nourishingminds

issue 152 | APRil 11, 2014

App Designed by:

5 Director’s cornerVoices of the Street launches this spring

6 news briefsUrban aboriginal programs face funding cuts; COPE elects new exec

8 VenDor VoicesGarvin Snider ups his vendor skills through a new class for non-profit workers

9 VenDor Voices – special to community Journalism 201Hendrik Beune shows us how growing food at home may be easier than we think

10 Voices of the streetRainier writing workshop participant Karen Stelfox pens her first poem; Dale Thomas spins a tall tale

12 eVerything but the kitchen sink New Community Journalism 201 grads share their tastiest food writing

17 nourishing a communityInner city food justice initiatives bring new perspectives to the table

finDing a megaphone

VenDor has neVer been

easier. access megaphone's

VenDor app:

finD.megaphonemagazine.com

anD finD when anD where

your VenDor sells the

magazine.

how it works:

goes Directly to VenDors

VenDors purchase

You buY for $2.00

$1.25

$0.75

contact121 Heatley Ave.Vancouver, BC V6A 3E9 604-255-9701

info@megaphonemagazine.com

connectaboutMegaphone is a magazine sold on the streets of Vancouver by homeless and low-income vendors. Vendors buy the magazine for 75 ¢ an issue and sell it to customers for $2.

missionMegaphone’s goal is to provide a voice and economic opportunities to homeless and low-income people while building grassroots support to end poverty.

MegaphoneMagazine.com

Facebook.com/MegaphoneMagazine

@MegaphoneMag

Instagram.com/MegaphoneMag

YouTube.com/MegaphoneMag

issue 152

Thank you supporters & partners

Photo of Community Journalism 201 graduates and staff by Jackie Wong

CONTeNTs

vOiCes Of The sTReeT —Megaphone is extremely proud to publish stories from our vendors and other people experiencing poverty. It’s crucial that these voices get heard across Vancouver. We’re incredibly excited that our fourth-annual literary anthology, Voices of the Street, is now on sale. Your Megaphone vendor is selling this special issue for $5, along with the regular edition of the magazine.

By sean condonExecutive Director – MegaphonePhoto by Julie rogers

The best way to understand something is to get to the source of it. Nowhere is that truer than when it comes to poverty. We’re used to hearing about why people are poor from those that study it or work with low-income people, but rarely from those who actually experience it.

Megaphone’s writing workshops give homeless and low-income people an opportunity to write their own stories in their own voice. And by publishing these stories in the magazine (you can see work from our Community Journalism course in this issue) and in our annual Voices of the Street literary edition, which vendors are now selling for $5, you can read first-hand accounts about what it is to live a vulnerable life.

Whether it’s a frustrating account about trying to navigate the bureaucracy of the welfare office, a powerfully honest portrait of what it’s like to live with a mental illness, or an inspiring tale of someone working to improve a life that’s seen its fair share of struggles, these stories offer readers important windows into the struggles, beauty and pain of those who experience poverty, addiction and mental illness.

Accompanied by some beautiful

portraits from the Hope in Shadows photography project, the 68-page Voices of the Street features writers who participate in Megaphone’s community writing workshops, which we run in treatment centres, social housing buildings and community centres across the city. Many of the writers are also vendors themselves.

In Megaphone’s workshops, professional writing facilitators work with low-income writers, so they can craft their writing skills and help them create pieces and poems that tell stories you won’t read in other publications in the city. These stories allow us to get right to the source of poverty, see both how it impacts people, and consider what we can do to solve it.

to keep megaphone’s writing workshops going, we need your support. please make a donation by turning to page 23 or by going online to megaphonemagazine.com and help ensure that these voices continue to be heard.

At a time when many people are questioning the purpose and practices of non-profits, Voices of the Street reminds us about the important work so many community organizations in the Downtown Eastside and across Vancouver do every day—give a voice and a platform to those who are so often denied it.

Executive DirectorSean Condon

EditorJackie Wong

News EditorKatie Hyslop

Online EditorRyan Longoz

Art DirectorJo Lee

Guest DesignerWill Brown

PhotographersMatthew Chen, Leigh Eldridge

Vendor CoordinatorJessica Hannon

Project SupportCarolyn Wong

Writing Workshop FacilitatorsAndrea Javor, Shazia Hafiz Ramji,

Shannon Rayne, Marianne Robinson, James Simpson, Jason Starnes, Elaine Woo

Project CoordinatorsKazuho Yamamoto

Board of DirectorsDarren Atwater, Bob Dennis, David Lee, Helesia Luke,

Amanda McCuaig, Jo Shin, Garvin Snider, Peter Wrinch

VolunteersLauren Bercovitch, Harry Chiu, Will Damon, Chris Dodge,

Mikyla Futz, Alex Lluis Gonzalez, Stephanie Gossett, Amy Juschka, Kevin Hollett, Jen McDermid, Alana McDowell, Paul Moffat,

Shaleeni Nandan, Will Pearson, Andrew Reeves, Davina Ridley

Megaphone is published every two weeks by

the Street Corner Media Foundation.

