NEWSLETTER 401 Main Street, Vancouver V6A 2T7 (604) 665-2289

It was reported 2 weeks ago that AFN Chief Phil Fontaine was given a hefty raise. We would like to

'health pmblems (Hid AIDS), family break-up and single-parenting, the high native population in prison< and welfare victims The list is not llimited - it could go on1 They did this in the Dnwntnwn Fastside, in the

area called "Pigeon Park" at Carrall and Hastings This neighbourhood is crowded with dnlg dealers, dnmnks, junkies and homeless people. This the elders would like to also see change.

In the media the downtown eastside's 'skid row' is always portrayed negatively. You never see the penple who are trying to make changes for the betterment of the community Resources are very limited and hig innn y developers are moving in and taking over Something has to be done to help - our people They are dying every day, not only here but Canada-wide 1 see more doll& put towards helping our peopl We want our "leader" to hear us! We challenge government to help make positive changes and I put a dnllar sign on everything - including LIVE

In ahnriginal tradition it w a to %hare and help one another people never went hungy; ev each other We need to make again. The elders asked for support in terms of 1

donations, drummers, additional fasters an They fasted until July 9 at 6pm, then peopl to Oppenheimer Park, ending the protest w speeches and food. i

The Vancouver Art Gallery is the temporary home of this exhib- ition, and will be until October 12. It provides a rare opportunity to explore two centuries of masks made by First Nations artists on the Pacific Northwest coast. The use of masks in traditional dance ceremonies has long played a vital role in preserving the stories, privileges, status and responsibilities of their owners. The exhibition, which brings together more than 175 diverse

historical and contemporary masks, is divided into five distinct groups. The first section studies the representation of Human Face masks from the 1820's to present day. The subsequent four sections investigate the dimensions of the cosmos as perceived by the First Peoples of the Northwest Coast: The Sky World, Mortal World, Undersea World and Spirit World. The Art Gallery is at 750 Hornby Street. Summer hours:

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday I Oam-6pm Thursday, Friday loam-9pm Sunday and statutory holiday Noon-5pm

There is an admission charge of $9.75, down for seniors to $7, $5.50 for students and children under 12 are free. For those of us who don't have extra money, go on Thursday evening between 5pm & 9pm when the "minimum donation" is four bucks. The best deal is for members of the Musqueam Band - admitted free at all times. The first stipulation was for all Aboriginals to be granted free admission; so if you are, '.say so. The Musqueam Band Chief, Gail Sparrow, said the exhibition is very worthwhile and all First Nations people should try to go and see it.

NEWS FLASH: 1

Vancouver Yative Health Society just had its annual general meeting and elected Xctrgurel P ~ e v u s ~ as President! Margaret is, among other things, Vice- President of UERA, co-chair of Local # 133 I and a member of Carnegie's Board. I - -- ----- -

If You're Waiting For Godot, Go To Oppenheimer Park

Something awesome happened at Oppenheimer Park on May 30, 1998, when the Downtown Eastside celebrated the murals that had been painted by different groups in the community.

In the morning a small group of professional actors came to the park to play a section of Samuel Beckett's play Waiting For Godot. These actors were caring people who gave freely of their time, and they were so good at the roles they played - vagabonds going nowhere - that you couldn't tell them fiom some of the park regulars who used the area as their living room and often as their bedroom. "I thought I knew all the regulars in the park," Tracy said, "but I haven't seen these people before. Who are they?" It disturbed her that there were strangers in the park acting a role

that for real human be~ngs was not a matter of play but a life and death reality.

Four actors played the parts of Estragon, Vladimir, Lucky and Pozzo. Almost immediately they were joined by a fifth person, an Oppenheimer Park regular who looked like the others dressed like the others and weaved his way around the stage like the others. He, too, had something to say, and every once in a while he faced the audience squared h s shoulders and said, " Aarraagh. " Maybe he was stating that this was his park and don't you forget it. Maybe he was making a critical comment on the play, or maybe he was asking for help. The characters in the play often asked each other for help, but they didn't know how to reach out to each other. "Help me," Estragon says. "Nothing to be done," Vladiinir replies "Help me," Pozzo says. "Wait," Estragon replies. "Help me," Vladimir says. "I'm trying," Estragon redie<

. - I

but he does nothini.

