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October 15, 2011 c arnn ew s @s h aw. ca c arnn ews@vc n.b c.ca 401 Main Street, Vancouver V6A 2T7 604 . 665.2289 w w w. car nne w s . or g

October 15, 2011, carnegie newsletter

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Page 1: October 15, 2011, carnegie newsletter

October 15, 2011

c arnn ew s @s h aw. ca c arnn ews@vc n . b c.ca

401 Main Street, Vancouver V6A 2T7 604 .665.2289 w w w. car nne w s . or g ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Page 2: October 15, 2011, carnegie newsletter

" 8th Annual Downtown Eastside Heart of the City Festival Wednesday, October 26- Sunday November 6, .2011

More than 100 events at over 30 locations throughout the DTES

With twelve exciting days of music, theatre, poetry, media and visual arts, workshops, celebration, and history walks the 81

h Annual Downtown Eastside Heart of the City Festival celebrates the creative and committed artists, residents and activists w ho thrive in our community.

• OPENING CEREMONY Help kick off the festival at the Opening Ceremony with special guests Mayor Robertson and Councillors Anton, Reimer and Woodsworth. Featured artists include: DTES poet and activist Diane Wood reading Sandy Cameron's poem 100 Years of Struggle; the Sunshine Choir, Chinese Canadian seniors who rehearse regularly at Oppenheimer Park share their enthusiasm for singing; Juno nominee Wayne Lavallee (Cree/Metis) brings his contemporary native voice; and the Carnegie Street Band swings us to the grand finale. Wed Oct 26, 2pm sharp, Carnegie Theatre, everyone welcome! Refreshments. Free

Jo-ann Howard, Carnegie Street Band (photo: O••id Cooper)

Page 3: October 15, 2011, carnegie newsletter

_3,. • SWEET SOUL SISTERS OF THE DOWNTOWN EASTSIDE An evening of blues, jazz and soul that speaks to the story of our neighbourhood. Hear some of the strong female voices of the DTES, including Dalannah Gail Bowen, Rosanne Gervais, Heidi Morgan and Peggy Wilson accompanied by local musicians Michael Bellwood, John Cote, Murray Black and Gary Wildeman. A fabulous even ing of women's vo ices and the men who back them up! Wed Oct 26, 7:30- 9:30pm Carnegie Theatre. Free

Rosanne Gervais: a sweet soul sister }photo: David Cooper}

• SOPHISTICATED LADIES- A TRIBUTE TO THE WOMEN IN JAZZ A special event featuring the soulful voices of local favourites Thelma Gibson and Dalannah Gail Bowen. Thelma grew up in the East End, went to Strathcona Elementary School, and worked in nightclubs throughout the East End and Chinatown, across Canada, and in Europe and the West Indies. Dalannah is a favourite daughter ofthe Downtown Eastside and one of Vancouver's premiere vocalists. Fri Oct 28, 8pm. Radha Yoga, 728 Main Street 2"d floor. $10 suggested donation at door. All welcome!

Sophisticated Ladies: Thelma Gibson and Dalannah Ga il Bowen (photo: David cooper!

Two other exciting events during the first week of the Festival include-• CARNEGIE JAZZ BAND on Sun Oct 30, 12:30pm Carnegie Theatre with special guests Dal Richards, Honourable Steven Point, lieutenant Governor of BC and DTES musicians including Ken Tabata, Jo-ann Howard, James Pelehos, Rob MacDermot, Gary Wildeman, Randy Morrison and Gerry Teahan. Followed at 2:30 by the ABORIGINAL ARTIST SHOWCASE featuring Sam George, DTES poet and master of words Muriel 'X' Williams and Juno nominee Wayne Lavallee.

For event details, pick up the Festival Program Guide at the Carnegie Front Desk. Produced by Vancouver Moving Theatre in association with the Carnegie Community Centre. the Association of United Ukrainian Canadians

working with a host of community partners.

Page 4: October 15, 2011, carnegie newsletter

Firehall Theatre Presents Play, Exhibit & Dialogues

It's called VIMY, and takes place after the Battle of Vimy Ridge in the First World War. It's the story of a nurse caring for soldiers recovering in a field hospi­tal after the battle.

To compliment the play. we're also hosting dialogue sessions around the subject of war- the next one hap­pens October 17 at the Audain Gallery (Woodward's SFU) called Art at War, and the following one, called Women and War, happens October 24 in the Peter Kaye Room at the Central Library. There will also be a photo exhibit at the Fireball Arts Centre Gal­lery called Peace at War looking at the lives ofVan­couverites during war times. The dialogues are free, but there is a cost for attend­

ing the play. However, the Fireball has pay what you can previews and Wednesday matinees, as well as a V6A pass for community members, which makes the cost of attending any performance $2.

On Poverty On Drugs On ME

There's a war going on, have you noticed? our sidewalks & streets be the battleground ..

Dear Friends,

Thank you for your support during the COPE nomina­tion meeting. I would like to thank each and every one of you for attending the meeting and voicing your opinions on the future direction of our party. I also really appreciated all the emails, tweets and calls thanking me for my work. I am humbled by your re­sounding support leading up to the municipal election on November 19,2011.

Looking forward, I will need your continued support during the upcoming municipal election. If you have questions about the election, how to vote and where to vote, you can simply call 3-1-1 and speak to a City of

Vancouver citizen service representative to answer any of your questions. For more information about voting in the election and to access the Voting Guide please vis it: http://vancouver.ca/ctyclerk!elections/20 11 election/ To win the election on Nov. 19 we need people and

we need donations. The NPA has announced that they will be spending $2 million dollars and COPE does not take corporate donations. I look forward to continuing to work for you and rep­

resenting your voices at City Hall.

Ellen Woodsworth the homeless, the helpless be the collateral damage 'P.·. while the establishment decides who dies -;{f4~ 1 ,

how many, how fast (or slow); only ~t-~~., ... \.t..•:i,Jtld;;. the powers that be know I' ~·~ "V · 1' •

for sure I know there' s no cure :..$~. :"y ... ~"'~ no answer that's for sure ~......_I - J,t:

'-..i..t" ·. ~).}-. trying to shut down safe injection sites . so we can go back to dying in the alley behind the condos they got planned .,. • _ ~ - ___ all these junkies and riffraff __ ~ .-. got no place in this New Age strategy plan is corral 'em all in a ghetto feed 'em all kinds of potions and pills heroin cure all your ills, crack your cancer too state4 calls thje shots: how much ya eat and what put your ass in jail, get you off the street if HIV and the poisoned dope supply don' t make sure all of us die then the police shoot you down after they kick in your door what? you didn't notice?? this is WAR

AI

About Insite lnsite is one of two supervised injection sites in North America and has been operating in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside since 2003. Operated under a partnership between PHS and the VCHA, lnsite has substantially reduced the transmission ofHIV and Hepatitis C, as well as the number of overdose deaths in the DTES. lnsite is the most studied public health facility in North America, with over 40 peer-reviewed research papers that show lnsite saves money and saves lives.

Page 5: October 15, 2011, carnegie newsletter

For SandY On October 14, as part of both the 're-opening' of the Carnegie Centre after extensive renovations and the neighbourhood's contribution to Vancouver's 125'h Anniversary, friends of Sandy Cameron will honour his memory. He passed on October 9, 20 I 0, leaving a treasure of writing and poetry - his epic poem One Hundred Years of Struggle will be spoken in full at the heart of the community.

Sandy's never-ending contributions to the quality of life in the Downtown Eastside and beyond keep his memory alive and well in all who met him. The last line of his poem is the soul of our 'hood:

"Memory is the mother of community."

