OCTOBER 1, 2004

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PAUL WRIGHT

We celebrated Paul's life and incrediblecommitment to our community with amemorial in Oppenheimer Park, where youcould find him daily. As some person said ,"he was the guardian of the park". He wasalso a poet , a historian, an artist, a teacher, afather and a friend . He will be rememberedas a jack-of-all-trades and a master of life.We were shocked by his sudden death froma heart attack at the age of 52.

Many people spoke and shared theirmemories, there was knowing laughter aswell as tears. We were told how he campedto save the land that became CRAB Beachfrom the developers, and about the pride hehad in his epic 500 stanza poem he waslooking.forward to seeing published, aharrowingly sad story of a young womanwho ends up on the streets of Vancouver'sDTES. Someone said "Paul was a manwomen trusted" and these days that's a rareand special breed. He had an acuteperception and a wealth of knowledge aboutthe politics affecting this community.

We were able to leave messages for Paul ,pinned or glued to the wall next to thephotos of him, some moving eulogies andgoodbyes from his friends.

"Paul was one ornery critter, speaking hismind when anyone would lend an ear, butwith speech full of compassion and care.Care for this community he called home.He loved this community full of contentionand grace. We love you Paul, you're anace.""My friend who's been there for

me .. .Everything I had problems with he wasthere. Anybody I had problems with he wasthere, taught me lots about people here , howeverybody loves me as a friend ...ThanxPaul for always being there.""Well buddie it's like they say, the good

die young and the bad like myself stays andsuffers more . See you on my next journeybud."

"Fucking park won't be the same withoutyou ... I'm so glad that I met you ...youalways gonna be in our hearts."

"Paul was one of the disciples ofOppenheimer. Paul was a theologicalstudent. According to the Bible, PaulWright was Right.""To the person who made me think. I will

not soon forget. He brought sunshine in.All the people will miss. Hope he'swatching."

"You shared at Carnegie through laughsand volleyball. You shared at Oppenheimerwith gifts and your time .. .I will alwaysremember you as a beautiful person. Thankyou for sharing you ".

"Paul was such an awesome neighbour. Hereally cared about people. He concernedhimself with the welfare of our childrenraked the playground, built playthings ;nour sidewalk and told stories, life lessons.He was always ready and happy to talk,share, help .. ."

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"It's not going to be the same withoutyou ... the bench by the playground, the stepsin front of the red and blue houses - all theplaces that have your imprint on them. Wewill miss you and your words - written andspoken."

"Your light will always shine in our hearts,your soul is at rest and your body has peace.You'll be missed""You have a good heart.""You brought joy, love and friendship to

all you met. Travel safe, my friend.""The reader, the poet, the builder, the

listener, and so much more. Happy trails.""May the path home be peaceful and the

river be calm."

Lady Oi

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JTire Song is the Messageby Paul Wright

The caged bird sings in order to survive. This sur­vival instinct is the most basic and strongest instinctwe have. It is sometimes manifested as species orgroup survival but usually as personal strength .

The song takes many forms, writing and singingbeing the most common for the last few centuries.Prior to these times oral traditions, picta-graphs,painting and carving were used and are still in usetoday on a more limited scale. (fthere is a way tocommunicate a message the bird has probably usedit to sing its song.The song is the message. Listen to the joy and hopeI have. ( was here. I never gave up hope, ( neverstopped singing. Part of the message is hope in theindividual that partial immortality will come throughthe song, continuing life after the body has died. Attimes the song is concerned with species or groupsurvival. The message warns ofdanger or death tothe group. The songs price being paid by the indi­vidual. Enslaved peoples use the song to keep groupidentity alive, knowing that bars and chains do notlast forever.

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Solzhenitsyn uses the song to transport the listener.He is able to leave his cage, the listener taking hisplace, feeling as well as hearing the song. AnneFranks song about life as an oppressed and huntedpeople was never heard until years after her death.Since that time millions of people have listened toher song. Nelson Mandela's song has so much joy,hope and light that his bars and chains have van­ished. Now he sings of the joy, hope and light of therebirth of his people. His song grows in strength , asdo his people.

The bird sings in order to share the joy, hope andlight that exists in all of us. The song allows the lis­tener to bask in the radiant light of the singer, if onlyfor a moment. Now and then the song has so muchjoy, hope and light that bars and chains really dodisappear.

The song 's message is: never give up hope, neverstop singing.

First printed in Surviving with GraceWritings, Essays and Poetry from the

Carnegie Centre Writers Workshop 2003

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A Tree Again

HaIfa year goneFall now hereGrass now growingWhere it stood

Here and thereComing up thru the grassThe tree is risinzFrom its roots again

Dozens ofshootsComing up thru the grassAll chopped downWhen they cut the grass

It would not takeThat many yearsFor the roots to growA tree again

To shade the peopleFrom the heat of the sun,A place for the crowsTo peck on a bun

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Three feet thickIt grew over timeAcross the streetFrom the sandwich line

People it shadedFrom the heat of the sunCrows perched in it

Pecking on a bun~

In winter it looked .So stark and bare jShades of brownNot yet green

Many winters it withstoodThree feet thick. solid woodWinter ' 99' almost spentMother Nature a windstorm sent

Bent and brokenTwo weeks it layBefore the Parks BoardWould take it away.

Paul Wright 9/99Oppenheimer Park

Calendar 2003

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I feel I've lost a thousand years,just living day by dayI'm hiding behind the pain and tears,My sorrow guides the way.I cannot see where I have gone,Nor where my life shall go .But leaving you my life long friendIs the only way I know.It will be painful, I will be weak,But true friendship never dies.So call upon the greatest power,When you feel you can't survive.He will heal your saddest hours,And keep our memories alive.For in the eternal love of GodTrue friendship never dies.You'll be missed, PaulI know you're watching over us in peacenot in pain.May your soul soar above the cloudswith the eagles.

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More cops keep arrivingThe sidewalk soon fillsAn island of blueIn Leah's sea of green,

Guns at their sides.All laughing and jokingLike their team just wonSome god damned game.

The victims are cuffed,Then taken awayNo need for sirensJail 's 3 blocks away.

By Paul Wright.

THAT OLD MAN

That old man walking trough the city street'swith his blanket's rolled up and his Belongingsin a garbage bag

Walking and walking and never stopshis face lights up when he hears the train stopbecause it is time to travel to the next stop

That old man with so much knowledgeand experience of this lifehe knows what other people don 't understandthat life is where you stand

That old man has in his old garbage baga lifetime of memories and so many dreamsOfgood times when he was a young vagabondand forever will be

Traca taca traca taca as the train travelstraca traca as the train movestraca traca as the old man moveswith the rhythm of the traintraca taca the train travels traca tacaThe train travels traca taca the train slows downas the life of the old man on that wagonComes to an end traca taca is the end.

Original poem ofMonserrat mufloz

From monster deficits to monster surpluses:What happened?

By Marc Lee

The recent announcement by Finance Minister GaryCollins that BC is now expected to post a $1.2 bil­lion surplus in 2004/05 caught many by surprise.After all, it was only seven months ago that MinisterCollins tabled his first balanced budget, after sky­high deficits the previous three years. What explainsthis dramatic shift from red to black?

The Minister credits a more robust provincialeconomy, which he attributes to his government'seconomic program - tax cuts, deregulation, privati­zation. This story would make sense if it were notfor the inconvenient fact that it is not true.

The government's projection for economic (realGDP) growth for 2004 was raised by only a tinyamount in the updated forecast - from 2.8% to2.9%. This is hardly enough to cause such a majorchange in the budget's bottom line.

While the BC economy has definitely recoveredfrom a recession in 200 I, it is not exactly "sizzling,"as some recent newspaper headlines have suggested.Economic growth of2.9% is not spectacular by anykind of historical benchmark. It is a middling growthrate that does not pack the kind of punch needed tosubstantially expand employment or increase wages.

On the employment front, a low interest rate envi­ronment has done more for BC than tax cuts, bystimulating the housing market and residential con­struction. A hot housing market also increased Vic­toria's revenues by $168 million in property transfertaxes.

Employment growth improved in 2003 and 2004,although it is still middle-of-the-road by historicalstandards. Other employment indicators are littlechanged from pre-200 I patterns. On a regional basis,most employment ga ins have been concentrated inthe Lower Mainland and Victor ia.

Outside of residential const ruction, new capitalinvestment in machinery and equipment and newfacilities - the harbinger of future productivitygrowth - has been weak. This is a major indictmentof the government's program.

As a result, projections for tax revenues that aredirectly linked to economic performance, such aspersonal income tax and sales tax, have increased

only slightly since the budget was tabled in Februaryand do not contribute much to the total reven ue gainof$I .2 billion. Moreover, personal income tax reve­nues are still significantly lower than they were in200 I before the government introduced its tax cuts- meaning that tax cuts have not paid for them­selves.

So, where did the big money come from? Thebudget's bottom line got a huge boost from risingcommodity prices. Lumber prices are close to recordhighs, up about 50% since budget time. This hasmeant an additional $375 million in revenues for theBe government.

