february 1, 1998, carnegie newsletter

24
FREE - donations accepted. 401 Main Street, Vancouver V6A 2T7 (604) 665-2220 NEWSLETTER \\'03IETV'S hlEhlORIA1, hl.\R<'tl 10:30: (;athering :rt C'arnegie C'entre 12:00: IL1:rrrh hegins -2:00: ('irrle :rt Oppenheimer Park -3:OO: Food at DE Seniors, 509 E.Ilnh11g9

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Page 1: February 1, 1998, carnegie newsletter

FREE - donations accepted.

401 Main Street, Vancouver V6A 2T7 (604) 665-2220

N E W S L E T T E R

\\'03IETV'S hlEhlORIA1, hl.\R<'tl 10:30: (;athering :rt C'arnegie C'entre 12:00: IL1:rrrh hegins -2:00: ('irrle :rt Oppenheimer Park -3:OO: Food at DE Seniors, 509 E.Ilnh11g9

Page 2: February 1, 1998, carnegie newsletter

THE

A FORUM ON MURDER, CORRUPTION AND LAND THEFT: THE NATIVE RESIDENTIAL SCHOOL EXPERIENCE

Downtown Eastside Residents Association >

SURVIVORS OF RESIDENTIAL SCHOOLS

INFOR,MATION SESSION

you are invited to session to dlscua what can be done 'Or

su-vivors of residential schools You will find out

P + What your legal rights are

+ How to press criminal charges

+ How to sue the government and the churches

+ Recent developments

+ The $350M 'Healing Fund' announcement

+ Questions and answers k

WHERE: Solheim Place 251 Union St.

WHEN: Wednesday, January 28, 1998

TIME: 1 OOpm to 4 OOpm

SPEAKER: Karrm Ramjr, a lawyer represent~ng aboriginal p~ople . from the law firm of Slaler kcchro

#1 - 425 Carrall Street, V'~ncouver B C V6B-6E3 Tel 682-0931 Fax 669-5499

A FORIJM ON MURDER, CORRIlPTlON AND LAND

THEFT: THE NATIVE RESIDEN'TIAI, SCHOOL

EXPERIENCE

Witness to murder: Haniett Nahanee, a survivor of the Alberni Residential school, will describe the hilling of a fellow student by Church officials and her abuse. Cower-up by RC'MP: Dennis Tallio and I I a q Wilson will discuss their discovery of dead bodies at the Albetni school in the 1960's and their mistreat- inent by the RCMP after they repotted the bodies. Profiteering off Native lands and resources: Kevin Annett, fomier United Church minist- er, will describe how that church illegally sold Native land to white business interests and MacBlo, with collusion of the provincial government.

Monday, Feb. 9,6:30pm Fletcher Challenge Lecture

Hall, Room 1900 Simon Fraser University,

515 West [lastings

Page 3: February 1, 1998, carnegie newsletter

LEGISLATED POVERTY OF ABORIGINAL PEOPLES

From the colonial days of homesteading ( 1 850's) and the creation of the Indian Act (I876), Aborigi- nal peoples have lived under a system of legislated poverty. Precious few Canadians understand that the exclusion laws for us still prevail. These laws, governing our lands, our citizenship, our children and our resources, have had a devastating impact on us both as individuals and as self-determining Nations. All Canadian citizens were eligible, under the

homesteading acts, to take up to 320 acres if they could show that they were working the land. Abor- iginal people, however, did not receive the right to vote until the 1960's and were therefore not recognized as Canadian citizens. Without citizen- ship, we could not legally qualify for land under homesteading laws. Much of the best lands had already been taken by the time the first Indian Reserve Commission began the task of allocating reserves for our communities (1880's).

Our livelihood, closely tied to our culture, was also legislated out of our control. Laws governing all resources such as fish, forests and wildlife have forced us into a vulnerable and dependent existen- ce. Today, the harvesting of our food is criminaliz- ed. While large corporations continue to extract these resources, Aboriginal peoples are continually portrayed as the "poachers" who deplete salmon stocks and wildlife. The First Nations once had strong communities

based upon extended frtlnily systems. spiritual and cultural traditions, distinct languages and autonomy. The legislated removal of our clii1d1-ell into the infamous residential school system. arld the present day theft of children through the provincial child welfare system ensures wholesale disruption of our communities. The outlawing 01' our right to gather for political, social or spiritual purposes, otherwise known as the Potlatch bans. further disrupted our established "civilizatio~ls".

Department of Indian Affairs (DIA) control o\ cr membership in our own homelands has resulted i n the economic, political and social marginalization of thousands of Aboriginal women and their chilcl- ren. Furthermore, membership, also referred to as "status", creates jurisdictional barriers, dictating whether we receive services from the federal or the provincial government. The 195 1 amend~ncnt to the Indian Act finally allowed us to move on' our reserves and to be eligible for provincial pro- grams and services. Even then, the BC govern- ment refused to deliver any services to "status" Indians unless they were handsomely compensated by DIA; they proceeded to negotiate a lucrati\c financial arrangement. Thus, we became a cash cow for the social services, education and child welfare ministries of this province.

Under present day right-wing advances towards "downloading" and "devolution", off-reserve Ah- original people are once again caught in the csu~lzll of legislated poverty. The gulf between the rich Kr the poor has struck hard in Aboriginal comm~ulit- ies. Single moms, people with disabilities, addicts. the under-educated, sex trade workers and .-41 [IS- infected people are just some of us in cities. lihc Vancouver, who are the casualties of rapidly changing governmental policies and bureaucr:~cics. DIA would much rather use their age-old 'di\ icic and conquer' tactics, rather than honour their fiduciary responsibilities toward all Aboriginal peoples. This time we have been pitted - on- reserve against off-reserve people - and. at this point, the chiefs have the upper hand.

Many of us, Aboriginal activists, see coalitions and building alliances with other social justicc- seeking groups as a viable option in this str~~gjllc

Page 4: February 1, 1998, carnegie newsletter

against legislated poverty. But the biggest barrier, besides racism, is the lack of understanding of whv the nlaving field is not level. A common misunderstanding is that colonial oppression is a thing of the past, yet systemic and institutionalized racism, sexism and poverty continue to pervade all aspects of our lives. We can only build on commonalities and work determinedly at bridging, moving toward new understandings.

By FAY BLANEY

Editor

I would like to express my concern over the "'l'op 7bn Ways to 1'r.s.s Your I,and/ord Off.."

I understand that there is a lot of room for imp- rovement with SRO tenant/landlord relations and a lot of tenants are abused and exploited, but your paper has always tried to make a difference with this issue.

It seems to me that there is a difference between a landlord and a slumlord.

