on the wall the ones who wandered off and need their pills the ones who ran for their lives the ones a Iread) dead and d isappcared and the last only trace was a poster on the wall of the \\Ounded, the wanted sign sa) s "uses crack" or AD IID or mental issues or a do7en other descriptions of what went wrong no-one was quick enough to pick up the trail before the trail came to an end right here on the wall of the wanted. the gallery of the gone by the time you read this it's ah·ead> too late i\1

Remembrance We all remember things best forgotten Going thru y, dozen fosterhomes in as many months Record being I hour before the highway beckoned 1 remember the severity of institut ional life Each turn harsher than the one before Just say the word and I was out the door 5 years till they j ust locked me up Crime of being incorrigible in an insane asylum "I o this day can' t fi gure out: who is the cra7y one?

November then when they let me out on a da) pass Did they really imagine me co1ning back?

1 ran kept on runn ing to this day Just who is the crazy one is sti ll hard to say You remember what you want I remember things seared so deep The scars of a missed childhood Remember being freed of their custody Only thing the bastards ever did That was an) damn good Leaving the caring and concerned To choke on their own vitriol AI

DOWNTOWN EASTSIDE LABYRINTH PROJECT Ht el'l't)'Oite, J'ancoul'er Mol'lng Theatre 11 workmg in partners/lip wah Carlt,l' Stubingtun and Rtiii<IH'll.l' Moon Theatre (based in Grindrod, BC) to create a theatncol e1•entjor the whole.famill' tt·ith am/for the Dmrnto11n Eastside. lVI! will 1rork walt tmages and puppets. stOJ:J·tellmg and mus1c to create a show tnspired by the old tale /If Theseus and the Minotaur from the angle of the Mmotaur trapped in the Lahvrinth We need your help to g n•e this ancient stU/;, a colllemporary Dowmown Eastside perspectil'e Th efollowmg is a questionnaire about labyrinths that will help us build this show. Please help us create our .rrory· by answering these questions Thank you, Sm•atmah Walling (Project Artisttc Director) Age Range: 0-15

15-30

30-4 5

45

The Living Blanket Each piece made for peace. woven together for a better tomorrow

~

Do you li ve in the Downtown Eastside?

If not. where is your home neighbourhood?

What are some o f the most powerful images you've seen or dreamt regarding labyrinths? \\'hat or how are there labyrinths in the DTES? I f you painted a picture of a labyrinth. what would your picture contain ?

If you \\ent into the labyrinth, what would you find there? What would you hear? (Who is the minotaur in th is community?)

Who have we lost in the labyrinth?

If you had a magic wand and could change anything, what would you change in the labyrinth?

Do you have a story you' d like to share with us about a labyrinth? (Funny, sad , cur ious. inspiring?)

IN CONVERSATION WITH Doris Buttignol On Sunday November 29 from 12-5:00, "The Living Blanket" creator, Doris Buttignol, will be sharing an afternoon of conversation at th e Downtown Eastside Centre for the Arts The Living Blanket is an ever growing quilt made by women and women's groups around the world . It is a collective creation, a weaving of identities and histories, a generator of exchange and dialogue that circulates and grows in a culture of peace.

Under the patronage the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo (Argentina, sti ll sea rching for children taken by the hand of oppression),the project has a global reach through a multi-lingual website and enjoys the official patronage of Europe's Year for Intercultural Dialogue. We invite you t o come and share an afternoon of conversation regarding global communities involved in this specia l quilt project.

(Jfyou need more room. add tmother s ft eet ofpaper) LEAVE FOR Yancouve•· Moving Theatre at the Ca rn egie Co mmunity Centre front desk

CUI1:Ural Sharing

OR MAI L TO Vancouver Moving Theatre, P.O. Box 88270, Chinatown PO, 418 Main St., Vane, V6A 4A S

in the Theatre (need drummers!)

Every Monday 5- 9pm

Vancouver Aboriginal Friendship Centre Society ELDERS

Oppenheimer Park Community Art Project

presents

"In Our Backyard" Art Show

Christmas Craft Fair

2•d Annual Exhibition at Gallery Gachet November 6 - 29. 2009

C rafts, Jewellery. c lothing, baked goods, door prizes, an available concession and of course more ...

