Westcoast Indie News

#OccupyVancouver: #GlobalRevolution!

2011-10-17T17:22:00.001-07:00

I would be remiss if I didn't comment on the fabulous spirit of protest, democracy and solidarity happening on our beautiful and sunny Westcoast.

Read some commentary and watch some videos.

Occupy Vancouver enters Day 3; photos from Day 1 show a family-friendly action

Miranda Nelson, October 17, 2011, GeorgiaStraight.com

Congratulations Occupy Vancouver! You've made it to the third day of your protest, and contrary to the sensaltionalist efforts of the mainstream media, the Vancouver Police Department, and even City Hall to instill fear by suggesting your potential for violence, you've continued in your history of non-violent protest. Am I the only one who isn't surprised?

Right now, there are between 60 and 80 protesters on site. The general assembly, which was scheduled for noon, has been pushed back as many are protesting with the Missing Women's Inquiry protests, who are occupying Granville and West Georgia right now.

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Exclusive: #OccupyWallStreet Activist Slams Fox News Producer In Un-Aired Interview [Video]

here is an interview that Fox News filmed, but doesn’t want you to see. The segment was shot on Wednesday for Greta van Susteren‘s show, (though it looks like the same producer from this O’Reilly segment questioning Michael Moore‘s anti-capitalist agenda) though the decision was made to leave it on the cutting room floor. The reason should be obvious pretty quickly.

The speaker giving Fox News the buisness is Jesse LaGreca, a vocal member of the Occupy Wall Street protests. This video comes courtesy of Kyle Christopher from OccupyWallSt.org‘s media team.

February 14th - Annual Women's Memorial March

2011-01-30T17:28:00.000-08:00

~ Two weeks of commemoration events starting Jan 30 2011

~ Annual Women’s Memorial March on Monday, February 14 2011.

See list of events & history of the event here.

In its twentieth year, we are hosting a series of events leading up to the memorial march from Feb 1- Feb 14. These events will include film screenings, educational events, art installations, DTES women’s poetry, a music night, and more to honour the voices of women and women’s leadership in the Downtown Eastside.

Monday, Feb 14 – 20th Annual Womens Memorial March. Noon in Carnegie Theatre for families, friends, and DTES residents, 1 pm march starts at Main and Hastings – all welcome.

Women's Memorial March home page.

The Trouble with Billionaires - Event & Discussion

2010-11-01T11:00:00.000-07:00

The Trouble with Billionaires

When: Wednesday, Nov 3, 2010, 7:00pm - 9:00pm

Location: Central Library, 350 West Georgia St, Vancouver

What: This free event will hear from award winning journalist and best-selling author Linda McQuaig, with tax law professor and author Neil Brooks: an eye-opening and provocative discussion about the damage extreme wealth causes to equality and a healthy, functioning society.

Co-sponsored by the CCPA-BC, Penguin Books and Vancouver Public Library.

The book is vailable for purchase here and here.

Interesting Vancouver 2010

2010-09-24T20:19:00.000-07:00

Interesting Vancouver is a multi-disciplinary conference with no theme. There will be a degree of spontaneity, unexpected moments, and learnings. This is what makes it exciting.

15+ curated speakers from diverse backgrounds will speak for either 5 or 10 minutes on something interesting. This year's topics range from subversive knitting to sex reassignment surgery to biodynamic farming to an almost forgotten musical genre—old school Delta Blues.

Interesting Vancouver 2010 is being held the evening of Friday October 8th at The Vancouver Rowing Club in Coal Harbor, near the entrance to Stanley Park.

Ticket includes admission, food, and some surprises. Cash bar.

A special block of tickets is available for currently enrolled college and university students. No monkey business, please bring your student ID.

Doors open at 6:00pm, with interestingness beginning at 7:00pm sharp.

We sold out in 2008 & 2009, so procrastinators be warned.

Full details at interestingvancouver.com - including a speakers preview, but for full list you have to be there on October 8th.

Be sure to print out your receipt as it will serve as your ticket. Or be able to show on your mobile.

Thanks,

Your Co-Hosts (Jason Landry, James Sherrett, Lauren Isaacson, and Mark Busse)

interestingvancouver@gmail.com

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Event details:

Date: Friday, October 08, 2010 from 6:00 PM - 11:00 PM (PT)

Location:
Vancouver Rowing Club
450 Stanley Park Drive
Vancouver, British Columbia V6B 4B3

Economic Justice for Women: Panel Discussion

2010-05-24T20:07:00.000-07:00

The Vancouver & District Labour Council Women’s Committee presents Economic Justice for Women with panelists Adrienne Montani of First Call and the Living Wage for Families Campaign, Jocelyn Vergabera of the Philippine Women's Centre, and a representative from UNITE HERE Local 40. Join the committee for a lively discussion on the economic issues facing women and their everyday reality.

The panel takes place on Wednesday, June 2 from 7 to 9 pm in Boardroom 1, Maritime Labour Centre, 111 Victoria Drive in Vancouver. Free admission - everyone is welcome to attend.

Please stay after for a social with refreshments & snacks. For info or assistance with childcare please contact the VDLC office - 604-254-0703 / office@vdlc.ca

8000 Drums Ceremony - Commercial Drive - March 21st

2010-03-17T18:51:00.000-07:00

3rd Annual, 8,000 Drums Ceremony
March 21, 2010 - 1:00pm - 3:00pm
Where: Grandview Park
1200 Commercial Drive, East Vancouver
Map

An Indigenous gathering where 8000 drums around the world come together on this same day to share prayer and honor songs, from different nations, praying for our people’s social, physical, emotional, mental and spiritual health.

Everyone is welcome to bring their drum & share song and good medicine for this family friendly event!

Smudge Ceremony
Salish welcome
Blessing of new drums
Honor Songs, prayer songs

For more info: Indigenous Action Movement
24 hr line: (604) 682-3269 Extension: 7718

or email: csiaction@gmail.com

Sign up here:
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/event.php?eid=401982924745

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8000 Drums 2009 - Victory Square Cambie & Hastings

Women's Warrior song - 8,000 Drums Sacred Ceremony

Guest Drummers 2009 8000 Drums

2010-02-15T19:26:00.000-08:00

Wow, I'm really just blown away at Vancouver's transformation. I've been out and about around town over the weekend. Here are some random thoughts for what they are worth, haha, I guess since that's what you paid for 'em. (haha)

Crowds - Everywhere, hoards of people. Diversity - so many languages and cultures, milling around, waiting in lines for everything - food, transit, pavilions, bathrooms and the zipline. No doubt about it - money was being spent hand over fist.

Woodwards - the redevelopment is a total success from what I saw. And W2 will be moving in and creating a great cafe in the inner courtyard.

All Spiffed Up - Everything is so clean, power-washed DTES sidewalks, minimal, albeit growing garbage. The homeless still abound, lining up for shelter beds in the rain. More cameras on them these days.
So many lights, lanterns, wish some of that would remain. But, makes one wonder what a city that had thousands upon thousands visitors looks like after they all go home?

Politicization of the 2010 Olympics - I think you'd be hardpressed to name an Olympics that was as politicized as these ones in recent times. Activists of all stripes and causes are pulling out all the stops to get the word out about whatever it is they believe in. I hope the "winners" in it all will be the people who need it the most. I suspect that is a pipe dream but we'll blog about that elsewhere.

Technology - We truly live in this time where we are all photographers, documentarians, cameras and phones and consumers and creators of the images of the world around us.

Entertainment - Boy, if Vancouver had all the street stuff happening all the time we might be a little more interesting. I get what my friend was telling me when she said that visitors are going to get the wrong idea - that we are more fun, interesting and sophisticated than we are. But, maybe we have grown into ourselves as a 21st century leading destination and place to live?

Honouring - I was one of the thousands of people who honoured the lives of the women missing and murdered from the DTES, in BC and across Canada. Many of these women are Aboriginal women. The 19th Memorial march had a gigantic turnout. As we walked through downtown, many of us singing the Women's Warrior song. At one point, we noticed that an eagle was flying high above over the march. There is nothing more auspicious than that.

March Honours Missing, Slain Women
CBC.

Olympic celebrations paused Sunday as thousands of people paid tribute to missing and slain woman — one of the largest of the annual marches that has taken place in Vancouver over the years.

The group followed the drumbeat of a First Nations elder through the Downtown Eastside and held a news conference, hoping to attract media from around the world on hand for the Olympics.

Leaders in B.C.'s aboriginal community have called for a public inquiry into the deaths of the slain and missing women.

"I think having international media in the city today is an opportunity today, is a day that can put greater pressure on our government to take steps, to be seen to take steps," Maggie de Vries said. "We're asking for a commitment to a public inquiry as soon as one is possible."

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Next up on getting the Word (Homelessness) Out:

Protesters Set up Tent City in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside
Vancouver Sun.

Painting the town red

Multi-media Video & Reports of Anti-Olympic Protesters

2010-02-13T13:31:00.000-08:00

From Vancouver Media Coop:

VIDEO: Black block smash Hudson Bay windows

Heart Attack: Breaking Report #2

Anti Olympic Convergence Day 1

Corporate Media:

Anti-Olympics rioters smash store windows
CBC News.

A group of more than 200 masked protesters smashed windows, vandalized cars and newspaper boxes and intimidated pedestrians in downtown Vancouver Saturday morning, before being confronted and dispersed by police in riot gear.

The anti-Olympics protesters, many dressed in black balaclavas and masks and carrying a ladder, smashed up to three windows at the Hudson's Bay store and one at the Toronto-Dominion Bank near the intersection of Granville and West Georgia streets.

Photograph by: Chris Helgren, REUTERS

Olympic Protesters Cause Damage

Vancouver Sun.

Some 200 anti-Olympic protesters, staging what they have dubbed the "heart attack march," kicked cars and smashed windows on their march, police said.

Police spokeswoman Jana McGuinness, said the protesters threw objects at police, spray painted cars and transit buses and intimidated pedestrians as they proceeded down Georgia street past Granville.

McGuinness said the Vancouver police crowd control unit and 2010 Integrated Security Unit are moving in to take control of the situation.

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Transportation Updates from CBC:

TravelSmart 2010 - Olympic buses and transit
TRAFFIC MAP: Translink alerts and updates
CYCLING MAP: Olympic bike route planner
TRANSIT MAP: Google's public transit route planner
MAPS: Olympic road closures and venue plans

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Multi-media Coverage of the 2010 Olympics

2010-02-12T21:59:00.000-08:00

Wasn't that something, a whole lot of different things in that opening ceremony. It was a pretty good thematic representation of Canada. It was very technical and some of the graphic and light displays were just outstanding. I have to say kd lang's performance was just awesome. I haven't felt proud to be Canadian for a long time, because of our failings domestically and geopolitically, but tonight, I am damn proud to be a Canadian!

I`m glad the protest and rallying went okay too (see below). Word from the street was that the police were well prepared for this. They were fairly low profile at the Art Gallery, but they had a definite presence and plan. There were sharpshooters on buildings, move a bit away and officers were everywhere. There were paddy wagons lined up on a nearby street. And numbering over 125 later near BC Place the show of numbers but no aggression led to a successful event. It sounds like some officers took the brunt of it. I just don`t agree with acting in violence, throwing stuff, or hitting officers. That`s just not cool and it loses the respect of people who might otherwise be on board with the issues.

BC Civil Liberties was out there too, with their 2010 Legal Observer program and blog.

BCCLA will host "coffee with civil liberties" every day at 8 am at their office at 1188 West Georgia Street in Vancouver. At these press conferences they will present their reports and videos from the previous day.

The tragedy of Nodar Kumaritashvili`s death was respectfully acknowledged and honoured and I think that averted a huge pall over the opening.

Friday Afternoon's Protest Big & Peaceful
'It's a pretty positive vibe out here' says civil liberties observer. Return to this story for updates during the weekend.
February 12 2010, Tyee.ca

Earlier Friday afternoon, an estimated 1,500 people gathered on the front lawn of the Vancouver Art Gallery. Everyone from Olympics boosters to ardent anti-capitalists squeezed their way through the crowd, which had the density of a stadium rock concert. Dozens of homemade signs sprouted above the throngs. They ranged from the angry -- "Homes not Games" -- to the esoteric -- "Bring back Crystal Pepsi."  

Police clash with anti-Olympic protesters
CBC. Feb. 12 2010

Two police officers injured in Olympic protest

CTV. Feb. 12 2010

Two police officers were injured and one protester was injured during the four hour protest in Downtown Vancouver, Constable Lindsey Houghton told reporters about an hour after the crowd dispersed.

Music competed with chanting of slogans - Homes Not Games - by members of the placard-waving crowd. More than 25 different causes competed for attention. Some of the protest signs included "Community Not Corporations," " Greenest Games or Tar Sands Greenwash," and "Poverty Isn't a Game."

As the protesters headed down the street, numerous bystanders started lining the curb, taking photographs, not unlike the torch relay. (haha)

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Where to See & Watch the Games:

CTV Guide to 2010 Olympic coverage

Olympic Viewers Guide

Event & Results Schedule

CBC - Vancouver Now 2010 Coverage

Vancouver Media Co-Op
Local Independent News

Pirate Radio Set to Go Live for Olympics
Kevin Murray February 12, 2010 Tyee.ca

A pirate radio station is set to broadcast from VIVO Media Arts at 7 p.m. on Saturday, February 13, as part of their 2010: Safe Assembly forums.

According to the website, the initial broadcast, The Evening News, will feature a roster of critical Olympics observers, including the outspoken activist and UBC professor Chris Shaw, author of Five Ring Circus, Harsha Wallia of the Olympics Resistance Network, and Micheal Vonn of the BC Civil Liberties Association.

The signal will have a tentative range of about 6 kilometers, but "it's a matter of [antenna] length" says Nicholas Perrin, a member of the broadcast collective.

The intention is to provide an alternative view of what being host to the International Olympics Committee really means, says Muir.

VIVO 91.5 FM

stay tuned

7 pm////February 13th, 15th, 17th, 21st, 23rd, & 25th: 2010

VIVO////1965 Main Street, Vancouver

The Evening News is a series of six forums happening as a part of VIVO 2010: Safe Assembly. Each evening will lean upon the experiences, observations, footage, and art of residents, media activists, and artists living around Vancouver for citizen’s “reports” on everyday life in the province, direct action and protest, and other transitory and lasting social effects of the megaevent.

VIVO 2010: Safe Assembly

We will be operating a radio transmitter during the last two weeks of February. Our signal will also be streaming online. Our range will be humble, and thus situated.

We will be hosting the Vancouver (de)Tour Guide 2010 project in our front space. A multi-layered Google map that highlights a variety of noteworthy and notable sites, histories, and narratives compiled by local residents. Visitors are welcome to browse the site as a local, insiders’ guide to the city. For us, it is vital to complicate the sanitized ‘best place on earth’ version of the city VANOC is officially promoting worldwide.

Covering Up will be a street action photo/video-documentation project.

Music, Clubs, Food & Where to Party: The Olympics Go Live

2010-02-11T21:36:00.000-08:00

On the eve of the 2010 Olympics Metro Vancouver & Sea to Sky is set to ROCK & ROLL!!! Can't even imagine everything that is going to go down, but we know for sure this will be a once in a lifetime experience. Here is a bit more of what is going on around these parts.

A list of free concerts in Vancouver, Richmond, and the throughout the lower mainland from February 12th through 28th 2010.
Part of the Cultural Olympiad.

Thanks to Highlife World Music for this list, you guys are the grooviest:

ALL showtimes are PM

Fri Feb 12th - Venice Queen - 10:15 @ Ozone
Fri Feb 12th - Bedouin Soundclash - 10:00 @ Ontario Pavillion
Fri Feb 12th - Blue Rodeo - 9:15 @ Holland Park
Sat Feb 13th - Matthew David - 3:15 @ Ozone
Sat Feb 13th - Jet's Overhead - 8:00 @ Holland Park
Sat Feb 13th - Five Alarm Funk - 9:00 @ Holland Park
Sat Feb 13th - Daniel Wesley - 10:00 @ Holland Park
Sat Feb 13th - Califone! - 7:30 @ Livecity Yaletown
Sat Feb 13th - Hey Ocean - 8:00 @ Ozone
Sat Feb 13th - Bedouin Soundclash - 9:30 @ Ozone
Sat Feb 13th - Jessie Farrel - 10:00 @ Livecity Downtown
Sat Feb 13th - Default/Wilco - 6:15/10:00 @ Livecity Yaletown
Sun Feb 14th - Keisha Chante - 10:00 @ Ontario Pavillion
Sun Feb 14th - Mother Mother - 8:00 @ Livecity Yaletown
Sun Feb 14th - Rich Hope - 8:00 @ Livecity Downtown
Sun Feb 14th - Daniel Wesley - 9:30 @ Livecity Yaletown
Sun Feb 14th - Elliot Brood - 9:30 @ Livecity Downtown
Sun Feb 14th - Serena Ryder - 9:00 @ Holland Park
Mon Feb 15th - Sloan - 10:30 @ Atlantic Canada House
Mon Feb 15th - Serena Ryder - 10:00 @ Ontario Pavillion
Mon Feb 15th - Jet's Overhead - 9:30 @ Livecity Downtown
Mon Feb 15th - Matisyahu - 9:30 @ Livecity Yaletown
Tue Feb 16th - Fresh IE - 7:30 @ Livecity Downtown
Tue Feb 16th - Alexisonfire - 9:30 @ Livecity Yaletown
Tue Feb 16th - Buck 65 - 9:30 @ Livecity Downtown
Tue Feb 16th - Eliot Brood - 10:00 @ Ontario Pavillion
Tue Feb 16th - The Trews - 10:30 @ Atlantic Canada House
Wed Feb 17th - DRUM! - 5:00 @ Livecity Yaletown
Wed Feb 17th - Corb Lund - 9:30 @ Livecity Yaletown
Wed Feb 17th - The Arkells - 10:00 @ Ontario Pavillion
Wed Feb 17th - Hawksley Workman - 9:30 @ Ozone
Wed Feb 17th - Hot Hot Heat - 9:00 @ Holland Park
Wed Feb 17th - Ivy League Brawlers - 10:00 @ Plaza Of Nations (Edgewater)
Thur Feb 18th - Jully Black - 10:00 @ Ontario Pavillion
Thur Feb 18th - Keisha Chante - 8:00 @ Livecity Yaletown
Thur Feb 18th - Corb Lund - 9:00 @ Holland Park
Thur Feb 18th - Rumba Calzada - 9:30 @ Livecity Downtown
Thur Feb 18th - The Arkells - 8:30 @ Ozone
Thur Feb 18th - Our Lady Peace - 9:45 @ Ozone
Thur Feb 18th - Marianas Trench - 9:30 @ Livecity Yaletown
Fri Feb 19th - Deadmau5 - 9:30 @ Livecity Yaletown
Fri Feb 19th - DRUM! - 8:00 @ Ozone
Fri Feb 19th - Jully Black - 10:00 @ Holland Park
Fri Feb 19th - The Arkells - 7:00 @ Holland Park
Fri Feb 19th - Dan Mangan - 8:00 @ Holland Park
Fri Feb 19th - Sam Roberts - 9:00 @ Holland Park
Sat Feb 20th - The Arkells/ Sam Roberts - 6:30/9:30 @ Livecity Yaletown
Sat Feb 20th - Marianas Trench - 9:30 @ Ozone
Sat Feb 20th - Mother Mother - 10:00 @ Holland Park
Sat Feb 20th - DRUM! - 6:30 @ Holland Park
Sat Feb 20th - Hey Ocean - 8:30 @ Holland Park
Sun Feb 21st - The Odds - 7:30 @ Holland Park
Sun Feb 21st - 54-40 - 9:00 @ Holland Park
Sun Feb 21st - Jully Black - 9:30 @ Livecity Yaletown
Mon Feb 22nd - Colin James - 9:30 @ Livecity Yaletown
Tue Feb 23rd - Wintersleep - 9:30 @ Livecity Yaletown
Wed Feb 24th - Wintersleep - 10:30 @ Atlantic Canada House
Wed Feb 24th - Damian "Jr.Gong" Marley - 9:30 @ Livecity Yaletown
Thur Feb 25th - Illscarlett - 6:30 @ Livecity Yaletown
Thur Feb 25th - Wintersleep - 9:30 @ Ozone
Thur Feb 25th - Inward Eye - 11:30 @ Livecity Downtown
Fri Feb 26th - Tokyo Police Club - 9:45 @ Ozone
Fri Feb 26th - Inward Eye - 6:00 @ Holland Park
Fri Feb 26th - Illscarlett - 8:00 @ Holland Park
Fri Feb 26th - Marianas Trench - 9:00 @ Holland Park
Fri Feb 26th - TBC - 8/9:30 @ Livecity Yaletown
Sat Feb 27th - Matt Mays - 6:30 @ Livecity Yaletown
Sat Feb 27th - Matt Mays - 10:30 @ Atlantic Canada House
Sat Feb 27th - The Stills - 10:15 @ Ozone
Sat Feb 27th - Illscarlett - 10:00 @ Ontario Pavillion
Sat Feb 27th - Blue Rodeo - 9:30 @ Livecity Yaletown
Sat Feb 27th - Wide Mouth Mason - 9:30 @ Holland Park
Sat Feb 27th - Tokyo Police Club/Wintersleep - 9/10:00 @ Holland Park
Sun Feb 28th - Five Alarm Funk - 9:30 @ Ozone

ALL showtimes are PM

TBC is to be confirmed, the act hasn’t been announced yet.

There are more shows in and around Vancouver, but these are the free ones!

Livecity Yaletown:
David Lam Park, Vancouver

Livecity Downtown:
Cambie St between Dunsmuir St and W Georgia St, Vancouver

Holland Park:
13428 Old Yale Rd., Surrey

Ozone:
Minoru Park, Richmond

Ontario Pavillion:
Concord Place, False Creek, Vancouver

Atlantic Canada House:
Granville Island

Plaza Of Nations:
750 Pacific Boulevard, Vancouver

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Clubzone - Find nightclubs, music & where to see & be seen in Vancouver.