Waiting For Godot was written after World War Two, and it depicts the paralysis that is part of this century of murder. The characters simply can not help each other. The Oppenheimer Park regular who had joined the play would have known something about reaching out. Bud Osbom's poem, Tracy Tobin And The Ginseng Drinkers In Oppenheimer Park, describes how people in the park help each other: "...everybody has a place and if the guys are there the women will sit with them and they will take care of each other."

Anyway, in this play Waiting For Godot the four vagabonds are waiting for Godot to show up, and in the middle of this make-believe an Oppenheimer regular drops in. He's Godot, don't you know, but the characters can't see him.

The actors do see him, of course, and they respect him enough to leave him alone. He improved the play something fierce, and maybe Sam Beckett would agree, he who had fought in the French underground during the Second World War. Such is the power of Oppenheimer Park. Such is the power of the Downtown Eastside.

Sandy Cameron

We Are Our Past

We are the generations of our past, Thanks to those who have fought and died Many of whom have fought side by side Not for reasons of foolish pride But for future generations to survive.

Although their means of battle was physical force Ours is by way of an educational course. So we must confine our struggle to fight As aboriginal people we have the right. Remembering those who have paid the price It is now up to others to make their choice.

Education is an important part of life, regardless of age.

Your knowledge will surely lead you very far So striwe for the best and take the test Continuing our struggle for the next generation Insuring the restoration of our nation.

Stephen Lytton

Last month, in an article entitled -'There's something not right here", a bit of history on DE housing struggles and clash involving community activists was presented. Some people took exception to it, as was expected, and some of the particulars left out were since suppiied.

*'ln 1995 DERA and TRAC (Tenants' Rights Act- ion Coalition) worked together to organize the Columbia and win the first group arbitration hearing at the Residential Tenancy Branch (RTB).

I was seconded to work with Doug Kellam on the submissions for the hearing; we met with lawyers from Vancouver Legal Services to fully prepare the legal argument under the Residential Tenancy ,4ct (RTA). As you are aware, TRAC does not have a mandate to represent tenants at arbitration, but we were able to give valuable assistance to DER4; the result was a victory for the tenants. In reference to TRAC's participation "on the

phone" in 1997 when the Roosevelt was ordered closed because it was not fit for human occupation TRAC &d not send anyone to the building for a number of reasons. We were down to three staff due to lay-offs (Community Housing Initiatives funding cutbacks) and vacations. We felt our efforts were better served by communicating with City health and building inspectors regarding the condition of the buildmg and working toward a solution. We acted as support tor City relocation staff in terms of the legal rights of the tenants affected by the closure. We were also sensitive to the fact rhat D E W as advocates had a presence at the hotel and didn't want to 'step 00 toes' WMe om work at the Roosevelt was not done on site, TRAC staff put in many hours around the daswe and as a result raised awareness at City Hall for standards of management in SRO hotels. This appears to have been taken seriously by City staff

_IIL

and Council. I hope this backgrounder helps clear up some

things. - Linda Mix, TRAC staff'

I was unaware of your direct involvement in defjling the Columbia owner's attempt to evict everyone and commend the work. It was, indeed, -. the first group arbitration and a good victory.

What the article touched on was the public denigration and derogation of DERA. It was an - ongoing thing, once the shit about closing the Roosevelt hit the fan. Mike Walker was then the coordinator at TRAC; at the meeting of group reps over the lack of communication and solidarity on the Roosevelt, it was a forum to slam DERA for not preventing the deterioration of this hotel, for not having up-to-date information on its state (and the state of every hoteVrooming house in the DE), for not mounting a 24-hour-a4ay czmpaign to make the shooting gallery situation of the top 4 floors known throughout the city, for not having been the agency that instigated the health and building inspections.. . since everyone expects DERA to be everything for everybody? It was amidst these various innuendoes that DERA was ' accused of having "lost sight of its mandate" and

"no longer representing the residents of the Downtown Eastside." It was into this vacuum (existing because the speakers had decided it did) that other heroes and heroines must now step, bravely and with little but their courage and inspiration and vision.. to carry the torch sadly

Eyes of a child (A poem hy Wes Hod'kit~sotr)

abandoned by.. . you get the picture?