All proceeds will go towards the Elders Program

Saturday & Sunday, Nov 21 & 22, 10am- Spm YAFC Gym, 1607 East Hastings (251-4844 ext.308)

The Opening Night Reception is o n Friday, Nov.6'h with a procession sta rting at the Park at 5pm and going to Gallery Gachet a t 88 E Cordova fo r 6pm.

For more information a nd/or to Volunteer, contact Al i & Carrie at 2 11 Dunlevy St, 604-665-22 10!

Bello all : I am looking for reco mmendations and resources (North Van or Vancouver) for parents of young women on the street (not children).

The parents need support for themselves (- something like a parent support c irc le with parents who ha\ e had similar parenting experie nces) and a lso want to know reco mmended services and resources in case their daughter becomes ready and able for change. Any suggestions?

Thanks, Carol Carol Ross. MS\V Executive Director Parent Support Serv ices Society of BC 204- 5623 Imperial Street Burnaby, BC V5 J I G I Phone: 604.569.3112 www.parentsupportbc.ca <http://www.parcntsupportbc.ca/> Celebrating 35 years of supporting famil ies in BC

Rez Blues Cambie to the west the water to the north Skyt rain to the south Clark to the east this is my reservation.

Insid e are the afflicted the add icted the quick ly dying and some slow to fade away ...

I can' t lie to you this is T erminal Cit) end of the Road no-one gets o ut of here a live may your last days be more peaceful than the days that brought you here.

Enjoy the time you have leftRene Azzerbee

Wet Vancouver Wet Rainforest deluges our C ity Sans reason, rhyme or pity.

People grey as the over skys Search for bucks, not whys.

Commerce fondles herself Folks lost to inner self.

More big bui ldi ngs rise As homeless perish under skys Any reason to all this .. any rhy me?

No. ·cause it's not a fucking crime! r~

Jo hn Doug las

~~-----­ JIMMYDEWAR

The Art of the Savvy Cartoon Carnegie's Art Gal le ry on the 3'd floor is host to a sho w/presentation of stuff by the Evil Dewar. For the whole month ofNovember, the re dozens of savvy & astute cartoons w ith a ll manner of seemingly responsible and straight forward scams in the s potlight. SEE!

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

GET CLEAN! Shower up at the Lord's Rain There is a shower facility at Gospel Mission, 327 Carra II Street ijust off Pigeon Park). There are towels, soap, shampoo- the works! & Coffee

. ' We admowledge that Carnegie Community Centre, and ~is H~lellw, are occurring on Coast Salish_Territory.

Monday 10am-3pm; Tuesday Ladies only 1-4pm Everyone 7 - 8:30am Friday 10am - 3pm; Saturday7 - lOam

CFRO

:102.-7Fll m-oP IADm 51

Next Issue is Tuesday, December 1

lei on parte Francais; Hablamos Espanol

SUBMISSION DEAni.JNE ~Friday , November 27

AJK MOVING LTD. 664-665-2289

10 °/o Discount Offer

THIS NEWSLETIER IS A PUBLICATION OF THE CARNEGIE COMMUNITY CENTRE ASSOCIATION

Valid fo r all Carnegie Members

Articles represent the views of individual Contributors and not of the Association.

Good 'til Dec. 31, 2009!

phone: 604-875-9072

~ditor:

PauiR Taylor; distribution crew: Bill, Liu Lin, Harold, Mary Ann, Mlriatn, Kelly, Videba, Rolf, Priscillia, Robyn, Nick, Jackie, MaUhew, Ida, Nicole, Lisa.

a;n;ti011 &

I apologise for the quality of these photos. Computer crash lost all files.

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WANTED Artwork for the Carnegie Newsletter

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Jenny Wat Chtng Kwan MLA Working for You 1070 - 1641 Commercial Dr, VSL 3Y3 Phooe: 604-71~90

• •

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TIM STEVENSON ,., CITY COUNCILLOR

Small illustrations to accompany articles and poetry Cover art -Maximum size: 17cm(6 o/.") wide x 15cm (6') high Subject matter relevant to issues pertaining to the Downtown Eastside, but all work considered Black &White printing only Size restrictions will 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 wor1\; Originals will be returned to the artist after being copleo tor put>trcaoon; Remuneration: Carnegie Volunteer tickets.