CELEBRITIES NIGHT CLUB - 1022 Davie Street, Vancouver, BC
Vancouver's Premier Gay club, great music, dancing and a smorgasbord of hotties.

Calendar: Your guide to free music in Vancouver during the Winter Olympic Games

Georgia Straight:
Live Music
Clubs
Dining

Dinehere - restaurants around Vancouver, ratings from customers.

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Radio Stations to Tune to:

99.3 CFOX (FM) - The Fox Rocks - Best Rock & modern station around.

94.5 BEAT (FM) - Top 40 hits, R&B,

980 CKNW (AM) - Talk, Traffic, Weather etc.

CBC - Canadian Public Radio

102.7FM - CO-OP Radio (FM) - non-commercial, co-operatively owned, listener-supported, community radio station. Located in the heart of Vancouver's Downtown Eastside, Co-op Radio is a voice for the voiceless that strives to a provide space for under-represented and marginalized communities.

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ArtWalk Vancouver provides a platform to promote and aid the insanely fantastic work of all the visual artists working in Vancouver’s Downtown East side, Chinatown and Gastown communities. You are invited to explore the galleries, retail spaces, studios and temporary “pop up” galleries involved and to see the work of over 250 artists from a full spectrum of disciplines. Join us on our first annual ArtWalk and support the hard work and passion of all who spends their life creating and making for the sake of art. See you on the street.

Friday February 12th - Opening night Celebrations
Saturday February 13th & Sunday February 14th -
Artwalk open studios 11am - 7pm

Things to See, Do & Places You Shouldn't Miss in Vancouver & the Region

2010-02-06T10:02:00.000-08:00

Top 10 kid-friendly spots in Vancouver for Olympic visitors
Chad Skelton, Vancouver Sun.

Find Family Fun - Not just for family-friendly local adventures. They've got lists of all the best places to visit in the Metro Vancouver area.

Tourism Vancouver - Visitor Centre - Plaza Level, 200 Burrard St. Vancouver, British Columbia Canada V6C 3L6
Tel: 604.683.2000; Fax: 604.682.6839

Hiking & Walking in Metro Vancouver - from HelloBC

Learn about hiking trails and trail highlights in Vancouver:

Choose a Trail
Easy
Intermediate
Advanced
Hiking Trail Highlights

Learn more about walking trails in and near Vancouver:

Cypress Provincial Park
Pacific Spirit Regional Park
False Creek and Granville Island
Stanley Park Seawall
Capilano River Regional Park
Lynn Canyon Park

Walk, Shop, & See What Vancouver is All About:

See what makes Vancouver one of the best, most diverse and exciting places in the world to live. We have many different activities and interesting places to visit for people of all ages. We really do have something for everyone here. Below are some of the places I would recommend to get a flavour of what Vancouver has to offer.

Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden

Lynn Canyon Suspension Bridge

Museum of Vancouver

Stanley Park

Vancouver Aquarium

Vandusen Botanical Garden - Vancouver (map) -

Vancouver Police Museum

Vancouver Neighbourhoods, Walking, Eating & Shopping

Chinatown & more Chinatown;

Commercial Drive - In East Vancouver, find a more bohemian, down-to-earth walk, great shopping, independent businesses, organic foods and some of the best coffee houses in town.

Gastown - Great shopping and people watching in this historic area in downtown Vancouver.

Granville Island - Great food, shopping, galleries, the Kidsmarket, people & the renowned market - fruits, veggies, meats, cheeses, gourmet, organic, locally grown

Granville Street - Downtown Granville find clubs, restaurants and hubub. Check out South Granville for more upscale fashion, shopping, dining, Gallery Row (art & antiques), entertainment and wandering.

Little India - Home to the Punjabi Market. Located at 49th Avenue and Main Street in South Vancouver. Eat delicious Indian food, buy gorgeous Indian fashions, fabrics, jewelry and much more. (map)

Main Street - Where the hipsters are. Find any type of ethnic cuisine you might hunger for, great restaurants, up & coming fashion designers & style mavens, art & antique shops, coffee ... Follow Main St. up to East 49th for Little India.

Robson Street - In the heart of Downtown Vancouver. High-end fashion, tourist shopping, restaurants that run the gamut for your palate and thirst. People watch and be watched. Also check out LiveCity Downtown for Olympic coverage & festivities, located @ Georgia & Cambie Streets.

West 4th Avenue - On the Westside of Vancouver, aka Kitsilano. Check out the shopping, restaurants, yoga fashion & keep following it all the way out to the beach - Spanish Banks - drive along the seashore in Kitsilano.

Follow 4th Ave. all the way & end up at the University of BC. Check out the UBC Botanical Garden and the not to be missed Museum of Anthropology (MOA), the place to find the world's arts & culture, including our own First Nations collections.

The Westend - Downtown West, home to a large gay community - great restaurants, clubs, shopping.

Yaletown - Hip, trendy restaurants & people, shops for all sorts of wares, lounges located on False Creek close to the Seawall and many Olympic sites. Check out Livecity Yaletown for Olympic goings-on.

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Metro Vancouver - other notable towns, communities & places to visit. See what makes our region so livable, whether you're in the city, suburbs, or living in the Fraser Valley.

Burnaby - Tourism Burnaby

Fort Langley - Check out the historic village of Fort Langley, the birthplace of BC. In addition to the national heritage site with the Fort, the town has cute, antiquated stores, shops and treasures.

Fraser Valley Guide - Surrey; Surrey BC Tourism

New Westminster - Check out the New West Quay for great shopping, food & views of the Fraser River and the FR Interpretive Centre. Tourism New Westminster

North Vancouver - Across the Burrard Inlet, the community of North Van is a quick drive across the Second Narrows Bridge. Notable spots for visitors and locals alike for walking, hiking and seascapes on the Indian Arm, Deep Cove, Cates Park, Lynn Canyon Park; Lynn Canyon Suspension Bridge; Capilano Suspension Bridge.

The area is the traditional territory of the Tsleil-Waututh and Sḵwxwú7mesh, the Indigenous, of the Coast Salish First Nations.

Richmond - Home to a large Chinese community, culture, cuisine, & amazing shopping. Tourism Richmond

WIN Guide to Transportation for 2010

2010-02-01T18:19:00.000-08:00

What you Need to Know for the 2010 Olympics & Transportation:

Your locator map for everything at the 2010 Olympics - Inside the 2010 Olympics

TravelSmart2010 website

Getting Around Metro Vancouver during the Olympics

Road closures- City of Vancouver

Vancouver 2010 Venue Map

Googlemaps listing

TransLink - Skytrain lines - 2010 transit maps

Olympic Transit Pass & Fares

Olympic bus network

latest version of The Buzzer

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5 Things you Need to Know about Transportation at the 2010 Olympic Games from Vanoc:

There is NO spectator parking at any Olympic venue.
Public transportation is accessible to all and is the quickest, most reliable way to go.
Access to public transit is included in your Olympic ticket for the day of the event
Know before you go.
Give yourself plenty of time to reach your venue. Visit http://travelsmart2010.ca for up-to-date Games travel information.
Cypress Mountain and Whistler venues can be reached on the Olympic bus network if you’re coming from Metro Vancouver.
The purchase of a transportation ticket is required. Tickets will be available beginning December 4, 2009. Visit http://travelsmart2010.ca
Walk, bike and use public transportation whenever possible. Using these modes will ensure you get to your destination while contributing to a greener, more sustainable Games.

Mountain Web Cams

(Copyrighted by Westcoast Indie News, 2010).

The Olympics are Coming: Events, free events & more

2010-01-30T09:02:00.000-08:00

I would be remiss if I didn`t blog about the biggest event to hit the Westcoast and BC in spite of my personal concerns about the social and economic costs of this 10 day party. However, as a blogger and media freak, there is no way I can ignore this, so I will blog it, joining my sister & brother bloggers, bringing our own unique views and perspectives to the biggest circus to grace our shores and province.

I will also provide information for tourists and visitors, places to see, eat, have fun, how to get around and get the best out of your visit to Vancouver. For all of our challenges, I am very proud to have lived here for over 20 years and know that there really is no place like Vancouver and we are on the list of top livable cities for a reason. I`m going to spend the next month or so telling people why that is.

Vancouver 2010 Olympics Free Events Guide
Where 2 be for Free - The Definitive Guide for Low-cost 2010 Games Fun

From the guys at Citycaucas.com

This guide provides a great overview of the various free events, special provincial and international houses and event sites. Each site is mapped as well, so people can see where to get to. Some sites don`t have their operating hours up yet.

For locals, or those arriving early, or staying later, some of the event sites are already open, or will remain open after the regular Olympics are over, so you may not have to go during the crowds.

(Copyrighted by Westcoast Indie News, 2010).

Places to Go, People to See: UBC International Engagement & Global Influence & Interesting Vancouver

2009-09-19T20:31:00.000-07:00

I've been dormant for a while, active on other blogs for a bit, getting some R&R with the summer and working on various projects.

International Engagement and Global Influence:
How Ambitious is the University of British Columbia?

Join President Stephen Toope as he outlines his International Engagement discussion paper.

When: Tuesday, September 22, 2009 - 3:00pm - 4:30pm

Where: Liu Institute, Multipurpose Room

The University of British Columbia is already one of Canada’s most internationally engaged universities. In the Trek 2010 Plan, UBC committed itself to further internationalization as one of five central ambitions. The university aimed to strengthen global awareness on campus, to increase international learning opportunities and to enhance its reputation internationally.

If our ambition is to position UBC as a centre of research and teaching on the major issues facing humanity in the 21st century, then we will have to more clearly define the ambition and be more organized in its pursuit. The world is struggling to address fundamental challenges including climate change, devastating infectious diseases, a skewed
distribution of economic benefits, cultural and religious conflict, and weak global governance.If UBC is to be relevant and significant as a globally influential university, we need to demonstrate that we are at the centre of dialogue and activities on the big issues that matter.

Get his paper here.

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Interesting Vancouver will take place Friday, October 23 @ the Vancouver Rowing Club. Tickets will go on sale Tuesday September 8.

Tickets are available through the end of September at the same price as 2008. We sold out last year so best manage procrastination accordingly and get tickets early. Plus we've added food to the 2009 program.

2009 Ticket details on Eventbright here.

If you or someone you know has something interesting to share, speaker nominations are open.

Visit InterestingVancouver.com for further details on what's cooking for this year.

For more information click here: Interesting Vancouver 2009

Prevention of Violence Against Women Week - April 19 - 26, 2009

2009-04-10T14:25:00.000-07:00

Urban Women’s Anti-Violence Strategy

In recent months Vancouver and the province of British Columbia has experienced a death by a thousand cuts as services and the network of support for women survivors of violence are being dismantled. Further the pursuit of liberation and equality for women remains elusive as systemic policies and practices are regressing while violence against women continues as an epidemic.

In unprecedented form, the feminist women's organizations in Vancouver have joined together to host an event series during Prevention of Violence Against Women Week April 19 - 26, 2009. Vancouver Rape Relief and Women's Shelter, Act II Safe Choice, Women Against Violence Against Women, YWCA Munroe House and Battered Women's Support Services will host a series of ground breaking and thought provoking events which are designed to engage our communities to prevent violence, to ensure the that women's support services remain intact and to work for systemic change.

On behalf of the over 8,000 women who access Battered Women's Support Services each year I ask that you join us during this week and further assist us to get the word out, please forward this email to all your contacts. Finally we ask that you join the effort to eliminate violence against women.

If you require additional information please check out the event on Battered Women's Support Services Face book group page, see our website at www.bwss.org , email me at strategicinterventions@bwss.org or call me at 604-687-1613.

Thanks in advance and...peace,
Angela Marie MacDougall

Prevention of Violence Against Women Week Event Series

Because Women Are Fighting For Critical and Essential Feminist Services including:

Battered Women’s Support, Rape Crisis Centres and Transition Houses

All Events are Free and Open to the Public

Monday April 20,2009. 7pm. Montmartre Café, 4362 Main St.

Vancouver Rape Relief and Women’s Shelter launches
The Johns : Sex for Sale and the Men Who Buy It

with author Victor Malarek and UBC law professor, Janine Benedet

Tuesday April 21,2009. 7pm. Bean Around the World, 3598 Main St.

Vancouver Rape Relief and Women’s Shelter, YWCA Munroe House and Act II Safe Choice host
Rewriting Our Own Futures: Words from Women of Vancouver Transition Houses
with ex-residents from transition houses and singer songwriter Kate Reid

Wednesday April 22, 2009. 7pm. Montmartre Café, 4362 Main St.

Battered Women’s Support Services and WAVAW Rape Crisis Centre host
Community Engagement in Violence Prevention. Tough Guise: Violence Media and the Crisis in Masculinity
Film/panel discussion applying a feminist analysis to involving men/boys in anti-violence work with Irene Tsepnopoulos-Elhaimer, Angela MacDougall, Hari Alluri and Curtis Clearsky and with performances by Kia Kidiri, JB The First Lady & Christie Lee

Thursday April 23,2009. 7pm. Our Town Café, 245 East Broadway.

Vancouver Rape Relief and Womens’ Shelter and WAVAW Rape Crisis Centre host
Bad Dates, Campus Creepers and Drug Rapes
with Aboriginal Women’s Action Network, Antigone Magazine and BC Women’s Hospital Sexual Assault Centre

Friday, April 24, 2009 3 pm Location TBA

Battered Women’s Support Services host

You Can Bet Your Maple Leaf On That - Violence Against Women & 2010 Olympics

Battered Women’s Support Services announces anti-violence prevention strategy pre, during and post 2010 Olympics

Saturday April 25,2009. 7pm. Our Town Café, 245 East Broadway.

Vancouver Rape Relief and Women’s Shelter hosts
Olympics 2010: Women in Sport, women as Sport
with Exploited Voices Educating, Aboriginal Women’s Action Network and Sports Journalist, Laura Robinson

Battered Women's Support Services

BWSS on Facebook

Time to Put Our Feet to the Ground for Housing in BC

2009-03-22T18:35:00.000-07:00

Grand March for Housing

Coordinated by Citywide Housing Coalition

Saturday, April 4th

Join communities across BC as they march to demand immediate government action to build and protect affordable rental housing, raise welfare rates and the minimum wage.

For more information contact Laura Stannard at 604-637-3317 or

Rider Cooey at 604-872-1382

or email at info@citywidehousingcoalition.ca .

To organize your own march outside of Metro Vancouver contact: CALMhousing@hotmail.com

CALM: Community Advocates for Little Mountain

Saturday, April 4^th:44 Marches and rallies scheduled so far throughout BC
See list...

2009 Metro Vancouver leaflet: for the Grand March in April

Join us at one of these starting points at noon:

- Thornton Park at Main St. Skytrain Station

- Hastings & Main

- Peace Flame Park - South end of Burrard St. bridge

Convergence & Rally at the Vancouver Art Gallery - Georgia St.

1:30pm

Will you Stand with us?

Concern about affordable housing and homelessness is strong and widespread. From Burns Lake to Princeton, from Revelstoke to Vancouver, we are a broad spectrum of religious groups, concerned citizens, advocacy groups and labour unions.

At Main & 33rd in Vancouver, we stand from 1:00 to 2:00 pm on Saturdays.
LET’S send a message to all levels of government: "We aren’t going away. We will stand until there is a comprehensive affordable housing program. We will be a force in the upcoming municipal, B.C. and federal elections."

Let’s continue to speak for:

a permanent, national social housing program

a comprehensive provincial housing program that works with municipalities and communities to build affordable housing for people at all income levels

public land for non-market housing – no sale of public land to private interests

improved access to social assistance, increased welfare rates and a higher minimum wage

On April 4^th, lets press MLA candidates to take a stand on affordable housing

April 4th is just five weeks before the provincial election. We want every candidate to be inundated with demands for action on affordable housing and homelessness.

Find your MLA, or the candidates running in your riding & tell them housing is one of the most pressing issues in the upcoming election.

On May 12th 2009, Vote for Social Justice in BC.

Places to Be, Things to Read, People to Meet

2009-01-15T20:03:00.000-08:00

CCPA released Leadership for Tough Times: The Alternative Federal Budget Fiscal Stimulus Plan.

The one-year package would create 407,000 jobs, boost the economy by 3%, and help protect Canadians from the worst of a recession. Consistent with recommendations by the IMF and OECD, the Plan would inject $32.9 billion (or 2.1% of GDP) into Canada’s economy to protect Canadians who experience loss of income, as well as strengthen and build hard and soft infrastructure to address the challenges of climate change, income inequality, and aging populations.The news release for the report is pasted below. The full report is available, in English and French, on our website: www.policyalternatives.ca.
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STAND for Housing

We will be at the corner of Nanaimo and Hastings for the province wide STAND for Housing on:

Saturday, Jan 24 from 1-2

Hope you can all be there! This will be one of three stands that will lead up to the GRAND MARCH for Housing on April 4. Our hope is to build the number of people at each stand and the number of stands at monthly, province wide stands for housing. Mark these dates in your calendar:

Saturday, February 21 from 1-2

Saturday, March 21 from 1-2

Saturday, April 4 details about the GRAND MARCH will be coming out soon.

Hope to see you all on Jan. 24. Bring friends and neighbours!

Labour of Love Sock Drive

Labour of Love Sock Drive January 12^th to February 14^th, 2009. RECLAIMING OUR SPIRIT’S goal this year is to collect 3,000 new pairs of socks for our weekly homeless outreach. With our snow white winter weather lingering longer than usual it’s critical that we meet our goal!

RECLAIMING OUR SPIRIT is encouraging the business communities, faith organizations, non profits, academic schools elementary/ secondary/colleges/ universities, media-television & newspaper, and other organizations to support our sock drive by doing their own sock collection.

You could even send out a friendly challenge to others to meet or beat your donation!

WHY SOCKS?

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The Vancouver & District Labour Council Education Committee

and Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives present

The Economic Crisis in BC: Developing a Progressive Alternative

Public Forum & Conference

Public Forum – Economics For Everyone

Friday, January 30, 2009
7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Maritime Labour Centre

Guest Presenter – Jim Stanford, author and CAW economist
Suggested donation - $10 – no one turned away.

Conference - The Economic Crisis in BC

Saturday, January 31, 2009

9:30 am to 3:00 pm

Maritime Labour Centre

Morning Session 9:30 – 12:00
How We Got Here & Debunking False Solutions

Jim Stanford - Opening reflections

Marjorie Griffin Cohen – Economist and Professor in Department of Political Science and Women’s Studies Department.

Bob Simpson – NDP MLA for Cariboo North - Opposition Critic for Forests and Range, Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services

Jim Sinclair - President, BC Federation of Labour

Moderator – Joey Hartman, HEU and VDLC

Lunch – Soup & Sandwiches

Afternoon Session 12:30 – 3:00

Alternatives for the Future

Andrew Jackson – Canadian Labour Congress – Provincial & Federal Options

Seth Klein – CCPA – Poverty Reduction and Green Jobs

Adrienne Montani – First Call – Solutions for Families; Living Wage and Child Care

Municipal Pension Plan – Putting Pensions Funds to Work for Working Folk (OR Alternatively, someone speaking to an indictment of capitalism)

Moderator – Harjap Grewal, Council of Canadians

Registration - $25 with lunch (preregistration required) \ $15 without lunch – no one turned away.
Contact the VDLC to register - 604-254-0703 or office@vdlc.ca

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Offered by the Association of Women in Finance:

Women in Politics

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

5 :30 p.m. Registration and Networking

6 :00 p.m. Dinner

6 :45 p.m. Speakers

At the Sutton Place Hotel at 845 Burrard St. Vancouver

Women in Finance will host a lively and interactive panel discussion featuring Women Politicians who have enjoyed great successes at municipal, provincial and federal levels.

The panel, subject to change to due house and legislature sittings :

MP for Vancouver East, Libby Davies ;
MLA for Vancouver-Mount Pleasant, Jenny Kwan;
Former MLA for Vancouver-Hastings , Joy M acPhail,
MP for Vancouver Quadra, Joyce Murray;
Minister of Healthy Living and Sport and MLA for Langley, the Honourable Mary Polak ; and
Minister of State for Childcare and MLA for Richmond East, the Honourable Linda Reid.

***Note: This is a non-partisan event.***

Cost for AWF members: $55; Guests: $75

Register by calling 604-662-4401 before noon January 15th

Equal Voice - We are committed to working to increase women's representation among elected officials.
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2009 Poverty Olympics

Mark you calendar now!!! The second annual Poverty Olympics will be held on February 8 at 1 pm at the Japanese Language School, 487 Alexander St. in Vancouver.

This family-friendly event will include a Torch Parade (starts at 380 E. Hastings at 12:30--come and join!), mascots Creepy the Cockroach, Itchy the Bedbug, and Chewy the Rat, Opening and Closing Ceremonies, events like Skating around Poverty and the Housing Hurdles, and a special appearance by Mr. Con Dough. Cockroach Cake will be served.

Free. Everyone welcome. Sponsored by Raise the Rates, Carnegie Community Action Project, Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users, Power to Women, Streams of Justice, BC PWA, Downtown Eastside Neighbourhood House.

For info or to get involved call 604 729-2380 or visit www.povertyolympics.ca.

What's Old is New Again: Stories on Olympic projects, Millenium and the Players

2009-01-10T19:13:00.000-08:00

Westcoast Indie News Stories:

Something Stinks in Vancouver: Follow the Money Trail for Olympic Venues

November 8^th 2008.

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This one goes out to Sam Sullivan and the NPA/BC Liberal bunch, only it ain't cheap.

AC/DC - Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap

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The Plot Thickens: Vancouver City Hall prepares for Investigation Season

November 12, 2008.

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AC/DC - Back In Black

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Follow the Money Trail – Part 2: All Good Things Seem to Lead to Liberals

November 13, 2008.

