Hi Everyone again

We were unable to get all our ducks in a row for this saturday (tomorrow) so we are going to have to postpone , possibly for up to a week while things get sorted out. I will mail out again early next week with a new schedule for excavation and installation. If any of you are more suited to helping out on a weeknight for a few hours, Please let me know, as there are several steps to do on this path to a new patio. At this

Apologies, GLen

Glen Andersen and Mosaic Planet
glenandersen@mac.com
604 710 7421
www.mosaicplanet.net

What makes the West End Great? report
What makes the West End Great? report with photos

On May 29, 2010 the West End Residents Association (WERA) hosted a community forum entitled “Planning for Change: What makes the West End Great”. The intent of the forum was to facilitate a respectful, informed public dialogue about the relationships between built forms and livability in the West End.

WERA hired a facilitator to generate a written report from this forum.

Vancouver’s challenge to become the “greenest city” is one that begs a response from the architectural, design, development and planning industry. It is clear that the built form will play an important aspect of how the City will achieve that goal.

WERA feels the West End is a model Vancouver neighbourhood. When our high density neighbourhood is combined with high quality living it can lead to an ecologically sustainable future, but there are still challenges to be met as evidenced by this forum. The presentations and discussions captured in the report illustrate the elements of high quality living in a dense neighbourhood.

By engaging residents in education and discussions about built form, WERA continues to involve ordinary citizens in shaping the future of their City. We offer this report to you for your consideration as you work towards creating an affordable, sustainable and livable City.

WERA gives FREE potties to area toddlers

Saturday July 17, 2010

11 am

Nelson Park

The redevelopment of Nelson Park was completed in 2007. The completion of the park was the result of a three-year process involving individuals and groups from the West End community who met regularly to assist in shaping a new vision of the park. The West End Residents Association (WERA) participated in this process.

WERA is excited about the renewal and the significant improvements to the public realm such as the new enclosed dog run, community garden, playground equipment, open spaces and water features. However, WERA, and other participants in the process, were disappointed about the destruction of the field house and the public washrooms housed in that building. The public washroom is a vital component of the public realm of the West End and it desperately needs to be replaced.

Thanks to the redevelopment, Nelson Park is again becoming a well-used public amenity. On any day of the week, there are people sitting, strolling, chatting, playing with their dogs in the dog run, gardening, or taking their children to the playground. And on Saturdays in the Summer the park really comes alive thanks to the West End Farmers Market. Unfortunately none of the park users — dog owners, parents, children, sunbathers, market vendors and customers — have access to a washroom.

Therefore, WERA is sending out a call to action to parents and other users of the park. Nelson Park needs a public washroom!

On Saturday, July 17th at 11:00am, WERA will kick start the action by giving out free potties to toddlers in Nelson Park and leaving some potties in the park for the use of children while in the park. Please come out to the park and support WERA’s call to action!

Because when you have to go….you have to go!

WERA Director Christine Ackermann was quoted at the City of Vancouver’s recent “West End discussion on community needs and affordability” in Extra West. Articulating one of WERA’s concerns with the City’s STIR program, Ms. Ackermann was quoted as saying:

“The amount of supply we are getting out of the STIR program isn’t really going to make a huge drop in the bucket for affordability,”

Full Extra West Story

On Jan. 12, 2010 Madame Justice Loo released her Decision in the Judicial Review of the Seafield rent increase hearing at the Residential Tenancy Branch (RTB).

In April 2009, Gordon Nelson Investments were awarded 38% rent increases from their West End tenants in the Seafield. In Justice Loo’s Decision however, the Dispute Resolution Officer, K. Millar, was found to have erred in law, erred in fact, and made patently unreasonable judgements when she found in favour of the landlord. BC Supreme Court Justice Loo has denied the rent increases, and returned the hearing to the RTB. The tenants are to be refunded the increases they have already paid.

(Read the Decision here)

This is a huge victory and the first bright light for BC renters since the Berry Decision in 2007! It means a landlord doesn’t just get a free ride to use the “Geographic Area Increase” clause for easily obtained and exorbitant rent increases. Tenants will now have a leg to stand on when they fight their cases at the RTB.

We owe a large debt to the Seafielders, who have toiled and lived with this stressful situation for almost a year, and yet had the courage, determination and support, to see their case through to the Supreme Court of BC. Congratulations Seafielders!

Let greedy landlords beware: BC renters fight back!

Monday, September 28th,7-9pm,

Fletcher Challenge Theater,
SFU Harbour Centre

A panel discussion on civil liberties and the 2010 Olympics

David Eby, Executive Director, BCCLA
Matt Hern, Writer
Stefanie Ratjen, Board Member, IOCC
Harsha Walia, Social Activist
Alissa Westergarde-Thorpe, Olympic Resistance Network
Jeff Derksen, SFU professor

Moderated by Am Johal, Chair, Impact on Communities Coalition

As the 2010 Olympics approach, the possibility of civil liberties violations have been cited by a number of community organizations as a major concern despite assurances from VANOC, government partners and the Integrated Security Unit that rights would be protected.

With 16,500 security personnel scheduled to be part of the largest peacetime operation in Canadian history, impacts are already being felt.

Ticketing of residents in the inner-city, home and workplace visits of social activists by members of the Integrated Security Unit and a new bylaw passed by the City of Vancouver which places the rights of corporate sponsors ahead of the rights of citizens are only a few of the immediate impacts.

This discussion will take a critical view of the policies and framework which have been established and contextualize these processes as part of broader urban development schemes in the inner-city and methods of criminalizing dissent.

For more information contact Am Johal: am_johal@yahoo.ca, 778 895 5640