By PaulR Taylor

CJ !Vi ('(' tY'

ffiEBEB

1 I

ffiffiffi

fi1l3 ffiffi 0 0

~ \I Ill~ l! I

Fool Fashun

I spend my days impersonating myself My buddy is always incognito "ve sit around being unreal for each other try ing real hard to remember some secret it' s said we share

Wear clothes with names on ' em Went to Paris 'cause my hoodie said Hilton put on my best North Face cruise down Columbia, another G UNIT show y'all I'm down with that

cool as Slim Shady you can tell by my baseball hat

AI

Sally Sunshine )

Flattered when she asked me " Is your wife Meti too?'' My unknown ethnic origins plain as the face on my face shone thru to her like that finally, I know what was obvious all along explains a lot, come to think of it and she told me her 2 jobs & her 2 little boys tired her out and 1 was silently stunned, goinh 'oh my god' .. my small problems don ' t compare to someone's who's got real guts, some real stones to look ahead to the future all by her lonesome with two little lives tuggin ' at your coattails and this a ll gets delivered with her sincere smile, ever curious and then some

AI

Flu Blitz- October 11- October 28th.

Shift times: 8:30-noon; 12:45- 4:15pm We are in need volunteers for all days and shifts of

the blitz. Volunteers work directly with nurses help­ing them navigate the neighborhoods, helping to reg­ister and recruit people to get flu shots and acting as an overall assistant to the nurse. If interested call Janet 604-301-3885 or sign up the first day ofthe Blitz at the Old Buddhist Temple.

Janet Notter Coordinator, Community Volunteer Resources Vancouver Coastal Health

"Volunteer for the health of it"

Page 6: October 15, 2011, carnegie newsletter

Opening reception: Fri Oct 21: 5- 7pm, Oppenheimer Park; 7 - 9pm, Gallery Gacbet At 5pm join Oppenheimer Park artists, community members and neighbours for the Art Show Opening Night & Parade. Gather at the Oppenheimer Park Field House to eat the delights presented by Oppenheimer and join the sidewalk procession to Gallery Gachet, led by Brad Muirhead and the Carnegie Street Band, for desserts. Free event. Wednesday Oct 26: 3.30 - 5.30pm, Potluck Panel- conversations on food and culture hosted by Dr. Legumes, a.k.a. artist Pierre Leichner, and featuring an assortment of speakers all working with food as a cultural medium. Join the conversation, join the feast! Workshop series in partnership with the Downtown Eastside Neighbhourhood House- t.b.c. The 4th Annual Oppenheimer Park Community Art Show, "At Our Kitchen Table" showcases work by new, emerging and established artists that reflect the vibrant and creative community in and around the Park, including the talents of the many individuals who utilize year round programs offered at Oppenheimer Park. With Food Security initiatives growing throughout the neighbourhood, this year's theme looks at and celebrates 'lood"; what it means to our sense of community, the healing and divisive power of the kitchen table, how food can be a creative and powerful medium, and the cultural, traditional, and historical practices associated with food. Oppenheimer Park is one of the few green spaces in the area; it is often referred to as "the Backyard of the Downtown

Eastside". The community that frequents Oppenheimer Park is very diverse, and the overwhelming majority of our patrons face a range of barriers in their daily lives. A resolute community of people uphold the Park's vision as a place for art, culture, education, recreation, health and healing,

providing a sense of family and safety by being a place where 'everyone is welcome'. The park also hosts many community special events, provides volunteers opportunities and work experience to P.rimarily low-income residence. Oppenheimer Park is the busiest park, per capita in the city. Once again we are excited to present a celebration of the creative and resilient community of Oppenheimer Park at Gallery

Gachet. The artworks reflect a strong sense of this community, with many of them capturing the collective imagination of this eclectic and multi-faceted place.

Page 7: October 15, 2011, carnegie newsletter

News frotn the LibrarY New Books

What does space smell like? Can a paper cut be deadly? Just how old is dirt? FYI (500 F692c) is Popular Science's look at "229 curious questions an­swered by the world's smartest people."

Reader's Digest has just released a no-nonsense guid0 called 759 Secretes to Beating Diabetes: Simple, -Everyday Tips to Transform Your Health (616.462 S49c), with sections on "At the Grocery Store", "In Your Kitchen" and "In Your Mind". There's even a section on "In Your Bedroom"! We've got other new health books too, including First Steps Through Be­reavement, by Sue Mayfield ( 155.937 M46f), Facing Addiction: Starting Recovery from Alcohol and Drugs, by Patrick Carnes (362.29 C28f), and Over­coming Anxiety for Dummies (152.46 E46o 1). Math-phobic? We've got two new books that could help. Math Word Problems DeMystified, by Allan G Bluman (510.76 B65ml) has the solution to the one about the two trains travelling at different speeds, and lots more, whi le Bob Miller's Basic Math & Pre­Algebra for the Clueless (510 M64bl) breaks down the learning process in an easy, non-technical way. How to do (Just About) Anything on a Computer: Hundreds of Ways to Get More Out of Your PC (004. 16 R28h2) is a simple, well-illustrated guide with step-by-step instructions on everything from sell­ing on eBay to syncing your iPod to creating a blog. You may never need to kick your computer again ....

Beth, your librarian

Join the Carnegie Library and the National Film Board for an amazing selection of new animated fea­tures: from boldly experimental to flat-out funny!

Marc Newland, director of CMYK, will attend the screening and then give a free hands-on workshop where he'll demonstrate the basics of animation and help participants make short, animated films.

Saturday, October 22, Carnegie Theatre Screenings at 3:30pm; Workshop at Spm

Page 8: October 15, 2011, carnegie newsletter

Funding Ends for Pathways??!

You may not be aware of the upcom ing closure of the Pathways Information Centre, located at the intersection of Main & llastings and. if so, then you're probably also unaware of the consequences to the community of losing this service. I am taking this opportunity to inform you of this fact and give you the chance to help our community in a very real way. For the last 9 years Pathways has been a respectful, safe, open and friendly place for the people in our community to go for assistance with finding & accessing services as well as getting immediate support in getting employed. Many need this help! The public largely does not know or care that at this time funding for this essential community service will not be renewed past March of20 12. This means that a large number of very vu lnerab le people will no longer have proper access to communication (phone, fax, internet, copying), one on one support in meeting their challenges or relevant employment services. I would encourage you to learn more and be a part of publicizing the need to have this place open for the people of Vancouver's inner city. For more information please contact the staff at Pathways (604.682. 7353).

Ludvik Skalicky FACT SHEET Pathways Information Centre An information and referral agency in the downtown eastside {DTES) of Vancouver, Pathways Information Centre opened its doors in 2003 as a community-based resource centre that now provides critical services to over 3,000 new people every year. Not your typ ical employment centre, Pathways employs a holistic approach to serve the needs of DTES res idents who face many challenges and who are often chronically unemployed. Pathways is a street-level access point for DTES residents (members) seeking help as well as a hub to connect with over 170 local agencies. With over 14,000 members, Pathways sees more than 200 new people per day, assessing more than 150 people per month and referring just as many each month to other local community agencies. Many of these members don't "fit" the common model of employment services, which is why Pathways has developed a successful nexible model that focuses on accessibi lity, respect and responsiveness. While employment services are an important part of what they do, all seven Pathways staff act as social workers first. As the "office" of the DTES, Pathways provides an inc lusive and accessible oasis from the negativity many DTES residents face on a daily basis. The centre is popular because it provides free phones, fax, photocopiers, computers and access to the internet. Members can drop in to use free resources on their terms; and when they are ready, they can speak with an employment counsellor who can set them up with more resources including such things as training, resume coaching, community voicemai l and he lp finding c lothes for interviews. Employment is the common thread to help people make changes in their lives- however, Pathways believes meeting basic needs is critical for anyone to maintain employment. Path.ways staff connect with local agencies to help members work through barriers such as mental illness, phys ical problems and other personal issues such as abuse, drug addiction and/or home lessness. The results are transformative- assisting members to gain new skills and confidence for self-suffic iency.

