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By: Simon Fraser University | Press Release: Simon Fraser University archaeology professor George Nicholas is joining international scholars at a Vancouver symposium May 2 to explore the commodification of Aboriginal culture. “The abundance of souvenir totem poles and inukshuks in many shops locally often makes it difficult for tourists and locals alike to [...] The post Vancouver symposium explores commodification of Aboriginal culture appeared first on The Canadian Progressive.
Visiting the Downtown Eastside (DTES) has churned up some contradictions for me, and resolving those contradictions requires re-thinking some questions I thought I already knew the answers to: 1) To what extent do people choose to live in the DTES, and to what extent are they stuck there? 2) Does the DTES community strengthen its residents or weaken them? Does it help mitigate the impact of addiction and poverty, or does it help perpetuate addiction and poverty? I don’t know. Maybe they choose it and are stuck there. Maybe they are both strengthened and weakened by it. Maybe it mitigates (Read more…)
At the harbour, outside my hotel So…I went to Vancouver for a whirlwind business trip. I arrived Wednesday afternoon and left Friday morning. I was working most of the time, but I did have two more-or-less free evenings, so I did what I could to cram Vancouver in. I hadn’t been there in 30-odd years, and Vancouver and I have both changed a lot. Back then, I used to hitchhike and my idea of luxury was to check into a youth hostel for the night. This time I was on a business trip, staying in a fancy-pants hotel and experiencing . . . → Read More: knitnut.net: My visit to the seamy underbelly By: Canadian Auto Workers Union | Press Release: VANCOUVER, April 2, 2013 – The Canadian Auto Workers Union (CAW) has reached and signed a tentative agreement with Dynamex, a division of Montreal-based transportation conglomerate TransForce Inc. (TFI-T). CAW Local 114 represents 240 workers at one of the largest bargaining units at Dynamex covering Vancouver and the surrounding [...] The post CAW Reaches Tentative Agreement with Dynamex appeared first on The Canadian Progressive | News & Analysis. The Role of The State in Gentrification, the Housing Crisis, and its Ability to Relieve or Maintain the Current Situation by Rachel Goodine Pidgin, a new fine-dining restaurant located on Vancouver’s Downtown East Side, moved in to the neighbourhood on February 1 of this year, prompting plenty of controversy. It’s located right off of East Hastings on Carrall Street, directly across from the notorious Pigeon Park. Many who do not live in the neighbourhood regard Pigeon Park as a drug haven, however for many residents the park is known as a gathering spot that hosts various festivals and street markets (Read more…) The 1921 “Ethnic Outreach” Campaign(Courtesy Past Tense Vancouver) The complaints are familiar – “Asian immigrants are taking our jobs,” “Asian immigrants are buying our property and keeping us out.” Instead of being complaints found in the Richmond Review’s letters-to-the-editor section, however, these are the complaints that were found in a Liberal Party advertisement in 1921 that was posted on a Vancouver history site. Our history – the history of Vancouver, BC, and Canada – especially that of Asian immigration is one fraught with historical wrongs. The Chinese head tax, the Chinese Exclusion Act, the Japanese internment (Read more…) Who Framed Roger Rabbit reminded us all of the Great American Streetcar Scandal: cars over mass transit. Now, in the lower mainland we have the UBC tunnel over light rail to the valley. This week, we start with a transportation spin alert. Last week, Allen Garr wrote an interesting piece about the seemingly obvious idea of running a Skytrain subway to UBC [see below]. One possibly contentious issue would be whether it would be bored or made with the disastrous cut-and-cover debacle that broke Cambie Street, and its socio-economic fabric, for so long. But I think there is (Read more…) Better late than never, I’m going to do a few posts this week recapping a number of ideas and thoughts from Open Data Day 2013. As is most appropriate, I’m going to start the week with a recap of Vancouver – the Open Data Day event I attended and helped organize along with my friend Luke Closs and the very helpful and supportive staff at the City of Vancouver – in particular Linda Low and Kevin Bowers. I’ve got further thoughts about the day in general, its impact and some other ideas I’ll share in subsequent posts. Vancouver! 