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SALT WATER CITY STORIES for 11th Annual Downtown Eastside Heart of the City Festival 2014 in Vancouver on Nov 6 2014
Multimedia Presentation
SALT WATER CITY STORIES
Thursday November 6, 7pm
Chapel Arts Theatre, 304 Dunlevy
Free
Vancouver by another name: Huam Siu Fao (Salt Water City), the name Chinese immigrants called Vancouver back in the day, retains a memorable place in the hearts of Chinese Canadians. Sid Chow Tan, longtime east-sider, videographer and community activist, hosts this evening of stories, music, video and tribute to those who came before – the mighty Lo Wah Kiu (old overseas Chinese). Special guests include Faye Leung, retired realtor, native Strathconian and personality extraordinaire; artist, educator and filmmaker Karin Lee, whose interest in Chinese Canadian identity informs her work; and Sean Gunn, longtime activist and singer/songwriter performing on electric bass.
This event was on Day 9 of the 12 Days of the Heart of the City Festival. Please check the website for more events!
The 11th Annual Downtown Eastside Heart of the City Festival
Wednesday October 29 to Sunday November 9, 2014
Over 90 events at over 25 venues throughout the Downtown Eastside
http://www.heartofthecityfestival.com
Visit the Heart of the City Festival website
http://www.heartofthecityfestival.com
On page 45 of the Festival Program guide, there is a writeup on AHA MEDIA
The Festival is thrilled to partner with the DTES’s AHA Media to provide social media coverage (video/photos/blog) of the Heart of the City Festival. AHA Media gives voice to our local community and provides services for individuals and organizations to share their news and special events on a broader scale through social media. Founded in 2008 by local artists April Smith, Hendrik Beune, and Al Tkatch, AHA Media previously collaborated with Fearless City Media and has an ongoing working relationship with W2Community Media Arts and various other organizations and individuals in the DTES community. The members of AHA Media describe themselves as “definitely not mainstream media”. Based in Vancouver’s DTES, their style is described as non-invasive and unassuming.
Say Hello to AHA Media as they visit the Festival events. They will be happy to chat with you. Stay connected to the festival with AHA’s links – see photos/videos of the festival events you attended; take in a festival event you missed; or follow one festival event while you are attending another!
Follow AHA MEDIA on Twitter, Facebook, Youtube and Flickr!
AHA MEDIA Twitter @AHAMEDIA @AprilFilms
AHA MEDIA Facebook http://www.facebook.com/AHAMEDIA
AHA Media YouTube Channel http://www.youtube.com/AHAFilm
AHA Media Flickr Photos http://www.flickr.com/photos/AHAMEDIA/sets
8th Annual Canada Day Rally by Head Tax Families Society of Canada
Join the Head Tax Families Society of Canada for the 8th Annual Canada Day Rally at Keefer & Columbia, Monument to Chinese-Canadian Veterans in Chinatown, Vancouver
On June 22, 2006, on behalf of the Government of Canada, the Prime Minister apologized in the House of Commons for the implementation of the Chinese Head Tax. As part of the apology and redress the Conservatist government decided to compensate the surviving Head Tax payers and surviving spouse of Head Tax payers only.
The objectives of the Head Tax Families Society of Canada are:
1. to seek a just and honourable redress for all families affected by the Chinese Head Tax and the exclusionary Chinese Immigration Acts,
2. to educate Canadians on the contributions of Chinese pioneers, and
3. to promote racial harmony amongst all Canadians
The Head Tax Families Society of Canada believes an inclusive redress begins with the Three Manifests:
1. The Government of Canada will recognize and acknowledge redress is incomplete;
2. The Government of Canada will commit to good faith negotiations with Head Tax families currently excluded from the June 22, 2006 announcement and who are seeking direct redress; and
3. The Government of Canada will act in the spirit of one certificate, one claim
Rainbow the Rose Tarantula’s Welcome Home Dinner in Vancouver
AHA MEDIA welcomed our new pet Rainbow the Rose Tarantula home with a Turkey Dinner.
Facebook: http://www.Facebook.com/RainbowTheRoseTarantula
Twitter: http://www.Twitter.com/RoseTarantula
Photos from Paint Party at the Old Cop Shop at 312 Main Street in Vancouver
Downtown Eastsiders paint old police station to claim it for 100% social housing
About 75 Downtown Eastside residents and supporters gathered at the former police station at Main and Cordova today to claim the empty building for social housing and a community space for Aboriginal women and social justice groups. “No corps here. 100% social housing,” said one sign. “People not profit,” said another.
Every resident based group in the Downtown Eastside supports this demand, including the Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users, Downtown Eastside Neighbourhood Council, Carnegie Community Centre Association, Downtown Eastside Power of Women Group, Aboriginal Front Door, Gallery Gachet and Western Aboriginal Harm Reduction.
The action was one of a series by Formerly Homeless Dave and his supporters. Dave is on day 24 of a Hunger Strike. His demands include using the city owned former police station for social housing, having the city buy the site at 138 E. Hastings for social housing, and declaring the Downtown Eastside a Social Justice Zone where low income people won’t be pushed out.