Don't Miss Event: Public Forum on Homelessness

2009-01-02T13:29:00.000-08:00

Public Forum on Homelessness - Vancouver - January 14th 2009

Co-Hosts: Libby Davies, Hon. Hedy Fry and Don Davies

Date & Time: Wednesday, January 14, 2009

From: 9:00am - 12:00pm

Location: Vancouver Japanese Language School Auditorium
487 Alexander St. Vancouver, BC

Description

This public forum will explore existing challenges and opportunities for addressing homelessness in the community, with a particular focus on federal policy and funding.

The goal of the forum is to send a strong message to the federal government to implement a national housing strategy and to step up their plan to address homelessness.

Guest speakers include:
Judy Graves, Tenant Support for the City of Vancouver
Dr. Michael Byers, UBC Department of Political Science
Jaimie McEvoy, Director, Hospitality Project
Laura Track, Lawer, Pivot Legal Society

Housing First in the Age of Naught: Homeless People Need Homes NOW

2008-12-19T19:17:00.000-08:00

Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Article 3

Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person.

Article 5

No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.

Article 25

1. Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control.

2. Motherhood and childhood are entitled to special care and assistance. All children, whether born in or out of wedlock, shall enjoy the same social protection.

Homeless woman's body found burning in shopping cart in Vancouver
CBC News.

Homeless woman dies trying to keep warm on frigid Vancouver night

VANCOUVER - A homeless woman in her 40s has died in downtown Vancouver after the structure she was using as a shelter caught fire earlier this morning.

Police said a passenger in a taxi travelling through the intersection of Davie and Hornby shortly after 4:30 a.m. called 911 after spotting a figure engulfed in flames inside the structure.

Police and firefighters responded but were unable to save the woman.

Early indications are the woman may have been trying to keep warm, maybe with a burning candle, as temperatures dipped to about minus 10 degrees Celsius, police said.

The investigation is continuing.

© Copyright (c) The Vancouver Sun

VIDEO: Tim Weekes reports: Homeless woman's body found burning in shopping cart CBC News.(Runs 3:34)

"Initially it came in as a rubbish fire..."

More emergency shelter beds opening in Vancouver
$1.5 million cost to be shared by city, province, private sector

Comments to the CBC story:

Rare praise that Campbell and his minions have seen some sense in opening up shelter beds. Now, it's time for the province and the city to get families back into the Little Mountain BC housing complex where there are currently around 200 empty homes in affordable family housing units on Main St. in Vancouver. The province's plan was to re-develop the property, with a private partner (Holburn Properties) to build 2000 condos!!! The other part of the plan was to build 224 affordable units to replace the old ones. Laudable goals perhaps, under normal market conditions, but the idea tanks now.

I'd guess the chance of getting that kind of a monster development built has about a snowball's chance in an inferno. The housing is desperately needed, for our citizens who are homeless NOW. It's time for action, today, not in 2-3 years and an economic apocalypse later: 40-1BR's, 92-2BR's, 92-3BR's.

The other part of this is that all levels of government have to understand, if you enter into public-private partnerships (P3's), it is in the public interest to know with whom agreements are being struck, for how much and what the terms are. And, the "unspecified private-sector source [who] would contribute the other $500,000 in funding" should be applauded. What are the terms? Transparency is crucial and governments should have no problems disclosing those things. If you want to use a quasi-corporate model to run your oligarchies, then you have to consider the citizens of BC as shareholders who have a RIGHT to know what is being done with their funds.

The individuals and families who are holding out and digging in their heels are having the province boarding up homes where families lived. Sammy Chan, a legally blind man, who has lived in his unit for 32 years is getting turfed by "his" government. Show some compassion, some sense and humanity and stop this from happening, use the resources we have to help the people who need it most NOW. That's MY Christmas wish to Campbell, Coleman and Robertson.

For those who might complain about this, watch your words, because the slippery slope happens faster than you can blink an eye and there isn't a person in this world who isn't vulnerable to losing everything, especially these days. There but for the grace of God go I ... is a mantra to live by. As is do unto others as you would have others do unto you.

We used to believe in that in BC and Canada. I want that back.

Housing First.

Re-open Riverview Immediately for triage housing.

Contact these people to help make it happen:

Gordon Campbell - Phone: 604 660-3202;
E-mail: gordon.campbell.mla@leg.bc.ca or premier@gov.bc.ca

Rich Coleman - Phone: 604 607-6200;
E-mail: rich.coleman.mla@leg.bc.ca

Gregor Robertson - Phone: 604.873.7621; E-mail: gregor.robertson@vancouver.ca

Sam Rainboth,
Senior Manager, Public Affairs - BC Housing
Tel: 604 439 4789
Cell: 604 619 6525
E-mail: srainboth@bchousing.org

Holborn is currently developing properties in Whistler, Squamish, Vancouver,
Victoria and Surrey.

From the Little Mountain page.

For more information:

* Memorandum of Understand (MOU) with City of Vancouver
* Media Fact Sheet on the Resident Relocation (PDF)
* Redevelopment Overview (PDF)
* Guiding Principles for Redevelopment
* Guiding Principle for Resident Relocation (PDF)
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Development Partner Selected For Little Mountain
May 8, 2008

VANCOUVER – BC Housing has selected Holborn Properties as the development partner for the Little Mountain public housing site in Vancouver.

Proposal Invited for Little Mountain Redevelopment
September 14, 2007

VANCOUVER – Minister responsible for Housing Rich Coleman today launched the formal process to select a private-sector partner for the redevelopment of Vancouver’s oldest public housing development. More.
**
Little Mountain housing fight brought to BC Legislature
By Andrew MacLeod November 26, 2008. TheHook.ca

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Who is Holburn anyways?

Holborn Properties

Might we assume they're part of the "Holborn Group" that donated $10,000 to Vision Vancouver in the 2005 Vancouver election?

Vision Vancouver Campaign Finance Disclosure

Holborn Holdings Ltd. - $1500 for Vision

Supplementary Financing Disclosure Statement (November 14, 2007)

Looking forward to perusing the 2008 Election Campaign Financing Disclosure statements, but we may have to wait awhile, since they don't have to be filed for 120 days after the election(March 16, 2009).

See more @ Vancouver City Hall Election Services.

Event: Jack Will Be in da House

2008-12-16T21:09:00.000-08:00

Jack Layton, leader of the federal NDP is coming to visit with
Vancouverites, particularly those living in Vancouver-Kingway who
Don Davies has invited to a town hall meet & greet, debate, and
discussion on the "Ottawa" situation.

Here's the 411 (or is that 311 in multi-culti Vancouver):

What: an evening of discussion, debate and information on the recent events in Ottawa.

When: Wednesday 17th December 2008 at 6pm.

Where: Collingwood Neighbourhood House - 5288 Joyce Street, Vancouver

With: Special guest NDP leader Jack Layton

Light refreshments will be served. No need to RSVP – just turn up.

For more information, please contact my community office @ 604-775-6263.

E-mail Don @ davied@parl.gc.ca
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Do you ever get a bee in your bonnet for a new song and you just HAVE
TO know who did it. I've been like that with the song in the new

Sony PSP tv commercial.

I started researching it and I'll tell ya'this has been one the hardest things
I've gone looking for ever... until synchronicity stepped in. I had literally
just sent an e-mail to Playstation.ca and the radio station I LOVE, the Current, played it within seconds of me sending that e-mail. Just wild, eh? Now, I am a happy, happy camper and can annoy everyone for hours playing that song over and over until I find a new one i just HAVE TO listen to.

I have to say, Sony has one slick advertising campaign for this product
(PSP 3000). They've had 10 different cities (and Canada) do their own ads,
each with a totally different look, feel and music. Their webpages are just
the best damn things I've seen in a long time too. Very creative and
innovative folks. And no, I'm not on their payroll, I wish.

Passionate Pits: Sleepyhead

BC is Ours and We Are Taking it Back: Taking Action for Social Justice

2008-12-11T09:11:00.000-08:00

On the heels of yesterday's 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights two new reports have been released about life in BC for too many and some concrete, reality-based solutions.

A Poverty Reduction Plan for BC

The report calls on all political parties to commit to legislated targets and timlines to dramatically reduce poverty in the province. It is the culmination
of five years of research conducted through the Economic Security Project, a research alliance led by the CCPA and Simon Fraser University.

The Time is Now:A Poverty Reduction Plan for BC Summary

Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives - BC office.

- Reduce poverty by 1/3 (from 13% to 9%)within four years;
- Make an equal or greater reduction in poverty among groups that are most vulnerable to poverty — recent immigrants, children, single mother families, Aboriginal people, people with disabilities, and single senior women;
- Eliminate deep poverty (those living 50% or more below the poverty line) within two years; and
- Eliminate street homelessness within five years.

Key Areas for Action:

- Improve working conditions & pay for low wage workers.
- Raise the minimum wage, strengthen employment standards & actively enforce workplace protections
- Increase welfare rates by at least 50% & remove arbitrary barriers to accessing welfare that keep people from accessing assistance
- Immediately start building 2,000 units per year of social housing (not counting conversions, rental subsidies or shelter spaces
- Implement a universal public early learning and child care program.

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Precarious and Vulnerable: Lone Mothers on Income Assistance
Social Planning & Research Council of BC (SPARC-BC)

Locate the report on the front page of their webpage.

This research study found that lone mothers and their children on income assistance are experiencing severe material deprivation under the welfare policies of the BC government.

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Now, the findings and the solutions are not new. Is there political will to
implement the suggestions, recommendations and strategies. We haven't
arrived here by coincidence. The social, economic and public policies of
both our provincial and federal governments have led us to this place and
point in time. I see no reason to believe that the existing governments have
the will, nor good sense, nor commitment to do anything about these conditions. Which means, they must be removed from the power to do any more harm to our citizens.

It's easy for many of us to sit back, satisfied with our lives, our material
lifestyles, maybe feel guilty and throw the odd loonie at someone on the
street, donate to the Food bank if we think about it. We're in times where
that kind of mentality is coming to an end. We All Must Care.
Beyond Caring, We Must All Do Something to Help Make Things Better. Not just at the warm & fuzzy time of the Holidays. All Year Round.

Many of us do not realize how close the edge of the Abyss we and some of
our loved ones are. Many of us have fallen into the gaping holes where the
social safety net used to be.

What's happened in BC, getting rich off the backs of the poor, is Social Violence. Some may call it Murder.

Do we even know how many people have died, homeless and indigent around BC?
Do we really know how many people have died awaiting getting into senior's facilities?
Do we know how many children & youth have died on the street around BC?
How many "graduated" from state foster care to lives of drug addiction, sexual victimization, crime, jail, death?

This is what we know:

While one in five children in BC live in poverty, 21.9% of Our children, leading Canada's child poverty rate for five years in a row, don't have food, or homes, or services Gordon Campbell was handing out gold medals that were engraved with "Presented by Premier Gordon Campbell" to Canada Line construction workers.

"The government couldn't say how many of the medals were given away or how much they cost... Yes, gold medals. Well, gold-coloured, anyway. And not just cheap little plastic knock-offs like the one my six-year-old got in a fun run a few months ago. "It's a good three inches across and weighs more than a quarter-pounder -- almost like a real Olympic medal. What a waste of money!"[Mike Farnworth - NDP house leader].

Premier's gold medals make NDP see red
Only name on construction workers' 'decoration' is Campbell's
Michael Smyth, The Province. Published: Friday, November 21, 2008.

2008 BC Child Poverty Report Card

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81 children in B.C. killed themselves in last 4 years: report
CBC News, Canada. Tuesday, December 02, 2008.

Looking for Something to Look Foward To – A Five-Year Retrospective Review of Child and Youth Suicide in B.C.
Child Death Review Unit, BC Coroners Service.(Jan. 1, 2003 to Dec. 31, 2007)

Summary of the Five-Year Restrospective Review

Child Death Review Unit

If we've had 81 children, age 10 to 19 kill themselves, commit suicide, fail to get help and support, children who removed themselves from this world during the most prosperous and economic times in BC's existence, what impacts will occur when BC takes a nose dive in the next couple of years. But more importantly, what are each and every one of us going to do to make sure that our government STANDS UP AND DOES THE RIGHT THING for our most vulnerable, at-risk citizens?

I know what I'm doing, how about you?

Get Active. Collaborate. Demonstrate Your Commitment to the Future for BC.
Join a Group. Write. Blog. Write letters, or e-mails to your MLA, your MP, to your City Council.
Write letters to the Editors, articles to publish in the papers.
Pass anti-poverty Resolutions and bring them to your local politicians.
Remember what your MLA has done to represent your community when it comes time to vote. Remind everyone you know too.
Run for Office, campaign for ethical and progressive candidates.

Lets take Back BC for our Future.We can Do this Together.

National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women – December 6th

2008-12-06T13:32:00.000-08:00

Today marks 19 years since fourteen female students were gunned
down on December 6 at Montreal's l'École Polytechnique in what is one
of the most horrific cases of violence against women in Canadian history.
In 1991 the Parliament of Canada established December 6th as a National
Day of Remembrance and a day to honour all women impacted by Violence.

Westcoast Indie News dedicates this day to:

- All of the single mothers struggling to raise their children in poverty – because their provincial and federal government has failed to ensure they have an adequate family income;
-For the hundreds of missing, disappeared and murdered Aboriginal women across Canada;
-To all the girls and women who are forced to tolerate physical, mental, emotional and sexual abuse, rape and psychological degradation because they are female – in their families, communities, schools, and lives;
-For the girls and women who are sexually exploited, trafficked and forced into prostitution for survival, for themselves and their children;
-To all of the girl children and women who have been beaten, kicked, humiliated and murdered at the hands of the men who should cherish and protect them;
-For all of the girls and women who have to continue to fight for equality and safety – in their work, pay equity, in their families, in politics, in schools, in their communities and in sports;
-To all of the women who are abused by their spouses who are forced to stay because they have no other options for them and their children because governments do not adequately fund shelters and transition homes so women and children can be safe;
-For all of the workers and organizations that offer safety, protection, support and compassion to abused women and children.
-To all of the men who work as allies and protectors of girls and women and work along side of women to End Violence against Girls and Women.
-To all of those Uppity Women who stand up Loud & Strong and tell the World, men and Governments that in a civil society – THERE MUST BE ZERO TOLERANCE FOR SOCIAL & PHYSICAL VIOLENCE AGAINST GIRLS AND WOMEN.

In 2008, Canada submitted its report to the United Nations Committee for the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) as part of the responsibility that came with the signing the UN Convention of the same name.

A coalition of women’s organizations also presented a report to the UN Committee. This coalition report chronicled the uninvestigated or inadequately addressed cases of missing and murdered women, the majority of whom were Aboriginal, in Canada over the past 20 years. Among the sites of missing and murdered women are two infamous B.C. locations, the Pickton farm and Highway of Tears.

The United Nations Committee is calling on the Canadian government to launch an inquiry into the cases of the missing and murdered women to find out why the response by law enforcement was so poor, and how to ensure that this is going to change. The Committee also requested a report back within the year.

Please take action on December 6 and throughout the following week. Join others across the country in supporting the UN Committee’s call. Contact your area Member of Parliament (MP) – you can find them through the Government of Canada website - and send an email or fax to her or him endorsing the UN recommendation and pressing the federal government to act immediately.
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Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women ( CEDAW), adopted in 1979 by the UN General Assembly.

2008 BC CEDAW Group report: Inaction and Non-compliance: British Columbia’s Approach to Women’s Equality.

Missing/Murdered Native Women

Please sign our Petition to the Canadian Government to investigate why so many of these cases remain unsolved.

Walk4Justice – Bernie Williams & Gladys Radek walked across Canada to rally in Ottawa to demand justice for the hundreds, if not thousands of Aboriginal women who have disappeared, been murdered in Canada.

In 2000, Gladys Radek launched a historical Human Rights case proving "systemic racism" for the first time ever in Canada. This cases final decision was July 13, 2005.

Native Women’s Association of Canada. Sisters In Spirit.

Canada must probe cases of slain, missing aboriginal women: UN
A United Nations committee wants Canada to explain why law enforcement agencies have failed to deal with the disappearance and murder of Aboriginal women.

Canada must probe cases of slain, missing aboriginal women: UN

The United Nations is calling on the Canadian government to investigate why hundreds of deaths and disappearances of aboriginal women remain unsolved.

It's asking Ottawa to report back in a year on the status of more than 500 cases that "have neither been fully investigated nor attracted priority attention, with the perpetrators remaining unpunished."

A federally funded $5-million study by the Native Women's Association of Canada concludes that 510 aboriginal girls and women have gone missing or been murdered since 1980. It calls for an emergency strategy.

The UN also raised alarms about lack of shelters for battered women and about Conservative government cuts that wiped out the court challenges program — funding that helped advance minority rights in the legal system.

Common-law husband charged in Abbotsford apartment homicide
CBC News. December 5, 2008.

After Priester's death her family was outraged because police failed to respond to a 911 call made from the apartment 12 hours before her body was discovered.

Bitch Poem

When I stand up for myself and my beliefs, they call me a bitch. When I stand up for those I love, they call me a bitch. When I speak my mind, think my own thoughts, or do things my own way, they call me a bitch.

So try to stomp on me, try to douse my inner flame, try to squash every ounce of beauty I hold within me. You won't succeed. And if that makes me a bitch, so be it. I embrace the title and am proud to bear it.
B - Babe I - In T - Total C - Control of H - Herself

"Well behaved women rarely make history" - Laurel Thatcher Ulrich

WeCanBC: I am a Changemaker
- BC Campaign to End All Violence Against Women
16 Days of Activism - November 25th to December 10th.
See here for Events.

December 10th, 2008 - Candlelight Vigil
Light a candle for all women who have suffered from one of the most pervasive
human rights violations - violence against women.

5 - 6 pm
Victory Square
198 West Hastings Street, Vancouver, BC

Human Rights for Workers & People with Disabilities

2008-12-03T14:32:00.000-08:00

Groundbreaking Human Rights Award: Temporary Foreign Worker Rights

Foreign Canada Line workers win multi-million dollar human rights case

By Kelly Sinoski (December 3, 2008). The Vancouver Sun.

VANCOUVER -- A group of temporary foreign workers who helped build the Canada Line have won a multi-million dollar discrimination award from the B.C. Human Rights Tribunal.

The tribunal on Wednesday ordered the group's employers SELI Canada and SNC Lavalin to pay every member of the complainant group — who were all Latin Americans — $10,000 each as compensation for injurity to dignity, feelings and self-respect.
It noted that for two years, the treatment conveyed to the workers was that they were “worth less and less worthy than other employees because they were Latin American.”

The workers were paid substantially less than their European counterparts, forced to live in a motel rather than upscale condos close to the job site and made to account for any reimbursements received rather than receiving a monthly allowance to do with that they pleased, the tribunal noted.

“While the feelings and the self-respect of the Latin Americans was impacted, this case is primarily about dignity,” the tribunal ruled. “They worked side by side with Europeans who were paid substaintially more than they were for performing subtantially the same work.”

The tribunal noted that as foreign workers who spoke no English, they were “uniquely vulnerable.” “So long as they continued to work on the Canada Line project, they were unable to escape the discriminatory treatment that pervaded every aspect of the working and leisure lives.”

SELI Canada and SNC Lavalin, which were boring parallel tunnels under downtown Vancouver, have been under the microscope since early last year after a series of complaints to the Labour Relations Board, the B.C. Human Rights Tribunal and the provincial Employment Standards Branch over its treatment of foreign workers.
The Construction and Specialized Workers Union Local 1611 had alleged the employer, which was originally paying the 39 mostly Latin American workers $12,000 US per year, unilaterally altered their contract to raise their pay to $20,000 US after they joined the union in mid-2006.

That undermined the union's bargaining powers and let the employer set a wage that was below local labour standards, said the union in its filings. The workers were netting about $20,000 US per year, roughly $14 an hour, plus room and board — about three times what they would make in their own countries but $10 per hour less than the $23 to $24 an hour, plus $4-per-hour benefits, being paid to most local union workers, the union says.

SELI Canada and SNC Lavalin denied allegations that they fraudulently altered the workers' contracts and then covered it up.

© Copyright (c) The Vancouver Sun

BCHRT Final Decision

Construction and Specialized Workers' Union Local 1611 obo Foreign Workers v. SELI Canada Inc., SNCP-SELI Joint Venture and SNC Lavalin Constructors (Pacific) Inc. (No. 8)
(Final Decision - Grounds: Race, Colour, Ancestry and Place of Origin - Area: Section 13 - Employment)
2008 BCHRT 436

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International Day of Persons with Disabilities – December 3rd

3 December 2008 -- The International Day of Disabled Persons was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in 1992. The annual observance of the Day aims to increase awareness and understanding of disability issues and trends, and to mobilise support for practical action at all levels, by, with and for persons with disabilities.

With the coming into force on 3 May 2008 of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, advocates for disability rights have a powerful tool at their disposal. The 13 December 2006 adoption of the Convention by the UN General Assembly reflected an attitudinal change towards people with disabilities, to a recognition that persons with disabilities have the same inherent dignity, are capable of claiming their rights, and should be participating members of society. However, most countries have not yet ratified the Convention.

- Declaration on the Rights of Disabled Persons

- Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

- Convention on the Rights of the Child

- ILO Code of Practice on Managing Disability in the Workplace

Study guide on the rights of persons with disabilities
A quick introduction in the human rights of persons with disabilities, and ways to promote and protect them.

Guide to Disability Rights (and dealing with the system)
(The Council for Disability Rights)
This guide provides practical information on employment, free medication, social security benefits, special education, and tax benefits.

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Get Your Vote in for BC's Most Influential People here.

Cheers, Rally, Watch & Read

2008-12-02T17:38:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to David Eby & the BC Civil Liberties Association
(BCCLA)who have joined forces (again), with Eby being appointed the new acting Executive Director.

Eby is of course an accomplished lawyer with Pivot Legal Society, which has been involved in excellent social justice work through strategic litigation and a variety of ways.

