August 24, 2007 Vancouver’s Best Newsprint Free!!
www.toothanddagger.com For CITY, LIFE, and CuLTurE
LTur E
Cu LT urE
m am i e
r z
e
Goace
Pl
ThE Spir iT of homE
o n August 1st, 2006, the Province ran a
cover photo of the Marie Gomez building
under the headline “HOUSE OF HORRORS.”
The article portrayed the Downtown Eastside
(DTES) residence as a “crack house” where
“female addicts are tortured and their heads
shaved for not paying drug debts.” Since
then, in the hands of other horror-hungry
papers, the building has cultivated a repu-
tation as the worst residence on the Down-
town Eastside.
The current reality of Marie Gomez, how-
ever, is significantly different than what the
available press indicates. Indeed, in June,
Marie Gomez tenants banded together and
initiated a massive clean-up effort to res-
cue not only their building, but their rep-
utation. Joined by friends and family of the
DTES community, tenants have performed
necessary upkeep and displayed a strong de-
sire to combat in-house violence.
The effort is particularly impressive given
that the residence’s final closure is immi-
nent. Due to deep rotting in the walls, “you
can’t make a case for repairing this build-
ing,” says Kim Kerr, executive director of the
Downtown Eastside Residents Association
(DERA), who own and operate Marie Gomez.
“We’re never going to overcome what’s be-
hind the walls of this building.” Some ten-
ants complain of respiratory problems due
to black mould, and the estimated cost of re-
pairing the building is $2.5 million.
N.W.TEENS * DuNcaN’S DimSum aDvENTurE
CONTINUED ON PAGE 8
KNiTTiNg LibrariaNS * SooN i WiLL bE iNviNcibLE
LampLighTEr LoST * KicKiN’ piLLS
DIRTY!
sarah Buchanan finds order in
Hungry HippoS!
Jackie Wong moves beyond
We have no internets!?
Curtis Woloschuk gets out
“blogging” to social news gath-
garbage strike filth. P. 2 of the house to see some
ering and “crowdsourcing” P.10
bands. P.11
Table of Contents
News nWT Cultural Exchange
Vancouver’s Best Newsprint P. 2 Watch Where you Stand in This Alley P. 7 Reanna Alder visits with some awesome kids
Sarah Buchanan from Fort Good Hope, NWT participating in a
north-south cultural exchange.
August 24, 2007
P. 3 These Days
Tooth and Dagger is published monthly in the summer and Sean Orr’s infamous wit illuminates the news. Jobs 2.0: Hungy Hungry Hippos
distributed on Tuesdays. P. 10 Jackie Wong’s Jobs 2.0 continues with the
story of a Vancouver company with 18
Life employees and 97,000 contributors.
P. 4 Sunday Morning Chowdown
Publisher Graeme Worthy graeme@toothanddagger.com
Duncan McHugh eats far, far too much
Creative Director Will Brown will@toothanddagger.com
News Editor Michael LaPointe michael@toothanddagger
dimsum. Music
Dancing With Myself About Architecture
Features Editor Reanna Alder reanna@toothanddagger.com
P. 5 g33K! P. 11 After having made enemies at Telus, Curtis
Copy Editor Brock Thiessen brock@toothanddagger.com
Chris Eng plots the path of pathos through Woloschuk daringly reveals his exact location
Alley Correspondant Sarah Buchanan sarahb@
comic history. for the next two weeks (we also publish a
toothanddagger.com
photo of him).
P. 10 Swallow
News Sean Orr seanorr@toothanddagger.com, Sarah
Tooth and Dagger asks: “What are you taking Another one Bites The Dust
Buchanan · Life Duncan M. McHugh duncan@
and why?” P. 11 Quinn Omori laments our latest loss: the
toothanddagger.com, Chris Eng chriseng@toothanddagger.
Lamplighter.
com · Music Curtis Woloschuk curtisw@toothanddagger.
com, Quinn Omori · Features Jackie Wong, Reanna Alder,
Mike LaPointe · Illustrations Eden Veaudry, Reanna Alder
Features
P. 8 Marie gomez
· Photos Oker Chen, Isaac Vallee, Nigel Boeur, Sarah
Michael LaPointe goes to the so-called “House
Buchanan
of Horrors” and finds that the tennants have
banded together to beat their bad reputation.
Thanks to all those listed above, and also: Zdenka and special
thanks to the Gods & the Earths.
WATCH WHERE YOU STAND IN THIS ALLEY,
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advertising@toothanddagger.com or (778) 885-7741
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toothanddagger.com
Alley at Main and Union has become an informal garbage dump. Word and photos by Sarah Buchanan
In the early days of the strike, it was ly acceptable to dump your crap in the made me uncomfortable. I believe this
all about piles. Neat little mounds of same place that other people have al- is a problem of conceptual categories.
individualized rubbish behind every ready dumped their crap. Anthropologist Mary Douglas defines
house. Now, crafty Vancouverites have The Downtown Eastside, in particu- dirt as “matter out of place.” Junk piles
rallied their collective waste-manage- lar, is suffering, perhaps due to the fact are dirty, because they are things that
ment abilities to create a new form of that there was more crap there to begin have no place. And dirty things make
trash disposal, the Informal Neighbor- with, therefore justifying the dumping us uncomfortable, because they are pol-
hood Trash Heap. of crap in greater volumes. luted, and cause sickness. “Dirt then,
Examples of INTH’s can be found These piles may be scary to the aver- is never a unique, isolated event,” she
on almost every block, but some ar- age Vancouverite, but many are actual- states. “Where there is dirt there is a
eas have been hit harder by vigilante ly quite safe, and worthy of exploration. system. Dirt is the by-product of a sys-
“dump and run” tactics, amassing im- “This is not a health risk,” says Viviana tematic ordering and classification of
pressively large and intricate crap piles. Zanocco, Media Relations officer of Van- matter, in so far as ordering involves re-
In an exhaustive bicycle survey of Van- couver Coastal Health. “It’s mostly non- jecting inappropriate elements.”
Cover Image: david Becker., photo by oker Chen
couver’s back alleys, Tooth and Dagger perishables, because the organic waste In the absence of garbage authori-
has discovered that our city’s residents is getting picked up commercially.” ty, we have now adopted a systematic
seem to agree on one thing: it is total- Still, wading through piles of junk
dirt p. 3 >>
2 august 24, 2007 tooth and Dagger
News
face stench and rats. Hmm, I’ll give you a fucking poll Lethal Force
These Days I wonder if it’s maybe the
same parts that “might” be
City polling its residents
about views on strike. What?
Witnesses say VPD shot
‘fleeing suspect’. Well, in
facing epidemic levels of City using the money its all fairness, he had a chain.
Native alcoholism, overdos- saving on trash collection, And pepper spray is useless
es, homelessness, HIV and while the DTES continues against chains. Same with
Hep C? to rot, to fucking POLL peo- tasers.
ple? Pick up a fucking paper
No Wards, eh? War on kids
Sam. People aren’t stoked on
City accepting trash in yard “Super annoying” Mosqui-
the fucking strike. PERIOD.
trimming bins. Basically so to used to drive off loitering
Sean Orr Sam can continue to im- Alms crossed teens. Sweet, now we can
press his Kitsilano base by Va n c o u v e r r e s t r i c t i n g get them in the alleys doing
Vancouver’s news for
holding out on the big bad church’s mission to help crimes where they belong.
the month.
unions, while the bubonic poor, charges pastor. Awe- Will it also take care of those
plague is about to erupt in some, so not only are we skateboarders? Those hooli-
Then There Was One
the DTES like it was 1333. going to not help the poor, gans keep me up all night
And the strike wears on
I saw a rat yesterday that we’re going to make it im- ever since I moved next to
with White Rock the latest
was lining up to get on the possible for you to help the the Georgia Viaduct.
to negotiate successfully.