Please make submissions to Paul Taylor, Editor.

SER~NGTHECOMMUNITY

WITH PRIDE

CEEDS folks -$60 2009 DONATIONS: Barry M.-$150, libby 0.-$70, Roll A.-$50, Margaret 0.-$40, Jenny K.-$25, Sue K..-$30, Michael C.-$50, Jaya B.-$100, Christopher R.·$180, Mell.-$25, Greta P.-$25, Leslie S.·$25, Harvey B.·$25, Sheila B.-$20, The Ed~e -$200, Wilhelmina M.-$50 Anne P.-$50 Priscillia -$5 Anonymous$1510 B:>b> 5 - '1 00

City HaD, 453 W 12,. Ave, V5Y 1V4 Phone: 604-873-7247

I

...AND WHAT!!

Downtown Eastside GIRLS SPEAK Fundraiser

(Spoken Word, Stories, Monologues, Poetry) T hursday, Dec 3rd 7pm at the Rh izome Cafe, 317 East Broadway By donation: SOc - $500

LOVE How do you define the word love? 1 love Norma-Jean baby always- the person in the mirror. Her smile and beauty is sexy and has everything life offers!

I love my adult babes: Sheri, Jordan, Shane, Sherman Sheena and Stephen; I love my angelic grand-babies: Brandon, Anthony, Emily. Richie, Vanessa and April; I love family, friends and everyone on Mother Earth; I love Harmony of Nations drum group; I love my baby sister Phoenix Winter; I love laughter, nirting, crying, praying and most of all fun fun fun and cherish every second of my life; I love handsome men (you know who you are KCA) and numerous others; I love serving coffee in the Seniors Lounge and being the monitor in Carnegie's Pool Room; I love the Downtown Eastside's handsome police, firemen, paramedics and Chip ' n Dale dancers; I love praying for our homeless, lonely, and hungry and people who are separated from their famil ies and those with addictions; I honour those in recovery; I love those who feed and clothe the less fortunate.. volunteers at shelters and detox centres; I love to pray for peace, unity, happiness, harmony and care for others always; I love honour, respect, compassion, honesty and positive living; I ask God to grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change and courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference; I love KCA and RPE - I' m forever in your hearts and my love wi ll be yours always.

Love and kisses, Norma-Jean Baby PS: On November 21 51 both Ken (Honey) Anderson and Marvin F. have a birthday!!!

Dear Readers, I must write of a terrible tragedy that happened to my family. My dear sister passed away while living at Cooper Place on E Cordova.

The night before, my sister Barbara went to see her and Freda told Barbara to get the Care-Aid. Freda then told the Care-Aid to let the nurse know that she wasn't feeling well and had pains in her heart and chest. The Care-Aid never did tell the nurse; all Freda needed was some nitroglycerin. The Care-Aid was negligent and the result has brought deep sorrow.

I was in a treatment centre in Port Coquitlam for 4 months and didn't drink there. I graduated and lefi and Freda and her husband Bob looked afier me. 1 will miss my sister for the rest of my li fe.

M We learned there 's no ground on Fraser Street (Mountain View Cemetery]; Freda wanted to be buried beside her daughter Jackie, who had died of a burst blood clot. We have to bury Freda in White Rock. Rest in Peace my beautiful sister.

Marlene Wuttunee

Death's Doors It ain't easy wandering to Death's Door It's easier to fall to the foot of the floor Alcohol, drugs and power struggles are crooked paths Especially on the crazed road of blood baths Your adverse unpredictable style shivers mine nerves Can you not offer what all deserve?

Not a cup o' tea, nothing dandy, Not somelhing like a load of tears and rotten candy Riddle my utter and limeless dreams A nightmare is never over -<:rying eyes forever dream Unawaken Mother Earth at Death's Door Nature will pass on - they will be no more Man deprives birds and bees their natural tones Blinding them with electromagnetic waves & cellphones Swine Flu and animal illnesses are caused by Man Nature 'n Mother Nature was here when Earth Mother began Why can't we treat, love and respect each other like before Instead every part of land 'n animals awaits Death 's Door It ain't easy walkin through Death's Door, It's easier to fall through the foot of the floor.

