[van-announce] Emergency callout: Next Chinatown condo towers public hearing Thursday April 7th!

[Ivan D. Drury]

The next hearing appearance is happening right away! 

Send out the word: all DTES residents and  allies and supporters of the 
anti-gentrification community fightback are  needed at City Hall this Thursday!

Thursday, April 7th (tomorrow) 
7:30 pm
City Hall 

- Community members meet-up  at Carnegie at 5 or 5:30 for dinner
- Our group will leave together for City Hall at 5:45pm
- Gather at City Hall at 6:30pm
- The THIRD public hearing begins at 7:30pm

WHY YOU SHOULD COME 
1) You’re needed! Many of the city councilors continued their  disrespectful 
treatment of members of our community. These councilors  fiddled with their  
blackberries and iphones while Chinatown and DTES  residents and committed  
community activists spoke about their  experiences. While we made ourselves 
vulnerable and bared our hearts in  the halls of power, they visibly rolled 
their eyes and looked over unrelated reports. We need to fill council chambers 
and the overflow room and make them feel the community opposition to the condo 

towers plan for Chinatown.  Finally because we have only one day to organize the 
next delegation to  City Hall, this call-out is especially urgent… The Chinatown 
and DTES  low-income communities need your help!

2) Speeches  from DTES residents and their supporters were very inspiring and 
really  make it worth the trip. The video from last night should be up pretty 
soon at:  http://vancouver.ca/ctyclerk/cclerk/20110317/phea20110317ag.htm

Some notable quotes from Wendy P’s notebook:

Erin,  Spartacus Books: Condos and gentrification  pushed us out of our last 
location.  The rent was so expensive that we  couldn’t do business.  We,  as 
retailers, take on the increased property  tax as part of our  commercial 
lease…Nobody at Spartacus is working  there for a wage, we’re  all  
volunteers…nobody is trying to feed our  families….I can’t imagine  what it must 
be like to be a small business  and trying to feed your  family.

Maxine, Four Sisters: Will anyone on council guarantee that these towers won’t 
raise taxes and rents and commodities? 


Craig,  Carnegie Board: DTES residents are well  aware of what these new condos 
will bring.  We saw the middle class  panic against shelters under the  
Granville Bridge.

Dalannah,  Performer, Chinatown resident…: Changes  to any part of the DTES,  
affect the whole community.  I’ve done the  DTES litmus test in areas  where 
where is high end.  I’ve walked down  the street with holes in my  shirt and a 
dirty face and watched the  attitudinal shift…..the Chinese  grandmothers in 
Chinatown won’t be  there if their shops close down.

Harold,  Chinatown resident & DNC board:  Some  said this is an honourable 
compromise.  You  are talking about 100%  concessions for us and no tangible 
benefits.   This is not a  compromise…how can low-income people buy in when they 
get  nothing.  …If  ccap can hold meetings in Chinatown buildings, why can’t  
the city of  Vancouver planners do this?…Nobody is doing anything about  our 
housing  needs.

Claudia,  translator, CCAP volunteer: Why did my  grandmother carry me on her  
back and carry all those groceries from  Chinatown once a week?  It was  the 
sense of community and belonging,  the spoken language and she could  get things 
that she could afford. …  We spoke to a lot of seniors who  oppose this and they 
are afraid to  speak out on their own.  They are the  most vulnerable.

Hope to see you Thursday night, DNC members and supporters!!!

For more information or to arrange a ride to City Hall on Thursday night: 
604-839-0379