#3 Main, dude didn’t even poor. No, no, don’t feed
City of Vancouver Press Re- Cough, Campaign Contri-
pay. them. We need a whole
lease: “Members of our team bution, Cough.
bunch of them to die by a
are tired and they’re angry,” Why don’t they just take Toll revenues beckon to
certain date in a few years
said City spokesperson Jer- their trash down to the shortlisted builders of Port
time, that’s what we’re try-
ry Dobrovolny. Aww poor club? Mann project. “That pro-
ing to with the whole gar-
Jerry is tired from saying no The Arbutus Club is of- cess is slated to get under-
bage thing, geeze.
all the time. Hey, you know fering to take two bags of way next month, with a call
what, I get tired after work members’ garbage twice a Me and Sullivan down by for public comment. But the
too. Talking to the unions IS week for a fee of $5, accord- the Schoolyard B.C. Liberals are treating
YOUR FUCKING JOB. Now ing to a members-only web- While Vancouver to emu- the outcome as a near-inev-
sign a 5 year deal asshole. site. Arbutus Club members late Guiliani’s New York itability, having already ad-
have their residential trash crackdown. The pimps and vised potential bidders that
Weird, Random Pattern
removed. Well, you got- the pushers and the prosti- “certification is anticipated
Emerging
ta hand it to the steadfast- tutes and the junkies better by early 2008.” Relax bud-
Meanwhile, according to
ness of those giggling, rich make a break for Harlem dy, didn’t you know that de-
News 1130: Some areas of
cunts at the Arbutus Club. (North Burnaby). He’s also mocracy, accountability, and
Vancouver kept clean, oth-
What a great piece of sheer going to clean up Times open-government are bad
er parts may face stench
fuck-offery. Square again, just for fun, for the bidding process?
and rats. Other parts “may”
then copyright it.
>> dirt p. 2
approach to dealing with junk. It goes
like this: Once a thing is placed in an
alley, it is out of place, and dirty. And
once there is a single piece of dirt,
however small, the space around the
dirt becomes “dirty.” Dirt belongs with
other dirt, because things must go into
neat categories and remain orderly.
Junk, therefore, belongs with other
junk. Hence, the Informal Neighbor-
hood Trash Heaps.
Once we have established areas of
dirt, these areas become “polluted,”
and we avoid them. Kirsten Seale ex-
plores this idea in a study of trash
heaps in England. “This is the para-
dox of refuse; our sense of order de- Fig. 1—disorderly; this junk is disgusting once it no longer has a home
pends upon it, yet in affluent society
defined as dirty, while dirt in other substance-abuse problems, is always
we are anxious about confronting it.”
neighborhoods has been deemed un- difficult to keep clean.” Although this
In casting out our junk, we feel some-
acceptable. What would happen if may be true, I find it hard to believe
how cleaner.
Kitsilano residents woke up to find ro- that the recent accumulation of mat-
Recent media coverage of the mount-
dent families scurrying through piles tresses and used furniture were creat-
ing garbage reflects this urge to define
of used needles? Would the strike then ed by the homeless.
what is clean, what is dirty, and where
be a health risk? Let us now examine some piles of
this dirt is allowed to exist.
To add insult to injury, the headline trash.
In an article describing the filth in
reads “City Strike No Sweat, Unless This alley off Gore St. (Fig. 1) caught
an alley off Hastings, the National Post
You’re a Manager.” Or...unless you live my eye immediately. I stopped, bicy-
quoted a city manager as saying “that’s
in the Downtown Eastside, and appar- cle in one hand, camera in the other,
just normal here. I’d venture to say the
ently don’t read the National Post. to frame an assortment of mattresses
rest of the city is cleaner than usual.”
The Globe and Mail has been slightly and televisions. A man’s voice project-
What he is actually saying is, the dirt
more sensitive in their coverage, men- ed from behind me: “Disgusting, isn’t
in the Downtown Eastside is accept-
tioning that “the impoverished com- it?” My first reaction was to agree.
able trash because it has already been
munity, with its homelessness and In terms of hygeine, however, this
junk p. 4 >>
tooth and Dagger august 24, 2007 3
News
A B R u n c h R e vI e w
Sunday Morning
Chowdown
Duncan M. McHugh
Sun Sui Wah Seafood Restaurant
3888 Main Street at 23rd
1-866-872-8822
www.sunsuiwah.com
photo Sarah Buchanan
idle hands...
“We are used to keeping busy,” says diana, a striking auxiliary worker for the VPL . Clothing knit during the strike, where library workers
are still negotiating for pay equity, will be given away at the Carnegie Library. Eventually.
Having only been out for dim sum once before, I was ex-
>> junk p. 3 cited when a friend invited me along on a trip to her fa-
make them clean. I like this neighbor- vourite dim sum place. Judging by the crowd, Sun Sui
assortment of junk was relatively hood. They respect me....no cameras, Wah is many people’s favourite dim sum place.
harmless. no locks, and I respect them by keep- For those who have never been to dim sum before, the
“Disgust is the product of conceptu- ing it clean. Actually, in construction meal consists of small dishes—often dumplings—that are
al trauma,” states David Trotter in The areas, the biggest thing is to wear a ordered from carts that servers tour around the restaurant
Anatomy of Disgust. Perhaps the loca- hard hat and boots. Then they leave and serve with tea. Though the dishes are small, it’s pret-
tion of the junk outside the dumpster me alone.” ty easy to overdo it; the spectre of painful gluttony looms
was too much for this man to handle, My own categories of junk and not- large.
and violated his sense of appropriate junk are still defined heavily by loca- The staff at Sun Sui Wah are incredibly efficient. As soon
space. In all likelihood, this man has Fig. 2—mike’s hands tion, and proximity to other junk. I as you sit down, the tea and dumplings start to arrive and
both a broken TV and an old mattress “Extension cords.” He pointed to his can spend hours pointing out the falla- soon as you’re done the dishes are cleared and the bill
somewhere in his basement that are cart. cy in disgust, yet hesitate when reach- arrives. While this level of service may have more to do
not “disgusting,” simply by virtue of A quick scan of Mike’s things re- ing out to shake Mike’s hand, which with the exigencies of capitalism (fast service means fast-
their location inside the category of vealed a scattering of wires, comput- had just been digging through comput- er meals, which means more customers) than it does with
acceptable junk. er parts, and an IBM laptop. I assumed er parts. Afterwards I looked down at pleasing customers, I admire it tremendously. On a Sunday
These are Mike’s hands (Fig. 2) I met his good fortune must be a result of my own hands, covered in bike grease, morning, I want to eat, not mess around with pleasantries
him in a wide, well-kept alley between the garbage strike. and had to laugh. We are all disgusting and wait for food.
4th and 5th Ave. near Ontario. The “Not really,” he said. “Around here when we stand next to junk. And the food did not disappoint, coming as fast and fu-
third dumpster in looked profitable - it’s all commercial pickup, so I find After all of this exploring and rooting rious as it did. We ordered a number of dishes, almost too
I had been eyeing it myself until Mike the same things as before.” around, I took only one thing from the many to keep track of. There was beef in noodle, pork and
pulled up with a shopping cart and a I noted the relative cleanliness of the mounds of displaced rubbish: a giant shrimp dumplings, BBQ pork in phyllo, spring rolls, pot-
backpack. alley, and Mike looked around him golden tin plate bearing a large roost- stickers, crispy tofu and some steamed gai lan, a veggie
“Anything good today?” I asked. with pride. “I see things messy, and I er and the words, “Take Courage.” dish to balance the meal. My favourite dish was the spicy
beef shortribs.
