October 1, 2016 carnegie newsletter

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401 Main Street, Vancouver BC V6A 2T7 604-665-2289 email: carnnews@shaw.ca

Website/catalogue: carnegienewsletter.org

Leslie Nelson Kwakaka'wakw Elder in Residence for the Carnegie Community Centre

.,

Ca.negie'. Elde. In Residence Many of you may already know Leslie (Les) Nelson from his involvement with Cultural Sharing, or his performances with the Harmony of Nations drum group, or his volunteer work as a coffee seller in the Camegie Senior's Lounge. Now Les has accepted a new responsibility, as Camegie's first Elder in Residence.

Les has lived in the Downtown Eastside since 1972 and he started coming to Camegie in 1996. His parents were from the Gus'kimukmc (father) and Nuxalkmc Cm her) First Nations. He is the hereditary chief with his family.

At first, when Les was asked to become our Elder in Residence, he was a bit confused. He felt that he might need to have more knowledge or training.

However, people from the neighbourhood were already approaching him during Cultural Sharing to ask for advice. Les realized that he does have sufficient experience within the DTES community to be Camegie's Elder in Residence. He is honoured that people look up to him and think that he is someone who will listen. He appreciates that members of our community trust him to keep the

personal matters that they discuss with him confidential.

Les will be Camegie's Elder in Residence for two years. It is a part-time position. Mostly, he will be available only on Mondays during Cultural Sharing.

He will be present for opening events at both Camegie and Oppenheimer Park and be involved with Aboriginal Day celebrations. He will also serve as a liaison between Camegie members and staff.

During his residency, Les hopes to make Indigenous people understand the cultural way of life and to help them to have their voices be heard. He also wants to help non-Indigenous people understand First Nations culture. "The Downtown Eastside is one big Rez", Les told me. It includes all nations.

"Nobody is excluded from teachings", he said.

Lisa David

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NORMA JEAN BAPTISTE

Genuine Inspiration

Inclosing I want to say that I respect & admire thesD brave heroes who simply do what they must do just because it feels right. This helps their dignity & others as well in a way of respectful teaching, sharing, caring & inspiring others to improve their own lives.

And for any young people who read this, take it to heart & think deeply about what the ancients knew was a good & honest way to live. Just because someone is getting up in years doesn't mean they've lost the ability to teach & learn. Even if it's "tough" it is certainly better than the way we often treat others in this world.

By Johnny Jaworski The book is short & easy to read, complete with artwork, photographs and observations by the overseers of the project. It's now available in the Carnegie Library. If you have comments ernail me at johnnydisciple@yahoo.com

Recently I had the pleasure of reading a publication put together at the Carnegie Learning Centre. It is called Invisible Heroes and is a collection of personal stories of eight First Nations people & elders from the Downtown Eastside. It contains eight persons' stories of separation, confusion, alienation, addiction & other colonialist struggles experienced by these people.

The writers are up close & personal and, in my opinion, completely transparent, honest - direct from their hearts. So much so that I couldn't stop sobbing, weeping & unable to stop myself from choking up.

Stories of being ripped from home & the community that was so much of what these people were about, of being verbally, sexually & violently abused. These arethe very people our ancestors, the ruling parties, refused to accept because their ways were different.

A fter contemplating the emotions is felt and reflecting on the stories I will say this: In spite of the harsh realities of what they experienced, they all stuck to what they believed, what they felt, to be right - taught I to them by grandmothers & grandfathers. Their spirit remained powerfully connected to the things they knew in their heart of hearts to be the proper ways to live. Never to neglect family and community or treat others with disrespect.

Many of these people found ways to control theirictions, learning disabilities and ease deep wounds of constant belittlement and oppressive abuse by keeping connected to that inextinguishable spirit passed down to them from ancestors true to loving ways.

These invisible heroes educated themselves & became activists for issues such as violence & abuse and are true to the duties as elders passed to them via the "Indian Telegraph." One of he women even managed to somehow go to university for nine years and be!When: come a certified social worker, all in order to give back as dictated by her huge heart, spirit and nevergive-up attitude.

Oct 14 (F riday) MAIN FLOOR. THEATRE

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OOOPS!! "The editor had a senior's moment." And that's the only explanation available for somehow missing the Library column submitted on time for the September 15th issue. Sorry Natalie!

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from the Library I've had several patrons lately request "inspiring reads".as they enjoy stories about people overcoming adversity. In the DTES we've got many heroes - individuals taking on slumlords, confronting sub-standard or non-existent housing, becoming "Fentanyl lifeguards," etc. Our own Learning Centre will be releasing more copies of Invisible Heroes: Aboriginal stories from Vancouver's Downtown Eastside thanks to a grant! Try these books recommended by Carnegie regulars, and feel free to share more with the library team.

Love Without Limits by Nick Vujicic (2014) -Vujicic I:as w:itten a series of memoirs as he navigates living life WIthout arms or legs. While Unstoppable featured him on the cover surfing, this book is more of a "romantic comedy." Nick always wondered if anyone would want to love him.