) The article was not a condemnation of TRAC or TRAC staff, neither was it intended to bash Main &Hastings or Carnegie or the City's relocator. It was intended to bring out the consequences of casual crap - having personal stuff with individuals happens, having either personal, organization J or philosophical stuff with fellow community groups can be constructive, but it seems that some people are constant in trying to whittle DERA down. It was ironic to be lumped in with the slwnlords and those intent on erasing our nelghbourhood in favour of shoppes and sidewalk cafes charging two bucks for coffee, by reason of one article going over what had already happened. This ongoing ?rash.ing nf T)F R A ic tedious, especially

"."

when there is no stated agenda in doing so. Fanny that those dni.n.g SO give nn indicatinn that this, more than most things, plays right into the hands of the same slumlords and proponents of a new, cleaned-up, squeaky clean bunch of streets and acres of empty space, all set for urban pioneering withnut filrther inconvmi.cnce from the poor, the homeless, the drug users, alcoholics, sex.-trade workers, families and long term residents of the Downtown Eastside. It's not fit to end this with the implication that it's "us" and "you" (or 'them') but that our differences are part of who we are. If groups or individuals mentioned take these words as total condemnation without any substance, then that feeling might tell you something of how the 15-16 staff at DERA feel when someone legitimately acting as a representative for another community group casually or with constant inten- tion trashes a sister group at every opportunity, as though no matter what you do it goes for hit . Again, comments are welcome. Keeping the Downtown Eastside as =. real hcme md unique community depends on working together by mde:stmding differences. Subjective approach with objective adjustment.

By PAULR TAYLOR k

I shall always think back with fondness to those golden days of youth believing all my moments of wonder to once again see the world through the eyes of a child believing in magic dreaming of treasure celebrating life as it arrives on the wings of the moment

The Violin

If only I could write as you know how to play This vacuum robs all sensation. Come. Come tingle over my static flesh. Awaken long forgotten cares lying dormant Embrace my existence with your passion Envelop what is drrtined and repl*sh anew This battered frame once had a heart like you,.

Anita Stevens

I'm not the rug picker Missing: Brinny - a 5-month old Blue Healer ~ ' m the rug picker's son puppy, totally chocolate, and 1'11 pick your rugs looks like a pit bull. Lost from 808 W e v y on until the Rug picker comes. June 26. Please let me know if he has a good

Arot home; if so, it's ok with me. Reward for his

,%, # .-w ,, "t p ,- retturn. Call Lance at 258-9432. L *

I Range of ,. * . . commun~~''on

&\\/ .. , . '' i ~ ~ ~ s ~

i P .,.,GLAND 2

Lmdd * . :,,y 1

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A r \ ~ ~ \ ~ A 8 t st phnhds .~d 2 ' A' \ I

Fax: 684-8442 Voice: 682-3269, #ti072

Dear fellow binners and binnerettes, This is an apoloby to the "44" people for the "To

Bin Or Not To Bin" poem in a recent newsletter. Some of you didn't dig it; sony 'bout that.

Mr. McBinner is taking a rest - I need to concentrate on my campaign for Mayor. I am also displeased with the politics at Carnegie so me and some other writers are staying away for awhde.

How about that Trm wcmm?! She caught her husband fooling around so she cut off his penis and filed it down the toilet. Strike one for woman hood.

h4ay The Bins Be With You. ... and hey! let's be careful out there.

By MR. McBINNER

Sam Slanders Rides Again

Dear Sam Slanders, Well, my picture is in the papers all the

time again and you're still a miserable two-bit nobody.

Bill VderZ

Dear Bill, Yeah, yeah. I know you're trying to line

yourself up for more paper bags full of money. Please don't write to me again.