Our most adventurous dish was a plate of small octopus-
passive aggressive alleyway combat near 15th ave. es, lightly sautéed in soy sauce. The flesh was succulent
and not chewy as I had feared it might be. I definitely rec-
ommend it.
I also recommend saving room for dessert, something sad-
ly missing from most of my brunches. I started off with
a hollow, warm sesame bun, followed it up with tapioca
pudding with red bean paste, chased that with a whipped
cream-stuffed crepe and finished off with mango custard.
It was an awesome finish to a great meal.
Be warned, however, it’s not cheap. I didn’t see any prices
displayed and we went a bit wild. While I certainly feel that
I got my money’s worth, it was a bit more than I expected.
duncan@toothanddagger.com
Price: $22.50
There is a battle going on in this alley up near 15th Ave. On closer investigation, a forceful note reveals the ten- Lineup: Ten minutes with a reservation (reservation
I imagine it began as one small pile of trash, which gave sion lurking in the crap pile. Will the dumper suffer con- recommended)
the green light to other trash-leavers, until it acquired the sequences, or will the note-leaver suffer counter-charges Vegetarian options: Limited, but possible
conceptual category of “garbage dump.” of poor sentence structure and excessive punctuation? Dim Sum served 10am-3pm
4 august 24, 2007 tooth and Dagger
Geek
G33K!
NEWS:
Chris Eng
_In what must be the most ill-conceived of
the latest bout of movie remakes (and believe
It was 20 years ago that Alan Moore and
me, I don’t say that lightly), Warner Brothers
Dave Gibbons created Watchmen and de-
has convinced itself it would be a good idea
stroyed, nearly at a stroke, the universe of
to remake Enter the Dragon. Yeah, because
superheroes we had built up over the 40
there’s so many martial artists out there that
years previous. Costumed crusaders were no
Happy Second Birthday,
have the charm, panache, physical fitness
longer light-hearted and comical, they were
and moves of Bruce Lee. There is only one
dark-hearted and held secrets as great and
way this could possibly turn out well: cast
word-shattering as their powers. Watchmen
Tony Jaa in it. And if they do that, they might
Regional Assembly of Text.
deconstructed and reshaped the way we see
as well just let Tony Jaa do Tony Jaa stuff, ex-
our heroes; innocence was no longer a part
cept then we’d just end up with Ong-Bak or
of who they were—our saviors would hence-
Tom-Yum-Goong, which we already have, so
forth and forever be as scarred as we.
there’s no need to remake it. Ta-da!
In his book Soon I Will Be Invincible (Pantheon),
_Due to concerns about the inclusion of cer-
Alan Grossman has updated the heroes and
tain characters and their copyright status in
antiheroes birthed by the rise of Watchmen
various countries, Alan Moore’s forthcom-
and its imitators, and surprisingly, turned the
ing book The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen:
Love, entire genre on its head. Instead of imagining
The Black Dossier will only be available in the
superheroes inhabiting our world, with our
US. Unless, that is, you have access to Ama-
moral ambiguities and ever-dwindling supply
zon.com or any store in the States willing to
of people to look up to, Grossman has put us
ship books up north. I suppose DC is cover-
in their world, allowing us to see what nor-
ing their ass by doing this, but seriously—I’ve
mal people would be like if they happened
seen more effective embargoes involving the
to be struck by cosmic rays/bitten by a radio-
The Regional Assembly of Text active animal/fallen from another planet/etc.
internet and saying ‘please’.
3934 main St. _And finally, if you think I’m not giving you
What it would be like if you were a nearly-in-
(604) 877 - 2247 the daily dose of g33kiness that you need
vincible super-villain from the ‘60s who just
assemblyoftext.com (which would seem to imply you’re not
happened to be the smartest man on Earth
spending enough time in close proximity to
(like Doctor Impossible). What it would be
me), I encourage you to check out Morgan
like if you were a souped-up cyborg from the
Webb’s new g33ky news vlog at WebbAlert.
‘90s struggling to make it as a second-tier
com. Because, let’s face it, we all need hot la-
hero named Fatale.
dies to talk nerdy to us once in a while (or
LECTURE-OKE!! And if the characters in Watchmen were us,
four times a week).
Presents: they were the side of us trying to come to
grips with a sudden lack of heroes we could
JUST RELEASED:
Sun, Sept 2 @ Hoko’s believe in. If the characters in SIWBI are us,
they are the part of each of us that strug-
As time marches on, the thrill of cracking
your copy of Deathly Hallows at 12:01am
gles to make it through the day, to reconcile
wears off and owning a DVD copy of 300 isn’t
the choices we’ve made in our lives with the
what it was a couple of weeks ago (not after
things we’ve given up. The dysfunctionality
watching it a dozen times, anyway). What’s a
in Watchmen is monstrous, despair-inducing
self-respecting g33k to do? Brace yourself for
and emotionally crippling; the despair in
the next wave of stuff that you need to own.
SIWBI is human, embarrassingly familiar and
Okay, maybe you don’t need to own the Doc-
mundanely neurotic. And yet, to see charac-
tor Strange cartoon DVD, but you know you
ters with the power to shape the universe
want to see him lay the smack down on Mor-
and know they have problems with relation-
Less singing, ships is incredibly comforting, because they
do with the Crimson Bands of Cyttorak. You
more orating! also want to see the Aqua Teen Hunger Force
no longer fly above us. Through Grossman’s
Colon Movie Film for Theaters—even after
words, he has let us know that all of them—
the mediocre reviews—because it’s got Carl
every single hero and villain—are filled with
and the Mooninites in it, and one of them
the same foibles and emotional detritus that
will likely lay the smack down on the oth-
molds every one of us. They are Peter Parker
er (though perhaps not with the Crimson
striking out with the ladies; they are Lex Lu-
Bands). If you want to pretend to be a faer-
thor holding all the aces and somehow nev-
ie who lays the smack down on the human
er managing to win.
race (and other faeries), you’ll be wanting
And in that regard, Grossman has given us an
to pick up the new White Wolf roleplaying
admittedly not perfect, but humble portrait
game Changeling: The Lost, and if you want
of those who would save and destroy us. They
to proclaim your love for Satan while not re-
may be able to craft a doomsday machine ev-
linquishing your Wednesday trip to the com-
ery other week, but in the dark of the night
ic shop you’ll want your very own copy of
they wonder if they could have done it all
Superman #666. After you’re done all that,
Bring a speech to cover, or choose from our lecture-oke selection. differently, and somehow, weirdly, that is re-
go home, turn off the lights, play Bioshock
5 minute max. Talking at 7. 362 Powell. $5. assuring.