I have a good landlord. Not only did DERA vote my building one of the top two SROs in the Down town Eastside, but at Christmas the landlord gave each of his tenants a card with $1 0 enclosed. Your printing of this article is embarrassing to me as aamember of Carnegie; I would not take issue with it if it had been directed to those who are deserving ''Slumlords" - the people who don't care. Within the last week someone (I have no idea who would do this) went into one of our washrooms and proceeded to deliberately excrete human waste all over the toilet, wall and floor.

I wondered if this article in your paper could've somehow contributed to this behaviour?

For the good landlords in the D.E. who get shit on everyday, please apologi~e. Thank you.

Kirk

Lines from the Learning Centre

Congratulations to Sheila! Sheila Baxter, the well-known Carnegie Centre

writer, has done it again. She has just published her latest book, Still Raising Hell. .

Once more she is trying to educate the public about the amazing and courageous people who live in the Downtown Eastside neighbourhood of +

Vancouver. Her clear and accurate presentation and her humour tell the story in an exceptional way. Sheila says, "1 see myself as a writer of

7

coAmunity truths." And she is right. Besides being a volunteer tutor Sheila also

organizes and heads up a writers' group at the Learning Centre every Tuesday afternoon. Periodically her students publish a booklet of their writings. The latest one was compiled and distribute in January 1998. Anyone is welcome to join this group. As Sheila says, "If you can tell a story you can write a story." Did you know that Sheila's fame had spread to

the television world? Recently she was interview- ed on "771e L'ickr Gabereau Show", where she performed like the seasoned and skilled story- teller that she is. She is the modern counterpart of the ancient historian and story-teller people had before they had books.

Many thanks, Sheila, for your great contribution to the lives of so many people. 4

Hv JOAN DOREE - ,

Volunteer tutor,

Page 5: February 1, 1998, carnegie newsletter

Sheila Baxt er and the politics of poverty: just say fight

STILL RAISING HELL: Poverty, Activism and Other

True Stories By SIIEILA IIAXTER

I'ress Gang Puhlishcrs, 157 pp.. $18.95

Reviewed by SUSAN CREAN

S heila Baxter is an unusual woman, a phenomenon you might say. Raised in

poverty and disadvantage in England , she emigra ted t o Canada only to find more of the same here.

As a young mother in Mon- treal she took the plunge, join- ing the anti-poverty movement to protest the treatment of peo- ple on welfare.

With four small children still at home, she simply toted them along to the demonstrations and sit-ins.

(The grown children fondly remember these events for the huge amounts of marvellous food they usually produced. During the occupation of the St. Denis Street welfare office in 1970, for instance, the group staged a "feed-in" for 200 other welfare recipients who turned up with the media.)

From welfare rights in the '70s, to Vancouver and a stint in city politics in the '80s. to her involvement with the Down- town Eastside community in the '9Os, Baxter has filled her life with politics. She is nothing if not the conscientious citizen pursuing her civic responsibili- ty, devoting time and energy to

l l l L L REAY L'.~ncouvrr Sun

SHEILA BAXTER: on front line.

the common weal. What makes her unusual (be-

yond the sheer extent of her commitment over the years) is who she is: a poor woman, a jingle mother, a working-class writer.

in previor~s l ~ ~ ) k s ( N o Way 1 . i ~ ~ : i 'oor Wornrn S p w k out ,

:he ; ~ w ; ~ r d - w i n n i n ~ Undcr the Viclduc.t, ; ~ n d A (:hild is N o t a To") Haxtcr focused on the sto- ries of poor people. the home- less, nnd their childrc.11, basing her texts on intcrvicws. Her ;~vowcci intent has hcen to pre-- sent the unvarnished voices ot the must vulnerable and disad- vantaged i n our society, as a critique of social.policy and more especiully, ot social prej- udice.

Still Ruising Hell is something of a departure, being a memoir loosely constructed around the question: What makes an ac- tivist? It begins with the au- thor's own life experience, and ends with a series of short bi- ographies profiling a constella- tion of friends and colleagues whose paths and projects have c ro s sed Baxter 's in recent years.

In between, we get a picture

of the Downtown Eastside, a community which flourishes in the core of the city despi te chronic poverty and violence, anchored (in this narrative, at least) at the Carnegie Centre ~t Hast ings and Main S t ree t s where Baxter is a mainstd) among the Skid Road Poets.

In between are also chapters i n w h i c h Baxter e x p l o r e s themes indirectly related to her biography. In "True Stories of Aging and Dying" she writes graphically about being old and dying without resources or community.

In a word, it stinks. Some- times literally, as in the case of the elderly man in Baxter's own building who lay ill m d incon- t inent in his apartment for some long time before neigh- bours called the health depart- ment.

"It took days to get him a bed somewhere. When he was tak- e n away, his apartment was c l o s e d u p w i t h o u t b e i n g cleaned. It stayed that way for two weeks or more, reeking of urine and feces."

Then there was Willis, an or- ganizer of the Relief Camp Workers Union in the 1930s

For Baxter, activism constitutes a response to prejudice and a critique

of injustice.

who was dead several days be- fore his body was found, and whose family told Baxter when she asked about the book Willis had been writing, "Oh, we had it shredded in case it got into the wrong hands." T h e tale neatly illuminates the process whereby the history of margin- al people is routinely and banal- ly "lost."

Baxter is able to write about such incidents without senti- mentality, partly because she knows the individuals. She may be a bvstander but she is no

Page 6: February 1, 1998, carnegie newsletter

From the margms, with attitude

REBEL WITH A CAUSE Socid xti\.ist Slicil:~ ILstcr crplains i n a ncw nlcn~oir \\,hilt n ~ ~ k c s hcr tick. C7

. .

voyeur: what happens to them implicates her.

Baxter's section on the wiles of fat oppression is similarly poignant and horrific. Her hu- miliating esperience a t the hands of abusive obstetricians, contemptuous relatives and to- tal strangers (in one instance a man in a restaurant imposed himself and his medical opin- ions on her saying he was a doctor) reveals an underlying arrogance that assumes stupidi- ty and indolence on the part of the corpulent.

For Baxter the hope is ever in action. "By applying my activist instinct to the weight-loss issue I just may save my life," she writes. She calls for a Large People's Rights movement and takes aim at the diet industry. ( In Lorna Boschman's new video production, The 7-Day Poodle Diet, she acts out a mock drive-by shooting of a Jenny Crai franchise.)

Stit Raising Hell never really answers the question about ac-

ivism. Baxter makes some provocative points about it, though, maintaining that gov- ernment grants and paid advo- cacy work have had a divisive and debilitating effect on grass- roots organizing.

"To give a few people some money does not help others to stand up in the system." She talks whimsically about the ac- tivist "gene" which prompts some people to resist inequity, and recommends the cathartic value of organizing for change to effect some sort of individual control - or at least presence - in the public sphere.