2013! What (Read more…) So International Open Data is rapidly approaching! All around the world people are organizing local events to bring together developers, designers, policy wonks, non-profits, government officials, journalists, everyday citizens and others to play, chart, analyze, educate and/or build apps with open data. For those of us who started International Open Data Day, it was never designed to be just a hackathon. Rather we’ve always wanted it to be an event that anyone interested in data, and interested in open data about their community in particular, could come to. So if you live in Vancouver and that is you… please sign . . . → Read More: eaves.ca: International Open Data Day Feb 23rd: Vancouver Edition Last week over 100 students from the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design, concerned about how government funding cuts will impact the future of the university, disrupted a Board of Governors’ meeting to announce a political manifesto. The Manifesto for a Vibrant, Strong, and Independent NSCAD, which can be read in its entirety on a student-run website, outlines demands that NSCAD commit to being accessible, affordable, and dedicated to “critical thought and quality education in the production of art and culture.” NSCAD is roughly $20 million in debt, $9 million of which is still owed (Read more…) Last night, I was warmly welcomed onto the board of directors for Pi Theatre’s. Pi produces bold, uncompromising plays that explore modern life. They also have a fantastic staff and a dedicated, enthusiastic board. I’m thrilled to be collaborating with such a talented group of people. Beyond a shared interest in intellectual, emotionally charged work, I discovered that Pi and I have a few geographic connections. The company’s Artistic Director, Richard Wolfe, is from Saskatoon, while one of his predecessors, Del Surjik, is now with Saskatoon’s Persephone Theatre. Pi also has a history of producing plays by Quebeçois playwrights, . . . → Read More: Rob Maguire: Life with Pi: wading into Vancouver’s independent theatre scene More than 200 community living workers in the Kootenays and Salmon Arm to go on strike starting on Thursday, January 31. by CUPE British Columbia | Jan. 30, 2013: VANCOUVER, B.C. – Community Living workers who support people with developmental disabilities at agencies in Trail, Castlegar, Creston, and Salmon Arm will be on strike on Thursday, January 31. READ MORE 
 Activism News, Breaking News, British Columbia, Canada, Canadian Union of Public Employees, Community Living, CUPE, CUPE British Columbia, Featured, Guest Blog, Job Action, labour., Picket Action, Press release, public sector, Social Services, strike action, Vancouver, Victoria, Wage Increase, workers …which explains why the Canadian government is Hell-and-High-Water-bent on building a pipeline, any pipeline, anywhere. First, the stats Over the past few months, new stories have noted that Canada’s oil sector isn’t getting full price for its heavy oil — in large part because American pipelines are well-supplied with newly-flowing tight oil (“shale oil”) from North Dakota. As a side note, I should clarify that heavy oil — termed Western Canada Select — is a somewhat-upgraded form of bitumen. Removing the sulfur and upgrading the oil a bit more, would turn it into the “light sweet crude” used . . . → Read More: Eclectic Lip: Alberta oil selling at 50% discount to world price…
Alberta, Alberta heavy oil, America, bc, Brent crude, British Columbia, Canada, Canada oil discount, Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers, CAPP, David Suzuki Foundation, Enbridge, energy, Greenpeace, kalamazoo river, Keystone XL, Kinder Morgan, Northern Gateway, oil, regulatory capture, Trans Mountain Pipeline, Vancouver, West Texas Intermediate, Western Canadian Select, Wind energy Are you curious what goes on in the mind of a queer Islamaphobe? Or perhaps you’d rather pick the brain of a polyamorous lover? No, I’m not suggesting you call up your cable provider and subscribe to TLC. Rather, you should step away from the screen and hit up the Human Library, which provides an unscripted opportunity to learn more about real people who may not share the same values or culture as you. Designed to promote dialogue and reduce prejudice, the Human Library hands visitors a library card, which allows them to check out a human book and (Read more…) The next couple of days pose a serious flooding threat to the Lower Mainland, particularly Vancouver’s low-lying suburbs. Sunday and Monday are expected to see the strongest of the seasonal “king tides”, with levels over 5 metres above low tide.But Oceanographer Scott Tinis says a storm surge will bring that several feet higher.