One Chance: a memoir by Paul Potts (2013) - A true story about a bullied cell phone salesman who takes a chance in the "Britain's Got Talent" TV show, and reveals to the world his incredible talent as a Classical singer, which ultimately changes his life.

Tibetans in Exile: theiDalai Lama & the Woodcocks

by Alan Twigg (2009) - Canadians George and Inge Woodcock were traveling in India in 1961, and met Tibetan refugees travelling through the mountains.

Their plight inspired the Woodcocks to take action, forming the Tibetan Refugee Aid Society.

Triumph: the untold story of Jesse Owens & Hitler's Olympics by Jeremy Schaap (2007) - Jesse Owens, an African American "single-handedly crushed Hitler's myth of Aryan supremacy" by winning 4 gold medals and breaking 3 world records at the 1936 Olympics.

Here is the behind-the-scenes story.

•

Your librarian, Natalie

from the Library This Friday October 7th at 7- 8:30pm, the library is pleased to host a book talk and community discussion in the Theatre, led by Penny Goldsmith who wrote Storming the Digital Divide: the Povnet Story. This graphic novel is a visual history of how anti-poverty advocates used technology to build a social justice movement (see: www.povnet.org).

The book features local heroes like Jean Swanson and former Carnegie librarian, Beth Davies. Join us for refreshments and dialogue.

If you are a writer consider attending "Resources for Writers" in the Classroom on Thursday October 13th at 4pm - 5pm (right after the Thursdays Writing Collectivel) to learn about the publishing industry and develop your "writer's tool box." Drop-in and learn.

On the digital topic ...

Cyber-proletariat: Global labour in the digital vortex (2015) by Nick Dyer- Witheford. An examination of class domination, online surveillance, and the potential of radical movements.

The Digital Divide: arguments for and against Facebook, Google, Texting, and the age of Social Networking (2011) by Mark Prensky. Interesting chapter themes such as, "Is google making us stupid?" or "Virtual friendship and the new narcissism" and "Love online."

How America Lost its Secrets: Edward Snowden, the man and the theft (2017) by Edward Jay Epstein.

Snowden is recognized as a "hacker turned avenging angel, while revealing how vulnerable our national security systems have become." A real life political thriller.

Inequality.com: power, poverty and the digital divide (2006) by Kieron O'Hara. The author inspects how the lack of access can alienate marginalized peoples, and yet the internet can also undermine our liberty harboring a trail of personal information for years .

Your librarian, Natalie

5

Storming the Digital Divide Friday October Zprn - 8:30pm

7th

Carnegie Theatre Carnegie Library 401 Main Street Free!

Author Penny Goldsmith and community members will be talking about Storming the Digital Divide: the Poviiet Story.

The book is a Graphic story of how anti-poverty advocates have taken the technology and used it for their own purpose in their own communities to build a social justice movement.

Join local advocates to share, discuss and learn more about social activism in the digital age. There will be refreshments and free books as door

pnzes.

For more infotl))ation: 60.+.331.360 3 .....

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Power of Women: Our Reality in the DTES Join the DE WC Power of showcase of talks, poetry, about our life in the OTES ing, poverty, colonization,

Women group in an evening skits & more to share truths with an emphasis on hous& violence against women.

Wednesday October 5,2016 Free dinner at 6 pm, Event at 6:30 pm 1803 East 1st A ve Gust east of Commercial

Drive)

unceded ?Cwm;}8kw;}y;lIn,S!sw~wu7mesh, Solilwcta? territories, Vancouver

and

When comfort and complacency set in Like the first frost of the season When apathy rears its homely head Twisting and turning in the Gyre - almost 360* Like the sight of a dragon fly or a Snowy Owl Or an unwary mouse That demon-possessed girl in Massachusetts: Scientific investigation or inflamed imagination

In any case we enjoy the shivering flesh

Plus Ca Change Plus Le Meme Chose Just when I think it's safe To go back in the water Another JAWS attack!

I may be in Outer Mongolia Or on the Moon - on Mars However the streaks of blood in the water Are very red In my state-of-the-art hi definition television set And when you least expect it. .. disaster!

Bringing us out of our humdrum reality The day-to-day endless monotony Of questions never asked never answered For a moment Making the everyday ordinary a comfort for a moment Only sunshine on green grass Water burbling over polished pebbles And the faithful Olde Sun Rising & setting each & every day The East The West Bringing newness to this ancient world Wilhelmina

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TrIE We will be celebrating a Downtown Eastside Day of the Dead on Wednesday afternoon, November 2nd in Oppenheimer Park. Starting at 1:00 o'clock we'll have music with the Watari Marimba Band, Alfredo Flores, Michael Nardachioni, and the Harmony of Nations Drummers.

We invite you to bring mementos and photographs of your loved ones that have passed on for the altar.

The Celebration of the Dead originated with the Aztecs. they began this tradition many centuries before Europeans arrived in the Americas. Our ancestors chose the month when everything was plentiful and abundant to invite the spirits of the . dead to join us for a fiesta. For them, the Celebration of the Dead was a time of happiness and pleasure because they believed that the souls of their loved ones were alive, at the time of the harvest, every November.