In the last e ight years, Pathways has exceeded all Ministry mandated enrolment, assessment, referral and emp loyment targets. This is an incredible feat, g iven it takes an average of seven visits to the centre before a member asks to see an employment counsellor. This success is due in part to its high traffic, street-levellocation at Main and Hastings, where it is in the centre of the neighbourhood. Members are provided with easy access to resources, and counselling on their terms in an environment they can fee l comfortable. New C ha llenge Pathways is operated by the non-profi t T radeworks Training Society, active in the DTES since 1994. Tradeworks has received fed era l funding for Pathways for eight years. Under a Federal-Provincial agreement, the BC Ministry of Social Development administers the funding and has recent ly initiated a Business Transformation Project whereby all of the services provided w ithin the existing employment services w ill be delivered through new Employment Services Centres (ESCs) as of Apri l 20 12. The number of ESCs proposed for all of Vancouver is

Page 9: October 15, 2011, carnegie newsletter

seven. Tradeworks' proposal to have Pathways operate as an ESC for the DTES has been declined. ~ The loss of government support and the potential closure ofPathways has caused much distress among community members, staff and Gther DTES agencies. The closure of several other employment related service agencies in the neighbourhood compounds the concern.

The population in the DTE has special needs. Pathways believes consolidation of services undermines the work of community-based agencies in the DTES who are uniquely positioned to address immediate needs of residents. Patlnvays connects its members to many of the local agencies, whether it is to help them find work or help them find stabil ity in their lives.

An independent study facilitated by Dr. Melinda Suto ofUBC's department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy identified 87% of members surveyed found meaningful occupation or work because of Pathways. More importantly, 73% members surveyed said Pathways facilitated engagement in activities other than work. Pathways staff know this facilitated engagement is essential for transformative work to happen. Recent changes in funding are based on quantitative targets which overlook unique needs ofDTES members who require extra time and support to become employable

How Can You Help Tradeworks is looking for new and creative ways to keep Pathways open . Donations are always appreciated, and can be facilitated on line through W\Vw.canadahelps.org. However, it wi ll take long term funding to ensure DTES residents will continue to receive the support they need. Write to your local politician or the Ministers responsible to voice your support for Pathways: Honorable Diane Finley, M inister of Human Resources and Ski lls Development Canada: [email protected] and Honorable Stephanie Cadieux, Minister of Social Development for the Province of British Columbia: sd.min [email protected] .

.:._::..,· .. .... . . --

. _::. ' '

_....,_ il· ./~,

Page 10: October 15, 2011, carnegie newsletter

/

I'HOTOI/RAI'Hit! MAl/It! from VANCOUVER'S EASTSIDE

The photos chosen for the annual Hope in Shadows calendar were unveiled on October 4th, showing the magic of the Downtown Eastside community.

The calendar, which is in its ninth year, is a collabo­ration of photos taken by Downtown Eastside resi­dents in the annual Hope in Shadows photo contest. Over 200 single-use film cameras were distributed to residents in June, resulting in over 4,000 photographs. The top 38 images were chosen by a panel of judges and voted on by the Vancouver community.

The photographers were recognized in five winning categories- the "Downtown Eastside Community Choice" award, the Julie Rogers Memorial Award for "Best Portrait," "Our City Landscape," " Best B&W and "Best Colour." A total of$2,500 in prizes will be awarded with the top-prize taking $500.

Kim Washburn is the co-winner of the "Downtown Eastside Community Choice" award. His photograph of Christiane Bordier captures the spirit of the Carne­gie Community Centre and graces the cover of the 2012 calendar. Kim is one of the carvers of the me­morial totem pole at Oppenheimer Park, is a writer and storyteller, and has become a pillar and advocate of the Downtown Eastside community. "I don't think I have to portray the drama, or trauma,

or the destitution [in the Downtown Eastside). I think that has already been well accounted for in print and imagery," Kim says. "I would just like to show the good parts, 'cause there are so many, some of the most beautiful things I've had or experienced in my life came from the Downtown Eastside."

Other winning photographers with images in this year's calendar include James Witwicki, a past contest winner who is also a vendor of the calendar and pub­lished poet in Megaphone magazine; Sarah Oullette who is a regular participant in Megaphone magazine's writing workshops and recently completed a journal­ism class at SFU Woodward's; and Mike McNeeley who is also a previous Hope in Shadows contest win­ner and studied art at Emily Carr.

Project Director Paul Ryan believes that this project showcases the talent of Downtown Eastside commu­nity members. "It astonishes me to see the incredible photography that has come out of this contest every year. The images show the beauty and humanity of the Downtown Eastside community, and are a way for community members to represent the neighbourhood through their own eyes. The broader community con­nects to the Downtown Eastside through these photos, and directly and when they meet and interact with a calendar vendor on the street."

Paul Ryan, Hope in Shadows Project Director, cell 604 782 2861; H.I.S. office, tel604 255 9701

_Hope in Shadows facts_ - This is the ninth annual photo contest and calendar. - 13 images in calendar chosen from 4,000 taken in the photo contest held over three days in June 2011. - More than 200 people entered the contest. - Last year more than 200 people attended a training session to sell the calendar. Vendors sold 13,500 cal­endars on the streets of Vancouver & Victoria, com­pared to 1,500 sold on the streets in 2003 of the 2004 calendar. - 17,000 copies of the 2012 calendar printed. - Exhibition with 38 winning photos to be exhibited in Pendulum Gallery from October 1 1-22. -Trained vendors, who are homeless and low-income, earn 50% of the income generated from the sale of the calendar. Vendors start with one free calendar, then buy the calendar for $1 0 and sell for $20 - Since 2003 more than $500,000 has been earned by local residents through the Hope in Shadows project - The calendar is printed locally on 100% recycled paper and is carbon neutral. PIVOT Legal Building a movement for a just society, with dignity, fairness, and compassion are firmly rooted in the law.

Page 11: October 15, 2011, carnegie newsletter

Below is the coverage that Maclean's Magazine gave to the Walk4Justice, ending in Ottawa on the day that the Canadian Parliament opened for its Fall2011 sitting. All Members of Parliament were on hand. This small para­graph is the extent of the expressed interest of Canada's mos~ ci.rculat~d publication. There are over 500 Aboriginal Women who are m1ss1ng, diS­appeared or murdered. Robert Bonner is pictured sitting on the steps.

MPs arriving back on the Hill for the first day of Parliament were greeted by black coffins covered in cut-out, pastel-coloured butter­flies on which were written the names of -· murdered and missing Aboriginal women. It was part of an awareness campaign coordin­ated by Walk4Justice. That morning, there

Regular OLD Wednesday

News Flash! Radio sez Sir Galahad is dead the would-be Knight in Shining Armour got stabbed in the neck .. it's what you get meddling in someone else's fight on the bus at 11 at night cynical me snickers 'shoulda known better' other softer me cries out why?! why do ya hafta be afraid? afraid to help? afraid 'cause your moralty sez 'shit' s goin' on' 'shouldn't be 'cause it's wrong' so you step up (like a fool) and get killed for all your good intentions it all makes me so sorrowful tears bucketfuls can't wait long enough to shake that 'lonely scared don't know what.. ' misery then it turns to anger and that don't go nowhere go on all day - tain't fair mostly you're just scared and you wonder

what kind of place has this become?? AI

Parliament's back: The coffins at Walk4Tustice

Dear Readers, r would like to tell the media what is happening. rt

involves St Paul's hospital and the General hospital. There's no bl ankets in either hospital. They got bedspreads plus flannel sheets. The nurse

wanns up the flannel sheets but the heat doesn't last long. Cancer patients in Palliative Care are in a ward in the General hospital. It's like being in a blizzard in Edmonton. Someone very close to me got pneumonia. The cancer patients know they're dying but do they have to freeze also?

