IN MEMORIUM PETER FAIRCHILD
IAN MACRAE
He arrived as too many do at Carnegie; homeless, penniless. Carnegie responded, helping him into the welfare support world and, equally importantly, into the Carnegie world of unquestioning acceptance, and of opportunity to contribute his time and talents. And he did, 100%, first as a kitchen volunteer, then board treasurer, casino fundraiser, and chair of the Carnegie 100th anniversary committee. He also journeyed from living in an SRO to managing two of them. Who else but Peter could bridge the worlds of the private SROs and the Carnegie spirit of generosity? Peter met his wife Cindy at Carnegie, where he was a tutor. They married at Carnegie, a joyous amalgam of Cindy’s Chinese friends and Carnegie volunteers. Peter and I met at Carnegie when I was Director, and we soon became good friends, and in 2019, co-writers of our book A Carnegie Community Centre Story. After retiring, Peter moved to Victoria to join Cindy. Characteristically they bought two homes and turned them into rooming houses for low income people. And to think that once he was a senior communications advisor to Prime Ministers Joe Clark and Brian Mulroney. You are a Carnegie legend. And we miss you pal.
Ian MacRae (March 30, 1949 October 7, 2020) passed away recently at his home at the Four Sisters Housing Co-op, with his long-time companion, poet Maxine Gadd, at his side. Ian was a founding member of his co-op, the head of security for decades, and did all the most unappealing roster duties, including cleaning out the garbage room, almost until the very end. He was a board member of the Downtown Eastside Residents Association and after retiring from DERA could always be counted on to publish the occasional missile letter in the Georgia Straight Newspaper against the gentrification and the housing crisis. He enjoyed gardening at the Strathcona Community Gardens and we enjoyed his beautiful tomatoes. Goodbye dear neighbour Ian, and rest in peace. – Wendy Pedersen
JOHN YURIS
The community of the former DURC and the Drinkers Lounge celebrates the life of our dear friend Joe Chatsis, who passed away peacefully on September 30, 2020. From the Poundmaker Cree Nation, Joe was a deep person who shared his gentle kindness, mischievous humour and passionate hoop dancing with the Downtown Eastside community. He danced at several DTES Culture Saves Lives Pow Wows, at The Big House community gathering/cultural feast, and as part of the Downtown Eastside Heart of the City Festival. Thank you, Joe, for sharing your gifts with us - you will be always loved.
John Yuris was well known to the community at the Downtown Community Health Centre for his generous, funny, expansive creativity. I came under his spell following a trip a group of us took to the beach a few years ago. Enroute by bus John broke out a pair of socks and entertained the other riders with a riveting and mostly silent puppet show. At the beach he worked steadily with wood and other objects he had brought with him in a canvas pack and continually assembled, disassembled. His art emerged from the objects he collected that came from his world around him; but that’s not him talking – John was resolutely silent about his art, he just shared it. He would share it anywhere, with everyone. Last fall, just prior to installing his work for his Heart of the City Festival show, he asked if we could bring all his pieces together. We laid the wrapped and bound objects out on several tables – it looked amazing. He loved his show. He is deeply missed – both for who he was and for what he gave us.
– Kelty McKerracher
– Mo Gaffney
– Michael Claque
JOE CHATSIS
2020 Heart of tHe City festival 53