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Every Wednesday afternoon in October, from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m., we will have workshops in Oppenheimer Park to make rattles and traditional Latin American decorations: October 5 October 12 October 19 October 26 The Vancouver Public Library is putting the February 14 DTES Women's Memorial Quilt online at http://bit.ly/rememberourwomen. We hope people will want to share their memories of the Missing and Murdered Women. At these Wednesday afternoon workshops, we will be available to hear and record your stories.

Lady Die

LOS

MUERTOS

Carnegie

Community

October

Last month the BC Government announced that it would spend $500 million on "affordable" housing in the months leading up to the provincial election in May. The government says this will build 2900 units of "affordable" housing but doesn't say affordable for who.

Action

Project

2016

Will the units be for some of the 100,000 or so people in BC who are homeless or at risk of homelessness, or will they be for richer people? We don't know and while this seems like a lot of money, let's crunch the numbers first.

Province getting ready for May election, announces $500 million for housing Continued ... Last March 1847 homeless people were counted in Vancouver with 972 of those in the Downtown Eastside.

Vancouver has 13% of BC's population so 13% of 2900 units is 377 units of housing for Vancouver, not even enough to help one quarter of Vancouver's homeless people. But chances are the housing will not be affordable for homeless people.

Probably this will be the last big housing spending announcement from the Liberal government for years. If so, that $500 million will have to last until the next government in 2021. Meanwhile rising rents and abysmally low welfare and

disability rates are churning out more and more homeless people. Last year the number of newly homeless people in Vancouver was about 1100.

And, we still don't know if the ND P would build social housing for low-income people if they were elected because they haven't released their plans.

During the last election they said they would build "up to" 1200 units of social housing a year for the province. "Up to" could mean 1 or 6 or 1200. And 1200 units/year is way lower than the 10,000 units a year that we need.

Apology and Correction CCAP would like to apologize for not mentiohing the presence, leadership and contribution of Black and African Descent community members at the occupation of City Hall onJuly 12th and at the meeting with the Mayor on Aug. 2 in our newsletter article last month. At both of those events the African Descent Community members played a critical

2

role getting the Mayor to make the commitment for 100% welfare rate housing at 58 W Hastings. Fighting racism and systemic discrimination in the community is critical and necessary work. We appreciate the newly formed DTES African descent Community Housing Project for taking on this difficult work and look forward to working together.

United Nations housing expert: Vancouver's tent city violates international human rights obligations "The tent city is comparable to the worst housing conditions I've been to in the world. It's shocking and completely contrary to Canada's, the province's and the city's international human rights obligations." That's what the United Nations' Special Rapporteur on Adequate Housing, Leilani Farha, had to say after a tour of the Regent and Maple Hotels, a little strip of Hastings Street and the tent city at 58 W Hastings.

CCAP asked Farha to come to the DTES hoping she could put some pressure on all levels of government to build more social housing, raise welfare rates, bring in real rent control and preserve and improve the SROs until more decent social housing is built. But Farha, who is a volunteer with the United Nations and has traveled all over the world inspecting housing situations, doesn't have a lot of power.

After Farha's short DTES tour she met with about 25 DTES residents and workers who poured their hearts out about the need for decent housing for all. Lama Mugabo, who chaired the meeting, told Farha about rents in SRO hotels going up to $600 and even $1000 a month.

"The main problem is there is no hous-

ing available," Mable Nipshank of the DTES Women's Centre said. "It is a matter of the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer ... Children are being apprehended as a result of homelessness."

Tia Maria from the Power of Women (POW) talked about the impact of homelessness and poverty on women. She read the POW demands, highlighting the need for 10,000 social housing units in Vancouver immediately, the need to prirotize abused women a rent freeze, stopping child apprehensions and the criminalization of poverty. • "We don't need institutional housing. You shouldn't have to look in a camera and push a button for them to let you in." said AI Fowler of the BC Association of People on Methadone. Teresa from the Power of Women group made the same point and explained, "they check my room everyday. You feel like you're being spied on. People are on the streets cause they can't live in these buidings."

"The history of Canada is colonization, taking land from natives" said AIan Lee. Capitalism is the illness that gets us this poor. We are fighting a very hard battle." 3

Continued .. Beverley Ho of the Chinatown Concern group said they are fighting to get social housing for seniors at 105 Keefer; But the developer "wants to make it con dos and there are already enough condos on Main St. that are displacing seniors and families and the businesses that people need."

Kombii Nanjalah and Xavier from the Great Lakes Foundation talked about the

displacement of Hogan's Alley, discrimination in the SRO Hotels, and the need for housing and a community centre for people of African Descent.

"As a Canadian of Arab descent, I hear you," Farha said at the end of the meeting. We'll have to wait to see if any pressure on government for welfare/pension rate housing comes out of the meeting.

Tenant and lawyer start class action suit against Regent Hotel owners and city "The City of Vancouver has made a conscious choice not to enforce its Standards of Maintenance Bylaw with respect to the Regent on the basis that persons paying low rents are in a special category of tenants to whom the Standards and Maintenance Bylaw does not fully apply or applies only in attenuated form."