Wake up AND SHOW COMPASSION! I hope the Mayor reads this. This is really depressing.

The Red Cross should donate blankets. Help our peo­ple first - we are Canadians.

Marlene Wuttunee

Page 12: October 15, 2011, carnegie newsletter

Unsafe, farcical demolition begins again Hello,

The wetting of combustible debris shown in photos is the only precaution against fire l'm aware of at the Pantages site since demolition began eight months ago. Frequent unauthorized entry over that period, and at least one documented arson attempt that drew 3 firetrucks on July 27th, didn't move Vancouver's Building Inspections Branch to practical action until

today. Illegal demolition of the Pantages Theatre and four

adjacent buildings began in January 2011 and went on for months without notification or permit, even after repeated resident complaints. Vancouver's Building Inspection Branch was first alerted in February, but failed to act and yielded to public pressure only on June 30th, when they shut down the site for violations they had known about for months.

Throughout the summer-long farce of demolition stops and starts, the "Pantages/Sequel 138" frontman for condo-developer Worthington Properties, Marc Williams, showed a nimble contempt for workers, city officials, residents, WorkSafe BC, and the City's demolition safety code, CSA-S350.

He sent poor, pittance-paid and untrained workers

into dust-filled I 00-year-old buildings without respi­rators and scrambling along crumbling brick walls without safety gear. Demolition directly above theE Hastings St sidewalk was conducted with no safety

structures to protect pedestrians. People on the side­walk dodged falling debris.

Marc Williams' contemptuous behaviour persists, as does the neglect of City officials. There's still nope­destrian protection on the Hastings sidewalk along half the site, despite resumption of brick and timber demolition directly above pedestrians on the side­walk.

The yawning, fuel-filled interior of the Pantages in­dicates both the amount of illegal work done before June 30th, and the extent of fire-danger allowed to continue for months on this Downtown Eastside site. The months of contempt and neglect have so far produced only farce, thankfully no known casualties. But similar behaviour by a developer or by City offi­cials would not have been permitted for a moment in any other Vancouver neighbourhood. It has occurred here because people in the DTES are especially, grin­ingly poor. As a result they and their neighbourhood are not regarded as deserving the same consideration, rights, and respect as other people and other 'hoods.

Vancouver City Council is the appropriate body to recover some civic dignity from this debacle.

To partly make up for the problems created in this low-income neighbourhood, the Mayor and Council should require that Marc Williams and the Building Inspections Branch, jointly or separately, attach ten copies of a notice to the site fencing along Hastings . The notice should:

I) Outline a schedule ofthe remaining steps for clearing the Pantages site

2) SpecifY what basic safety measures are being instituted

3) Specify what methods and safety measures will be used to take down the 50-foot high walls of the Pantages. The four walls are 1 04 years old & apppear to be of brick, two feet thick

4) Apologize to all residents, businesses, and agencies on the 100 block E Hastings for eight and a half months of illegal, unsafe, contemptuous, and ne­glectful behaviour.

Yours truly, Rider Cooey

Page 13: October 15, 2011, carnegie newsletter

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Page 14: October 15, 2011, carnegie newsletter

THEATRE

1:30- 2:30 Storytelling with Randy Tait- First Nations Storytelling with Nisga'a artist,

2:30 - 3:00 Aboriginal Drumming- Buffalo Spirit Drum with Sam George

3:00 - 4:00 Official Ceremony- Join us for celebratory words, a medley of peace songs staged reading of Sandy Cameron 's poem "One Hundred Years of Struggle" and refreshment:

6:00 - 7:00 Fire, Wind & Ice · Actors and performers from the Carnegie Theatre works! on Fire, Wind & I ce. On June 13th, 1886, 125 years ago, sparks from a clear cut fire in False destroyed the new city of Vancouver. See what happens in a story of the Great Fire.

7:30 - 9:30 Documentaries • CBC Special on the opening of Carnegie Community Centre (1980) 15 min • <:;arnegie Stories by Librarian Nancy Stubbs for Vancouver Stories 125 (2011) 3 min 24 sec • Summer Afternoon (1956) 25 min Two boys exploring Chinatown and the waterfront in th1 • Sleeping Tigers: The Asahi Baseball Story (2003) 51 min Story about Japanese Canadian t

team that played at Oppenheimer Park before WWII.

--~-------------------------------

L E A R N I N G C E N T R E 3rd Floor

1:00- 3:00 Open House and Presentation- The Learning

Centre will be open to visitors who are interested in finding out about education programs. At 1:30, students, volunteers, and staff will read their stories on two themes: "I came to Vancouver ... " and "I grew up in Vancouver ... "

RIBBON CUTTING FRONT STEPS

g:oo AM

C L A S S R 0 0 M I I 3rd Floor

9:30 - 11:30 First Nations Journey class - Com e and learn about the history of First Nations people in this neighbourhood from Capitano University instructor Gary Johnston.

A R T G A L L E R Y 3rd Floor

12:30- 1:30 Artist Talk- Meet local artist Ron Horsefall, Ron J. Ward and Diane Wood at a reception for their group exhibit, Bone, Beads and Dolls, a display of art dolls, beadwork, and traditional and contemporary Native regalia.

2:00- 3:00 Historical Postcards (TBD) with Dick Billingsley

4:00 - 6:00 "Chindi Revolution- what the anarchist cook book left

out" with Karenza - In Hindi dialect chindi means ·scraps or rags. Rags is the trade name for clothing. Have a chat with Karenza about her clothing work and her upcoming show at W2.

I • • • • • • • • • • • .

AS

: 11:0( . : photo : the hi : Centt : Comr

~----------------------------------------------------------------~ '······

Page 15: October 15, 2011, carnegie newsletter

-------------, 1ancer, and storyteller Randy Tait

by the Carnegie Village Choir, a , including party cake.

op present a repeat performance

~reek leapt into an inferno that

1950's. aseball

COMPLIMENTARY LUNCH

Noon to 2 2"d Floor Concession

I 1st FLOOR

10:00 - Noon Button making with Beth Davies - Make your very own Carnegie keepsake -create a Carnegie button from images designed by Carnegie patrons. (Table by Library)

4:00- 4:30 PM Artist talk on Summer City Street

mural- Richard Tetrault will talk about his 1978 mural which has graced the 1st floor of the Centre since the early 80's. He has restored the mural on the occasion of this reopening celebration. Special gift for attendees! (Games Room)

Carnegie Street Band In and around

the building starting at 4pm in the Theatre.

r;-~-~-~~~~~~~~~~~~~·································· ··········· • • : 2"d Floor All Day Carnegie Images : CARNEGIE

SCAVENGER HUNT

How well do you know Carnegie past and present? Test yourself w ith the Carnegie Scavenger Hunt. Scaven­ger Hunt sheets are available

: Slide show will be playing on the TV Screen • , ................................... ........• ······························ ··············~

: D I N I N G R 0 0 M 2"d Floor : • . : Acoustic Music Showcase with:

. •

• throughout the building. You can find • • Stan Hudac

Nancy Delyzer

Kat Norris

. • • • • . the answers to the Scavenger Hunt

questions in the Carnegie Centre, either in one of the historical photo­graphs displayed throughout the building, or in the building itself. Stumped? Want to find out how you did? Come and check your answers in the Library.

• : 12:00

• : 1:00 • : 2:00 •

Brian Brinsmead

Dalannah Gail Bowen

• • • • . • • . •

: 2:30 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~·

Earle Peach & Gathering Place Choir : • •

··································~: 4=30 Sean Gunn . • .

