website carnegienewsletter.org catalogue FREE. Do not pay for this paper. NOVEMBER 15, 2015:::::::::::.~';.Carnegie ~CRUNCH 400 dtes NEWSLETTER

A~E II-/E~E NoRE 4NGRY 8Ei.LIGERENT ASSl-/oLE SROAMING 'IiE DTES THESE DAYS oR IS THERE vosrS9M£THINCr P/SS/NG PEoPLE OFF!

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"This (BifNaked's piece, a few pages in) is onlineat the Straight; doubtful that it'll be in hardcopy."Poor-bashing: The Politics of Exclusion" byJean Swanson is by far the best work on this & isrequired reading in Social Work courses in severalCanadian universities. The vicious stupidity behindmost racism & bigotry, and certainly behind theclassist rants Bif quotes from her online venues, isperpetuated by willful blindness. A "welfare cheat"(statistically 3% of recipients) is somehow a thous-and times more despicable than a corporate "wel-fare bum" (tax cheaters are statistically 22.7%,whereas those avoiding taxes through variousschemes are in the overwhelming majority). It'ssmall comfort that more and more people mayhave to experience living hand-to-mouth firsthand''

It's not abherrent, this anger that Jim has centredthe cover's cartoon around. Frustration, worry, rage& finding it harder to adapt to what there is toadapt to, it all feeds our behaviour toward eachother. Banksters are well-insulated, having learnedwell the protective covering of relative anonymity.Run-of-the-mill politicians, those easy to classify(even stereotype) as 'crooks', 'bought & paid for' &mouthing bafflegab while applauding legislationthat just screws people, seem to be at every levelof whichever government is running the show. Anongoing effort to educate such misfits on the re-ality of poor (or non-existent) housing, the ridicu-lous misery perpetuated by static assistance rates,the stupidity oftrashing the environment for 'eco-nomic freedom' or s ending billions on war asschools are shut down & only wealthy kids gethigher education & the best healthcare is diminish-ed by exorbitant drug costs and ...

Tora wrote once "Why can't they ever get itright?!?" My question is: "What is the long-termplan?" The growing frustration & anger are prod-ucts of this system but such can't be un-expected;the homelessness, drug addiction, property crimes& aggressive behaviours towards people cannot bea surprise to the powers-that-be; even mass dem-onstrations against austerity measures imposed bybanksters, movements like Occupy Wall Street &the growing militancy of Aboriginal.Peoples andthe extreme brutality of dogmatic fanatics must

have been seen coming.In the US the militarization of all levels of police

was predictable; the actions of Pivot described inthe following article show quiote clearly thatCanadian law enforcement is not only prone forextra-legal tactics but is actively covering such up.

So what's my point - we can't expect governingbodies to suddenly 'get it.' We can continue educat-ing ourselves on the real reasons why such thingsalluded to above keep happening, but don't playinto "their" hands. With the massive expansion inprisons & camps being prepared for dissenters,making everything we do a crime is coming - star-ting with it being a crime to be poor. Be careful.

- ByPAULR TAYLOR

Is this Stingray in use?The Vancouver Police Department has refused to

disclose documents, or even acknowledge the poten-tial existence of, a highly controversial surveillancedevice known as the StingRay.

Pivot Legal Society filed a freedom of information(For) request for t~e VPD to release any documentsor communications pertaining to the purchase of thedevice and whether the VPD has been using it. TheVPD denied the request on the basis that its releasewould "harm the effectiveness of investigative tech-niques and procedures currently used, or likely to beused, in law enforcement." The VPD would also "nei-ther confirm nor deny the existence of records."

Commonly referred to as the stingray, the device cansimulate cell phone towers in order to trick nearbymobile phones into connecting to them and revealingthe phones' locations. Large groups of people can bemonitored and their mobile phone's incoming & out-going calls recorded ..The surveillance device is alsocapable of intercepting the content of voice and textcommunications.

"Citizens have a right to know whether or not localpolice forces are engaging in mass surveillance, anddisclosure of the existence and use of this device isvital in ensuring that individual Charter rights are pro-tected," says Douglas King, the lawyer with PivotLegal Society who filed the For request. "The use ofthis device on people-or groups of people without

judicial authority represents a massive breach of thepublic trust.""We simply have to assume that refusing to disclosewhether these spying devices are being used means"Yes they are." This information denial is effectivelya denial of answers to the critically important ques-tions that follow: how they are being used & withwhat degree of compliance with citizens' Charterrights," said Micheal Vonn, Policy Director of BCCivil Liberties Association. "It is totally unacceptablethat the VPD are not willing to be accountable for theuse of such devices and the rights violations that arelikely to flow from their use."The use ofthe surveillance device by police depart-

ments in Canada has not been confirmed; however,the device has been in use in various jurisdictions inthe United States and put into use by police only uponagreeing to a non-disclosure agreement that prohibitsa department even acknowledging its existence. Thishas proved problematic when evidence obtained fromthe use of the device is then brought before the courts,but details of the device cannot be released.