That's what the lawyer in a class action legal case says about the city's failure to enforce the Standards of Maintenance byla at the Regent Hotel.

4

The statement is part of a beginning class action suit against owners of the Regent Hotel and the city for a long list of maintenance violations including lack of heat and hot water, leaking roof, impassable fire escape, chronically broken elevator, crumbling facade, and rat infestation.

In the statement the lawyer asks for an injunction requiring the City to carry out the required work, and an order appointing a property management company to operate and repair the Regent. It also seeks general, special, punitive and aggravated damages for the tenants which could add up to $200 per month for each month the tenant has lived at the Regent.

In response to the legal suit the city says it enforces bylaws on a complaint basis and has discretion in enforcing municipal bylaws. So far we haven't seen how the Regent owners respond to the suit which could take years to go through the courts.

The legal case has begun with Regent tenant Jack Gates and lawyer Jason Grad.

When (and if) it is certified by ajudge, then other tenants can join it.

Do street vendors want to move from Pigeon Park?

The City is planning to relocate the popular Sunday Pigeon Park Street Market to 501 Powel1 Street (kitty corner to Oppenheimer Park) in mid-October. According to Mary Clare Zak, the City's managing director of Social Policy, the city had to close the Pigeon Park location because of security and concerns over the sale of stolen goods.

The DTES Street Market Society says they support the move because the new site will be enclosed by fences, stay open more days a week, have wifi, toilets and other amenities for vendors and volunteers. There will also be a shuttle bus between Pigeon Park and Powell Street. Street vendors should have access to these basic amenities, but it is not clear why these improvements cannot be delivered at the successful Pigeon Park market site.

While the new site offers some improvements, many vendors do not want to move. Vendors that GCAP talked to worry they won't make as much money at the new location. Irene Mountain, who is a street vendor, says she doesn't vend at the Powell site. "Where are the customers? And imagine trying to get there with full carts and bags. How would you get there unless you live right there?" VANDU member David Hauke expressed the same concerns, "The Powell market is not working, there is no one there on Saturdays. There is usually more workers than vendors there. Why would it work now?"

When CCAP conducted an informal survey in September, sixty-four vendors at the market said they wanted to stay at Pigeon Park and only nine said they wanted to move to the new site.

Another petition condemning the move has over three hundred signatures. Most of these signatories are vendors and according to DTES activist Homeless Dave, who has been a key organizer against the move, the petition is getting more signatures every 5

Homeless Dave says the VPD and the City are disregarding the fact that almost all street vendors are against the move. "Survival street vendors are just trying to supplement their income to meet their needs," Dave explains. "Now the vendors are being displaced to a barren landscape devoid of customers. At the same time VPD harassment of vulnerable street vendors continues. " The Street Market and Fair started in May 20 I0 as a protest against the criminalization of street vendors, who were being jailed as a result of repeated street vending tickets. The street market was a community initiative to take public space in the face of boutique and cando gentrification pressing on Pigeon Park from all sides.

Later, a new set of street market organizers took the market away from its protest and anti-gentrification roots, but regardless of the political intent of those leaders the weekly low-income community presence at Pigeon Park and on Carrall St has remained an important bulwark against the tide of higher-income shoppers and boutiques. l\foving the street market will mean this bulwark will be gone.

"The displacement of the Pigeon Park street market is not about security, it is about gentrification pure and simple and making the whole area like Woodward's," explained Kevin Yake of WAHRS. "The market is now being moved to a less visible 6

area where there is less people." As Kevin observes, over the last few years there has been a displacement of low-income services, supports and people further away from the Downtown Eastside core on Hastings Street.

In a similar process, the Bottle Depot was recently moved from its location on the 0 block of East Hastings Street. Soon after the move, in December 2015, the City increased the police presence on the block and also enforced an aggressive non-vending zone on the north side of Hastings Street.

These changes are coinciding with the construction and the opening of several condo projects on Hastings Street, including Sequel 138 and a big Atira social mix building where the bottle depot used to be.

Serial evictor and gentrifier Steven Lippman also purchased and upscaled an SRO on that block. Hotel rooms there are now renting for more than $750/month.

The displacement of the Pigeon Street Market does not just impact street vendors but will also affect the many low-income customers who rely on the market to buy essentials and to find friends and community. Street vendor David Hauke explains, "Pigeon Park is our living room, our front yard. I have talked to a lot of vendors and they said they are not going, they don't want to go there. They want to stay at Pigeon Park where their community is."

We Can't Afford Poverty fight over crumbs while a few take off with the whole cake"

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"No one chooses poverty" "Children's dreams shouldn't be denied" .

"Poverty ISBn

eleÂŁtion issue"

"Poverty is NOT

"Who

natural"

decides

which child will be poor?"

Image and text from We Can't Afford Poverty, a participatory project centred on addressing poverty in BC.

@NoPovertyBC

Block print by Edward, 9.

art

WWW.nODOvertybc.ca 7

Social Justice not Social Enterprises I Town Hall 1-3pm, Saturday, Oct 1st I Carnegie Theatre The City is pushing through a new Community Economic Development Strategy for the Downtown Eastside this fall.

