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Take Back Canada with Mel Hurtig event in Vancouver
The Take Back Canada event began with ‘The Canadian Sellouts aka Hall 23 giving a rousing performance of inspirational songs and ended their set with the song “Blame Canada”
Ruth Meta veteran Vancouver activist and event organizer introduced the man of the evening MEL HURTIG, PUBLISHER, and ORDER OF CANADA RECIPIENT!
Everyone gathered in close to listen to Mel and his mesmerizing speech of social justice, income redistribution and making sure our politicians are accountable on all level of government!
A well attended crowd in Vancouver was motivated and inspired by Mel’s words.
A lively Q&A happened after his amazing talk.
Wizard of Pawz – Community Dog Walkers program for PHS Residents in Vancouver Downtown Eastside (DTES)
Wizard of Pawz – A dog walking program for resident. Wizard of Pawz will be walking dogs every Tuesday at 11 AM. Please sign up with staff at the front desk of your building, at LifeSkills Centre or email colina@phs.ca
Staff and LifeSkills peers will be walking resident dogs.. and staff dogs if any staff dogs want walks.
Colin A says
We’ve dropped off a bunch of sign-up sheets at all the PHS buildings, so please encourage any dog owners to sign up. We’re going to start with once a week, every Tuesday beginning on Feb 21st. Any questions email: colina@phs.ca.
Royal Roy Nahbexie will make 1000 bannocks for 21st Annual Women’s Memorial March on Tuesday February 14 2012 in Vancouver
Hey! My name is Royal Roy Nahbexie from Saskatchewan. I came to the city (Vancouver) 12 years ago.. it’s one of the only cities in the world that has ever accepted me as who I am.
On February 14, they are having a Women’s Day March for all the Missing Women of the Downtown Eastside.
I am a cook and a baker and I am going to be baking bannock for a 1000, 1000 people down there and that is my contribution to the city that gave me everything when I came from nothing.
I want to feed the people and I want to make sure every person in the march has a piece of bannock in their stomach so that they can carry on the struggle and the fight of the Missing Women!
“I Love You!”
LET HER EAT CAKE! Occupying Wei Young’s Conservative Office in Vancouver on Feb 9, 2012
Ruth Meta writes:
The “let her eat cake” campaign took off this morning with less than a “bang” as I AND Meena Wong were the only people who showed up. We arrived exactly at 10:00 o’clock, when the office was supposed to open. We were still standing in the rain at 10:45 when one staff member showed up to open the door. Across the street, a police car had been parked ….
Hmmmm. As it turned out, somebody actually HAD been inside the whole time we waited, but did not unlock the door until the other staff member arrived. Upon entering the office, I was allowed to sit down with my “cake”. The staffer insisted on my filling out a form, (which I refused) and continued to ask for my name and contact info.
I told this woman that I did not have to go through that type of a rigamarole to speak with my own MP, that I didn’t have to tell them anything, that I was a citizen of Canada, born here and I found it completely disrespectful of Mr. Harper to tell Europe that he intended to raise the age limit for OAS BEFORE he told his citizens in Canada.
Additionally, I told the staff that the dismantling of EI was unconstitutional, that Diane Findlay was taking our EI money and putting it in her own pocket, that it was reprehensible that claimants had to wait 3-4 months for their claims to be adjudicated and that the laying off of Service Canada workers was foolish, short term thinking.
I asked the staff to pay for the sending of MY CAKE to Diane Findlay at their expense, actually, it’s MY expense as a taxpayer. They made up some silly excuse that the cake was perishable and I should send it myself.
All the while, while this exchange was taking place, another staffer was filming ME … so, the Conservatives obviously are very frightened of a 64 year old Jewish woman with a CAKE!
21st Annual Women’s Memorial March on Tuesday February 14, 2012 in Vancouver Downtown Eastside (DTES)
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Monday, 13 February 2012 at 09:30 until Tuesday, 14 February 2012 at 16:00
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Feb 13th event to be held at 701 West Georgia St outside the Missing Women’s Public Inquiry at 9:30 am, come and wear your regalia bring your hand drums, rattles
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– Please forward this notice to your friends, family, and all networks –
TWO EVENTS: MON FEB 13TH and TUES FEB 14TH
Murdered Women, Missing Justice
… Monday February 13th from 9:30 am till 2 pm.