"Stingray devices are designed to spy on everyone ina given area, and their use would clearly contravenethe Charter," said David Christopher, communica-tions manager for OpenMedia. "We all have a basicright tolive our lives without fear of being watchedby our own government, and this development rein-forces the need for a comprehensive overhaul of pr i-vacy safeguards."Pivot Legal Society has sent in an appeal to the Officeof the Information and Privacy Commissioner (OIPC)appealing the decision of the VPD to withhold thedocuments. Earlier this year, in a similar decision, theOll'C ruled that the Ministry of Justice had to revealthe brand name of forensic surveillance software itused during an investigation, stating that release ofsuch information to the public could not reasonablybe expected to cause specific harm.

About Pivot Legal SocietyPivot Legal Society is a leading Canadian human

rights organization that uses the law to address rootcauses of poverty & social exclusion in Canada.Pivot's work includes challenging laws and policies

that force people to the margins of society and keepthem there. Since 2002 Pivot has won major victoriesfor sex workers' rights, police accountability, afford-able housing, and health and drug policy.

West Vanc()uver-V()psUand

Conducted by Tak Maeda

3

Carnegie TheatreThuffiday,Nove~ber19~

7:15 - 8:15 PMJoin this 30+ year old community band/or aholiday musical evening with a selection 0/marches, melodies and other popular music!

Accidental Jazz l3andA spectacular evening ofBig Band Swing/ Basso Nova and Funk

CClrnellie Centre Theatre"edne§da~~~vve~ber~51h

7:.l() - g:()() p~

Welfare Food Challengereveals classism in Vancouver

Welfare sucks. Don't misunderstand, it is wonderfulthat this type offunding is available to help people.Of course and I am grateful for social assistance inthis society. But it sucks to have to be on it, at alI,never mind at the current rates which are actualIy farbelow the poverty line.

I had to utilize welfare myself, as a young person,when my first band, Gorilla GorilIa, relocated to Van-couver armed with our skateboards, our demo tape,and our dreams. Welfare enabled me to find housingand secure employment. Within just a couple months,I started to work, my life progressed, and I was ableto discontinue social assistance. The rest, as they say,is history.

But, what ifI didn't find my dishwashingjob? Orwhat if I was unable to work, say, if I had a seizuredisorder, or if I were in a car accident? Or what if 1was in a domestic ab~se situation where my leg wasbroken and I could not look for a job for a few weeks?What ifI had small children and no childcare? WhatifI had debilitating depression and could not accesscare or mental health support? Or what if no onewould hire me?Those are only a few examples. There are as many

reasons for a person needing support as there are peo-ple on assistance. In British Columbia, that meanshundreds of thousands of people on temporary assis-tance, disability assistance, or who are waiting toqualify. To receive welfare in B.C., a person reallyhas to be virtually destitute, and that is the truth.The Welfare Food Challenge aims to demonstrate thereality ofliving on the amount an individual receives:

$610 for one month. Let that sink in. For.The. Month.This is supposed to cover everything, including: hous-ing, food, personal hygiene, clothing, household sup-plies, and, as they are required to look for work, tran-sit, and a cell phone-yes, a cell phone; it's 2015 andthere are no payphones, remember?

Are you still with me? While you consider your ownmortgage or rent and sip coffee in one of Vancouver'slatest cool boulangeries & continue reading this (that Iam deeply grateful for, so thank you for staying withme) here is a real teeth-kicker:The City of Vancouver found that the average rent ofan SRO (which stands for "single-room occupancy")is now $450.00 a month. To give you more perspec-tive: the provincial government's shelter allowanceportion of welfare is just $375.00 a month.The realityis, if you or I or our mothers were on welfare rightnow in B.C., we could not afford shelter. Really.

Then, with the remainder, there's damage deposit(approximately $20 for an SRO), bus tickets ($21),the cheapest cell phone one can find that still works($25), and personal hygiene and laundry ($10). It to-tals at about $526.00.This leaves just $84.00 for foodfor a month.

Ladies, gentlemen, and everyone, that is about $21per week.

Thus, Welfare F.ood ChaIIenge participants live ononly the food they can purchase with $21 for a week.Last year, I tried to be a pragmatic vegan eater, andpurchased a bag of brown rice, two cans of no-namechickpeas, seven bananas, seven zucchinis, two headsof lettuce, one bag of spinach, and one container ofcherry tomat~~s. I ran out of bananas by the third day,zucchini by the fifth day, and by the last day I wasconstipated-from aII the rice, something I don'tnormalIy eat, having actually been a raw-food veganfor almost 10 of my 20 years as a vegan-and had amigraine.

This year, I chose basically the same things (becausemy eating has not deviated) with the exception of therice (constipating) and lettuce (too expensive). I re-placed these items with four eggplants, which I couldquarter and eat with my nightly chickpeas-and-zucchini combo. The bananas and spinach were formy morning smoothies. As in previous years, I ranout of food, again leaving me with half a banana and aquarter cup of chickpeas for my last two days. Brutal.This year, still on cancer medication (which I couldnot afford on welfare as myparticular care is no

longer covered by MSP-long story) and in fullmenopause since I was 37, my emotional state .urnedto complete garbage. 1 found myself bit teary andoverwhelmed at the slightest of things, all of the time.1felt lousy, to say the least. And very hungry forthings I took for granted, like apples, celery, juices,and coffee. If my digestive tract, dopamine and sero-tonin depletion, and headaches were not bad enough,the sudden onslaught of derogatory messages on mysocial media pages was.It was astonishing to read all the messages dismissing,degrading, and downright bashing poor people. Ofcourse, there were also many positive messages. Butwhy do haters feel the need to yell their abuse? Myheart broke. I was devastated. Not for what they weresaying to me. (Things like "Shut the fuck up and Goback to your tour bus, Whore.", "Why don't you givethem your millions, you loser has-been cunt.", or myfavourite, "You should have died of cancer, one lessperson to be a bleeding heart for all the junkies andhookers on the street." , to cite just a few examples.)It was thehundreds of comments about poverty andthe poor that made me cry. Literally."They are all lazy, getting a handout from my taxmoney!," read one. "Why should I give them anyhandouts? They just spend money on cigarettes andalcohol," a mother of two wrote.