“Places such as Boundary Bay are particularly susceptible to not only the raising sea levels but the wind waves. So low-lying areas, especially near river deltas , may see some localized flooding.” Tinis says the last time we saw ocean levels this high was during by BC Federation of Labour “It’s clear HD Mining is in no hurry to hire Canadians and that the province of BC and Government of Canada have been complicit all along.” Documents released today show HD Mining planned to use exclusively underpaid Temporary Foreign Workers (TFW’s) underground for 4.5 years after the commencement of construction, READ MORE So last week the B.C. Passenger Transportation Board (PTB) effectively shut down Uber in Vancouver by compelling the rides they arrange must charge a minimum $75 a trip, regardless of distance. Shortly after being announced, twitter lit up as Uber notified its customers of the decision and the hashtag #UberVanLove began directing angry (and deserved) [...] . . . → Read More: eaves.ca: Uber in Vancouver: Some Thoughts for the Passenger Transportation Board Roads are often overlooked when it comes to the impact of cars on the environment, but we can’t ignore the roads have on the environment when discussing the practicality of cars. Asphalt is used to make roads and the process of creating asphalt is very energy intensive. In Vancouver, they are looking into ways to [...] . . . → Read More: Things Are Good: A Greener Asphalt Your email newsletter can be one of your most powerful marketing tools. Why a few arts organizations still think newsletters are an exclusive benefit requiring paid access completely stumps me. I get newsletters from many major art galleries, including MOMA, AGO and the Tate. For each, I signed up painlessly through their website, and I get updates on exhibitions, events and gallery news. These newsletters help me plan visits, share stories with friends, and blog about interesting developments. This is nothing mind-blowing, but it is important, as newsletters ultimately lead to ticket sales. I recently noticed that a significant (Read more…) Grant LaFleche, writing for the St. Catherine’s Standard, wrote a column yesterday calling on atheists to be more charitable. It’s a common trope that atheists and Humanists don’t give as much (or frequently) as the religious. Lacking formal structures and congregations, there’s less of a culture of philanthropy, both in terms of regular tithes or even to secular charities. However, these trends are changing. The Foundation Beyond Belief is working with freethought groups across North America to raise money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Light the Night Walk. As of this morning they have raised nearly $305,000 toward their (Read more…) Yves at Naked Capitalism cross-posted a wonderful Alternet piece by Lynn Parramore, eviscerating the idea that Islam is new or alien to America. In truth, the Muslim faith has had a long (if lightly-populated) history in the United States. Islam arrived in America so early, the Puritans hadn’t even burnt their first witch!! While the 1620 voyage of The Mayflower is deeply mythologized in the American psyche, the 1630 arrival of devout Muslim Anthony Janszoon van Salee in the New Netherlands, gets a lot less attention. Which is a pity, because he seems to’ve been a business . . . → Read More: Eclectic Lip: Muslims in America and other hidden ethnic histories
America, anthropology, bc, British Columbia, British Columbia immigration, Canada, Canadian Immigration, China, Chinese Canadians, Christianity, Deism, history, history of British Columbia, Immigration, Islam, Islam in America, Richmond, Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Paine, Trans Canada Railway, Vancouver Granville’s last movie theatre closes CBC online Oct 10,2012
I was shocked to read that this is the last of the Granville theatres..when I left Vancouver a few years ago, they were all still in business; the truth is, after having gone almost weekly for many years, home video and the grossly expensive demands for admission killed the experience for me. The dumbing-down of the entertainment industry did nothing for its own continued success, either, too many so-called ‘action’ movies, not my thing (or anyone over 12, mentally) and a lot of ridiculous schlock I wouldn’t have even . . . → Read More: Left Over: (Almost) The Last Picture Show…. RELATED: Naomi Klein Debunks “Ethical Oil” Fiction AUDIO: On “A Sense of Justice”, disecting Enbridge and the Canadian tar sands On International Women’s Day, A Focus on Canada’s Gender Deficit Thanks in large part to the hyper-mediated and celebrity-driven character of the contemporary LGBT movement, the issue of queer youth suicide has rightly found its way into the public spotlight. Stories of young queers taking their own lives as an escape from bullying have become tragically commonplace in recent years. This newfound attention, necessary as it is, however, comes with a certain danger that isn’t often addressed. When a young queer commits suicide, a deluge of stories, news reports, memorial pages, scholarship funds, and images now steps in to fill the absence they leave behind. In what sometimes feels like . . . → Read More: Art Threat: First Day Back tackles queer teen suicide |
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eaves.ca: Re-Architecting the City by Changing the Timelines and Making it Disappear
A couple of weeks ago I was asked by one of the city’s near me to sit on an advisory board around the creation of their Digital Government strategy. For me the meeting was good since I felt that a cohort of us on the advisory board were really pushing the city into a place [...] . . . → Read More: eaves.ca: Re-Architecting the City by Changing the Timelines and Making it Disappear