The Strategy was called for by the Local Area Planning Committee members who believed a more comprehensive plan was need to address issues of poverty, income inequality and health of local serving businesses.

On Saturday, October 1st, we are holding a town hall at the Carnegie in order to inform Downtown Eastside residents and community groups about some of the measures the strategy proposes. We will also present our retail and zones of exclusion research at the town hall, our concerns about the strategy, and we want your feedback!

While the strategy mentions the need to increase welfare rates, it is predominantly in favour of market solutions to poverty in the Downtown Eastside. As such we are concerned that the strategy fails to adequately address poverty and income inequality in the neighbourhood, and that some of the measures supported by the plan will actually facilitate gentrification and the loss of low-income housing.

Come to the town hall and learn how the economic development strategy will impact low-income residents. We will discuss the strategy, why market approaches to poverty doesn't work and real measures to address poverty in the neighbourhood. Snacks and coffee will be provided.

City wants to shut down tent city At a meeting on Sept 27 City staff told members of the Our Homes Can't Wait group that conditions in the tent city are becoming dangerous and staff is trying to find shelter for 25 people there who they say are homeless. People in the Our Homes Can't Wait group warned the city not to talk about violence in the tent city as though violence didn't happen in SROs and against homeless people living on the street.

They also called on the city to find real, permanent homes for everyone living at the tent city.

HERE COMES THE

is" Annual

Downtown

Eastside Heart of the City Festival

Wed October 26 to Sun November 6, 2016

Harmony of Nations with lan Bee at the 2015 Heart of the City Festival, Photo: Tom Quirk

Get ready for the

rs" annual

Downtown

Eastside Heart of the City Festival and twelve days of

music, stories, songs, poetry, cultural celebrations, films, theatre, dance, processions, spoken word, forums, workshops, discussions, gallery exhibitions, public art, mixed media, art talks, history walks and more!

The theme of this year's Festival, Living on Shared Territory, pays tribute to the Downtown Eastside's founding peoples, cultures and diverse neighbourhoods; as we live, learn and create together

n unceded Coast Salish territories

under the shadow of our colonial past and present.

The Festival takes inspiration from the words of Chief Robert Joseph, Reconciliation Canada: Our future and the well-being of our children rest with the kind of relationships we build today.

A special feature this year is the installation

ofthe

27 ft. Survivors Totem Pole

on Sat Nov 5,

starting with 11:30am gathering and procession from Main and Hastings, arriving at 12:15pm in Pigeon Park, Hastings and Carrall. In the words of pole carver Skundaal Bernie Williams (Haida/Coast Salish), this grass roots initiative

led by Sacred Circle Society "honours the many

people who have arrived and lived in the Downtown Eastside as survivors."

Watch the next Carnegie newsletter for program highlights!

For more information

contact 604-628-5672 or www.heartofthecityfestival.com

The Downtown Eastside Heart of the Festival is produced by Vancouver Moving Theatre with the Carnegie Community Centre & Association of United Ukrainian Canadians working with a host of community partners.

I Work With the Damage A humourless sense of security all along the beatings path like a Newer Scotland Yard that absentia hometeam is coming up to bat I work with the Dawn of the Damaged the damage increases as the rainbow goes to pot, people have begun to believe in non-belief only to sublet their minds to much eviler thoughts no more finding a need then filling it when less brain cells tell you that you're not gonna get caught Hey poor people & child exploitation will always fill their slot, like ~ dating site distress single half-off if you do the same how lovely how fucking quaint people do drugs & self~larm to escape the evils& living hell the churches vision of heaven this ain't Pleasant Valley this is not that, like the parts of the world that sell formal execution wear in better capital punishment locations near you like the interest of conflicts nothing including the centuries that embrace birth & death days everything is being destroyed to build all brand new any ideas of reliving past good imes are gone accept the damage & relax, like race riot races at the next Olympics death & all its clenched fisted forms no one ever said losing 'your entire mind would ever ever be the norm but being normal is a selective practice taken out on the many instead of the few ...

Like putting loan sharks on hold these people live to mail body parts to families there3 is nothing funny about 4 fingers & a thumb in a mailed post office envelope complete with crimson baggie the things damaged people have had happen to them to make their life a full-on holocaust at some point they realise insanity was the answer for you, Thousands of years full of hatred can make anyone a little angry even pissed off like 3 doctors not having a clue to my ailmen' I go upstairs where the Needle Exchange used to be as I wait for an answer a nurse beckons me in where I tell her of rotten-egg breath followed by mass vomiting even after there is nothing left in me "you have giardia" thank you so much as I wondered which brand of breakfast cereals was handing out Doctor Diplomas (like they had actually been earned) did these 3 doctors have '666' on their scalps - born with or burned in by Satanists- can get so moody when gently touched ...