S 0 C I AT I 0 N 0 F F I C E : : s:oo 2"d Floor ••

John Cote • . •

l- 3:00 Displays of past campaigns, albums, publications and stories about r;tory of the Carnegie Community e Association and the Carnegie 1unity Action Project.

• : : s:3o . . . Ricky Lavallee

: : ' .......................................... . . . . :: ... : :: 2 - 4 Portrait Drawing with Felicity :: . .. • : : Don. Join in as an artist or a model! • • . ............................................ ~: ··································' " ......................... .................. .

Page 16: October 15, 2011, carnegie newsletter

Director's Message

The beautiful sandstone building that we all lovingly refer to as 'Carnegie' was among the first structures that signalled the coming of age of Vancouver as a city of some consequence and substance. So it's particularly appropriate that we are celebrating both the City of Vancouver's 125th birthday and marking the completion of the building's most recent renovation at the same time. The Carnegie Centre is so much more than just a place to read a book or learn a

skill or play pool or cards or floor hockey and get a great meal. It's all of those things but in a lot of ways it still represents the pride of place that makes this

community special. I want to thank the City of Vancouver for its continued commitment to this neighbourhood as a dignified place of belonging. I particu­larly want to thank the friends and neighbours who use the Carnegie Commu­nity Centre every day. Your patience and good humour as we lived in the midst of this renovation and continued to provide the service that you faith­fully support has shown the kind of fortitude that our forebears would have appreciated. I look forward to sharing the upcoming season of celebration in our renewed home with all of you.

Ethel Whitty, Director, Carnegie Community Centre

Thank You

Carnegie Volunteers and Staff including Learning Centre and Library, Carnegie Community Centre Association, Dick Billingsley, Terry Hunter, Sharon Kravitz, Lisa Lilge, Lisa G. Neilsen, Colin Preston of CBC Archives, Esther Rausenberg, Paul Taylor, Gena Thompson, Dan Tetrault, Richard Tetrault, Teresa Vandertuin, Karenza Wall, and everyone who has contributed as performers, presenters and participants.

~­~·vANCOUVER

-' _ __,...._._ 25. -- ::::::,...---

Page 17: October 15, 2011, carnegie newsletter

\ I

I KEPT MY SIDE (IV) (In need of an ending) Like a roadside Roadhouse people of all stages guz­zling booze, they think DUis are a joke until they get to tell their parents that their 80,000-dollar car like your allowance has been forfeited for the public to buy while you get to lose, like declaring your life a No Win situation hey hey the cops found some co­caine in that car I think there is some truth to your previous declaration now if your parents don't kill you I think your new bestest friends might give it some thought 'cause the girl you were 'entertaining' was 13 years young Thank Every God I wi ll see to­morrow as for you I think not! You're just another selfishist who believes all is his and that is where you' re wrong; in your world I give you a month be­fore your badly beaten body is found on a beautifully­kept lawn Welcome friends, Welcome All! to part I V First I gave you Eunoia: Beyond the Maps; then part

2 with Eunoia V The End; followed by part 3 Eunoia: The Joy Channel Mute. It's time for part 4 I didn' t say this would be cute .. They' re forecasting gale force winds that could end everything that begins even St Minus couldn't ask for more, like a going out of sale business being selfishist means no one but you may win; I sleep better on Eunoia's floor; how vain you must be to walk over the downtrodden not to notice let alone see the cash you flash in front of all humanity you are a parasitical disease, you spread your filth like the fool on the hill one day someday you too will crumple to your down­fall but still you can' t erase an entire society yet you try because you honestly believe you will. You're the only one who agrees; forgiveness is Eunoia's way of pointing out better ways to live in peace while you'll be branded Non-Refundable in that pigsty of a very crowded yet lonely place in which you live and worse and worsen yet you have been deemed worthless but

let's drop the semantics you have been forfeited. I almost feel sorry but images of poverty and needless violence won't let me forget the world of silence so brutal in that place that you live: now rve tried to let it be, I've kept my side, yet every channel another atrocity do you have anhy idea how I tried to fit my­self into your selfishist ways? It feels as if this land of Beautiful Thinking has someday enermies we are slowly sinking- this generation would think Brittney Spears is Shakespeare's half-brother yes these are the never-thought-possible numbered days, like poli tical fact-finding days bring your family and of course all your friends we will be more than happy to pay & when you lose those friends that can't see you today you are reminded that good ideas live on in those you've helped (oh yeah, you've only helped yourself)

I sense internal slaughter as Selfishists are taking bets on when and how you shall end your final selfi sh day, betting on someone else's pain you're not here to lose you were brought into this world to gain even if it means the end of someone you love, now even if you are well -mannered there is an Evil growing inside you more hideous that selfishness it's called cancer. One day in the future this could possibly make sense but until cures are found it comes down to Dollars & Lives that are uselessly spent "No, my boy!" says St Minus even if the Selfishists find it they would probably sell it to the highest bidder the actual Cure ­that one question that has taken so long to answer, still many other problems take up our time like over­turning convictions or the next forgotten woman who has to get in line when real people cry they really cry.

Like the side I kept will not be swept under that cha­rade they call progress I call it absolute destruction ­more condos for the rich to the poor lawsuits for ob­struction .. well what about the sky? Eunoia has an atmosphere free of Global Positioning Leeches ! Our voices are loud and clear that is unti l we realise we're on some demonic digital device trying to sell us beer- it cannot be that difficult to understand. 1 think it's time to head back home where Eunoians

all use land line phones if this story is in need of an ending let it be me: Come on Darwin the Apostle­strike up our band.

By ROBERT McGILLIVRAY "Life in moderation, let' s give ourselves a raise, and to toast the CEOs who have the most, let's invent a new holiday." St Minus.

Page 18: October 15, 2011, carnegie newsletter

[The following pages have the st01y of lnsite: a) the hope of its creators and users: b) a clear (well, legal) presentation of the decision; and c) ramifications vs.

vested interests. J

In our neighbourhood, a small but unique project called lnsite, exists. It is the result of the incredible effotts of many people in our community and in our City, and in our Province. Many individuals, groups, academics and researchers who have come together and fought for it to exist, and fought for its continued existence, for over a decade now.

This istl"t just about a building or an initiative in the Downtown Eastside. It's about systemic and National change in our approach to people who suffer from addiction.

This Friday morning, a enormous decision will be announced determining whether or not lnsi te can stay open. indicating the direction our Country is heading in, in terms of the future for people living with addic­tion.

On May 12th 20 II, the Canadian Supreme Court heard the Federal Government appeal of the previous BC Supreme Court rulings that lnsite is protected un­der section 7 of Canada's Charter of Rights and Free­doms as well as the Province of BC's constitutional jurisdiction over health care, in supporting this vital primary health care facility.

Up until now, we have said that our country has no room for people struggling with life as an active ad­dict. People who suffer intense pain, who have been branded as criminals, due to the arbitrary distinction made between addictive substances such as alcohol and cigarettes, or cocaine and heroin.

This group of people, to whom we are all connected - are our family members, our friends, and our loved ones and our neighbours. They are currently treated like animals, and can die as a result of being "thrown out".

We have collectively told them, that unless you are clean .... Your life does not matter. You will be de­nied housing and services. It's OK if you die of a drug overdose, it's OK if you get an infectious dis­ease, it's OK if you live on the street, get beaten up, get HIV or hepatitis C, or go to jail.

This is our humanistic Canadian Society. For the drug addict, it is anything but humane.

I believe in 30 years we will look back in disbelief the lack of wisdom we have shown in our policies surrounding some of our Society's most fragile and sick individuals who are not accessing proper treat­ment, dignity or care.

lnsite is only one very tiny piece of what's needed put the puzzle into place, but it is an icon of real sy~ temic change. lnsite communicates the message to 1

drug user that your life is worth saving and that yol' life is worth living. That we believe in you as a hu­man being. in spite of the fact that you are injecting drugs into your body. It is a symbol of hope for our collective humanity.