(PC and Xbox) and let its 12 layers of creepi-
ness lay the smack down on your sanity.
tooth and Dagger august 24, 2007 5
Feature
nWt cultural exchange
by Reanna Alder photos Nigel Boeur
A ccording to an old adage, there are two
kinds of stories: Someone Goes on a Journey and A
Stranger Comes to Town. The sly implication, of course, is
Tracie, 15
[I was looking forward to] the trees. I heard the trees were
Kyle, 17
Been around lots of murders, stabbings. Lot of drinking,
really huge [down here] so I really wanted to see them. The lot of fights. A couple weeks ago some guy pulled a gun on
that there is, ultimately, one story with two points of view,
canoeing I didn’t like so much because I fell in. The funnest me, a shotgun, he’s pulled the trigger but then there’s noth-
and that story is about an encounter with the unknown.
thing? Playland. But it wasn’t that scary. It wasn’t as scary ing in there. I started laughing at him. My cousin took that
The saying came to mind a few months back when a
as [the West] Edmonton [mall]. gun away, smoked him up like that with the shotgun, back
friend of my brother’s said he was going on an exchange
handle like right here, knocked out that guy, put that gun
to the North West Territories in October. There, he would
back in its case. Tried to pull the trigger right in my face.
learn to kill and clean a goose. Meanwhile, the kids from
I knew there was nothing, cause we checked it before, eh,
NWT were looking forward to a Wal-Mart expedition.
cause there’s lots of drinking. People go crazy. If you hurt
Fort Good Hope, NWT (pop. 600) is a huddle of log build-
someone, if they’re drunk, they’re just going to want to
ings on the eastern shore of the MacKenzie River, 20 km
hurt you, even try to kill you.
south of the Arctic Circle. In summer the town is accessi-
But mostly people are gonna settle down since last year.
ble by air and river; in winter the ice road opens.
Last year there was too much gambling, drinking. Like eight
The ten Fort Good Hope teens took their nine-day south-
people died in one month. My grannie told all the people in
ern soujourn in mid-August. I visited with them and their
Fort Good Hope: Stop drinking, stop gambling. Slow down
Vancouver “twins” while they did some gardening at the
it down. You’re just bringing yourself down.
UBC farm. Other activities included a photo scavenger hunt
No place like Good Hope. I’m gonna stay there for the rest
and journalism workshop (results to appear in Redwire
of my life. Represent Fort Good Hope. Can go everywhere,
magazine), a football game, numerous trips to the beach
man, visit everyone, talk to everyone, see how they’re do-
and, yes, shopping at Wal-Mart.
ing. See if they’re doing bad, and if I have some grass, give
Run by the Purple Thistle Centre, an East Van free school,
it to them and make them happy. Take their mind off of
and funded by the YMCA, this is the third such exchange
something. And prayers, eh? If something’s real bad with
in the last five years.
your friend, like really bad, can’t do nothing? Always pray
Consider this ‘A stranger comes to town’.
for him every night. Tell God to help ‘em out.
Mark Douglas (Vancouver Group Leader)
What’s different about this exchange is that our organi-
zation only goes to Fort Good Hope. It’s about relationship
building with the community. If you go once and never
come back, it’s a purely touristic experience. You check it
off your list: ‘I’ve visited the north, I’ve visited Quebec and
the Maritimes, I’m really a Canadian now.’
The way our societies are structured, it’s not very natu-
ral for native kids and white kids to hang out together, and
there’s not a lot of real understanding in the south about
what it means to be in the north.
We want to get past tolerance, past understanding, to a
bit more respectfully ‘I get what the problems are, [I get]
how little I understand.’
Colonialism is still an active [force]. They are still living
through it, we are still living in it. History hasn’t stopped.
Even though white people haven’t been in the North for Denise, 15
nearly as long as they were in the East. It’s such a com- [At Metrotown I bought] t-shirts, a skirt, purse, a neck-
pressed history, that whole contact-to-present-day time- lace, shoes, and flip flops. [At Wal-Mart] I only bought one t-
line. shirt and lots of nail polish. [Other people got] a face mask,
[Frank T’Seleie] told me, ‘the last time I took a dog team like for your pimples, and nail polish, jeans, t-shirts, skirts,
on the trap line and hunt was 1975. And then we had elec- dresses, and those little pins.
tricity by 1980. By 1985 everybody had phones. And then I’d like to stay here some more. I don’t want to live [in
in 1990, we had television, satellite TV, and videos.’ They Good Hope] when I get older. Probably live somewhere else
had an entire century of technological development drop in the North West Territories.
on them in about 15 years. When we get back I’ll go to the field. [There is] a big dance
All of us collectively, in our part of the exchange, proba- they have every two years. It’s already started; we’re miss-
bly haven’t had the tragedy and grief visit them that one of ing it. A lot of people go there. There’s dancing, they have
[the northern] kids has. We have kids that have witnessed a cook-up site, and they play hand games, the gambling,
relatives kill each other in front of them. and three legged race.
Sam, 17
You never know. That’s the other thing. The first year If I could make one wish? To live long. My cousin Yvonne
Kyle was talking about how when he went out and shot
there wasn’t any Good Hope girls who would go in the she got sick, and my friend Sarah she got [in a] plane crash.
moose they would cut it up and skin it and gut it right
ocean and the guys were out there right away. We went August 16th will be one year.
there, like right in the middle of the woods they cut off it’s
‘okay.’ So this year we’re telling the families, ‘The girls
head and then chop off all its limbs. They take out all it’s
might be more modest and not go out.’ And who’s staying
innards and put them out in the woods where there’s lots
behind this time? It’s all the guys staying behind. So you
of animals. I can’t imagine shooting something and butch-
know, we don’t know what we’re talking about. We try to
ering it right there. It would still be warm.
show them stuff that we think is fun.
6 august 24, 2007 tooth and Dagger
Feature
Sam & Lucy, 17 Cara, 15
Lucy: Suzette [Amaya] came in to give a workshop and I’m moving to Fort Smith. I got accepted into a leader-
she asked everyone if we knew when [National] Aboriginal ship program for the whole school year. I go back to Good
Day was, and nobody knew. It was kind of embarrassing. Hope for Christmas break and spring break.
It’s not like it’s something new, we just never included I will come back [to Vancouver] when I’m older, for uni-
ourselves in it. versity. I want to become a cook, or a carpenter. But I’ll
By studying other cultures you really learn about your move back to the north. What do I love about the north?
own. Like how much we blab. We talk so much. The food, the natural food. Sometimes people go out hunt-
ing for the community. They bring caribou, fish. And dry
Sam: The stuff we’ve been doing is pretty cool, but I’m goose, but you can’t eat too much because it’s really rich.
most excited about just being a part of the exchange. There’s also blueberries, raspberries, knuckle berries.
Hanging out with these guys. I want to move back to Good Hope and start up a busi-
ness. A cafe or something, because there’s no cafe or any-
thing like that. And probably start a family.
Clara Kelly (FGH Youth Worker)
In a city, you have to race against time. Everything’s so
spread out. You race from one store to another and try to
We get paid once we cash in our furs, so we’re not broke be home by a certain time. At home its different. In the
all the time; martin, bear, muskrat, wolverine, lynx, all summer you have 24-hour daylight. Half the time the kids
those type of furs. Maybe thirty percent of the time in are up till three, four o’clock in the morning. But I don’t
the winter is hunting. We play hockey, and go up to the think most of them are gonna want to leave yet.
gym to play other sports like soccer, floor hockey, basket-
ball, volleyball.
In the north you’re free most of the time. You get to
do whatever you want. Once you come down to the city
it’s full of laws, paperwork and stuff like that. We’re not
used to living on concrete ground. We get lots of fresh air
back at home.
