FREE - donat ions a c c e p t e d .

N E W S L E T T E R 401 Main St., Vancouver V 6 A 2T7 ( 6 0 4 ) 6 6 5 - 2 2 8 9

Five good reasons to vote for Libby Davies for Mayor: * She helped bring about safer conditions

in the hotels by forcing the city to uphold fire and safety regulations

* She was one of the founders of the Carnegie Community Centre.

* She fought successfully for tenants' rights in the hotels, so people can't be evicted so easily.

* She has been a champion of low-cost housing in the Downtown Eastside.

* She helped the neighbourhood improe Oppenheimer Park with a ball diamond, cherry trees and checker sets.

Libby has always been there when we needed her. She deserves our vote on Saturday, November 20.

Make it count!

City elections comi ng up Nov. 20th

City elections can be important for low income people. City

, government can hnd community groups, decide prices for skating and swimming at recreation centres, get developers to pay for I~ousing that's affordable to us. City government can make landlords keep rooming houses safe and enforce liquor laws. City government can stick up for low income people when provincial or federal governments cut welfare or other programs we use.

Here is how you vote in the City election in Vancouver. If you voted in the last provincial election, and haven't moved, you are probably on the voters list. If not, you can register to vote on election day. Nov. 20. Here's how:

''TROUBLE FOR US. . .NO TROUBLE FOR THEM1'

Ci ty Planning is supposed t o be community or iented . In t h e case of Por ts Canada's waterfront development f ron t ing on Gastown G t h e Downtown Eastside, t h i s community-orientation requirement is taken care of by hold- ing pub l i c meetings, promising a s w i m - ming pool ( f o r which res iden t s w i l l have t o pay an entrance fee , l i k e any o the r business) E promising a l a r g e sum of money t o l o c a l s o c i a l housing i n t e r e s t s t o bui ld somewhere e l s e .

The s o c i a l , economic environmental

Call 873-768 1 and find out where you vote. On election day, go to this place. You don't need I D. Tell the voter officials that you want to vote but may not be on the list. They will ask you to sign a card stating that you are a Canadian citizen, have lived in B. C. for 6 months and Vancouver for 30 days, and are 18 or over. Then you can vote. I- nn - 1

"...and when the present tenant moves, we plan to renovate t h i s into a truly

t affordable, mini-compact su i t e . . .."

impacts on r e s i d e n t i a l waterfront acc- e s s a r e l a r g e l y ignored, while claims a r e made t h a t they a r e being taken i n t o account.

The deceptive i n t e r f a c e between gov- ernment-sanctioned business ob jec t ives (tourism) G community needs, i s laced with c l eve r language agreed upon by bureaucrats G "experts1' so t h a t d i r e c t communication of ideas:. i s obscured.

This, of course, i s a t a c t i c t h a t i s

now accepted widely E used o f t e n s ince it e f f e c t i v e l y removes t h e voice E un- derstanding o f c i t i z e n s , and maintains the dominant pos i t ion of commercial i n t e r e s t s working i n c lose co-opera- t i o n with government agencys t h a t funnel publ ic money l i n t o a c t i v i t y s they favour. Community development is i d e n t i f i e d with business i n t e r e s t s , 6 c i t i z e n s a r e once again held hostage t o corpora t ions by t h e be t raya l of democratic p r i n c i p l e s f o r p o l i t i c a l s e l f - i n t e r e s t .

Here a r e some examples of t h e lang- uage used i n t h i s process, taken d i r - e c t l y from t h e Ci ty of Vabcouver : " Planning Department's po l i cy s t a t e - ment concerning "Central Waterfront Port Lands" development i n t h e a r e a adjacent t o Crab Park: TORA

"HIGH-QUALITY URBAN EDGE" (waterfront )

"DEVELOPMENT REALMSt ( real e s t a t e options)

"SIGNIFICANT INCREMENTS" (important changes)

"TOURIST-ORIENTED COMMERCIAL USES G ATTRACTIONS" (hotels & bars)

"LOCAL COMMUNITY-ORIENTED AMENITY" (Crab Park)

"GROSS S I T E AREA" (the whole place)

"NECESSARY TRANSPORTATION MODES" (buses, cars, boats, planes)

"I I ICII -RISE CHARACTER" ( t a l l buildings)

"LOW-RISE INDUSTRIAL CHARACTERt1 (short buildings with people working in them)

"THE CANADA PLACE LANDMARK" ( s a i l building)

"UPPER STREET GRADE LEVEL" (sidewalk)

"ACCEPTABLE CRITERIA" (okay with us)

"TERMINATE THE STREET-END VIEW" (make it impossible t o see water,or.mountains)

"COMPENSATE FOR EXISTING DEFICIENCYS I N ADJACENT DEVELOPMENTSH (add more

"ACTIVE EDGE USEt f ( r e t a i l ac t iv i ty near park) parking space)

"ADEQUATE STAGING AREA" (parking l o t f o r buses next t o Crab Park)

"ACCESS PATTERNS FOR U T I L I T Y LOADING 6 SERVICINGn (ways t o get tour i s t s off & on cruise ships)

"SPECIAL ACCOUSTIC TREATMENT" (minimization of noise)

"DESIGN P R I N C I P L E S AT THE DEVELOPMENT-AGREEMENT STAGEf1 (how we want it t o look)

"TRANSITION REALM" (space between us E them)

The t e a r s t h a t I ' ve shed i n t h e l a s t few weeks a r e not only f o r Cheryl and myself, a l l t h e pain, heartache, s u f f - e r ing and t h e g rea t l o s s I ' v e endured, but a l s o f o r the people who d i d n ' t know her. On h e r b i r t h c e r t i f i c a t e it reads. .

CHERYL ANN JOE..not "Mutilated Native Pros t i tu te" o r any o t h e r name t h e press has labelkd hbr. She was a super person, who cared about o thers . She'd always put h e r own problems on t h e back burner t o make you f o r g e t yours. She'd always f i n d a way t o make you laugh, but underneath t h a t lovely smile was a sad and very unhappy woman When alone she 'd c ry l i k e a l i t t l e g i r l .

She was a Mom, a f i n e mother who adored and loved her babies uncondi- t i o n a l l y and when she loved it was with every f i b r e of he r every being. She'd o f t e n say t o me, Worn, we;re not here f o r a long time but t o have a good time.' So l e t ' s party!" I t was a s though every day were her l a s t .

She wanted t o go back t o school and become a cop. She wanted so badly t o prove not only t o h e r s e l f , worthy of being someone, but t o l e t those who knew her s e e t h a t she was q u i t e capab- l e of achieving a profession and being successful i n reaching t h a t goal i n l i f e . She o f t e n had very low esteem about h e r s e l f , t h a t she wasn't good enough, and degraded when people c a l l -

ed he r c rue l names about h e r obesi ty. I would t e l l her ,Cheryl you're not here t o l i v e up t o anyone's expecta- t ions but( your own.

How easy it is f o r each and every one of us t o point a f i n g e r a t her . But a s we a r e doing it..remember my f r i end . . the re a r e those point ing back! I f we a l l take a ' ho t second: t o look i n a mirror , I can b e t my l i f e t h a t t h e r e is something about t h a t image we don' t like..maybe about something we have done and a r e too ashmaed t o l e t anyone know. So p lease , l e t ' s not judge her f o r he r f a u l t s (we a l l have them you know) but f o r a l l t h e good t h a t outweighs t h e bad.