Wendy Pedersen, an independent organizer and DTES resident told the group that 5000 SRO residents and over 600 shelter resident in the DTES are in dire need of housing. But instead of using the empty cop shop for what the neighbourhood desperately needs, the city “wants to put in a high tech venture capital hub that will bring more condos, fancy restaurants and displacement.”
Pedersen said we need “drastic action now” because “we’ve been to every city council meeting in the last 10 years and we lose every time.”
Ten year old Agnes, started painting the wall with a three foot high daisy, part of a DTES tradition begun in 1995 when now MLA Jenny Kwan painted a daisy on Woodward’s as part of a fight to get it turned into social housing.
But the 125 units of singles social housing at Woodward came with 536 condos which pushed up land values and prices nearby, and over 400 SROs raised rents, within a block of Woodward’s, beyond what people on welfare and pensions can afford.
“We won’t be tricked again,” said Dave Hamm of the Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users.
Homeless Dave said that the Hunger Strike is “not fun.” But it’s necessary because the Mayor is planning to give this building to corporations and then subsidize them instead of building social housing in the community.”
“This gentrification and displacement of human lives is not right,” Elaine Durocher, a DTES resident, told the group. “Housing is a right. I was homeless once and I know what it feels like.”
VANDU president Dave Hamm said that VANDU “is in total support of Homeless Dave’s Hunger Strike and housing.”
DJ Joe of the DNC board said she was also in support of the Hunger Strike.
People drew pictures of flowers, houses, and people on the wall of the old police station. Their slogans read: “100% social housing today.” “We are Human!” “Human capital, not venture capital.” “Homes here now.” “Condos create homelessness.”
Formerly Homeless Dave plans to continue the Hunger Strike until action is taken on his demands.
www.dteshungerstrike.blogspot.com
Contact: Tami Starlight 604.790.9943; Wendy Pedersen 604. 839.0379;
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The demands:
1. 100% social community directed social housing at the 138 Sequel location, with a healing and wellness center. (the old pantages theatre site)
2. 100% social housing at the old cop shop on Main St. with a community directed space focused on indigenous women in regards to the horrific damage done to indigenous people by Vancouver police for a very long time at that site.
3. The City of Vancouver declare the downtown eastside a social justice zone and along with the community develop policies to make that happen.
How to get involved: email dteshungerstrike@gmail.com
Twitter: dteshungrstrike
http://www.dteshungerstrike.blogspot.ca/
https://www.facebook.com/DtesHungerStrike
COPE’s 2013 Annual General Meeting in Vancouver
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Date: April 7th, 2013
Time: Registration at 1:30pm, Meeting begins at 2:00pm
Location: Maritime Labour Centre, 1880 Triumph Street, Vancouver, BCVolunteers |COPE’s Annual General Meeting is one of our most important and most attended. To ensure that things run smoothly, we need many volunteers! If you are interested in helping, please contact our Executive Director, Sean Antrim at sean@cope.bc.ca or 604-600-2731. Volunteers will still be able to take part in all of the meeting activities, whether voting or otherwise. Some particular attributes we are looking for are:– First Aid
– Drivers with a vehicle
– Registration
– Set-upExecutive Elections |
We will be electing people to six positions on our Executive Committee. Those positions are:
– Internal Co-Chair
– Treasurer
– Corresponding Secretary
– 3 Member-at-Large positionsThose who wish to run must be nominated from the floor of the meeting. Nominators will receive 1 minute to introduce their nominees. Candidates for the Executive will each receive 3 minutes to introduce themselves to the COPE membership.
Refreshments |
Water, coffee, and tea will be served at the meeting. Please bring your own mug or water container to prevent unnecessary waste.
Accessibility |
The Maritime Labour Centre is fully accessible. The wheelchair accessible entrance is the main entrance, on the North side of the building, off Triumph Street (there is a ramp on the sidewalk near Victoria Drive). If you have any other questions about accessibility, please give us a call at 604-255-0400.
Childminding |
If you need childminding for the afternoon, we will do our best to accommodate you. Please let us know, so that we can make sure to have an appropriate number of childminders and materials.
How to get there/Directions |
Public Transit
The Maritime Labour Centre is one block South of Powell Street, which is a bus route. Buses that travel
Eastward: #4 Powell and the #7 Nanaimo
Westward: #4 UBC and the #7 DunbarMLC is also two blocks North of Hastings Street, which is also a bus route. Buses that run down Hastings Street are:
Eastward: #14 Hastings and the #16 29th Ave Station
Westward: #14 Downtown and the #16 Arbutus
On either routes, get off at Victoria Drive.Bicycle
The Maritime Labour Centre is a few blocks north of the Adanac Bike-way. Take Adanac in either direction, and head north the Lakewood Bike route. Turn West on Triumph Street to get to Victoria Drive.
There are bike racks outside the venue’s entrance.
Car
The Maritime Labour Centre has a reasonably sized parking lot and there is parking on the street.
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