Yrs truly, Sam Slanders

bcin' across the plain, (Xce i n a ~ l e a bul let zings by nry head. W i t r r ~ and Red got the f a s t e r horses .hd b~ 're puttin ' space

,, Frtwren u s and t h Texas Rangers

PI-. and R e d got a herd of m t t l e Over by the cave. Jm and Jane a r e ra i s in ' chckens and pigs. So we all e a t like kings a t a banque: i i v i n ' up high on the hog; There a i n ' t n o ~ i ' That a n t m c o d ( mt tha t w don't have r igh t her-e A t the Hole IJI 'The Kil l .

G.Gust Yes I recall the day dnt I saw Uladreytd B i l l , the fared out.hw. 31 onc l a t e winter- afta.noorr le crurr t o town ridin' Inrekick on a nmsc.

h e y s y he shot a rich o i l mn ho tried to drive R i l l off his own land. h e posse raced up the trail facing die sun, 3 i l l stood his ground and picked than )ff one by one.

51 lllc run, die ~ruunt-'ains lx~curc h i s hula. [:or scven ywrs they tritul to bring him in; !!AIL b u u l t y l~ur~ te rs lying on the ground can 1cvex- \$in.

(Yn sce B i l l ~mu ld s l u r bladc grease around h i s cycs, just More the sun ~ ~ l d rise, and he nnde sure the buggers w u l d Ir s ta r in ' into Ihc glare when they h is dudow on the ridge.)

B l l l hitdied his IIDXE up to the old hrrp post. le just s L d t l~erc srtilin' l ike a giant graveyard diast. lhe sheriffs care and Bladc-eyetl Bill ,as conflnc4, kt he didn ' t a r e rro lrnre cuz Bill Ind gone blind.

I like t o s l eep out on the o p i range; People uscd to think t t u t I b a s s t w e , They'd point and scly here ccnos danger.

ENTERTAINMENT

I going home after 12 hours lei , I I , , 81, > \ , , , l l < 8

. L d , I<. , , , I ,L.L,t

1.laic 5 I 'C"L ' ~ l l l l l ~ l Lad, Awtc'* dnger !n r rlngle h r p t,,,,c, WIIDIS. 1 k . m 1,mI O h w A I . I . , ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ I ~ L t t T , hl.. 1 ~ ~ 1 1 ~ ~ 6 drc4m ,",,I, ,,rJ"gIcd "WIW drama Chri,tophl.r \Vvddrl l is A .quedky Kmg LdwrrJ l ~ u l Ihe find, hi, r o s t c d ~ ~ p r c r, lhc lhciuddlcd lord ~nuyor ot I uil-

. . Brmrncc m Ihc old qarcn Ir mrdc even more pvwerlul h) her sumptuour black-vclvel

-""f,he "thrr p r m o

Good luck hope you get to go to LA!!!

L

Human Rights And Class War

7?;c smggle for human rights has a long history. It includes the English Revolution of 1688, the American Revolution of 1776, the French Revolution of 1789, and the Mexican Revolution of 1910.

Human rights are the foundation of our democracy. They emerge from our shared values d-wrt the dignity md integrity of the human person They are rmiversd snd reciprwA - that iis, every citi.ren h2c thpw rizhts, nnr! has, also, the responsibility to ensure that aU nthw citiyenc hnve t h ~ m as well In other words, my right for myself ic my responsibility to others Thomas Jefferson saw that in order for everyone

to enjoy the right to an adequate standard nf living, nn nnp c;h.nvl? hnve ? h ~ right to t~nlimited property, for the accr~nulatio~ of gept weglth hy r!

few resulted in great poverty for many. There is a global consensus as to what humrn

rights nrp Thic cnnsmsus has been expressed in the [.IN Universal Declaration of I-4amm R Rights ( 1948). the L J N International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights ( 1979, and the [IN Cnn~ention on the Rights of the Child ( 1989) - all of which Canada has s iped

In the past ten years, however, powerful corporations, with the assistance nf ~nvmrnen ts over which they have great influence, have been conducting a global war ,xainst humm. rights because these rights are seen as a restraint on their private power - or "the market" as they call it.

