Gentrification In Vancouver

Occupy Vancouver
Affordable Housing March
November 12th, 2011

Being at Occupy Vancouver a couple times already, once being overnight, I knew for the most part what to expect. And for the most part, much was unchanged in terms of functionality. The community feel was still withstanding the societal anxiety and tensions caused by poor regional reporters, always keeping in mind the fight was meant to be for the 99%: with those placing blame for the moment being included in this demographic. The fight is in the hearts of those involved and there is no doubt that conviction for change has not changed.

One thing I've noticed about Occupy Vancouver is that every single trip there offers a lesson or educational experience. Personal speeches by locals signify the struggles we collectively recognize, and lectures by intellectuals of local status anecdotally examine and reinforce the values we fight for. What I had not yet experienced was the power of a sentimentally united march. The topic of the day was affordable housing, an issue connected socio-economically with the concept of gentrification.

I had little knowledge about affordable housing conceptually, well, I suppose I still do. I had researched gentrification briefly after hearing the term in an Immortal Technique song entitled "Harlem Streets". The lyrics of note are still stained in my memory:

"And fuck flossin', mothers are trying to feed children
But gentrification is kickin' them outta they building
A generation of babies, born without healthcare
Families homeless, thrown the fuck off the welfare"

I found many resources related to these words, and came to find out that Harlem is a brutally distinguished symbol of gentrification. It is an unsettling reminder that our society is riddled with inequality, with the brute end of that manifesting itself in concentrated levels in particular social niches, such as Harlem, New York. Rich man's attempt to restore neighbourhoods by developing them has rendered many homeless, and many displaced. Economic measures often indicate social progress, but that is measured merely by economic output. Social health indicators such as homeless rates, are often left out giving us a false sense of social cohesion and progressiveness. Low-income individuals get left out of the discussion, as developers take centre stage on the evening news after another "lucrative property acquisition".

I was much less aware of the fact that Vancouver's low-income population has fallen victim to the same type of property manipulation.

During the march we stopped at various locations to carry out planned activities and speeches. We occupied intersections, and at one near the waterfront we heard a speech of support by running mayoral candidate Randy Helten. From there we trekked into the Woodward building, a once occupied site of protest that I had absolutely no knowledge of. Inside we congregated, in circles or in crowds. Several people spoke of their struggle, highlighting their connection or knowledge to the Woodward complex and its less than progressive history. I was touched by the speeches of those who struggled to find affordable housing as Woodward was being sold off to real estate companies, reducing low income dwellings and making them more expensive all at the same time. The words shared represented the negative social consequences of gentrification, a process of destroying opportunistic equality in regards to housing while investors continue to convert living space into luxurious living space; profit being the highest order of concern, obviously.

It has been said that real-estate is Vancouver's own type of Wall Street, where developers are given more than generous opportunity by our elected leaders to take affordable living space and transform it into space reserved for elites. Of course Wall Street uses financial trading as a means of increasing inequality on all levels, but the corporate parallel is what should be noted as a comparative means of observing greed as it continues to degrade social health.

The fact that the condo developments at the Athletes Village are STILL not sold is an indication that we should not be encouraging the continual upgrading of a city to the point where costs begin to rise beyond our means to afford our necessities. We are slowly but surely following the socio-economic trajectory of our neighbours to the south: social stratification through economic inequality. It is true that societies with higher levels of economic inequality also have higher crime rates, lower literacy rates, etc.. the magnitude of the effects caused by inequality are evidentially proven and documented by a vast array of intellectuals and academics. A simple google search would likely render you countless results.

Profit over people is a common thematic vantage point for the "Occupy" movement to criticize. The affordable housing debate is a definite example, and as demonstrated in the housing march in Vancouver it becomes easier to see that the lower income people of Vancouver are in fact at a disadvantage when it comes to housing.

The working poor need a place in the discussion, and one that isn't moderated by business interests. Vancouver's homelessness rate is stubbornly high and it is my contention that this is largely due to the real-estate plunders of short sighted local and provincial governments. Money should be taken out of the equation, with social needs replacing it as a focal point of policy validation.

Kids are taught to help each other, forgive each other. It is a lesson that we seem to fail at withholding as time ticks away, along the way forgetting that humanity comes first.  We're stuck in a value system double standard and it needs to be changed.