Or, as one man said; "I work hard for my money.They are lazy." Or, "They get too much from theGovernment, already. Get a fuckingjob!"t was a glimpse into what this society, what our soci-

ety, believes about poor people. I was shocked. Infact, the more questions I asked, the more I discov-ered that people generally are classist and racist. Lastyear, I even had a total falling out with a long-timefriend upon discovering they were secretly classistand bigoted and resented my involvement with theWelfare Food Challenge. She believed the dumbestshit, and was unmoved by my efforts to dispel myths.Some of those misconceptions include:People on welfare are lazy. (Not true.)*It is easy to get welfare (Not true. It is difficult for

most people to qualify.)*People can access food banks easily. (Not true for

everyone.)*Homeless people are all drunks or drug addicts.

(Not true.)I had to stand up and speak up about this.

I could not sit by and let people talk badly about the

.5blameless people I knew and shame them for being onwelfare. The fact is that most people on welfare havea serious disability due to an illness or an accident, orthey are fleeing abusive situations or are sufferinglong-term unemployment. People are on welfare dueto misfortune. And misfortune can strike almost anyone of us. I had to try to change people's minds.What is a person supposed to do?

I have a big mouth. Not just according to my latefather, a dentist, either. It's actually my job.Joining the Welfare Food Challenge again this year issomething I was looking forward to. I planned mytravel schedule around it. Is it a publicity stunt?Not for me, of course. But hopefully it draws atten-tion to the hundreds of thousands of British Columbi-ans living well below the poverty line, trying to sur-vive on welfare.

Along with hundreds of other Welfare Food Chal-lenge participants, I am indeed trying to raise aware-ness about the plight of our poor, to promote under-standing, and to educate the public to dispel the mythsabout welfare and welfare recipients. The idea is toencourage change and to try to get the attention ofthose with power to make those changes: your pro-vincial government.

As a society, we are judged on how we treat animals,the poor and the sick, and our seniors. And we shouldbe. Blaming poor folks is not the way to express theneed for change. Really, fault lies with the govern-ment, which should be ashamed for imposing suchpoverty on people who through misfortune are unableto have a job.

Spread the word. Speak up for others and join me inwriting letters and signing petitions to your govern-ment. Please go to www.raisetherates.org and be thechange.

BifNaked is a recording artist and writer who par-ticipated in this year's Welfare Food Challenge.

Welfare Food Challenge EndsPeople Hungry for Change

"It's important that we keep talking about [raisingwelfare rates] and get louder and louder." That iswhat singer BifNaked told a well-attended news con-ference in Vancouver on the last day of the 4th An-nual Welfare Food Challenge.

The Challenge is sponsored by Raise the Rates, acoalition that wants government to raise welfare ratesto $1,500 from $610 a month for a single person. BCwelfare rates have been frozen for over 8 years.Nearly 200 Challenge takers in BC ate for a week ononly what they could buy for $21, the amount a per-son on welfare would have left from their $610 forfood, after paying for other essentials.

Naked talked about the stigma of being on welfare,which she saw in comments made on social media."Stigma. It's almost like a caste system. These won-derful, amazing, loving people [on welfare] ...shouldn't have to identify as being dismissed andshunned," she said.

"So many people are suffering illness from goingwithout food," Joanne Shaw said at the news confer-ence. "We have to increase the rates."

BC Government Employees' Union PresidentStephanie Smith said she took the Challenge because"1 hear from our members [who work in the welfaresystem] about their challenges and difficulties tryingto provide supports and resources. It's time to raisethe rates and the minimum wage to $15 an hour.""Tomorrow is the end for me but not for the other177 ,000 people," said Cherie Devisser, one of manyVancity employees taking the Challenge. Doing theChallenge meant "living on the outskirts of a normallife," she added.

Going to sleep was the only way MP Jenny Kwancould deal with the headaches and hunger of not hav- .ing enough to eat while she did the Challenge. "Thesmell of food made me shake. You are not a partici-pant in life, just an observer." Kwan said the onlything that kept her going was "knowing that this is thelast day. But 175,000 people [on social assistance inBC] don't see the end."

"There's a growing movement to deal with issues ofsocial assistance," noted Harold Lavender, a man whohas lived on disability. :'Not having enough money ishard on people who feel isolated."

Melanie Mark, the NDP candidate in VancouverMount Pleasant tried the Challenge with her 2 daugh-ters. Her daughters didn't complete the Challenge. "1wonder if Christy Clark would send her kids to schoolor bed hungry? It's a child protection and a humanrights issue."