For ex,unple, in Canada the Canada Health and Social Transfer (CHST) became law on April 1, 1996. This federal legislation abolished the right to income when in need, the right to arieq~rate income, and the right not to have to work for welfare. Workfare, as we know, leads to slave labour. These rights had been part of the Canada

Assistance Plan (CAP) which had kept Canadians tiom falling into Third World poverty. The CHST replaced CAP, and was a direct attack on the rights of ordinary Canadians by a 6usiness and government elite that sought to drive dnw. wsges and weaken the bargaining position of workers. The increase in panhandling we see ? d a y ;is 8

direct result of the loss of the human rights

Bureaucracy

contained in CAP. Craig Scott, Associate Professor of Law at the

lJniversity nf Toronto, made a submission to the Standing Committee OR Finance of ?he [-!@use *f C'0mmns on hlay 8, 1995. In it he said that the

CHST "will place Canada in a position of breakirg hu~t~ari rights law ... the righis UP a vulnerable minority are being treated, not as priorities, but as dispensable privileges." In other words, the federal and provincial governments are breaking international law with their attacks on human rights. This is a much worse crime than merely panhandling in order to get something to eat.

ht ich~ l le Faldeau-Rmsa3. the Chief Cnmmiwic?nctr nf the Canarfinn. H ~ r m ~ n R Rights Commission, was shocked by the failure of the C_'?nadian pnvernment tn nhqervc: its in tm&mnI nb!igations concerning human I.i$ts. In her annual report of April, 1998, she called on the government to protect the human rights of poor people as contained in the !.ln.ivtyvtl n~clarqtinn of Ht~rnan R-ights, the C'ovenant'nn Erwomic, 5ocial md Cultural Rights, an/! the 1-TN Convention on the Rightmf the Child. As there is a fihl-scale war p i w nn 7~"mst ponr and working :-- L - ~ people in Canada, 'and In the world, government, business and m.edia elites haven't paid m x h attention ?Q Michelle Falwdeau-Ra-msay.

Sandy Cameron

my B C N ~

nt Y D U ~ ~ paid a Security Depodt - money hold to cover damage or unpdd rent. a

But rccurity depodb aren't like boomuaaga. All too oftso, they doa't come back. Meny teaurtr walk away horn their drpodt ratPnd rather thua go Uurough the &#8l brubr at ngnttag thdr lurdtord. B.C. Landiorda ua holding SIOO .alluan worth of n d t y deposits- money tb.l belong. to tenantr.

The Rddanff a1 h a n c y Ad was changed to make l! easier for tumnrr to have tbdr depoe ita rotruned. ~ u t WS mt WOPL- ing bcauro laadlads rtlll hold tbe deposit.

Itdoe~r)"ttJa~i~fobe thrt WUJ Security deposit. can tm held in trust by a third party, which Praker it mu& M a r for t-m to get them back. Othu places, U a New B n w - wick axad all the AwtraUn *tea, u# this .VIUm and it ha8 proven to work. , -

'For m ~ r r inhmtlon,

ttir cast€-l ASecuritp Ikpositpurt FuPd mndd pay for itself. In WUY

j w f d d a with ~ c h 8 d& the ~ . d v e CQlt. arm rscovrrod through in- On

th. hrnd A BC f h i would have au~ped be dllfon doll- in ja 1996. It would d o m e the gw-t money by dudpg tb. nunrbrr of arbitrat- haarlngr and ~ ~ b W C . t h o rthM of bpodts p.ld by the Minirtry d H ~ ~ c o . .

nWbnktr AU Arutrabn rktu and the prodnce of New Bruaswick c u r r d y have a r.cuIIty deposit trust fund. In some of them place$, it bas worked for wcu 20 yearn. In fad , wen l.ndlorb ray they don't w a ~ t to go back to a symt.m whore indlvidd Isndlot& hold the tensnt8' deposit

i got a love for chinatown its soul runs thick and deep strikes sentimental chords like a big orange moon through wisps of cloud and lamplight

a chinaman died for every mile of rail in a war against the wilderness and the CPR made the struggle hard lookin' down at the swamps