Yes Cheryl, my adopted daughter who chose me, the re a r e two t e a r s twist- ing down my face now joined a s one. I am proud and p r iv i l eged t o have had you pass through my l i f e time..you were c e r t a i n l y exceptional and an ins- p i r a t i o n t o those who had known you. You Cheryl a r e an e x t r a spec ia l person and it i s r a r e f o r one person t o have a l l those wonderful q u a l i t i e s you possessed.

You a r e not here t o p r o t e c t yourself I

but I am. "Hey Kid Your Ace's In My 1 Eyes.lf The t e a r s can s top now and the , pain can subside. I can smile now.. I your g r i e f , pain and su f fe r ing have passed. .you a r e a t l a s t a " f ree spiritf I - s l eep my ch i ld . . .y o u l l l be sadly missed by me

Your 2nd Mom, Sharpe Dillon A a L

I

10th Anniversary Celebration of the

Learning Centre On Nov.4th, 1993 we ce lebra ted our

10th a n n i v e r s a ~ y with a splendid par - t y t h a t s t a r t e d i n t h e e a r l y morning and ended a t 7 p.m. During t h i s t ime more than 200 people at tended t o sing, laugh, dance e t c . and consume sand- wiches, ch ip G d ip , o t h e r food Gcoffee and punch o f f and on a l l day. Two - l a r g e b i r thday cakes were a l s o sefved i n t h e e a r l y and l a t e af ternoon.

In t h e morning 80 s tuden t s & t u t o r s met t o decide who they wanted t 6 e l e c t

a s t h e i r r ep resen ta t ives t o t h e Learn- ing Centre h i r i n g committee. The four people chosen were Dora Sander5,Mandy Liu, I rene Schmidt and Sco t t Unger. Congratulat ions t o t h i s new group.

The af ternoon was devoted t o music, dancing and readings - enjoyed by a l l .

David Campbell, s i n g e r & g u i t a r i s t , pleased u s a l l with h i s music and po- e t ry . He even encouraged us t o s i n g along wi th him even though none of us knew t h e music o r t h e words!

A g r e a t q u a r t e t made up of Lex Baas,

Donald MacPherson, Randy Goulding and Steve Rose played and sang "Blue Grass" music. During t h i s performance many people danced l e d by t h e t a l e n t e d Wendy Pedersen. Encores were requested.

In t h e l a t e af ternoon and e a r l y even- ing t h e r e were prose and poet ry reading

,,.

by s tudents , t u t o r s and s t a f f . P a r t i c i - pants were: Shennon S te in , Fred Hender- son, Wendy Havens, Steve Rose, Mandy Liu, Marty Lucas, Dora Sanders, Barbara Gray, Gail Harwood, She i l a Baxter, Claude Mortimer and Richie Ahlgren ( S i r o i s ) . I apologize i f I have missed I anybody.

I Many thanks t o t h e Food Service s t a f f 1 (

f o r t h e co f fee and punch and espec ia l ly t o Paul f o r making t h e b i r thday cakes 1 and John f o r c u t t i n g a l l t h e s t u f f f o r t h e sandwiches.

F ina l ly , a very spec ia l thank you t o , t h e s t a f f of t h e Learning Cehtre who 1 organized and ran t h e p a r t y , made a l l t h e sandwiches, e t c . and kept everyone happy. We're a l l g r a t e f u l f o r your kindness.

I Joan Doree, Volunteer / Tutor. i

The t e n t h anniversary of t h e Learn- 1 ing Centre was well a t tended and most successfu l .

F i r s t of a l l we e l e c t e d h i r i n g comm- 1

i t t e e s . The entertainment was wonder- I f u l with David Campbell who sang and is a g r e a t s t o r y t e l l e r .

Next on t h e entertainment was a l o c a l b luegrass band I c a l l "The Carn- e g i s H i l l b i l l i e s " ; Don MacPherson, Lex 1 Baas, Steve Rose and Randy were i n i t h i s group and played some mighty f i n e , music. People thoroughly enjoyed danc- 1 i ng i n t h e Art Gallery.

I would love t o s e e a hoedown take p lace i n t h e t h e a t r e , complete with I

b a l e s of s traw. This is t h e p r a i r i e blood coming out i n me. We used t o have , square dancing on a r e g u l a r b a s i s .

The day was complete with a n u t r i t - ious lunch.

By IRNEN SCHMIDT

You are invited to: (3 On September 15, 1993, t he photogra- - phers s e t out t o record some aspect of

"A Day in the Life" l i f e i n Vancouver's eas t s ide - the ar - chi tec ture , the inhabi tants , the ev-

of V ~ ~ C O U V ~ ~ ' S ents . Par t i c ipan t s were given no crea- Downtown Eastside t i v e l i m i t s , only a 24-hour time l i m i t

and t he geographic boundaries from Broadway i n the south, t he waterfront i n t he north, Commercial Drive on the eas t and Cambie S t r ee t t o the west.

For t h i s se l f -cura ted show, each

PHOTOWORKS A documentary photo exhibition

of people, places, and events 1 organized by the Carnegie Photo Group

Nov. 18th - Dec. 18th

Please join us for the opening:

Thursday, Nov. 18th 1993

par t i c ipan t has se lected two black-6- white 8"x101' images from the photo- graphs they shot t h a t day. A shor t commentary accompanies each image, but t he 10 p r i n t s speak powerful ly , .

3rd floor of the Carnegie Centre 401 Main Street, ~ancouver

(Main & Hastings)

Learning Centre Events

OFF the Wall meetings: 1:30-3:00 Tuesday, Friday

Cottonwood Garden Project ; Friday, Nov. 19 6 26, lpm-3pm

Yuet Fongls Cantonese, Mondays, 1-3.

I be presenting a s e r i e s of seven work- shops t o be held a t t he Carnegie Cen- t r e , 401 Main St . i n the Theatre.

1 There is no admission charge.

1. PANEL OF ELDERS WORKSHOP - Panel of ....................... Native Elders - The wisdom of t he Elders, speaking on values and s p i r i t u a l i t y .

MONDAY, Nov.15, lpm - 4pm.

112. TEACHINGS OF THE SWEAT LODGE, VISION QUEST AND PIPE CEREMONY .............................. I - l ed byd Phi l LIHirondelle.

) MONDAY, Nov. 29, lpm - 4 p .

W 3. MOTHER EARTH SPIRITUALITY - TG5ELifiis-6Z-EhZ-RZaICinZ Wheel -

1 Led by ce l e s t e and Amy. MONDAY, Dec. 6, lpm - 4pm. k- \ a

Tutor Workshops --------------- Nov.16: Grammar workshop, 3-5pm Nov. l 7 : ESL Pronunciationj* 5 : 30-7 Nov.24: Sign Language, 2-3pm Nov.25: ESL Music G Jazz Chants, 2-4 Nov.26: Grammar workshop, 2-4pm Nov.29: Cantonese Expressions, 1-2pm -.