Children outside are playing white coplblack kid their future is a sight for sore eyes & deteriorating mind but looks aren't everything just a touch of depression & loneliness combined can still bring the momentary

feeling of joy not a house built out of ash, kids are cruel they shall grow down to the next generations monsters no pity no emotion not a care except for themselves when there is a world full of like-minded pushed-around souls it's up to yourself to survive the everyday agony there are no trophies just the love & respect we deserve no there is no "let's pretend none of this ever happened" cash grammatically incorrect stupidity will be & soon be the new trick to try. Put a foot in the door of mental illness it's not a trend don't call it a friend it lives to put guns in the mouths of those who want to die quick - this must end right now no more hanging around On the promising scale we number about one in a thousand yet those who work with the damage the walking nitemares avoiding sunlight like a beaten animal avoids man Saint Minus has a new friend saint Teresa of Calcutta she is the most awesome person I say hello to as often as I can like the Malignant Seven boring a hole through you brain life at its worst when a scream is your one & only sound. Bye for now

By ROBERT McGILLIVRA Y "Scars remind us that the past is real." -Hannibal Lector

r~ On FRlDAYS(between 10:30 A:M and 12:30 P:M there is going to be a brainstorming session at Oppenheimer Park. for inquiries and workshops about the following topics: (a)-Android and Apple tablets (b)Android and Apple Smart Phones (the latter are called I-Phones (c)information about social media-Facebook, Twitter, Linkedln, lnstagram (djinformation about computers.

-This summer the facilitator went to a tutorial at Apple lnc.(at Oakridge Mall) & took three classes -one about Apple Laptop computers -one about Apple I-Phones -one about Apple l-Pads, -Sometimes a person has to do some unlearning when switching from an Apple-product to an Android product -or vice versa

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Alicia (Diane) Mercurio (Lawrence) December 2, 1933-September 1, 2016 Alicia made the world a better place. Even as a young girl in the 1940's she raged against racism & injustice and set her life's path on righting these wrongs. When she was fifteen she was with some black friends. On their way home, the police stopped them and put them in jail simply because they were together. This incident didn't deter Alicia, but rather inspired her to fight against injustice in the system throughout her life.

Alicia (Diane) Mercurio (Lawrence) was born Dec. 2 933 in San Francisco. She was the second child of Earl Joseph Mercurio & Harriette Gertrude Vagg. Her older brother by twelve years, William, died at sea working for the merchant marines during WW2 when Alicia was ten. At the age of twenty-two, she entered the Sisters of St Joseph of Carondelet Convent and became Sister Mary WaIter C.SJ. and took her vows on Aug. 15 1957. She taught school in Arizona & Los Angeles working with underprivileged kids in poor neighborhoods for 12 years.

In February 1967, Alicia left the convent for health reasons and became active in the Vietnam antiwar movement, where she met and married her husband Randy (Clyde) Lawrence in Dec. 1967. The couple lived in Topanga Canyon, a hotspot for artists, hippies, musicians and alternative thought; before moving to Canada. In May of 1968, Alicia and Randy travelled to Calgary in a VW bus because Randy had been drafted. While there she taught adult education to Czech refugees and became active with the Calgary Committee to aid war resisters. At that time Alicia began her lifelong passion for dogs, with Mandy a beautiful Weimaraner.

On March 17 1970 she gave birth to her son, Casey, the light of her life. In 1970, she & Randy purchased an old .homestead in the Shuswap and began making plans to move back to the land. In September 1972 she & her family 'moved lock stock and barrel into a one room rustic cabin with no running water, hydro or phone. There she planted a garden, took care of a menagerie of livestock and dogs and brought up her son. Casey and his partner Alex live on the land to this day with their dogs, cats, chickens and incredible garden.

During this time Alicia worked on a project to divert youths on probation by providing them with a wilderness experience on White ake. She planted trees for the forest service for 5 seasons. Alicia started a women's centre in Salmon Arm and sponsored an outreach project focusing on women, youth and First Nations in Salmon Arm. By 1979, Alica and Randy were separated and she took a job developing an educational program for the Okanagan Indian Band in Vernon taking Casey with her. While in Vernon she became the coordinator of the Okanagan Woman's Coalition and in 1980 she was elected to a 2 year term representing BC & Yukon for the National Action Committee on the Status of Women. As one of the founding members of the BC Human Rights Coalition, A1icia was offered a job as a human rights officer and moved to Vancouver in 1980. Because of a change in government she lost that job and began working on Solidarity for the BC Federation of Labour.

When Solidarity ended she worked as a fundraiser for Vancouver's Co-op radio and hosted radio shows focusing on native issues. She volunteered at various prisons taking community elders and members of the native brotherhood to reunite prisoners with their ancestral spirituality. She was on the board of the Canadian Alliance in support of Native People and did support work for Oka (Quebec).

In 1985, Alicia found a job \yith the Canadian Human Rights Commission and moved to Edmonton with Casey and her beloved dog Sam. In 1987 she began working in an outreach program for Urban Native Education at Matsqui Prison in Mission BC.

In 1989 she took ajob at the Carnegie Centre in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside as an educational programmer.