it don't come from tiance as hasting'q heart h e < a native dance it ri~mhles and shakes heneath chinatnwn w i l rattling ancient hnnes

ask the queen about hernin she'll show you a jewel in her crown - and send you a hig red hnuquet P ~ F -

hefnre she cuts you down ~/&7- &G\\ and in the height< of qhai~nnewy they laugh till they shit their pants

v I as metrotown topples the temple walls A haqtings does the native dance -

from shaunnessy

now empty shops sit shut down everybody likes metrotown trashy glitz from an arnerican dream sets my head spinning around - and around

well, china white

blues blue. blue tell me it ain't true lined up for an hour just to find the bread is blue

lana yesterday felt like a child again using all my strength to fight nameless tears . my dear doctor prescribed some certain sleep saying "people dont have normal lives in the balinoral hotel."

my soul sister says if only i had a couple bucks we could fall in love good and proper

why her face here, now like this ... ?

r. hear

rupert b.

H umbergrove

I was in secondary high school in 1969. I was in the lowest class not on rotary because of my poor reading and writing. I was on rotary a few months later. I was in a trade school. We took math, music, art and gym in the morning. In the afternoon we took shop - like hairdressing, typing, cooking, factory sewing, nursing and dressmaking - for the first two years. Then you get to pick the trade. I picked hairdressing for my last two years in high school. For my achievements 1 received an art award, a shop award, the school Big I-1 tbr best student of all the girls, a trade certificate, attendant and hairdressing license. I finished school in 1974.

She stood there studying him The shining black Cadillac Deciding he looked all right She walked to the car and got in He told her what he wanted They agreed on a price To walk the wild side. A shiny black Cadillac In a dlrty back lane The lights flashed on As he backed himself out He smiled to himself and called her a bitch The lights barely touched her As she lay crumpled on the ground Not a whore or a streetwalker A statistic walking the wild side. He was in good humour When he got home to his family And as he kissed and hugged them He said he was sorry to be late The trafic had been a bitch ... Banging on the door woke his wife Confused, scared at visitors so late While he lay there, tears in his eyes Wondering how they knew He'd walked the wild side. He talked and laughed and denied it all Until they showed the picture Of the dead hooker's hand And on her hand, written in ink, The license of the shiny black Cadillac. Just a dead hooker working To make enough for milk. She was a hooker, now a Jane Doe, Laying on a cold steel slab. Because when you walk the wild side No one knows your name. And johns don't want to pay when they walk the wildside.

Gordon Steeie

READr TO CHANGE YOUR ? WORLD.

Lines from the Learning Centre

The Learning Centre said good-bye to a very special tutor on June 30. Joan Doree was a volunteer at the Carnegie Learning Centre for 12 years! She was with us fir many, many changes and always brought us her warm smile, tolerant attitude, accumulated wisdom and generous snacks. She never lost sight of why she started volunteering here.. to work with literacy.. and she continued to remind the staff to do the same. She was very interested in people's stories and started the "Lines from the Learning Centre" column in this Newsletter to share the stories of Learning Centre regulars with others. In the many years that she wrote the column, she never told her own story, so here goes - Meet Joan Doree! Joan came to volunteer in the

Learning Centre in 1986, four years after retiring

as a nurse. During her nursing career she realised how difficult life could be for people with low reading, writing and math skills and decided that she would volunteer in literacy when she retired She came to Carnegie by chance. She was referred here when she couldn't find a literacy program in the West End, where she lived. She was no stranger to the downtown eastside though. This was her district when she first worked in public health in 1949.

Joan started nursing in 1937 and graduated as a registered nurse in 1940. She served during World War 11 in Basingstoke, England, in the "Neurological, plastic surgery and psychiatric unit", which was a specialized hospitaI of the Canadian Army. Afier the war, she returned to Canada to receive her bachelor of science in nursing fiom UBC and as a mature student of 47, she received her master's degree from U.C. Berkeley. During her volunteer experience at Carnegie,

Joan worked one-on-one with anyone who asked for assistance. She said, "Being a volunteer is always a two way street. You usually get more than yo&give. I learned something every day that I came here from students, tutors and staff. And a lot of laughs besides! It's sad to leave." She also expressed how much she admired people who struggled to get an education in spite of serious hardships in their lives.