Follow me on Twitter: @SBtheradical

Addiction: It's Everywhere

    Sabotage is expected from the opposition of the occupy movement, however I must address one form right now. That is the issue of addiction which has been used politically to discredit the movement altogether. For example, A woman at Occupy Vancouver recently died of a drug overdose. Instead of our local newspapers reporting on the tragedy for what it is worth, and perhaps shedding light on the causes of this type of tragedy, the news teams decided to use the death as a means of trying to discredit the occupation and dismiss it as "out of hand" and "unsafe". I have yet to find a person opposing the movement who has a logical explanation for this death somehow undermining the movement. The premise would be hard to make, as it is, and it is the reason why ideology in our news has trumped meaningful and accurate reporting. This fear mongering by our major news sources is becoming more and more common as political officials continue to bicker immaturely about solutions to the occupations presence. Presence alone has got people worried and pissed off for no real reasons, while we all continue to ignore the issues actually being put in the spotlight by the occupation.

Anyway, back to addiction. The negative view of addiction as a whole has been perpetuated elsewhere also, my twitter feed was littered with tweets about an occupation that experienced something quite odd. Someone proceeded to dump needles around the perimeter of the property....

Somehow, some people in society have gotten the idea that falsification through drug abuse exposure will be effective. I might remind some people that those on Wall Street are notorious for cocaine use and prostitution. Several elite prostitution rings around New York have come out publicly and stated that a good portion of their business comes from high-ranking banking officials, representing all of the major financial firms. Studies have also come out showing that the chemical reactions in the brain caused by winning monetary reward are the same reactions caused by ingesting cocaine. This explains the cyclical nature of Wall Street drug use. Therapist Jonathan Alpert stated "it is amazing to see how much cocaine these wall streeters can use, and then get up and go to work the next day". Huh, post-binge bankers are responsible for handling and investing my money... that's just fantastic.

We never hear about the drug lawsuits involved on Wall Street, yet we always find a way to blame the homeless for participating in addiction. We forget that addictions take many forms, power and acquisition of wealth both included in this terminology. We see nothing wrong in de-humanizing an addict for a Meth addiction, but forget that this type of addiction is far less reaching socio-economically than say; General Motors cutting jobs in the 80's while posting record profits in attempts to improve their bottom line. Or a tobacco company executive deciding to spend millions more on advertising in attempts that people will buy the product, despite the fact that this will directly contribute to rising death rates and accumulative health problems in society. These addictions, as Dr. Gabor Mate explains (PhD physician who works in preventative care in downtown Vancouver), are rewarded greater despite their exponentially higher level of negative social consequences.

And although I can compare all day, it does not give me the right to falsify character on the basis of addiction, no matter what that addiction is. We are all a product of environment, shaped by the experiences that occur in our lives and also by the people we are surrounded by. Certain emotional responses are in fact there because of another experience, your brain justifying the action with the response. Some are subconscious, some are formed in the rational mind. Whatever the emotional offence, we all have coping mechanisms that accompany our addictions, as well as negative circumstances that always seem to define them. A drug addict, most likely severely emotionally scarred, is coping with the pain by taking a drug that ups the endorphines; These are our "feel good" emotions that occur naturally with proper environmental upbringing. With endorphins lacking, we feel the need to compensate, as it is our minds seeking safe haven. Who are we to judge addictions, when we most of the time have no idea of the circumstances that lead to them? How can we work to rid ourselves of these influences in the most enriching of ways, when we are so fixated on blaming them and simultaneously convincing ourselves that addictions cannot be reversed or prevented.

Addictions can be meaningfully addressed, but only if we recognize that no human is free of environmental influence; negative influence will lead to improper social connections within the brain, and thus a decreased ability to adapt to social conditions that we otherwise could have conquered through perseverance, will-power, or financial opportunity.

Addictions play a critical role in the Occupy movement. It has exposed the fact that addictions are everywhere, and that we tend to vilify the least risky of addictions as the most acute and unchangeable ones. Addiction takes so many forms, and we all experience them. We can only identify them if we mature enough to realize that we have them, and that they became manifest through emotional response to an unfavourable condition.