Barb Westmacott Planning Dept., Ci ty of Vancouver

Dear Ms. Westmacott , I am wri t ing on behalf of t h e Carn-

egie Community Centre Association Board of Directors. A t our recent Com- munity Relations Committee meeting we were informed of an appl ica t ion t o your department f o r t h e use of t h e premises a t 92 E .Hastings by t h e Inner Ci ty Min i s t r i e s Revival Centre. The committee would l i k e t o br ing forward severa l concerns t h a t t h e Association has regarding t h i s appl ica t ion:

1. The committee f e e l s s t rong ly t h a t developments l i k e t h i s should be

brought forward t o t h e Downtown East- s ide/Strathcona Coali t ion. These two communities have spent much time over the pas t few years pu t t ing together t h i s c o a l i t i o n f o r t h e s p e c i f i c purp+ ose of being informed of proposed de- velopments and new programs here.

2. There i s a concern t h a t another church driven drop-in cen t re is

the l a s t th ing t h a t t h i s community needs considering t h a t t h e r e a r e a t the Downtown Eastside youth Ac t iv i t -

i e s Society, t h e Native Courtworkers, Vancouver Native Health Society, e tc . come t o mind. I suggest t h a t t h e i r programs may be i n c o n f l i c t with ex- i s t i n g e f f o r t s t o work with young people on t h e s t r e e t s .

l e a s t a dozen r e l i g i o u s groups provi- ding some s o r t of se rv ices t o the 1 publ ic i n t h e area.

3. The tone of t h e app l i ca t ion sugg- I

e s t s t h a t t h i s group, while claim- 1 I ing t o have a g rea t deal of knowledge ,

about t h e area and t h e i s sues , has a 1 very patronizing approach towards the res iden t s of t h e neighbourhood. An ex- ample of t h i s i s t o be found i n t h e l i n e i n t h e i r l e t t e r t o your depart- ment t h a t says t h a t "Nobody wants the building (92 E.Hastings), the immedi- a t e a rea is not an a r e a where many respectable people wish t o do t h e i r business." I beg t o d i f f e r with t h e i r opinion and suggest t h a t many of the business people and t h e r e s i d e n t s on t h i s p a r t of Hastings a r e a s respect - ' able a s people i n o t h e r p a r t s of the c i t y . I

I 4. Since t h i s group is s p e c i f i c a l l y

t a r g e t t i n g young Native people, have they discussed t h i s with t h e oth- e r organizat ions t h a t dea l with young Native people who happen t o frequent o r l i v e i n t h i s area? Groups such a s

5. Though the d i r e c t o r s of t h e mission I church say they a r e acu te ly aware

of t h e need f o r a well-equipped drop- i n cnntre i n t h e area , they wish t o loca te t h e i r drop-in one block from one of t h e bes t equipped drop-in cen- t r e s i n t h e country, namely t h e Came- g i e Centre, which a l ready provides a f u l l range of s o c i a l , c u l t u r a l , educa- . t i o n and rec rea t ion programming t o the r e s i d e n t s of t h e a r e a with any r e l i - gious baggage.

In conclusion, t h e Carnegie Communi- t y Centre Association f e e l s s t rong ly t h a t t h i s appl ica t ion should be re f - used a s t h e r e is quest ionable need f o r ye t another se rv ice such a s the Inner Ci ty M i n i s t r i e s i s proposing. To app- rove t h i s app l i ca t ion without proper consul ta t ion i s t o ignore a long and arduous community process t h a t has been undertaken over t h e l a s t two years involving r e s i d e n t s of t h e Down- town Eastside. and Strathcona, se rv ice agencies, c i t y s t a f f and representa t - ives from t h e provincia l government i n developing t h e Downtown Eastside/ Strathcona Coal i t ion .

S incere ly , MARGARET PREVOST,

Carnegie Community Centre Community Relat ions Committee (Chairperson).

BOO THE ZOO!

Like a bad penny, t h e Stanley Park zoo expansion p lan keeps turning up.

The NPA empire-builders j u s t won't l e t it d i e , even though t h e publ ic has c l e a r l y t o l d them t o fo rge t it.

The day is pas t when imprisoning animals i n cages is an acceptable form of entertainment f o r humans, even if the NPA i n s i s t s on c a l l i n g it a "wild- l i f e i n t e r p r e t a t i o n centret1.

Three years ago the NPA put forward a proposal t o spend $500,000 on t h e f i r s t s t age of a zoo expansion, t o c rea te an even bigger t o u r i s t a t t r a c t - ion. That was soundly defeated i n a publ ic p l e b i s c i t e .

On Nov.20, t h e c i t i z e n s of Vancouver w i l l once again be c a l l e d on t o exp- r e s s t h e i r opinions about zoos.

This time, t h e NPA i s n ' t t a l k i n g about expansion. They've smartened up. Instead, we w i l l be asked simply, "Do you favour a zoo i n Stanley park - Yes o r No?

But they s t i l l have a plan t o expand If~lwe vote Yes, they w i l l t ake it a s encouragement t o push t h e i r $9 m i l l i o n expansion again.

The ch i ld ren ' s zoo and the toy t r a i n should s t a y i n Stanley Park, and those people who want a "game farmt1 should look t o t h e boondocks, not a crowded urban park where space i s already a t a premium.

A No vote w i l l send t h a t message t o t h e NPA.

* * * By the way, don' t confuse t h e zoo

p l e b i s c i t e with the proposal t o spend $22,160,000 on Parks and Recreation f a c i l i t i e s . Oppenheimer Park w i l l ge t improvements t o i t s f ieldhbuse i f t h i s passes. So vote Yes f o r Parks and Recreation F a c i l i t i e s .

By MUGGS * 'S IGURGE IRSOM

I moved to the Downtown Eastside at the best of times; when all the battles had been fought and won. From many sources I've heard of the war to save the Carnegie, the, war to create crab Park, and the war to salvage Stra- thcona Gardens. For over five years there's been a rel- ative calm in the DEside, but now a new war looms, on the horizon under the banner of ambitious greed and wanton destruction of the environment.

I

intention is to remove 6.1 hectares of,water from Burrard Inlet. by means uf landfill, thus reducing Crab Park Bay to what will eventually, over the centuries,

a dying inland swamp.

I

When humans rape Nature in this way, as in things like the ~razilian rainforest, a more serious destruction will follow.

The invaders are, at this very moment, planning to commit a crime, not against social order,but a more severe'crime against. Nature itself!

"THE PUCK STOPS HERE" 11. Construction w i l l soon begin on t h e

new Downtown Arena which w i l l become home t o t h e Vancouver Canucks i n time f o r t h e s t a r t of t h e 1995/96 NHL seas- son. The development company, North- west Arena Corporation, has expressed i n t e r e s t i n employing l o c a l r e s i d e n t s a t t h e arena when it opens. Workers i n guest r e l a t i o n s , concessions and secu- r i t y w i l l be needed.

In response t o t h i s employment i n i t - i a t i v e t h e Downtown Easts ide /St ra th- cona Coal i t ion has organized a work- shop, T h e Puck Stops Herev1. The work- shop w i l l provide i n t e r e s t e d r e s i d e n t s with an opportunity t o l ea rn more 4

about t h e Arena and t h e new jobs. Mike Horsey, t h e President of North-

west Arena Corporation, w i l l be t h e keynote speaker. A s a workshop p a r t i c - ipan t , you w i l l be given time t o ask ques t ions and f i n d out whether working a t t h e Arena might be a goal you would l i k e t o l lscosel t .