Make sure to check out their: Full Moon Xmas
Save this date! December 12.
Full Moon Friday Fundraiser.
9 p.m. to 4 a.m. details here
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National Labour Rally
Rally in support of a coalition government!!

Thursday, December 4
6 pm - doors at 5 pm
Trade & Convention Ctr, Vancouver

Please encourage everyone to attend.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

December 2, 2008

10:00 a.m.

CONTACT: The Real News Network

Taruna Godric, 416-916-5202 ext. 414

E-mail: smcommunications@therealnews.com

Website: http://www.therealnews.com

Canada: Liberals NDP Bloc sign deal to oust Tories
Opposition parties make agreement to defeat Harper government on belt tightening economic plan

The Liberals and the New Democrats have a deal to form a coaliton government and push the Stephen Harper Conservatives out of office. The agreement was also signed by the Bloc Quebecois although they will not be part of the coalition. Liberal leader Stepahne Dion and the NDP's Jack Layton signed the accord which would see the two parties work together until June 2011. Gilles Duceppe of the Bloc Quebecois also signed the agreement which would see his party support the coalition till June 2010, though the BQ would not be part of the coalition.

The move comes after finance minister Jim Flaherty tabled an economic and fiscal update last week that did not include a stimulus package for the recession that has gripped the Canadian and global economies.

The Conservatives have attacked the idea of a coalition saying it was unconstitutional and went as far as recording a conference call by the NDP caucus trying to say that this was not about the economy but a power grab. The Bloc and NDP responded by reminding Harper that he had asked for a similar agreement in 2005 when he tried to topple then Prime Minister Paul Martin's minority government. The deal by the Liberals and the New Democrats would see a 24 member cabinet with the Liberals getting eighteen ministers and the NDP getting 6 as well as 6 parliamentary secretaries. This would be historic because the New Democrats have never formed or been part of the Federal government in Canada. The question remained of who would lead the coalition as Liberal Leader Stephane Dion will be stepping down after the Liberal Leadership convention.

For video coverage of this story visit our website:

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Best place on earth to be an advertiser
“How is it possible that the ‘best place on Earth’ is also the worst province in Canada for child poverty five years in a row?

“How is it possible that Premier Gordon Campbell can give out thousands of gold medals with his own name arrogantly stamped across the face to construction workers on multimillion-dollar provincial projects while one in five children live in deprivation?

“And how is it possible that a government spends millions on feel-good television ads about how wonderful this province is, while thousands of homeless walk the streets?”
- Bill Tieleman (24 Hours), Nov. 25, 2008

Why the Basi-Virk case still matters - a really good summary of how BC got to the 5th anniversary of the Basi-Virk/Sale of BC Rail/Raid of the Legislature case.

Bill Tieleman’s 24 Hours Column
Tuesday December 2, 2008

Coalition Building: Bye Bye Conservatives

2008-12-01T17:43:00.000-08:00

Canada needs to say goodbye to Stephen Harper and his corporate thugs
and American pimps. Our nation, like every other one on Earth, this
planet I've grown rather fond of, is in serious economic and environmental
trouble that has only just begun. We need a government that can work together
and listen to us, to prioritize what needs to be done for all Canadians.
I've read a variety of opinions on this and I believe that a Coalition
between the NDP, Liberals & the Bloc is the way to go for the survival of
Canada. I think it is time for a change in the way politics is done in
Canada, even for a time. What I know about the candidates in my party of
choice, is that they work their butts off, in Ottawa and at home, they
make themselves available and do the work of constituents. And what I
know in the last election, Stephen Harper's Conservatives went into hiding
and wouldn't even talk to voters. Remember Harpocracy.ca with it's
Muzzler Counter, tallying the reports of Conservative candidates who
dodged voters, who failed to show up for All Candidates meetings, who
just basically failed to even demonstrate basic respect for the citizens
they wanted to vote for them. Or how about sCandalpedia.

In the immortal words of Stephen Harper himself:

On Child Care and Early Learning Development
“We do not think this government or any government should be in charge of
raising our children. We see what happens over there when government is
in charge of raising children.” (Stephen Harper, Hansard, October 6, 2004)

On Child Poverty
“These proposals included cries for billions of new money for social assistance
in the name of “child poverty” and for more business subsidies in the name of “cultural identity”. In both cases I was sought out as a rare public figure to oppose such projects.” (Stephen Harper, The Bulldog, National Citizens Coalition, February 1997)

"You’ve got to remember that west of Winnipeg the ridings the Liberals hold are dominated by people who are either recent Asian immigrants or recent migrants from eastern Canada: people who live in ghettoes and who are not integrated into western Canadian society."
- The Report newsmagazine, January 22, 2001

Let these people know that as a Citizen of Canada, you support the
formation of a Coalition between the parties and that the Conservative
government will cease to govern and exist in Canada.

Her Excellency the Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean Governor General of Canada

E-mail: info@gg.ca

Office of the Secretary to the Governor General's Office
1 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, Ontario
Canada K1A 0A1
Telephone:(613) 993-8200 Fax:(613) 993-1967

Find Your Member of Parliament

Members of The House Of Commons

Find your Member of Parliament using your Postal Code

Stephane Dion: Dion.S@parl.gc.ca
Telephone: (613) 996-5789; Fax: (613) 996-6562

Jack Layton: Layton.J@parl.gc.ca
Telephone: (613) 995-7224; Fax: (613) 995-4565

Gilles Du Ceppe: Duceppe.G@parl.gc.ca
Telephone: (613) 992-6779; Fax: (613) 954-2121

Libby Davies:Telephone: Davies.L@parl.gc.ca
Telephone: (604) 775-5800; Fax: (604) 775-5811

2412 Main Street, Vancouver, British Columbia V5T 3E2

Don Davies: Davies.D@parl.gc.ca
2951 Kingsway Avenue, Vancouver, British Columbia V5R 5J4

Here is a petition to sign by the Canadian Labour Congress:

I support a Coalition Government

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A Pleasure Pack of Political Pundits

Best Move for Liberals: Govern by Coalition
By Murray Dobbin. Published: November 19, 2008. TheTyee.ca

Coalition? Tories? A Pox on All!/
Rafe Mair. Published: December 1, 2008. TheTyee.ca

Coalition? Back off Jack!
NDP is crazy to team with Liberals and Bloc. Besides, Harper won. Bill Tieleman. Published: December 2, 2008. TheTyee.ca

B.C. bloggers react to coalition
The Hook.ca

Chinese in Vancouver
Susannah Ng.

Harper's Loss of Confidence
David Schreck, Strategic Thoughts.

From a speech to the Council for National Policy, a conservative American lobby group, June 1997, as reported by the CBC:

In terms of the unemployed... don't feel particularly bad for many of these people. They don't feel bad about it themselves, as long as they're receiving generous social assistance and unemployment insurance.

The Reform party is very much a modern manifestation of the Republican movement in Western Canada; the U.S. Republicans started in the western United States.

Change, Clever Contortions, Coffee, & Culture

2008-11-29T20:58:00.000-08:00

Ask yourself, is this where our whole World is heading? If your answer is HELL NO!!!
Then figure out what you need to do to stop this from happening, join in with the rest of Us, the growing throngs of civil HUMANity and MAKE CHANGE on a small and large scale.

Press play

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The Plot Thickens: Loose Lips Sink Ships

Police sergeant accused of leak that sank chief
A senior Victoria police sergeant who was suspended this month is accused of leaking the letter to the media that sparked the investigation into former police chief Paul Battershill.

The inquiry into Sgt. Jim Simpson's actions is poised to open a fresh round of scrutiny of the police department, and has the potential to dredge up a mess of information that has been shrouded in secrecy since Battershill resigned from the force Aug. 13 when the Victoria police board said it had lost confidence in his leadership.

Follow the bouncing ball to the Sale of BC Rail and the Raid of Our Legislature.

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What Better Gift than Fair Trade Coffee for the Holidays?

CoDevelopment Canada
More than 20 years of building partnerships for global justice.

Café Etico offers you a great coffee experience - fair trade, organic
coffee at a great price. Roasted locally to ensure that you get the best tasting cup of coffee, you also know that the rich flavour is contributing to communities across Latin America and supporting a positive model of global trade.

Purchase Café Etico

Café Etico can be purchased at a variety of retail outlets across the Lower Mainland. It can also be purchased directly from our office at
101-2747 East Hastings, Vancouver, BC.
Click here for a list of retailers and pricing.
To place an order directly call 604-708-8782 or email us at etico@codev.org.

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Hot Show Alert: Quinteto Tiempo

When: 7:30pm – December 5th 2008

What: Concert to Benefit the community of Bajo Lempa in El Salvador and for the Cuban’s Emergency Fund

Where: Peretz Centre Auditorium
6184 Ash Street @ 43rd Ave, Vancouver, BC

Tickets: Suggested donation $30

Buy Tickets Here & Support Local Businesses & Community Events:
People’s Coop Bookstore – 1391 Commercial Drive
Vallarta Mexican Restaurant – 2891 E. Broadway
Tierra Del Sol – 2018 Commercial Drive
Highlife Records – 1317 Commercial Drive

Presented by: Association Mangle for Culture – BC & Arts and Culture Committee of Vancouver, Vancouver District Labour Council

Hear Quinteto Tiempo

See Quinteto tiempo en El Salvador: Cancion con todos

Slippery Slope: Free Speech & Freedom of the Internet take a Hit

2008-11-23T10:59:00.000-08:00

With the CRTC's latest ruling allowing Bell Canada to continue to throttle and limit it's customers data transmission the anwser is really easy. Use your rights as consumers and stop giving them any business.

Why is this an important issue? Net throttling gives Big Telecom corporations, such as Bell, Shaw, & Telus, complete control over Canadians access to the Internet. It also limits the competition from smaller Internet Service Providers (ISP's) who are wholesale customers. Through the use of throttling, Big Telecom puts customers of smaller ISP's at a disadvantage in being able to offer the same type of connectivity, fast data transmission time.

I'm not sure why this also hasn't been investigated by the Competition Bureau under the Competition Act of Canada, because this also seems like an effort by Big Telecom to create monopolies and cut out their competition.

Fundamentally, Net Neutrality is an issue of democracy and free speech. With the rise in the popularity, use and freedom of speech that the Internet provides to global citizens, corporate media and political leaders have essentially lost control of how they can control citizens access to information. Think about it, prior to the Internet, almost everything citizens knew was through corporate and local media. Our understanding of every issue that we weren't directly involved in was filtered and disseminated by the media outlets. The control of Big Media (which was often a vehicle of the political and ruling elites) has diminished and corporate media knows it is dying a slow, gasping death. Look at CanWest & CTV's staffing cuts. It would be oversimplifying it to say that's the only reason, but it's important.

As a purveyor of independent news & media, obviously I come from a perspective that Net Neutrality and free speech should be promoted and are of far more relevance than protectionism of Big Telecom's profits. Let's face it, if it weren't for free speech and the Internet, there are so many things the general public would never hear about. So many things that citizens in this fine democracy of Canada would not know about our elected officials and what they're up to on our time and dime.

For instance, did you see the federal NDP's shadow cabinet announcement? I read numerous media outlets every day, didn't see a thing reported. Considering that these MP's were elected by citizens, I think it is in the public's interest to know who they can go to about the many issues that impact life in Canada. I think it's important we know that Glenn Thibeault is the Opposition critic for Consumer Protection. So the citizens of Canada can contact him about Net Neutrality and other relevant consumer issues.: Thibeault.G@parl.gc.ca

A larger argument exists, that Internet throttling is the slippery slope in the cessation of free Internet access. The idea is that the real "plan is to convert the Internet into a cable-like system, where customers sign up for specific web sites, and then pay to visit sites beyond a cutoff point."

"Mike Finch of American Free Press stated that the 'demise' of the free Internet is slated for 2010 in Canada, and two years later around the world! Canada is seen a good choice to implement such shameful and sinister changes, since Canadians are viewed as being laissez fair, politically uninformed and an easy target." He claims that sources working within Big Telecom corporations have leaked this information.

The Official Decision: The Canadian Association of Internet Providers' application regarding Bell Canada's traffic shaping of its wholesale Gateway Access Service
Reference: 8622-C51-200805153

Tell the CRTC's Chair Konrad von Finckenstein what you think about this decision here.
Or call him @ 1-819-997-3430.

Here is a list of CRTC Provincial & Territorial Commissioners to contact them.

Interested parties may submit their comments by February 16, 2009. They may do so by filling out the online form, by writing to the Secretary General, CRTC, Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0N2, or by fax, at 819-994-0218. The Commission also plans to hold an online consultation to allow the public the opportunity to discuss the issues and questions related to the Internet traffic management practices of ISPs.

Read more about Net Neutrality & Fair Copyright from Michael Geist

CRTC allows Bell to continue internet throttling

Net neutrality takes a big hit

By DHARM MAKWANA, 24 HOURS

Net neutrality took another big hit, local advocates said yesterday.

The CRTC ruled Bell Canada can continue to “throttle” its customers by limiting the quantity of data transmitted on its network at certain times or by certain software usually used for sharing files the size of computer programs, movies or albums.

Steve Anderson, with SaveOurNet.ca, said Bell systems aren’t sophisticated enough to distinguish between the illegal distribution of software and legal use.

“Other services such as phone over Internet or streaming services for the news would be throttled,” he said. “This limits consumer choice onlne, bad for online innovation and bad for freedom of expression.

See Global National's Stop the Throttler video.

For more information about Internet freedom: savetheinternet.com

Events Not to Be Missed

2008-11-21T13:57:00.000-08:00

Hip Hop: Beyond Beats & Rhymes

When: Friday, November 21st, Doors 8:30pm, Film starts 9pm
Where: Vancity Theatre - 1181 Seymour St Vancouver, BC

What: Documentary highlighting the role of men, women & commerce
in mainstream hip hop. Panel discussion, featuring Chuck D follows.

Fundraiser for Battered Women's Support Services

BWSS Crisis & Intake Line: 604-687-1867

Vancity Theatre: Vancouver International Film Theatre

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For all of you Fashionistas and Early Christmas Shoppers

FAB FAIR’S 5th Annual WINTER SALE

When: Saturday November 22nd and Sunday November 23rd 11:00am-5:00pm daily
Where: Heritage Hall - 3102 Main Street at 15th Avenue,
Vancouver

What: 45 fabulous and funky local designers
will come together in the historic Heritage Hall to display their eclectic mix
of jewellery, handbags, scarves, hats, belts and so much more.

$2 admission, kids free.

For more information email:fabfair@hotmail.com

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Eastside Culture Crawl

When: Nov 21: 5pm to 10pm & Nov 22 + 23: 11am to 6pm
Where: In over 300 artist's studios across East Vancouver!

What: The Eastside Culture Crawl is an annual FREE 3-day visual arts festival.
This event involves artists who work on the east side of Vancouver, BC,
in an area bounded by Main Street to Commercial Drive and from First Avenue
north to the waterfront.

The website has the locations of participating artists.

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Tar Sands: The Dark Side of the Boom
BC-Wide Speaking Tour on the Impacts of the Tar Sands on
Communities in Alberta and BC

Dogwood Initiative

Council of Canadians

Please join us for a very important panel about the largest industrial project in history that has been devastating the environment and communities in Alberta. This enormous development is expanding across the continent with little to no regard for the eco-systems and communities that lie in the path of its infrastructure.

Speakers include:

Mike Mercredi - Member of the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation, speaking about the front line struggles of the indigenous community in Fort Chipewyan agains the tar sands industry.

Jesse Kalman - Tar Sands Campaigner with the Polaris Institute, speaking about the social and environmental impacts of the tar-sands.

Will Horter - Executive Director of Dogwood Initiative, speaking about the support infrastructure based and proposed in BC affects current and future tar-sands development.(Speaking in Vancouver, Victoria, Comox and Nanaimo)

For more details & information go here.

Tar Sands Tour Dates:

Vancouver
Tuesday, November 25
Heritage Hall, 3102 Main St. (7pm)
Contact - Council of Canadians Vancouver Chapter:
norman.hill@shaw.ca or 604-789-9331

Nanaimo
Tuesday, December 2
Vancouver Island University—Nanaimo Campus
Room 109 - Building 356,
900 Fifth Street (1pm)
Contact - Council of Canadians Nanaimo Chapter:
blhansen@shaw.ca or 250-245-2254 / 250-816-6253

Victoria
Wednesday, December 3
The BCGEU Hall,
2994 Douglas Street (7pm)
Contact - Council of Canadians Victoria Chapter:
barbaramp@fastmail.fm or (250) 220-5355

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Anti-Poverty Legal Strategies: Housing and Human Rights

Meet Irene Faulkner, Lawyer in the Victoria Tent City Case

In October, the BC Supreme Court judged that Victoria's bylaw preventing homeless people from erecting temporary shelters in city parks violates the Charter of Rights and Freedoms*. Irene Faulkner will speak in Vancouver on Wednesday, November 26, 2008 as part of a panel on housing and human rights.

Join us in a discussion with legal organizations and lawyers representing poor and homeless people in the fight against poverty. What are the possibilities and limitations of the law in anti-poverty organizing? What role do those directly affected by poverty have in advancing legal challenges?

WHO:

IRENE FAULKNER: Lawyer in Victoria Tent City lawsuit. Last month, a BC Supreme Court found that Victoria's bylaw preventing homeless people from erecting temporary shelters in city parks violates the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

ROZ SALVADOR: lawyer with BC Public Interest Advocacy Centre, a non-profit, public interest law office that advocates for poor people in matters of income assistance, disability benefits and residential tenancy.

LAURA TRACK: lawyer with Pivot Legal Society that utilizes strategic legal advocacy to focus on the causes of problems rather than symptoms.
PIVOT has released several reports and launched several legal complaints on the issue of lack of affordable housing in the DTES.

WHAT:"Housing, fighting poverty and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms"

WHERE:YWCA, 733 Beatty Street

WHEN:Wednesday, November 26th, 6:30 p.m.

The event is free.

This event is organized by West Coast LEAF and co-sponsored by the Downtown Eastside Women's Centre POW (Power of Women) Project.
For more information please phone (604) 684-8772
or email exec@westcoastleaf.org or project@dewc.ca

*"Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of the person and the right not to be deprived thereof except in accordance with the principles of fundamental justice." s. 7 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, Part I of the Constitution Act, 1982, being Schedule B to the Canada Act 1982, (U.K.), 1982, c. 11

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Finally, if you've never used this site, I highly suggest checking it out.

Rate My MD

Universal Children's Day: When Will Children Come First?

2008-11-20T09:33:00.000-08:00

Universal Children's Day

20 November 2008 is celebrated as the international day for children. The United Nations General Assembly recommended in 1954 (resolution 836 (IX)) that all countries institute a Universal Children's Day, to be observed as a day of understanding between children and of activity promoting the welfare of the world's children. The date of 20 November marks the day on which the Assembly adopted the Declaration of the Rights of the Child, in 1959, and the Convention on the Rights of the Child, in 1989.

2008 is the 19th anniversary of Universal Children's Day.
The Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) is the most widely ratified human rights treaty in the world. Today, 193 states have ratified the CRC. In fact, only two countries in the world — Somalia and the United States — have not yet given the CRC legal force, although both have signed it.

United Nations: Convention on the Rights of the Child

Adopted and opened for signature, ratification and accession by
General Assembly resolution 44/25 of 20 November 1989
entry into force: 2 September 1990, in accordance with article 49

Ratification information

Preamble
The States Parties to the present Convention,

Considering that, in accordance with the principles proclaimed in the Charter of the United Nations, recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world,

Bearing in mind that the peoples of the United Nations have, in the Charter, reaffirmed their faith in fundamental human rights and in the dignity and worth of the human person, and have determined to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom,

Recognizing that the United Nations has, in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and in the International Covenants on Human Rights, proclaimed and agreed that everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth therein, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status,

Recalling that, in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the United Nations has proclaimed that childhood is entitled to special care and assistance,

Convinced that the family, as the fundamental group of society and the natural environment for the growth and well-being of all its members and particularly children, should be afforded the necessary protection and assistance so that it can fully assume its responsibilities within the community,

Recognizing that the child, for the full and harmonious development of his or her personality, should grow up in a family environment, in an atmosphere of happiness, love and understanding,

Considering that the child should be fully prepared to live an individual life in society, and brought up in the spirit of the ideals proclaimed in the Charter of the United Nations, and in particular in the spirit of peace, dignity, tolerance, freedom, equality and solidarity,

Bearing in mind that the need to extend particular care to the child has been stated in the Geneva Declaration of the Rights of the Child of 1924 and in the Declaration of the Rights of the Child adopted by the General Assembly on 20 November 1959 and recognized in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (in particular in articles 23 and 24), in the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (in particular in article 10) and in the statutes and relevant instruments of specialized agencies and international organizations concerned with the welfare of children, '

Bearing in mind that, as indicated in the Declaration of the Rights of the Child, "the child, by reason of his physical and mental immaturity, needs special safeguards and care, including appropriate legal protection, before as well as after birth",

Recalling the provisions of the Declaration on Social and Legal Principles relating to the Protection and Welfare of Children, with Special Reference to Foster Placement and Adoption Nationally and Internationally; the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Administration of Juvenile Justice (The Beijing Rules) ; and the Declaration on the Protection of Women and Children in Emergency and Armed Conflict,

Recognizing that, in all countries in the world, there are children living in exceptionally difficult conditions, and that such children need special consideration,

Taking due account of the importance of the traditions and cultural values of each people for the protection and harmonious development of the child,

Recognizing the importance of international co-operation for improving the living conditions of children in every country, in particular in the developing countries...

Read all Article here.

See here for the full BC Association of Social Workers (BCASW) Media Release:

From Words to Action: On the 19th Anniversary of the 1989 House of Commons Resolution to end child poverty, BCASW urges governments invest in social infrastructure

November 18th marks the nineteenth anniversary of the passage of the 1989 all-party resolution of the House of Commons to eradicate child poverty in Canada. The BC Association of Social Workers wants to remind all levels of government of that historic commitment to the health, wellbeing and human rights of the children of Canada.