All my relations, William Arnold Combes

STATISTIKS He llo here are your tunne l canaries go back to the hell you cam e from thi s branch is full, does yours have festival seating* general meetings* needless thoughtful be atings* seats with mass heating did you really think you ' d bought th e last laugh ... BULL! This world's torn to sh it lo ud people screaming "Live w ith it!'" their guns have been drawn this part of town just yawns Oh my god it's Officer Down br ing ing his version of the truth to this crooked .,. irrespo ns ible con trary commentary. There's so much to do & I'm not doing any of it, so much to see I but won't be seeing any of it. so much to DIScover leave me be I'm i ll but covered I'll withstand the jeers, so much to experience I th ink there' s a sale on expertise at Sears ... We are the Statistiks sort of like the Fantastiks but w ithout a soul human or othe rwise that shall be torn out then thrown out this comes as no surprise: we are the statistiks of style j ust a hop. skip & j ump over that lifeless body & sm ile. Let that illness in I hear puffing outside the door. it may need warmth take my body it's garbage anyway I have ll ep C & play with mice on my fl oor with O fficer Down saving humanity I calamity at a time he gels a lot o f cards from mortuaries at Xmas thanki ng him fo r business as does Sanitariums 'R Us that is just swel l, I think I saw one of your cosmic c leansing people out o n the town if you know (he does) what I mean Like Oying in the a ir: for real no o ne cares: now keep go ing till you reach a fork in the sky take a le ft take a right petrol all gone no mo re Oower fire fights, as an explosion o f metal & human components now fu sed together forever & a night whi le my shadow fad es into the night, even WaiMart is se lling coffins but you now must be a hundred or more 99 dead sorry h eard it be fore, j ust more Statistiks god if I could on ly be m aking this up like g lob al warming being the sun 's fault what is it you're try ing to say?

There's a hundred miles of rotting ice & it grows or shrinks every s ing le day, it 'sjust warming up, down & around its boundaries show no bound s, your G P leashes let the wo rld know where you are every second o f the year. this means puni shment do wn the road now besides your b' day you ' ll have a new date to fear.

Like being presented t he Military C ross fo r Gallantry Under Fire l now know how burn ing crosses came about about a q uarter of a second before pi tchmen started ly ing through metal teeth now there are no doubts just statistics at our feet, a s ing le c ure costs more souls than the ev ilest o f curses We are

the statistiks the care that has no c~re If George Orwell was around today would his new novel be 2010120 I 2 or something comp letely obscure, now let the life pan subscribe do n ' t worry the next event could be so scary, no reason to even try & hide May the Satan/ God Ice Cream Family be your guide trust 'em they're on your side .

By ROBERT McG ILLI VRAY '' I r11nangry, I um ill & I'm ugly as sin. " - Howard

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fea ture: Valerie Marcotte. vo ice and harp

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The Newsleuer has been go ing twice a mo.nth smce il •. J f· Takin it down to $hitty hall I / ;· . August 15 1986. that's 23 years and count mg. In 1\ if;, \t. ' ror tl ~"'c c ,- . •· 1 ,..