For her, activism constitutes a response to prejudice and a critique of injustice; it emerges at the core of a hard won per- sonal philosophy which regards writing as a healing technique as well as a political tool.

Baxter is a good-natured companion and her fierce per- sonality animates the book. It blends disparate elements (sto- r ies , poems, s ta t i s t ics and polemics) into a whole that is easy to read even if it is hard to categorize.

She speaks frankly about her literary trials, the difficulties oi getting published and being

iecognized. "The hardest thing I've faced

as a writer is not being accept- ed by literary people. It's al- most as if my books aren't con- sidered real books."

She is right in noting that they don't fit the norm, al- though they are not without precedent either.

She is also right in claimink her books are accessible. The writing is straightforward, a: are the ideas, and there is littlc theory to alienate the reader -

only the occasional patch o runaway rhetoric.

Some will bridle at Baxter' quasi-religious tone and sirn plistic refrains like "I am an ac tivist and nobody owns me. Some will find the book ram bles about without a centre.

But Still Raising Hell is a val~ able cultural document, and e- idence that first-person histor can command attention, esp' cially when the writer is a ma ginal woman with attitude lil, Sheila Baster.0

Susan Crean is a Vancouve based writer onfeminist issuc cultural policies, societ an politics. She recently pubrisht, Grace Hartman: A Woman fc her Time (New Star Books).

Page 7: February 1, 1998, carnegie newsletter

IWEouement,, ,

The Vancouver/Richmond Health Board has responded to the call by Bud Osborn to wake up, declare the HIVIAIDS epidemic in the community an emergency medical priority, and to implement an inclusive action plan.

Poverty, homelessness are the results of no work opportunities, inadequate assistance rates and dwindling stocks of decent housing. The continued criminalization of addiction only exacerbates soci- al issues. Bud added that there is very little incen- tive for people to change their lifestyles when they can't afford a place with a fridge and hotplate or even bedding and proper food.

A public announcement lists the following:

8 - BALL

POOL TOURNAMENT

Double Knock-out

Saturday, February 28

$5.00 entry fee (Register and pay at Info Desk)

Prizes: lst, 2nd & 3rd (Cash prize subject to attendance)

- $3.7 million tag on increasing needle exch;inge sites to five fixed and more mobile senice: 2 0 additional outreach workers to work at euistir~g programs; extended service hours at eight drop-rn centres with 14 additional full-time workers at I 0 programs to provide more substance abuse setvcc. and an increase of eight full-time nursing posi~ions There is also more money allocated to tirnd Iwds

at treatment centres and for home care sen ices i n the Downtown Eastside. A basic necessity ti^ users is a safe place to go, right here. The N l h.1 t3Y (not in my back yard) nay-sayers sound like t~ch people: "If 1 can't see it - poverty, hornelessness. addiction, despair - it doesn't bother me." ( . . . ' ) "? )

($u~c;i~ SEN~ORS 1 998 Executive

Prer ident Mikr RENN~E

Vice Prerident A ~ d y ffuchck

I ecren ly Nick Co/&

Trearurer H A R O ~ ~ S M ~ T ~

Mem ben-at-large

Page 8: February 1, 1998, carnegie newsletter

The School System and Class War Part 2

The school system is part of the class war in Canada because it systematically excludes low income students. As a rule, to which there are always exceptions, the poorest students drop out of school first and the richest last. School, there- fore, perpetuates a class system and legitimizes a very unequal society.

The richest 10% of Canadians own 5 1 % of Can- ada's wealth, while the poorest 20% own minus 0.3% of its wealth. Why do we tolerate this extreme inequality in a country that supposedly respects democracy?

The school system helps to prepare us for the acceptance of economic inequality. It is a comp- etitive system of winners and losers. Students are blamed by others when they don't do well in school, and they even blame themselves. "I'm not smart enough, or rich enough, to go to college," a student will say.

When students drop out of school, others say, "They didn't work hard at school. They're lazy. They're stupid. They're troublemakers. They don't deserve a good job at a good wage." We know, however, that the school system itself has let down low income and culturally different children by failing to meet their needs. It has failed especially in the nurturing of self-esteem. Also, the system has refused to address a major cause of student failure in a middle class school system - poverty. "Poverty is the underlying cause of illiteracy"

(the inability to read and write well), said Carman

St.John Hunter, one of the most respected adult educators in North America. "Without any proven will to break the chain of poverty, no government has been able to make sigmficant progress toward universal literacy." ( I )

If we refuse to dismiss the negative effects of poverty on school perfonnance, we are being hyp- ocrites. Reforms inside the school itself, without addressing societal economic inequality, will nev- er succeed because "of the primacy of family and neighbourhood in the process of socialization." ( 2 ) To their credit, teachers' organizations such as

the British Columbia Teachers' Federation (BCTF) and the Canadian Teachers' Federation (CTF)

0

speak to the issue of poverty and school perfonn- ance. They warn that unless we citizens confront the economic inequality that lies behind much of the failure in school, our school remedial prog- rams will have little effect. (3) The best way to deal with the injustice of a class

system is to eliminate poverty and create a class- less, equitable, democratic society. This is the dir- ection which Scandinavian countries like Norway have moved.

Right now, however, the school system is being held to ransom by a business class that wants work units, not citizens. We have a long way to go.

By SANDY CAMERON

(1 ) "M)ths and Rcaliiics of Litcracyllllitcracy-- by Carman St.John Huntcr. Convcrgcncc, vol.XX. # 1. 1987. (2) -'Education, Class and Powvcr" by Robert Pikc. in the book Power And Chancc In Canada. cditcd by Richard Osscnbcrg. (3) "Children, Schools and Poverty". by the Canadian Teach- ers' Federation. I99 I . pg. 16.

Page 9: February 1, 1998, carnegie newsletter

B Y G U Y B E N N E T T

Don't let hotel block our mountain views

G reystone Properties is planning to build a 450 foot high hoteljust east ofCanada Place. City of Vancouver evaluators have announced that

they are pleased with the project "over all"-al- though there are a couple of sticking points.

The first is that the proposed building is too tall. Presently the tallest waterfront building is Granville Square. at 405 feet. Greystone Properties claims they need the extra height so that they can get to the magic number of 1.000 hotel rooms (if they build fewer, some of the delegates from the new trade and convention centre will have no place to sleep.)

"As you shorten the building, it gets wider," says Greystone President David Podrnore. as though it were a stubborn piece of clay. City engineers like the 450-foot design because it provides a "gener- ous, potentially (my emphasis) outstanding civic plaza." So what?

The City is right to balk at the extra height. Con- structing tall buildings on the waterfront makes no sense.Vancouver has lousy theatre. lots of rain, short summers. and it's crime-ridden-but we do have one amazing attribute: the rnountuins. Just as individuals cannot afford to throw away. discount, or destroy their best qualities-neither can we as a city.