November 20th 1989 was also the historic date that the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child was introduced to the world. Canada ratified their commitment to the human rights of all Canadian children on January 12th 1992. Sadly, as a whole, Canada has made very little progress toward the integration of the spirit and intent of that Convention, the transfer from theory into reality and practice.

Guess They were Serious: Lack of Transparency in Hiring of Victoria Police Chief leads to Resignation from Victoria Police Board

2008-11-19T12:04:00.000-08:00

Fireworks at the meeting of the Victoria Police Board
meeting, regarding the appointment of Jamie Graham
as the next Chief Constable of the Victoria Police Force.

Serious questions are being raised about the process
wherein Graham moved to the top of the list of candidates,
which included acting Chief Bill Naughton.

Victoria police board member quits over hiring
of new chief
CBC News.

Catherine Holt, a member appointed to the board, has
been reported to bring forward a motion at an in camera
meeting to learn more about the process. Her motion was
defeated, although we don't know by how many votes.
It appears she wanted more transparency and openness
around the decision-making of the process around the
selection and appointment of the winning candidate.

She also explained she thought that the appointment should
wait for the new mayor-elects of Victoria, Dean Fortin and
Esquimalt, Barb Desjardins, Chair and Vice Chair of the police
board, to be sworn in, before this important decision was made.
Ms. Holt also stated that she believed that the new Chair and
Vice Chair should be involved in that appointment.

Once her motion was defeated, Ms. Holt felt she could not
continue to participate in the process and she resigned her
position on the Victoria Police Board.

Holt said she couldn't remain a member of the outgoing
board and live up to her public duty if it planned to hire a
new police chief during its final days.

"There is public concern about the process, this
board and the candidate, and an incoming chair
and vice-chair have been identified, and in any
public governance situation I know of, those
people should be able to make the final decision,"
said Holt.

Barb Desjardins, speaking to the media, also pointed out
that Graham is considered a "controversial" person and
she too wants to know about the process of his selection
and why a recommendation was made if he was the
person selected. Seems reasonable to me, since she and
incoming Chair of the police board, Fortin, will have to
manage any problems that might arise out of this
appointment and ongoing business of the force.

See for yourself one of the only media pieces that exists
right now. Select Top Story for the News Final.

Late in the day, CBC finally posted a story on this.

It's quite interesting how this has been handled by the
media. On last night's Final News, GlobalTV mentioned
the story briefly, not nearly as detailed as the story on
their website here.

A story in the Victoria Times Colonist was removed for
most of the day, but late in the day was restored.
I suspect lawyers have been busy making phone calls
this morning.

Victoria police board member quits over hiring of
new chief
Says she's unhappy with decision to hire new police chief
before new mayors are on the job

Lowe said Holt's resignation was a surprise.
"To not have a motion passed and resign on the spot
doesn't do that position much justice," said Lowe, who
added Holt was removed from the selection committee
because of "conflict of interest."

The process has taken six months and cannot start
again as it would take another three months before
someone could be hired and some candidates would
not be willing to go through it again, Lowe said.

Fortin and Desjardins were at the board meeting as
observers to be briefed on the hiring process.

After the meeting, Desjardins said she was satisfied
and Fortin, who, before he was elected, asked for
the choice to be delayed, said he was ready to
live with the decision.

"The board makes the decision and it's our responsibility
to move forward when the contracts are finalized.
This is about building for the future," said Fortin,
who will be asking for an external review of the
police department."

I think Mr. Fortin might want to expand the
terms of reference for that review to examine
outgoing Mayor Alan Lowe's actions as Chair of
the Police Board through the whole messy business.
His comments about Ms. Holt being removed from the selection
process is very, very curious. Why would he tell the public
and media something like that and label it conflict of interest,
when Ms. Holt appears to be the one who was quite transparent
and excused herself from the final selection because of potential
bias against two of the candidates, because she was a witness in
an investigation. More and more questions arise about it all.

New questions also arise as to whether Graham will now be
subject to disciplinary action after being found guilty of
"disreputable conduct" under the Police Act for his failure
to cooperate in the investigation of police misconduct by
the RCMP regarding the 50 affidavits submitted by
Pivot Legal Society on behalf of Vancouver citizens who
complained of abuse at the hands of police.

PCC's Decision Ordering Investigation into 3rd Party
Complaint Against Vancouver Chief Constable Graham

The final nail in the coffin though is the recent report issued
by Delta, B.C.
Police Chief Jim Cessford, who found Graham guilty
of "disreputable conduct" under the Police Act.

Cessford stated: "It is my view that there is clear
and convincing evidence that Chief Graham
committed, through his inaction, the Code of
Conduct offence of discreditable conduct."

This is no small issue, a thorough investigation, by another
police official, found former Chief Constable Jamie Graham
guilty of breaching theCode of Professional Conduct in failing
to cooperate and ensure cooperationby officers under his
authority in the investigation into complaints of disreputable
conduct, including physical assaults against marginalized
and vulnerable citizens, many of whom have poor physical
and mentalhealth, by some officers of the Vancouver Police
Department.

Apparently the Office of the Police Complaints
Commissioner won't comment until the appointment is
confirmed. No-one from the Victoria Police Board is
willing to confirm Graham got the job.

Sounds like management material for Victoria to me. One
thing we might be wonder is that if Graham, or his people
in blue happen to stumble on some unseemly, or harmful
information in "Politiciantown" if he might be a better bet
for keeping it under wraps than other selections.

One has to seriously question the judgment and smarts of the
Police Board over this hiring. We can't even begin to figure out
the dynamics at play within the Victoria Police Depart-
ment, but I can't fathom why this Board would appoint
someone with such a seriously flawed public record of managing
in his previous gig as Chief Constable of the Vancouver
Police Department. It's not like his past is hidden away.

Graham has a well established history of showing public
and open disregard for the rights of poor citizens and for
the Police Act he was working under. He dismissed the
findings of the RCMP that some of the affidavits had merit
and apparently encouraged members not to cooperate
with the RCMP in that investigation.

Prior to hiring him and putting him on Victoria's
books, a little due diligence might be in order.
A good question to ask on behalf of the citizens
of Victoria - just how many investigations has
Jamie Graham been the subject of over his
career in policing? It's a pretty relevant question.

Another little tid bit many may not remember is that
Graham, as Vancouver's Police Chief, overspent one
year's budget by $5 million. At the time I couldn't help
but wonder why he wasn't terminated then.
If any CEO overspent like that, and that is what a Chief
Constable is, they are fired in the private sector. So why
was it okay for that to happen in the civil service? His
overspending was absorbed by the City of Vancouver
and its' taxpayers.

From BC Liberals Suck: Vancouver City Police news
Thursday, June 09, 2005

Vancouver's top cop highest paid city employee
CBC News, (Jun 7 2005). VANCOUVER –

Vancouver's chief of police was the highest paid employee
on the civic payroll last year. According to the city's 2004
statement of financial information, Chief Jamie Graham
took home more than $223,000. But a police spokesperson
says that amount included back pay for missed vacation time
and a $16,000 bonus. The board decided not to pay
Graham a bonus this year.

Police chief defends overspending
CBC News, (Oct 29 2004). VANCOUVER –

Vancouver Police Chief Jamie Graham isn't making any
apologies for the fact his department has come up more
than $5 million over budget.

FROM OCT. 28, 2004: Police spending drives city into red

Police Accountability Endorsed
By charlie smith, (2-Dec-2004 ). The Georgia Straight.

From BC Revolution: Graham's Incompetence

A litany of media stories and quotes abouth Graham's
very public role as top cop in Vancouver.

Some particularly important ones:

Vancouver Police Chief spending taxpayers money
like he is the King of Vancouver.
October 29, 2004

November 9, 2004
To bring you all up to date, the above mentioned
"over-expenditure of five million dollars" is not at
all the result of "unexpected expenditures", as hard
to believe as that already is to accept. Rather it is
in fact a continuation of a pattern of over-expenditure
that saw this same "Chief" of the VPD spend more
than three million more LAST YEAR than he
was lawfully allowed under BOTH the Vancouver
Charter AND Police Act.

Here is another VERY interesting bit entitled:

CTV exposes Graham's connection to Hong Kong
criminal network. Click on the video link under the
Graham's Incompetence collection of stories.

"Ho has been transferring large sums of money to
various VPD fundraisers. Ho is filmed in the above video
at a VPD ODD squad fundraiser dinner."

Ho has been reported to contribute money to the
Vancouver Police Foundation.

The stories mention "Ho was caught by the VPD with
a large sum of cocaine, yet the VPD dismissed all
charges...."

"Ho's family is one of the many Hong Kong members of the
Big Circle crime syndicate that was recently exposed
(in a W5 passport scandal report) as having close ties to
the upper brass within the RCMP and Federal government. "

VPD says Graham will be cleared in current
controversy
By Charlie Smith. Georgia Straight. Dec. 1 2005.

Vancouver police Chief Jamie Graham is being investigated
under the Police Act in connection with donations to the
Vancouver Police Foundation.

According to the VPD release, a "senior member" of the
department had concerns about tax issues and asked
for a review by the RCMP commercial crime section. "
The results of the investigation conducted by the RCMP,
assisted by the Canada Customs and Revenue Agency,
was that there was no wrongdoing by anyone and that
was confirmed by a Special Prosecutor appointed by the
Attorney General's office," the VPD stated.

The VPD claimed in its news release that media falsely
stated that Ho had paid for hotel rooms at a conference
of the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police in Vancouver
in 2004. "

In any mass conference booking of hotel rooms it is
common for the hotel to include a few complimentary
rooms," the VPD purported. "Chief Graham and two
other executives of the CACP stayed in those rooms and
all others were billed."

The VPD also insisted in the news release that Graham
will be cleared because the investigation concerns the
same issue that the RCMP already reviewed.

Ho is a former Vancouver police-board member
and owner of MCL Motor Cars. Several years ago,
the Burrard Street dealership supplied a Jaguar,
decked out in RCMP colours, to the North Vancouver
RCMP detachment for community relations. At the
time, Graham was the commanding officer in North
Vancouver.

Vancouver police chief faces investigation
CBC News.

Vancouver police Chief Jamie Graham is under investigation
by the Police Complaints Commissioner for leaving a
used target practice sheet with bullet holes through the
head of the silhouette on the desk of the city manager.
The chief had written on the sheet:

"A bad day at the range is better than the best day at work."

**********************************************
After the gong show that the whole Battershill fiasco
turned into and read more about that saga here, I think
it's a really fair question: why didn't the Board see fit
to promote from within? Why was Bill Naughton
good enough to be promoted and sit in the Chief's
Chair at one of the worst times in the force's history,
serving for over a year, but he wasn't deemed
suitable, or good enough for the permanent job?

I agree wholeheartedly with Ms. Holt that Victoria citizens
and taxpayers deserve more transparency and information
about the process for Graham's appointment. What makes
this quite interesting is Ms. Holt is a BC Liberal appointee
to the Victoria Police Board. She's also a well respected
management consultant with the Sage Group of
Management Consultants.

For someone with Ms. Holt's experience and calibre to be
so deeply concerned about the process and timing of
Graham's appointment we should all be listening. The fact
that she would take such a public stand in resigning from
the Board over this is a signal that there is much more to
the story than people are being told and I think it is a
sign of deep integrity for Ms. Holt to show courage in
standing up for her convictions.

Too bad the rest of the current and future Victoria
Police Board don't appear to be quite as interested in
transparency and due diligence as Ms. Holt and Ms.
Desjardins. I suspect the potential folly of that will be
seen in the future, depending on the choice the Vic
Police Board makes. And they should choose wisely,
many are watching.

A Little Brevity, Homage & Celebration

2008-11-16T19:04:00.000-08:00

You have not lived until you have seen the Flight of the
Conchords. They both rock my World and make me laugh
parts of my anatomy off. If I were to engage in some of
that passe netspeak, I would say they make me ROTFL!

Flight of the Conchords Ep 7 'Mutha Uckers'

The Conchords are now on Comedy Network every week.
Check them out to bring some brevity and absurdity to
your otherwise staid and boring day.
************************************
The Place to Be This Week:

100 years of South Asian Presence in Canada
November 17-23

Various FREE Some amazing events centred on this
special anniversary

South Asian Events blog

South Asians first arrived in Canada at the end of the
nineteenth century, and by 1908, approximately 5,000
were reported to be resident in British Columbia.
That year, the Canadian government introduced the
Continuous Journey requirement seeking to prohibit
further South Asian migration into the country.

In 1914, Gurdit Singh, a Punjabi, chartered the Komagata
Maru and a group of 376 South Asians passengers sailed
to Canada to challenge this racist law. Although they were
forced to return to India, they dealt a serious blow to the
‘Keep Canada White’ policies of the white settler society.

A group of South Asian academics, activists and community
groups have come together to organize a week-long series
of events in November (17- 23), 2008, to mark over one
hundred years of South Asian presence in Canada, and to
commemorate the 100th year anniversary of the Continuous
Journey requirement. These events will pay homage to
the struggles waged by South Asian communities in the past,
celebrate our achievements, and build alliances as we
face the challenges of the 21st century.

We would like to acknowledge that we reside on the lands
of the Indigenous peoples / First Nations and support them
in their ongoing struggle for self determination from racist
settler-colonialism.

Beats Without Borders

CD Remix Party Delhi2Dublin Delhi 2 Dublin
Thursday, Nov. 20th -
The Red Room (398 Richards)
Vancouver

Check 'em out here and here

If you like non-stop dance & good vibes, then this is
the show for you.

Komagatamaru Heritage Foundation

Way to go Vancouver: Kickin' it NewSchool

2008-11-16T09:47:00.001-08:00

Now, congratulations are well in order for the Vision
Vancouver/COPE win and the well deserved routing the
NPA took. However, we can't escape the serious problem
that only approximately 26 per cent of voters showed
up to vote in this most important of elections.

I'm sure there are lots of reasons for this, but I don't
really care what excuses people have for not going to
the ballot box. Voter apathy, election burnout, no-one
to vote for, politicians are all the same. Blah, blah,
blah. There are people all over this planet who don't have
the right to vote, people who fight and die to bring that
right to their people and nations. It's time for a serious
re-think of what democracy means to Canadians.

Most of us may not realize it, but when we take things for
granted, they are at the most risk of being taken from us.
Democracy is in many ways on shaky ground here in Canada.
Looking at this election makes that very apparent. Somewhere
around 26% of Vancouver's population voted in our new government.
That means close to 75% did not vote for the new government.
It was the same in the federal election, with similar splits.

Now, I happen to think that 26% voted for the right people
to lead Vancouver into the next 3 years, but that's my bias.
What it always come down to is that one team got the vote
out better than the other.

And, as Larry Campbell, former Vancouver mayor and now
Senator in Ottawa, mentioned, Vision Vancouver is a party
of the present and future. They got the vote out by using
Web 2.0 technologies in the most effective ways - Facebook,
Twitter, text messaging. It worked to engage a wide range
of voters, including young people, in this election. It's
a lesson all political parties should learn well.

The NPA was hampered by infighting, by the lack of a cohesive
team and has again, self-destructed, like we saw in 2002.
I'm not sure the leadership of the NPA is given to any self-
reflection, but this is the time to engage in some of that.
The party was ripped apart by internal politics, a pattern
they can't seem to get away from.

I feel bad for Peter Ladner, who is certainly not a bad guy,
or leader. He may well be asking "Et Tu Brutus?" this morning.
It's probably the appropriate thing to be asking after
everything that's gone down in the last week, regarding
Millenium. That money trail is still going to be followed
to find out where the pots of Vancouver taxpayer gold have
gone.

I also hope all the NPA folks who ran and lost, especially
those who had the privilege of serving Vancouver, give some
serious thought and analysis to why they were voted out. Some
pretty big mistakes and misjudgments were made about very
basic things, Politics 101. Time for some lessons to be
learned.

Final Results from CBC Election Report

Gregor Robertson - Mayor Elect - 67598

City Council

Raymond Louie of Vision Vancouver - 66226
Heather Deal of Vision Vancouver - 63116
George Chow of Vision Vancouver - 62262
Kerry Jang of Vision Vancouver - 60598
Andrea Reimer of Vision Vancouver - 59148
Tim Stevenson of Vision Vancouver - 58380
David Cadman of COPE - 56665
Suzanne Anton of the NPA - 52941
Geoff Meggs of Vision Vancouver - 49538
Ellen Woodsworth of COPE - 45877

School Board

BACCHUS, Patti (Vision) - 64451
LOMBARDI, Mike (Vision)- 62772
CLEMENT, Ken (Vision)- 62096
GREGSON, Sharon E. (Vision)- 61417
WONG, Allan (COPE) - 56027
BLAKEY, Al (COPE) - 49045
BOUEY, Jane (COPE)- 48227
Ken Denike (NPA)- 46777
GIBSON, Carol (NPA)- 46048

Parks Board

BARNES, Constance (Vision)- 62973
JASPER, Aaron (Vision)- 58343
BLYTH, Sarah (Vision)- 567756 (?)
WOODCOCK, Loretta (COPE)- 49901
HUNDAL, Raj Vision)- 48871
MACKINNON, Stuart (Green) - 48415
ROBERTSON, Ian (NPA) - 44005

Other good news from Metro Vancouver:

Dianne Watts of Surrey wins the mayor chair again,
for a second time. Ms. Watts is the blueprint
of how to make change on a large scale and politicians
and would-be politicians should be looking to her
leadership style and substance for lessons in how to
bring positive change and team building to their
municipalities.

Derrick Corrigan won Burnaby again.

Now, one might hope that the election of a progressive
majority of mayors in Metro Vancouver and other
municipalities around the province signals to the BC
Liberals that the alarm is sounding off for change.
It ain't just Obama's slogan:

It is Time for a Change

And all around BC voters are getting out and delivering
that change for all of us.

Follow the Money Trail – Part 2: All Good Things Seem to Lead to Liberals

2008-11-13T15:44:00.000-08:00

The revelations just keep getting better & better about the
whole Millenium gong show. This from CBC:

Vancouver mayoral candidates return Millennium's
donations

Both Vancouver mayoral candidates have rejected campaign
contributions from Millennium Development Corp., the builder
of the controversial Olympic Athletes Village for the 2010
Games.

Non-Partisan Association's Peter Ladner said
Millennium delivered a $2,000 cheque to him last
week.

Vision Vancouver's Gregor Robertson said he received
Millennium's $1,000 donation cheque Wednesday.

Understatement of the Year
"The timing of it is troubling given that decisions have
been made and driven in secret by the NPA and campaign
donations are arriving after the fact," Robertson said.
"I think we need to ask hard questions about where the
dollars come from and why?"

Ladner's copy of the report turned up on fellow NPA
councillor B.C. Lee's desk two days later, and Vancouver
police are now investigating the incident at the request of
Mayor Sam Sullivan.

Valerie Wan, a senior consultant for Millennium,
told CBC News Wednesday that the developer has
donated just under $10,000 to the Nov. 15 civic
election to both the NPA and Vision Vancouver.
************************************************
So, bit of a question here: exactly how much has
Millenium donated to the NPA and Vision Vancouver
over the past few years? How about individuals
associated with Millenium and Armeco?
Where did the other $7000 donated by Millenium go?

While the police are investigating, they might want to
expand things a little and get copies of the daytimers
and meeting schedules of mayor and city council going back
to, oh I don't know, the time when Olympic venue contract
bids were getting sorted out. No lobbyist registry at
Vancouver city hall. Yet.

Also, police might want to have a look at disclosure statements
by city councillors, re: any gifts from Millenium, or Armeco.

From the City of Vancouver webpage:

Campaign financing

Candidates and elector organizations will be required to
provide the chief election officer with up-to-date contact
information and must file financial disclosure statements
if they incur election expenses or receive campaign
contributions. Campaign organizers only need to file this
information if they incur election expenses or receive
campaign contributions in excess of $500.
**************************************************

It's quite interesting the kind of things we can learn when
looking at the Campaign Financing Disclosure statements
from the last election.

Peter Ladner received $2500 from Concord Pacific on
October 28th 2005. They were one of the contenders in
the Olympic Village bid too.
Rennie Marketing Systems handed over $1000 on
October 3rd 2005.
Apparently a lot of individuals contributed too and their
names were blanked out. One very generous soul gave
Mr. Ladner $3000 on October 5th 2005. Wonder
who? It looks like their last name begins with an S.

Vancouver Election Spending Out of Control
Prone to fraud, few limits, and a whopping $30 spent per
vote.
A Tyee special report. By Monte Paulsen
Published: October 31, 2007

Excerpt$:

The right-leaning Non Partisan Association and its 26
candidates reported raising more than $2 million for the
November 2005 election. The NPA itself reported only
$603,887 in party donations, 81 per cent of which came
from corporations.

The balance was raised by the NPA candidates themselves.
Mayor Sam Sullivan led the pack, with reported donations
of more than $490,000. Like the NPA, Sullivan's money
flowed overwhelmingly from corporate donors.

The centre-left Vision Vancouver party reported raising a
total of $1.357 million during the 2005 election period.
Unlike the NPA, Vision's candidates did not also mount
individual fundraising efforts.

Vision reported taking 73 per cent of its money from corporate
donors, 15 per cent from individuals, 12 per cent from labour
unions and the balance from various non-profit organizations.

The left-leaning Coalition of Progressive Electors reported
raising $532,852 during the 2005 election period. COPE took
69 per cent of its 2005 funds from labour unions, and less than
5 per cent from business.

NPA (Civic Non-Partisan Association)
Campaign Financing Disclosure Statement

Notable Donations to NPA coffers:

- Paul Barbeau – Barbeau, Evans & Goldstein: $2066
(or $2086) on August 24th 2005.