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r\1 \ __ /;.~~~ _j l _/ '\..__ r r,~ If lnsite wins this Supreme Court ruling we will t

sending a message of hope to thousands of people across the country to say that we care about them. care enough to keep them alive, to bring them in o the streets, to provide them with access to nursing supports, access to treatment and detox, and life sa ing interventions. lns ite saves people's lives and C•

nects them into a mainstream array of supports anc

Page 19: October 15, 2011, carnegie newsletter

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I

., .

care. This will be a victory for all . of us as Canadians, and

it will signal a new direction for our Country, by turn­ing against the s implistic paradigms of the past that have convinced so many that quitting an addiction is just as simple as saying No. Not only has this belief led to enormous suffering, it has misinformed policy, and allowed politicians to avoid making the right de­cisions. People who live add icted to illicit substances are people. If we lose this fight, Jnsite will be none-the-less rele­

vant. We will continue to call upon the Federal Gov­ernment of this country, who just need to provide a simple letter to keep it open ... We will ask our Prime Minister, and our Federal Minister of Health, to grant an exemption for lnsite- We will ask that they listen to the millions of dollars worth of scientific evidence the local experts, the merchants, the doctors, the ' nurses and the people of Vancouver and British Co­lumbia, including the Premier of British Columbia and the past five Mayors of Vancouver representing every political stripe, to allow lnsite's life saving work to continue .

To quote Dean Wilson, one of the plaintiffs in the original BC Supreme Court case. "lnsite will not be closed. Insite, as well as the comprehensive Onsite treatment program that includes the 30 recovery beds on the two floors above Insite, have both saved my life and put me on the path to recovery. There is no way that myself and the thousands of members of my community are going to let the positive impact of this facility end."

A broad based coalition of community members including church groups, doctors and nurses, local merchants and civic and provincial officials will at­tempt to contact Stephen Harper to make certain he is aware of the literal life-and-death consequences of the action before him.

ln the event that the Supreme Court rule against In­site, "Stephen Harper will have an important choice before him," said fellow plaintiff Shelly Tomic. "He can choose life - or he can choose death for thousands of Canadians suffering while struggling to overcome their addiction."

Liz Evans Executive Director PHS Community Services Society

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b ~ Ulc~j~ ~~ f~ l The historic lnsite decision in a nutshell Submitted by Scali to the PIVOT website on 3019111

Unless you' ve been hiding with the radio and TV off and avoiding the web, you' ve already heard the Su­preme Court of Canada decision on lnsite - North America's only sanctioned safe injection facility. In short, this morning we won a remarkable victory that will allow Insite to continue to operate and save lives, prevent disease, provide access to health care and recovery services and a host of other proven benefits. It was an important victory of evidence-based science over ideology. Importantly, we're hopeful that this historic decision may open the doors to similar ser­vices throughout Canada and possibly into the United States where the results of the SCC are being watched by hann reduction advocates.

In May, I attended the Supreme Court of Canada as one of four lawyers representing PHS Community Services, Dean Wilson and Shelly Tomic - the three parties who began the legal action in BC Supreme Court in 2007 when faced with threats from the fed­eral government to close down Insite. Sitting in the Ottawa airport, I blogged about the journey that took me through this case, first as a law student and then a lawyer. As my first trip to the Supreme Court of Can­ada, I was thrilled and honoured to be a part of this important case that affects so many people and to as­sist the talented senior lawyers who put so much pas­sion into this case, Joseph Arvay and Monique Pon­gracic-Speier.

The media, of course, have been reporting on the decision this morning with gusto. But, understanda­bly, there has been some confusion in the reporting of the actual legal decision that was handed down by the Court. For the record, let me give a brief explanation of what was decided (and what wasn't) by the SCC: In this case, we made two big arguments. The first was that lnsite was health care and health care is a "protected core" of provincial power. As a protected core, health care decisions (l ike creating Insite) couldn't be negated by a federal law (the Controlled

Page 20: October 15, 2011, carnegie newsletter

Drugs and Substances Act or CDSA) . This constitu­tional doctrine is termed "interjurisdictional immu­nity" (impress your friends with this if you dare) and has been relied on by the courts less and less frequen­tly in recent times and has never worked in favour of provincial powers, only federal ones to date. We lost this argument in the BC Supreme Court, and then sur­prisingly won it in the Court of Appeal. In the Su­preme Court of Canada, we lost it again. The SCC said in this case to "apply it here would disturb settled competencies and introduce uncertainties for new ones." So, when the media say that the SCC decision found that health care was in the purview of the prov­ince and can't be ousted by the criminal law, that's not really true. The SCC says that - absent any Char­ter issues- the CDSA applies and can oust health care because of another constitutional doctrine: para­mountcy.

The second argument, though, relied on the Charter. We said that the CDSA sections were unconstitutional because they violate the Section 7 rights to not be deprived of life, liberty or security of the person with­out being in accord with the " principles of fundamen­tal j ustice" (continue impressing your friends). OR, the Minister's failure to continue an exemption of the CDSA was a Section 7 infringement. In the end, the sec found that while the prohibition on possession of drugs (but not trafficking) does engage life, liberty and security of the person, it wasn't contrary to those principles because there was a mechanism in place where the Minister could grant an exemption for pur­poses of science, research, etc. But, because the Min­ister refused to grant an exemption, this was contrary to the Charter Section 7 because this decis ion was arbitrary (undermining the purposes of the CDSA) and grossly disproportionate. So, in the end, the Court ordered the Minister ("an order in the nature of man­damus" - if you still have fr iends left after the first two, try this one out) to issue the exemption forthwith And, that 's the decision in a nutshell. As for what the Insite decision means for the Minister allowing other facilities in Canada and what steps Pivot will take in the future in this area, I' ll leave that for a future blog post. But, the SCC seems to have left open a door or at least a crack (paragrphs 152 & 153):

The dual purposes of the CDSA- public health and public safety- provide some guidance to the Minis­ter. Where the Minister is considering an application for exemption for a supervised injection facility, he or

she will aim to strike the appropriate balance 8etween achieving the public health and public safety goals. Where, as here, the evidence indicates that a super­vised injection site will decrease the risk of death and disease, and there is little or no evidence that it will have a negative impact on public safety, the Minister should generally grant an exemption. '

The CDSA grants the Minister discretion in deter­mining whether to grant exemptions. That discretion must be exercised in accordance with the Charter. This requires the Minister to consider whether deny­ing an exemption would cause deprivations of life and security of the person that are not in accordance with the principles of fundamental justice. The factors con­s idered in making the decision on an exemption must include evidence, if any, on the impact of such a facil­ity on crime rates, the local conditions indicating a need for such supervised injection site, the regulatory structure in place to support the facility, the resources available to support its maintenance, and expressions of community support or opposition

[This is as clear and legalspeak correct as we'll want or get. Everyone knows about the victory but the con­servative majority, gotten with 27% of the vote and acting as government will begin its treasonous activi­ties based on "law and order" rhetoric. Ed.]

Page 21: October 15, 2011, carnegie newsletter

How a Small Programme for Injecting Drug Users in Canada Exposes Tensions in the United Nations

URI's Damon Barrett on Huffington Post Blog http://www.ihra.net/contents/1089 Last Friday the Canadian Supreme Court issued a ruling

ordering the Government to permit 'lnsite', Canada's only safe injection facility, to remain open. lnsite is a place where people can inject drugs they've bought on the street with sterile equipment and under medical supervision. The site has proven to reduce crime, overdose deaths and blood borne viruses, and has helped people access treat­ment when they were ready. The Court found that the Min­ister of Health had violated Canada's Charter of Rights and Freedoms in not allowing the project to remain open, and ordered the Minister to remedy the situation. The ruling was simple- lnsite saves lives and does no harm to public health or security. lnsite workers were in tears, and drug policy advocates around the world cheered. It had been a long struggle with the Harper administration dragging this small harm reduction programme through three courts.