121 Heatley Ave, Vancouver, BC, V6A 3E9Email: info@megaphonemagazine.com

Director's corner megaphone 152

“ Everyone has a story to tell, and we

all need to hear all kinds of stories. It’s

what makes us human. Megaphone’s

writing workshops help bring the

quiet, necessary stories of some to

the ears of others.”

– Yann Martel, author of Life of Pi

Megaphone runs writing workshops in treatment centres, social housing buildings and community centres across Vancouver.

Help support Megaphone's mission to give people a voice by making a donation at MegaphoneMagazine.com.

Photo credit: Geoff Howe

DONATE

Several urban aboriginal programs in Metro Vancouver have been cancelled as a result of federal funding changes. Local programs run by the Urban Native Youth Association, the Aboriginal Mothers Centre, and the Vancouver Aboriginal Transformative Justice Services Society, to name a few, have shut down until funding is released. The changes have caught non-profit leaders off-guard.

The federal government says on the Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development (AANDC) website it held 100 community consultation sessions prior to making these changes. But the Metro Vancouver Urban Aboriginal Executive Council (MVAEC) says its members weren’t consulted, nor were they made aware of the changes in enough time to adequately prepare their members. As of March 31, social service organizations serving urban aboriginal women, youth, and low-income people have lost $1.2 million in funding, accord-ing to MVAEC.

Four Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada (AANDC) programs previously supported these initiatives across Canada. But as of this month, the federal government has amalgamated the four into the Urban Partnerships and Community Capacity Supports programs, part of its Improved Urban Aboriginal Strategy.

“[It’s] reducing the cost of administer-ing and delivering the programs,” reads a statement on AANDC’s website. “These savings will be going directly to sup-porting community projects, initiatives and programs dedicated to increasing the participation of urban Aboriginal peoples in Canada’s economy.”

Such a transition requires compre-hensive work that raises many questions about the future of urban aboriginal non-profits in B.C. “We’ve been asking, 'What’s this going to look like? And what is this going to look like rolling out?' Government doesn’t seem to know, nobody seems to know,” says MVAEC co-chair Christine Martin.

“In order to pull off [the transition], they need to put together a team and they need to figure out a process. And all of those pieces will take at least an eight-month period,” Martin adds. That’s a long wait for the MVAEC, whose member agencies serve over 183,000 urban aboriginal people annually.

cope elects new members to executiVe boarD

The Coalition of Progressive Electors (COPE) has elected a new team of activists, organizers, and fundraisers with strong ties to housing issues in the Downtown Eastside.

The new group has replaced the exec-utive board members who left mid-term

last year. “Most of the people who left the executive were strong supporters of Vision Vancouver,” says Tim Louis, who moved from internal to external director of COPE during board elections on March 30, which took place during its 2014 Policy Conference.

The four new members: record-ing secretary Maria Wallstam, a housing activist and editor for news website The Mainlander; cor-responding secretary

Heather Gies, former chair of COPE’s communications committee; member-at-large Maria Melendez; and fundraiser Maureen Bourke, a tenant organizer and professional fundraiser who has worked with the now-defunct Downtown Eastside Residents Association and Tenants Rights Action Coalition.

Commenting on the new slate’s com-position of mostly women, Louis said he was very pleased because “women bring a different approach to politics that’s a much more principled and a less divisive approach.”

The increased focus on housing is also new, says Louis, who refers to hous-ing as one of COPE’s “bread and butter issues” that the previous executive wasn’t interested in. It’s one of many issues Louis says will be in COPE’s plat-form for the coming municipal elections in November.

“Transit, housing, homelessness. We represent working people, renters, the unemployed, the underpaid. We represent the vast majority of Vancouver,” he said.

COPE is holding a nominating conference for its municipal election slate, including city council, school board, and park board nominations, on June 7 and 8.

urban aboriginal programs face funDing cuts

Stories by katie hyslopPhoto by honeymae/flickr

A rock in Crab Park commemorating the Downtown Eastside's missing and murdered women. Recent federal funding cuts have cancelled several urban aboriginal programs in the neighbourhood, home to 10 per cent of Vancouver's total aboriginal population.

NeWs bRiefs

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I recently had the opportunity to attend a training placement program offered to people involved in the vendor sales program through Megaphone magazine and the Hope in Shadows calendar project. The program was facilitated through Vancouver Community College, and the course was called Workplace Skills for Non-profits. Many of us in our group, including myself, were familiar with our instructor, and many in our group of eight people also knew each other through the vendor program. So a positive feeling about working together was an encouraging start to this experience.

The process began with an interview held a few weeks before the program started. A co-ordinator asked for information about our previous experiences in work history and education. It was decided through a general consensus among the group that we would attend classes for six-and-a-half hours, one day per week, for a five-week period.

On the first day we had an exam consisting of more than 20 questions. The test asked us to solve various types of calculations, and retrieve correct information from different documents, charts and diagrams. I found it very

interesting how challenging and wide-ranging it was. Many in the group, including myself, took the full time allotted to finish the exam!

Afterwards, the group agreed upon some basic ground rules that we would try to adhere and commit to for the duration of the class. We then discussed the idea of conscious learning and attempted mindfulness exercises.