- Mark Marissen – Marissen Holdings Inc.: $417.30 on
October 13th 2005

- Patrick Kinsella – Progressive Strategies Ltd.: $417.30
on August 24th & October 5th 2005

- Concord Pacific donated $14,000 on October 26th 2005.

Canadian National Railway Company - $25,000 on
November 9th 2005. Just what does a Montreal based
company have to do with the NPA and why would they
donate such a generous amount to their campaign?

Total amount of donations declared: $1,157,641.74

Much of the information is vetted, especially individual donors.

Vision Vancouver
Campaign Financing Disclosure Statement
Supplementary Financing Disclosure Statement
(November 14, 2007)

Concert Properties - $1580 on March 18th & May 30th
2005

Concord Pacific – Total $48,250

Eagle Medallion Fortress Investment Corp.–
Total: $169,994.80
Why is the Calgary based firm so interested in a new upstart
Political party? Well, whatever the linkage, it’s interesting,
because apparently Steve Lefevre, described as the
“beneficial owner of EMFIC was arrested in the United States
on charges that appear to be related to online gambling.

Vision OK with campaign gift
Recently convicted donor had given $170,000
Christina Montgomery, The Province
Published: Monday, July 16, 2007

Great Canadian Casino – Total: $30,750.

Millenium’s donations are all broken down into separate
donations, $500 for what appears to be each holding company:

Total: $3000

Rennie Marketing Systems: Total: $75,639.

Xiang Enterprises Ltd. - $30,680 from a mystery company,
whose director is listed as a Dario Giannandrea from Montreal.

CUPE BC: $72,700

Total donations to Vision: $1,389,089.66

COPE (Coalition of Progressive Electors)
Campaign Financing Disclosure Statement
Supplementary Disclosure

Total donations: $525,740.81

No real surprises here, trade unions donated the most:

CUPE BC, different CUPE locals, HEU, Vancouver
Elementary Teachers

Labour/Union total: $360,511.13

Concord Pacific Group donated a total of $9250.

***********************************************
Sweeet, more to add to the investigations and Olympic
Contract Inquiry. If Millenium has this kind of money
to be throwing VANOC’s way, why are they bellying
back up to the Vancouver trough for more taxpayer
funds?

Millennium joins team as Official Supplier of the
Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter
Games

Developer of Olympic and Paralympic Village
Vancouver now on board

Vancouver, March 20, 2008 – The Vancouver Organizing
Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter
Games (VANOC) today welcomed the Millennium
Development Corporation to its team as an Official
Supplier through a financial contribution to VANOC
of $3 million.

Awarded the contract by the City of Vancouver in
April 2006, Millennium is the developer of the Millennium
Water project that will serve as the Olympic and Paralympic
Village Vancouver during the 2010 Winter Games.

Through this partnership, Millennium obtains Official Supplier
rights, which enhance the organization’s ability to market
this unique development in conjunction with the 2010 Winter
Games.

From the Vancouver 2010 Supplier page:

Millennium Development Corporation is an Official Supplier and
is the developer of the Millennium Water project that will serve as
the Olympic and Paralympic Village Vancouver during the 2010
Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.

Entire council agrees to lie-detector test on city hall
report leak
Chad Skelton and Darah Hansen, Vancouver Sun
Published: Thursday, November 13, 2008

Furlong speaks to the Vancouver Board of Trade:

Furlong calls on business community to step up to
welcome the world in 2010
Nov 13, 2008

Strong leadership from the community, changes to business
operations, a warm welcome to visitors and support for
Canada’s athletes were among the Business Top Ten List
shared by Furlong to ensure successful and unforgettable
Winter Games in 2010.

ZNet - Vancouver Olympics Sustainability

CanWest: Oh the Times They Are A-Changin'

2008-11-13T08:45:00.000-08:00

Seems CanWest has fallen on tough times, or at least their
soon-to-be former employees have. Around 560 of them are
getting the axe: 210 in broadcasting and 350 in publishing,
which is 5 per cent ofCanWest's 10,478 employees in Canada.

CanWest axes 560 jobs
Globe & Mail. November 12, 2008.

TORONTO — Burdened by debt, CanWest Global
Communications Corp. is cutting 560 jobs from its operations,
hoping to buy itself breathing room to withstand an economic
downturn.

Canada's largest media company, which owns the Global
Television network and daily newspapers in major cities across
the country, is hoping to cut $61-million from its annual
operating costs.

In recent months, the firm has moved closer to breaching one of
its bank covenants amid a slumping economy that is sapping
advertising dollars from the industry.

Canwest cuts 560 jobs Canada-wide
CBC.

Here's links to Investor Relations that will detail a bit more
about the pertinent details:

3rd Quarter Results News Release 165K
3rd Quarter 2008 Interim Report to Shareholders:
Canwest Global Communications Corp. 1,710K

Wonder what the Communications, Energy and
Paperworkers Union (CEP) is going to have to say about
all of this?

I have a suggestion for cost cutting measures for
CanWest:

STOP SUING PEOPLE & the CANADIAN GOVERNMENT!

Do you really not see the painful irony in filing civil lawsuits against
free speech activists while launching the multi-million dollar
David Asper Centre for Constitutional Rights

That $7.5 million donated might have been used in other ways.
It's all rather confusing and one might wonder if the donated funds
are going to file, or fight, constitutional challenges?

This is a step in the right direction, CanWest needs to do
more of this:

Canwest retreats - drops suit against Mordecai
Briemberg

The campaign will continue until Canwest also abandons
legal action against Gordon Murray and Carel Moiseiwitsch,
who produced the parody in June 2007 that satirized Canwest’s
well-known anti-Palestinian and pro-Israel bias. Canwest’s
founder, Izzy Asper, described the media conglomerate in
2003 as “the strongest supporter of Israel in Canada.”

CanWest sues over Vancouver Sun parody
The Information Policy Blog

CanWest huffs and puffs while free speech burns
Straight.com

CanWest Global Attacks Drug Ad Laws
Posted in February 1st, 2008 by Rob Wipond

Big Pharma isn’t the one fighting to legalize pushing
amphetamines during Degrassi reruns; it’s CanWest Global
(owners of the Victoria Times-Colonist, Global TV, CH TV,
Vancouver Sun, Vancouver Province, Dose, Metro etc).

CanWest has launched a lawsuit under the Charter
of Rights and Freedoms, trying to tear down
Canada’s limits on pharmaceutical advertising.

Currently, prescription drugs can be advertised to the
general public in two ways: the ad names a drug without
describing what it treats, or the ad discusses an illness
without mentioning a drug name.

Update October 2008: The case of CanWest
Mediaworks vs Canada is scheduled to resume
hearings in January, 2009.

Go here to view a video for more information.
Media Blackout: CanWest Global Attacks Drug
Ad Laws

The Plot Thickens: Vancouver City Hall prepares for Investigation Season

2008-11-12T17:44:00.000-08:00

Well, well, well, the stew is thickening. Lots of new investigations
on the way, I'm sure there will be some interesting things turning
up, but not in time for Saturday's civic election. Voters better
choose wisely at the polls to make sure justice is done in
Vancouver as we head into the Olympics.

Maybe while the police are investigating they might look into
allegations of some other things, such as coercion,
secret commissions and breach of trust related to this
statement from Gary Mason, who broke the story for the Globe
& Mail, which brings up some excellent questions:

"Details of the city's involvement in bailing out the
project's cash-strapped developer have until now been
kept secret. Councillors are under a publication ban
and have been told they face serious repercussions if
they discuss publicly the decisions taken at the in
camera meeting."

So, the Vancouver Police Department should be examining
who instituted a publication ban? When? What repercussions
have been threatened against the parties and Who would
mete them out? Would those repercussions use City funds
to enact them?

And, since Phillip Owen and Larry Campbell are johnny's
on the spot in explaining how all sorts of deals and contracts
are made in camera at Van City Hall. I'm sure they will
make good witnesses to interview.

Also, it should be confirmed, or denied as to whether Tim
Stephenson introduced a motion to bring all of this out in
the open so taxpayers and citizens could learn more about
it before the city provided more money to a private
corporation, which may, or may not, be alleged to have ties
to the NPA. That seems like an important question for the
VPD to be looking into too.

In Lo down on the city's $100 million loan Allen Garr,
of the Vancouver Courier says that Stephenson did. He writes:

"And, just so you know, before that in camera meeting Vision
Vancouver Coun. Tim Stevenson moved a motion at council
to have all matters to do with the Millennium deal made public.
The NPA majority first delayed him then ruled him out of order.
More to the point, this whole arrangement with Millennium
was an NPA deal from the beginning. Ladner and his crew will
have to wear that. ..."

It's also a great thing that Vancouver City Hall has "whistleblower"
policies too. I have a feeling those are going to come in handy
soon.

Whistleblowers Get Some Protection at Vancouver City
Hall

Administrative Report: Whistleblowing Policy.
Standing Committee on Planning & Environment.
Vancouver City Council, May 15th, 2008.

From the Pivot NewsWire

City lacked legal authority for $100m secret meeting
For immediate release – November 12, 2008

Vancouver – Pivot Legal Society has filed a complaint with the
Provincial Ombudsman alleging that the City of Vancouver did
not have legal authority to withhold information from the public
about a $100m Olympic village loan guarantee.

“This complaint targets all three major municipal parties
represented on council right now,” said Laura Track, housing
campaigner with Pivot. “To our knowledge, not one councillor
stepped up and voted against holding the meeting in secret or
insisted on public debate.”

City of Vancouver bylaws allow in camera meetings when
discussion of the “acquisition, disposition, or expropriation”
of land or improvements would harm the interests of the City.
The complaint points out that the $100m loan guarantee raised
none of those issues. The complaint also raises concerns about
statements made by City staff.

Police to investigate disappearance of confidential
Olympic Village documents
Last Updated: Wednesday, November 12, 2008 6:09 PM ET
CBC News

Five Things That Make Me Wonder What The $100
Million Bailout Is Really For, Exactly (v3.0)...
Gazetteer.

The Banana Republic of Vancouver?
What the hell goes on at City Hall with 100 million
taxpayer dollars?

Read the Comments, seems that Mr. A.G.Tsakumis has
taken exception to your intrepid editor's story and is in the
process of bursting a blood vessel, or having a stroke, or
something.

Vancouver may loan Millennium up to $100-million

Firefighters union endorses Robertson for mayor
Every Vision candidate backed except for one

They Can't be Serious: Jamie Graham for Victoria Police Chief?

2008-11-11T08:59:00.000-08:00

It broke yesterday that Jamie Graham, former police chief
of the Vancouver Police Department is being considered for
the top cop job in Victoria. I've got two things to say to that
one: They can't be serious? And Hell No!

Victoria's Police Department has been a tangled, sordid mess
for some time now. Rank and file members have been very
unhappy and morale has been low for quite a while. Why you
might ask? Well, like many organizations, politics and bureaucracy
are at the heart of the problems.

Paul Battershill was brought in from Vancouver as police chief in 1999.
I suspect that's where his problems began. Internal politics went into
play, with whomever was eying his chair quite likely nursing a grudge
and waiting for an opportunity to get rid of him.

Reports were that as top cop, he brought a progressive and more
human side to that job. He was known to make his presence on the
street felt, talking with the homeless and taking a more liberal
approach, which may have raised the ire of the powers that be in the
local business community, who favoured a more punitive approach
to criminalizing poverty.

Keith Baldrey called it a "palace coup" and it seems pretty accurate
to describe the unfolding of Battershill's demise as Victoria's top cop.
Shadowy reports of "senior officers" and chummy local businessman &
real estate developer, Gerald Hartwig, bringing forward "allegations of
wrongdoing" that set the stage for one of the most sordid little power plays
openly seen in BC's policing. The fact that Hartwig was the Liberal Party
Election Readiness chairman brings another interesting twist to this dirty
little bit of business. Seems as though Mr. Hartwig has a great deal of
influence in Victoria, what with his high profile real estate deals, his
position on the Liberal Riding Association and on the Victoria Chamber
of Commerce, another breeding ground of BC Liberals friends and insiders.

At the end of the day, after a complete investigation, it was alleged
Battershill was not guilty of any criminal offence, and he engaged in
no financial improprieties. However his reputation was in the gutter with
the allegation he had a personal relationship with Marli Rusen,
the Heenan Blaikie LLP labour lawyer, who the Victoria PD hired to offer
advice and draft contracts to provide severance pay for former staff.
Ms. Rusen has filed a lawsuit against her former employers, who initiated
a Law Society complaint against her. One might wonder what Ms. Rusen
got a window into in her time with the Liberal law firm of choice.

Police complaints commissioner Dirk Ryneveld, in his review of the matter,
concluded that "private persons of considerable influence," allies of
said unnamed shadowy "senior officers," were also behind the allegations
and downfall of Battershill.

Battershill was tarnished as having lost the confidence of the police
board. Whether any of this was warranted, or not, it wasn't an option for
him to return to a police force beset by rumours and dissension in the ranks.
It would have been virtually impossible for him to return and lead the force
at that point and he was forced to resign. A succcessful and bloody coup for
those who wanted him gone.

PCC's Reasons for Decision Whether to Hold a Public Hearing
re The Battershill Investigation (Sept. 2008).

Here are some of the reasons Graham makes a poor choice for
this job:

Under his leadership, there was a great deal of poor leadership
regarding hiring of new police officers.

I happened to know two individuals who applied to the VPD, while
it was under Graham's watch. Being somewhat biased, but also
not stupid, I can say categorically, Vancouver would have been
lucky to get two fine individuals such as these. Both educated, bright,
very experienced in fields that relate to policing, people who if you
had to have a cop show up at your house, you would want these kind
of folks. And guess what, while local headlines were screaming for new
cops, both of these people were turned down for reasons that were not
abundantly clear. One was hired into another force and quickly moved
up the ranks, in recognition of his value and work. The other moved
into other areas of work. That was Vancouver's loss.

Graham's "leadership" again, saw him shamefully deny the
kinds of abuses some of his officers were undertaking on the
job as it concerned 50 affidavits introduced by Pivot Legal
Society.

Additionally, Graham's continuing lack of leadership and
accountability for his members cooperation of internal
complaints of misconduct against citizens was duly noted
by the Police Complaints Commissioner.
He went so far as to suggest that a retired judge, or justice should
be brought in to conduct an Audit of the handling of public complaints
against officers. That speaks to a core issue of a lack of leadership
and integrity in ensuring that the police force was aware of it's
obligations to the human rights and dignity of the public its members'
are sworn to uphold.

After a thorough RCMP investigation into the complaints in 2004,
the RCMP advised in its' completed report that in their learned
and informed opinion, some of the complaints were substantiated.

What was Graham's response? He continued to assert that none of
the complaints were substantied. He continued to ignore Pivot's
and the citizen's complaints. He denied that the RCMP's report had
any merit and he continued to shield his officers from accountability.

Graham's lack of personal judgment in such serious matters speaks
deeply to problems of morality and ethical integrity as a leader and
as one who is sworn to uphold the public good and that cannot be
overlooked.

The fact that Graham booked it out of Vancouver, as Chief Constable,
prior to the completion of an investigation into his conduct, also speaks
to his commitment to accountability. With retired status, there is no
recourse to his actions while on the job. Jim Chu, the new Police Chief,
immediately distinguished himself as a very different kind of leader,
by issuing a statement of apology about the circumstances surrounding
the complaints brought forward by Pivot and committing the force to
providing "quality police service," encouraging citizens to come forward
with "issues" so that the force could continue to improve it's service.

Graham's statements refuting the findings of the investigation, that he
was found guilty of disreputable conduct for his actions as chief related
to the Pivot and public complaints is also a red flag. Had he made a
statement admitting that he respected the decision and has given the
entire process some thought and wished he had handled it differently,
maybe his reputation could have been mended somewhat. Unfortunately,
he presented himself as lacking in judgment, integrity and a failure to
learn and grow from past mistakes and offer a better role model to police
in the province.

There are many police officers with a high degree of integrity and ethics
in the province of BC. There are many who do the right thing every day
on the job. Many of them saw what their brothers and sisters on the lines
were up to and probably wanted to ensure that a stop was put to behaviour
which brought a black mark to everyone on the force. One might wonder
how those types sometimes faired with Jamie Graham as their leader,
setting the bureaucratic and ethical tone of the policing organizations he
was in charge of.

It's also worth taking a read of the Police Commissioner's Decision
into Pivot's complaint about Graham too (June 2007).

PCC's Decision Ordering Investigation into 3rd Party Complaint Against
Vancouver Chief Constable Graham

The final nail in the coffin though is the recent report issued by
Delta, B.C. Police Chief Jim Cessford, who found Graham guilty
of "disreputable conduct" under the Police Act. Cessford stated:
"It is my view that there is clear and convincing evidence
that Chief Graham committed, through his inaction, the
Code of Conduct offence of discreditable conduct."

This is no small issue, a thorough investigation, by another police official,
found former Chief Constable Jamie Graham guilty of breaching the
Code of Professional Conduct in failing to cooperate and ensure cooperation
by officers under his authority in the investigation into complaints of
disreputable conduct, including physical assaults against marginalized
and vulnerable citizens, many of whom have poor physical and mental
health, by some officers of the Vancouver Police Department.

New police chief may be Vancouver's old chief
Global TV reporting that Jamie Graham has either been picked
or is on shortlist

An interesting bit to speculate about concerns the political use and
influence of police boards. I do not know why the fact that mayors
sit as chair of police boards is not considered a conflict of interest.
It very clearly is. It lends very little credibility to the importance
of the role of Chair of a Police Board. One might also wonder about
the influence the ruling parties of the day have concerning political
appointees. One can see some of the problems associated with
Liberal appointees to the Victoria Police Board. There are five
members appointed by the BC Liberals to this board, which outnumbers
the elected officials of the local municipalities. And it's completely
unknown whether any of them have any kind of relevant experience,
or background in policing to such an important board. When examining
their work on the board, there is an appearance that appointees also
seem to simply blindly follow Alan Lowe's lead, Victoria's mayor, in
whatever he says. That's just clearly not the kind of leadership that is
warranted under these kind of circumstances.

As an interesting aside, the blogosphere has long wondered about the
true motivations of those who took Battershill down. The fact that
Gerald Hartwig, clearly a BC Liberal insider, is alleged to have helped
bring Battershill down via well timed, nebulous Freedom of Information
complaints, leading to unfounded allegations by "senior officers" is a fact
that shouldn't go unnoticed by many. Battershill was the top cop in a city of
politicians (many who have much, much to hide) in the midst of the
biggest corruption trial in BC's history - the sale of BC Rail and the
Raid on the Legislature.

There are many who speculate about whether Battershill got too close
to the truth about things and he needed to go down in flames, being
discredited as someone who may be in the running to be called as
a crucial witness if this scandal ever makes it to trial.

At the end of the day, one of the things all of this makes clear is that
there needs to be some massive changes in how leadership is viewed
in the arena of policing. A recent CBC investigation into the high number
of complaints of proven misconduct by police officers around BC
proves that there are some major problems in many forces and this
needs to be addressed. The labour market is being strained in every
sector. In some respects, for specialized types of work, such as policing,
the gene pool is extremely shallow. Police forces need to do their
homework well about who they are hiring.

In 2008, almost 2009, it's not enough for police leaders to simply push
away complaints about potential abuses of the public good, or the rights
of citizens to expect fair, competent and humane policing.

True leaders in the 21st century know that the mark of a good organization
is to build a foundation of ethics, integrity, transparency and accountability
at all levels. To act in the public good in all things and to attract and retain
people who uphold the most valuable of qualities and to either minimize
the harm from those who don't meet the standards, or get rid of them as
the risks and liabilities they are. That, is real leadership.

Fundamentally, the Victoria Police Board better conduct themselves
very wisely in their decision of who will become the next Chief of Police
in Victoria. The province is watching and the force faces some serious
challenges and deserves to have solid, ethical and consistent leadership
to forge the path ahead.

Events: Housing - People's Stop Work & Evictions

2008-11-10T21:14:00.000-08:00

Dear friends,

While the City of Vancouver is putting $100 million dollars
into the hands of private developers for the Olympic village,
the City has at the same time given permission to shut down
some of the precious social housing and affordable rental
housing units in the City.

Many of the units in the Little Mountain Housing Complex (LMHC)
have been boarded up, to intimidate the remaining tenants into
moving out. While thousands in Vancouver are homeless, more
than 200 homes now sit empty at Little Mountain.

224 homes will be destroyed years before the reconstruction begins.
A new development is about to begin on the site of 4545 Prince Albert
and 4550 Fraser Street; tenants of 126 low-end market rental units are
about to lose their homes.

The city of Vancouver's Rate-of-Change bylaw, which requires
one-to-one replacement of any rental housing converted or demolished,
does not require owners to rent to their former tenants, and cannot prevent
the new rent from being beyond the means of the former tenants.

Furthermore, the by-law excludes rental apartments in commercially-zoned
areas such as the 4500 block of Fraser Street, where 78 of the 126 units
to be redeveloped are slated for demolition.

What does this all mean? It means our friends and neighbours living in
these 350 units of housing are either being forced out of their familiar homes,
or in danger of becoming homeless.

On Wednesday Nov. 12, from 10-11am, please join us at Main Street
and 36th Avenue, to issue a people's "stop work order". We need to
protest the scandalous situation at LMHC and support the remaining
tenants.

On Thursday Nov. 13, from 10-11am, please join us at Fraser Street
and 29th Avenue, to support the Fraser Street tenants in the protest titled
"Getting Ready to Be Homeless".

David Chudnovsky - MLA, Vancouver Kensington

Something Stinks in Vancouver: Follow the Money Trail for Olympic Venues

2008-11-09T10:33:00.000-08:00

Well, well, well, it's not too often we get such a tasty little bit of
scandal dropping on us just days before we go to the ballot box
in a civic election, but that's exactly what has happened in
Vancouver. It's a complicated mess, but one well worth following.