Hospital Employees Union President Victor Elkinsis a foster parent. Most issues for the children "comefrom the poverty they live under," he said. "If weraise the rates many kids could stay with their par-ents." Elkins said he ~an out offood the previous day."We need a huge increase in welfare," Bill Hopwood,the Raise the Rates organizer, told the group. Welfareshould be at the poverty line, about $1,500 a month.With a $15 an hour minimum wage and building so-cial housing a lot of jobs could be created. The richest1% in BC have had tax breaks, worth on average,$41,000 a year - more than most workers earn in ayear," said Hopwood.

As Naked said, "Put, pressure on the government ...This is growing. We'll be stronger next year."

NEWS FROM OPPENHEIMER PARKHOURS: Monday to Sunday, 9:15am - 5:00pmOPPEN ARTS STUDIO WORKSHOP

-THURSDAYS, 10:30AM - lPMThis month 'we are exploring stone powder clay! JoinKay to make your own creations with this easy-to-work-with medium.

P.W.A (PARK WITH ATTITUDE)PARK'S lllP HOP PROGRAM*

-SUNDA VS, 2PM - 4PM*This program contains coarse language. Participantdiscretion is advised.

COMMUNITY ART PROJECTWALL HANGING

-MONDAYS, 2PM - 4PMCome out and be part ofthe Community Art Projectand express yourself on a square. Everyone is wel-come!

BOARD GAMES-TUESDA VS, 2PM - 4PM

Chess, monopoly, crib ... Join us to play differentkinds of board games in our cozy activity room with acup of hot chocolate.

7A Huge THANK YOU to Everyone Involved in the 12thannual Downtown Eastside Heart of the City Festival!

This year's festival featured hundreds of local residents and artists telling the stories,hopes, dreams and issues of our community. It is a privilege and an honour to workwith you all.

Thanks to audience members, communitypartners, funding partners, supporters,volunteers, work teams, and friends foryour participation in another extraordinaryfestival. The Festival is strong because ofthe web of relationships, collaborations andpartnerships we have created together.

Next year, the is'' Annual DTES Heart ofthe City Festival will run Wed Oct 26 to SunNov 6, 2016. If you have a project or aprogram idea to contribute or suggest fornext year's festival, give us a call, 604-628-5672, or talk with Rika 604-665-3003.

And there's still more!

FESTIVAL WRAP!Saturday November 21, Ipm - 4pm

Carnegie Theatre, 401 MainFree

Now that we've caught up on our sleep and put everything to bed, this is anopportunity to say thank you! Artists, audience members, crew, staff, volunteers,community partners, fellow organizers - there are so many of us who put on theFestival in one capacity or another and we want to get as many of us in theTheatre as we can and say "That's a wrap! Another Festival under our belts andwasn't it fun!" Join us for music, videos, photographs, entertainment,conversations and ideas for future festivals, refreshments and more! Countyourself invited; see you there!

from "the LibraryTo some he is the Patron Saint of Libraries, to othersa robber baron full of contradictions, either way An-drew Camegie's philanthropy helped build the origi-nal Vancouver library which is now our home - theCarnegie Centre. On Wednesday November 25th(Carnegie's I 80th "birthday") we'll share some cakearound 11am, so do stop by and pick up some goodbooks and movies in his honour!

We are also hoping our library patrons (that meansyou!) will provide us some feedback about the newcollection layout, since new shelves were installed.We are still open to ideas, especially the Chinese col-lection which will be receiving another shipment ofnew books soon! Pick-up a survey today!

November is also National Novel Writing Month(A.K.A. "NaNoWriMo")! Get inspired to write (andread) with these books:Novel Writing (2015) by Romesh Gunesekera - Thisguide book is loaded with advice from award-winningwriters like Phi lip Pullman, Jeanette Winterson, AnitaDesai, and more. They speak on overcoming writer'sblock, editing, and finding an agent and publisher.Book in a Month: the fool-proof system for writing anovel in 30 days (2015) by Victoria Lynn Schmidt. Ifyou work well with a deadline, here's your book toget you going! Schmidt will help you set goals, man-age time and gauge your writing progress.Where I'm Reading From: the changing world ofbooks (2015) by Tim Parks. Parks asks some poignantquestions like why do we need fiction, and who hasthe right to determine award-winning books? Parksspeculates about the future of the novel in a globalsystem with all its pressures.

The Little Paris Bookshop (2015) by Nina George.For a more comforting perspective on the future ofbooks, this novel features "Monsieur Perdu" whomanages to find the perfect book for his customers toheal their hearts and souls, and then goes on a journeyhimself to the south of France.

Your Librarian, Natalie

I am contacting you because I am a board member ofColumbia Performing Arts Society (~.bccpas.org).We are a non profit society with a mandate to pro-mote the performing arts & artists throughout BritishColumbia. On Feb 15th from 2-4pm our society isholding an open house at the Columbia Theatre in

New Westminster (see attachment) for artists of allart forms to come and discuss "The State ofthe Arts"to help understand the concerns and obstacles the art-ists are facing in the province.