With profess ional f a c i l i t a t i o n , t h e workshop w i l l explore what s p e c i a l education, t r a i n i n g and support r e s i - dents w i l l need i n order t o ga in an advantage when applying f o r work a t t h e arena. This information w i l l be he lp fu l i n t h e design of l o c a l employ- ment t r a i n i n g and education programs so t h a t people l i v i n g i n our community can have a winning edge i n t h i s compe- t i t i v e job market.

The workshop w i l l be held a t :

I

1 I

Strathcona Community Centre 601 Keefer S t r e e t December 7, 1993

9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

There are those among us who will go beyond civil disobedience to prdvent this grievous violation of the aquatic habitat, and such is the makings of war.

*

Due t o l imi ted space those wishing t o a t t e n d should apply i n advance. Ap- p l i c a t i o n s w i l l be ava i l ab le soon a t your l o c a l community cent re .

For f u r t h e r information c a l l Ken Lyot ier a t 682-8453.

Main and Hastings i s t h e crossroads of t h e Downtown Eastside, so anything t h a t happens on t h e corner is going t o be of i n t e r e s t t o a l o t of people.

Kitty-corner from Chrnegie Centre i s the old Bank of Montreal building, vacant now f o r severa l years. Last summer, it became the subjec t Gf.cont t roversy when it was learned t h a t t h e provincia l government had bought t h e s i t e and had made a b i g plan f o r r e - developing it, without consult ing the community.

Some g s p e c t s of t h e plan sounded good - more low-cost housing f o r peo- p le . . job- t ra in ing on the p ro jec t f o r neighbourhood youth.

Other aspects we needed t o l ea rn more about - a "f inancia l i n s t i t u t i o n 1 ' t o make it e a s i e r f o r low-income peop- l e t o do t h e i r banking and t o g e t loans t o s t a r t businesses.

One element, however, got very heavy c r i t i c i s m - t he proposal t o house vul-

nerable s t r e e t youth, some from t h e Granvil le Mall, on t h a t corner i n the middle of the downtown drug scene.

A c o a l i t i o n of groups, represent ing 1

r e s i d e n t s and s t r e e t workers, complaim . ed t o t h e provincia l government about j

t h e youth housing proposal , and i n f a c t , about t h e whole top-down way t h e j

plan was being l a i d on t h e community. ' I t was a s t rong example of what can i

happen when the community p u l l s to- gether . When the s p i t h i t t h e fan , t h e p ro jec t was taken out of t h e pro- ' v i n c i a l f inance and housing m i n i s t r i e s I

and handed over t o t h e BC Housing 1

Management Commission, t h e agency t h a t - I' runs much of t h e s o c i a l housing i n BC. "

BC Housing has now s t a r t e d t o revamp 1 t he planning process, and i n s i s t s t h e A community w i l l have t h e f i n a l say on what goes dn t h a t s i t e - if anything. We a r e back t o square one," says a (

pro jec t s t a f f worker. New committees have been es tabl i shed

t o look i n t o various aspects of hous- j

ing, jobs and banking. Any member of <

t h e community is welcome t o jo in the <

committees . 1

The oommittees w i l l eventual ly make recommendations t o t h e community a t I

open publ ic meetings t o decide whether I t h e p ro jec t , o r any aspect of it, <

would go ahead. I

Do you bel ieve a leopard can change i ts spots? If you w a n t t o hold t h e I

government t o i t s word, o r have a say i n what happens a t t h a t most important ' of corners, a good place t o s t a r t w i l l 'be a t t h e next pub l i c meeting of the

,

pro jec t : (

SATURDAY, December 4 th , - a t t h e bank bui ld ing on t h e northd I

e a s t corner of Main m d HastingS. (

1 BY MUGGS SIGURGEIRSON

(Ci t izenship and P o l i t i c a l Judgmen In A Democracy)

Now t h a t M r . Chre t ien has t h e d i f f i - c u l t job of t r y i n g t o hold our country together , it i s time t o t a l k about c i t - izenship, a much neglected word my f a t h e r used t o say.

A s an immigrant from Scotland my f a t h e r was proud t o be a Canadian c i t i - zen, and a s a s o l d i e r i n t h e F i r s t World War he be l ieved he had been fight- ing f o r democracy.

H i s v i s i o n of a democratic s o c i e t y was b e s t expressed kn t h e poet ry of

/ Robert Burns, and he p a r t i c u l a r l y l i k e d ' t o quote from The C o t t e r ' s Saturday Night, "Long may t h y hardy sons of rus- t i c t o i l / Be b l e s t with hea l th , and peace, and sweet content ! I f

Health, and peace, and sweet content were not t o be h i s l o t a s they were not t h e l o t of S c o t t i s h farmers i n Burns' day, o r t h e l o t of mi l l ions of people i n t h i s v i o l e n t centruy.

Like h i s beloved poet , though, my f a t h e r c a r r i e d t h e dream of a befi ter s o c i e t y i n h i s h e a r t . Not a p e r f e c t s o c i e t y , but a b e t t e r one, and he gave t h a t dream t o h i s son.

Today our country i s gr ieving . Regiow a1 t ens ions a r e pu l l ing us apar t . The suffer ing of homeless people i s ours , a s i s t h e humil ia t ion of those who must beg a t food banks. The anguish of m i l l - ions of Canadians who a r e unemployed o r underemployed is ours , a s i s t h e b i t t e r ness of those i n t h e middle c l a s s who s e e t h e i r s e c u r i t y eroding.

A s consumers we a r e alone i n t h e pur- s u i t of our ind iv idua l wants, but a s c i t i z e n s we l i v e i n community. Ci t izen- sh ip is not a r o l e we adopt i n o rde r t o g e t r i c h . It is an expression of our deepest need f o r each o ther . C i t i zens be l i eve they can b u i l d t h e i r community i n such a way t h a t a l l persons w i l l

have t h e opportunity and resources t o develop t h e i r p o t e n t i a l through p a r t i c - ipa t ion i n t h e l i f e of t h e nat ion.

C i t i z e n s exercuse t h e i r p o l i t i c a l judgment i n o rde r t o c a r r y forward t h i s democratic v i s ion . P o l i t i c a l judgment

is a form of pub l i c seeing t h a t sees because it cares , and it implies t h a t we have a shared way of l i f e i n our democracy t h a t i s worth f i g h t i n g f o r .

Exper t i se is not p o l i t i c a l judgment because mathematics, t h e language of technology and business, i s not t h e language of r e a l l i f e , and enormous wealth tends t o corrupt p o l i t i c a l judg- ment because t h e dynamic of accumulat- ion t u r n s llenoughff i n t o "never enoughf1.

In s p i t e of many hardships i n h i s l i f e , my f a t h e r never gave up h i s dream of a Canada i n which a l l c i t i z e n s would exe rc i se t h e i r p o l i t i c a l judgment, and l i v e i n a country "b les t with hea l th , and peace, and sweet content!" We won1 t give up e i t h e r .

