#9007 - Dec 1990

More documents

Recommendations

Info

Digital Archiving Completed by the Ethnography Lab, A University of Toronto Anthropology Initiative and Produced in Collaboration with David Perlman/Wholenote Media Inc between July-December 2015. 6 TALKiNG - ·RvM . ...... ~ We've said a lot of no's over the past year: 'no to TTC/METRO's stubborn pursuit of a Spadina LRT (an expensive engineering ~olution to a legal, social and educational prob- _lem): -no to the City trying to .operate Cecil Community Centre as an office building for social service agencies; -no to the erdsion of affordable rental living in the downtown; -no to Peterson thinking he could give the provinc~'s voters less notice than a landlord must to evict a tenant; -no to a renewed Area Task Force until the present one has run its course; -no to hero-type, cloakand~dagger drug policing in Kensington; -no to no St. Andrew rose garden; -no to more public works that don't work for the local public; -no to the Olympics; -no to the GST. So, this time, a small bunch of yeses instead: -yes to Bob the Waiter's Christmas wish list; (p.~) -yes to the prospect of a food terminal for terminal food;(p.4) -yes to the suggestion. that GST stands for General Strike Tomorrow; -yes to noisy peace; -yes to saying no when it counts; -and, oh yes, to our readers, thanks. Drum is a publication of Kensington Market Drum, 70A Kensington Avenue, Toronto M5T 2Kl . Drum is published monthly. Phone or fax (416) 599-DRUM for information on deadlines. Drum is distributed free door to door between Queen and College, Bever~ and Euclid; from College north to Harbord between Spadina and Bathurn. And it is available at the commer· cia I outlets listed in the map guide, as well as at selected outlets across Metro. For schools and study groups, up to 100 copies of Drum are available, free of charge if you collect. Drum is available by subscription, outside our door to door distribution area. The cost is S 18 a year. Back issues are available. Items in Drum credited to individuak ore in the copyright of those individuals. Points of view in such items ore those of the writer, not necessarily Drum's. TALKING DRUM The Kensington Market Drum, December 1990 ~' \\j\ \ IV ~ LOAJJ~~ ~~P ~NK. · LDN€~~ ( ~~ ~f '&f\lK . R()6Bt;'R_ .ENJK . ~ UP l.bf:\N l ••••••••••••••••••••• LAST TIME WE REPORTED • that the Royal Bank at College and Spadina had changed it's window ledges to stop stree people from sleeping there • that the Doctors Hospital Multicultural Commu· nity Health Campus, Clinical and Community Services Centre is now open: Reports are that it's supposed to inc! ude a few thousand feet for community use. Details? • that Scadding Court Community Centre had held its annual general meeting and Cecil Centre was seeking a constitution: Maybe Keith Spicer will take on the Cecil challenge once he's settled Canada • that the BFGs would J play a benefit for Fringe Product, a local company charged for distributing "obscene materia]" - 2 albums by Dayglo Abortions: See Legal Wrongs and Fringe Benefits, pg. 2 • that eight were elected to the downtown community health board: more about that in Peter Holt's letter on page 7 that Deep Quong Homes on Cecil St, a planned 70 unit subsidised housing complex, had cleared some hurdles but the race was not over: not by a long shot. see page 3 • that you could read the Cecil director's side of things in the December Drum: (We'd received a Drum Monthly Our next 5 publication dates are; • Jan 12 • Feb 1 • March 1 • Apri14 . •May_7 For information regarding deadlines please call Drum at 599-DRUM. If you are inquiring about deadlines for the Jan. edition, you should call soon. document written by the centre's director about the Drum.) You'll have to wait . for January's magazine. (See Distant Drum, page 3, for a pre-turkey taste) • that it was time at last for tenant rights and we would have a clip-out version of a "tenant survey" in the December DRUM:why is this one so hard? More on Kensington landlords in the New Year • that, in January, we'd publish an open letter to the Minister of the Environment of Ontario, a challenge to the province regarding the Railway Lands and Spadina LRT: sec Distant Drum for a preview • that there's a tangled parking tale unravelling on Augusta: More Market Mutterings, Page 4 • that the St. Stephen's Community House fund- . raiser was to be a Kensing· ton Celebration: According to sources who coul4 afford the event.... • that City councillor Amer had written to City Public Works Commis· sioner Vardin, supporting a request from Market residents, merchants, and environmentalists for an extra weekly garbage pickup: Now Vardin's written back saying yes and no. See Garbage Crunch III on page 5 • that the Downtown Coalition for Social Justice was going to show people how Tory legislative and governmental misdeeds arise from conservative/ corporate agenda: but if Drum doesn't register for the GST we'll lose our corporate advertising • that 5,000 people gath· ered in downtown T.O. for a rally for peace and the environment and that advice issued by the Health department to parents of children who contract hand, foot and mouth disease (coxsackie virus), i.e use disposable diapers, is short-sighted, ecologically: And we wish people would start referring to them as non-disposable, which is what they are • that many students and employers are realizing the benefits of Cooperative Education, which allows a student to gain life and working experience while earning school credits: why shouldn't you be able to earn a school credit making Drum, for example? • that the column Open Stage would look at Grossman's Tavern this month: Grossman's hasn't moved and it'll be even better next month
