Under the Street, the Beach!
The Thorn on Thursdays | March 25th
Stories
Local
Vancouver’s top city planner abruptly leaves his post
The City of Vancouver has announced a change in personnel at the top of the municipal bureaucracy, mid-way through the once much-touted “Vancouver Plan” process. Theresa O’Donnell, profiled by city beat reporter Dan Fumano in the Vancouver Sun, will fill in on an interim basis until a decision is made on hiring a permanent replacement.
No personal or policy reason was given for Gil Kelley’s sudden departure from his position as chief planner. Writing in The Straight, Charlie Smith speculated that recent proposed policy changes around the City’s rental replacement policies in C-2 and other commercially-zoned areas, could have played some role in the timing of the decision. Smith didn’t present any proof that the C-2 zoning discussions, which are set to resume next week before council, had anything to do with Kelley saying farewell to City Hall. But it’s true the developer lobby is opposed to increasing protection of rental units in these mixed-use commercial zones, claiming that it amounts to downzoning that will lower property values.
On public toilets and flushing away austerity politics
Proponents of austerity politics in Vancouver have taken to social media to attack the decision by the Vancouver Parks Board to tap into $645,000 from a $100 million infrastructure fund set up by the BC government to pay for a public toilet in Cooper’s Park.
Supporters of the public toilet have also taken to twitter to counter the grotesque rhetoric from opponents of the project. When former NPA mayoral candidate Ken Sim tweeted his opposition to the project, left-wing journalist (and one-time council candidate) Derrick O’Keefe offered a very punny comeback to flush out the politics of austerity:
O’Keefe added that the “Toilet Tax” was not an actual proposal, but rather an alliteration off the top of his head to counter this ridiculous austerity politics. This attempt to turn public toilets into a wedge issue really stinks.
Provincial
Disability advocates rally for higher social assistance rates
On March 18, disability advocates led a rally in Downtown Vancouver for higher welfare and disability rates. The physically distanced rally was largely focused on food insecurity, which is a major issue for disability and social assistance recipients.
In April 2020, the BC government instituted a $300 COVID Supplement for disability and social assistance clients who did not have any other income. In September, disability advocates launched the 300 to Live campaign to push the BC government to make the $300 COVID assistant supplement permanent.
Although the COVID Supplement was cut back to $150 in January, the BC government has since announced a permanent increase of $175 to social assistance rates.
Rally organizers argue that the $175 increase to disability and social assistance rates is still insufficient, and that the government should increase the rates by the full $300 that was offered in the COVID Supplement. While the BC government has frozen rents through the end of 2021, landlords are still free to increase rents in between tenancies. At the same time, food costs are increasing at higher rates due to both the pandemic and climate change, and those at the top of society have increased their wealth by tens of billions during the pandemic.
Further Reading: BC’s Disability Survival Trap
Photo Credit: Jean Swanson
Hummingbirds stop Trans-Mountain construction
The following story comes courtesy of Donna Clark on Facebook:
“2 nesting Anna’s Hummingbird land defenders have stopped TMX at the Brunette watershed site in Burnaby, until the end of August when breeding season is over.
A Federal Environment Officer and a Federal Biologist together came to this conclusion after visiting the TMX site. Apparently, they legally have to respond immediately when called because nesting birds are protected under the Migratory Bird Convention Act (MBCA).
Thank you to all the many humans who supported this! Just like the story of the hummingbird, we all help with our small yet collective efforts! We do something we can with the gifts we have. And we all have them!”
Another Bullshit Night in Suck City
Penticton is a beautiful city. It is surrounded by the natural wonders of the Okanagan valley. In the summer the hillsides are sun blessed and the beaches are warm. In the winter the mountains are snow covered and sap of the pines and the fir trees give the air a fresh, crisp, quality. But there is a meanness below the surface: the sharp edges of capitalism are always waiting for those who have less, who lack resources, and help.
Penticton’s war on the poor continues. The city that recently imposed a 100$ bylaw fine for sitting on a sidewalk downtown, is now trying to close a 42 bed shelter downtown, during a pandemic. The mayor and council voted to prevent the shelter from staying open. The closing of the shelter has been blocked at this time by the provincial government and Housing Minister David Eby. The pandemic has left many people struggling to pay rent, or find safe and secure housing. Now more than ever, the homeless, marginalized, and vulnerable members of our community need empathy and support. The way to help homeless people is not more cops, more jails, and more institutionalization. As a society we have to invest in (not close) homeless shelters, hire social social workers, and rebuild the welfare state that has been gutted by neoliberal reforms over the last forty years.
National
Rogers-Shaw Merger Risks Further Eroding Canadians’ Right to Communicate
Canada’s telecommunications industry can best be described as an oligopoly. In an attempt to further the interests of this profiteering cabal, Rogers announced on March 15 they have entered into a deal to take over Shaw Communications. While Rogers’s own propaganda claims the merger will “create new jobs” and will “strengthen the innovation sector” (whatever the “innovation sector” is), even the conservative wasteland that is Canada’s major media landscape expresses skepticism. That the news rags who are normally sycophantic supporters of “free market capitalism” are not enthusiastic about this proposed merger suggests just how toxic the telecommunications industry is.