If you are a performing artist, please come and joinus in a open discussion on th state of the arts in MetreVancouver, network and share your views, questionsand possible solutions. If you know of any Vancou-ver musicians please take a moment and forward thison to them.Please understand that this is not a solicitation foranything other than finding ways to open more venueand introduce more people of British Columbia to themany talented artists that live and work right beside \

Thank you for listening,Jayleen Stonehouse jayleen@telus.net

Lost and Founddowntown & downtrodden, lost, wiped out & totalledphysically; upstairs mentally drained, unfocused eyes& blurred vision; hungry, cold & wet, walking whereI don't know yet. Haven't decided where to crash ..where to hang my sodden hat. Maybe I'll hit the trashbin circuit first & dig up some food scraps or a coupleof shots of coffee in a wilted, discarded cup - mightbe enuffto keep me movin' for a few more blocks ofdesolationWhat's the, difference between here & theremaybe I'll come across one or two half-smoked buttsto toss into my tobacco pouch. Good as gold! I scoredsome socks at the local Mission but they won't do memuch good unless I can snag a pair of half-decentsneakers that don't leak like a sieve. & what the heck,I can't worry about that right now I've got enoughproblems stacking up as it is, one thing after another,more bad than good & that's a fact.Hour upon hour time drags on with endless heartache,bitter memories of past battered, broken homes dys-functional family matters and won & lost fortunes -how's that for a laundry list of distress, misery & painto carry around as excess baggage I can't unload oreven put down - it's fused to mind, body & soul.Ijust don't seem to care anymore, about anything oranybody for that matter. gotta lotta plans ahead formyself, that's for sure, & I ain't no quitter, neverhave been & never will be. I'll never give up & myluck's gotta change. You know the deal, right: Whatgoes around comes around. I know. It sounds like anold hat cliche but we all just gotta hang on. I need tobelieve in something no matter how far out or crazy itsounds. Something to keep me going, keep me mov-ing in the right direction; motivation to keep puttingone exhausted fo t in front of the other to who knowswhere? Maybe the 'promised land' -whatever- at thisstage of the game I'm ready for anything and to face ithead on with determination & ferocity!That's just the way it's gotta be for me. Maybe I'velost my way, dazed & confused, but there's a damngood I was sent down here to help realise, placed onthis Earth because I'm somebody. I'm an important& unique person, just like anyubody around here onthe face of on the face of on the face of the Earth.I have value & am bestowed with pure purpose and anamazing though still unknown contribution to make. Iwill leave this planet a better place than it was when Ifound it. I ain't going anywhere!

ROBYN L1VINGSTONE.

,TIlE SADISTS MANAGING TRANSLINK .They just completed this muti-million dollar renova-

tion of the Skytrain station at Science World. Youexit the bus on Main St. & it's a half blk. walk to theup escalator. Up on the platform, all there is for seat-ing is I little bench seating 2 people -- & this with anaging population. Exiting the train on the platform.it's a half a blk. walk to the down escalator, and it'salmost a blk. walk to get back on Main St.- this is called "reverse engineering."

A lot of the drivers look & act like they're on parole- maybe they're out-sourcing the drivers. They'redoing everything possible to degrade bus service onHastings St. There's a continual barrage of 1 laneclosures, detours and route changes. The service isslower and the buses fun in convoys. I've seen a 4bus convoy on Hastings where the 1 st 2 buses stopand take on passengers on what are already overlyfull buses -- while the 2 buses trailing them followalong without stopping, & they're nearly empty. Thebuses are equipped with heaters but on rainy cooldays, they're never turned on. They've turned busriding into a stressful experience.

Harper's Fairy

Carnegie Classics ConcertMozart Beethoven Schumann

Geronimo Mendoza - oboeJohanna Hauser - clarinetGwen Seaton - bassoon

Richard Mingus -french hornMonica Pfau - piano

Cclrnel!ieCentre TheatreWednesda,,~~()~~ti~ 1-~pm

How I got a "substantial sum"from my ex-landlord

I used to live at the Clifton Hotel on Granville Street.In March this year, the Clifton became known as thebuilding with the highest number of bylaw infractionsof any rental property in Vancouver, including anumber of safety code violations, such as emergencyexit blockages and a faulty alarm system.

The evictions started in the summer of 20 14 and byFebruary 2015 I was the only tenant left. I used tow~rk for the landlord, which might be why he didn'tevict me along with everyone else. I tried to pay myrent every month for almost a year and a half but theyrefused to accept it. The landlord maybe thought thatif he refused to accept my rent cheques, my tenancywould automatically end. He clearly wanted to get ridof me too.

In March, the landlord gave me a squatter noticewhich claimed I was illegally living in the building,However, by then I had met Wendy (Pedersen) whoworks for the SRO collaborative. When she saw thesquatter notice she said that it was illegal and that weshould fight it. We decided to file a Residential Ten-ancy Branch complaint and eventually won a courtor?~~. The .court order forced the landlord to keep theutilities going in the building so I could continue tolive there.

However, on May 20 the landlord brought police tothe building i~ an attempt to kick me out, claimingthat I was an Illegal squatter. When I introduced my-sel.f and showed them my tenancy papers, the VPDquickly realized that I was not a squatter and that itwas i~ fact t.he landlord's actions that were illegal.D~spIte h.avll1g a legal right to the suite, the sergeantsaid he still couldn't let me stay there because thebuilding was not deemed.safe.I eventually moved out of the Clifton and won a

symbolic order of possession through the RTB, whichbasically proved that my tenancy was legal. Howeverby then the landlord had taken the doors off and dis-abled the fire alarms. At this point, the city intervenedand said the building is condemned & you can't livethere. While I couldn't move back to the building,the order of possession allowed me to claim compen-sation for everything the landlord had put me through.United Church advocate Danielle Sabelli and Wendyhelped me to file for compensation with the Residen-tial Tenancy Branch (RTB).