Without the mountains. we're nothing. Make the building fatter ifyou have to. Mr. Podmore, but don't block the mountains.

The second sticking point is that the developers have no plan to protect lower income housing in the Downtown Eastside. Well, why should they? Why do we have the poorest people in the city liv- ing on the most expensive real estate? It's a horrible place for them (they're surmunded by wealth) and it's horrible for us (they keep stealing our stuff.)

The Downtown Eastside exists as a neighbor- hood, because the government has flooded the area with detoxes, clinics, psychiatric assessment units, subsidized housing, needle exchange pro- grams. substance abuse counsellors, food banks, soup kitchens etc. The population of low income residents is ballooning because Welfare Offkes all over the province keep sending us their lowest functioning clients, claiming that they don't have the services to care for them (Castlegar doesn't have a support group for pregnant substance abusers.)

Let Greystone Properties do their thing, as long

as they promise to keep it down. Tax the hell out of them, take that money and build services for the 0. needy somewhere where there's a bit of park space, and they won't be tortured by other people's wealth. Say. Chilliwack.

In response to your epitome of Vancouver's citizenry. Guy Bennett, in The Flip Side column (11

lanuary 15 . "Don't let hotel block our mountain views" Period.Full Stop.Agreed.End of disc~lssio~l . and the column? No. He proceeds to indulge i n common, mainstream poor-bashing, with the lo\\ income citizens of Vancouver consecutively t h - paraged as thieves ("It's horrible for us (the) I \ c c ~ ~ stealing our stuff)"), alcoholics&addicts&~~~el~~;~ll~ deranged wackos requiring roofs, programs to exchange needles, counselling, food banks c t ~ . There is of course no truth to the numbers that

statistical welfare fraud is a huge 3% while t:i\

fraud is always over 25%; that alcohol pla) :, a p;ri l in over 50% of all traffic accidents and fataliricx (most poor people don't own cars. .); addiction I < )

narcotics and prescription drugs is universal. hi\ ( I .

people requiring psychiatric assistance are a lot closer to home for thousands of 'nonnal' people: than just the few deinstitutionalized people ~ 1 1 0

are visibly ill; affordable housing is always sougl~~. though generally not found, by virtually cvcq olr L.

anyone becoming HIVt- and getting AIDS icist:,

Page 10: February 1, 1998, carnegie newsletter

the government $1 25,000 in medical treatment prejudiced, bigotted, half-witted, dismal excuse. until they die - so preventing just four people from But don't worry about anythng rational or sensib- getting this disease with the needle exchange and a le coming from me - & economically poor. harm reduction strategy is the yearly budget of the entire program; needing counselling is wrong?? Paul Taylor, Editor, and there are now more food banks in Canada than Carnegie Newsletter. there are McDonald's restaurants. Whew! (Note: This was not printed in the latest We.stenrler.

Maybe the truth hurts?!?) Sorry to break up your party, you narrow-minded

1998 BRITISI-I PERMIT TO SLEEP ON THE STREET OLLIMBIA

The bearer of this permit is a recipient of B.C. Benefits, provided by the Ministry of Human Resources. Due to the inadequacy of B.C. Benefits in meeting the bearer's costs for daily living, this permit entitles the bearer to avoid the unaffordable expense of shelter costs by sleeping on the street.

SIGNATURE OF BEARER

Produced by End Legislated Povecty

PARTY POLITICS Garry Gust nineties. Glen Clark's government has as much ~,t back-bencher in the NDp

to do with social justice as W.A.C. caucus dares to publicly stand up Bennett's government had to do with to Clark and his cabinet cronies. 'Douglas' Social Credit: very little. Not one back-bencher has the guts Both Clark and Bennett were opportun- to tell Clark that his type of govern-

ists who used their chosen political ing insults the essence of what the parties to realize their own personal NDP once stood for. ambitions for power. Aft'er coming to power in the fifties,

members of the Social Credit party ignored Bennett's abandonment of Social Credit principles, and no one in the Socred caucus made any waves lest they lose the ~arty's support when it came time for reelection.

And that is the same shameful atti- tude of the current provincial NDP causus as they let Glen Clark dismantal the social principles devised decades ago by the CCF and further developed by the New Democratic Party into the

........... Just as I was writing the last para- graph, a news item came over the radio stating that Burnaby MLA Joan Sawiki had resigned a legislative position to protest against the Clark governments attempt to turn over good agriculture land for a golf course/ condo development' Let's hope that Ms. Sawiki starts

an avalanche of right thinking NDP MLAs to loudly withdraw their support from the Clark cabinet, and demand an immediate leadership convention.

Page 11: February 1, 1998, carnegie newsletter

It takes some time, b ~ ~ t anyone can learn to play, anyone diagnosed with an official mental ill- ness that IS I myself am still a neophyte, still perf- ecting the art. 50 to speak The art of course is how to live the 'good life' on $771 a month from the BC Go~ern~nent Each day I'm prhy to some new ~nfonnation. new wn) s to profit from the existing s j stem It's as sad as i t is filnny that some things happen to be the way the! are, but I'd rather be laughing each day in a circle of friends than sweat- ing befire a di~hwasher f i r - minimrun wage It's all in how you play the game. i~nd for those as yet un familiar with the rules, here they are.

The first step is to acquire a registered nurse or anyone the Ministry deems to be an "assessor" who is sweet. sympathetic and preferably female In most cases, the choice won't he your own, but if your worker is unsympathetic. don't fret. Moun- ting caseloads account for many changeovers. and el entually your number will come up. Once in the hands of a sweethea~t worker who shakes her head and looks ac if she is going to bawl when you tell her J ou stubbed >,our toe the other day, then you'\e struck gold File for disability benefits, l e ~ d 11. with her guidance In some cases, she will elen spell out for you how to say what Health Services Division want5 to hear.

When dealing with psychiatrists, rules change a little You must remain a mere number on their casefile Re obsequious. Most psychiatrists would prefer to be race car drivers or prestigous authors of medical journals. Your progress is relatively unimportant to them. They can, however. see right

through any d~sguise. so appear to be as real as 11- you can Do remember that REAL in your case is real sick, in fact diagnosed. That's a nice word that can open many doors. Because of the system's profane logic, these "mad" men and women have the power to lock you up. So get the balance right, dress neatly but play with your speech. A special tip for any bipolar compatriots would be to accel- erate your speech. Drink eight cups of coffee be- fore you appointment You will never know what a psychiatrist is thinking, but if he or she remarks that you seem a little "speedy" today, or looks worried, then you have passed the evaluation with high marks. HaHaHa!

Remember that stress is your golden parachu- te. You are a tortured soul. You must be kept free from stress at all costs, or else you will crack up and nobody wants that. It's too costly for the sys- tern. Just take your pills and be polite, and if you have taken yourself off meds, remember to smoke lots of grass for the ultimate balance. A consistent dealer of any drug. be it street or pharmaceutical, can be found in any drop-in centre.