Indeed, anyone who has had to pay nearly $100 a month just for the privilege of accessing the internet on their phone knows that there must be a way to make communications accessible to all. Internet access is a human right. The federal government has the power to realize that right and to create real economic opportunities for Canadians. Courage Coalition has proposed four simple steps to do so:
Create Alternatives: Establish a national publicly-owned provider from the bottom up
Break the Power of Monopolies: Use regulatory powers to increase quality of services, end monopolistic practices and reduce prices
Take Back Control: Nationalize the telcos and implement cooperative federated control in the public interest
Seize the Future: Start building the data commons and take back the platform layer
Implementing this agenda would take political will that simply does not exist at the highest levels of Canadian government. But blocking the Rogers-Shaw merger would be a start.
Further Learning:
Regulators Must Kill The Rogers-Shaw Deal. History Shows They Won't (Passage)
Let's Nationalize Canada's Telecoms + Dying at the Altar of Capital (Left Turn, Canada Podcast)
International
Lula one step closer to running in 2022
While B.C. worries about the spread of the so-called “Brazil variant”, there was some good news from South America’s largest country this week. An important Supreme Court decision means Lula da Silva is one step closer to running for president and challenging the far-right Jair Bolsonaro in 2022. Next year’s election, coincidentally, will be the 20th anniversary of Lula 2002 election win which as a key landmark in the “Pink Tide” that swept Latin America in the early years of this century.
Upcoming Events
Thursday, March 25 4 p.m. PT, 7 p.m. EST, WEBCAST: “Why the Police should be De-funded, Disarmed and Disbanded” with Rajean Hoilett, prison abolitionist and community organizer. Host: Elizabeth Byce. Discussants: Loretta Fisher of Spring magazine, and leading SA members Kurt Young and Corey David. Hosted by Socialist Action
Saturday, March 27. Bridge occupation for civil resistance! Extinction Rebellion Vancouver will be gathering at City Hall where we will hear from community activists, learn chants and, in the XR way, there will of course be theatrics on display. We will then march on to Cambie bridge and nonviolently take up public space
The Canadian Foreign Police Institute will be hosting this upcoming event "Palestine Solidarity: Why the NDP Convention Matters" featuring a powerful list of speakers including Svend Robinson, Libby Davies, Hammam Farah, Rabbi David Mivasair & Zahia El-Masri.
From Svend Robinson on Twitter: “Look forward to joining this important discussion on the eve of the @NDP Convention, and hope it will encourage all delegates to give top priority to key Palestine resolutions incl #NoIHRA Fight antisemitism, not Palestine solidarity!”
Democratic Socialists of Vancouver Reading Group
The Right To The City
An introduction to the Right to the City and its interpretations and applications
Come learn about socialism and the DSoV. All are welcome on Thursday April 8th at 7pm for the bi-monthly socialist reading group. On March 18th. This week’s discussion will centre on Lefebvre’s concept of The Right to the City. The book club will gather at meet.jit.si/DSOVBC
Links to the readings and study questions can be found here.
This event is open to DSoV members and anyone curious about DSoV. Bring your questions and a friend.
The Thorn Open House
Drop-In open house for prospective The Thorn writers
April 7, 2021. 7:00 -9:00 pm
Interested journalists and readers are invited to drop by to find out more about contributing to The Thorn, our plans for the future, and who is involved.
Find out more about The Thorn here: Thethorn.ca
Or 10-Minute Socially-Distanced Online Theatre Festival
6 Ten-Minute Plays by Local Artists - Streaming April 2 and 3 Online!
“To be OR not to be?” We choose “Or”. The unexpected! The surprising! Every night, we present the WORLD PREMIERE of six original 10 minute plays written, dramaturged, directed and acted by local Vancouver artists. Our line-up includes Hazard Pay by Samantha Walters, Seven Minutes ‘Till Heaven by Geekenders Theatre Founder, Fairlith Harvey - whose work is hailed as “having a cult following” - and four more plays! Join us for the fun! It’s a midnight serenade for the audience…only, this time, Vancouver’s diverse voices are the instruments! That includes YOU! Laugh…cry… REACT! We want to know you’re online! And we can’t wait to hear what you thought after the show. Our symbol of the stained glass window illustrates individuals coming together to form a mosaic of art that represents the vibrant, colourful nature of this city.
The recording of these six 10 minute plays will be live-streamed on April 2nd & 3rd at 7:30pm PT.
Tickets are on sale now - visit http://orfestival.com/tickets to purchase!
Democratic Socialists of Vancouver Calendar
https://www.democraticsocialistsyvr.ca/dsov-calendar
Vancouver Ecosocialists Group Calendar
https://ecosocialistsvancouver.org/events
Media Roundup
Hell hath no fury like a superpower in decline: Biden and Blinken address Moscow and Beijing from Graham Fuller - The U.S. leadership must have set some kind of new record in managing to personally insult the leadership of the two other great powers of the world within 48 hours of each other in these early days of Biden administration foreign policy.
Five Indigenous-led Movements for Ocean Protection from Raven Trust - This #WorldWaterDay we want to take the time to thank all Water Defenders across the world who are standing up to protect salmon, herring, orcas and all beings who depend on safe clean water for all generations.
Stop AAPI Hate: Safety Tips for Those Experiencing or Witnessing Hate
The Politics of a Second Gilded Age (Jacobin)