Natural gas prices are also higher than projected atbudget time, for an extra $203 million in revenues.Higher energy and mineral prices added another$117 million in revenues. Together, higher resou rcerevenues account for 60% of the budget's revenuegain for 2004/05 .

Higher revenues have also come as a result of in­creased federal transfers for health care (up $166million), and this does not count the new money thatwill come to BC as a result of the latest federal­provincial health care summit.

BC's post-secondary students chipped in an addi­tional $95 million above what was expected atbudget time due to higher tuition fees. Revenuesfrom student fees are a jaw-dropping $350 millionabove what was collected back in 200 I/02 - beforethe government lifted the tuition freeze.

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What is truly alarming is that even though BC findsitself flush with cash, the $350 million in spendingcuts announced at budget time in February have notbeen reversed. (One exception to this is the budgetfor forest fires, which is $120 million over its budgetof$55 million.)

Since 200 I/02, ministries outside health care andeducation have borne a total spending cut of$1.9billion. That the government now has a surplus of$1.2 bill ion tells us that even with the lost revenuesfrom tax cuts, the government could have spared BCthe pain of two thirds of these spending cuts and stillhad a balanced budget this year.

If a large portion oftoday's surplus is because yes­terday's spending cuts were too deep, the peoplewho carried the burden of the spending cuts shouldhave dibs on the surplus. This means restoring cutsto child welfare, social assistance, child care subsi­dies, and environmental protection to name some ofthe more pressing needs in the province.

The Finance Minister is right that BC is now in aposition to make choices about how to disburse theexpected surplus. But he is wrong about his govern­ment's economic program. Most of the explanationfor the budget surplus comes from factors - lowinterest rates, high commodity prices, stronger de­mand for BC exports - that are beyond the controlof the provincial government.

Marc Lee is an economist in the BC office of/heCanadian Centre for Policy Alternatives.www.policyalternatives.ca

Mel Hurtig will be speaking in Vancouver onMonday, October 4, 7:30 pm at the Canadian Me­morial United Church, 1806 West 15th Avenue

Free admission

7"A powerful and devastating critique of the plannedU.S. missile defence system and Canada's possibleparticipation in it, and also of the duplicity ofgovernments, including our own, in their statementson the issue. Mel's book is shocking and factual."

- Senator Douglas Roche, O.c.

RUSHING TO ARMAGEDDONTHE SHOCKING TRUTH ABOUT CANADA,MISSILE DEFENCE, AND STAR WARS

by Mel Hurtig. Readers will be shocked to learn how both theAmerican and Canadian governments are intention­ally misleading their citizens about the Pentagon'sunprecedented plans to weaponize space; about thehuge new Russian and Chinese nuclear missilebuildup resulting from U.S. Star Wars plans; aboutthe destruction of vitally important, long-standingarms control agreements; and about the rapidly in­creasing danger ofa nuclear apocalypse.

Among the topics covered are why the so-calledU.S missile "defence" system is really about estab­lishing a U.S.first-strike-from-space capability; whyboth Paul Martin's government and Stephen Harper'sConservatives want to join in George W. Bush'sdangerous program; how numerous official U.S.documents reveal their plans to "dominate space"and place deadly lasers and nuclear weapons inspace; how today's nuclear weapons are up to 350times more powerful than the bombs that devastatedHiroshima and Nagasaki; how the missile "defence"plans will mean the placement of missiles on Cana­dian soil making Canada much less secure.

Hurtig provides remarkable and often devastatingnew information that will shock, anger, and appallreaders. This is a book that every Canadian mustread before Ottawa becomes an active partner in atragic and potentially cataclysmic blunder.About the Autho rFounder and past-chairman of the Council ofCanadi­ans and former chairman of the Committee for anIndependent Canada, Mel Hurtig is an officer or theOrder of Canada and has honorary degrees from sixuniversities. His best-selling books include TheVanish ing Coun try , Th e Bet rayal of Ca nada , Pay theRent or Feed the Kids, and a memoir, Al Twilight inthe Country.

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Women paying price of legal services cutbacks

( Vancouver) As a result oflegal aid cuts women arelosing custody of their ch ildren , giving up valid legalrights to support, and being subj ected to litigationharassment, according to a new report. It finds thatwomen are paying a greater price for BC's deep cutsto legal services because it is primaril y family andpoverty law legal aid that have been affected.Women's need for legal services is overwhelminglyin these areas, but not in criminal law (where almostno cuts were made).

"The impact oflegal services cuts on women hasbeen devastating," says Alison Brewin, auth or ofLegal Aid Denied: Women and the Cuts 10 LegalServices in BC, released today by the Canadian Cen­tre for Policy Alternatives and West Coast LEAF.Brewin is program director for West Coast LEAF."Women are being put in totally unacceptable situa­tions," she says. "Without legal aid they must spendendless days navigating a complex legal system ­researching and preparing legal documents, appear­ing without a lawyer f~ highly cha rged divorce andcustody cases, and agreeing to sett lements that arenot in their own or their children's interests."

In 2002 the provincial government announced a40% cut to the Legal Services Society's (LSS)budget over three years. Ful l-time statTwere slashedfrom 460 to 155 and the province replaced 42 officesand 14 area directors with seven offices and 22 local

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agents. The majority of the 40% cut occurred infamily law lega l aid , and through the comp leteelimination of provincial funding for poverty law(e.g., for welfa re and employment insurance matters)and immigration law. Women are twice as likely toacce ss family law legal aid, whereas men are fivetimes more likely to access crim inal legal aid .

The number of funded referrals to private lawyersfor family law matte rs decreased by 58% between2000/0 I and 2003/04; referrals for criminal casesdecreased by just 2%. The province has restrictedaccess to family law legal aid to situations wheresomeone is fearful for their own safety or that oftheir chi ldren. The amount of representat ion avail­able has also decreased dramatically - even when aidis granted, it is limited to a maximum of8 hours andis provided only to assist with obtaining a restrainingorder or change in custody agreement to protect therecipient's and/or her children's safety.Noelle Heppell can attest to the impact of the gov­

ernment's changes. Following the cuts she was de­nied aeeess to legal aid to deal with ongoing childmaintenance issues and was forced to represent her­self in court. "I don't know very much about thecourt system," Heppell said. "I lost almost halfofthechild maintenance because I did not have adequatelegal representation. The system does not work forwomen . You try to get help but you can't get it any­where." West Coast LEAF is collecting sworn testi­mony from women across the province describingtheir situations following the cuts."The province's actions are shameful ," says Brewi n.

"The government is taking in significantly moremoney for legal a id than it is spending." The prov­ince collects a 7.5% tax on legal services that is sup­posed to go directly to legal a id. It is difficult to de­termine exactly how much is being collected, butsome estimates put the amount over $90 million .The federal government also contributes $9 millionfor criminal legal aid. Yet current provinc ial gov­ernment spending is only $55 million .

"The government has an obligation - under the Ca­nadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, as well asinternational human rights agreements - to take intoaccount the impact of policy cha nges on women andensure thei r equality rights are respected," saysBrewin. "It is failing miserably."

(Press Release)

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For more information please call Alison Brewin atWest Coast LEAF(Women's Legal Education and Action Fund )604 -684-8772 (Lower Mainland)1-866-737-7716 (toll free in B.c.)programdirector@westcoastleaf.orgOr Clea Parfitt, Iluman Right s Lawyer 604-689-7778

4. Single mothers that have been cut off, or havestopped collecting and are engaging in illegal or

. dangerous activities to survive and keep theirchildren (we do not know about maintaining an in­dividual's anonymity, but could meet or talk withthem to hear their story and see if we can do so dur­ing the complaint or hearing); and5. Single mothers who can describe how unlivablethe welfare rate s truly are.

Hello everyone,Some ofyou may have heard about the Single

Mother's Human Rights Project that West Coa stLEAF, the Poverty and Human Rights Project andCLAS have been working on. We received a greatdeal ofexcellent feedback through our online and inperson survey, and now we are looking for singlemom's interested in acting as complainants or wit-nesses so we can file a complaint against the gov- \-ernment. West Coast LEAF intends to file a com- \ 1~ "plaint along side a small group ofsingle mom's who \~ J'have felt the impact of the welfare cuts. \

While we can't pay women to participate, we intend .to provide childcare and transportation subsidies toensure no one bears a financial burden in participat­ing. As well, it is very, very important that thewomen who get involved in the case represent thetrue reality of poverty in B.c. We strongly urge FirstNations, new immigrant, and disabled moms to par­ticipate as well as women ofcolour and women liv­ing outside the Lower Mainland.Specifically we are looking for women who can

describe for the human rights tribunal the followingkind of situations:I. They have been on income assistance consistentlysince before the cuts came into effect and can de­scribe how one or more of the following specificwelfare changes affected their lives negatively:a. The cut in actual amount of welfare received'b. The elimination of the family maintenance ex­

emption;c. The elimination of the earnings exemption;d. The change in rates for housing for familie s of

three or more;e. The institution of the three-week job search;f. The change in 'employability' status from when

your youngest is 7 to when they are 3;g. The change in eligibility for post-secondary stu­

dents; and,h. The cut in rates after 24 consecutive months.