We moved on to explore skills that are important in a workplace environment. The second day began with a mindfulness exercise to help us focus on learning. We started each of our ensuing classes with this warm-up routine.

We then worked on communication skills, including verbal and non-verbal approaches to active listening. We also broke down the individual parts of the five attitudes of excellence, which are: commitment, service, ownership, initiative, and professionalism.

Finally, we expanded on strategies of conflict resolution. The third day was spent in the computer lab trying to access and gauge what level of knowledge and proficiency we had in using computers.

The fourth day revolved around problem solving. We were given a group activity using a jigsaw puzzle, and we

garVin sniDer upgraDes his sales skills

henDrik beune on homegrown fooD anD the permaculture moVement

special to community Journalism 201

In the apartment building where I live, we have a rooftop patio that was sur-rounded by a rose garden planted in very unproductive soil. Last year in July and August, we hauled in some mushroom manure (“top-soil”) from the Hastings Urban Farm, situated just half a block away across Hastings Street. Our budget was almost non-existent, but we got our soil for free, as both the farm and our garden were managed on the same budget by Portland Hotel Society, and we received a “neighbour” discount on our seeds and planters from Homesteaders Emporium, a very friendly store further down on Hastings.

In no time, we transformed our rose garden (as they say, we were never prom-ised a rose garden!) into a beautifully productive winter garden that produced brassicas (kale, broccoli and cabbages), spinach, and herbs throughout the win-ter. We managed to do all of this for less than $80, using residents as apprentice gardeners, who agreed to share the daily watering schedule. There was only one paid staff member, working with a vol-unteer resident coordinator. Even the initial labour of moving the rose bushes and soil was provided for a substantially reduced fee, but it needed to be paid, because it was intensive and hard work supplied by residents living in poverty.

I found it tremendously satisfying to be able to go to the rooftop and obtain what I needed when money and food in my fridge ran low. I hope that you will become as enthusiastic as I have about growing your own food and live in a more sustainable way.

There are so many things that happen

in our world that could upset us, but gar-dening—getting your hands in the dirt and watching beautiful things grow—can be a healing experience.

Herbs and salad greens especially are easily grown in and around the home. They are substantially more nutritious than aged, store-bought varieties. You also can be assured that no herbicides, pesticides or other contaminants are pre-sent. There is no packaging to dispose of, or other damaging effects on the envi-ronment to worry about, such as the fuel and energy used for transportation and cold storage, or the generally unsound practices of industrial agriculture.

More than anything, you’ll find it extremely satisfying to grow your own food. It’s not a lot of work at all, and it is a pleasure to watch it grow beautifully.

The produce is available when you need it, requires less cleaning, is more nutritious and tastes better, too! You’ll re-ceive many compliments for doing things this way and feel better about it yourself.

Permaculture has become the new agriculture in the last few decades, after hard lessons learned from conducting industrial agriculture over the past 100 years or so. In a lot of ways, it is a rever-sal to techniques that have served us well for thousands of years in a manner that can be adapted to our modern living en-vironment. Most people live in cities now

and a lot of our food can, and should, be produced there.

Permaculture is a way of living in harmony with the environment. It uses techniques that work with nature, rather than trying to fight it with unsustainable practices.

Permaculture design aims to find har-monious solutions to the problems we experience using an ecological systems approach. Careful observation is essen-tial and small adjustments will ultimately perfect the design. An example of such adjustment would be to procure locally grown foods as much as possible.

If you don’t have a yard or garden yourself, there are allotment gardens available to you, or you can offer to man-age a friend or neighbour’s garden. Many apartment buildings nowadays are fitted with rooftop gardens that can be man-aged communally to grow food. If you have a balcony or windowsill, you can use that, or you can even grow plants on your kitchen counter or in a cabinet.

Visit your local gardening store or seed bank for advice. They usually have seed catalogues available for you to take home and make your selection, depend-ing on the available growing conditions and specific qualities that you are after. While spring is an ideal time to begin gardening, gardens can be started al-most any time of year.

Preparing a good wholesome meal us-ing homegrown ingredients makes you happy. Sharing with your neighbours creates community and spreads happi-ness around you. Give it a try. It’s most definitely worth the effort!

Hendrik wrote this essay while partici-pating in Community Journalism 201 at SFU Woodward’s. It’s a sequel to a previ-ous article he published last month about permaculture. Hendrik sells Megaphone at the Winter Farmers Market outside Nat Bailey Stadium on Saturdays. From May through the summer and autumn, you can find him at the Trout Lake, Main Street Terminal, Yaletown and Kitsilano Farmers Markets.

had good fun trying to reassemble it. The next module concerned document use, how skimming and scanning are different techniques used for fettering and confirming pertinent information. We then explored the concept of meta-cognition, the understanding of the processes behind some of our thinking patterns.

On the fifth and final day, we delved into suggestions for productive teamwork, workplace safety, and security guidelines. The last components we reviewed covered time management and job-planning strategies, such as how using lists and prioritizing can assist in organizing our daily lives.