Rally outside Sham Inquiry 701 West Georgia (Georgia and Granville)Every week since the beginning of the Sham Missing Women’s Inquiry, the Women’s Memorial March Committee has been rallying to denounce the disrespect and injustice happening inside. Dozens of DTES, Aboriginal, and Women’s organizations were shut out from participating in the Inquiry. Now we are hearing numerous stories, directly and as reported in the media, of family members outrage and anger and frustration with this inquiry as there are no answers, no apologies, and authorities are just protecting themselves and each other. We invite you all to join us – for five minutes or five hours – on Monday Feb 13th to show your disgust at this coverup sham inquiry and to call instead for for a new fair, just, and inclusive Inquiry that centres the voices and experiences and leadership of women, particularly Indigenous women, in the DTES.
See Downtown Eastside Women’s Centre and Women’s Memorial March Committee Statement of Non Participation In Sham Inquiry from Oct 2011:
http://womensmemorialmarch.wordpress.com/2011/10/03/non-participation-sham-inquiry/followed on Tuesday by…
21st Annual Feb 14th Women’s Memorial March
Their Spirits Live Within UsWeb link: http://womensmemorialmarch.wordpress.com/
FB: https://www.facebook.com/events/236552276421022/
Download poster: http://womensmemorialmarch.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/memorial-march-poster-2012.pdfThe first women’s memorial march was held in 1991 in response to the murder of a Coast Salish woman on Powell Street in Vancouver. Her name is not spoken today out of respect for the wishes of her family. Out of this sense of hopelessness and anger came an annual march on Valentine’s Day to express compassion, community, and caring for all women in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, Unceded Coast Salish Territories. Twenty one years later, the women’s memorial march continues to honour the lives of missing and murdered women.
On Tuesday Feb 14th 2012, we will gather at noon at the Carnegie Community Centre Theatre, 401 Main Street (corner Hastings, Vancouver) where family members speak in remembrance. Given space constraints, we ask the broader public to join us at 1 pm, when the march takes to the streets and proceeds through the Downtown Eastside, with stops to commemorate where women were last seen or found; speeches by community activists at the police station; a healing circle at Oppenheimer Park around 3 pm; and finally a community feast at the Japanese Language Hall. Thank you to Buffalo Spirit for the big drum.
Increasing deaths of many vulnerable women from the DTES still leaves family, friends, loved ones, and community members with an overwhelming sense of grief and loss. Annual women’s memorial marches now occur in dozens of communities across these lands.
This year, the Feb 14th Women’s Memorial March occurs in the context of the Sham provincial missing women’s inquiry headed by Wally Oppall, which we are boycotting because we have been shut out from it and it has continued to marginalize the voices and experiences of women from the DTES. Women continue to go missing or be murdered with no action from any level of government to address these tragedies or the systemic nature of gendered violence, poverty, racism, or colonialism. The Feb 14th Women’s Memorial March Committee and DTES Women’s Centre have recently made submissions under Article 8 of the Optional Protocol of the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women, and are now seeking justice internationally.
This event is organized and led by women in the DTES because women – especially Indigenous women – face physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual violence on a daily basis. The February 14th Women’s Memorial March is an opportunity to come together to grieve the loss of our beloved sisters, remember the women who are still missing, and to dedicate ourselves to justice.
* SUPPORT THE WOMEN’S MEMORIAL MARCH
There are many ways to support the Feb 14th Women’s Memorial March:
1) Spread the word and join us (all genders welcome) to the Feb 14th march. We respectfully ask that you please do not bring your banners, flags, or leaflets as the Women’s Memorial March carries five banners only to honour the women.
2) Plan a memorial march in your community. Last year, memorial marches were held in approximately ten other cities and communities. If you are organizing a memorial march please email us the details at marlene.george@vancouver.ca and hwalia8@gmail.com so we can maintain communication, compile the information on our website, and build strength in our coordinated efforts.
3) Please donate. The February 14th Women’s Memorial March is made possible by organizations and individuals like you. Each year the Memorial March committee must raise funds to pay for such things as hall rental, sound system, food, red & yellow roses, memorial brochures, blankets, posters, candles, tobacco and other expenses. Please make cheques payable to the Downtown Eastside Women’s Centre, and include Feb 14th Women’s Memorial March on the memo line. Mail cheques to the Downtown Eastside Women’s Centre, 302 Columbia St. Vancouver, BC V6A 4J1. All donations over $10 will be gratefully acknowledged with a tax deductible receipt.
Thank you all for your support and commitment,
Feb 14th Women’s Memorial March CommitteeWebsite: http://womensmemorialmarch.wordpress.com/
Phone: 604 665 3005
Email: marlene.george@vancouver.ca (Committee Chair Marlene George)
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=264380380945 or search “FEBRUARY 14 WOMEN’S MEMORIAL MARCH DTES VANCOUVER”
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