2. We are also interested in talking to single motherswho have had trouble accessing income assi stance inthe new regime;

3. Single mothers who have had difliculty meetingthe kinds ofobligations that now exist when receiv­ing income ass istance;

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Excerpt from "Still in SHOC K" distributed bythe Coalition for Wo men's Equality

Aboriginal women:Canadian governments have a long history of mar­

ginalizing Aboriginal women and neglecting theirexperiences and relities. This is particularly true forAboriginal women who live on re~erve who, as.aresult of the Indian Act, do not enjoy the same right sas non-Aboriginal women in terms ofstate protec­tions against violence, matrimonial property rightsand self-governance. In 1996, 43% of Aborigina lwomen were living below the low-income cut -offIn addition, more Aboriginal women than men areliving in urban centres due to the extreme poverty inMetis and Inuit communities and or reserve, lack ofor inadequate/overcrowded on reserve housing, andsystemic mistreatment. 68% of Metis ":omen, 46%of First Nations women and 30% of Inuit womennow live in cities and towns. Because of stark eco­nomic and social conditions, whether on or off re­serve, Aboriginal women suffer from some of thepoorest health conditions in the world.

Furthermore, Aboriginal women's experiences ofviolence tend to be more acute than non-Aboriginalwomen. This is due to the genera l inadequacy of thecriminal justice system's treatment of violenceagainst women, discrimination against Aborigina~ .through the raci sm and bias of this system. ~borlgl­

nat women who live on reserve are also denied ac­cess to one of Canada ' s key human rights protec­tions-the Ca nadian Human Rights Act. This Act iscurrently unable to ove rride any provision of theIndian Act which mean s that Aboriginal women liv­ing on reserve who confront discrimination by bandcouncils cannot make complaints under the humanright s legislation that exi sts in Canada, Finally, A?o­riginal woman do not have the same access to deci ­s ion maki ng structures as Aborigina l men, and mostother groups living in Canada. Because Aboriginalwomen' s groups are not well funded. Aboriginalwomen have to constantly strugg le to advocate onbehalfof issues which matter to their everyday lives.

Housing:Canada is facing a hou sing crisis! Insecure and

inadequate housing, including homelessness, is oneof the most pressing issues faced by increasingnumbers oflow-income wo men. Among the leadingcauses of the probl em are several inter- re lated fac­tors: women's poverty; systemic discriminat ion andinequality experienced by particular groups ofwomen; women's over-representation as sole­support households; and a shortage of affordablehousing.

Historically the federal government took a lead rolein developing affo rdable renta l hous ing programs.But, Canada has no national housing policy. In1993, the Federal government withdrew from fund­ing new soc ia l hou sing programs. The freeze onnew federal programs and provincial cutbacks haveresulted in a lack ofsupply ofaffordable housing tomeet the demands of women and families. The fed­eral government is a signatory to several interna­tional conventions and covenants and is the reforeobligate to intervene to improve access to adequateand affordable housing for low-income women.Centre for Equality Rights in Accommodation,

Women and Housing in Canada: Barriers ofEquality: ' . .The vast majority of Aboriginal women-72%-hve III

non-reserve communities, most in urban areas andare in core housing need; 68% of Metis women,46% of First Nation women and 30% of Inuitwomen are living in cites and towns.Ca nadian Research institute for the Advanc e­ment of Women (2002) Fact Sheet on violenceAgainst Women and Girls:

Women who are of minority racial, ethnocultural orlingui stic groups also suffer violence at the hands oftheir intimate partners. However, their access to thejustice system and to services are not the sa~e .

Only 57% ofCanadian shelters offered services thatwere sensitive to cultural differences. Women whohave difficulty speaking the official language wherethey live face enormous barriers in accessing ser­vices and dealing with the justice system. Whenservices and the justice system fail, women find iteven more difficult to escape ab use.Canada's National Response, to UN:Abori gina l women we re three times more likely

than non-Aboriginal women to report having beenassaulted by a current or former spouse.

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The Family Violence Initiative supported Abo riginalcommunities (on and off reserve) in their efforts toaddress family violence issues through a variety ofmeans, including the use of holistic approaches thatemphasized , among other things, the importance ofteaching traditional values, culture and practice.Between 1989 and 1998, construction ofshelters inAboriginal communities expanded and in 2000, 63%ofshelter for abused women in Canada reported theyprovided cultura lly sensitive services for Aboriginalwomen .Aboriginal women are the poorest of the poor. The y

have little or no protection under current law be­cause everything is overridden by the Indian Act.Amendments to the Indian Act in 1985 that allowedfor reinstatement of women that "married out" did .not ensure their access to descending rights, nor dothey speak to the band's formal acceptance of thesewomen. Many are denied the right to vote in BandCouncil elections because of residency requirementsor band customs. Aboriginal women in abusive do­mestic situations who do not hold the certificate ofpossession to the matrimonial home often face eitherremaining in the abusive situation or seeking hous­ing off-rese rve, away from support networks ofcommunity, friends and family. The Federal Gov­ernment has thus refused to meet its constitutionaland international responsibilities for equality ofAbo rig ina l women.Native Women's Associatio n of Ca nada: Sisters

in Spirit:Ove r the last 20 years approximately 500 Abori ginalwomen have gone missing in communities acrossCa nada . In Vancouver more than 30 Aboriginalwomen have gone missing in the DTES. Theystrugg led with addictions, some with Fetel AlcoholSyndrome and many with childhood sexual abu se.Every one of them grew up in foster homes. Theirlives are yet another example of"the violence ofco lonization. They continue be objectified, disre­spected, dishonored, ignored and killed , often withimpunity.

All this must be considered in plannin g and buildingwhatever goes on the Woodwards s ite.

Human Rights DiscussionThursdays, 10:00am

Carn egie Learning Centre

·' ...recogniti on of the inherent dignity and of theequal and inalienable rights ofall members of thehuman family is the foundation of freedom , justiceand peace in the world."

--from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights

A group of people is beginning a Human RightsDiscussion Group.

We want to discuss and learn about our humanrights. Poor bashing, welfare rights, social housing,and discrimination in banking are human rights is­sues. But there are many more . We also want to tellour own stories about human rights abu ses.

You are invited to join the group each Thursday atlOam in the Carnegie Learning Centre (third floor).Help us decide which human rights issues we wantto check out first. Help us work on practical soltions for everyday life.

Here is another quote from the Universa l Declara­tion of Human Rights :Article 25 "Everyone has the right to a standard ofliving adequate for the health and well-being of him­self and of his family, including food, clothing,housing, medical care and necessary soc ia l services..

i~gMardiMonsoon in the north westCold, wet and refreshing betimesMiserable & soul-downing other timesDepends - don 't it?

If you have a hearth to hurry home toA honey to hug the cold awayAnd some spaghettiwith a nice rough red for supperWine, that is . ..

*Passion heals those slings and arrowsofoutrageous fortune

That flesh is heir to

Wilhelmina"much indebted to the Bard.

j ' 1 party

"nobody here but us ch ic ks!'

Marlene and Diane have been working with a groupof women. Thursday mornings at the Carnegie. whoare interested in learning the age-old art of quilting.applique and embroidery. Thi s series of lessons andworkshops has produced fabric art. which is originaland one of a kind. We have pieces depicting power­ful women. a memory to our lost sisters. First Na­tions art. and whatever the imagination unlea shed.Yin Mei Chan cut images from a Chinese calendarand a shopping bag from a meat market to use aspatterns.When were still an agricultural society. women and

girls planted. spun. wove, knitted and sewed the fab­ric necessary for survival. Quilting bees provided asocial circle. time out from physical work, and aplace to organize and fundraise. When women didnot have the right to vote. these circles fostered acollecti ve voice concerning topics from politics topeer support to survival. When spinning and weav­ing became mechanized, and cloth produced in fac­tories. profound changes occurred. Women worked ,ran businesses. taught in school s and studied to bemissionaries. As a backlash to our newly won free­dom, the "cult of true womanhood" preacheddomesticity and femininity, defining us as intellectu­ally inferior, more submissive, pious. pure and sensi­tive. This conservative ideology instructed women tomarry and stay home. to confine ourselves to ourown separate and distinct "sphere" . The publicworld of business and politics was for men. Sermonsand advice literature told us sewing was the "trulyfeminine employment", and the Protestant workethic encouraged us to put all spare moments to use­ful purpose. The cult of wifehood and motherhoodlabeled entire groups of women as deviant - un­married, working, slave, immigrant and politicallyactive women. On the other hand. in this environ­ment. women developed deep ties of friend ship and

solidarity, and a sense of ourselves as a distinctgroup. This emerging group consciousness began toextend our boundaries: we wanted to improve notjust the home but the world outside it as well.Quilting bees became a way for women to activelyparticipate in the abolition of slavery, and publicwelfare work such as running homes and schools fororphans. widows and the poor. Women held fairsand church bazaars where they sold their needle­work. baked goods and preserves to raise money.They could then choose, as a group. whether thismoney went to refurbish the church, or actively sup­port the Underground Railroad, safe houses thatsheltered escaping slaves as they fled to Canada.Women in America established the first FemaleAnti-Slavery Societies, including both black andwhite women 's groups. It was women more so thanmen than men who contributed to the abolition ofslavery with their fund-raising. petition campaignsand articles for newspapers and magazines, a bigchunk of herstory that got left out of most historybooks! This centuries-old tradition is alive and wellat the Carnegie Community Centre where women ofall ages and ethnicities take part in a weekly sewingcircle - First Nations, Chinese grannies. commu­nity activi sts. young mothers and old dykes. There'sa feminist subtext to this seemingly pleasant andpeaceful sewn images of birds, animals, flowers andlucky symbols.

