Anti-Poverty Groups Disrupt Government PR Event on Poverty

Provincial gov't officially launches 'Downtown Eastside Connect'
kiosk
Suzanne Fournier, The Province, Tuesday, February 02, 2010

The official launch of the "Downtown Eastside Connect" kiosk Monday was quickly followed by an antipoverty protest dubbing it a "government spin-doctoring centre."

B.C. Housing Minister Rich Coleman confirmed the pavilion, housed at 142 West Cordova Street in the new Woodward's complex, was created to showcase progress made on housing and other issues of the "challenging" area.

"We know the world's coming, there's a buzz in the city with visitors, national and international media -- they'll either make up their own stories or we can tell the truth about what we've done to help change people's lives," said Coleman.

Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson agreed: "There's a lot of interest . . . in Canada's poorest neighbourhood and we say, 'Come on down,' there's plenty of room for discussion, debate and disagreement.'"

Then Wendy Pedersen of the Carnegie Community Action Project and members of a dozen groups spoke out about persistent poverty in a city with the "highest housing costs and lowest minimum wage in Canada."

Pedersen briskly signed up media members for "reality walking tours."

"The Olympics are being used as an excuse for gentrification, for police to give more tickets to low-income residents who can't afford to pay and to force people into temporary shelters," said Pedersen.

Gladys Radek, co-founder of the Walk 4 Justice from B.C. to Ottawa to commemorate 3,000 missing and murdered women across Canada, said a "few changes" before the Olympics will not make women safer.

"Poverty makes women vulnerable to predators down here," said Radek, noting that the annual Feb. 14 march to commemorate missing women will go ahead, despite the Olympics, as planned at noon.

Media from Germany, the Netherlands, Japan, the U.S. and Britain appeared to listen intently to both sides.

Thomas Roth, a German TV reporter who said he has been to Vancouver before, said: "It is a very beautiful and gifted city and, yes, there are problems that have no quick fix.

"We see both sides of the coin, like any reporter, and we don't just believe him because he is a minister or the mayor or the police chief."

Meanwhile, Sports Illustrated and the U.K. Guardian have both inked somewhat jaundiced reports, with British reporter Douglas Haddow noting the "Bailout Games" will cost $6 billion, "with little chance of return."

Frank Aischmann, a German radio reporter, said he is "aware of spin, just like when they call it the "Green Games" and all the VANOC people drive big SUVs.

"European cities have dealt with drugs and other problems but, here in Vancouver, it is all concentrated in one area.

"It is our job to see through the facade. We will cover that story."

And Liz Evans of the Portland Hotel Society, who has spent 20 years living and working in the Downtown Eastside, said: "This [area] is our best understood shame and worst understood pride, because too little has been done to relieve the suffering of so many people for so long.

"It is our pride because it is the place where those who are so seldom accepted, due to challenges [like] poverty, mental illness, abuse, addictions . . . can find love, and community."

sfournier@the province.com