I’m planning to come back down here for school, to Cap-
ilano [College]. Try to become an environmentalist and
once I’m done that go for a trade, try to build up my skill
level, and then start a small business. Probably help kids
in school, see what they’re comfortable in. Some kids are
used to staying in town, working on skidoos and stuff. Me-
chanics and carpentry. Other kids are used to going out on
the land most of the time. Environmental work would be
good for them cause they know the land, the landscape,
know how to read maps. What needs to be protected? Ev-
erything. The world is a small world and nobody takes the
Ian (FGH Youth Leader) time to travel to different areas. We only have so much
What do I love about the north? Everything. Mostly just resources here.
the winters. That’s when the winter road opens up so we I would like to see more cities, like Miami. I want to
get to travel back and forth through towns, and there’s no check out the beach, and all the different types of trees,
bugs. Going hunting too, that’s fun in the winter. and other cultural backgrounds.
photo isaac vallee
Feature
Marie Gomez
cleaning party
>> continued from front cover by Michael LaPointe photos Oker Chen
M arie Gomez will close for good at mid-
night on October 31st, and by then, roughly 50
tenants need to be relocated. Due to the “House of Hor-
opened it for those classified “hard to house.” One of his
jobs is to empty out vacant suites and board them up to
prevent further occupation. Over the past seven weeks,
improvements.
When certain tenants were unable to help due to
health issues, drug abuse, or simply old age, their neigh-
rors” reputation, however, tenants are having a tough Kenmuir says, “We’ve thrown out about 20,000 pounds bours came in and cleaned for them. “The effort has be-
time finding landlords who will take them in. “The rep- of garbage.” Thanks to tenants like him, the once-lit- come very family oriented,” says Driuna. “People have
utation of Marie Gomez is the greatest hindrance to re- tered hallways are finally clean. made friends in the house, when before everyone was
locating people,” says Kerr, “and we’re not going to put Mike Kanouse is a neighbour of the Marie Gomez build- like a stranger.”
them on the street, which means we’re in for a hard ing on Alexander Street. As a friend of the tenants, he Of course, it’s impossible to claim that Marie Gomez
few months.” comes regularly to lend a hand. The tenants have initi- has completely eradicated its problems. Located on the
The Province feature is the most infamous example of ated a major fumigation process to ensure they don’t corner of Alexander Street and Princess Drive, the resi-
Marie Gomez’s bad press. Yet even publications sympa- bring unwanted pests to their future homes. Among oth- dence is an ideal location for drug trafficking and pros-
thetic to the DTES cause have paid greater attention to er things, Kanouse helps detect and dispose of the infest- titution. Drug dealers remain a presence in the building,
its ugly side, perpetuating a negative image of tenants ed wood. When asked why he labours for a building that and substance abuse is rampant. As a result, emergen-
whose access to future housing depends upon their pub- isn’t his, Kanouse smiles. “It keeps you out of trouble.” cy service is called to Marie Gomez hundreds of times a
lic portrayal. As recently as August of this year, for ex- “We have about six outside neighbours who hang out year, and 20-hour-a-day security monitoring is necessary
ample, OnlyMagazine.ca published an article describing and help,” says Sabrina Driuna, an on-site worker and to maintain a minimum level of safety.
Marie Gomez as “overrun with drug dealers, violence, advocate with DERA. She’s amazed at the level of com- But for press to focus on the building’s criminal is-
crime and disease,” citing a source who generalised the mitment shown by Marie Gomez residents. “These ten- sues is to marginalise the many tenants of Marie Gomez
tenant population as “crack heads.” ants have walked a long way to get where they are today. who are proud to call it home. Indeed, it’s the tenants
“A lot of tenants get pissed off about the reputation,” They’ve done all of the work. They’ve brought this place themselves who have shown the only willingness to res-
says Kerr. “They don’t like what they read. They don’t back.” cue the building from squalor. With only a small budget
believe it to be true, and they live here.” Since the clean-up effort was initiated, the tenants for maintenance and no government agency prepared
The truly monumental clean-up effort suggests that have given the building’s electrical system a complete to lend aid, the immense task of upkeep has fallen
a very different kind of tenant occupies Marie Gomez. overhaul, reinstalled hallway lights, fixed holes in the upon them, and they’ve picked up the challenge, says
Rick Kenmuir, forty-seven years old, was the first tenant walls, replaced door handles, and brought the build- Driuna, “because they want to show the landlords out
to move back into Marie Gomez when, in 2003, DERA re- ing up to fire code standards, to name just a few of the there that they care about their homes and respect their
8 august 24, 2007 tooth and Dagger
Feature
landlords.” erwise they would be unable to staff the building and per-
Where these tenants will end up come November is cur- form maintenance. “Realistically, we need three people per
rently DERA’s primary concern. It’s Driuna’s task to find shift, not just one,” says Kerr. “Otherwise, you can’t assure
homes for all the tenants paying rent, and she’s even taken the safety people need.”
it upon herself to relocate Marie Gomez’s squatters. Which is one further reason why the tenants have decid-
Kim Kerr feels confident that the relocation effort will be ed to rescue their building from the grassroots. In a city
successful, and in a surprising move, he praises BC Hous- where trained and willing staff are scarce, and aid non-ex-
ing’s handling of the situation. “They’ve worked really hard istent, the tenants have resolved that the best way to help
with us on this building,” he says. “They appreciate the pre- is to help themselves.
dicament we’re in.” Adds Driuna, “In this case, BC Hous- When Marie Gomez closes on Hallowe’en night, the lega-
ing and the City have been very mature about [the subject cy its tenants want to leave behind is not a tragic one. After
of ] poverty.” many years of the worst conditions in Vancouver, they’re This page, clockwise from top left: Miguel araiza and some graffitti he
Unfortunately for the majority of residents, their new using the remaining months to show the city that they love hopes to see painted over soon; residents beneath one of the newly installed hallway
homes will be a step back. Marie Gomez offers tenants self- their home and that, rather than a house to be reviled, it’s lights. Lights help prevent crime in stairwells; Cleanup crew play outside of the Marie
contained apartments (SCA), with a kitchen and washroom, a house to be missed. Gomez (rick Kenmuir and Miguel araiza).
for $325. “I can’t say that everyone will end up in a SCA, be- And with the destruction of their efforts on the horizon, Facing page, left to right: Jean Jacques, one of the residents still awaiting re-
cause they simply don’t exist out there,” says Kerr. The new was the clean-up a waste? “No,” Rick Kenmuir says simply, location; a resident in one of the newly cleaned hallways.
homes will likely be hotel units, with a reduced level of au- “of course not.” This is the spirit they’ve chosen to bring to
tonomy and an increased rent. their future homes.
Some tenants are critical of DERA’s handling of Marie Further Reading
Gomez, believing that more could have been done to save 1. “Women ‘tortured’ over drug debts,” The Province, august 1st, 2006.
their home. “It’s possible that five years ago something dras- available online: canada.com/theprovince
tic could have been done,” Kerr admits, “but we’ve done the 2. “Condemned Housing,” only Magazine, august 7th, 2007.
best we can. We’ve suffered a lot to keep it open, when it onlymagazine.ca/news/1255/condemned-housing
would’ve been easy to close it down.” 3. downtown Eastside residents association.
DERA hasn’t paid the mortgage since 2003, because oth- vcn.bc.ca/dera/
tooth and Dagger august 24, 2007 9
Life
Jobs 2.0
by Jackie Wong
Swallow
Tooth and dagger asks: “What are you taking and why?”