By SANDY CAMERON

The Lord's Prayer from the street

All:

OF FATHER AND MOTHER

Leader:

Mother of the ten men burned to death in the Rupert Hotel fire,

Father of the women evicted from their homes to make way for expensive

condominiums to profit "developers"

All : WHO ARE IN HEAVEN

Leader:

And who are with the one million Canadian children in poverty,

the kids who eat nothing for days,

the little ones in the food bank lines

All:

HOLY IS YOUR NAME

Leader:

An unspoken name, as unknown as the names of the homeless;

as unfamiliar as the names of those with no bank account or credit rating

All:

YOUR KINGDOM COME

Leader:

Let it come soon, God, for this world crushes us and makes your love and

justice seem like a sick joke;

let your way come now, God, for when it does

one man will no longer own five hotels while a thousand of us have nothing;

when you come, God, "mine1' and "yours" will no longer be

and money will be just paper.

All:

YOUR WILL BE DONE

Leader:

Not our will, for we are twisted, even the best of us;

we desire everything but you;

we think only of ourselves and ignore our brothers and sisters.

We cannot save ourselves.

All:

GIVE US TODAY OUR DAILY BREAD

Leader:

Feed us, God, with the common loaf that has been stolen by the rich,

your gift to all people grabbed by a few for their own profit.

Return to us, too, the true bread of life that feeds our souls:

which is not captive in religions and

fancy churches

e s

All:

AND FORGIVE US OUR SINS

Leader:

Forgive us for not knowing how to share ourselves,

as we forgive those who steal from us bread, and decent housing, and jobs.

Forgive us when out of fear or comfort we remain silent and do not say

what you want us to say. Forgive us all the petty idols we worship, idols

which harden our hearts and make us turn away from our hard journey to

the new society

All:

AND LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION

Leader:

The temptation of fitting into the world, of losing our outrage at all

the wrongs, of forgetting how to love and see clearly;

Lead us not into the temptation of giving up hope and surrendering to

the powers of death

All:

BUT DELIVER US FROM THE EVIL ONE

Leader:

From the one who thrives in the darkness, to destroy the light in our

hearts; the one who addicts us, confuses us, and who seeks to kill us;

Save us from the evil one who tempts us to live our life for ourselves,

when you are inviting us to give it away for our suffering neighbours

All:

FOR YOURS IS THE KINGDOM

Leader:

A new way of love, not power or wealth; a way closed to us when we feel

better than anyone else; a way open to us when we let go and become

less than everyone

All:

YOURS IS A

LL POWER

Leader:

A power which cancels all our power, and raises the poor and brings down

the rich and mighty

All:

AND YOURS IS THE GLORY

Leader:

For you are the only God, the one reality, our true Mother and Father

DOWNTOWN STD C l i n i c - Monday through Fr iday, 9am - 5pm. EASTSIDE FREE MEDICAL CLINIC - Mon, Wed, Friday, 5:30-7 :30 pm.

YOUTH NEEDLE EXCHANGE - 221 Main; every day. 9am - 5pm. ACTIVITIES Needle Exchange Van - on t h e s t r e e t evenings, Mon-Sat.

SOCIETY N.A. meets every Monday n igh t a t 223 Main S t r e e t .

Out-To-Lunch Bunch meets d a i l y at 59 Powell, loam - 2:30pm.

Joy T.-$20 1993 DONATIONS Eleanor K*-$25 Colleen E. -$20 Stuart M.-$50 Adboaters -$SO William P. -$50 Kettle F.S.-$16Vayne E.-$2.50

Ed.-S16 'Id -$M Roberts ALC -$30 Etienne S.-$50 Mary C.-$25 Lisa E.-$10 CEEDS - $50 Paula

E m i l E.-$20 THE NEWSLETTER l!S A PUBLICATION OF THE

Matt -$20 Steve T.-$15 ACRNEGIE COMMUNITY CEElTRE ASSOCIATION.

Keith C.-$20 Eric EI-$10 Articles represent the views of individual

Abby K.-$10 Anonymoue -$70 contributors and not of the Association. . . . - . . 1tel6 hi-the Downtown Eastside (funding) Social Senricer -$lo00 Submission Vancouver Health Dept. -$I1 Employment bi Immigration -$a00 Deadline P.L.U.R.A. -$lo00 NEXT ISSUE

26 November Friday

NEED HELP ? 0 The Downtown Eastside Residents' Association

can help you with:

* any welfare problem * information on legal rights * dis~utes with landlords * uniafe living conditions * income tax * UIC problem * finding housing * opening a bank account

Come into the DERA office at 9 or phone us at 682-0931.

East Hastings St.

DERA HAS BEEN SERVING THE DOWNTOWN EASTSIDE FOR 20 YEARS.

ALCOHOL AND THE OLDER PERSON

I. Older people can s t i l l enjoy alcohol. - 2 . Older persons use alcohol f o r t h e same reasons a s younger people. -

- 3 . A s long a s I ' m heal thy, e a t r egu la r ly , o r drink milk before drinking alcohol , then I can dr ink a l l I want.

- 4. Beer and wine a r e s a f e r t o drink than whiskey.

5. A l l a lcohol i s drinkable.

6 . Alcohol i s a s t imulant which makes a person more t a l k a t i v e and f r i e n d l i e r .

7 . You should never drink any alcohol with p resc r ip t ion medication.

8. I f I don ' t look l i k e a skid-row d e r e l i c t , then the re is no way I can be an a lcohol ic .

9. Now t h a t I ' m o lde r , i t ' s too l a t e t o s t o p using alcohol.

COMMONLY USED BY THE ELDERLY

- ant i -anginal medication (ni troglycerine, I s o r d i l and o the r s )

i

dizz iness , f a i n t i n g , lightheadedness, l o s s of consciousness, f a l l s which

I some high blood pressure medications ( d i u r e t i c s , Minipress, Apresoline )

could r e s u l t i n physical in jury .

a s p i r i i n \

a n t i - a r t h r i t i c medications (Naprosyn, Indocin, Motrin and o the r s ) potassium t a b l e t s ; blood th inners

a n t i - d i a b e t i c medications ( insu l in , in t e r fe rence with t h e cont ro l of cer- Orinase, Diabinese and o the r s ) t a i n medical condit ions (diabetes, ep- epi lepsy medication (Di lant in) i l epsy , gout) o r can cause change i n gout medication (Zyloprim) t h e e f fec t iveness of t h e i r drug t r e a t -

increase i n stomach i r r i t a t i o n , poss- i b l e increase i n stomach bleeding

o r a l a n t i - d i a b e t i c medications some ant i - fungal and a n t i b i o t i c s agents (Chlorom~cetin , griseofulvin and other)

increase i n reac t ions , such a s weak- ness, jeadache, nausea,vomiting, rapid heartbeats, f lushing, d i f f i c u l t breath

sleeping medications (ba rb i tu ra tes , Dalmane, ch lo ra l hydrate and o the rs )

t r a n q u i l i z e r s (Valium, Librium, Thora- zine, V i s t a r i l and others)

anti-depressants (Elavi l , Sinequan, Tofrani l and others)

I pain r e l i e v e r s ( codeine, Darvon, Per- codan ,and others)

some muscle re laxants (Rela, Soma, Robaxin and others)

antihistamines (Chlortrimeton, Bena- dry1 and others)

motion sickness p i l l s (Bonine, Mare- zine, Dramamine and others)

a l l e r g y medications (Contac, Dristan and others)

Jsome cough/ cold products

some high blood pressure medications (Aldomet , Catapres, Se rpas i l )

To be P o l i t i c a l l y Correct a t Christmas

I love t h e spa rk l e s t h e r eds and t h e greens c h i l d r e n ' s contagious expec ta t ions of wonderful t h i n g s t o come mince p i e s , tu rkeys and cranber ry sauce hugs and g ree t ings from f r i e n d s , Woodward's windows where c razy bears bake cookies and p i e s , and ducks and mice s k a t e on i c e .