What's It All About

The Olympic Athlete's Village is a P3, Public (Vancouver city)
-Private (Millenium) "Partnership." Research around the world has
established that these neo-Conservative plans virtually always end up
costing taxpayers much more, as the ideology behind them is to transfer
the risk of the project onto the backs of taxpayers vs. the corporations
who receive the bids. Taxpayers have little control, or even awareness,
of how the funds are being spent. When the money trails are followed,
they are often the work of lobbyists and political connections.

First off, credit should go to brilliant Betty Krawczyk. On February 3rd 2008, she wrote a story on her blog, For the Love of the Olympics, in which she detailed key information regarding the building of the Olympic Village. She also highlighted the tangled web of connections and linkages that are seeing Vancouver taxpayers having their money shoveled into the hungry mouths of shadowy transnational corporations.

To nut shell it, here is what we know right now:

- The Millennium Development Corporation received the contract
to build the Olympic Athlete's Village.
- Millenium is a subsidiary of the Armeco Group of Companies. When you hit on Amerco, it goes directly to the same link as Millenium. They are a transnational that reaches into several countries, with offices situated in France.

From The NPA may be in deep over the Olympic Village.

"Millenium is the development arm of the Armeco Group.
The NPA council picked Armeco's Millenium for the massive
(Olympic Village) deal, and Paul Barbeau was the President
of the NPA and the President of Armeco Construction Limited
in the years prior to the award."

- Millenium would kick in $193 million, $30 million as a down payment.
- The city of Vancouver has already advanced close to $30-million to
Millennium's lender, Fortress Investment Group.
- Millennium would also receive over $82 million for building the units.
- Vancouver would do the site fixing at another $153 million.
- There would be 1100 condos, 250 would "belong" to the City after
the games. The price of the condos would be between $500,000 and
$6 million and would be pre-sold. With the real estate market tanking,
it's not going to happen. Period.
- The City of Vancouver already signed on to a $190-million loan guarantee
to Fortress Investment Group, which provided a $683-million loan to Millennium.
- Two directors of Armeco Construction Ltd., Shahram and Sharokh
Malekyazdi, relatives of the founder of the company, partnered with Armeco
Group of Companies.
- The Malekyazdi's allegedly don't hold board meetings, have issued no shares to their company and have reportedly not filed the required annual financial papers (as of early November 2008) with the provincial Ministry of Finance.
- The only current director of Armeco Construction Ltd. is Paul Barbeau,
who was a recent head of the Vancouver civic NPA party.
From Barbeau's LinkedIn page:

President - Vancouver Civic Non-Partisan Association 2004 to 2006

Another curiosity, did Mr. Barbeau's law firm receive any corporate and commercial legal contracts from the city of Vancouver and the province,
involving Fortress, Millenium and Intrawest? What linkages does the Barbeau
firm have to Gordon Campbell and the BC Liberals?

See also, Lawyer denies he's in conflict over Olympic contract
February 14, 2007

Conflict of interest alleged in 2010 bid

Vancouver Mayor Sam Sullivan said he was "not aware that
Paul Barbeau is a director of a company that may be related
to Millennium Properties."

"Council's unanimous decision to select Millennium was based
entirely on the merits of the proposal," he said in a statement.

Millennium was incorporated on June 14 last year, two months
after city staff recommended its bid be chosen to build 1,000
condos for the Olympic Village. The bidding process was
undertaken by an independent committee and lasted eight months.

Barbeau was listed on B.C.'s corporate registry as a director of
Armeco in a Nov. 19, 2005, report."

So, what the NPA would have us believe is:

1. They didn't know their own president had a corporate contract
and was a director of Armeco, which was bidding on this multi-
million dollar contract.
2. That an unincorporated company, with no established record
of financial and project management of this scope, was the most
credible and appropriate bid selection for Vancouver taxpayers
funds.
3. That there was no conflict of interest for Barbeau and his
positioning in this whole mess.
4. That Vancouver taxpayers and citizens do not have a right to
know how the NPA awarded these contracts.

- The two lenders involved in this project are Fortress Credit Corporation,
& the taxpayers of Vancouver.

When looking into Fortress CC a bit more, it's interesting there is no
information available identifying the Board of Directors, or any executives.
Seems pretty shadowy to this curious george. Is there something to hide?
This is what one overview reports, sounds like Disaster Capitalists to me:

Company Overview
Fortress Credit Corporation engages in originating, structuring, and providing
financing solutions to corporate, real estate, and asset-based borrowers.
The company focuses on lending opportunities arising from the cyclicality
of the credit markets, industry specific trauma, out-of-favor classes, and
industries and asset dispositions. It offers bridge loans to borrowers, flexible
acquisition facilities for acquirers of opportunistic assets, and mezzanine or
last-out secured loans to companies.

Gary Mason of the Globe & Mail broke the story about the October 14th
secret and private meeting in which Vancouver city councilors voted
unanimously to provide an additional $100 million loan to the doomed
Millenium group building the Olympic Village.

An interesting note, the project is reported to be over by $60 million,
but the generous Vancouver city council is going into debt to offer Millenium
up to $100 million AND is going to spend up to $450,000 on a management
to bring in a third party to oversee management of the project. A project
the NPA dominated board pushed through giving an unincorporated and
untested company command of millions of taxpayer dollars with no track
record, but solid NPA connections.

His story goes on to say:

"Details of the city's involvement in bailing out the project's
cash-strapped developer have until now been kept secret.
Councillors are under a publication ban and have been told
they face serious repercussions if they discuss publicly the
decisions taken at the in camera meeting."

The questions being, who the hell put a publication ban on this information,
that is clearly in the public interest? Who told councillors there would be
"serious repercussions" for informing the public and taxpayers and just
what "repercussions" are we talking about? That sounds like some pretty
heavy alleged Criminal Code violations, namely intimidation, coercion and
secret commissions to this non-lawyer.

From a CBC story: Vancouver council stands by decision to bail
out Olympic Village

At a news conference before the zoning meeting on Friday evening,
Ladner said he would not release any details of the $100-million loan
when negotiations have not finished and would do whatever necessary
to ensure the completion of the Olympic Village.

"If necessary, I am prepared to lose this election to save this project
and protect the city's taxpayers." [Peter Ladner's statement]

************************
I am sincerely glad Ladner is willing to die by his own sword.
Because that is exactly what is going to happen. This is the
nail in the NPA's coffin. Ladner's continuing assertion that
taxpayers do not have a right to know about any of this is a
clear signal he is no different than Sullivan, that he will err on
the side of protecting the NPA from accountability and that
he does not have the moral integrity, nor judgement to run
Vancouver.

It is so repugnant and vile of Ladner to blame Vision, COPE and
taxpayers for wanting to know the full details of these crooked dealings
and suggesting that this transparency is jeopardizing negotiations with
these inept and possibly fraudulent clowns it suggests not only is the
NPA over. Ladner's political career is over because of the
position he has taken on this issue. I know morality isn't a
popular thing to bring up in politics, but there has been a
profound breach of the public trust in this situation and if
Ladner doesn't see it, and isn't willing to address what his
party has possibly done and how taxpayers and citizens have
been harmed and used, then he is unfit to sit in Vancouver
city hall in any capacity ever again.

I think it's important to look at the Vision councillor's roles in this too.
These aren't stupid people, well, not usually. However, they chose,
in camera, to vote unanimously with the NPA on shovelling increasing
amounts of taxpayers funds into the coffers of a shaky, creaky seive.
Several of them have known about different pieces of this for some time.
I think they better give their conduct some serious consideration. Their
political careers are hanging on their involvement in this too.

In addition, the question of the day is were the councillors aware
that Estelle Lo, the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Vancouver City
thought this project was too high-risk for taxpayers? There are
all sorts of rumours flying around about whether she tendered her
resignation, whether she was fired, or whether she's still an
employee of the City. Inquiring minds want to know, but I suppose
she's keeping quiet, since whistleblowing is rarely a wise career move.

Let's look at it all logically:

Fortress Investment Group bought Intrawest, which runs Whistler-
Blackcomb in 2005 for $2.8 million. I'm not even going to get into
some of the questions surrounding how Intrawest was initially financed,
but if you want to read some more speculation read this story and the comments
on the Hook.

Intrawest was unable to meet it's debt re-payment, likely do to it's losses
in the money it gambled away in the markets. So it bellied up to the trough
again and had to re-negotiate.

Their subsidiary, Fortress Credit Corporation, has a $750 million mortgage
on the Olympic Village in Vancouver. That project is now more than
$60 million over-budget, as managed by Millenium.

What we also know about Millenium is that the funding for other projects is
in jeopardy. The Port of Nanaimo project and another project have been put
on hold. In the game of dominos, once one tile goes down, nothing stops the
rest. There is nothing to suggest that giving Millenium more money is
going to fix this and like Ms. Lo quite likely told the NPA dominated council,
this is too high-risk for taxpayers.

With all of this information being linked together, I think there is enough
for a formal complaint to the Commercial Crimes division of the RCMP, since
this is a multi-jurisdictional issue, involving several corporations and
municipalities. Make no mistake, following the money trail is going to take
us to VanOC and the BC Liberal party. This has their stench all over it.
Many of us know, it may have been the NDP who put the plan together
to bring the Olympics to BC, but it was the BC Liberals and their insiders
who are cashing in and bankrupting our entire province for generations
to come. It's time to start unravelling the tangled ball of yarn that will
show how it was all done.

The way I see it, savvy players in the game have an opportunity to expose
one of the biggest scandals in the Vancouver's and BC's history. People have
to decide where they want to be sitting when the dung hits the fan. And they
better make that decision fast, with intelligence and conviction. Careers,
reputations and ambitions hang in the balance. That is a personal promise.

An interesting new development. The Office of the Information &
Privacy Commissioner has now removed the ability of the public to
look up the names of lobbyists. The question must be asked, whose interests
is this supposedly Independent office now serving? What we know is that
these kinds of projects aren't awarded without well connected lobbyists,
in BC, that's usually those who are connected to Gordon Campbell and co.
Vancouver doesn't even have a lobby registry and the Vancouver Charter
would have to be changed by the province to get one. I think it's worth
some Freedom of Information requests to examine Sam Sullivan's
day timers for some select years, say 2004 to 2007 to see just who he was
meeting with and connecting the dots on the outcomes of project bids.

Have a look on the public report page here.

As Betty sagely put it:

OH, FOR THE LOVE OF THE OLYMPICS! Love? Oh, no.
It’s actually money. For everybody but us Vancouverites who
have to shell out for this huge province wide construction party
masquerading as a civic celebration (oh, all right, everybody in
the province pays).

The Big Boys weren't counting on the global economy tanking so fast
and they've all lost a LOT of other people's money and they're back at the
trough for more. We've seen that everywhere.

We have to seriously connect the dots to the largest transfer of tax payer
funds and wealth to private and unnaccountable transnational corporations
in the history of our world. To read more about that see this article.
This is happening right under our noses and Ladner and his ilk are sitting
there justifying this as though we, the taxpayers, are in the wrong for
wanting to know where the hell our money is going. For that reason alone,
on November 15 2008, the NPA must be voted out.

When the new city council is in, the first order of business must be an
unanimous motion to conduct an Independent Inquiry and
Forensic Audit into the awarding of contruction and legal
contracts and the transfer of Vancouver tax payer's money into
the coffers of transnational corporations for the Olympics.
Nothing less will do to restore some integrity and accountability at Vancouver
City Hall.

I hope Vision & COPE heed this message well - your integrity,
opportunity and capacity to run and manage Vancouver will be
made, or broken on this. Choose well.

Local Events & Training

2008-11-07T19:11:00.000-08:00

Antigone Magazine Women's Economic Summit

On Friday, November 14, 2008, Antigone Magazine is hosting the 2008 Vancouver Women's Economic Security Summit from 9am-4pm at UBC in the SUB Ballroom.

Antigone is UBC's publication about women, politics, women and politics, and the politics of being a woman. They work with young women to mentor them in leadership roles and to encourage them to engage politically and civically.

More information on the summit can be found at www.antigonemagazine.wordpress.com.

********************************
BEYOND THE TECHNOLOGY CONFERENCE

Forget "tech eggheads" speaking a language that almost no business
leader desires to understand.

You've probably heard that an online Tsunami is coming.
There's talk of Television ratings plummeting.
People are whispering that Print Advertising revenue is drying up.

And at the same time, there's this internet "Social Media" thing,
with websites like Facebook, Myspace, Youtube, Linkedin, and so on
which is growing explosively.

More and more people are spending significant amounts of time online.
And they are using the web for things they used to use other mediums for.
What does it all mean? And how can you find out without being bored, or
embarrassed to ask questions which may be critically important to your
business?

The Beyond Technology Afternoon Conference brings you an
intimate opportunity for you to listen and ask questions to exciting
business experts who have a proven track record of using the internet
to drive real revenue results - all while networking with a small group
of other business leaders who have similar backgrounds to yourself.

Pan Pacific Hotel at Canada Place in downtown Vancouver

Thursday, November 20th, 20081pm-4pm
The Cost $197 per person

The Speakers

*David Crow
Alistair Croll
Mark Dowds

For more information, please visit http://socialmediadirection.com/Conference/

VEF MOMENTUM

After the success of its unprecedented launch event on September 30th,
VEF Momentum is holding its second event, "Now More than Ever"
on November 19th starting at 6PM.

VEF Momentum is program initiated by the Vancouver Enterprise Forum
to mentor, educate and connect young and aspiring entrepreneurs.
This exclusive event focuses in on how entrepreneurs can not only persevere,
but succeed in starting and growing their businesses in these difficult economic
times.

Barry Jinks, Founder, President & CEO of Colligo Networks believes that
the innovation and creativity of young, up-and-coming entrepreneurs can
reignite a troubled economy. Barry has started and led a number of technology
start-ups including LSI Logic Corporation and Spectrum Signal Processing
which he grew from start-up phase to being listed on the NASDAQ and
achieving $40MM in annual sales.

Barry founded Colligo thereafter and has since been recognized by E&Y
as Pacific Region Entrepreneur of the Year and currently serves on a
number of Boards. He will share his story of navigating and growing his
business through the Dot-Com bust of 2001, and how the young entrepreneurs
in attendance can refocus their ideas, business plans or established
businesses to achieve success in these economic conditions.

His informative speech and Q&A will be preceeded and followed by ice-breakers,
ample networking time, competitions and other highlights throughout the evening.

Details

The event is being held at Tunnel Multi-Lounge
622 West Pender on November 19th at 6PM.
Ticket price is $6 and includes a complementary drink, refreshments
and complementary access to Tunnel's night event starting later in the
evening.

Register now at http://vefmomentum.eventbrite.com

(payment can be done online or at the door).
If you have any requests or questions, e-mail vefmomentum@gmail.com
or call Kerry Liu at 604-418-8867.

Interesting Vancouver

2008-10-26T19:16:00.000-07:00

Went to the first of what will likely be more “Interesting Vancouver”
events Friday night at the Vancouver Rowing Club.

It was a good showing, with 152 in attendance, for a local version on an
event that's brought people together all over, London, Amsterdam, New York,
South.

Kudos to event planner extraordinaire Brett MacFarlane and the volunteers
who helped make it happen.

There were 15 speakers, discussing topics of interest for anywhere from 3
minutes to 20. The common thread of storytelling, creativity, and the use of
multi-media to connect with the audience and their interesting topics made
this a feast for the eyes and ears.

It was interesting to see the high degree of comfort, articulation, literacy,
expertise and spontaneity of most of the speakers. Topics included:

- local, found food - local sustainability and adventure in feeding self and
others
- living X, working Y - travel and adventure living and working abroad
- community culture
- mash media and storytelling
- literacy rights and statistics
- museums in the lower mainland
- life and fearlessness in the Downtown Eastside
- cloudscape comic collective
- givemeaning.com- $5 philanthropy, following dreams, passion and creativity
- climate change policy - why we should all care about it. Interesting show of
support for the disliked carbon tax.
- shades of green living - here's to the middle, where shift hits the fan and
leads to runaway climate change
- Ballard fuel cell racing - zero emission car racing in the Utah salt flats
- socialactions.com - social entrepreneurialism
- science literacy - truth and facts about biodiversity
- brief history of great places, leading to Vancouver as the next great place

Some Random thoughts jotted down:

Public space, voice and information and knowledge sharing
Multi and social media, Runaway Social Change,
Multi-culturalism, diversity, blending and acceptance
Inspiration, change agents, artists, shared creativity
Connecting dots , local and global, personal stories and meaning-making,
theirs and ours
Small steps to BIG change, Perspective, Memes.

It was also cool for audience members to be offered the chance to
contribute their own thoughts, pictures, or what have you to add to
the mix. It's always great to have more opportunities to be Interesting
in Vancouver and learn about other interesting people.

To see it all for yourself, go here:

For streaming live on Ustream (archived on Vimeo) and the Flickr Group

Miss 604 also live blogged here and has more in depth coverage about each speaker.

Canada's Integration with the European Union (EU): What Harper isn't Telling Us

2008-10-20T21:19:00.000-07:00

Canada's Integration with Europe

I want to know why the Canadian government has not released
the details of the agreement, how about even the title?

I'm not opposed to "cooperation" but lets see what this cooperation
means for Canadians, don't we have a right to know who will be
coming to Canadato work? What other pieces of "cooperation"
has Harper signed Canada upfor? What is this about an "open skies"
agreement? What does this meanand how will it impact our lives
as Canadians? Will we retain the right to regulate our goods, services
and industries? Or will that too be sacrificed to the lowest common
denominator?

What kind of "harmonization" can Canadians expect in our:
health care, labour standards, border security, military procurement
policy, bulk water exports, and corporate licensing?
How about our economic regulatory and financial systems?
Is this really the right time to be tying Canada to nations where
banks are going under across the EU? Or being nationalized in
the name of "stability."

What does Harper and his neoCon government have to
hide from Canadians?
Why the secrecy and lack of transparency if this is all
so great for Canadians?

Here is what we know just from different media reports:

- The Harper government did not bring this up during the election,
nor has he provided any details to Canadians about what changes
this will introduce to our country and our sovereignty.

- Harper has not allowed Canadian citizens to see the
study or the draft text, but he has shared this with large
corporations: "Proponents, including all of Canada's major
business-lobby organizations, are in favour of the deal..."

I bet they are, they have much to gain, what do Canadians
have to gain and lose?

Who is really running Canada, because apparently
Canadian citizens rate far lower than CEO's in Harper's
Canada?

Canadian American Business Council (CABC)

Canadian Council of Chief Executives (CCCE)

The Canadian Council of Chief Executives (CCCE) is a not-for-profit,
non-partisan organization composed of the CEOs of Canada's
leading enterprises. We engage in an active program of public
policy research, consultation and advocacy.

CCCE Chairman Gordon M. Nixon, our CEO members

- Labour mobility will open up - Europeans will be able to come to
Canadato work and possibly Canadians will be able to go work in
Europe. What are the processes, parameters, policies around this?
Where do people apply and who will have responsibility for scrutinizing
people coming to Canada? Do people have to have jobs lined up before
they come? Will these be temporary foreign workers? What citizen
status will they have? What access to Canadian programs, such as
Employment Insurance, welfare, CPP,provincial medical programs...?

- Canada, probably THE most stable economic system amidst a stormy
sea, is going to be tied to the European Union, which is steeped in
economic chaos and instability.

- Canada will be opening up "new markets."
For what? Why hasn't Canadabeen able to successfully offer our products
to the EU prior to this agreement?

- Bilateral trade and investment will increase by at least $40 billion
a year, mainly in trade in services.
What services? Where? In Canada, in Europe?

- Unrestricted trade in goods, services and investment
and the removal of tariffs

What goods, service, investment? Does the agreement have any
caps on foreign investment? Tariffs on what? Is that both ways?

Say goodbye to our natural resources. When we look back
and wonder what happened toour oil, our gas and our water and
why our children can't afford heat, we can look back and remember
when our government actually operated in our nation's best
interests, not those ofthe global corporate elite.

- The free movement of armies, and navy

Does this mean Canada will now have foreign military forces with
open permission to be operating in Canada whenever they want?
Many Canadians missed it, but Harper signed the Civil Assistance
Plan (CAP) with the United States, so American and Canadian
armed forces can go back and forth across the border in times of
civil emergency, hmm, martial law anyone?

- An open market in government services and
procurement

Now any corporation from the EU can bid on providing provincial
government services in Canada. How much do you want to bet that
there will be a clause that the corporationc an sue the province if
they award contracts locally.

Excerpt:

Canada, EU working towards 'historic' agreement: PM
Updated Fri. Oct. 17 2008 9:27 PM ET
CTV.ca News Staff

Prime Minister Stephen Harper said that Canada is working
towards a "comprehensive and truly historic" economic partnership
with the European Union.

Harper made the comments at a press conference Friday, after
meeting with French President Nicolas Sarkozy and the president
of the European Commission, Jose Manuel Barroso.

Harper said that Canada and the European Union had agreed
"to define the formal mandates for an ambitious, deeper and
comprehensive and truly historic economic partnership agreement."

"Without question, these times call for closer economic co-operation
among key players in the global economy," Harper added.

No details were given on the plan.

Transportation Minister Lawrence Cannon told Mike Duffy Live
that Canada "has to seek out new markets" in these times of
economic uncertainty.

Cannon said they are working on an "open-skies" agreement
with the EU.

... the French leader has cut short his visit and will not attend the
closing ceremonies of the summit -- a first for any French president.
Instead, Sarkozy will travel to Camp David in Maryland on Saturday
for meetings with U.S. President George Bush.

***************************************
CANADA SECRET AGENDA TO JOIN THE EU!

The pact would "increase bilateral trade and investment by at least
$40 billion a year, mainly in trade in services," This will ne collected
by the Ultra Elite. An agreement to integrate Canada's economy
with the 27 nations of the European Union, with preliminary talks
be launched at 17 summit in Montreal three days now after the
federal election."