Lastly, we looked at goal setting, which encompasses both long- and short-term planning, with the emphasis on achievable, realistic options and outcomes.

In the afternoon we rewrote the skills exam test booklet again. I was able to remember and recall many of the exam questions from the first time. And I seemed to finish the whole test faster. I felt I had a better grasp and understanding of what was being asked. And of the materials and content of each of the exercises I could comprehend much more clearly.

I was able to glean a great deal of very useful concepts from this five-week course. I hope to use my new skills not only in usual workplace situations, but hopefully when successfully practiced, in all of my interactions and relationships, either personal or professional.

No matter who or what I may encounter, I hope I can retain and recall enough insights from the course to try to apply my new skills and possibly integrate them with all aspects of my daily life. I am looking forward to noticing tangible and measurable changes. It can only improve my character and my circumstances for the better.

Garvin sells Megaphone in North Vancouver at 14th and Lonsdale.

veNdOR vOiCes

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veNdOR PROfile

It’s a Blanket of Snow by Karen Stelfox

It’s a blanket of snow. Look there’s a snowdrop Peeking out, it’s growing Being sheltered ’til, well You know it needs space To grow, to bloom, to flourish, To be full; potential and colour So we can look and see: Isn’t that beautiful.

Karen participates in Megaphone’s creative writing workshop at the Rainier Hotel. This is

Karen’s flrst poem, and it appears alongside other works of poetry and prose in the 2014 edition of

Voices of the Street, Megaphone’s literary issue. It will be on sale from Megaphone vendors through

the spring.

Photo by blmiers2/flickr

An Untrue Storyby Dale Thomas

When I turned 15, I made a friend and he got into crime. He and I did a lot of stuff together—we made at least $400,000 a year just by doing crimes together. We were the best of the best. We did it for five years. By the time I was 21, he turned his back on me and told the cops everything I had done. When we were together, we ran from the cops. One night, we hid in a haunted house. Together, we saw ghosts and demons and even the devil himself. Everything about that night changed us. From then on, we turned over a new leaf, and we turned over our life to God.

I was 20 and he was 28. That night was the scariest night of our lives. We changed. I was fighting the court system just to stay out of jail.

By the time I turned 23, I won. I was out of jail, I was in good shape, and I had a new girlfriend, and it was getting better.

By the time I was 30, I was going to get married to my girlfriend. We were in love since we met. It was awesome: we were gonna get married. It was the best thing that ever happened in my life.

That was only the beginning. The greatest day we had together was when we had a baby together. We named him John Robert Stewart, after his grandfather. He was a beautiful baby. We were happy together: me, my wife, and my son.

Dale participates in Megaphone’s community writing workshop.

Photo by Images_of_money/flickr

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Megaphone is now into its fourth year of offering tuition-free introductory journalism classes to inner city residents at SFU Woodward’s.

So far, the five-week, twice-yearly class known as Community Journalism 101 has provided introductory journalism instruction to emerging non-fiction writers. There’s been lots of interest from graduates to stay involved and keep taking classes. This year, we taught a second-level class for the first time called Community Journalism 201.

Our immersive writing class focused on a unifying theme central to all of our experiences and formative memories: food. We’re so proud

of the wit, generosity, intelligence, and passion among the students.

We’re pleased to present to you a delicious sampling of writing produced in class between late February and the end of March this year. You may find your own experiences reflected in these pages.

Thanks to the students for their enthusiasm and dedication. And thank you, the reader, for your support.

Jackie Wong and Geoff D’Auria Instructors, Community Journalism 201

Making bannockBy Peter Thompson As soon as I walked into the house where I grew up, the aroma of freshly cooked bannock and fish frying on the stove filled my nostrils. The familiar smells hit every pore of my senses. The fish that was frying could also be preserved in many ways: wind dried, canned, salted, even smoked for Indian Candy, everyone’s favourite.

I remember meals where we would

have relatives over, the elders talking inside, kids outside playing games such as anti-anti eye-over or a game of chicken where one is riding on another’s shoulder and tries to pull the other person off. The winner is the last person still on the shoulders.

This is a very easy and simple bread to make, and it’s also delicious. In order to make bannock, you would need four to five cups of flour, two tablespoons of baking powder, two tablespoons of sugar, a teaspoon of salt, and one cup of water.

First, you add the flour, then the baking powder, the sugar, and the salt. Blend it together real good. After you add water, mix it in slowly.

Meanwhile, have a fry pan half-full with oil on medium heat, getting it nice and warm. Then, make patties of the bannock batter with a bit of flour so it is not too greasy when cooking.

Place the patties in the oil on one side until golden brown. Then flip it over to cook the other side.

Enjoy!

Food and a simple farm girlBy Loralee Avé Maria Judge

I was born and raised a farm girl. Even though we were originally a Spanish/French family, my grandmother’s second husband was Ukrainian. Therefore, I grew up on a diet of puddaha (perogies), baked beans with pork belly, cabbage rolls and borscht that simmered for eight hours.

While waiting for the dinner meal to be ready, me and my cousins would run around barefoot on the farm, kissing our horses and chasing the chickens. Eventually our grandmother would ring the dinner bell; rust would fly off like an autumn shower every time she struck it.