Elaine, who likes to call herself "the Lunatic Art­ist", has created a "Found Goddess" embellishedwith button boobs and assorted trinkets and baubles.A recovering Catholic, she deifies the ordinary andthe absurd. She likes to play with the rules of" normalcy" we were taught as young women in ourhomes and school- "don' t mix plaids", " blue andgreen should never be seen / together except in awashing machine" and "vertical stripes make youlook thinner".

Diane has pieced together a monochrome CrazyQuilt. She likes to expose our learned fear of mad­ness. and the use of the word "crazy" as theultimate insult. Crazy quilts are made of randomscraps without a structured pattern . The subtle mes­sage embroidered into it are the words of the popsong " Imagine" which became an anthem for a gen­eration of peaceniks. She says, " By creating and

Good Morning Ne i ghbour

The problematic retard outside my window with thebutcher knife, threatening and carving LOOSE intothe railing, trying to spell loser no doubt; villageidiots rarely have much command of language.

After chasing the threat away (force only understandsforce), I go to my couch only to hear the pounding ofVancouver Police. I open the door to a 9 mm, laser­sights pointed at my guts. Six big strong hero-typesfor a scrawny old man - tough guys! They steal a lb.of shake and leave disappointed - the John Waynescouldn 't rescue the damsel in distress ... only gotabout 5 bucks worth of weed . ..

13SICKO

Filmmaker Michael Moore will target themental health system in new film tentativelytitled "Sicko". The Internet Movie Databasereported that he will focus on the Americanhealthcare system, and will look at itthrough an inspection of the system ofmental health care. His current film"Fahrenheit 9/11" has grossed more than$120 million. The Associated Pressreported "Moore's latest is inspired by asegment he did on "The Awful Truth", hisseries which aired on the Bravo network. Inthe segment, "Funeral at an HMO", hedocuments the plight of a diabetic whourgently needs a pancreas transplant andwhose HMO won't help out. Moore goes tothe HMO's headquarters and puts on a mockfuneral for the patient, making certain toinvite the company execs. Ultimately theHMO agrees to assist the patient and makesweeping policy changes." Yourexperience(s) can be included if you writeto :Michael Moorec/o Ariel EmanuelEndeavor Agency LLC960 I Wilshire Blvd. 3'd floorBeverly Hills, CA 90210 USA ~>4"1;'

An Evening ofbluegrassandfolk/country Music

Wednesday, October 20, 7 ~ 9 pmTheatre, Carnegie Centre

Everyone welcome to this free concert!

teaching quilts, I am challenging the notion of awoman's place" and women's silence. Traditionally,a quilt is made from scraps - pieces saved frompantleg.and dress hems, or shirts that were torn orthreadbare. Poverty made for frugality and inven­tiveness. We recycled before the word was invented.Yet our artwork has always been considered secon­dary to "Real Art" meaning art made by white men ,and relegated to the back room or the PNE craft ex­hibition. If a New York abstract expressionist paintson a quilt, that makes it Art, and therefore worthy ofhanging in an art gallery and being reproduced inArt History books... but what about the woman orwomen who made that quilt?"

Marlene transformed a drawing by her daughterinto red and black felt applique in the tradition of herTs imshian heritage. Marlene Trick is the Seniors'Programmer, responsible for the Cultural SharingProgramme on Monday afternoons at the Carnegie.Diane Wood has exhibited her quilts and dolls in theGallery Gachet in Vancouver, the Harbourfront Cen­tre in Toronto, and most recently at the NationalGallery in Ottawa

Paci fic Bluegrass & Heritage Music SocietyPresents

,

Happy 50th Birthday Bonnie!

Many a person in the dtes has come to appreciate your sense of humour, friendship and random actsof kindness you have shown to others.

Your hard work also does not go un-noticed in this neighbourhood. You have worked tirelessly withsingle moms and their children.

You bravely volunteered with the cr ust)' group of males in the coffee sellers lounge. You volunteer inthe kitchen both at Carnegie and away at the numerous camping and other trips. Ifthere is a kitchen around,you are not far from the heat.

You have quietly helped many a person who asked it of you. I have knownyou only a fewshort yearsin your half century and have come to admire you for your directness and the uncomprom ising "fay you speakout when others are being hurt.

You are a woman who has endured unimaginable hardship but this has not tainted you in the wayyoutreat others. It is always an honour to work with you wherever the event or venue. We are so privileged toknowyou.

Your astrological sign of Libra means Balance& harmony, which is what youbring to your environment. You are a social creature and a sensitive peacemaker with a virtue of cooperation.

May you have a very HappyBirthday Bonnie and have a fabulous year ahead.By Marlene, Diane & friends of Bon

Cassandra lovely daughter ofancient Troy, en­chanted and haunted the strolls of East Van.

Cassandra (B1ondie we called her) was a straightshooter, never a rip-off, a good chick who loved afunnyjokeBut Cassandra was a Prophetess of Doom, though

she never believed that the misfortune her nameforetold, and which was always lurking, stalking inthe shadows, was her ownCassandra , beautiful blonde child ofTroy, of that

East Van. dreamland where the myth is that magicpotions can be bought from a sneering stranger onthe corner. Blondie never saw or maybe neverwanted to see the harbingers in the track marks andthe red, half-healed abscesses that warned like bleakomens of impending calamity

Cassandra, used and abused as a child and later byher "dates", wished and hoped of fi nding that elusivemagic that would smooth out her rough, rock-strewnroad and make everything all right. . . but the onlymagic she ever found was the mythic potion thatbled her flashing, beckoning dream into a slow ven­omous nightmare. So much for fairytales

All I can say is RIP Blondie (for words can't ex­press our loss) Surely th stars have embraced andwelcomed back their beautiful, wayward child.

Margaret Pinter

COMMERCIAL NON

Didn't walk by da kinethat is in no way fineYou try private enterpriseyou get fat blue Uni Guys.Should have been bigger scalejust like shipshape PM Paul ­you do it big you get it ALL.The moral of story is too clear:when palms are well-greasedyou may stay in biz

ja douglas

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VOLVNTff~5VOLUNTEERS OF T HE MONTH (September)

Solo mo n Sinclair. Senior's Coffee Seller .Solomon is a quiet. dear man who takes much pridein his work as a Coffee Seller on the lane level.Thank you Solomon for helping to keep things run­ning smoothly.Lan Chow, Kitchen PrepLan is one our most dedicated Kitchen volunteerswho is responsible for much of the Prep for thosewonderfu l breakfasts you all eat.

You must do that which you think you cannot doEleanor Roosevelt -

Voluntee r Co mmittee MeetingWe dnesday, October 13th , 2004Class room II @ 2:00pm

Volunteer Dinner -- an opportunity for the staff toserve you for a change!Wednesday, Oc tober 20, 2004Theatre @ 4:30pmII'you have 16 volunteer hours in this month, pleasepick up ticket from Colleen

Chili Dinner for Voluntee rs (5 weeks betweencheque days) 5pm - 7pm in the CafeteriaPick up your ticket from Colleen

In ternational Film Fest ival Sept 23- Oct 8II'you have any preferences, I'd appreciate hearingfrom you . Please sign up with Colleen on the 3rd

Floor Volunteer Program Office.

All Vo lunteers HELP WE NEED YOU!On October 15110 we are hav ing an Open I-louse forthe Heart ofthe City Festival. There will need to belots of preparation beforehand as well as much work:0 do on the day of the event.If this is something you are interested in being in­volved with I'd love to talk with you.Colleen (604) 606-2708 3rd Floor Volunteer Office

KARAOKE with Gerald!!The evening ofour Festival Launch!

Friday, October 08, 20047pm - 10pm Carnegie TheatreWanna exe rcise those pipes? Have your voice be

heard? Join us, with Gerald to show us the way....Refreshments served to the brave willing sou ls.

OJ MIX- Move To The GrooveA Dance 10 end an exciting day. Beginning at Noon,

it will be Carnegie's Open House for the

First Annual DTES Heart of the City -

Come and celebrate with us I!!!!