Although she will no longer be volunteering with us, Joan is going to continue to listen to stories! She is collecting articles and personal accounts for the History of Nursing group for BC She is also the founding member of Registered Nurses of BC, which raises money for bursaries for financially needy nursing students. If we know Joan, she's going to keep herself busy and help a lot of people along the way! Thank you, Joan, for your years of commitment

to the Carnegie and dedication to Iiteracy education. You touched many people's lives and we will miss you very, very much.

DOWNTOWN STD CLINIC - 219 Main; Monday - Friday, 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. EASTSIDE NEEDLE EXCHANGE - 221 Main; 8:30 a.m. - 8 p.m. every day YOUTH NEEDLE EXCHANGE VAN - 3 Routes ACTIVITIES City - 5:45 p.m. - 11 :45 p.m. SOCIETY Overnight - 12:30 a.m. - 8:30 a.m.

Val A,-$50 Downtown Eastside - 5:30 p.m. 1:30 a.m. Neil N.420 FREE -do,rnons aaepted

Z?1998DONATlONS l i e lenes . -$18 2 Paula R.-$10 Jenny K.-$18 rwm. 0.-$12 Tim S.-$18

F. I J O Y T.-$18 3 - Thomas 0.-$14 , Charley 6.-$15 Beth ~ . - $ 1 8 mLibby D.-$50 Bill G -9 100 1

Sam R.-$40 THE NEWSLETTER IS A PUBLICATION OF THE Rolf A.-$25 CARNEGlE COMMUNITY CENTRE ASSOCIATION . Rick Y.-$45

n Bruce 5.-$14 Art~cles represent the wews of contributors Sharon 5.-$30 BCTF - $12 and not of the Association BCCW -$25 S a b i t r a -$15

rn 0 Ray-Cam -$ lo Susan S.-$7 ", Harold D.-$20 Margaret ~ . - $ 2 0 m Sonya S.-$80 DEYAS -9150

Vancy 11.-$35 PRIDE - $ S O Jennifer M.-$15

w o Srenda P.$10 CELDS

Neighbourhood News

p ~ a n c o u v e r Native Housing Society and Afford- able Housing Non-Profit Rental Society have been chosen as the non-profit housing sponsors to devel -op and manage HOMES BC developments for lower-income singles at two sites. Affordable will receive up to $9.6 million to provide I36 bachelor and one-bedroom units at 1205 Seymour; Native Housing will receive up to $10.2 million to pro- vide 98 units at 27 W.Pender. The Press release has Minister Farnworth saying,

"These pro-jects will provide safe, secure and affordable housing for long-term residents of the downtown south and eastside neighbourhoods. South Granville and the Downtown Eastside are undergoing demographic changes as older rental buildings are converted to tourist accommodation and market condos--displacing those who have called these areas home for many years."

It's commendable that BCgovernment is putting money into housing pro-jects; the only province that still does so after the feds bailed out of social housing a few years ago. It's especially crucial in the Downtown Eastside and Downtown South for as many options and alternatives to housing totally - .

funded by government to go ahead. For every project and new building, housing 100 or 150 people, there are many times that number of people who don't get in.. who have to keep existing in 100 sq.ft. rooms. Every new project - adds to what is needed.

*vancity Place for Youth had an open house on Sunday, July 12, to celebrate the new housing available at 326 W.Pender. There are 50 units, built with $1 million from VanCity, $2,5 million from the City of Vancouver and lesser amounts from the Real Estate Council of BC and others. The ideology is to provide youth who have gotten themselves out of street life and are struggling to get their lives on track with safe, secure housing. The public relations material highlights the ground floor use of space for a youth services centre and progra~nming for skills development and training. Statements include "A life on the street is no life at all'', "Before we can find the right path we have to get off the street", and "Where there is help there is hope." There are several hundred applicants, of course, and little information on what the selection criteria are, what will disallow individuals, who sits on the screening bodies, who will be doing the interviews, etc. The ideals are solid, and the management by St.James Anglican will, hopefully, not be insistent on conversion. Answers to the "who?" questions were unknown by those asked at the celebration; hard to understand when they are crucial to the beginning and hope.. .

