[Wamvan] Fwd: Please take a moment to write a letter

[Tami Starlight]

FYI

action!

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Carnegie Action <carnegie.action at shawlink.ca>
Date: Sat, Jul 30, 2011 at 1:24 AM
Subject: Please take a moment to write a letter
To: Carnegie Action <carnegie.action at shawlink.ca>


Hi everyone on CCAP’s email list.  We really need your help.****

** **

Please take a few minutes today to write a letter to save the Pantages on
Hastings Street for 100% social housing.  The Director of Planning, Brent
Toderian, may rubber stamp the proposed Sequel 138 condo project at that
site on August 12th.  It is crucial that everyone, DTES residents and
non-residents alike, send letters to the city now in the attempt to get the
application for this project heard by the development permit board or better
yet, city council.  ****

** **

This is a pivotal fight for DTES residents.  We must secure the 100 units on
that site for residents whose incomes are $1200 or less a month, for
seniors, for Aboriginal people, for women, for the homeless and for some of
the approximately 5000 SRO hotel dwellers who are living in some of the most
dangerous and undignified housing in Canada.  The owner, Marc Williams,
bought the Pantages sites for about $1-2 million and may be willing to sell
it but has jacked up the price to $9 million.  We need him to lower his
price and then we need the city to buy it and work with DTES residents to
leverage senior government funds to build on it.  In the meantime, we must
implore the city to be in solidarity with the low-income community and USE
THEIR POWER to stop this proposal from going ahead.  There is an election in
a few months.  Now is the best time to get results!  ****

** **

Writing just one sentence saying you are against it would be great.  For an
example of a longer statement, see Sean Condon of Megaphone’s letter below.
If each one of us on this list wrote a short letter, it could make a big
impact.  Please bcc your letter to us at wendyccap at gmail.com so we can see
how many were sent.  Write your letters to:  alice.kwan at vancouver.ca,
scott.barker at vancouver.ca, brent.toderian at vancouver.ca,
mayorandcouncil at vancouver.ca.****

Scroll down past Sean’s letter below to see links to letters written by
groups, facts about displacement and more reasons to oppose the condos at
the Sequel 138 Pantages site.  ****

** **

Lastly, stay tuned for actions too.  Condo developer Marc Williams called
the DTES "A Dead Zone" and, in response, there will be a DTES parody/action
on Thursday August 4th at 10:30 at the Pantages site (near Main and
Hastings).  Check website for details:****

http://dtesnotfordevelopers.wordpress.com****

We can win this –Pantages belongs to the DTES, not developers!****

Best regards,****

CCAP****

** **

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: *Sean Condon * < >
Date: Mon, Jul 25, 2011 at 6:22 PM
Subject: 138 E. Hastings
To: alice.kwan at vancouver.ca, scott.barker at vancouver.ca,
brent.toderian at vancouver.ca, mayorandcouncil at vancouver.ca.****


To Whom It May Concern:****

** **

I would like to add my voice to the many community groups and activists who
oppose the development of condominiums at 138 E. Hastings (the old Pantages
Theatre). While strong in spirit and community, systematic poverty and
discrimination has made the Downtown Eastside a very fragile neighbourhood.
Its residents need social and supportive housing, not more market housing. *
***

** **

We can see very clearly that the gentrification of the Downtown Eastside is
causing displacement. I believe this is threatening people's lives. Building
a condo in the heart of the neighbourhood while people who live there are
still suffering and struggling will only cause more displacement and will
threaten some of the community's most important assets (the Carnegie, Insite
and Aboriginal Front Door).****

** **

I hope that city staff listen to the community voices and recommend that
council not approve the application. Instead, we need the city to find a way
to turn the site into the much needed social housing so we can give the
people who live in the neighbourhood the supports they deserve. ****

** **

Sincerely,****

** **

Sean Condon****

Executive Director****

Megaphone****

778-835-4440****

** **

*Links:*

* *

6 reasons to oppose Sequel 138 condo proposal (including condos outpacing
“social housing” at a rate of 11:1):****

*http://wp.me/P1GZ8R-4*

** **

CCAP’s opposing Sequel 138 condo proposal:****

http://is.gd/2ZzLY9****

** **

Citywide Housing Coalition letter opposing Sequel 138 condo proposal:****

http://is.gd/c7wbWD****

** **

DTES Coalition letter to architect:****

http://is.gd/7V0dw4****

** **

Developer Marc Williams calls DTES "A Dead Zone":  ****

*http://is.gd/GY1w7b*

* *

DTES Coalition groups outraged:  ****

*http://is.gd/rLkvrj*

* *

Letter about developer lack of credibility:****

http://is.gd/y45nCl****

** **

Streams of Justice (interfaith group) letter opposing Pantages:**

*http://is.gd/Eh2hYx*

* *

More info:  http://dtesnotfordevelopers.wordpress.com****

** **

** **

** **

** **

** **

** **

** **

** **

** **



-- 
Meegwetch/Thank you/Merci
*Tami M. Starlight*
Vancouver, Canada
tamistarlight at gmail.com
tami.cosmic (facebook)
tami_starlight (twitter)
cosmictami (skype)
604-200-2445home
604-790-9943cell
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.resist.ca/pipermail/wamvan/attachments/20110730/522f3887/attachment-0001.html>