Everyone Welcome! carnegie TheatreFriday October 15, 2004 7pm - 10pm

Refr eshments served.

FRIGHT NIGHT: Don't come alone!SCREAM! HOWL-O-WEEN DANCE

ALIVE AND UNLEASHEDHalloween is the perfect time to let your creativity

run wild. It is a time to be pretty -- pretty creepy.Dracula (Count Chocula' s sister). will be here but

first he MUST see a dentist. You will also run intoCount Floyd who will be trying 10 sell his cans ofghastly Smell-a-vision grim ....very grim. Halloweenwill be here before you know it:You have one monthleft to get ready to be your gorgeous ghoulish bestself. There will be creepy crawlies in our washbucket (size of head) for apple bobbing. You gel 10

keep the worm.

• Date: Friday , O ctobe r 291h ,2004• Place: Ca rnegie Theater• T imc: 7pm - IOpm• Sta ff: Heckle and .le kkle

Refreshments served! Nothing but the best for ourfiends: blood soup, brain cookies, french fried eyeballs, bugs and dirt sandwiches. brain cell salad,crusty booger balls , kitty litter cake. ummmummrnmrn goodies. (I'm cuckoo for coco puffs .)....see you there, Colleen

'I would like to have the purposeof being free'

"Do all the good you can, in all the ways you can,to all the people you can, in all the places you can,for as long as ever you can." - ideation ofspiritual­ity. The power in this can conquer fear; it can makeaction and words bring positive, progressive socialchange. When you decide to be honest with yourself.your conscience learns to discriminate. Actions &words agree.. are clear, strong and true. Language,spoken or not, communicates ifyour thinking isclear, but used badly ideas degenerate into so muchcrud. * (*cpjd is a synonym for the word used todescribe the product ofa bull's bowel movement) =static arguments; they make you want to scream.Witness statements that all humanity is to blame forthe Nazi atrocities. "We let it happen!" Classroomacademiks, non-consciously, allow sacred logic &reasoning to say Native Peoples 'let' the non-nativestake their lands, kill them, rape forests, pollute theenvironment. distribute blankets saturated withsmallpox... TIle people of Canada let the "Free"Trade scam come into effect - it's obviously ourfault that jobs are being lost, that poverty is growingby leaps and bounds, that people are sleeping in thestreets, that violence and crime and drugs are every­where. It's all our fault .. it's always the victim'sfault for not being on the other side. Anyone on wel­fare is obviously there because they've chosen tobe...

To keep anger under control is sometimes harder.especially with someone who has been in the Down­town Eastside for awhile. working with people hereand interacting with us socially.. Maybe you thinkall the fights that people have with welfare, all theagony of trying to find shelter (dare I say it - ahome?) if you are single with a child, all the writingand meetings and events and demonstrations that arehappening EVERY DA Y... is all this just made up,just fiction?'

You can busv vourselfin the Ancient Greeks, inreferences to philosophers and books and you canstay blind to what's happening all around you. Youcan refer to Shamans as "those who are adept at en­tering auto-hypnotic trances" (such a cute scientificthrowaway) and continue to believe that everything,all social issues like racism. sexism, poverty, home­lessness are subject to miraculous resolution through

the scienti fie method ofdebate.Some advocate alienation as the means to getting an

objective overview and I agree. But here's the crux:all spiritual progress and social change is consequentupon a personal commitment. The aboriginal world­view makes the spiritual and social aspects of beinginalienable. You cannot disregard Infinity, you canonly assume that ignoring universal law somehowexcepts you from its consequences. It's this that hasgiven us the materialism, the injustice and the at­tempted murder of Spirituality that is choking hu­manity.

When was the last time you heard the word"scandal"? Struggle is the essence of life. You can­not claim to be alive and part oflife by closing your­self off from living.

By PAULR TAYLOR

Prayer

Please God take this anger from meI'm so tired of being angry all the timeit saps the life out of existence; it ruins life.being angry and afraid all the timethere is no room in my heart lor lovewhen I'm always mad at someone something.When I'm not mad I'm afraidso there's no time to feel good

to feel hope to love other peopleinstead of hating everyone everythingI used to be a loving person What happened?I walk around with a ball of angerin my guts give off bad vibes

stir up trouble with other peopleand then get mad 'cause life sucksI really need to find me some peacesomewhere where I'm not a lwaysfighting myself or you or your uncle /monkey / whateverLord I beg you, give me some peace.

AI Loewen

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nt

Bjossa

Bjossa, the female orca who lived at the VancouverAquarium for 20 years, died on October 8, 200 I.She.had .be:n tran~ferred to Sea World in San Diego,Califo rnia, In April of that yea r. Bjossa died ofachronic lung infection at the age of 20 years. In theocea n, swimming tree, she might have lived 70years, or even longer. You're tree now, Bjossa.Swim in the great ocean of the sky.

f - - - - - - - - - - - - -Sandy Cameron,author of I

I BEING TRUE TO OURSELVES: DOW NTOW N II EASTS IDE POEMS OF RESISTANCE II and an important voice that speaks to the courageI and resistance of the people of the Downtown East- I

side, has been part of the struggle for social j usticeI in Vancouver for many years. He first came to the II Downtown Eastside in 1965 and has been a logger, II prospector, teacher and writer, with several pu

lished works. II , h I- ..moves eyond the usual stereotypes so oftenI recorded ahout the Downtown Eastside, and hrings II to life a community of people and place that will II make your heart sing "! - Libby Davies, MP

I On Tuesday, October 19th @ 7:00 pm IPeter Kaye Room, Central Library I

I 350 West Georgia Street II Sandy will be launching and reading from his new ILbook. Admission is Free & all are welcome.

spo,~redby7-Ca;:;;egT;C;;;;I111';;,in7'(;e ,;i;e :r,'a-:COl~ ,ver Mo ving Theate as part of the He:1T/ of the City Festival

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Devon. eighteen months old,wat ched her through the glassat the Stanley Park aquariu m.Graceful she waslike a danceras she swamwith restrained powerin her deep iXlOl.Unhurried, languid motion,turning s lowlyshe drifted back and forthbac k and forth."Whale. whale," Devon whispe red.arms outstretched agai nst the glass ,heart and soul seeingvoice ca lling.At the far end of her poolshe turned again,and drifted towards the child.Silent she came,this black and wh ite leviath an,and floated by so closehe could have touched her .Her dark eye took him in,her sad, dark eye ,and as she moved awayhe whispered, "W ha le."

Sandy Ca mero n

This Is ItAs I have sa id, as I did sayBreak the rules, make me payYour blissful oblivion may sa ve the daySo bolt the doors to avoid the fray.

Trickle on the way up, trickle on the way downKnow that what goes around always comes aroundFind some dimes, lose some nickel s; lost & foundEither be the noble martyr or end up the clown.

If yo u can at all comprehend what I do meanI will do yo ur dirty laund ry to keep you neat & cleanI see you in the mirror as you pluck and preenExpect me one morning to be gone, far away,

I'll have split the sce ne.Robyn

FRiPAY O(T 8- SV~PAY O(I 17·e

HfART OF THf (tTYFfSTtVAL

Heart of the City Festival HighlightsFestival Gala - Sunday Oct 10 2pm - Japane se Hall 487 AlexanderStreetThe historic Vanco uver Japanese Language School & Japanese Hallhosts your friends, neighbours, and special guests, including Mayo rLarry Campbell. Percussion andmovement ensemble SWARM,DTES spoken word artists, Mike Richter and Friends, Sawagi Taiko ,the Aboriginal Women's Ensemble and the Gospel Experience,Corinthian Clarke, and Dalannah Bowen (formerly Gail Bowe n).The Downtown Eastside struts its stuff and you are invited!Tickets $/7 adults / $ / 2 children/seniors/students Advance SalesFirehall Arts Centre 604.689.0926Coffee Ho use Featuring Corinthian Clarke with Dave Danylchuk ­Friday Oct 8, 8pmStrathcona Community Centre Seniors Lounge, 601 East KeeferFundraising event for the Strathcona Community Centre Associationfeaturing the extraordinary voice and music of DTES 's ownCorinthian Clarke. Corinthian packs a powerful gospel voice and