To come into that farmhouse and see all my aunts and uncles setting the table, my step-grandfather smoking his pipe in his favourite chair, and my parents acting like they loved each other, made me feel like food was love.

I didn’t even fight with my baby sister sitting next to me. I miss that food. I miss those days. All of this, I miss so much.  

Sunday family mealBy Dan Wilson

Today I use my dining room table for spare items, and alone I eat my dinner on a coffee table while watching television. But that was not always the way it was as I recall family Sunday meals.

Sunday was early rising, shining shoes, and going to church. We had a light brunch while Mom put the beef roast in the oven.

Late in the afternoon, my siblings and I would set the table. Dad at the end of the table, Mom on his right, my sister on the other, then baby sister, younger brother, and myself across the table from the girls. My older brother was at the other end, facing Dad.

The meal itself would be beef roast, mashed potatoes, deep rich gravy, garden-grown peas and carrots, and fresh corn. We would have Mom’s raisin or apple pie for dessert. Mom and Dad would retire to the living room for tea and the evening paper while us kids would clear the table and do the dishes.

Doing the dishes, we tried to time it out to the Top 20 countdown on the radio and would put the last plate away while the Beatles would sing “I Want to Hold Your Hand” for the Number One song.

Dispersing for an hour, we would all gather again to watch the The Ed Sullivan Show, then retire for the evening.

These meals were not only delicious and nourishing, but a learning experience as well. We learned civility, politeness, and respect for one another—which turns into love, when you reminisce back.

into the kitchen with community journalism 201

William Rondelet (left) and Peter thompson. Photo by geoff D'Auria

A memorable meal: Nova Scotia By William Rondelet

This is a story of one of my most memorable meals with amazing friends, celebrating some special occasions in a country setting in Nova Scotia, June 2011.

I had taken a month-long trip from Kamloops, British Columbia to visit family and friends in Nova Scotia. I was staying with my friend, Walter Langille’s mom Lillian, off and on while there.

The Langilles were planning a celebration party for Walter’s sister Marlene (Langille) Bates, as this was to be her 65th birthday and her retirement party. This was extra special because it was also my 48th birthday on June 28.

Also in attendance was Marlene’s sister Lori-Lee Langille; Candice Tattrie, a close friend of the families, and Lori-Lee’s companion, her niece and Walter’s daughter, Heidi Langille; Richard Edison, a close friend to the family; Addey, Richard’s dog and close friend of the family; Marlene’s cousin David Delaney; and myself, William (Bill) Rondelet, also a close friend of the families.

Walter and his mother Lillian live next door to each other in a small country setting called Salmon River just outside Truro, Nova Scotia.

Lillian and the family had planned a special, surprise birthday and retirement party to take place at her home. Lillian baked a special homemade double chocolate cake with boiled icing for the occasion, plus homemade scalloped potatoes and steeped tea. Walter barbequed his usual succulent burgers and hot dogs.

The first taste of the homemade scalloped potatoes was delicious and left a taste in your mouth of wanting more. The hamburgers and hot dogs were barbecued to perfection and the homemade cake was to die for. Once you had a piece, you never wanted to stop eating it.

We sat around telling jokes and reflecting on life. We also reflected on the good times we all had with family members who could not be there and knew they were there with us in spirit. Even though we were technically not all family, we always were and still are there for each other and always consider each other like family.  

The other sad thing about this was that I was leaving in a few days to fly back to British Columbia and would not see everyone for a long time.

However, they will always be with me in my heart and I make sure to keep in touch with them. To the Langille family and everyone involved, thanks for the awesome time and the terrific friendship.

Cock-a-leek-ee soupBy Allison McArthur

My mother’s cooking was not really welcomed at mealtime. However, we were always excited to watch her prepare a large pot of cock-a-leek-ee soup. Traditionally made from turkey stock, my mom used a pork shoulder: ham with the bone in.

In lean times, she would substitute a few strips of bacon, which would still keep the richness of flavour in the broth. It was a simple soup with turnip, potatoes, leeks, celery, and grated carrots. However, it tasted anything but simple. It simmered all afternoon, emitting a peaceful, loving vapour throughout the house.

When mealtime arrived, you could sense the unspoken gratitude around the table. The first spoonful brought forth a vocal “mmm” from all of us. It equated to a yoga chant, instilling a peacefulness and comfort within.

A memorable meal: border crossingBahman Rafiei

When I was trying to go from Turkey to Greece, I had a tasty, everlasting meal. I was walking from one of Turkey’s border cities to go to Greece. I did not have much money, however, so I bought one piece of bread. That was the only food I had. I walked through the whole night to get to the border. Eventually, I couldn’t pass through, and I became very tired and hopeless. I found a place and I sat down to eat my meal, the bread.

All of a sudden, I felt an earthquake, so I ran away. Then I realized it was not an earthquake, but my whole body was super tired and I was the one that was shaking, not the world.  I had a mixed laugh. I brought the bread out of the plastic bag and without wasting any time, I bit into it.