Ever played Name: Zdenka
Sex: Female
Hungry Hungry Hippos? Age: 25 years
An afternoon at NowPublic.com illustration Eden
What: Zopiclone
A doctor prescribed this to combat
Veaudry
stress-induced insomnia. They’re tiny
As big trusted news sources become coverage of news own material. “The site is bitter blue pills that I take 30-minutes
things of the past, Vancouver’s NowPublic. events. very organic in nature so we before bedtime. The man at the prescrip-
com is breaking ground for a new institu- “People often ask me, are much more passive than tion counter told me they are a relative-
tion of citizen journalism. “aren’t you dismantling tra- a traditional print editor,” says ly ‘lightweight’ sleeping pill, as opposed
Recently named one of the year’s best ditional journalism, aren’t you just killing Nadel. to some of the more intense, addictive
50 websites by Time magazine, NowPub- it?” Nadel says. “The reality, I think, is to- “There are cases where I will ‘assign’ or kinds. Only the latter are covered by in-
lic serves up the people’s news out of a Gas- tally the opposite. We’re pushing tradition- recommend topics to individuals who have surance, so I had to pay out of pocket.
town loft space overlooking the railway al journalism and mainstream media to the expertise or interests in a specific area,” Na- They work beautifully. After about
tracks and the ocean. There, half a dozen next level.” del says. “For example, [one user] used to twenty minutes I feel heavy and drowsy.
staff members park laptops at a long, pic- He cites a recent East Vancouver restau- be the official spokesperson for NASA, so My hands go limp and I’m out for a
nic-style table for the day’s work. rant shooting as an example. “We had a I’ll drop her an email when there’s a story good eight hours. I’ve always been a viv-
Although the company employs 18 (two- contributor there who lives across the about the space shuttle.” id dreamer, and I notice that the drug
thirds of whom work in New York and Eu- street and has photos, and there’s a natural “I refer to these types of users as people bleaches out a lot of my dreams; I of-
rope), a teeming mass of contributors need to share that experience with people. who are living the news cycle. They are not ten wake up with no memory of hav-
dwarfs the staff: the two-year-old partici- We’ve created a platform to make that very simply journalists learning about a topic ing dreamt at all, which is rare for me. I
patory news network counts nearly 97,000 easy, and very interactive.” and then writing an article. [These contrib- wake up with a bitter taste in my mouth,
contributing reporters around the world. New information is posted to NowPublic utors] actually experienced it.” as if I’ve been sucking on a fork.
These members upload news, videos, and every minute, and contributors and readers Beyond the big three––hate speech, por- Despite what the pharmacist said, I’ve
photos from over 140 countries. flag top stories. “I think we’re a generation nography, and advertising––anything is fair grown dependent on them. I only have a
“The only information we get [from mem- who is very hungry for information,” says game at NowPublic, and contributors deter- few left and when I try to sleep without
bers] is their email address and postal Kaitlin Fontana, contributor relations man- mine what news rises to the top. one I become quite anxious. I’m not al-
code,” says contributor relations specialist ager. “It used to be enough to sit and watch “The cool thing about this is the idea that lowed to have any refills.
Jordan Yerman. “So, half of our best con- the six o’clock news and go, ‘that’s my in- anyone […] has the same ability to [decide] Three weeks later: I had to go the herb-
tributors, we don’t even know their real formation for today,’ and now, that isn’t if something is worthy of being thought of al route to flush the Zopiclone out of my
names.” enough for us,” Fontana says. “We are go- as news. We are the river onto which you system. Now I’m taking valerian root.
“They’re as involved in this process as we ing to a million places to find out what hap- can drop that boat—your own news, your Also cortisone cream, and other crazy
are,” says Ryan Nadel, content and contrib- pened about one event. That is something own version of the news,” Fontana says. prescriptions for other things; I think
utor manager. “Even maybe more so—on a that NowPublic is doing.” NowPublic’s success is an indicator of the I’ve got about six different drugs cycling
totally volunteer basis.” When asked to describe a typical work- vast number of online citizens looking to around my body right now. Disgusting.
Getting news from anonymous bloggers day at NowPublic, the group pauses. “Have share stories and participate in creating the
Swallow is a completely unscientific ongoing
can seem disconcerting, but Nadel, who you ever played “Hungry Hungry Hippos?” media they consume. “NowPublic is for ev-
study, arranged by Reanna Alder. Results will be
spent the last year in Israel working for the laughs Yerman. eryone who has ever shouted at their televi-
presented in each issue of Tooth and Dagger. If
Jerusalem Post, contends that citizen jour- The Vancouver staff work through the sion news program,” says Yerman.
you wish to submit the contents of your medicine
nalism improves upon the voice of main- daily tide of NowPublic posting, managing
cabinet, please email: swallow@toothanddagger.
stream media by providing on-the-ground content, contributors, and producing their
com
10 august 24, 2007 tooth and Dagger
Music
Dancing With Myself About Architecture Another One Bites the Dust:
We gotta get out of this place darkness Sets on the Lamplighter
by Quinn Omori
Curtis Woloschuk To add insult to injury, just a few days be-
This column catches
I t’s becoming an all too famil-
iar narrative for Vancouverites. Last year,
the Mesa Luna, one of Vancouver’s only all-
fore the venue’s originally scheduled August
15th closure, the date was pushed forward
me in a time of tran- by a day, leaving another four bands scram-
ages venues, closed up shop over night. The
sition. Having moved bling to reschedule. The possibility of the
immediacy of the shutdown left bands and
house at the begin- room returning as a place to see live local
promoters scrambling to find new homes
ning of August, my and touring acts remains open, but Rog-
for shows that were already booked, and
recent leisure hours ers is doubtful about the prospect of bands
almost a year later, underage fans can still
have been dedicated once again being “live at the Lamp.” “There
feel the hole that the band-friendly restau-
to rearranging furni- is still no word as to what’s going on… I find
rant left in the local scene.
ture and maximizing shelf space rather it hard to believe that someone would spend
In 2007, music fans have already lost the
than indulging in the likes of Spoon’s Ga a lot of money renovating the Lamplight-
Bobby Conn Piccadilly Pub, the Marine Club, and the
Ga Ga Ga Ga or St. Vincent’s Marry Me. Fur- er and reopen it as a live music venue,” he
Buffalo Club. And while the bands play on
thermore, hunting down new tracks has September 7 – The Media Club notes before adding, “it doesn’t make sense
at Richard’s on Richards for the time being,
been severely impacted by the towering True story: The first time I saw Bobby business-wise, they’ll probably go more for
the venue – which has recently reemerged
ineptitude of a party that will henceforth Conn play, it was at the behest of a whis- a restaurant/lounge.” This speaks to the larg-
as a premiere live room after years of cater-
be referred to as “those motherfuckers at key-swigging Chicagoan perched outside er problem facing Vancouver’s independent
ing to the Granville Street set – will soon
Telus.” But that’s neither here nor there. The Starfish Room. “Bobby will change music scene.
find itself amongst the other Vancouver
(Much like my internet access was neither your life,” he assured me. That didn’t quite With no end to the real estate boom in
venues that have closed their doors in re-
here nor there for two weeks.) happen. Instead, Bobby donned a pair of sight, it’s simply becoming less and less ra-
cent years.
As we enter the latter stages of the bear paws and stroked my face while in- tional from an economic perspective to run
This past week, that disturbingly lengthy
month, the boxes have begun to dissipate, forming the rest of the audience, “These a live music venue, rather than a high end
list got one name longer with the closure of
order is slowly being restored and “those paws have no claws.” When later asked to lounge, or rather than selling property to
the Lamplighter.
motherfuckers at Telus” have offered some describe Conn’s music, I offered, “Maybe developers.