was a highlight o f last year's Voices of Strathcona Concert. Also featuring Ron Suzuki's famous sushi . . .need we say more! $5.00 sugges ted donationDallanah Bowe n Quintet - Monday Oct II , 2pm - Carnegie Community Centre TheatreDallanah Bowen is a DTES resident with a soft bluesy voice that will melt your heart . One of the greatvoices from last year's immensely successful In the Heart of a City: The DTES Community Play, Dallanahsings ja zz and blues songs from her soon-to-be-released CD A Night In Tunisia , including among othersMoon Dance , The Very Thought of You and I' ve Got It Bad. FreeLabour History in Song and Story - Wednesday Oct 13, 9 - II pmRadio Station Cafe, 101 East Hastings & Live Broadcast CF RO FM 102.7FMActivist musicians Earle Peach and Regina Brenn an sing - and talk about - songs that were sung in ourstreets, marches and labour halls of the DTES, the lower Mainland and Vancou ver Island . Appearance bypoet and activist Sandy Cameron and singer Tom Hawkin, who recou nts stories of the infamou s On-to­Ottawa trek of 1935. Co-hosted by Earle Peach and CFRO's Dan Keeton of Union Made . Pay as yo u canDTES M usic Showcase - Thursday Oct 14,9 - 12midnightRadio Station Cafe, 101 East Hasting s & Live Broadcast CFRO FM 102.7FMFrom country music to jazz, from classical piano to singer songwriters, the DTES has a breadth of musicaltalent that is amazing. An evening of upbeat and impressive jazz, great folk and western singers, talentedguitarists and political songs featuring, among others-John Cote, Nancy Delyzer, Stan Hudac, AndyKostynuik, Rick Lavallee, Mark Oak ley, Mike Richter and Peggy Wilson . Pay as you canDTES Spoken Word Showcase - Tuesday Oct 12,9 - 12midnight - Radio Station Cafe, 101 EastHastingsThe DTES is a goldmine of writers. Diane Wood has lined up a showcase that includes, amon g others:Maxine Gadd, Leith Harris , Robyn Livingstone , Car l MacDona ld, Monserrat Munoz, Gena Thompson,Brian Nelson, and Muriel Williams. From the howlingly funny to powerful monol ogues on our missingwomen, words and feelings that reflect s the people and the voices of the DTES. Co-hosted by AriadneSawyer & Alejandro Mujic a-Olea of CF RO's World Beat Cafe. Pay as y ou can

Cp.R~EBIE COMMU~m CE~IRE & VA~COUVERMOV(~G THEATRE PRESEIII

History Walks - with Madeline Deighton, Gassy Jack & special guest Mrs. Margaret CarnegieSaturday Oct 9 & 16 and Sunday Oct 10 & 17, 10:30amMeet at front steps St. James Anglican Church. 303 East CordovaJoin Madeline Deighton (Sandra Pronteau) and her husband Gassy Jack (Luke Day) on their guidedhistory walk through the heart of Vancouver. Text by walking-history-encyclopedia John Atkin. Guestappearance on the steps of the Carnegie by Andrew Carnegie's mother-Mrs Margaret Carnegie(Rosemary Collins). You'll never look at Vancouver and our DTES the same way again!$/0 non residents. Pay-as-you-can local residents.Carniegie Radio Play Project - in association with Theatre in the Raw - Saturday Oct 9. 8pmUkrainian Hall. 805 East Pender - coordinated by Jay HamburgerGreat selection of radio plays from the Carnegie Radio Play Project. Presented in the style of the1930's and 40's with live sound effects, these plays give insight inIn a fascinating range of life in theDTES . All the plays were written by local writers and performed by DTES involved residents. Comesee your friends and neighbours stand up at the all-powerful micsl! FreeThrough the People's Voice - Saturday Oct 16, 8pm & Sunday Oct 17, 2pm - Ukrainian Hall , 805East Pender - new works by Patrick Foley, Leith Harris & Dora Sanders (In association withVancouver Moving Theatre)Downtown Eastside-involved writers, actors and musicians in three one-act staged readings with livemusic that explore some of the "ins and outs" of everyday life in the Downtown Eastside. Veterandirector James Fagan Tait, composer Joelysa Pankanea and Artistic Director Savannah Walling. withsome of our favourite community artists for an inner city evening of do w-n-horne comedy . . . satire .. .music ... and song. Pay as you canCarnegie Cultural Sharing - Monday. Oct II, 4 - 9 pm Carnegie Community Centre. TheatreThe Cultural Sharing Program will display quilts created the Hen Party. which is made up of-amongothers-Asian and First Nations women who frequent Carnegie. Techniques used include quilting, fab­ric art, applique and embroidery. The theme of the work is life in the DTES . Other events include per­formances by First Nations singers and drummers and workshops on working with leather. All wel­come. FreeCarnegie Open House - Friday Oct 15. Open House 12noon - 5pm- Carnegie Community CentreDilen called the 'Living Room of the Downtown Eastside", the award winning Carnegie Centre hasprovided social, educational, cultural and recreational activities to local residents since 1980. OpenHouse tours will introduce you to Carnegie's people and programs. including music. exhibits, story­telling. Displays, performances, demonstrations, tours and more.Tours start at 12 noon. Meet at the first floor Information Desk .DJ Dance Mix 7pm - IOpm - with the ever-popular Cody.For more information please contact Rika Uto at 665 -3003 .

Program Guides available from front Desk CarnegieFor Full Program details goto: http://www.heartofthecityfestival.com604-665-2213 for further information ...and don't forget to tell somebody!!

Heart of the City Festival is a co-production of CarnegieCommunity Centre and Vancouver Moving Theatre

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.A One-Day SymposiumAddiction in Vancouver:

Community, Cultural Identity and LossThursday, October 14, 2004, 9:30 am - 4:30 pm

C hief Dan George Centre for Advanced EducationCathedral Square, 639 Hornb y Street (near Georgia)

The Event: Explore a wider context for our society'spandemic of addiction (drugs, work , consumerism..)Namely that the roots of addiction lie in isolati on.dislocation of people from community, and loss ofcultural identity . We hope you'll leave informed bya larger context for community development andsoc ial j ustice work, inspired by a deeper understand­ing ofculture, and moved to continue this dialogueinto action .Featuring: Leonard George of the Tsleil-WaututhNation. A presentation by SFU 's Bruce Alexander -­author of "Roots of Addiction in Free Market Soci­ety". Performances . Dialogue . Opportunities toshare stories and to networkCost: $20 -- includes lunch. (No one will be turnedaway for lack of funds. Call Leslie Kemp at 604­323-598 1.)To Register: Call Langa ra Co llege by October 12that 604-323-5322. Ask for Course #70901. Or go toour website. www.cacv.bc.ca.Sponsors : The symposium is sponsored hy the CommunityArts Council of Vancouver in partnership with Langara Col­lege Continuing Studi es. Chief Dan George Centre lor Ad­vanced Educatio n. Downt own Eastside Community ArtsFestival. the City of Vancouver Drug Pol icy Program. Cana­dian Centre for Pol icy Alternati ves, the Social Justice Com­rnit tce of the Unita rian Church of Vancouver, A CommunityAware. and the Psychology Departm ent. SFlJ

As Gov .Gen. Adrian Clarkson had her stroll onE.Has tings in the DTES I wondered what her pur­pose was behind her appearance. As she walked Inoticed blatant disregard of the real residents of thearea. Watching the news later on I learned how one­sided the media coverage really is.

After city crews washed the area squeaky-clean,the so-ca lled "Law" moved in and did their owncleanup.

At no time did I see the Gov-Gen enter any alleys,not one soupline, not one roach-infested SRO unitand at no time did she speak to a drug user or otherreal resident. [One homeless guy awoke and said Hi)

As a single mother of two cried on the edge of thecrowd not one reporter bothered to stop and inter­view her until I pointed her out to them.

( ilohill T V's new s hom al lowed her one sentence:

"They don't ca re or do anything. The DowntownEas tside should be shown to her as it really is - thegood, the bad and the ugly. Why whitewash thetruth?"

Mayor Campbell's idea of the DTES doesn 't existali) more and it' s high time there vv as honest report ­ing by the media.

Yukon Eric

Carnegie Community Centrein partnership with

Be Aboriginal HIV/AIDS SocietyPRESENTS

"Holistic Approach to Aboriginal Healthand Challenges"

HIV / AIDS and Service Providers

Let's begin to heal bysharing our knowledge.

Thursday, October 7, 2004 2:30 pmCarnegie Cent re Theatre

snacks and refreshments available

We encourage community leaders to takeownership, to learn and to be sensitive tocultural attitudes, stigma, fear, rejection.

ForOurFuture GenerationsCall Ken Winiski @ 604-879-8884 for info

a

Carnegie Chess Trip to UBC-Sept.21.2004.

Six ofour faithful made their maiden voyage tovisit our chess brethren at their module in the ClubDays exhibit. Club Days is when all the clubs ofUBC meet under one roof to promote membership totheir particular club, with all the UBC students inattendance.

As soon as we located their module we started thefun and games. I managed to beat the UBC ClubPresident Ron Do, followed up with another winagainst Ron by Kriss. Ron decided to get tough, andbrought in their heavy-duty champ, Matt, who onlynarrowly managed to beat our Kriss at speed chess.Everyone else got involved and once again we were

all a bunch of happy campers. After our magnificentshowing we were whisked off to the UBC Archeol­ogy Museum and later meandered our way back tohere, fully satisfied that we had held up the pride ofCarnegie,

By Aleks Djosich.