At the RTB hearing the landlord came with a veryhigh profile lawyer but still lost because of the over-whelming evidence in my favour. The arbitrator ad-vised the owner to make a settlement, and the land-lord eventually offered me a lump sum of money andsaid they wouldn't pursue the outstanding rent. Inreturn, I just have to give up my order of possession.I can't say how much I won because of confidential-ity, but it was a substantial amount.This victory is largely thanks to Wendy - she wasvery instrumental. She filled the gap and filed the pa-perwork at the right time and that helped me to win.Even Danielle, even in front of the lawyer, she didn'tback down. She was very professional and notscared. She stood the ground and asked for compen-sation for the damages.My advice to tenants is don't give up, Keep taking

the right steps and eventually you can win if you arefighting for your rights. There is lots of help, just askand you will get it. I feel so grateful I want to pay itforward so I'm doing some advocacy on my own andI'm helping the SRO Collaborative of course.

By Mohammad Vallayati

The courage and bravery of our war heroes ought notto be forgotten. Their service and sacrifice will behonoured on this special day dedicated to them.

Maria Teixeira,

Balance is key to well being. -When the mind, bodyand soul are not in balance, people become ill-equip-ped to face challenges in their lives. We need to facepersonal battles in a positive way with faith, love andconfidence in ourselves.

Maria Teixeira

Red LetterFILM

Bonjour!Do you know of a francophone who is having

trouble flnding affordable housing in theVancouver area? Or they have to put up

with extremely unhealthy living conditions?Or they are at risk of losing their housing? Ifso, please pass on this information to them.

Red Letter Films is producing a documentary serieson the lack of affordable housing and homelessnessthroughout Canada. This series will be broadcast on

French CBC and Newsworld (Radio-Canada andRDI). We are looking for French-speaking people

living in Metro Vancouver who are willing to sharetheir experiences and stories. Come meet us,

Monday, November 23, at 1pm, at the CarnegieCentre in the Association Office (401 Main St.,2nd floor, first door to the left). Space is limited.

If you have questions about this proj ect, or youprefer to speak to us in private, please contact us atthe following:

778.680.6404LCE2015@hotmail.com

Thank you! We look forward to meeting you,Vincent et Linda

Bonjour!Vous avez de la difficulte it trouver un

logement? Ou vous vivez dans un logementmiteux, aux conditions insalubres? Ou vous

etes it risque de perdre votre logement?C'est le temps de parler!

Red Letter Films produit une serie documentaire surle manque de logements abordables et I'itinerance atravers le Canada. Cette serie sera diffusee sur lesondes de Radio-Canada et de RDI. Nous sommes ala recherche de francophones dans le grandVancouver qui veulent partager leur experience etleur histoire. Venez nous rencontrer le lundi23 novembre it 13 h au centre Camegie (401 Main,coin Hastings), au Association Office (2e etage,premiere porte a gauche). L'espace est limite.

Si vous avez des questions sur ce projet, ou si vouspreferez nous parler en prive, appelez-nous ouenvoyez-nous un courriel au :

778.680.6404LCE2015@hotmail.com

Merci et au plaisir de vous rencontrer,Vincent et Linda

The Smallest ViolinHere we sit, almost 36 million Canadians changingchannels as often as the face that people see thenthink of that second-largest country on Earth justabove the United States, shall our War Chest be in-creasing in exponentially obese size? there are evilsothers than war that makes our mortal coil want tocurl up with a piece of rope (sort of an art-form indisguise) Does your god have a Plan B for those whomay die too soon or too late before the curtain comesdown the smallest violin shall play its songs ...Expectations were high how unfortunate it took aneternity for the emotionally challenged to notice &rejoice at what is going on suddenly our backs wereup against the fast forward wall of time, like awardsfor the best-dressed victims of a natural disaster thepluck of another violin string startles the heart as yourpulse grows faster you realise there's always a worsttime always a worsetime, the Minister of Inspirational

Figures slips while walking to the microphone tryingin vain to figure out exactly who these figures are let.alone if they're here or at home avoiding that instru-ment of torture called a telephone,Some of us seem to have been hand-picked & as if ina cold war theatre story are simply made to jumpwhen other people no better than ourselves tell uswhat we can & cannot do negitoritive drag that theoryto the dump like a solo artist I bother no one leave mealone, like a dreadfuller brush man he works by him-self & has learnt the meaning of these words nowgreed & vanity are but two the other levels of Dante'sHell he has seen almost daily to not would be absurdpersonally regret apathy & solitude have built somany of us into what we do & are today, regret &selfishness rage across thy oceans & its oily shoreslike recalling products from a broken home ridicule &hate come from the mighty sky as once again name-calling pours is there a humane digital life-turns-into-death delay, like a doctor inje3ctable & mister highwe forget all these problems like we are bulletprooffrom any harm falling upon us from the sky even ourvision of hell is rather decent if you want nothingfrom the truth,Blood cascades like a vinyard's finest wine you thinkall the odds will forever & a day be on your side thisthing time can be contaminated like this so-calledfresh air from the ground or the tallest structure's roofyou feel a need to be where the power is or at leastwhere it was ooops! -another string snaps- Do youreally want to know I know I need to know becauseanswers create riots & we can't have that can we now? like being in oharge of public relations for thisplanet we call Earth real intelligent life will laughbefore telling you what 7.5 billion souls are trulyworth as that single violinist begins to bow,From the bottoms of our rubbish-filled oceans weshall hold back a tear for it is not us do I cry someoneor thing has to wax & clean what we've miscreated letthe absolutist play his violin as the totality of our na-ture can't even fathom such intelligence exists thatwill honestly try to this I take off my debtworn hat &bow to a Herculean effort anyhow ... any day now.