The venue, which sits in the main floor of
evidence that they might just be sons of if Ziggy Stardust had fronted The Jackson Even when a bar owner shows a commit-
the Dominion Hotel at 220 Abbott Street,
bitches. (That said, the moniker will stand.) 5...” Since then, it seems that Bobby has ment to live music, they must strike a tenu-
is set to go through yet another one of the
Consequently, I can actually consider leav- only grown more detached from any ap- ous balance between booking acts that will
countless changes that it’s experienced over
ing the house without a wave of guilt (and proximation of reality. To the uninitiated: fill the bar, and acts that are critically laud-
its nearly 100-year lifespan. “They’re in the
just a splash of domestic obligation) imme- I won’t claim that this show will change ed or artistically interesting. “If I got those
antique restoration business, so they’re go-
diately crashing down upon me. Around your life. However, it’ll likely touch you in radio rock guys that sell really well in there
ing to restore the building and it’s going to
these parts, there’s no better bait to lure some way or another. on the weekends, it gave me the freedom
look really nice,” says Lamplighter booking
me from my domicile than a rock show. to do what I wanted on the weekdays,” says
agent David Rogers, of the building’s new
You can consider my newly liberated cal- Rogers of the struggle that he faced when
owners. The statement hints at what the fu-
endar marked with the following events: booking the Lamplighter.
ture may hold for both the hotel and the
The Picadilly Pub and the Brickyard (which
venue. And while the half of the Domin-
most recently closed under the name “Lim-
ion Hotel that caters to low income resi-
erick Junction”) are both names that come
dents has yet to be cleared of its tenants,
up as places that could – if reopened – pick
barring some sort of official intervention it
up the slack left by the Lamplighter’s de-
seems unlikely that a freshly restored her-
mise, but with the rapid growth in the city,
itage building will keep running as a SRO
Okkervil River there’s reason to be wary about any smaller
hotel. “If you just spent $8 million on a ho-
venue’s chances of survival.
September 9 – Richard’s on Richards tel, what would you do?” Rogers asks rhe-
Au Revoir Simone with Oh No! Oh My! “The Balmoral will be around for awhile.
Two years ago, my aspirations to inter- torically.
It’s kind of sketchy still. It’s sort of on that
August 22 – The Media Club view Okkervil River frontman Will Sheff The Dominion’s semi-permanent tenants
cusp. But sooner or later, it’ll become a ‘hap-
Forget for a moment that this Brook- were quashed when he blew out his vocal still have a place to call home for the time
pening’ room, and when it gets gentrified
lyn trio’s The Bird of Music is one hell of a chords. This time around, I was simply too being, but the same can’t be said for the
around there to the point where [the own-
dreamy (in every possible respect) album. intimidated to even attempt it. Repeated slate of acts that was set to play the Lamp-
ers] can sell, that’s what’s going to happen,”
Yes, “Fallen Snow” is undeniably lovely, ventures into the Austin band’s back cat- lighter in the next month. “There was word
says Rogers.
“Dark Halls” is poppy as could be and the alogue have convinced me that Sheff is [about the closure] going around about
Only time will tell if even the block of
geeky charm of “Stars” threatens to red- virtually unparalleled amongst contempo- three weeks ago, but it wasn’t confirmed
Main and Hastings will be touched by the
line. That’s all well and good but what you rary songwriters. While recently released until August 2nd or 3rd, so that’s when I
forces of gentrification. In the mean time,
really need to know about Au Revoir Si- The Stage Names may fall just short of the started canceling everything,” says Rogers
Vancouver music fans have one less place to
mone is that they’ve kinda-sorta jammed conceptual brilliance of 2005’s Black Sheep of the situation.
go, because it’s lights out at the Lamp.
with David Lynch. I saw it on YouTube, Boy, its looser structure more closely ap-
so I know that it’s true. Openers Oh No! proximates the band’s devastating live
Oh My! lifted their name from a The Ro- performances. Make no mistake: For all of
the hit
I first heard this song live in the album “Better Together.”
bot Ate Me song and more than a few of Sheff’s quasi-poetic prowess, an Okkervil a very hot blue room. It was Short, unabashedly poppy,
their nasally nuances from T.R.A.M.’s Ry- River show isn’t a namby-pamby, intellec- late. I was tired. As we all and just the sort of song
land Bouchard. Their eponymous debut tual affair. It’s a visceral and celebratory bopped our heads and fell in you wouldn’t expect to get
features the quirky, jerky “I Have No Sis- experience that promises to leave everyone “Wind Me Up” love with Amber Webber’s robbed to.
voice, someone outside was Thank you, Lightning
ter,” which in turn features a stellar shout in attendance shaken but exhilarated.
by stealing my bike helmet. So Dust, for proving once again
out to Audrey Hepburn. The Texans will be In that respect, it’s precisely what a rock it goes. that Vancouver can produce
carting along their spanking new EP, Be- show should be. It’s what draws us from Lightning Dust Fitting, as this song some fine ear porn to
stands out from the stark, distract us from constantly
tween The Devil And The Sea. We’d probably the safety of our homes and brings us to
melancholic atmosphere of losing our shit.
do well to take notice. our feet. You can expect to see me at stage
right, waiting to once again be baptized in
the sweat spawned by the devil’s music. tooth and Dagger august 24, 2007 11
Tooth and Dagger up and coming • send your events to: listings@toothanddagger.com
MUsiC FiLM WorKshoPs
BooKs onGoinG
fri, aug 24Th TuES, SEpT 11Th Aug 16-28th ThurS, SEpT 6Th EvErY SuNDaY ubc repair clinic
The pack, The grange, No horses ciTr 101.9 presents ShiNDig! VANCOuVER QuEER FILM & VIDEO Letter Writing Workshop Kitsilano farmers market at Kits Show up at the aMS Bike Co-op at uBC
The railway Club, 10pm Come to the railway this Tuesday and many FEStIVAL Come write some letters. Supplies provided, community centre with an idea of what you want to learn and
$8 consecutive Tuesdays to watch local bands A plethora of eclectic films and parties, pre- addresses required. 12th ave. & Larch St. 10am to 2pm the mechanics will teach you. rSVP ubc.
battle for glory. sented by the Vancouver Out on Screen Film The regional assembly of Text (3934 Main) 1ST, 3rD, aND 5Th moNDaY bikecoop@gmail.com
SaT, aug 25Th
and Video Society. For times, venues, and 7pm vancouver poetry Slam aMS Bike Co-op (north side of the SuB
Dandi Wind fri, SEpT 14Th
films, see outonscreen.com next Slam is July 30th - annual Team Slam down some stairs, uBC), 6-8PM,
The royal unicorn, 147 E.Pender, 8pm portico cD release party SaT, SEpT 22ND
Competition. $5/free for members
$10 w/ The Heavenly Sweat RI,
FRI, Aug 24th Free-Folk School Workshop
The annex (307 w. Cordova) Five Ring Circus Screening and backyard gardeners’ guide to Cafe deux Soleils, 9pm EvErY ThurSDaY
auguST 28Th - SEpTEmbEr 1ST
Discussion Knowing and caring for Your Soil. $5-10 sliding scale fast Night Thursdays
2nd annual international pop SaT, SEpT 15Th
Conrad Schmidt will be in to screen and dis- Soil testing, cover cropping, regional soil EvErY TuESDaY Tired of the religious procession of the criti-
overthrow festival animal collective
cuss his film, examining the shortcomings of breakdown, composting, mulching in Mount fixie ride cal masses? Join the speed freaks for some-
Many nights of many bands, including The not good live? We’ll see.
hosting the Olympics in Vancouver. Pleasant. To register contact andrew at ar- Science World Gazebo, 7PM thing harder and faster.
neins Circa, The Feminists, The Capitals, Bro- Commodore Ballroom, 8pm
at Spartacus Books (311 W.Hastings) 7-9pm ushmere@hotmail.com or 604.708.8314 “Life-Drawing, blim-Style” Grandview Park, 9PM
ken Condom Babies, and many more.