The moqt important consideration is that you will no longer habe to pay restaurant prices for a good meal. For $1 you can get what could cost up to $ I0 in any restaurant on "the drive." The money you save on meals each month will be so much you can again begin to participate in recreational drugs and booze without fretting about how much a "night on the town" will set you back. It's a corn -fortable feeling to get sloshed at the end of the day knowing that you didn't have to actually earn the money. It's a gift from your benevolent govern merit as they mismanaged a potentially solvable problem in the first place, by providing cash instead of housing and proper care to the mentally ill. Retnember. don't ask what you can do for your government, but what can they do for you?

At this point, let's look at active participation. It's inevitable If you attend your drop-in centre daily, laughing each and every minute, you wil give yourself away. Even the staff, as ill equipped as they are, can recognize a flake, rake or potential profiteer. With this in mind it make sense to

Page 12: February 1, 1998, carnegie newsletter

participate in the activities and programs available. Most of the serious programs are standing jokes. No one receives adequate help from the current

HIVIAIDS Support Group

Meetings held every week

Thursday, 6 - 9 pm Lane Level

The Pottery Room

All Welcome

Discussion, Speakers, Coffee

To PRT

Though it may be your work I know it is yours And even if you work together for it, it is -

even for everyone

And even if nobody sees all you do We are given everything even so because you are hope for many who have none

dual diagnosis programs in effect. But here's the gold coin in the muck. To

attend a disfunctional dual diagnosis group is to put your name on paper. Every name counts for more money and subsequently more funding. Even if you gain nothing from attending one of these casual farces your name will profit your drop-in centre, and they will appreciate your attendance. This continues the cycle of programs funded for no reason but to keep those quaint jobs comfortable. LaLaLa! (scratch my back and I'll scratch yours.) The more I learn the less 1 want to know sometimes.

Well, my time is up; more important things to do. So, to future players of the game, good luck, God bless, and bleed them dry.

Remember: Cash = Booze and Drugs Housing and Care = Cure and Peace of Mind

FFEFX x

Stamp out authoritarianism "the power and the glory" ism the strictness sickness sought ..." We're pretty mean here.". . .

I believe it!

No praying No laughing No typing up in the London of the new Queen

Christmas times - Scrooge in the farewell office No applications will be taken after eleven am.

At Main & Hastings.. mainly Hastings, mainly getting some air, a place to catch the sun A place to watch the moon, the mountains ...

Met Jacob, a ward-mate fiom a recent stint in a hospital. They say if you wait here for 15 minutes You'll meet someone you know from somewhere

Saw an eagle soaring, circling above the gulls ... Riding high on the Chinatown thermals It's going to be a lucky day - Spirit messengers hear my song All changes temporal, in cycle, like Sun & Moon.

Taunt

Page 13: February 1, 1998, carnegie newsletter

ridge Housing Society for Women Friday, February 13th at noon

Corner of Columbia and Cordova

Ceremony and Food All Welcome

7 ~ownto&"n ~ t s i d e housing isn't just for the landed gentry

3 1

Judging from Bryce Rositch's Jan. 12 letter, 'Artificially creat- ing a poor zone is bad for every- one," reporter Robert Sarti did well to edit out his comments from the Jan. 9 article, "Vancou- ver's poor face squeeze in downtown area housing."

Although he signed his letter as the president of the Architec- tural Institute of British Colum- bia, Mr. Rositch in no way rep- resents the views of this mem- ber of the institute.

As the past chair of the insti- tute's housing committee and a former member of its council, I strenuously reject the self-serv- ing and narrow vision that Mr. Rositch presents on behalf of the institute.

There are two points that seemed to have escaped him

and the institute. First, the Downtown Eastside

and Downtown South were al- ready communities before the architects and developers ar- rived with their plans and vi- sions.

The people who live there were and are poor and disen- franchised, but that doesn't mean that we warehouse them or shuffle them around like con- tainers in a railyard. The:e are living communities and the people in them have the right to live in their own neighbour- hoods.

Second, while anyont: who

has been in these single-room- only hotels would agree that this is substandard housing, you don't destroy that housing until

you already have a replacement in the same neighbourhood.

As the condos and artists' lofts go up block by block, where are those 7,000 units of a f fordable hous ing in the Downtown Eastside that will replace what the architects and developers are busy tearing down?

Until that question is an- swered by havin housing units 'I in place, we wil need to have controls over hotel conversions.

Surely it is time the architects of this city understood that hu- man rights, dignity and justice must take precedence over the narrow aims of property devel- opment and the monied gentry.

As professionals, our first re- sponsibility is to honour those rights for all, not just the rich, and not just the pro erty own- R ers of condos and o ices in the Downtown Eastside.

GRAEME BRISTOL Vancouver

This letter was printed in the Sun in reply to a letter by Gastown development lobbyist Bryce Rositch, who argu- ed for letting the real estate market determine the future of the neighbourhood. Rositch made no mention of what would happen to the people who get in the way of glorious market forces. Of course, he has a personal finan cia1 interest in the subject: he's an architect who designs condos - the more valuable the land, the bigger the fee.

Page 14: February 1, 1998, carnegie newsletter

WALLS OF CHANGE A series of murals for the Downtown Eastside

Wcrffs of Change is a series of inurals to be created and installed throughout the spring of 1998 in the coniil~~mity of the Downtown Eastside. These murals will be developed through a collaborative process wit11 14 community service groups, agencies. and centres with their clients, patrons and volunteers working directly with experienced artistsho- ordinators.

The n~urals will make a visual statement of the ~~niquencss of each of the organizations. Ten of the murals will be on canvas. and will be suspended from buildings throughout the Downtown Eastside. We are researching possibilities of future exhibits for the portable m~u-als, ie. the Vancouver Public Libran., Powell Street Festival. Folk Festival, and an outdoor eshibition at the Vancouver Art Gallery. These works will be up for from one to six months, at which time the!, d l become the property of the organizations which painted them. Themurals on the construction hoarding site of the new Portland Hotel, can be installed inside the building upon its completion. Construction hoardings and boarded up store fronts will provide the location for the rest of the murals. Finally. a side\valk mu;al will be painted in the laneway behind the Camegie Centre. United We Can has agreed to participate with us in this section of the pro-iect by organizing a lane clean up before the painting begins.

Upon completion of the murals, there will be a weekend event planned for May of 1998. The event

\\.ill include a ~valking tour of the sites. There will be music. poet?. dance. storics and food. The event will takc placc at a numbcr of locations throughout the ncighbo~~rhood. such as Pigeon Park, the, parking lot of the formcr Lus Theatre. the Carnegic Centrc. and Oppenhcimer Park.