*~ocal p6ople are as involved in BC's economy as people elsewhere, yet the mainstream media hype on how terrible everything is has effects. The obligatory anti-NDP story on front pages or as leads in TV news discourages poor people. It's painfully obvious that the richest people, giving greed free rein, run their mouths in subtle and not- so-subtle ways to damn anything that doesn't let them maximize profits. To counter a fact that job creation is up for the 4th consecutive month, the front page wails about a few people "fleeing" to Alberta; to counter the fact that bankruptcies are down over 22% from a year ago the story quotes a few people whining about having to pay taxes that

NEi61&l\goc)Kwv eHs (a"'aUca. . - ) rn higher in Vancouver than an Edmonton suburb to make an overseas woe a made-in-BC night- ,,are, the Asian financial crisis is blamed on the NDP by citing the resmctions placed on forestry Wants like MacBlo and lnterfor (to try and make thein environmentally andor locally responsible for little intangibles like quality-of-life and sustainable business practices). It really gets ludicrous when the "BC business community" is quoted on the front page of a paper but no name or corporation is given. Maybe if they are seen as quoting Michael Walker of the Fraser Institute ad nauseum, it would give the game away. The same kind of hvpe comes from the media owner ... Conrad --.- < .

Black (The Sun, The I'ro-ince, a controlhng interest in all community papers) but he doesn't -.--.- permit himself to be quoted. It would be a CONFLICT OF INTEREST!!! (no shit.)

On a far brighter note, the Downtown Easts~de Residents' Association, DERA, IS hosting a street fair and celebration on August 29th. The special event is DERA's 25th Anniversary! There will be speakers, music, performers, face-painting, food and a dunk tank. Dancing and good times. Alumni - meaning founding members, supporters, past board members, volunteers and those involvcd in various campaigns and struggles are being tracked down and everyone is invitcd Anyone interested in working nn rhiq and volunteering on the day can call Teny Hanky at 682-0931

I) The tragedy of rice wine and Chinese cooking wine is finally being seen for what it is. A Monday showing brought the chilling news to the public that deaths from drinking this stuff number more than those caused by overdoses on heroin or coke.. People's bodily functions just give up and coma results. Margaret Prevost, local community activist and vice-president of DERA, has been working with friends on waking people up to this, and is set to meet with Vancouver's mayor and the Attorney General to get solutions going.

PRT

d - fa pw/t/ 4 1. If, C'J M~~k4-1/,,,~1,/) liere a life beyond thee de,icate dqs

A life built oftime, birr jn tilne Where no e f h t shaii go unnodced

Or deed Unrew;uded Fill Yourself with vicron,

0

Carnegie Communiry Centre Association Board of Directors 1998 - 1999

.I Vce-President: Muggs Sigurgeirson Treasurer: Jeff Sommers Secretary: lrene Schmidt i%aubn -a t -hgc. Loreki Hawkins

Fred Arrance Rrld Osbo~n Iake Auger George Nicholas Eva Rritt Margaret Pwvost Peter Fairchild Mike Rennie Chris laird Pad Taylor

You mag ahdam know us.

We've collaborated with the Carnegie Community Action Project on lobbying for anti-homelessness legislation, Woodwards', and the Community Housing Plan. We've organized chalk-ins and protests about the panhandling bylaw. We organized Art against Homelessness to draw attention to the homelessness and housing crisis in the 'hood. We're working on lobbying for social housing and better services on thet Southeast Shore of False Creek.

So wba are we Baing now?

We have just opened up a community action and art drop in centre across from Oppenheimer Park, @ 213 Dunlevy.

That means you can drop in for a cup of coffee, chat us up about art, homelessness, housing, the city, the government, you name it. We're starting a volunteer program (training included) far artists and other residents to program and run the dropin. We're gonna organize mcre spoken word nights, local art and 'zines (on such themes as COPS, racism, transgender issues. ..).

Come on and see us or call rent-a-crowd at 681-3676.