"The proposed pact would far exceed the scope of older agreements
such as NAFTA by encompassing not only unrestricted trade in
goods, services and investment and the removal of tariffs, but also
the free movement of skilled people, army, navy and an open market
in government services and procurement – which would require
that Canadian governments allow European companies to
bid as equals on government contracts for both goods and
services and end the favouring of local or national providers
of public-sector services.

For more, see this:Election Issue Alert: Canada's Integration
with the EU & United States
Vancouver-Kingsway 2008

Canada-EU trade proposal rivals scope of NAFTA
DOUG SAUNDERS. On-line 18/09/08 02:00 AM

Ottawa officials say they have overcome what they see as their
biggest hurdle: the resistance of provincial governments to an agreement
that would force them to allow European corporations to provide
their government services, if their bids are the lowest.

ACTION ALERT: Release the Canada-EU 'deep economic
integration' text!

DEAL WOULD EXCEED SCOPE OF NAFTA

The article states, "The proposed pact would far exceed the
scope of older agreements such as NAFTA by encompassing
not only unrestricted trade in goods, services and investment
and the removal of tariffs, but also the free movement of
skilled people and an open market in government services
and procurement – which would require that Canadian
governments allow European companies to bid as equals on
government contracts for both goods and services and end the
favouring of local or national providers of public-sector services."

BIG BUSINESS BACKS THE DEAL

While the public has not been allowed to see the study
or the draft text, apparently large corporations have.
The article notes, "Proponents, including all of Canada's
major business-lobby organizations, are in favour of the deal..."

Integrate This: Stop the Security & Prosperity Partnership (SPP)
Council of Canadians

Events: Media Democracy & Re-Imaging Health Services

2008-10-20T16:06:00.000-07:00

From the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives
(CCPA)

Dear CCPA-BC members and friends, I'd like to let
you know about two upcoming events at which CCPA
research associates will be speaking.

This Friday October 24, at the BC Library Association's
Information Policy Conference

Ellen Gould will be speaking on the Trade, Investment
and Labour Mobility Agreement (TILMA).
And Leslie Regan Shade will be discussing telecommunications
policy. Full conference details follow below.

On Saturday October 25, SFU professor and "Remaking Media"
author Robert Hackett will be speaking at Media Democracy
Day at the Vancouver Public Library. Further information below.

Finally, a reminder that we have extended the registration deadline
to Friday October 24 for our upcoming conference, Re-Imagining
Health Services: Innovations in Community Health,
November 6-8 in Vancouver.

The conference kicks off with an exciting free event open to the
general public: Community Health Stories: Local Health Heroes,
November 6 at 7:00 PM in the Alice MacKay Room of the Vancouver
Public Library, 350 West Georgia St.

This will be an evening of storytelling and sharing about community
health innovators and initiatives. The rest of the conference will be
held at the UBC campus. Please see the end of this email for further
information.

As always, feel free to pass this along to your networks.

All the best, Seth Klein...

Jump-Starting the Public Sphere: Information Policy Issues
for the 21st Century

October 23-24, 2008
Vancouver Public Library, Central Branch350 Robson St, Vancouver BC

Presented by the British Columbia Library Association's Information
Policy Committee

==> quick link to registration and full details:
www.bcla.bc.ca/jumpstarting <==

With debates over information policy issues all over the news, the
question of who controls and who has access to information has
never been more timely. Many people have heard of things like
Bill C-61, TILMA, media concentration, information access, and
net neutrality but may be unsure about what the implications of
these terms are how they relate to information, libraries, and the
public sphere.

On the evening of October 23, Michael Geist, Canada Research
Chair in Internet and E-commerce Law, will give a keynote address
on "Why Copyright? The Fight for Canada's Digital Future"

(synopsis below). His speech will set the tone for Friday morning's
panel discussions in which presenters will give conference attendees
the background information they need in order to spend the afternoon
discussing issues more deeply and coming up with creative ways of
defending the public sphere from privatization and corporate control.

We are fortunate to have Dr. Sam Trosow give the Friday afternoon
keynote talk to close off the conference. Dr. Trosow is Associate
Professor at the University of Western Ontario jointly appointed to
the Faculty of Law and the Faculty of Information and Media Studies
(FIMS) and author of "Canadian Copyright: A Citizen's Guide".

Please join librarians and interested community members to discuss
these pertinent issues and help come up with ideas for what you can
do about them!

Thursday October 23 - 7 PM, Alice MacKay RoomKeynote address:
Michael Geist, Canada Research Chair in Internet and E-commerce Law
"Why Copyright? The Fight for Canada's Digital Future"

In June 2008, the Canadian government introduced Bill C-61, new
copyright legislation that closely followed the U.S. Digital Millennium
Copyright Act. The public response to the bill was both immediate
and angry - tens of thousands of Canadians wrote to the Minister and
their local Members of Parliament, leading to town hall meetings,
negative press coverage, and the growing realization that copyright
was fast becoming a mainstream political and policy issue.

The "Canadian copy-fight", which includes many new advocacy
groups and the Fair Copyright for Canada Facebook group
that has over 90,000 members, has attracted considerable attention
from the mainstream media, with many wondering how copyright had
emerged as a contentious policy issue. This talk will assess both the
legislative proposals and the Canadian copyfight experience in an effort
to answer the oft-asked question "why copyright?"
***********
Friday October 24 8:30 AM, VPL Lower Level

Friday's informational speakers will be:

*Ellen Gould, Trade Analyst - speaking about TILMA and
trade agreements
* Paul Holden, BC Freedom of Information and Privacy Association
(BC FIPA) - speaking about net neutrality
*David Loukidelis, BC Privacy Commissioner - speaking about access
to information
* Leslie Regan Shade, Concordia University - speaking about
telecommunications policy
* David Skinner, York University - speaking about media concentration
* Paul Whitney, City Librarian, Vancouver Public Library - speaking
about intellectual property

Closing keynote: Samuel Trosow, University of Western Ontario

***********
To register for the full conference, or for more information about
speakers and times, please visit www.bcla.bc.ca/jumpstarting

Student and low-income conference rates are available.

Michael Geist's talk is free, but registration is required
(www.bcla.bc.ca/geist for more information).

Attendance at Geist's talk is included in full- conference registration.
Great big thanks to the British Columbia Library Association,
Vancouver Public Library, BC Electronic Library Network,
Simon Fraser University, Vancouver Island University, and the
Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives for their support.

Questions or comments? Please write to Sabina Iseli-Otto (sio@vcn.bc.ca).
---
Speaking For Ourselves: Media Democracy Day
2008October 25th, 2008
Vancouver Public Library, 350 West Georgia Street
12:00pm – 6:00pm

FREE - With media concentrating into fewer and fewer hands, and
Internet Service Providers quickly emerging as online gatekeepers,
a public forum on media issues like Media Democracy Day takes on
a new sense of urgency.

MDD 2008 includes a series of exciting panels, workshops and speakers.
Some of the confirmed speakers include:

*Rex Weyler - World Renowned Author and Co-founder of Green Peace
*Deborah Campbell - Award Winning Independent Journalist
*David Beers - Publisher – The Tyee
*Michael Tippett - Co-founder of Nowpublic.com
*Marika Swan - Redwire Native Youth Media
*Charlie Smith - Editor of the Georgia Straight
*Robert Hackett - professor at SFU and author of "Remaking Media"
*Andrea Hayley - president of the Epoch Times Vancouver
*Robert Scales – CEO of RainCity Studios
*Dawn Paley – The Dominion Newspaper
*Gurpreet Singh - Broadcaster on Radio India, freelance columnist for
Surrey Now, freelance reporter for South Asian Post
*Matt Thompson - Campaign Strategist for FreePress, Co-Founder of
SaveOurNet.ca
*Kate Milberry - Media and Technology Commentator and many more!

Panels and Workshops include:

*Big Media Clamp Down: Taking stock and fighting back
*Free Your Computer, Free Yourself - Practical steps to get you
on the road to liberation with free and open source software
*Journalism in a time of Big Media Domination
*The Battle for New Media and Open Communication
*Community Organizing and Media
*Open Source Journalism

Full programme pasted below and more information at:

http://mediademocracyday.org/vancouver

Join the MDD Facebook Event
Find info and tools to promote MDD here:
http://mediademocracyday.org/press08

MDD Multi-Media Extravaganza After Party/Fundraiser
9:00 pm – 1:00 am
VIVO MEDIA ARTS CENTRE
1965 Main Street, Vancouver, BC V5T 3C1

Media Democracy Day presents the multi-media artist Jackson 2bears
and guests! Inspired by electronic music and dj/vj culture, 2bears
uses the remix as a tool for cultural critique, reflecting on issues of:
racism, colonialism, discrimination, Indigenous subjectivity and Native
stereotypes. These Live Cinema/Scratch Video remixes incorporate
digital images as well as video and sound, with samples taken from film,
television, the news and advertising and then cut-up, looped, and scratched
to the rhythmic patterns of hip-hop breaks and drum n' bass sequences.
There will be a bar at the event.

MC: Ifny - FreeGeekmore at: http://mediademocracyday.org/vancouver

Others can sign up to this mailing list at:

http://lists.riseup.net/www/info/mddvancouver

Visit the website: http://mediademocracyday.org

Get independent news at: http://coanews.org...

Re-Imagining Health Services: Innovations in Community
Health Conference
November 6-8, 2008
Registration deadline: Friday October 24

Canadians hear a lot about crisis in our health care system —
but we rarely hear about solutions. This conference will explore
how community health care can:
- Take pressure off hospitals;
- Allow people to manage their health while living at home and in
their own communities;
- Improve the health of vulnerable groups, such as frail seniors,
people living with mental illness, and people with disabilities or
chronic conditions; and
- Address the socio-economic determinants of health.
- Academic and community-based researchers, community groups,
health service providers, health professionals, health authorities,
labour organizations, policy-makers and students are all invited to
attend.
Details and links to program and registration form...

******
Digital Copyright Canada- find out more about Bill 61.

2008-10-17T16:25:00.000-07:00

Demand action from our Municipal politicians!
SURROUND CITY HALL: Oct 18 1-2 pm

This is a finale of a week long vigil and fast to end homelessness at City Hall
& Homeless Awareness Week (Oct 13-18) Will you take one hour on
Saturday, October 18 at 1:00 pm to surround our city hall and demand
an end to homelessness in Vancouver?

Join the CityWide Housing Coalition and take a stand on homelessness.
We need a broad base of support from the community demanding action on
homelessness.

Bring your union banners and signs!

Homeless action week has been amazing - a five day vigil and fast
at Vancouver city hall will culminate with our joint Vancouver wide housing
stand on Saturday, Oct. 18. Now we need a very large crowd to pressure
aspiring candidates for our new city council. This action has
widespread support from churches, unions and community groups
but we need bodies on the street to demonstrate our determination to end
homelessness and create affordable homes in Vancouver.
Please join us!
********************************************************
Random Stuff:

What is the Bureau of Public Debt? The Bureau of Public Debt is an
agency of the United States Treasury which is responsible for borrowing
funds to run the United States government. The Bureau also keeps
track of American public debt, and administers the sale and
management of Treasury securities such as T-Bills and savings bonds.
Many Americans are customers of the Bureau of Public Debt; anyone who
has purchased a Treasury security has taken advantage...

International Day for the Eradication of Poverty - October 17

2008-10-17T09:52:00.000-07:00

Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights

Press release17 October 2008

Statement by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human
Rights, Navi Pillay

On this International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, I would like
to pay tribute to those who strive to defend the rights of some 1.4 billion
people still living in abject poverty and exclusion around the world.

This year marks not only the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration
of Human Rights, but also the 10th anniversary of the Declaration on
Human Rights Defenders. In 1987, a year after the Declaration on the
Right to Development was adopted by the General Assembly, more than
100,000 human rights defenders from all over the world gathered on
this day to express their solidarity in the fight against extreme poverty
and their commitment to ensure that everyone's dignity and freedom
are respected. Those human rights defenders are at the forefront in sounding
the alarm and protecting the rights of the poor.

Our collective responsibility is to ensure their efforts are matched with
concrete action and accountability. Poverty and inequality often exacerbate
abuse, neglect and discrimination, denying millions the enjoyment of their
civil, cultural, economic, political and social rights, and ultimately, their
right to development.

Our efforts to fight poverty and to achieve the Millennium Development
Goals must be firmly grounded in the universal values and principles
enshrined in the Universal Declaration on Human Rights and international
human rights instruments. There have been some significant development
gains over the years, but these cannot be sustained, if rights are not
anchored in laws and institutions, and if those in power are not aware of
their responsibilities to uphold people's rights, and are not held accountable
for their failures.

The current financial crisis, and the huge challenges posed by climate change
and systemic problems in the global food supply, make it essential for us to
act beyond narrow national interests, in the spirit of global cooperation laid
down in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the numerous
other international laws and guidelines that it spawned.

Operationalizing the right to development would offer better prospects for
reducing poverty and enhancing accountability at both the national and
global levels. Poverty exists everywhere – as do human rights challenges –
and they are often inextricably linked. International days such as this often
stimulate fine words, but they need to be backed by deeds.

The philosophy and structures for combating poverty at the international
level exist. But a true commitment to translate that philosophy into
effective action, which will improve the actual day-to-day life of almost
one quarter of the world's population who live in poverty, is still far from
evident. Reducing poverty is an achievable goal. What we need is to bring
the rights and dignity of those who are suffering most to the centre of our efforts.

Learn more about the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty.

*******************************************************
Poverty Reduction Steps in BC:

$10 Now - Increase the Minimum Wage Campaign

First Call BC Child & Youth Advocacy Coalition:

Vancouver Living Wage Campaign

Living Wage Calculation Report - Excerpt:

The Growing Gap in Incomes:

Although Canada’s economy has been very robust for the last several
years only the top 20% of families (and primarily the top 10%) are
doing better as a result of Canad’a improved economic performance

1) debt levels have doubled for the poorest 20% of families between
1984 and 2005 – most of it non-mortgage related
2) In the 1970s the bottom 50% of Canadians had 27% share of the
total earnings in Canada. By 2004 the earnings of the bottom 50% of
Canadians had slipped to only 20.5% of total earnings in Canada
3) British Columbia has the highest child poverty rate in Canada
[Ed. for 5 YEARS IN A ROW]
4) 52% of children living in poverty in British Columbia live in families
where at least one parent works full-time/full/year

Universal Child care - Coalition of Child Care Advocates of BC

CODE BLUE for Child Care - National project

Precedent setting BC Supreme Court Case, re: rights of the homeless

Victoria (City) v. Adams, 2008 BCSC 1363

Court strikes down Victoria bylaw against homeless camping

Excerpt:

The B.C. Supreme Court has struck down a Victoria bylaw aimed at
preventing homeless people from setting up tents and sleeping in city
parks.

The court ruled Tuesday the bylaw deprives the homeless of life,
liberty and security in violation of the Charter of Rights and
Freedoms.

In her ruling, Justice Carol Ross found that due to insufficient capacity
in Victoria's shelters, hundreds of homeless people have no choice but
to sleep outside.

Ross said Victoria's bylaw prevented the homeless from protecting
themselves from the elements, something that could lead to potentially
fatal health risks.

"Let's be clear," Carter said. "The problems in our community are directly
related to mental health and addictions and the lack of services to meet
the needs in our community."

Stophomelessness.ca - Homelessness Action Week - Oct. 12 - 19

Quick Facts about Homelessness

- Street homelessness is growing fastest in suburban areas of Metro Vancouver.
- There are 10.000 people on the list for subsidized housing in Metro Vancouver.
- The average cost of a 1 bedroom apartment in Vancouver is $800 per month.

Learn about the causes of homelessness
Understand why it makes sense to solve homelessness
Take action to support people who are homeless

A Dozen Days, A Dozen Ways Campaign by submitting your ideas about
solving homelessness.

Visit our ideas page to see your submissions about how to solve homelessness.

Change & Transformation: The Mothers of Necessity

2008-10-16T12:15:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Westcoast Indie News (WIN)

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed
citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing
that ever has. - Margaret Mead

As citizen journalism, indie media and communications rise
up, it cannot be denied that there is a hunger for independent
news for citizens to feast on, amidst the suppression and abuse of free
speech by the corporate press from the neoConservative forces at work
in Canada and abroad.

Westcoast Indie News wants to help fill the gap and provide timely,
current and diverse opinions, critiques, information and news about
what is happening out there in the world, both locally and at larger level.
Most of us realize we are global citizens and it is impossible to see
ourselves in any other way at this point in human evolution. What
happens in Mumbai, or Beijing impacts us here in Canada, whether
we're aware of what caused the ripples.

We encourage the active participation and dialogue of fellow
citizens and journalists, citizen, or professional. We value diversity,
multi-culturalism, equity and strive to offer voice and free
speech to those who are not well represented by the present system
of the corporate and neoConservative media and the mainstream
political system.

We will take submissions from citizen and professional journalists,
with the final say of publishing and editing resting with the Editor of
Westcoast Indie News.

E-mail your submission to: westcoastindienews@gmail.com

Authors will be clearly identified if they are published, unless they
wish to remain anonymous, or publish under a pseudonym. We also
support the promotion of professional journalists and social
entrepreneurs.

Writers must be clear that there is no renumeration for publishing,
as WIN is a non-funded, volunteer grassroots initiative.
However, involvement and publishing with WIN is a way for
individuals to promote their commercial, academic and professional
work and expertise.

We also encourage submissions of interviews with change
makers, social entreprenuers and other interesting parties to
provide a forum for those blocked by traditional, and/or suppressive
corporate media, which often creates barriers to bringing important
information and opinions to wider audiences.

*******************************************************
"It is clear that the freedom of expression and opinion is a
fundamental right, the mother of all rights."

Abid HUSSAIN
Speech in Sri Lanka, 1999
UN Special Rapporteur on the Freedom of Information
*******************************************************

We will also promote Westcoast events that are in keeping with the
spirit of WIN and are aimed at community development and
capacity building and free speech.

Also, send us your links, or blog, so we can promote and
enhance the network of social and grassroots activists, change
makers and social entrepreneurs who are working for social and
economic change and justice.

We always welcome inside information, or scoops to look into.

One of our primary goals is to continue to build momentum and the movement of real social change many of us are involved in.

Democracy, liberty, freedom, social and economic justice and equity are the fundamental values, foundation and organizing principles underlying Westcoast Indie News.

We look forward to collaborating with all of you, whether you are a
journalist, author, reader, and citizen and providing quality writing,
information and media.

Thanks in advance for helping spread Westcoast Indie News to all of your contacts and networks.

In the immortal words of Duke Nukem:

"Its time to kick ass and chew bubble gum and I'm all outta
gum."

Editor
Westcoast Indie News

Grassroots

1. The common people thought of as having practical and highly independent views or interests.
2. Society and the local level as distinguished from the centres of political leadership.
3. Of and or involving the common people as constituting a fundamental political and economic group.
4. Of, pertaining to, or involving the common people, especially as contrasted with, or separate from, an elite.

*******************************
Free speech is the whole thing, the whole ball game.
Free speech is life itself."

Salman RUSHDIE
Indian-born British novelist (1947-)

Westcoast Indie News

#OccupyVancouver: #GlobalRevolution!

February 14th - Annual Women's Memorial March

The Trouble with Billionaires - Event & Discussion

Interesting Vancouver 2010

Economic Justice for Women: Panel Discussion

8000 Drums Ceremony - Commercial Drive - March 21st

Multi-media Video & Reports of Anti-Olympic Protesters

Photograph by: Chris Helgren, REUTERS

Multi-media Coverage of the 2010 Olympics

stay tuned

Music, Clubs, Food & Where to Party: The Olympics Go Live

Things to See, Do & Places You Shouldn't Miss in Vancouver & the Region

Learn more about walking trails in and near Vancouver:

WIN Guide to Transportation for 2010

Getting Around Metro Vancouver during the Olympics

The Olympics are Coming: Events, free events & more

Places to Go, People to See: UBC International Engagement & Global Influence & Interesting Vancouver

International Engagement and Global Influence:How Ambitious is the University of British Columbia?Join President Stephen Toope as he outlines his International Engagement discussion paper.

When: Tuesday, September 22, 2009 - 3:00pm - 4:30pm

Get his paper here.

Prevention of Violence Against Women Week - April 19 - 26, 2009

Time to Put Our Feet to the Ground for Housing in BC

Places to Be, Things to Read, People to Meet

What's Old is New Again: Stories on Olympic projects, Millenium and the Players

November 8th 2008.

Don't Miss Event: Public Forum on Homelessness

Housing First in the Age of Naught: Homeless People Need Homes NOW

Event: Jack Will Be in da House

BC is Ours and We Are Taking it Back: Taking Action for Social Justice

National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women – December 6th

Human Rights for Workers & People with Disabilities

Cheers, Rally, Watch & Read

Coalition Building: Bye Bye Conservatives

Change, Clever Contortions, Coffee, & Culture

Slippery Slope: Free Speech & Freedom of the Internet take a Hit

Events Not to Be Missed

Universal Children's Day: When Will Children Come First?

Guess They were Serious: Lack of Transparency in Hiring of Victoria Police Chief leads to Resignation from Victoria Police Board

A Little Brevity, Homage & Celebration

Way to go Vancouver: Kickin' it NewSchool

Follow the Money Trail – Part 2: All Good Things Seem to Lead to Liberals

CanWest: Oh the Times They Are A-Changin'

The Plot Thickens: Vancouver City Hall prepares for Investigation Season

They Can't be Serious: Jamie Graham for Victoria Police Chief?

Events: Housing - People's Stop Work & Evictions

Something Stinks in Vancouver: Follow the Money Trail for Olympic Venues

Local Events & Training

Interesting Vancouver

Canada's Integration with the European Union (EU): What Harper isn't Telling Us

Events: Media Democracy & Re-Imaging Health Services

International Day for the Eradication of Poverty - October 17

Change & Transformation: The Mothers of Necessity

International Engagement and Global Influence:
How Ambitious is the University of British Columbia?

Join President Stephen Toope as he outlines his International Engagement discussion paper.

November 8^th 2008.