Oh my goodness, the bread was so tasty and the smell of the bread was such bliss. I enjoyed eating my delicious meal to the last bite.

Breakfast of championsBy Rob Rains

While wandering around out in the world, I like to find normal or common exercises to assist me in blending in with my fellow human beings. It can be interesting and does provide me with some humour; that alone can often carry me through the day.

Just today, I was walking up Main Street. Noticing I was close to the Carnegie, I did quick math in my head (X = last meal) (Z = which day) (Y = current time of day). Yup, I decided, definitely due for a meal. An inexpensive breakfast would be great.

Right on: French Toast and bacon on the menu. A change from the usual breakfast of baked eggs and bacon.

While standing in line, I began to share my enthusiasm for the slightly different menu from most days. Three or four of us began a comical conversation about the great country of France and the many contributions it has made to the globe: French toast, French fries, French kiss, the list went on as various people piped in: French crueller, French maid...

Finally, I had to cap the exchange off and suggested we start a French-ise. This simple suggestion seemed to have enough power to get me directly to the front of the line in a swift effortless motion. The grand gesture felt like a bit much.

However, in appreciation I bowed my head. In accordance with the moment, I respectfully ordered myself a double portion.

I hope my server wasn’t company trained: A meal at the Keg in LangleyBy Johnny Jaworski

A few years ago, my wife and I were both craving beef, so we decided to go to a reputable steakhouse. We chose the Keg in Langley on 202nd Street, just north of the Trans-Canada Highway.

The place was high-ceilinged, with open rafters, and featured warm, unfinished, good old-fashioned, rustic wood everywhere. The atmosphere was charged, buzzing with conversations, laughter, with classic rock music playing in the background.

We were seated quickly by an efficient hostess across the room with a clear view of the cooks busily cooking on the grill, creating hunger, producing pleasing barbecue aromas. The visuals, the smells, and the charged atmosphere, was electric.

We both ordered a steak dinner, which was served in reasonable time. The meat was thick, juicy, and cooked to order. The caesar salad was crisp and tangy, the fries golden brown, crisp, hot, and fresh.

Our big appetites were satisfied. The atmosphere was homey and airy. The food well cooked, tasty, and pleasingly presented.

But I would most likely have enjoyed the meal and the experience more if the service was less intrusive. Our waiter was way too friendly, much too animated, and exuded an aroma of “sucking up” in a brazen, in-your-face type of way. At one point, he pulled up a chair, sat next to me, and started conversing as if we had been best buddies for years and it was OK to invade my personal space because we knew each other so well.

Although I enjoyed the meal, this ballsy server detracted strongly from the experience and left me questioning if he was some kind of “rogue” waiter. Or did the Keg training produce aggressive people like this to “push up” the sales?

Whenever I crave beef now, I seek out restaurants that don’t have a Keg sign outside their doors.

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Wei ting (left) and isaac White. Photo by geoff D'Auria

Vancouver

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A favourite meal I’ve not had in a long time: Sweet & sour pork with potstickers at Hon’sBy Joe Thompson

Hon’s is a Vancouver institution to some— not quite a Chinatown McDonald’s, Asian fast food—it’s better than that. But you can get some great meals there at a decent price.

A favourite—gets my mouth watering thinking of it—is sweet and sour pork with a side of potstickers. The pork pieces are fried with a crunchy coating—not quite so thick as KFC’s chicken—then drenched in sweet and sour sauce with pineapples. The plate is about $6.99.

The side of six potstickers with a ginger vinaigrette side dip is about $4. They come in vegetable, chicken and pork—stuffed dumplings or perogies steamed or fried. I usually get fried pork.

Both plates can keep a pair of chopsticks busy for a bit.

When eating with company, another platter can bring another flavour or two to the palette.

Potstickers are two-bite dumplings stuffed with flavour. For some, they are a Vancouver special. The ginger-vinegar dip adds another blast of flavour.

While the Hon’s on Robson has the bigger menu and some great treats, I prefer the Chinatown restaurant on Keefer.

I try not to clean my plate on Keefer, but to save a bit. After I’m done, I take a few leftovers up to the roof, take in the sky, air and views, and maybe feed a few gulls.

Recipe: Purple Fire Keeper By Wei Ting

Chinese families all over China serve this dish on the first of January, the new year, or on the 15th of January, which is Chinese Valentine’s day.

The round ball signifies the circle, returning and united like family and lovers.

You need:   • 1 ½ cups glutinous flour• Sugar cane bar• Fresh ginger, sliced• Two quarts of water

Add cold water into the flour until it forms into a soft dough.Break the sugar cane bar into tiny pieces.Pick enough dough to roll into a tiny ball.Stuff one tiny piece of sugar into the centre of the dough.

Close the dough into a little ball. Boil water. Put ginger into boiling water along with remaining sugar.One by one, put all the balls into the boiling water. When they pop up to the top of the pot, they’re ready to serve.

Members of Miss trivisano’s grade 3 class at Strathcona Elementary School prepare healthy snacks in the classroom.