And y e t I know i f I d i d n ' t have mv fami

were had n d idn '

one i n a room money f o r food have money

excess j ~ v e drc ~wsiness, impaired co- ordinat ion, mental confusion, rapid in tox ica t ion , l o s s of consciousness, impaired breathing ... can be f a t a l ,

without p re sen t f o r c h i l d , i f my c h i l d r e n had been apprehended, I would h a t e Christmas and s u r e l y c r y , and probably f e e l s u i c i d a l a s many people do.

When I was a c h i l d I was lone ly and abused and c r i e d deep t e a r s a t Christmas a s I looked i n t o o t h e r f a m i l i e s ' windows wi th t r e e s and l i g h t s and seemingly happy people how I wished i t were me.

S h e i l a Baxter

t o pay Santa , i f I was a parent

I ' m Blackfeather, Kenneth P e l t i e r Kenneth Krawchuk

A Cree Native from the Central Plains. I ' m bringing the SMOKE SIGNALS ENTER- PRISES i n Vancouver.

1. I t ' s t he f i r s t s t ep is t o open a coffee bannock shop.

2 . A work shop f o r Native c r a f t s

3 . A supply shop f o r c r a f t s

4. A ga l l e ry of c r a f t s and a r t

I ' m having a Raffle draw t o r a i s e money t o start t he coffee bannock shop. The draw is on December 27 a t 8:00 pm, a t t he Carnegie Pow Wow. Tickets a r e 2 f o r $5 o r $2 each. Pr izes include a drum with eag&e feathers , a beaded b e l t , a po t t e ry smudge bowl, earr ings , b race le t s and arm bands (25 winners).

1 WOMEN AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT: CANADIAN PERSPECTIVES

May 27-June 1,1994 I Vancouver, B.C.

CALL FOR COMMUNICATIONS

This i s an i nv i t a t i on f o r women i n Canada t o share feminist perspectives on sus ta inable development and t o dev- elop s t r a t e g i e s f o r the fu tu r e based on our v i s ions of the 21st century. The conference seeks t o bring together academics and a c t i v i s t s working i n the a rea of sus ta inable development from across Canada t o prepare a Canadian pos i t ion f o r discussion a t t he Fourth United Nations Conference on Women, t o be held i n Beijing i n <1995.

You a r e welcome t o pa r t i c i pa t e i n

t he nat ional conference by sharing your perspective in t he form of a pap- e r , video, s tory , poster , workshop, a r t and music. The conference is organ- ized around four themes: women & comm- uni ty ; women & economics; women G cre- a t i v i t y ; and women 6 decision-making.

Broad=based par t i c ipa t ion i s invi ted and pa r t i cu l a r l y encouraged from F i r s t Nations and v i s i b l e minority communi- t i e s .

Send one page proposal/summary, by DECEMBER 3, 1993, to :

Ann Dale, Senior Associate "Women's Conference"

Sustainable Development Research Institute B5-2202 Main Mall

University of British Columbia Vancouver, B.C. V6T 124

Phone: 604-822 9154 Fax: 604-822 9191

Organizers: Sustainable Development Research Institule (University of British Columbia), Centre for Research in Women's Studies and Gender relations (University of British Columbia),

Department of Women's Studies (Simon Fraser University) and Centre for Sustainable Regional Development (University of Victoria)

Minister of t h e Environment:

I hope you can give me someinforma t i o n t h a t can he lp me understand a problem I have. The problem i s t h e e l - iminat ion of f r e s h a i r . Automobiles, trucks, r e f i n e r i e s , f a c t o r i e s , e t c . a r e con t inua l ly po l lu t ing the environ- ment t o t h e point where people a r e breathing concoctions of var ious chem- i c a l substances on a regular bas i s .

You can s e e very c l e a r l y from a mountain top , t h e horr id pink smog en- veloping t h e Lower Mainland of B r i t i s h Columbia. Maybe you can g ive me advice on how I can dea l with t h i s se r ious medical problem. I am s e r i o u s l y a l l e r - g ic t o some of t h e s e substances.

A s a young g i r l I l i v e d a few years i n Hamilton, Ontario. The S t e e l Comp-

any of Canada con t inua l ly emitted mas- s ive amounts of chemicals i n t o t h e environment. I now have se r ious hea l th problems brea th ing t h a t a i r . I have asthma and have had many t e s t s sho t s f o r those th ings I'm a l l e r g i c t o . The one a r e a they haven ' t been able t o t e s t me f o r i s t h e a l l e r g y t o those chemicals emit ted from veh ic les and chemicals from f a c t o r i e s once they mix with veh ic le chemical pol lu t ion . This means I have no way of physica l ly add- ress ing t h e h e a l t h implicat ions.

In t h e May 30/93 BC Trans i t Buzzer it s t a t e d t h a t each solo c a r d r i v e r who t akes t r a n s i t every day ins tead of

d r iv ing t h e i r c a r i s "responsible f o r e l iminat ing more than ha l f a tonne of p o l l u t a n t s each year." This r e a l l y s c a r e s me. Think of t h e hundreds of thousands of veh ic les every day t r av - e l i n g i n t o t h e downtown core.

Rather than l imi t ing the amount o f ' veh ic les t r a v e l l i n g i n t o t h e core of c i t i e s , munic ipal i t ies a r e cont inual ly bui ld ing more roads, enlarging br idges and freeway and widening many e x i s t i n g major s t r e e t s t o allow more t r a f f i c t o move more s w i f t l y through communities po l lu t ing a s they go. By encouraging b igger and b e t t e r roads, governments c r e a t e an increase i n the po l lu t ion caused by vehic les t r a v e l l i n g them.

Another aspect of t h i s problem i s t h a t almost every government o f f i c e I approached had me discuss ing t h i s d i f - f i c u l t y with a person who d r ives a vehic le . This causes d i f f i c u l t i e s i n t r y i n g t o address t h i s problem. For example, when I was advised t o w r i t e t h i s l e t t e r t o you I was a l s o t o l d t o c a l l my MLA's o f f i c e . I c a l l e d and was t o l d by my MLAfs s ec re ta ry t h a t they don ' t dea l with t h i s i s sue . She was q u i t e nas ty i n h e r a t t i t u d e so I s a i d t h e r e was no sense d iscuss ing t h e iss- ue any f u r t h e r . I s a i d I ' d make sure

they got a copy of t h i s l e t t e r . I was t o l d by one government o f f i c i -

a l t h a t t h e r e were two th ings I could do: 1) accept th ings a s they a re ; 2) move out i n t o t h e country away from t h e pol lu t ion . Number one, I cannot

aeccpt th ings a s they a r e because of myself and my family. Number two, a t t h e r a t e we a r e po l lu t ing t h e environ- ment it w i l l no t matter soon i f you l i v e i n t h e country o r t h e c i t y a s t h e a i r w i l l be po l lu t ed everywhere. This i s not a t h i n g you can j u s t move away from. My ch i ld ren and my c h i l d r e n ' s ch i ld ren need f r e s h a i r t o e x i s t . A hea l thy environment i n t h i s world i s t h e i r r i g h t . No ind iv idua l ' s conveni- ence should be ab le t o t ake the t* r i g h t t o brea thable a i r from them.