Clearly, this neighbo~rlliood is in dire need of somc Jo!.. The naturc of public events that occur in thc Do~vnto\\n Eastside are predominantl~~ of protests or ~ncmorials. These e\,ents are frequent and unfort~matel\. ncsseca~). 111 contrast, Wnlls of Cl~tr~ige will express the creative and unique spirit of this estraordinan. communi~. There are mam presumptions relayed by the media and accepted by the city about what kind of community this is; HIV reaching epidemic proportions, an unspeakable amount of homeless people, gentrification. prostitution and an influx of dealers. These are constant reports of the daily events in the Downtown Eastside. These reports are true, but the!, are often a dehumanised portrayal of just one side of the stonr.

The Downtown Eastside is indeed. a con~n~~uzity in crisis. However, it remains a surviving com~nunity that is held together by a powerful support network that includes conmunity agencies, drop-in centres, and a great number of area residents who regularly are there to offer a hand to someone who needs help. This is above all a conlrnunity of caring, different and memorable people, not statistics.

The creators of this project intend to provide

Page 15: February 1, 1998, carnegie newsletter

a space where residents can give an accurate portrayal of a neighbourhood that is rich in its history, chaotic in its present, and uncertain of its future. Murals have long been known as the people's art, a voice for the unheard. There is clearly no more appropriate way of depicting the experience of the lives of the people who reside in the inner city of Vancouver.

The groups we have participation from in this project include the following: Downtown East Side Seniors Centre, Tonari Gumi, U.Y.A., Oppenheimer Park, The Lookout, The Living

Room, Four Sisters Housing Co-op, The Por t la~~d Hotel, YAC, Brittania Outreach School, The Downtown EastSide Women's Centre, Sheway, WatarirYouth Detox, Carnegie Centre, and S.O.S..

Walls of Change is partnered with thc Vancouver Children's Festival and is sponsorcd b! the Carnegie Community Centre Association.

If you have further questions regarding this project, please do not hesitate to call. You can contact the project coordinator Sharon Kravitz and thc lcad muralist Richard Tetrault at 665-2220

IBOGAINE: A Miracle Cure for Addiction?

According to Neil Diamond, the author of Purify Your Body, the use of ibogaine, which is being tried on alcoholics and drug addicts, has been found by the International Coalition for Addict Self-Help to cure the cravings which result in substance addiction. Trials have been ongoing in the Netherlands and in America since 1962 when a heroin addict tried ibogaine and discovered that he subsequently lost his desire for heroin. This is how ibogaine works:

In Africa, ibogaine is used as a rite of passage to help tribal members make the transition into

AA SPEAKERS MEETING Seeking volunteers for speakers

IF you are willing to share your Experience, strength and hope.

Come join us:

CARNEGIE CENTRE 40 1 Main Street

3rd flr in classrootn 2

EVERY WEDNESDAY

6PM - 8PM page Margaret between 9-5 M-F's ONLY

@ 293-5981 Iv your #. Touchtone calls only.

adulthood by dealing with unresolved issues beforehand. Ibogaine is not a hallucinogen. although it is a conscious-altering substance; rat11cr it puts you into a waking dream state for 36 hours in which a person, along with his or her therapist. is able to look at childhood experiences which may be at the root of the addiction(s). According to Diamond, the trials are progressing

so well that it is expected that ibogaine will bc marketed by the end of the decade. One major benefit of using ibogaine to combat addiction is that there are no withdrawal symptoms fion~ t11c substance formerly used.

(&&: Side effccls at initial treatment arc nausua a ~ d 1111hd- ancc; howver, side effects can be prcvcntcd or trcatcd. 1

Okay. Initial reactions to this news are mixed. l ~ t here are some of 'em.

the one treahnent is currenlly going 1;)1. 64.000 psychological factors of addiction arc rlwot'?

- the social support network is just as crucial a ~ ~ d just as lacking, while the major suppliers o f ~ ~ i ~ ~ i o - tics - military and government personnel - re11 r a i ~ ~ adamantly opposed to curing addiction. Currcrlt forces using fear of poverty as a political cor~~lol mechanism predicate this by flooding low ir~conre areas with narcotics. The resulting addictions effectively eliminate efforts to make change as addicts remain focused on feeding their habit. (/<xuny~/e.s cikd i ~ ~ d ~ i d e [IS' ndi~ciry c ~ t d ('1A I ~ ~ i I i tr~a/~~en~rtrt in crack cocaine a d hemrl,)

Page 16: February 1, 1998, carnegie newsletter

Personality Disorders

A1 The essential feature of a personality disorder an enduring pattern of inner experience and behav- iour that deviates markedly from the expectations of the individual's culture. This pattern is manifes- ted in two (or more) of the following areas: I . cognition (ie., ways of perceiving and

interpreting self, other people and events 2. affectively (ie., the range, intensity, lability

and appropriateness of emotional response) 3. interpersonal functioning 4. impulse control BI The enduring pattern is inflexible and pervasive across a range of personal and social situations. C1 The enduring pattern leads to clinically signifi- cant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning. Dl The pattern is stable, of long duration and its onset can be traced back at least to adolescence or early childhood. El The enduring pattern is not better accounted for as a manifestation or consequence of another mental disorder. FI The enduring pattern is not due to the direct physiological effects of a substance (ie., drug abuse, a medication or a general medical condition like head trauma).

7fie 1)ragnostrc and Slatr.strca1 Manual of Mental lhorders considers I0 types of personality disor- ders h d clusters them in 3 categories (ie., odd eccentric, dramati c-emotional, anxious fearful): 1. Paranoid personality disorder -- is a pattern of distrust and suspicion such that others' motives are interpreted as malevolent. 2. Schizoid personality disorder -- is a pattern of detachment from social relationships and a res- tricted range of emotional expression. 3. Shizotvpal personalitv disorder -- is a pattern of acute discomfort in close relationships, perceptual cognitive distortions, behavioural eccentriticites. 4. Anti-social personalitv disorder -- is a pattern of

disregard for and violation of the rights of others. 5. Borderline personality disorder -- is a pattern of instability in interpersonal relationships, self- image, and effects of marked impulsivity. 6. Histrionic personality disorder -- is a pattern of excessive emotionality and attention-seeking. 7. Narcissistic personalitv disorder -- grandiosity, need for admiration and a lack of empathy. 8. Avoidant personalitv disorder -- is a pattern of social inhibition. feelings of inadequacy, and hyper-sensitivity to negative evaluation. 9. Dependant personalitv disorder -- is a pattern of submissive and clinging behaviour related to exc- essive need to be taken care of. 10. Obsessive-compulsive personalitv disorder -- is a pattern of preoccupation with orderliness, perfectionism and control.