By ROBERT McGILLIVRA Y

"The difference between perseverance & obstinacy isthat perseverance means a strong will and obstinacymeans a strong won't." -Lord Dundee

Right to Remain Artist Team talk and 'Pie Chats'Saturday, November 28, 2pmNikkei National Museum & Cultural Centre (NNMCC)6688 Southoaks Crescent, Burnabyhttps://www.facebook.com/events/904274386327516/www.revitalizingjapantown.ca • centre.nikkeiplace.org/revitalizi~-japar'ltown

The Revitalizing Japantown? exhibition at the Nikkei National Museum looks at the wavesof dispossession in the DTES from historical times through to the present. It connectsIndigenous and Japanese Canadian history with contemporary experiences. The Seeingthe Whole Picture project is a digital photo essay about the Downtown Eastside, createdby a group of residents of the area to help paint a fuller picture of their community today.

Artists, collaborators, DTES residents and organizers from these two projects will bepresent t01Jiscuss history, art, community, human rights and other topics on a one-on-onebasis. This is a chance to enjoy a delicious piece of pie and some fascinating dialogue.

Jump on the bus to the Museum!Free transportation to the Museum - the bus will leave from:• in front of Carnegie Centre at 1 pm• Oppenheimer Park at Dunlevy & Cordova at 1:15 pm

The bus will leave the Museum at 5pm to return to thePark. For those with mobility needs, please contact right.to.remain.project@gmail.com or 604.725.6054.

WNikkeinational museum& cultural centre

Remembrance Day 2015My day starts as usualwith a little murder.

Hold on now, let me explain:I live in an old roach-ridden hotel on KingswayLast year it was a refuge from the merciless heat-

the punishing pollutionSomething changed

Spiders visited me - little ones - no annoyanceThen came newborn teeny tiny cockroaches-in a few weeks I had larger ones:one, cricket-size, tried to get into the freezer..-some apple sauce had fermented... .

Upon moving the fridge I startled a large rat,It darted toward an opening left by a careless electricianAt 74 this rat was the first I'd encountered indoors!

I had saved the life of a cute brown country rat onceA savage cat had him traumatized ..

was waiting for him to runwas waiting to playwas waiting to torture

Cats are similar to humans in this respectOther creatures only kill to defend or forfoodThe cat was bold & not afraid of me at all..

Kept returning even after a good kick ...

So getting back to the "social housing rat &spiders (grasshopper?) & roaches

I cleaned; I swept; I mopped; I sprayed &stepped on numerous ones

The Raid sprays just made the roaches crazyThey spun around like breakdancersNow I am an ecof~inist in a building ofmysognyistic males.T.V. is their main occupation, and playing poolI am outnumbered by many times tablesI have had break-insI have had theft of my interesting t-shirtsMy radio station is moved from my favourite

when I returnMy complaints go unaddressedJ get sexual jokes & laughter from the new mgrSo: do I give in; do I move; Can I move???Dear Readers - I welcome all suggestions. Pleaseleave me a message at Carnegie: 604-665-2220

Thank you.Willie Mary Miles

" Spills and scratches"Shelters are just boxes full of people nobody wanted,Midnight blackout drunks piss in hallways that are haunted,Backyard flowers cry neglected in dusty windows,Weathered peeling porches give away old rusty widows,

Overflowing ashtrays tipped on carpets shades of sadness,Needles litter bathroom floors with the residues of madnessListerine John and clorazipan Kate, 'Died under a disability cheque's emotional weight,

Wolves in sheep's clothing hand out styrofoam soupto noisy lines of loathing

Latex gloves to disinfect damnation,And the sorrow of the lost under hyper-inflation,You won't see their faces on the news at five,

Maybe in the yellow-pages if they make it out alive,Those who should not have been but wereThe faceless pain of an unwanted Novemb'er,Dirty alleys, the colour of depression,And the ghosts that ache in them,Crying out to apathetic and yawning ocean,Sure hope must be somewhere beyond the rim of the dawn

- Tyler Dunlop

Ode to the Good Farmers'The farmer is like a force of natureSubject to the same cycles and laws

Up before the sun beginsIts track across the sky

In harmony with the moons cosmic pullWise in the ways of working

With the elementsEarth >air >fire> water

And the turning of the seasonsThat signals the tasks at hand.

The good farmer is patientRooted in the work that brings

Each tiny seed planted with careTo vibrant lush life

And when the time comesBrings the vegetables

And fruits of loving labourTo the market

For our nourishment and delight

Delanye

Theatre for Living is looking for workshop participants!All cast AND participants will be paid a living wage. No acting experience necessary.