1 2003 a 256-paoc book named Tile lleart of tile ,._ -< • ' ·; • Takin it down to Shitty hal l ~ ·· \ ~ ',.\, "' . · ·i · 1 . .1 , ,~Community: Til e Best of tile Carnegie Newsleu er . / t ,"' 1 ~ G,... " ' gonna tell em offy a' ll t. . 'came out with some of the best artccles, artwork and .•. ,~/.· \', ~ ' 1 · ·\ summer been here almost gone ·11 1 poetry from its first 15 years. and Bud'~ work appears ( ',s,...':' .7' .'1l~~ .~·' t~ (d ~~. drugs on Hasti~gs ~ast dusk till dawn '· ' 1 1 in almost every year's selections. lies lcfe and strug- • 1 ~ ;1 ·"'l;~ / ~~ I brmg yer yoyo s brcng yer doll s ~~ gles sho\\ some of the worst and best that most f-. ·I ff 'ji.J \1.. :come complain to shitty hall >i , people here can identify with. but for me .personally '}.,~'t. .· i'tt r~\' lakin it down to $hilly hall ;,~ it's always a distinct pleasure to feature hcs words. (, / · :~; • 1 ·t,~- ~z~y get ta geta one and all , , we became friends early on and helped each ot.her .l('fr J ~ :.{~ Can't buy food past.l am \\ 1 with the stuff that drags us down ... Bud wcth Ius .\ :I. . J , · " t I [~ ch cldren sold 1/2 pnce way past I 0 words and example -the phi losophy that says never ~. , '· ~r~ --~ dnnk ta 3 am have a ball ff• quit, never let the bastards get you down . I a twa~~ ~') ,' J, '-, ~) ya know ya slay me $hi tty hall // hope he'll have something for the paper, even cf ct s !- \i .f..1! \ 1 ~, ~·} ~ Takin it down to $hi tty hall just to say hello.

Paul Taylor . ) 'f{j-~ .j ' ' •' { , show our poverty at da 20 I0 ball ; 1JS..lJ \ L,"c(_....;:.'\'t \~,.;~ \: ·~(. ~j :.fr_". · throw all poor en da street :'11 [\ '11 1 \I_[{ ·1' ' t ' ( ( rich visitors have.forest cake to eat 1 \'41'lT '1!r: .~- ~/\ ~)\~\ i\ wel farchopelessJumpoffdawall 1am a crazy man 1 ). 'f ~~ :f · . .,;_(·~ ~ su icide won't stop shirty hall '1. 1 '. ~ Takin it down to. $hetty hall . . . Who else would confess?

'Whoelsewouldtell you -~1 ., {~o.:,/\lf polcce ratherbemfilmsspnnglllfall i the cannibal people J I ' \:I ·. '' J I\>.t( .! ',,l r ' ." .•'i pol ic.e car movie s how on Carra II street _ en vented II IV to clear the way ';(; \) r J . < -~ il . ~~ \ .~ . l llastmgs and Mam da dealers ya meet t for their one world order. ·r.f.'\ · to the beatcngs at ho e • •1 1 A~ Carnegie patrons beg your gall '\ how they paint the Muslcms \ 1 who sl.ept 111 parkas ~j./ 'l': stop this sto p this $hilly hall ~ as devils when they themselves ~ atop dirty mattresses , ' '. · ~ . Takin it down to Shiny hall are busy killing men ~vomcn \, '? 111 houses so cold \·~ fl '. PN Eyer new slave now ·r: and children so the B•g Fat Ones ~~ • the rats froLe 111 the walls r- '/.'J ·.people go~ no where to live .

11 . can drcve Hummers forever . ~ crazy warm heroin • • ·~. slot machmes have more to gcve / ) The Big Ones bankrupt thecr own ': hits home takes the pain ~~.·,'·~satan rul es yer iron bat~ canncbahze and rob the poor , washes the picture clean , , ~ 1 ~ dance and prance at $h11ty hall l ~ so they can cat more & more ~·ofthe shadow man Ja~i~ it ~~wn t.o_$hitty ,baLI . • , , ~ ::·drink with power an~ ~lood his hurtful hard-on ' \ \ ) yer promi se on deaf ears fall f' / v..\{, 1 ;>; , 1know who I am, reJOICe • slamming my head • _-;:-.. dn.•g dealc~s doc~'t face da court ~X-~ f / in an msane world I am ,1 on the bunkbed wall l \I $hetty hall cs a pj llar short \ 1 1 ' a crazy man (: let the heroin wash '{' \~ dey broke dcr word no trust y a' II I ~ Who are you? ' / the bitter taste of • (j~~~ see ya in November: up yers $hitry hall I q(. ....\ ' . fi I' ' lo (' ·· -~ 1 always was craL) ~· • dcrty. come rom my cps •• · A Carl MacDonald ~ J enough to escape .

'-':( i fuckmg so 1 could eat , '' tr ,1· The day before I wrote this 6 people died ~, )the private school the trcp ) \ .-4 and fend off the fists. /, '..~If ofheroin Ol'erdoses.