If you suspect that you may have a personality disorder, the first thing to do is investigate. 7 1 ~ I)icrno.s/ic and S/a/is/iccrl hkrtn~crl of Ahtal 1)i.vord~~r.v can be found at Vancouver's Central Library. It contains specific information about each of the ten types of personality disorder. After careful self- evaluation in which much literature has been read, you can attempt to get an assessment done by a professional who is trained in reading personality

traits. It is called psycho-metric testing and could be costly, so as much investigation before hand on your behalf is helpful.

Stephen Kinnis

Page 17: February 1, 1998, carnegie newsletter
Page 18: February 1, 1998, carnegie newsletter

We need an anti-homelessness bylaw now

A walk down East Hastings in the Downtown Eastside community reveals the worsening state of homelessness and poverty in Vancouver. The cuts to BC Benefits, the elimination of funding for social housing from the federal government, the growing divide between rich and poor and the pressure to gentrifL and disperse the poor from the Downtown Eastside are all part of this crisis. Currently we have about 7,000 rooming house

and hotel units serving the needs of lower income singles in the downtown core. Though these units are ofien inadequate and unlivable, in the absence of viable, affordable alternatives they provide an important buffer against homelessness. In the past year alone ('97) we've lost over 600 units to land- lords who want to take advantage of increasing land values and profits from tourism.

We can avoid the homeless catastrophe experien-

ced by other large cities where the loss of resident- ial hotels has had devastating effects on the poor. Vancouver has an opportunity to pass anti- homelessness legislation that would regulate the conversion and demolition of such hotels, and protect this important part of our housing stock for lower income singles.

We would appreciate any support you can offer to ensure that this bylaw is passed. ,

a) Write a letter to mayor & council endorsing this kind of regulatory power and its enforcement; Mayor and Council, (send trs a copy too!) 453 W. 12th Ave., Vancouver, V5Y 1V4 b) Participate in the Art against Homeles.sne.s.s: Art ,

fOr Humanrty -- a series of art and public events happening throughout March and April. These include a youth housing forum, street theatre, tours, speakers, performances and art works. Ga Ching Kong - Urhun Youth AlIirrnce Tom Laviolette - Curnegie Comnz Action Project

@B q@e SaeBS @jF aa%sc63e A hundred years ago..it was perhaps a little more though it really doesn't matter if no-one's keeping score.. Upon the steps of Carnegie in finery displayed, Vancouver's wealthy citizens were part of the parade. I

They came to meet and socialize, to inquire of the news, Amidst the sound of carriages and trotting horse's hooves. And all of it was wondrous, a special sight to see, When Vancouver's wealthy gathered on the steps of Carnegie. I A hundred years have come and gone..perhaps a little more 1 but does it really matter if no-one's keeping score? Michael James McLellan Upon the steps of Carnegie new faces are displayed,

Page 19: February 1, 1998, carnegie newsletter

the corner of morals and virtue 1

On the comer of morals and virtue shuffling in my socks, lookin' round city blues welfare Wednesday all the Christian food shelters are closed as the up and down men recite their poems and their prose even the hotel owners get in on the act charge 10 dollars after 10 to visiting patrons, make a buck off a working girl lying on her back but all the people say it's just another day on Hastings and Main.

On the corner of inorals and virtue shuming in my socks, buyin' a bag of hypnotic masseuse pigeon park where all the free birds fly a natural garden, a natural high but I guess there's side effects to throwin' your life to the breeze swallowing your sorrow in the night can lead to bein' broke and or beggin' on the day time strcc~:, but all the people say it's just another day on Hastings and Main.

On the comer of morals and virtue shuffling in my socks, knight falls with a black moon sky's cry turns to scream, as a child of God turns to a cureless disease to advance in a few nickels and dimes, for empty pockets, it fulfills some kind of mercy so third world is not so far off, where you cut off a limb to add pathos to your beg as aids has turned to an aid, like the severed leg but all the people say it's just another day on Hastings and Main.

On the corner of morals and virtue shuming in my socks reading on alley walled paper CHRIST DIED FOR YOU well I guess I see my sin, yesterday a kid asked for my coat I refused, and headed to the music box, to listen to the lumps in my throat 1 used to think if Christ was here, with so may begging for help, he'd truly go insane and that I was being so noble, always giving to those in tobaccoless days but it's hard to say on just another selfish day? on Hastings and Main

I

I On the comer of morals and virtue Pull up my socks, go searchin' for the final clue a man said to me, you haven't been livin' here long enough, down here everything's a scam I mull it over, chew my food slowly, "44" cold toast, poached egg and ham

Page 20: February 1, 1998, carnegie newsletter

venturing to my lover's balcony in the night, I walk over the bridge, make a right on Commercial Drive I feel like I'm leaving one world, entering another, separated by peoples' lives maybe it's foolish to say that it won't always be just another day on Hastings and Main But the one thing I've been taught fiom livin' on the corner of morals and virtue we are all one, what divides us is our denial of the human race as just another day, on Hastings and Main rolls on through

C. R. A very

George Harrison, a ~ a i e g i e l&er who was a - real-li fe example of how community-based litera- cy can change your life for the better, has died.

His ,wife Lillian called fiom Hamilton, Ontario, last week and informed us that George had died suddenly of a heart attack at the age of 69.

George was an Ontario farm boy who had never had much of a formal education, spending most of his adult life in odd jobs. He was already more than 50 years old when, in 1986, he came to the Carnegie Learning Centre and asked for help in reading. Then he met Lillian, a volunteer tutor. Lillian worked with him one-to-one, and pretty soon George had developed his literacy skills to the point where he was tutoring other new learners and was thinking about applying for steady jobs

himself but, first, Cupid intervened. George and Lillian realised they were meant for

each other. They were manied in Carnegie - one of the grandest and happiest events we've ever held. George and Lillian came down the spiral staircase in a procession, with hundreds of their Carnegie family forming an honour escort. Into the theatre we all marched, and watched as George and Lillian exchanged their wedding vows. Then it was a real community feast, come one, come all, paid for by the beaming newlyweds.

George and Lillian eventually secured positions as managers of a large West End apartment, giving them a great feeling of satisfaction and proving it's never too late to start fresh and tackle any challenge. They always kept up their contacts with Carnegie, even after they had retired and moved to Logan Lake, BC, and eventually back to Ontario. Our condolences go out to Lillian from her

Carnegie family. We know she had a wonderful I0 years with George. What an inspiring story! Luckily, we made a video of George and Lillian's

wedding. It's a real hoot. That's the way we want to remember George and now is the time to see and enjoy the video again.

Hob the romantic

Remembrances of George Harrison 1

I

Wednesday, February 4,4:00 pm I

Carnegie Art Gallery, 3rd floor k'ideo, refreshments, ~ o r d s + music.