One morning a week, Miss Triviano’s Grade 3 class files into the staff room of Lord Strathcona Elementary to wash apples, break apart yogurt cups, and organize the food in baskets to deliver to primary classes. There’s enough food to make 50 snacks for students, perhaps even some members of this class.

The snack program is part of a new collaboration between the Potluck Café Society, Strathcona Community Centre, and the school to ensure students have access to healthy food. Many Lord Strathcona families can’t afford to send their children to school with enough food to see them through the day.

“It was a way to reach kids that need a snack without having to create stigma around it,” says Lauren Brown, food secu-rity coordinator at the community centre.

hendrik Beune (left) and Joe thompson. Photo by geoff D'Auria

TheRe’s A fOOd RevOluTiON iN The dOWNTOWN eAsTside

Story and photos by katie hyslop

how to retool free-fooD programs for nutrition anD sustainability

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PwC Canada, a business services company, funds Lord Strathcona’s snack program. The food is bought through the Potluck Café Society’s new food procure-ment program, which purchases bulk food from local retailers and, through a coordinated effort of food procurement, provision, and programming, is working to change the face of free-meal programs in the Downtown Eastside.

“By accessing better pricing for the food that they’re already buying, [free food providers] are able to have a little more money—some room in their budget to reinvest into their food programming and the stuff they can’t normally pur-chase,” says Doris Chow, project manager of Potluck’s Downtown Eastside Kitchen Tables project of its new food procure-ment program.

“If [providers] save money on the des-sert that day, instead of pocketing that money for other purposes, they buy sun-flower seeds to put in the salad as added nutritional value.”

The food procurement initiative shares food and costs with the Carnegie Community Centre and the Gathering Place Community Centre.

The snack program at Lord Strathcona is just one example of Potluck’s far-reaching efforts to improve the quality of free food available to marginalized inner city residents.

White bread isn’t enough

The inception of the Downtown Eastside Kitchen Tables grew out of concern about the quality of Downtown Eastside food offerings, especially the day-old pastries and starchy, sugary foods prevalent in many food lineups and free lunch programs.

cost meals), one seasonal fruit procure-ment effort has been in the works for over a decade.

The Vancouver Fruit Tree Society has been picking summer fruit from the backyards of Vancouver residents (with permission) for the past 15 years. The backyard fruit yields 3,500 to 5,500 pounds of local, pesticide-free apples, cherries, plums, and even sometimes kiwis. The fruit is donated to organiza-tions like the Strathcona Community Centre, the Downtown Eastside Women’s Centre (DEWC), and the Enhanced Living Society at the Portland Hotel.

“We are diverting thousands of pounds of fruit that would have otherwise gone to the city landfill and just rotted,” says Lin Gardiner, president of Vancouver Fruit Tree’s board of directors, and they deliver fruit all over the city.

This year, thanks to a grant from the City of Vancouver, the Vancouver Fruit Tree Society is producing a map of fruit trees available in public spaces to pick next season.

“It’s just amazing to see boxes and boxes of apples that are going to a com-munity kitchen where they can then incorporate it in their food programs,” Gardiner says.

Community kitchens bridge cultures

The DEWC is one of the few organiza-tions in the community with a program catering specifically to low-income Chinese-speaking residents.

Every Thursday, Chinese senior out-reach worker Anita Lau coordinates a community kitchen program for elderly Chinese women. Lau estimates they serve about 60 women per month, in addition to the average of 60 Chinese-speaking women accessing DEWC’s daily free lunch. But Lau believes that’s only a frac-tion of the Chinese seniors living in the DTES, and community workers are look-ing to expand food access and literacy among Chinese speakers in the area.

Organizations like the Hua Foundation are in the development

stages of creating a food literacy and procurement program in Chinatown that would benefit the senior residents there.

Meanwhile, many Chinese-speaking seniors are making do with free meals through Salvation Army, United Gospel Mission, First United Church, and Mission Possible—organizations nota-ble for their snaking meal lineups that sometimes span several city blocks. All organizations are reporting racism and harassment directed towards Chinese seniors by others in line.

“Often I think it’s just a misunderstand-ing of the culture or it could also be a language barrier and people are not happy they don’t speak English,” said Lau.

Kitchen Tables’ Chow, who has also met with these organizations, says it’s important for everyone, her organization included, to have Cantonese-speaking volunteers to help break down barriers to food for these seniors.

Recently, Kitchen Tables began mak-ing its food map available in Cantonese. And during its Chinese New Year din-ner in February, it hired three Chinese seniors from the DEWC to serve the meal at Potluck. “It went fantastic,” says Chow. “They were able to communicate with the other Chinese seniors who were coming through the lineup and we had zero conflicts that day. And the seniors were ecstatic to be getting paid for something because of the language bar-rier. It’s even more difficult to find them job opportunities.”

The beauty in a moment of levity at a Chinese New Year meal, a ready snack in elementary school, or a freshly picked apple from a local backyard may seem fleeting. But they are significant, cumu-lative markers in a powerful, commu-nity-wide shift in how food is procured, prepared, and served to people who need it the most.