25-Aug-05.1 · ' descgne · d to n1ake men monsters wcth ·,• tf' , r) l . ' t. of foster . ·, : \ outoftcrrifiedlittleboys l :J\~cruccfixesonthe ·;.' r · 'i 'J \. 'r'~,\ .J":-.~f., - l)'~r-;;, \'' \\!~~ ( running through fietds o f ~ ~ 1 ~.. kctchen wall : t f i ;~ / .4 \ li .fi~·~ ~ t!. ·son ivyescaping (' \ "'Crazyenoughtorun { f(!:i."'JJ '-' "~-' :>-J' ·;{ .' .• 1 j. , ' v--'1 1 .: /I f!lpoc )• run run and surv1vc · •· \ tl the sadistic priest ,··~ ·?"' !·l ~<· ~ . ,"'}·' ( . t ~( 'It•_,-:;--~,·~ _...'·"'>:1 .

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and it gives us the documents that tell the stor) of the courageous struggle for lnsite.

Bud writes:

AN AFTERNOON WITH BUD OSBORN Saturday November 7, lpm-Spm Carnegie Community Centre Theatre, 401 Main

"ll'e hU\·e become a commtmtf.\' ofprophels in the do11•nlmrn eastside rebuking the system and speakmg hope and possthilily 11110 silualions ofapparent impossihtlity"

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Prophets scream "No" to an unjust system. And Bud writes: "flus system ofde1•elopme111 and thefl ... has made all my paths hopeless and like a rupisl !tiding in Ihe shadows like a serial kdler o,!Jering a hand and a smtle this sys1em drugs me from lite path o_(reallife and mangles me and lea1·es me wtthoul help"

Words Spoken At An Aftern oon With Bud Osborn,

It's a great privilege to be here at this celebration for a dear !Ticnd. Bud Osborn . He has done so much for our community of the DowniO\\n Eastside. lie From the depths of dark grieving, prophets speak has made us so proud of ourse lves, and we arc very of compassion and hope. And Bud writes: thankful to him. Bud writes with enormous compas"and from compw.sion comes hope sion and generosity of spirit, and because he has \ been able to turn his pain into a song of hope, he has and life is good he lped others do the same. ) no matler how 1•icwus the s_ptem is _....._ . We wall-. many different paths in the Downtown if we use our own w!Jering Eastside. but we're united in the struggle for respect . . .

I 10 tmdersland ofhen who are in pain and human rights. Our vo1ces reach out m yearnmg f.\ 1:\ for community. And Bud \Hites: ~ ) , we will o1·ercome hecause we li1·e diflerel1fly "Our purpose is 10 ln·e m communi1y · ...., titan lhe system mtemls for us we live in cooperation and compassion and communi/)' is care care for one another and we h(ll·e nsen cure for those lea.\'1 able 10 cure for lhemseh·es ' and we /t(JI·e come alive cure for all cure in uc1ion" and we are resisling"

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The Downtown Eastside has a long history of care in action. In 1935, three hundred unemployed young men occupied the Carnegie Museum on the third noor of the Carnegie Library because they needed food and shelter. The Downtown Eastside is the community that fought for seven years to win the Carnegie Communi!) Centre. It is the community that planted one thousand crosses in Oppenheimer Park in memorv o f those who had died from drug overdoses. It is the community that sewed a banner with ninety-t\\0 beautiful panels to remember its missing and murdered \\omen. It is the community that won lnsite. North America's only offic ia l safe injection site. Bud had a great deal to do with that, and I recommend the book he wrote with Susan Boyd and Donald MacPherson. It's called "Raise Shit - Social Action Saving Lives".

So does a public expression of grief break the numbness within us. and open the way to the beauty of what ought to be.

Bud has worked hard to follow the prophetic tradition by replacing a politics of domination and greed \\ ith a politics of justice and compassion. And it is no surprise that a vision of justice and compassion comes from the Downtown Eastside. The new words of hope. the words of radical possibi lity, come from the marginalized communi!), the cornerstone that was rejected by the powerful.

Thank you. Bud, for your gracious, compassionate and prophetic words. Thank you for reminding us what it means to be a human being, and what we must do if we wish to build a democratic society in Canada.

Sandy Cameron