Page 21: February 1, 1998, carnegie newsletter

I DOWNTOWN ST0 CLINIC - 219 Main; Monday-Friday, 10a.m. - 6p.m. EASTSIDE NEEDLE EXCHANGE - 221 Main; 8:30a.m. - 8p.m. every YOUTH NEEDLE EXCHANGE VAN 3 Routes day

1 SOCIETY ~ e n n i f e r M.-$20 Nathan E .-$20

1 1997 DONATIE Rocking Guys-$30 paula R.-$30 Diane M.-$15 Wm. B.-$20 Lorne T.-$20 L i l l i a n H.-$25 Me1 L.-$20

! 1 Joy T .-$20 Sara Ij.-$20 ! 1 Frances -$25 CEEDS -$lo

Charley 8.-$15 Susan S.-$30 Libby D.-$40 DEYAS -$75 Guy M.-$10 Tom -$20 Rene -$30 Sam R.-$20 Amy -$lo N e i l N.-$10 Rick Y .-$63 Sharon J .-$50 BCCW -$60 Holden H t l -$5 Joan D.-$5 Mike -$15 B i l l G.-$20 Ray-Cam -$40 Harold D.-$19.10 Sonya Sommers -$lo0 Ani ta S.-$10 Census Wkrs -$200 B.C. P L U M -$lo00 VanCity Chinatown -$200 Legal Services Soc ie ty -$I230

- City - 5:45p.m. - 11:45 p.m. Overnight - 12:30a.m. - 8:30a.m. Downtown Eastside - 5:30p.m.

THE NEWSLETTER IS A PUBUCATION OF THE CARNEGIE COMMUNITY CENTRE ASSOCIATION

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

1 Submission ~eadli- for the next issue:

12 February

NEED HELP?

The Downtown Eastside Residents Association can help you with:

b Welfare problems; b Landlords disputer, b Housing problems; b Unsafe living conditions;

Come into the Dem office at 425 Carrail Street or phone us at 682 - 0921.

DERA HAS BEEN SERVING THE DOWNTOWN EASTSIDE FOR 24 YEARS.

Page 22: February 1, 1998, carnegie newsletter

The 4 Directions of Egypt:

North, South, East, West. North is the horizon ordered by Hapi. Hapi is the dog-headed baboon, the wisest of animals. The Baboon once owned & lived on a mountain that white men tied to take over, but he chased them away by rolling huge boulders down on them & eventually he had to abandon his quest & return to civilization & leave the mountain alone. Defender of the mountain the baboon-headed Hapi, protector of the small intes- tine where food is finally absorbed into the system and expelled as waste. Hapi is also the name of the Nile River, who is said to resemble a man with female breasts, but in poetty is given no image & is said to be invisible and inconceivable.

South is the horizon ordered by Amset. Amset is the human-headed neter, who was much earlier the serpent-headed god who changed into human. This is important because a serpent who changes into human is the only one of 4 world directions that change. Think of it. A snake-headed power that dies & is reborn as human. South, the protect- or of the stomach and large intestine, the receiver of all food in its original form.

East is where the sun rises, its horizon is order -ed by Taumutef He is jackal or dog-headed. The nose & ears being the most important sense, the

nose smelling out the way, & ears hearing at a long distance noises that would be lost to the aver- age ear. Protector of the heart & lungs -- the most important part of the body. The heart, which must I

contain all of the life of the person & be judged against Mahat, which is the direct truth, the short- est distance between 2 points. & lungs which derived of breath for 10- 1 5 minutes means death.

And finally, west is called Qebhsennuf, the falcon-headed powe whose horizon is the setting sun -- the sun, grown old, & wise who lays his head on the horizon and sinks below the earth and beings his journey into the netherworld, that which is upside-down & invisible. 12 arrits, or regions to the resurreciton of light on the eastern horizon, west is the protector of the liver & gall bladder, the unconscious place of life. The name "liver" signifies the life & lies just below the heart. & the gall bladder being the most important supplier of chemicals in the use of digestion.

These are the 4 directions in ancient Egypt. They are the children of Osiris & stem from a lotus that grows from the sacred lake whose roots form the floor of the throne.

TORA

Page 23: February 1, 1998, carnegie newsletter

Carnegie's Valentine's Dance with

( ~ e l p your heart and have fun!) Saturday February 14th

7 - 10 p.m. in t h e t h e a t r e

refreshments

MIRE 03RPORATE INSUL?S G. Gust

Skm of our bright eyed citizens often refer to Vancouver as a "world class1' c i ty ; whatever that means. My question is: can a c i ty be 'world class'

i f it only has one TV cable company monopcr hzing the air mves?

Rogers cable is a terr ible joke. 'Ihey keep trying t o force more slop down their subscri- bers throats, hoping t o jack up cable fees.

The h o l e concept of marketing the i r la tes t expansion (ME TV) stunk f r m the word go, h e n you bear in mind that people don't t rus t Rogers cable because of their "negative billing" schem3 a few years ago.

They prarrised 16 new channels for "as l i t t le as $5.99'' a month. Now when you say "for as l i t t le as" t o a veteran constimr, you are suggesting that there could be extra charges.

Why didn't they jus t caw clean and say: "16 new channels for $6.00 plus tax?"

l ive music

Of the 16 channels, I found only t l r c u h 0 1

any interest: History, TIE, and the Far111 I v channel. The rest are s t r i c t ly special interest stations that couldn't p o s s i b l y survive unless they were, as they are, i ~ i , I

forced pickage. I'll be damned i f I'll subsidize the ( i , l i

channel by subscribing t o ME TV. ?he f ina l inmilt from Rogers is that 1 1 i t l i i r

don't subscribe t o ME TV, you'll have 1 0 [ , I . ,

2 bucks extra for what you had before PII" I I came along.

n7at being the case, I 'm relishing phc ,r I i I ,

Rogers a t the end of this month and s a y i I 1):.

"Cancel everything except basic cable." Over the Xllras holidays I got so sick ( 1 1

channel surfing that I rediscovered th t . t I c i

entertaimwnt value of radio. Now a l l < r I L 1 I t o mike my l i f e ccrnplete is to know thth official rules for what constitutes a World Class City.

Page 24: February 1, 1998, carnegie newsletter

C A R N G G I G COMMU NlTY C I E N T R C 3rd floor, 401 Main Street

Invites you to the opening of:

G f 6 R N A L W O R T H

an exhibit of photography by:

PIA NCAN M U RPOCH

inspired by:

P O W N H G R E

a poem by:

SLIP O S S O R N

Opening: Thursday February 5th 7:30-9:30 both artists in attendance

Exhibit: February 6th - February 28th 10:00 am - 10:N pm daily

United We Con B o w Depot Croswoodr and LMes

52 East Cordova Sfrcet Vuncouver, BC (YdA 1x2)