At the Carnegie, she developed programs for Aboriginal cultural activities and connected community members with important events such as the annual Elders' Conferences, Medicine Wheel and pow-wows. She supported a thriving seniors program and engaged in anti-poverty actions. Alicia was instrumental in ensuring that the Carnegie had strong connections with the women's health and anti-violence work in the DTES. She also started the HIV/AIDS support group with John Cameron which still meets weekly at Carnegie and together organized the. first World AIDS Day event in the DTES which continues to be an important annual event for the community.

She supported individuals but always had her eye on the bigger.ÂŁicture.

JJJi. I A Although Alicia left the C~holic Church,[)'Ih~ \\-IMr!\:~i~~d1istfoRlspi{:h~IaI ease nn8-M.s a deV'o~ed ~f Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. As was her way, she was not content just with individual practice but volunteered as a videographer at teachings and helped out regularly at the Sea to Sky

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Retreat Centre near Whistler. Even after leaving Vancouver, she maintained strong ties with the sangha, especially with the Dharma Dames.

Alicia retired in 1998 but remained active in the community as a Carnegie Centre board member amongst other things. In 2001, Alicia returned to the Shuswap to a lovely house by the lake to live with her new puppy, Chula.

She lived there until her passing, closely connected with her family and visited by many friends.

Alicia not only spent her life fighting for dignity and well-being of disenfranchised people but was a fiercely loyal and loving friend to way too many to mention. Special Thanks to Nurse Janine, the Salmon Arm hospice and all the care aids who tended to her during her illness.

Donations in Alicia's name can be made to Doctors without borders, Oxfam and the SPCA. Alicia is survived by her son Casey Lawrence and his partner Alexandra Schon. Casey and Alex described the last years of Alicia's family life:' "Living so close made it possible to be a big part of her life. With the cancer diagnosis, we were there to help her through the various stages and during the last few months we could be with her most of the time. She was particularly happy that we brought along our dogs Lennie and Bella. We are so glad that Alicia could fulfill her wish to die with dignity at home surrounded by Family, Friends and Dogs." •

By Rika Uto

VOLUNTEER PROGRAM Volunteers

of the month - September 2016

Monty Gian Francesco, Weight Room Vide ha, Learning Centre Congratulations! !

Volunteer Committee Meeting Wednesday,

October

12th @ 3:30pm,

Classroom 2

19th @4:30pm,

Theatre

Volunteer Dinner Wednesday,

October

Burrito Dinner Monday, October 24th @ 5:00pm, 2nd Floor Few words from the volunteer program: 6 reasons why volunteering is important and AWESOME: 1) 2) 3)

Gain New Experiences and lnsights Giving Back and Helping Others Creating Connections with People

4) 5) 6)

A Sense of Accomplishment Building Career experience Because YOU LOVE Carnegie

Learn more about our Volunteer Program at Carnegie by coming to one of our weekly volunteer orientations held every Saturday and Monday at 2:30pm. We are located on the 3rd floor, in the program office. Ask for Sindy or Luke Q

[thanks to Barb Daniel for this information & report.]

Save CRAB Park Carnegie Town Hall

great success

Artist: Tota

Around 75 people attended the Save CRAB Park Camegie Town Hall last Saturday (Sept. 24) to catch up on what's happening and step up to the open mic to share smart ideas and thoughtful questions. Van East MP Jenny Kwan, Crab Water for Life Society President Don Larson and Four Sisters President Barb Daniel were speakers. Thanks to everyone for coming out!

If you haven't done so already, please sign and share the online petition on the leadnow website (you.leadnow.ca/petitions/save-crab-park) and join the Save CRAB Park facebook group page. If you have any questions or would like to help, email savecrabpark@gmail.com. So far, we have more than 10,000 signatures total on two petitions: one on paper to Parliament and one online to the Port. We can win this!

In case you missed the meeting, here is some background:

Huge multinational threatens CRAB Park Dubai Ports World, operators of the Centerm container terminal beside our much-loved CRAB Park, plans to extend its terminal westward with seven acres of infill in the ocean right in front of the Park, the only green space for the vast majority of Downtown Eastside residents, almost all of whom live in SROs or small apartmen .

CRAB Park is home to the monument in memory of Downtown Eastside missing and murdered women.

People pay their respects at this monument daily.

Families and friends of the women visit the monument and conduct memorial services around it.

Dubai Ports World is owned by the Government of Dubai, a country with an abysmal human rights record. The Port ofYancouver's plan is to front th money for this business's expansion and then recoup it over time. When he was president of the US, George W Bush tried to allow Dubai Ports World to expand into US ports. His efforts were blocked by the American Congress because a foreign nation having such free

access to the ~merican waterfront constitutes a serious security threat.

Centerm's business operation already has an adverse effect on our population with its 2417 light and noise pollution and hazardous cargo. In March, 2015 a fire in one of the containers engulfed much of the Downtown Eastside with toxic smoke, necessitating an evacuation of the waterfront, hospitalization of several people and a lock-down of the area. Transit was stopped and there was no way for most people in the area to get out. School children had to walk home through the smoke and parents with small children in school and daycare could not reach them.