MLA Lorne Mayencourt On 'Skid Row'

Early in September, Liberal MLA Lorne Mayen­court spent five days living on $14 a day to experi­ence what a homeless person feels. This is certainlymore than any other average, poor-bashing provin­cial Liberal has done, but it should be noted thatNDP MLA Emery Barnes was the first politician todo this, and he did it over a period of seven weeks.(Four officially, three unofficially.) As well, Barneslived on about $6 a day, which is a lot closer to whata person on welfare receives.. But it is not my intention to belittle Mayencourt 'sfeat. As I've stated, it's more than any other currentruling provincial government member has done, andhe is to be commended for that.

What bothers me is that Mayencourt used his ex­perience to decry the city's lack of protection forpreservation of Single Room Occupancy hotels, butsaid hardly anything about his proposed Safe Streetslegislation, which amounts to a crackdown on pan­handlers, many of whom are homeless.

In The Vancouver Sun, on September 8, an edito­rial-"MLA's 'homeless' stunt will serve a purposeonly if senior levels ofgovernment step up"-statedthat the provincial government needed to boost theshelter portion of welfare to adequately cover hous­ing costs for people on income assistance. Fairenough. It also went on to say that the federal gov­ernment should give tax breaks to developers to en­courage them to build SRO housing. The problemhere is that the federal government needs to reinstateits housing programs, which were chopped in thename ofslaying the deficit in the early 1990s. Moretax breaks will do nothing, as has been amply dem­onstrated.

Mayencourt replied in a letter to the editor on Sep­tember 10 that he was trying to stimulate coopera­tion between the three levels ofgovernment, andfurthermore, was trying to put the $23 million of theVancouver Agreement in the city's hands to gooduse.

But it wasn't until an article by Mayencourt in theSeptember 9-15 issue of The Westender that hestates his proposed Safe Streets Act is designed toprotect all people, including the poor, "from aggres­sive drug dealing, panhandling and solicitation." Insaying the poor are also to be protected, Mayencourtdisguises the fact that his legislation is an attack onthe poor, something he conveniently overlookedwhen finished his five-day experience and beganinteracting with the media.

In The Westender, the predictable poor-basherswrote, called in, e-mailed to say Mayencourt de­serves a medal for putting himselfat risk, never car­ing that a large number of people have to live thatway everyday. No one mentioned his Safe StreetsAct, presumably because they agree with it, just likethe mayors did at the recent Be Municipalities meet­ing.

To his credit, Mayencourt, in his article, said othersupports for people on income assistance, disabled,at risk, etc. would have to be in place for his Act towork. This is the real point that keeps getting over­looked by journalists reporting on the Safe StreetsAct: that by itself, it is just another piece of poor­bashing legislation in that it persecutes the poor forbeing poor-but with the proper supports in place , itwouldn't even be perceived as being necessary.

By Rolf Aller

Vancouver Opera"The Night before the Opera"A free preview featuring a live opera

performance

Der Rosenkavalierby Richard Strauss

The first 90 people will receive free tickets tothe final dress rehearsal of the opera (Oct. 14)

6:00 PM Wednesday, October 13, 2004Theatre, Carnegie Centre

Presented by Vancouver Opera & Learn­ing Exchange . in collaboration with theCarnegie Centre

I~

News from the Library

Loving Che by Ana Menendez is an astonishing,intimate portrait of revolutionary Cuba as witnessedby an elderly woman recalling her secret love affairwith the world's most dashing, charismatic rebel,Ernesto "Che" Guevara. A novel just in time tocomplement the "Che" movie which is a sell outfavourite in the current Vancouver Film Festival.Homage to Eros: 100 great poems ofLove and LustEditor Dann ie Abse collects here over 100 love po­ems of past centuries including Ovid, Li Po andmany others well known and less known, all givingwitness to the power passion and often contrary statewhich love and lust can arouse in the human spirit.Greenpeace by Rex Weyler. A chronicle ofa move­ment that began in Vancouver in 1971 and has sincespread around the world."We call our ship Green­peace because that is the best name we can think ofto join the two great issues ofour times: the survivalof the environment and the peace of the world" saidjournalist Ben Metcalfe as they launched the idea.This book tells of that extraordinary effort by someordinary folks and how it cha nged how we view theenvironment and the outlook of an era.

A complicated Kindness by Miriam Toews. Set inrura l Manitoba within a fundamentalist branch of theMennonite Community, this moving, darkly funnynovel is the world according to Nomi Nickel , a be­wildered and wry sixteen-year-old trapped in a towngoverned by fundamenta list religion. This book isvery popular with many book clubs and readers, andauthor Toews is one to look for at the upcomingVancouver Writers Festival.Haunted Hills and hanging Valleys by Peter Tro­wer. Trower uses a ballad mode to immortalize thelogger 's life in this collection ofselected poems. "ifyou live long enough you turn into a goddamn pub­lic institution" he said recently when he hea rd hisname was being cut in stone at the Main Branch ofVancouver Public Library (on the pavement whereBC Gas notes lifetime achievement winners).Hispoems show that the re is a lot more to poetry thanjust living a long time .You have the Power: Choosing courage in a cul­ture offear by Frances Moore Lappe.Michael Moore (yes that stu pid white guy, guy) saysof this book "Outwit the fear mongers. Read thisguy". This short, easy to read and jargon-free bookreplaces old thoughts "Ifl stop what I'm doing . I'llbe lost, I'll never start again" with new thoughts"Sometimes we have to stop in order to find ourpath" . The authors do not claim to write a " how to"book, but they share their own experiences and thoseofothers to show ways that we can see how it maybe possible, in this present culture of fear, to enter­tain the idea that fear and gratitude cannot co-existand fear can even begin to mean go, not stop.Life is Hard: Food is Easy : The 5 step Plan toOvercome Emotional eating and Lose weight onAny Diet. What a great premise. Now if only one ofyou out there would read this book you could tell usif it works and publish your findings in an upcomingCarnegie Newsletter .

Open House at Carnegie LibraryOctober 15th

Drop by the Library during the Open House atCarnegie on this date. Cake will be served at 3.30in appreciation ofour patrons

Mary Ann & all the library stafT.

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Different BoycottsThere are a good number of boycotts going on

around the world at the moment.The first ones I heard about were Pepsi and Uno­

cal, for their presence in Burma. Burma held freeelections more than a decade ago, and a democraticgovernment was established. This was in tum over­thrown by a military junta, which has kept the de­mocratic leader under house arrest for a long time,and killed other members of the rightful govern­ment. Pepsi (a soft drink company) and Unocal (anoil company) were under boycott for doing businesswith the junta. The reason the boycotts came aboutwas as much about the overthrow of the rightfulgovernment as it was about the forced labour poli­cies of the junta, which were used in the two compa­nies' operations. I always found funny Pepsi com­mercials ironic after learning about the company'scallous operations.

Another boycott I learned about was concerningthe oil company Shell, tor its unbridled drilling andpolluting operations in the dictatorship-run Nigeria.Poet Ken Saro-Wiwa and a group ofactivists wereexecuted by the dictatorship after they protestedShell's destructive operations in the Niger Delta. Ifever there was an example of the destructive powerof transnational corporations versus the state, this isit. That citizens ofa nation could be killed at thebehest ofa corporation is nothing less than state­sanctioned, corporation-motivated murder.

I only found out about the Coca-Cola (a soft drinkcompany) boycott when I read an article in themagazine Briarpatch. There is strong evidence in­dicating the Coke company hired paramilitary deathsquads to kill eight trade unionists in Columbia overthe past 13 years. . I've been trying to avoid Cokeproducts ever since, but as the commentator on Co­op Radio's show Redeye said when I phoned in toinform people of the boycott, "It's very hard toavoid buying Coke when the product is everywhere,and so conveniently within reach." [Coca-Cola alsoproduces several other beverages, including bottledwater. If it's a Coke vending machine, chances arebetter than 95% that every beverage ill it are prod­ucts ofthe parent corporation.]

Overseas sweatshops are an obvious target of boy­cotts. I'mjust not sure how many companies qual­ify for that dubious honour. One I'm sure of is Nike,the garment and shoe manufacturing companv. It' s

been shown in numerous studies that Nike doesn 'tpay its Asian workers enough wages to live on. Oneparticularly vile statistic I learned was that if the $20million per year paid to Michael Jordan for endors­ing Nike products was instead paid to its workers,they would have enough to live on. Nike has basi­cally ignored the boycott, instead preferring to investin a public relations division which disseminatesdisinformation concerning its efforts to improveworker conditions. In fact, it is even a wonder at allifNike inspects any of its overseas factories (inwhich not only is the pay abhorrent, but the workingconditions equate to human rights abuses).

There are numerous other boycotts in effect. Ifyou can get access to a computer with internet capa­bility, Google " UNOCAL boycott" and find thewebsite called " boycotts page". There you will findout about many boycotts, including Nestle and Mi­crosoft, among others.

The Vancouver InternationalWriters & Readers Festival.