In March next year the United Nations will likely condemn the decision. The condemnation will come from the Interna­tional Narcotics Control Board (INCB) in its annual report launched each March. The INCB's job is to oversee the implementation of the three main UN drugs treaties and is of the view that that lnsite's existence violates those trea­ties. It does not.

Another UN office, in this case that of the Special Rappor­teur on the right to health (Anand Grover from India}, will do doubt welcome the Canadian decision. In a recent report submitted to UN member states at the UN General Assem­bly, Mr Grover called for the roll-out of harm reduction ser­vices including safe injection facilities in order to help real­ise the right to the highest attainable standard of health of people who inject drugs (alongside many other interven­tions, of course). So not only do safe injection facilities not violate international laws, they may be protected by them. Since taking up the post only a year ago, the head of the

UNODC, Yury Fedotov, has visited many countries, making public statements about national drug control strategies .. In Iran he lauded the Government's 'robust' policies and failed to mention the killing spree Iran has been on in recent years In New York he met with Thai officials and, according to those officials, supported the Government's re-launch of the 'war on drugs', without criticising plans to round up tens o~ thousands drug users and forcibly 'treat' them (read: detain without trial, a basic violation of human rights law). In Co­lombia he praised the Government's counter-narcotics ef­forts without raising concerns about the aerial fumigation of

coca, whether in terms of health damage, environmental damage or human displacement. In Mexico he praised the Government's efforts in countering the cartels and failed to mention the violence the authorities have sparked, the 1,000 children dead, or the almost 1000% increase in com­plaints to human rights commissions in country since 2006. In each of these cases UN human rights monitors have raised serious concerns. In a rather chilling passage from a report released in March this year the I NCB referred to Mexico's 'tremendous efforts' in fighting the drug trade, while noting without comment the 28,000 people dead (at the time) in the country's war on drugs since 2006. Elsewhere in the same report the Board praised Singapore's anti-drug law which includes caning and the death penalty; the approach of the Maldives which includes heavy criminal penalties for drug use and corporal punishment; and Russia's news strategy which bans opioid substitution therapy, a HIV prevention measure, until 2020. In each case, UN human rights monitors have raised seri­ous concerns. Meanwhile the INCB has initiated a crusade against Bolivia in its attempts to reconcile its human rights and drug control obligations. Bolivia has sought to amend its obligations under a core UN drugs treaty in order to allow for cultural and traditional uses of coca by indigenous Andean groups. The I NCB has condemned this publicly and has raised it as a concern to member states at the Economic and Social Council of the UN (ECOSOC). The UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (which

reports to ECOSOC) and other UN human rights mecha­nisms support the move. Unfortunately this is more than just internal squabbling in

the UN. These are not individuals, but entities, and more than that again, these are regimes: drug control and human rights. What the INCB and UNODC are doing is not only entrenching punitive and abusive approaches to drugs -they are undermining the already weak UN human rights system, while allowing those responsible for abusive and in some cases illegal policies the ability to hold their heads high and say 'Look, the UN says we're doing a great job'. The lnsite case is a huge win for reason, public health and

compassion in Canada. It is a win for human rights. And it exposes not only tensions in Canada but within the interna­tional system when it comes to drug control, health and human rights. When the UN condemns the decision as it will in March next year, just remember who's speaking, get the salt out, and take a pinch.

Page 22: October 15, 2011, carnegie newsletter

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! Ut 0 .. .g .. = .§<-g~ ·u 3 -~:.@ ·- ~ ~:! -c ~:;e 'a t>- p. a ct ~~~1

Perhaps the property owner of 243 Union St. should allow the barber who vacat-.... ~§;E~ w e-ilg.~

ed the space- to .return, suggests a reader. photo Dan Toulgoet C 5~<3"-g tll)~ ::a ... ca tl ,; P.-B

To the f!ditor: Re. "Property owner takes poll to find

right business," Sept 28. The story about two young entrepre­

neurs who have invited the community to give input on what kind of business they should establish at 243 Union St. is in­tended, I think, to be one of those_ upbeat, feel-good pieces that makes us all breath a sigh of relief: the spirit of community is still alive in our city. The article, however, leaves hints of another, darker reality that is neatly hidden from view. "Former tenant was a barber"; "The space ... was vacated by a barbershop tl1is summer." Tracing out these comments would reveal a local barber who offered his services to Chinese seniors and low-income residents of the

area, but who was forced out by increas- E § 1 ]

ing real estate values and escalating rents i ; ~ ~ ·5 due to the significant gentrification of the ~ -a -a 0

0 "'.a p. area (V6A, Ginger, the London Pub, etc.). ca .3 -a "' .., The previous owner of the space kept in- G) ., ~ ~ -£1 crea~ing the barber's rent, and then sold ... -£1 ~ ~ ~ the property for a handsome profit as a ... ~ " P. ~ result of rampant upscale development on _ t' ~ ,; -~ the block. Sayihg that the space was ' ~ ·g -£! ~ § "vacated by a barbershop" sounds a lot en \'! ·!;! ~ more mundane or even "natural" than ~ ..cl -8 ·!t saying a low-income se~ng barbe; was Q) ·~ 1 i' ~ forcibly displaced by the normalized vio- ~ 't- a ~ ~ lence of gentrification. It might be worth IIIII:; ·§ 1 ~;a exploring this side of the story, and putting ~ 8 ~ ~ ~ it on tl1e front page of the newspaper. ~ ;; .15 u

Dave Diewert, • ~ ~ j ~ Vancouver § ::x:: :a ...

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E ~ s~-~ "'1:l ....

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Page 23: October 15, 2011, carnegie newsletter

A Very Suspicious Death

Who took the life of writer and poet William Combes Who wanted to bring his life, family and friends to ruin? Does it have something to do with his story of the Queen ·Bout ten kids of Residential School after her vis it no longer seen? It 's true this info was posted April 10 on David !eke's website And seems a botnet took it do.,vn almost the very same night Not shor1ly thereafter came the loss of a Co-op Radio show in July They 'conveniently removed ' host Kevin Annett, set up on some big lie Now it was planned in a year hence an international tribunal would begin While these troubled times drifted by- soon long cold winter settled in More than half those months passed and William did v ideo-testimony This interview concerning miss in' children told as a t a cour1 it'd hopefully be But how odd unusual circumstances and sudden illness he'd not survive An unexpected and snowy February day his weary spirit lifted up away Well, in such mourning were we all - those who knew him cried in disbelief Someone so dear had been stolen and just exactly who was that thier? Then to yet further stop the eventual sharing of his video in England Ask why from that place was Kevin, the tribunal secretary, permanently banned. The death seemed deliberate, quick, and like others not easily explained As t appears, once again, the enemies of truth played a lethal inside game?

To the loving memory of William Arnold Combes (1952-20 11 )

Page 24: October 15, 2011, carnegie newsletter

CaiilegieC NEWSLETTER - ---- ~- ---~-------

401 Mai.lt Street. Vancouver 604.665.2289

THIS NEWSLETTER IS A PUBLICATION OF THE CARNEGIE COMMUNITY CENTRE ASSOCIATION

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

WANTED Artwork for the Carnegie Newsletter

*Small illustrations to accompany articles and poetry; *Cover art -Max. size: 17cm(6 ~"}widex15cm(6"}high ; *Subject matter pertaining to issues relevant to the Downtown Eastside but all work considered; *Black & White printing only; *Size restrictions 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 work; *Originals will be returned to the artist after being ;opied for publication; •Remuneration: Carnegie Volunteer Tickets. Please make submissions to Paul Taylor, Editor.