I t ' s i r o n i c t h e o f f i c e t h a t re fused t o d i scuss t h i s i s sue with me is t h e same o f f i c e making c e r t a i n t h a t Clayo- quot environmental a i r c leans ing pro- cess is tampered with.

One thought f o r you; t h e r e a r e many ind iv idua l s whose h e a l t h i s being de- s troyed by these po l lu tan t s . Who has t o accept t h e u l t ima te r e s p o n s i b i l i t y f o r t h e damage being done t o people by a l l t hese vehic les? What i s your of f - i c e prepared t o do t o s t o p t h e esca la- t i o n of t h i s problem? Who makes those respons ib le accept t h e i r r e s p o n s i b i l i - t y f o r t h i s form of po l lu t ion? How can we ob ta in appropr ia te t e s t i n g of peop- l e s u f f e r i n g h t e adverse e f f e c t s of breathing these chemicals c o c k t a i l s ?

I r e a l i z e you and your p a r t y were not t h e Government a s t h i s problem es- ca l a t ed t o i t ' s present poin t . However you a r e now respons ib le f o r allowing veh ic l e s t o p o l l u t e t h e a i r t o t h e poin t t h a t people a r e being poisoned. I hea r a g r e a t dea l about death due t o c i g a r e t t e smoke but never a word about death due t o carbon monoxide poisoning. Who i s respons ib le f o r t h i s conspiracy of s i l ence?

Looking forward t o hearing from you,

Bharbara Gudmundson

The Board of Direc tors , Carnegie Centre

I received your l e t t e r . Thank you very much f o r giving t h e permission t o t r a n s l a t e ''Hastings and Main1' i n t o Japanese. I be l i eve it i s important t o t e l l Japanese-Canadians how people a r e a l i v e t h e i r d a i l y l i v e s i n Canada. The e d i t o r of T h e Fraser t l , Mrs. Miya- saka, wishes t o send h e r g r e a t thanks t o you a l l , thank you.

Sakuya

MY LOVE FOR YOU

I wrote t h i s with love sea led with a k i s s

I f you love me Check t h i s out

\ out of a l l t h e guys I ever meet

you're t h e one

/ I ' l l never f o r g e t

I ' l l go t o heaven above I f you're not t h e r e

I ' l l w r i t e your name on t h e golden s t a i r s

1'11 give t h e angels back t h e i r wings

golden h e a r t s and o the r th ings

\ I f you're not t h e r e by

Judgement Day I ' l l know you've gone

t h e o the r way / And j u s t t o prove my love is t r u e

I ' l l go t o h e l l t o be with you.

Lisa Turone

Lines from the Learning Centre Here's Wendy Pederson (Teacher)

have a splendid group of teach- ers and volunteer t u t o r s wait ing t o assist YOU a t your Learning Centre

t h e top f l o o r of Carnegie. They ,m he lp you improve your b a s i c read- ing, wr i t ing and a r i thmet i c s k i l l s - all t h e way from rock bottom t o high

diploma. you w i l l make t h e dec is ion about

how f a s t and how f a r you want t o go. you can choose t h e times and manner in which you learn. .on a one-to-one bas i s o r i n small groups.

WNEDY PEDERSON i s one of our excel- l e n t teachers . She is a "cradle1' B r i - t i s h Columbian - born i n North Delta on River Road. Her f a t h e r is a comm- e r c i a l salmon f i s h e r and she has f i shed with him s ince childhood. She s t i l l does whenever she can.

Since t h e age of 16, while s t i l l a s tudent , Wendy has worked a t var ious jobs - i n a l i q u o r s t o r e , a s a wait-

r e s s i n a pub, a s a cash ie r a t a pro- duce s t o r e and a t a B.C. bank where she d id d a t a e n t r y computer work.

Wendy came t o Carnegie a s a volun- t e e r t u t o r about a year ago. Now she is a paid par t - t ime teacher here , but s t i l l does volunteer work a s well i n t h e Learning Centre and t h e ki tkhen.

Wendy l i k e s t o see and do th ings f o r h e r s e l f . She i s a g rea t gardener who encourages h e r s tuden t s t o g e t involved i n t h i s f i e l d on Friday a f t - ernoons i n a down-to-earth, p r a c t i c a l way (no pun intended! !). She admires and re spec t s t h e s tudents , s t a f f and t u t o r s and f e e l i n g s a r e mutual.

Come and jo in us and meet Wendy, o t h e r s tudents , teachers and volunt - e e r t u t o r s . We a r e ready and wait ing f o r you and it is FREE. There is l o t s of t ime f o r studying and f o r "breaks" and a s p e c i a l bonus of time f o r l o t s of laughs too!

Joan Doree (Volunteer Tutor)

ONLY I F I COULD TELL H I M ONCE MORE

I f I could t e l l him once more I f he could only meet me

I ' d t e l l him how he touched my l i f e And made i t more complete

The time we spent together W i l l never be replaced

Memories I have deep i n my h e a r t W i l l never be erased

Now I f a c e each day without him Sometimes without a reason o r rhyme

But t h e love we had together W i l l l a s t 'ti1 t h e end of time

'ti1 we meet again Remembered always by h i s loved one.

Lisa Turone / photo of Wendy by Michelle Lebeau

DEAR OCCUPAIVT: - .

You have been especially chosen to participate in our survey. Please take the time to fill out these questions; it will help us to serve you better.

11 How do you like the universe? a] Great! b] OK ... c] So-so dl The Pits! el No comment ...

21 How does your planet suit your needs? a] Great! b] OK ... c] So-so dl The Pits! el 'No comment ...

31 If you could improve the universe, what would you do?

41 How do you find the service provided by your spiritual entity?? a] Great! b] OK ... c] So-so d3 The Pits! el No comment ...

51 In general, how often are you thankful for existence?? a] All the time! b] Often c] Once in a while ... d] Yeech! el No comment ...

61 What direction should future evolution take? a] Creepy-crawly b] Feathers c] Fur dl Metal & Plastic el None of the above ...

71 Which of these energies do you find most useful? a] Gravity b] Electro-magnetic c] Nuclear dl Mental el None of the above

81 Do you have much use for free will? a] All the time! b] Often c] Once in a while ... dl Yeech! el No comment ...

91 Do you wish your spiritual entity made himselfherself more obvious in the material plane?

a] Yes! b] No ... c] Sometimes. d] Oh God, no! !

EARTH ONLY: 101 If there was an adjustment in the number of people

on your planet, how should that be accomplished? a1 Fire b] Flood c] Famine dl Plague el Television fl Other

Thank You - The Management

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THE WOMEN'S MONUMENT Genevil-ve Bergeron Heltne Colgan

Nathalie Croteau Barbara Daigneault

Anne-Marie Edward Maud Haviernich

Barbara Maria Klueznick Maryse Laganiere

Maryse LecIair Anne-Marie Lemay

Sonia Pelletier Michele Richard

Annie St-Arneadt Annie Turcotte

The murder of these 14 women at Montreal's 1'Ecole Polytechnique on December 6,1989 was

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remember, not their &llers. In honouring these women,

produce greatly needed change.