Now the operation is planning to expand by 66% and encroach even further on our health and well-being with its additional rail lines, truck traffic, pollution and hazardous cargo. A change of wind direction during last year's toxic chemical fire would have endangered an even more densely populated residential area as well as the downtown business district in the middle of a workday. This expansion brings that threat closer to these areas while putting the Downtown

Eastside at increased risk.

This westward expansion of the facility will also destroy resident and tourist enjoyment of the international-award-winning Park by surrounding it with heavy industry. Immediately west of the park is the heliport & the cruise ship terminal, to the south seven rail lines, and to the east the Centerm container terminal. The proposed westward expansion of the terminal would put its intense activity and pollution immediately to the north of the Park. Instead of the open waterway of Burrard Inlet with the majestic North Shore mountains as a backdrop, there would effectively be a lagoon in front of the Park and a dock the size of the Park with freighters, stacks of containers and huge gantries.

Downtown Eastsiders and their allies have struggled successfully for 33 years for CRAB Park, to create it, to ensure disabled access, to stop a casino funded by big Vegas money, and most recently to prevent a massive soccer stadium/entertainment venue from planting itself beside the Park. Now we need to continue the struggle and convince the Port of Vancouver to stand as responsible corporate citizens & axe the proposed westward expansion of the Centerm container terminal. You can sign the petition to the Port at you.leadnow.ca/petitions/save-crab-park (or search leadnow CRAB Park.)

Van East MP Jenny Kwan is leading the charge at the federal level, tabling am official petition to Parliament to save CRAB Park and limit the Port's authority.

You've probably signed it. She has also mailed everyone in the constituency on the subject and has been putting an amazing amount of thought, time and energy into this campaign.

CRAB Water for Life Society and Four Sisters Housing Co-op have joined forces with Jenny and several individuals as Save CRAB Park People (savecr qrk@gmail.com)

6) ~ Our system is one of detachm~nt: to.keep silenced people from asking questions, to keep the judged from judging, to keep solitary people from joining together, and the soul from putting together its pieces.

-Eduardo Galeano, "Divorces"; found in the intro of book Pathologies of Power, Paul Farmer, 2003

Community: who, what, where, when, why, How? We are a community of humans with differences (age, race, class, gender, ability) struggling to survive some of us, more than others. sometimes in conflict with each other, difficulties of coming together, communication skills - withoutjudgmental put-downs.

Homeplace is difficult to get, to maintain, to keep what little space we can afford. Private ownership is a class concept.

Stablility of place/space is necessary before we can even think of community or have the peaceful time and energy to contribute - beyond the everyday chores of working (~r not working) at jobs that barely pay the rent and feed the kids. sometimes some of us resort to steal ing food and clothes. the concept of private ownership and the laws to protect it will have the consequence of sending some of us to jail.

Private ownership - Monopoly game: steal food, etc. then go to jail. lose your lodging - then the landlord gets your rent $ and u get the street. Homes, not jails.

Homeplace, dis-place, fragment, segregate, Reservation - stolen land and small pox blankets.

Lies intended to ostracize, obliterate.

Constituency Office Now Open Reserve us a place to call Homespace, so we can commune.

2572 [ Hastings St!:~:gt Shitty Hall - stop planning for our tortured oblivion Vancouver, BC V:iK IZ3 our inconvenient, not for profit existence - cuz we'll Tel: 604-775-5800 never pay your Property Taxes.

Protect the land for people over profit. Protect the wa1/:,. j~ :.;~~~~~ i~O;~l~~;).l:~~~<l~(i{~p'lrLg~,s:.;l ter from oil greedy tycoons.

Jenny Kwan Give us back the stolen spaces. Keep our commons, MP for V,lIh;Ol!VCr East waterfront - Crab Park.

NDP Immigration. Refugee and Citizenship Critic d.b.d.

If

W.e acknowledge that Carnegie Community Centre, arid 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.

"Never dou bt that a sll1~11group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." -Margaret Meade LAW STUDENTS LEGAL ADVICE PROGRAM

WANTED Artwork for the Carnegie Newsletter

DROP-IN

Small illustrations to accompany articles and poetry.

Cover art - Max size 17cm(6 '1.")wide x 1Scm(6")high Subject matter pertaining to issues relevant to the Downtown Eastside, but all work considered Black & White printing only.

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

All artists will receive credit for their work.

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

Remuneration: Carnegie Volunteer Tickets

Mondays - l2:30pm to Spm Tuesday - lOam to Spm Thursday - 9am to Spm COMPUTER ADVICE Vancouver Community Network Cost-effective computer & IT support for non-profits VCN Tech Team http://techteam.vcn.bc.ca Call 778-724-0826 ext2. 705-333 Terminal

Please make submissions to Paul Taylor, Editor.

The editor can edit for clarity, format & brevity, but not at the expense of the writer's message.

Ave, Van

WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION • • • • •

SUBMISSION DEADLINE WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 12TH

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AIDS POVERTY HOMELESSNESS ~IOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN ABORIGINAL GENOCIDE TOT ALIT ARIAN CAPITALISM IGNORANCE and SUSTAINED FEAR

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