Digital Archiving Completed by the Ethnography Lab, A University of Toronto Anthropology Initiative and Produced in Collaboration with David Perlman/Wholenote Media Inc between July-December 2015. The Kensington Market Drum, December 1990 MARKET MATTERS 7 ••••••••••••••••••••••••• Letters to DRUM Letters may be posted or hand delivered to Kensington Market Drum, Letters. 70A Kensington Avenue, Toronto Ontaro M5T 2Kl. Or you can fax your letters (but you have to phone ahead to 599-DRUM). Letters will be published in full where space permits. Letters edited for length will be noted. 1 •. OHIP Needs Rehab Dear Drum: Re: Hi, I'm Kate and I'm an alcoholic: PLEASE!! Being an alcoholic, (unfortunately still active) it made me reflect on my first bout with rehabilitation, and there were many. Waking up in my busted old flat, tire oil stained Volkswagon Bug in a Janeway in · the Sherbourne Carlton area, which I called home, with Clothes so tattered and dirty, you could read the 12 Steps through the scat of my jeans. I realized I needed help, so with the help of my old friend, then the director of Seaton house men's hostel, I was directed to the St. Michaels Hospital detox centre on Adelaide St. Upon my arrival the door was opened and in one glance nothing else had to be said. I was directed to the· Salvation Army Harbour Light centre on Jarvis St. With toast and jam for breakfast, and no name stew for lunch, my recovery began. Having to work eight hours a day in the Thrift shop at Queen and Sherbourne as part of my recovery and to pay my room and board I had the damnest time acquiring a tan working in the basement, sorting out bags of mothball stenched clothing, though I did become much thinner from eating the fine cuisine the Centre provided. My strongest memory of the twelve days I stayed there was how impeccably dressed the Soldiers of the Salvation Army were. Recovery #2: Waking up on a urine stained mattress with the sounds and sights toO disgusting to relate, I realized that -I was back in detox. The rollercoaster ride began again. With the help of a man called Grafton who I called on many times through the years, I was told there was an opening at the Quinton Warner house in London, Ont. With no funds for transportation, and having to be there that day, I was in a real dilemma. There was about seven inches of snow on the ground, and a mild blizzard was occuring, being it was the middle of February. With the help of my fellow drunks, each of whom chipped in and got me bus fare, (T.T.C.), I Councillor Counsels The Editor You referred in your October issue to my resignation as chair of the Kensington Market Area Task Force. I believe tha_t my resignation was appropriate and further that it docs not limit my ability to represent my constituents in the market area at City Council. I believe that the Task Force as constituted was not a workable way to acheive community objectives. Some have suggested that K.M.A.T.F. should become a standing committee of City Council. l don't think this is either possible or practical. First, given the number of distinct neighbourhoods in Toronto it would be difficult to have a standing committee for one and not for all. Secondly, the City Clerk has advised that a standing committee would not be possible under the City's procedure by-law. I have recommended establishing a new community organization with representation from all groups in the market. The committee could meet at one of the local commun~ty centre~ and elect a chair or co-chairs from among the representatives. My office staff and City staff could assist with the development of this organization in a supportive role. I have developed a good system in my office for providing representation to all residents of Ward 5. I am prepared to work hard for my consituents. Because of our work with market residents and business people, several things have been accomplished or are pending: * City Council supported funding for the Drug-free Arcade on Augusta; * Council supported the women's anti-violence rally; * My office has sqpported the community's anti-drug campaign; * We supported the Kensington Karnival; * New planning strategies, if acceptable to Council and the community, will enhance the residential nature of the market through a variety of strategies as requested by residents; * At my request, Council will soon be considering a new strategy to solve the conflict over canopies. Prosecutions have been temporarily stayed while this is considered; * I have asked the Commissioner of Public Works to report on an additional weekly garbage pick-up in Kensington and am in strong support of the community's garbage reduction effort. All residents of the market are invited to call my office with their specific concerns and suggestions. I now have a new Chinese speaking constituency worker, Constance Yau. We look forward to hear- . ing from you. Yours truly LizAmer Councillor - Ward 5 grabbed a blanket from my bed and headed for the 401 west. Nine rides and eight hours later I arrived in London. The address I had to go to was twelve blocks from where I was dropped off. After phoning to find out where my Lincoln Limo was, and then t_old that there wasn't one I asked the address. After being told the address the phone call was abruptly finished by the person at the centre. I then proceeded to trudge through the cold and snow with recovery hopefully in my future, and all my worldly possessions tucked safely in my shirt pocket. The Bottom Line: With over fifty live-in recovery programs in Ontario alone, I'm appalled the Ontario Government, in these hard times I might add, would have the nerve to spend $40,000.00 of hard working Ontarians taxes to send someone to the United States for recovery. We have just as good if not better recovery programs here in Ontario for as little as $100.00 per day. The only problem with the local programs is that there are no limos, no Gucci directors, and heaven forbid, no suntans in October. Kate McNeil- Good Luck! - Ontario- GET REAL!!!!! Sincerely Yours, Randy Duncan. Kensington No More Dear Madam or Sir, Concerned merchants write that drivers who park illegally are sometimes charged $20 for the crime. They say that "it does not make for good busjness". Reducing car use is good for my business, good for the environment, and good for public health. My family and I have stopped shopping at Kensington- as much as we like the produce and the prices- because there's no place to push or park a bike. Sometimes cars and trucks even block the sidewalk. Kensington is not a people place; it's no place for pedestrians/bicyclists, and it's no longer a place for my money. Yours Truly Helen Hansen November 12 I was elected to the Board of Directors of Metro Tenants Legal Services. Received lOth eviction .notice. 'They have now used every box on the form. It certainly feels like harasment. Yesterday, I agreed to, be part of a group of women who are planning to purchase a piece of land and 'build shelters so we can spend the next 10 years waiting for ihe earth's last gasp. We are part of a growing group who believe that unless human beings immediately 'act to stop the destruction of our home it will be destroyed. I must admit that I am the optimal optimist who believes all thing.
Page 1 and 2: Digital Archiving Completed by the
Page 5: Digital Archiving Completed by the
Page 15 and 16: The Kensington Market Drum, Decembe

#9007 - Dec 1990

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template ?