We MUST address these unfavourable conditions, and attack them at the source rather than try to blame some, and justify others. Housing, preventative care, harm reduction, job opportunity... these are easily implemented steps to reducing the prevalence and occurrence of devastating substance addictions. These types of policies are advocated by protesters adamantly. However, the more powerful of addictions.... power, wealth acquisition, profit margin performance, control... these are built in components to the system that we continue to justify and forget to pay attention to. It is because of this that it does not help to blame individuals in power. They are simply puppets playing their role.

The most negative of addictions have become the most celebrated, and this has to stop. Addiction built into the system has spelled trouble, as was expected. One of the key aspects of addictions is it's negative consequences and denial of them, therefore we must address the negative consequences and identify them as changeable; and ultimately, create solutions that limit our ability to inherit socially devastating addictions.

Prevention is always better than the cure folks.


Follow me on Twitter: @SBtheradical

Culture Shock: First Day at Occupy Vancouver

Strolling out of work at 2pm on Saturday afternoon, I couldn't help but smile. The last few months I have researched topics from human nature to environmentalism to tax policy, and beyond. Mainly though, I have inherited a sense of concern from this information, and the concern grows with time. I have come to find that the system we have been bred to celebrate is really one that we should be metaphorically burying as deep into the ground as possible. Our system is not void of opportunity, that is for sure. We all do have the chance of being billionaires, so long as we share the same social system with people owning that much wealth. However, the question lies in the degree of opportunity we have. Equality of opportunity conflicts with a system based upon the idea of private property and wealth acquisition. Liberal political philosophers have always tried to tiptoe around this idea, but it's premise is simple and easy to understand. The more one is able to acquire, the less there is for everyone else. I'm not preaching socialism, I'm preaching the obvious.

With so many people left out of the financial ponzy schemes of the ruling elite, this disenfranchisement of the public is essentially why people are occupying the financial centres of over 1500 cities world-wide. With Vancouver not exempt from this economic epidemic, I was interested to see just what types of people showed up at this occupation. When I showed up, it became apparent that this movement is for real, and that to me is a beautiful thing.

When I arrived at the Vancouver Art Gallery there was a sense of optimism that took over my psyche, and again I found myself unwillingly smiling for no reason; in turn inciting smiles around me. I took a picture of a fellow with a Jack Russell dog by his side, holding up a sign. (I will refer to him as John, for I have no asked his permission to be published). After the photo we began talking, and we quickly became friends after he found out I was camping out like he was. He offered up his tent to keep my supplies under cover, a generous act considering the small size of the tent. Later he offered to let me sleep in the tent too, but I thankfully declined simply due to the fact that his tent would have been cramped even just holding him and his dog. I was also adamant to sleep on the ground, something that was most definitely out of my comfort zone.

John also conveniently had sign making material; some cardboard pieces and a few markers. Inspired by the blog name, I wrote out in big letters: "Humanity First!"

While holding up the sign to the public entering the zone of occupation, I had many people taking my picture. This is a good thing, for it get's the message out there. People will go home and proceed to put the photos up on various social networks, causing a snowball effect which seems to be more effective than word of mouth these days. Snaps of photos became common, with silent smiles and thank-you's following from many. The people who thanked me appeared to be from all walks of life, characteristic of the representational diversity that was commonplace during the time I was there.

A woman approached John and I and we quickly became immersed in her knowledge as we began to converse. She told us she had a good paying job and was perfectly capable of paying all her bills and gradually reducing her debt. She then went on to explain that she has been very fortunate to have the background that she had, giving her the right mentality and financial opportunity to succeed in our current economic paradigm. She outlined various issues in our society, many of which that I had never heard of. This sharing of knowledge made me feel grateful that there are still people in society that like me, have jobs and a future but are still willing to fight for those who don't. She had a worried look as she explained her research based findings. It was clear that emotion was surely tied into her studies, as it is with mine. She informed us after about 20 minutes of discussion that she had to leave to tend to her pets, and proceeded to hand John and I a 10 dollar bill and told us to use it for a good meal so we were sure to sleep warm. She thanked us various times for occupying, and fighting the economic war for people who are financially or socially incapable of doing so. I am hopeful that I will meet this kind woman again.

After a couple hours of general speaking by the population in attendance, the General Assembly began. Essentially the General Assembly is an open platform for everybody to make their voice heard, as well as have their vote count. On the agenda was the rules of consensus, which laid the general guidelines of the assembly when issues begin to be discussed (This would not begin happening until Sunday, October 16th). Also discussed was accessibility issues for those with disabilities, as well as issues surrounding police presence in the area.