GET CLEAN Shower Up at the Lord's Rain 327 Carrall St, just off Pigeon Park HOT SHOWERS. (towel, soap, shampoo (the works) & coffee) Monday, 7-1 Oam, (Ladies only!) 7am Tuesday, Wednesday.& Saturday

FREE DENTAL HELP 455 E Hastings: Monday & Friday, 9:30-12:30 Volunteer Dentists: Fillings, crowns, root canals Cleaning at VCC: 604-443-8499

FREE LEGAL ADVICE UBC - Law Students Legal Advice Program All cases checked with lawyers; confidential Drop-in: Tuesdays, 7- 9pm (ends 11122111) 3rd floor Art Gallery, Carnegie Ctr, 401 Main

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

-Margaret Meade

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

Next Issue SUBMISSION DEADLINE: FRIDAY, OCTOBER 28TH --,

2011 DONATIONS: Ubby D.-$50, Margaret D.-$50, Rolf A.-$50, Brian H.-$100, CEEDS -$100, Barry M.-$150, leslie S.-$50, Savannah WfTerry H -$200, Jenny K -$25, Barbara M.-$200

· Vancouver Moving Theatre -$300 .. 'The Edge -$200, X' -$52, Wilhelmina M.-$25, Sheila B.-$100, Christopher R.-$175 Michael C.-$50, 0, Bonnie F.-$100, CUPE 15 -$1450, W2-$100

www.camnews.org

~llen Woodsworth City Councillor

"Working with you, · for you and for

strong neighbourhoods"

604 873 .7240

http://camegie. vcn.bc.calnewsletter http://harvesters.sfu.ca/chodarr

Jenny Wai Ching Kwan MLA WoRKING FOR You

1070-1€H 1 Com .. neroal Or. V5L 3Y3 Phone: 604-HS:0790

•••

'

I .. \ ~·( · ~--~ r ;.

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Solder & Sons 247 Main Street

Coffee & Tea, Used Books Curious 1 udio Recordings

Page 25: October 15, 2011, carnegie newsletter

tfu~kJn :Ji atcfi' tJi arty I I

Children Need Care Now C.A.PC Coalition

tJi!9 ~-

J:'tl Live l4ui!Sic by

the Drive Street Ball d.

;Jk :ffcLan fJi ark 700 BLOCK KEEFER STRE ET

SAT. OCT. 22TH, NOON TO 3PM RAIN OR SHINE

FOR THE CHILDREN OF THE DOWNTOWN EASTSIDE.

DON'T BE DISAPPOINTED- COME EARLY,

COME 012E66EO IN YOU/2 HALLOWE/EN COSTUME!

PUMPKIN CARVING!!

COOKIE OECOf?ATING!

GOOOIE BAGS!!

FACE PAINT lNG! I

Page 26: October 15, 2011, carnegie newsletter

(1-r) Tobin Stokes composer Heather Raffo librettist Christian Ellis story consultant

MONDAY 14 November 2011, 7:30- 9pm. Carnegie Hall

CITY OPERA VANCOUVER pres ems

'How w maKe an opera' This event will feature artists from City Opera Vancouver, a professional chamber opera company. It will offer a discussion of how we are making a new opera set at the Battle of Fallujah, and at an NYC vets hospital, in 2004. This opera is wholly funded by the Annen berg Foundation of Los Angeles.

We're running this presentation through our friends Rika and Ethel, of course. It's an incredibly powerful story, based on the true experiences of US Marine Corps Sergeant Christian Ellis

(ret' d). It deals with conscience and aftermath. Both the Iraqi and the US sides are treated with tremendous compassion, and war is treated as the universal nightmare that it is.

Attending on Nov 14 will be Christian himself, and our librettist Heather Raffo from NYC. Her mother is American, and her father Iraqi. She understands.

We will also be joined by Canadian composer Tobin Stokes, our stage director John Wright, our pianist, and several of our singers. They will perform 2 or 3 of the most crucial numbers from the opera.

The Carnegie audience that night will see a 'sneak preview' of our latest commission. We want their critical comments. What works? And what doesn't work? It's really important to avoid self-hypnosis when you do new opera, and this is one of the ways we get direct reply.

One further matter: Christian himself suffers from PTSD (Post-traumatic stress disorder). Hes very candid about his hospitalizations and difficulties. More US Marines have killed themselves by suicide than were ever killed in battle over there. It occurs to us that PTSD is entirely analogous to issues faced by some of our audience at Carnegie. In this way too, it might prove fascinating and helpful. Christian has found a way to survive terrible times, and our new opera shows how and why this has happened. It is ultimately a very hopeful piece.

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Page 27: October 15, 2011, carnegie newsletter

Hi Malory (letter to all emailing (undraisers),

There's nothing to change; the ongoing fundrais ing and appeals for support are part & parcel of making common dreams reality. It's the unfettered accumula­tion of wealth that hampers any & all.

My story: the Carnegie Newsletter is a 16-28 page, twice-monthly publication by, for and about the bad and dishonest* people of Vancouver's Downtown Eastside (Canada's poorest urban postal code). Arti­cles, writing, poetry and local graphic art help make up each issue, covering such forces and concepts that are part oflives and living (here and everywhere) with poverty, housing & homelessness, drugs & alco­hol, the drug trade, sex trade, "free" trade, gentrifica­tion, classism, mental health, addictions and treat­ment, harm reduction, violence against women, high­risk youth being used or forced into drug muting and the sex trade to pay off their families ' debts incurred because of the fees paid to human traffickers, etc.

This neighbourhood was the hunting ground for the pig-fanner Robert Pickton; convicted of murdering and dismembering s ix women after the crown prose­cutor reduced the number from the original accusation in the cases of 29 women, & him claiming 49 women. It's also right across the street from here that lnsitc ­North America's only supervised injection site for users of illicit drugs- operates. All this is to say that the Newsletter has no extra

money. lt passed its 25th Anniversary on August 15, 2011 and has, since inception in 1986 (and except for the actual printing) been produced entirely by volun­teers. Poets &/or addicts; writers &/or victimised women, and many who fit in no special category but are active in matters of local & global significance.

Common Dreams seems to contain exclusively American content, though the forces at play are re­peated everywhere. The Newsletter operates on the lint off a shoestring of a budget, but is generally rec­ognised as one of the most respected and insightful publications in Vancouver. We give a look at things that hardly ever appears in mainstream media, so yes, our dream is similar to yours.

In closing, there is a typed statement taped to the

office door that 1 made for a cover back in 2003:

WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTON • AIDS • POVERTY • HOMELESSNESS • VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN • TOTALITARIAN CAPITALISM • IGNORANCE and SUSTAINED FEAR

Respectfully submitted,

PauiR Taylor, volunteer editor for 25 years. http://carnegie.vcn.bc.ca/ncwslettcr

[*Bad and dishonest to reflect the stereotype of those who, as an excuse to perpetuate gentrification, operate on the premise that "all that area needs is some good (monied) honest (monied} people (monied) to be revitalised!")

Carnegie Theatre Workshop Special event

VOICE, BODY, PRESENCE

With NOAH DREW Fri Oct 21, 11 am-1 pm

Carnegie Theatre

A wonderful introduction to intense voice work: for actors, singers, storytellers, public speakers,

teachers, broadcasters and you! Stand up to voice what matters, when it matters. Noah is a sound designer, actor, director and voice teacher in the technique of Fitzmaurice Voicework.

Dress comfortably Free , but space is limited Please pre - register at the

Ca rne gie 3rct floor program office

Page 28: October 15, 2011, carnegie newsletter

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GENTRIFICATION HAPPENS . ... ... SHIT!H