WED, SEpT 19Th Evil Film School: Beat Baby! 9am-1pm
railway Club, doors 8PM, Still life and models provided. Bring your EvErY ThurSDaY
better friends Than Lovers cD 7:30pm - Beat Girl [1960]: Gillian Hills stars
$10/$8 Members SEpT 5Th, 8Th, aND 11Th own sketchbook, mixed media. Info: 604- comedy Night at the Wired monk
release as the titular teenage hellcat out to ruin the life introduction to permaculture 872-8180, blimblim@telus.net Vancouver’s independent stand up comedi-
WED, aug 29Th w/The People Verses, Big Whoop of her new French stepmom. Three-part Course: Three experiential work- Blim arts Society (197 East 17th ave. at ans storm a coffee shop. If you liked the El
Lightning Dust, cave Singers Media Club, 8pm 9:15pm - Expresso Bongo [1960]: Laurence shops, all connected into a whole system. Main), 8-10pm Cocal’s old comedy nights on the drive, sim-
delicious, it doesn’t matter that they’re SaT, SEpT 22Th Harvey (the original Manchurian Candidate) is Sept 5, Permaculture paradigms $5 drop-in fee ilar faces appear here. May include heartfelt
also in black mountain, that isn’t the point. handsome furs the opportunistic manager who discovers Cliff Sept 8, Permaculture possibilities renditions of the theme song for “reading
They’re just delicious. Playing with Seattle’s EvErY WEDNESDaY
richards Richard, a bongo playing singing sensation. rainbow.”
Sept 11, Permaculture potentials pedal play bike fix and Skill Share
Cave Singers who are ‘a mellow good time’
WED, SEpT 26Th Blim (197 E.17th) The Sustainable Living arts School in roberts Wired Monk, (West 4th ave. @
Pat’s Pub open to all Pedal volunteers. If you are
greg macpherson, roger Dean Young, $5-10 sliding scale Creek (sunshine coast) Sign up for individual Trafalgar), 9:30pm
not yet one, they will transform you. Ex-
Thu, aug 30Th Leah abramson At, 1S
SAt, SEpt 1St classes. $10 each or $25 for all 3. Call(604) pect to join the bike polo folk truing wheels EvErY SaTurDaY
bert Jansch railway Club, 9pm Silent Summer Nights 885-4504 to register. ediblelandscapes.ca and building mallets. Small stock of used East vancouver farmers market at
richards, 8pm
fri, SEpT 28Th A fabulous evening of silent film accompa- parts for rummaging futilely through. Trout Lake community centre
$15.50
nied by the live music of Stefan Smulovitz’s
art
The New pornographers, Lavender 604.875.8679 for details. Saturdays to october 6th
fri, aug 31ST Diamond, fancey electronics ensemble, Eye of Newt. The film Pedal Metal Studios (194 West 3rd. alley East 15th & Victoria dr., 9am to 2pm
people for audio, buffalo Swans, ESL SEpT 8Th - ocT 20Th
Commodore Ballroom, 8pm is some Buster Keaton entrance), 6:30-9:30PM West End farmers market at Nelson
The royal unicorn fifty books i have read more Than
Grandview Park, 8:15pm $5/hr suggested donation park
once
SaT, SEpT 1ST LeCtUres free!! fake Jazz Wednesdays until october 6th
Simon Fraser university Gallery
andrew bird, Dosh SuN SE 2ND
SuN, SEp 2ND a night of experimental noise, improv punk, Comox Street between Bute and Thurlow,
TuES, aug 28Th new work by douglas Coupland and ron-
richard’s on richards, 8pm Silent Summer Nights and other strange things 9am to 2pm
The history of S&m ald Kitaj
$22.50 The Cobalt, 10pm
overview of the history of consensual sado- Nosferatu LaST moNDaY of EvErY moNTh
Devandra banhardt SEpT 14Th - ocT 19Th $3
masochism from ancient rome to the present An outdoor extravaganza of live music and si- Womyn on Wheels
a skinnier, handsome version of t-rex. The Taiwan: from the mist riley park farmers market at Nat bai-
day. Pre-register please. (604) 742-9988 lent film, featuring the SSN Monster Orches- Ladies fix your bike night. This is a trans-in-
voice of the revolution, probably. a large scale exhibition that includes oil paint- ley Stadium
artofloving.ca tra of 30-40 players including the members of clusive space.
Commodore ing, sculpture, installation, Wednesdays to october 24, 2007
The art of Loving, 1819 W 5th St. (7:30-9:30) NOW Orchestra our Community Bikes (3283 Main St.), 6:30
documents, conceptual art, video and multi- 30th & ontario Street, 1pm to 6:30pm
moN, SEpT 3rD $15. Grandview Park, 8:15pm - 9:30pm
media creations by twenty-one artists
victory Square block party! free!! LaST WEDNESDaY of ThE moNTh $5-10 dollars
ThurS, SEpT 6Th from Taiwan.
an all-day festival of awesomeness, pre- FRI, SEpt 7
RI, SE anzabonanza pub Quiz
William gibson! at Centre a, 2 W. Hastings St. FooD + BiKes
sented by The only Magazine w/ Frog Eyes, Hosted by Trevor deval & dylan rhymer
CBC radio’s Sheryl MacKay and John Burns of No Show (by Melvin Moti)
The Choir Practice, Secret Mommy, Chet, SEp 6Th-15Th Bring friends, form a team, and compete
the Georgia Straight host an interactive chat In conjunction with SWARM (an annual cele- SuN, aug 26
and more New forms festival 2007 in a 2-round multimedia trivia showdown.
with renowned Vancouver author. bration of artist-run culture) Moti’s 2004 No Tour de blintz,
Hastings and Cambie. 1-9pm one of the largest media arts festivals on the Was napoleon known for having only one
Free to contest winners; enter on-line. info Show is a 24-minute film based on a guided a series of guided bicycle tours exploring
west coast, involving music, theory, dancing, testicle? Can you name the next line in a
fri, SEpT 7Th www.cbc.ca/bc/bookclub/ tour given at the Hermitage Museum during Greater Vancouver’s Jewish restaurants,
talking, instrument building, film, and inter- coming-of-age thriller? You don’t know un-
Wolf parade, holy fuck CBC Broadcast Centre (775 Cambie) 7-8:30 the Second World War. Moti presents this his- delicatessens and bakeries. Must be 16 or
active art “uncamps.” The theme for nF07 is til you try.
richard’s on richards. 7pm toric tour aurally, while the camera is trained older to participate.
fri, SEpT 7Th re:use, encompassing a wide variety of artis- The anza Club (8th & ontario), 8pm
$22.50 on an empty gallery, a backdrop for the imag- http://www.jewishmuseum.ca/info/current_
global poverty: What are our tic and intellectual practices including, but not
ined works. Artist Talk Saturday September 8, $10, max 5 players per team
SuN, SEpT 9Th obligations? events/tour-de-blintz
limited to, sampling, collage, remixing, and ap-
2pm
okerville river annual Sikora distinguished Lecture Series propriation.
Artspeak (233 Carrall) 8pm
Brainy nerds, epic emotive rock with a cin- w/ speaker Peter Singer, distinguished Profes- see 2007.newformsfestival.com/ for events
ematic flair. sor of Bioethics at Princeton university. Call and info toothanddagger.com
richards uBC Philosophy department for further info
$14 604.822.3292
uBC, Frederic Wood Theater, 4pm
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