Vancouver PD and City of Vancouver littered the park, with staff members on site decreasing as the night progressed. Overnight there was approximately 8 officers to keep watch on the situation. Although presence in numbers was strong, the figures of authority were entirely respectful from what I saw. Many engaged in conversations with protesters, some going on short walks with homeless people to discuss issues on the table. I was very thankful cops and protesters were peacefully co-existing, considering the mindless riots that took place in June which has the city needlessly freaked out.

When the General Assembly wrapped up, an announcement was made that a "roaming dance party" was about to take form. John and I had decided just before this was announced that we'd have some down time, but quickly jumped at the opportunity to take part. Who doesn't like the idea of a roaming dance party right?

This was by far the most fun I've ever had dancing, and this has little to do with my lack of knowledge in the dancing department. It had more to do with the spirit of the "party". The diversity of our crowd was amazing, considering the social niches we often form and seem to only let loose with exclusively. The energy was unbelievable. The music was handled by a guy who had a transmitter connected to his Ipod, and he also was the owner of approximately 15 boomboxes that were obviously picking up his radio transmission. He set them down on the ground, and we gradually picked up on his notion. Soon the boomboxes were on peoples shoulders, being circulated as we began our journey through many areas of downtown. We ended up in the Burrard skating rink, then down Granville and into the Granville station in the "Pay Fares"zone. It was flooded with people. We left about a half hour after, and marched up Granville towards Granville Island bridge, gradually picking up interested citizens on the way who felt like joining in. When we hit the ritzy crowd of club-hoppers, many jumped out of the lines to come dance, and many just took pictures. It turned heads, and it was fun as hell. This march proved that partying can have a unifying tone, especially considering alcohol was nowhere to be seen. Just smiles and mental unity, that's all we needed.

Winding down, I went for a long walk by myself and eventually would seek haven beside John's tent. . My bed comprised of a tarp, a yoga mat for comfort, and a small blanket. I was very bundled up in terms of my clothing, but bedding was scarce. This was poor planning at it's finest, I cannot beg for sympathy at all. I fell asleep relatively warm and cozy, just needing to wiggle my toes for a while to keep them from getting too uncomfortably cold.

I woke up 2 hours later extremely cold. Attempting to get warm, I decided to get up and take a walk to get some blood flowing. I wandered through the Art Gallery yard and proceeded to read a monument type of thing, which was situated in front of the first aid tent. I unintentionally attracted the attention of the medical professionals inside the tent and they asked me if I was feeling at all cold; I nodded. She ushered me in, and I unfortunately felt kind of stupid needing their attention when it was my own incompetence in the planning process that created the whole situation. I explained why I was so cold and she just quietly laughed as she gave me blankets and coffee. I talked with this nurse for about an hour, and with her and another guy for an additional hour. They were both nurses who volunteered their time for occupiers, and they explained their stories to me. I told mine as well. We shared stories and shared sentiments, calmly getting to know each other more and more through experience and understanding. We talked about struggle to medical anomaly's and all the way back to low-income housing on the downtown east side. I will never forget the conversations I shared with these two people. I eventually thanked them for all their help and encouragement and got on with my day.

I walked down to the waterfront by myself to watch the sunrise, reflecting on the night before. I was lost in thought, revelation and revolution fresh in mind. I came to find the fear I have of the years ahead is shared by others, and that the injustices placed upon us the people CAN be changed. I remain concerned about the levels of social apathy on the part of the majority of society, but I fully believe this would change if only we were acutely aware of it and it's ability to undermine our daily lives. The occupy movements have become a community based resistance to decades of social, economic, and political oppression on the part of the 1%. I learned much from the people I met on that day, and will continue to head down there and support this movement. It's all we have left, as the saying goes "men with nothing got nothing to lose". The more economic collapse that takes place, the more people are going to question the system we've become trained to mindlessly support. Anybody and everybody should go down to the nearest occupy to them, and just ask questions and meet people. Get to know the people who have struggled, as well as those who recognize it and just want the opportunity to change it. Change requires support, and this is just the beginning of this support system.


Written by Shelby Bouchard
Follow me on Twitter: @SBtheradical