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* One mi l l ion women i n Canada are1 abused physica l ly each year by t h e i r husbands o r pa r tne r s .

* In Canada, a woman i s sexual ly a s s - au l t ed ( including rape) every 17 minu- t e s . Iq t h e U.S. i t ' s every 6 minutes.

* A woman is h i t by he r husband o r p a r t n e r an average of 30 t imes before she c a l l s the po l i ce .

*' Forty-two p e r cent of women with d i s a b i l i t i e s have been 6 r a r e i n abusive s i t u a t i o n s .

The Women's Monument Project

We a r e a l l touched by violence ag- a i n s t women. The vict ims a r e our moth- e r s , ou r daughters, our s i s t e r s . Our f r i ends and our lovers. The v ic t ims a r e us. More and more, people a r e rec- ognizing t h i s and a r e t r y i n g t o he lp end violence agains t women. We need t o remind soc ie ty of how much remains t o be done t o make our world s a f e f o r women. We see t h e monument a s p a r t of the so lu t ion .

The Women ' s Monument Pro j e c t i s bui ld ing a na t iona l monument i n Van- couver t o honour a l l women who a r e v ic t ims of violence, e spec ia l ly those who have been murdered. The Women's Monument w i l l serve as a s b b o l of r e - membrance and a c a l l f o r change. I t w i l l g ive u s a place t o ga ther and contemplate. A place from which t o say "Never again." I t w i l l pub l i c ly , e lo- quently and unequivocally s t a t e t h a t we value the l i v e s of women.

It will provide a place for remembrance December 6, and every day of the year.

Violence against women

Violence against women encompasses I everything from harassment t o murder. I The perpet ra tors , and t h e i r vict ims, I come from a l l soc i a l , cu l t u r a l , r e l i g - ) ious, economic, geographic and occupa- 1 t i ona l groups. The murder of women forces us t o take a hard look a t the I soc ia l a t t i t u d e s t h a t make t h e i r murd- I e r s poss ible , It is these same a t t i t u - I des t h a t spawn a l l forms of violence I against women. The Woment s Monument I w i l l be a visibdeoand permanent remin- 1 der t o concerned women and men t h a t I the violence w i l l not end u n t i l each I of us commits t o stopping it i n our 1 society. Society needs t o be convinced I t h a t women a r e continually threatened I by violence from men, and t h a t we must take act ion t o end it. We can work to- I

I gether t o change a t t i t u d e s and save , l i v e s !

With so many of u s now deeply con- cerned , Canadians country wide a r e pub- I

l i c l y demonstrating t h a t v io l ence ag- a i n s t women i n our s o c i e t y must s top . The Canadian Parl iament dec lared Dec- 1 ember 6 t h a Nat ional Day of Remembrance I and Action on Violence Against Women. ]

The Women's Monument w i l l g i v e peo- I p l e a p l ace t o ga ther on December 6 th . ( It w i l l a l s o provide a p l ace f o r remen 1 brance every s i n g l e day of t h e yea r . It w i l l remind u s of t h e hundreds of women who d i e every year i n Canada a s v i c t ims of male v io lence . I t ' s t ime t o

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r e f l e c t on a l l those women, who were I people , who had l i v e s . . . I

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P MAKE VANCOUVER A CITY THAT CARES ABOUT TENANTS

Th i s e l e c t i o n i s very important t o t he t e n a n t s of Vancouver. It i s poss- i b l e f o r our Council t o he lp p r o t e c t t enan t s , even though t h e laws govern- ing them a r e most ly p rov inc i a l . Below a r e some th ings you may want t o a s k cad ida t e s about :

Repairs I n Vancouver t h e r e is a _------ "Standards of Maintenance" by-

law t o he lp ensure t h a t l and lo rds do t h e r e p a i r s and maintenance they a r e r e spons ib l e f o r . This by-law needs t o be more s t r o n g l y enforced. Af t e r a l l , it i s no t t e n a n t s who c r e a t e slums.

Secondary " I l l e g a l " S u i t e s I l l e g a l , .......................... secondary

s u i t e s a r e a r e a l i t y and a n e c e s s i t y . They he lp people buy t h e i r homes, l e t t e n a n t s i n t o a r e a s of t h e c i t y they would normally b e excluded from, and they provide much needed housing not o therwise a v a i l a b l e . There a r e thous- ands of them i n t h e c i t y . I f t hey were c losed , where would a l l t hose people go? Vancouver could have more c o n t r o l over t h e n a t u r e of i t s communities and neighbourhoods i f it recognised sec- ondary s u i t e s and incorpora ted them i n t o t h e i r planning.

They a r e c r e a t e d by l and lo rds who do C i ty Council a s an Advocate f o r Rent not ca re . Enforcement of s t anda rds Cont ro ls -------- Excessive r e n t i n c r e a s e s could c o n s i s t of anything from f i n e s have been used t o e v i c t t e r r t o a c o s t recovery program f o r r e - a n t s , p e n a l i s e t e n a n t s who have spoken i n s ~ e c t ions . up, and as p l a i n gouging t o make a l l

~ e m o l i t ion/Conversion Vancouver has ..................... a bad record

f o r demolishing r e n t a l housing s tock . Over t h e l a s t 5 yea r s t h e r e has been a l o s s of a t l e a s t 21,000 r e n t a l hous- ing u n i t s i n Vancouver. They were e i t h e r converted t o condominiums o r re-rented a t much h ighe r , unaf fordable r e n t s . Is Vancouver becoming anti-rent- e r ? Demolition, l a c k of planning, and zoning can have t h e end r e s u l t of d i s - c r imina t ing a g a i n s t and e l imina t ing t enan t s from a l l o r p a r t s of t h i s c i t y . A demoli t ion/conversion by-law would help oversee development and ensure t h a t Vancouver doesn ' t j u s t produce housing f o r t hose a b l e t o buy, o r pay high r e n t s .

- - - t h e money a landlord can. With r e n t i n - c r e a s e s un res t r a ined , t e n a n t s have l i t t l e p r o t e c t ion o r s e c u r i t y of ten- u r e . Our c i t y counci l can become an advocate of r e n t c o n t r o l s . This i s s u e impacts on who can r e n t i n our c i t y , on planning, on t h e q u a l i t y of r e n t a l space, and t h e s t a b i l i t y of our neigh- bourhoods. Secu r i ty of t enu re f o r t e n a n t s provides them t h e oppor tuni ty t o l i v e i n 3 more s t a b l e environment and become a p a r t of t h e a c t i v i t i e s and d i scuss ions on i s s u e s i n t h e neighbourhood .

Bv K I M ZANDER i

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Do tenants have a L I future in Vancouver? I

Rent too high? 7 "i'i Having trouble

getting repairs done?

Neighbourhood y l by demolitions?

Worried about

-- housing in Vancouver?

c ~ ~ : Municipal Housing Forum

Monday, November 15 7:30 p.m.

Heritage Hall 15th Ave. & Main St., Vancouver 1

Sponsored by .

TENAN'IS RiGHTS ACTION COALITION Event info 255-3099; Tenant Information Hotline 255-0546