A world of words on Granville Island,October 19 - 24, 2004www.wr itersfest.bc.ca

Poetry & Short Story ContestThe InvitationWe invite you to submit your finest prose and poetryto the sixth annual Writers Festiva l Poetry & ShortStory Contest, presented by the Vancouver Interna­tional Writers Festival. Now in its 17111 yea r. theWriters Festiva l is proud of presenting a world ofwords each October on Granville Island. We nowinvite you to contribute your words.

Pick up a pen! Readers write!The deadline for entries is October 24, the last dayof this year's Vancouver International Writers Festi­val. Entries wi ll be judged by professionals in thepublishing industry. Winners will be announcedJanuary 14,2005 .The Rewards

1st Prize 2nd Prize$350 $250

[Prizes will be awarded to the top two entries in boththe poetry and creative short fiction categories.]

The winners in each category will be announced inthe spring 2005 issue ofsub Terrain magazine andpubl ished on the Festiva l website ­www.writersfest.bc .ca ,

The RulesI. The contest is ope n to all writers.2. Entries will be accepted for previously

unpublished work in each category:t, Poetry (any style): 500 word limitii. Creative Shor t Fiction: 1,500 word limit3. Entries will be judged blind . Please do not putyour name on you r story or poem. On a separatesheet, include your name, address and phone numberand the word count of your piece. For each story orpoem, please include a $10 entry fee. Please makecheques payable to the Vancouver InternationalWriters Festival.4. Drop offor mail your submissions to the Vancou­ver International Writers Festival , 202-1398 Cart­wright St., Vancouver. BC V6H 3R8.5. Plea se submit entry typed and double spaced, on8 1/2 x 11 inch paper.6. Please do not send originals; entr ies cannot bereturned.7. Winners will be se lected by a panel of publishingand writing professionals.8. Entries must be postmarked or delivered on orbefore October 24,2004.9.Contest results will be announced and posted onthe Festival website by January 14, 2005 .

Get an Entry Form or provide this information:Name, Address, City, Prov: Postal Code:Phone #, Email

There is a contest entry fee of$10 per entry(Make cheques payable to the Vancouver

International Wr iters Festival)

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Looking for a real job?Then take this number down: 604-253-9355.If you're out ofwork, and need help fmding a jo b, then here ' s your opportunity. The Job Shop isa tree program that

will support you in a quick return to work. With the support ofore-on-ore coaching, you'll get connected, gain confidence,and learn from others - all with a view to fmding meaningful employment It really does work. Call 604-253-9355 now

to attend the next Job Shop info sess ion. The Job Shop is brought to you by Tradeworks Training Society.

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,;;.t \..)~)}2004 DONATIONS Libby 0.-$40Barry for Dave McC.-SSO Rolf A.-$45Margaret 0.-$25 Cbristophrr R:-$25Mary C-$30 Bruce ).-$30 U'mista - $20Heather S.-$25 RayCam·$30 Gram -$100Paddy -$30 Glrn B.-S50 John S.-S80Prnny G .-$21 Jrnny K.-$20 Oars C.-$20 ·Sandy C.$20 Audrry·$20 Wes K.-$50Joannr H.-$20 Rockingguys -$20The Edge Community Liaison Cit -$200Peter T.-$20 PG for PB -$25 Wm B-$20Mike B.-SIS Alicia M.-$40 Maureen K.-$40Anonymous-$23

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Editor: PaulR Taylor; cover art by Randy,layout by Diane Wood .

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Tuesday, October J2

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Gallerv Gachet at Woodward's"

The Westbank development proposal for Wood­ward's includes a major role tor cultural space forthe site . But what kind of art space, and who is theintended audience and participant has yet to be de­cided? The City of Vancouver will choose which"non-profit users" eventually make up the commu­nity components as envisioned by local residents.

For those of us who see culture as the life blood ofour DTES community, we are excited by the pros­pects of having First Nations, student, and commu­nity-based art spaces as fixtures for the new Wood­ward's development. As can be expected with opencalls of interest , several arts organizations havesubmitted their interest in accessing publicly subsi­dized space to deliver programs to the community.

With a strong community-centred arts mandate ,Gallery Gachet feels that it is best situated to assumethe responsibility ofoperating this new communityarts resource. .Gallerv Gachet is an I I-year old arts centre provid­ing cultural services to both the residents of theDowntown Eastside and Vancouver-wide. The cen­tre is operated by an artists' collective, with adminis­trative support from paid staff. Founded in 1993, theGallery is located at 88 East Cordova Street, and is adynamic 3000+ square foot facility. Gallery Gachetproposes to expand its unique mix ofcultural ser­vices into the new Woodward's development.

The goal of Gallery Gachet is to support a wellcommunity by enabling the artistic production ofartists who are concerned with mental health issues.Gallery Gachet programs and services also providelor the cultural development ofour Downtown East­side (DTES) community. A dynamic year-roundexhibition program in our two galleries, is supportedby production studios (woodworking, pottery, paint­ing), a new media lab (electronic design, digital pho­tography and video), and space for public workshopsand meetings.

Democratically run, with a majority of those in­volved being poor people and working artists, Gal­lery Gachet supports both the amateur and profes- .sional, and provides opportunities for diverse com- . ,munity members. As a DTES cultural asset, GalleryGachet is appropriately positioned to assume a role

as convenor and facilitator for the provision ofcommunity-based cultural services from Wood­ward's.

Experienced in the range ofarts activities, fromproduction to exhibition, Gallery Gachet offersperformance, video, new media, painting, sculpture,installation, drawing, serigraphy, woodworking, andmore. Through the delivery of free workshops, Ga l­lery Gachet provides capacity-building for local resi­residents in all areas ofarts production, as well as inartsmanagement and cultural planning. The exhibitionprogram showcases artists from the community, andprovides partnership opportunities for collaborationswith PIVOT, The Art Studio, RayCam CommunityCentre, Carnegie Community Centre, CanadianMental Health Association, Creating EmploymentThrough the Arts.Crabtree Corner, and many others.

Get in touch with Gallery Gachet to learn aboutplans for Woodward's, or to participate in free work­shops, or find out about the many DTES artists ex­hibiting this season at the Gallery.Phone 604 .687.2468, go online to www.gachet.org,email gallery@gachet.org.Gallery hours are Wednesday to Saturday 12-6pm,and Sunday 2-6pm.

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The sign does not lie: You Are Here.This is the appointed time;appointment , disappointment. ..You are here , live in the now,strike while the iron is hot.Woodwards canbe a good answer -imagine something good for someone in needTeach them rather to fish; it's better

than giving a fishYes, Woodwards can be a real helping hand eventhough it'll be contained by so many heretofor's andaforementioned ' s; legal mumbo-jumbo. Let's notlose sight of the goodness for our neighbourhood.No it wasn 't all my idea. I'm only giving a littlehand and a prayer. I too would like to see as manysocial units (housing) as possible, and communityparticipation. All the best on the 23M!

Mike Bohnert

[Community Arts Council of Vancouver] is in sup­port of the Gallery Cachet to be a part of the artsand culture programming and services for the devel­opment of Wood wards. Like most inner cityneighbourhoods throughout North America, theDownt?wn Eastside is filled with arti sts. galleriesand artist-run centres looking for inspiration andpaying temporarily cheap rent. Gallery Gachet hasproven themselves to be much more.

Gallery Gachet is a community arts centre provid­ing cultural services to the residents of the Down­town Eastside. The centre is operated by an artist'scooperative, with administrative support from paidstaff. A dynamic year-round exhibition program issupported with production studios (woodworking,pottery, painting), a new media lab (electronic de­sign, digital photography and video), with additionalspace for workshops and meetings. The mandate ofGallery Gachet is to provide cultural developmentservices in the community, as well as provide directservices to support artistic production by mentalhealth consumers in Vancouver. Gallery Gachetworks from a busy 3000+ square foot facility .

Since their arrival in the Downtown Eastside in '96[from their original home in Downtown GranvilleSouth], the Gallery, its management and membershave been consistently inclusive and supportive toresidents and organizations throughout the Down­town Eastside: creating opportunities for residents toexpress their opinions, ideas and images at numer­ous events held at their 88 Cordova Street location.Unlike most galleries in the Downtown Eastside,Gachet has been and continues to be very much apart of the Downtown Eastside Community. Therole of Gallery Gachet in th development of Wood­wards is essential if the project is to be truly inclu­sive of the current community. Arts and Culture arevital components to any healthy community, evenmore so in places where loss, poverty and violenceare a constant presence. It is in these places wherethe arts can and have been the most transformative.

The Community Arts Council of Vancouver has a58-year history in Vancouver that includes creatinga great deal ofcultural facilities, arts programmingand fighting for the preservation ofour parks andour heritage sites. Today we are faced with similarchallenges. The Downtown Eastside communitieshold the history ofour city, and it is crucial that weexplore all means possible to retain that history.Vancouver is a beautiful city , few would disagree.but what makes a city truly beautiful are the com­munities, their differences, the people and their sto­ries . The Community Arts Council supports the ex­pansion ofGallery Gachet in the development ofWoodwards without hesitation.

Sharon Kravitz

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