FREEDOM is a theatre project about finding solutions to a world transformed by the desire for economic growth,at the expense of human and environmental rights. What have we lost as a society, as we've turned towards pursu-ing economic freedom instead of human and environmental rights?"There is one and only one social responsibility of business - to use its resources & engage in activitiesto increase its profits" - Milton FriedmanEconomic freedom appears to have become more important than human and environmental rights; than freedomof speech; than affordable housing; than higher education. Has our role as responsible citizens in Canada becometo maximize profits for anonymous shareholders at the expense of nurturing our families, communities and theenvironment? What have we lost from this? What has happened to our world?

Have you experienced some of the changes in this shift towards economic freedom?... we'relooking for workshop participants!

If your answer to the question is "yes", (at either personal, family or professional levels) - that you have experi-enced loss within this new Economic Freedom paradigm that has affected the environment, freedom of speech,and other human rights issues - then you have knowledge and a perspective that is valuable to this theatre produc-tion. Having living knowledge of the issue is an essential criteria for participation; having acting experience is not.We need a diversity of perspectives to enrich this work. Please keep in mind, you will not be required to makepersonal experiences as part of the public performance - we want lived experiences to bring expertise into theroom to create the play, but the play that will be created will be a fiction. .We want to collaborate with individuals who have lived experiences in this shift towards economic freedom, tojoin us in creating our next main stage' production: FREEDOM. All cast and workshop participants are paid.How to Apply:If you are interested in helping create the play and being a cast member, please indicate that you are available todo so. This is full-time work, (Feb 23 to April 16), 5 & sometimes 6 days a week. A day-to-day schedule is TBA.We want real diversity in the group, so please tell us who you are and WHY you want to be part of this project,and HOW it is relevant to you, in CONCRETE ways, specifically through your own life experiences. This infor-mation will be kept confidential. Be sure to let us know how we can find you again (emaifphone number.rnailingaddress and/or a secondary contact person)PLEASE SEND APPLlCA TIONS TO info@theatreforliving.comFor more information please visit: http://www.theatreforliving.com/present_work/freedom/freedom_index.html

All participants are paid a Living wage for their participation in the project, and no acting experience is necessary-only lived experiences in the issues. 604.871.0508 is my office line.

DONATIONS 2015Terry & Savannah -$150 Michele C.-$100 Or Kevin -$50 """.........,'-.I'ID' ~~~....-~Leslie 5.-$175 Bob & Muggs -$100 Leslie K -$50·Catherine C.-$100 Glenn 8.-$200 Sheila B.~$150Vancouver Moving Theatre -$450 Pat 0.$50Harold & Sharron 0.-$1Oiil' Michael C.-$100Eleanor B.-$25 Elaine & Oavid -$40 Ruth McG -$50Margaret M.-$50 Jacqueline L -$75 Christopher R.-$100Jenny K -$100 Robert McG.-$110 )Penny C.-$50 in memory of Miriam StuartSkateboarders -$50 'Wilhelmina M.-$77Jackie W.-$50 George H.$110 Ruth L.-$100 .Barry M.-$250 Anonymous -$130In Memory of Harold David - Will/Sharon C.-$50"Barbara M.-$200 Gina F.-$100 ·Lori /Borys -$100"Catherine 8.-$50 Yukiko T.-$50 taylor s.-$20'Solidarity Notes Labour Choir -$25 a"Kevin & Richard 0.-$100 CHIPS -$500 '\'Radiation Therapy Clerks -$40 Jacki S.-$15'Roger C.-$100 Oenise 0.-$60 Lydia McK.-$100 Kelly F.-$50 in memory of Bud Osborn Catherine H.-$50Laila B.-$50 Aideen McK.-$10 Aide~ S.-$25 Yasushi K.-$50+ Jay H.-$)OO Mike J-$1750 Linda 0.-$25 S & J T.-$50

(;ar'negie C-I~~WSLETTER

401 Main Street, Vancouver V6A 217 604-665.2289

THIS NEWSLETIER IS A PUBLICATION OF THECARNEGIE COMMUNITY CENTRE ASSOCIATION

Articles represent the views of individualcontributors and not of the Association.

WANTEOArtwork for the Carnegie Newsletter

• Small illustrations to accompany articles and poetry.• Cover art - Max size: 17cm(6 %')wide x 15cm(6')high.• Subject matter pertaining to issues relevant to the• Downtown Eastside, but all work considered.• Black & White printing only.,• Size restrictions apply (i.e. if your piece is too large,• it will be reduced and/or cropped to fit).• All artists will receive credit for their work.• Originals will be returned to the artist after being

copied for publication.• Remuneration: Camegie Volunteer Tickets

Please make submissions to Paul Taylor, Editor.The editor can edit for clarity, format & brevity,but not at the expense of the writer's message.

;:';'<~e;a~:~~o~l~d~~~h~t C~r~e~ie ~~;:~~~i~:C~~~;e, and;: this Newsletter, are occurring on Coast Salish Territory.':'.:;..;::~;~::~,:;-/....: :';:.:.~:'":;.:::.:::.."'/.:-~~~.::::~'~:;:-j:"r.::"".'>.:~~-::::'~::';'~~::::;~;;:"-::'~;,':::;:"-;::::-;':';';;:"~~':

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

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER' 27TH

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