“It’s just amazing to see boxes and boxes of apples that are going to a community kitchen where they can then incorporate it in their food programs.” – Lin Gardiner,

Vancouver Fruit

Tree Society

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“It was a way to reach kids that need a snack without having to create stigma around it.” –Lauren Brown, Strathcona Community Centre

One free food provider in the neigh-bourhood even saw the diagnoses of Type 2 diabetes rise among its seniors population. Kitchen Tables chose not to disclose its name to Megaphone, but the direct link between diabetes and over-consumption of sugars and starches strengthened the Kitchen Tables Project’s conviction that simply provid-ing free food to vulnerable populations is not enough. Quality matters.

Most of the food procured through the program so far consists of fresh produce and dairy. “There’s a lot of potatoes be-ing bought, there’s a lot of onions, a lot of carrots,” says Chow.

But, she adds, “Every organization

[in the neighbourhood] is buying them separately.” Chow is currently working towards a more coordinated purchasing effort in the community to save free food providers money and ensure the food they’re buying is healthy and good qual-ity. In the future, she would like to pur-chase food directly from B.C. farmers.The Vancouver Fruit Tree Society: bearing fruit for 15 years

While the Downtown Eastside Kitchen Tables Project is aimed at improving the year-round quality of food available to inner-city residents (it even produces a food map showing residents where and when they can access free and low-

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Letterings: Postal Code Readings with Thursdays Writing CollectiveThe Thursdays Writing Collective re-launches its Postal Code Reading Series, a series of readings that began to support V6A: Writing from Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, a 2012 collection of local poetry and prose from and about the inner city. The 2014 iteration of the reading series begins with Madeline Thien, a Vancouver novelist (Simple Recipes, The Chinese Violin, Certainty, Dogs at the Perimeter) who is the current SFU Writer in Residence. Madeline will read from a collaborative epistolary project that has formed the basis of the collective’s recent work. Future Postal Code guest authors will include Amber Dawn, Alex Leslie, Clint Burnham, and Kevin Spenst, who will be hosting readings downtown. Tuesday, April 15, 12:30pm, Simon Fraser University’s WAC Bennett Library (8888 University Drive), Special Collections, Burnaby.

Oppenheimer Park Cherry Blossom FestivalHome to some of Vancouver’s oldest cherry blossom trees and an historic gathering place of the Japanese community, Oppenheimer Park celebrates its history and it seasonal beauty with a month of activity. Events include a Japanese calligraphy workshop, a sushi-making workshop, ladies’ tea parties, a documentary film screening, and open arts studios. On Friday, April 18 from 12-2pm, there will be a celebration to unveil memorial windows in the Oppenheimer Park Field House. The windows commemorate the history of Japanese-Canadians and cherry blossom trees planted in 1977, the 100th anniversary of Canada’s first known immigrant from Japan.

To April 26, Oppenheimer Park (Powell Street beteween Dunlevy and Jackson). Free. Info and schedule: http://goo.gl/iERJnR

Art for Social Change: Research Project Vancouver Launch Renowned dance artist Judith Marcuse is leading a arts-based research project to spark collaboration between artists and others in their work towards positive social, environmental, and economic change. “This is the first large-scale project of its kind in Canada,” Marcuse says of the five-year, $2.5-million project supported by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. “It will benefit not only artist-researchers but also create new possibilities for individuals and organizations to integrate arts-based practices in change-making work.” The project kicks off with a launch event featuring music, dancing, and surprises to challenge the creative spirit.

Friday, April 25, 8-11pm, The Dance Centre (677 Davie Street), Vancouver. Free. Info: asclaunchparty.eventbrite.ca

Mistaken for StrangersIn 2010, Matt Berninger was finally on top of the world after years of toil. The lead singer of the Brooklyn-based, Cincinnati-bred indie rock band had finally broken through to rock critics and was about to embark on the most significant tour of the band’s history. Meanwhile his little brother, Tom, was struggling to find work and had moved home to live with his parents. Matt hired Tom to tour with the band as a roadie, but didn’t expect him to film the experience. Tom assembled the resulting hours of footage into a darkly funny documentary that is as much about brothers—outside the Berningers, the National is comprised of two sets of twins—as it is about rock music and unfulfilled creative ambition.

April 12, 13, 14, 19, Vancouver International Film Centre (1181 Seymour), various times. Info: Viff.org.

ARTs lisTiNgs

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Aries (March 21 – April 19)Seemingly disparate motifs work in harmony this week. “Lighting scheme of a hospital operating theatre” and “romantic event” are surprisingly twin joys.

Taurus (April 20 – May 20)A trip to Disneyland a few years ago recently became public and embarrassing for all involved. Lesson: never go to Disneyland, even if the trip is free.

Gemini (May 21 – June 20) The camouflage cargo pants of your dreams have just stepped off the SkyTrain. What to do? Disembark at Braid Station, even if it’s not where you’re going!

Cancer (June 21 – July 22)Is that “Support Our Troops” magnetic bumper sticker is a telltale sign of one’s political perspectives, or just the mark of a supportive sibling? The mysteries never cease.

Leo (July 23 – Aug 22)Warmer weather brings opportunities to enjoy supermarket frozen novelties once again. Mint-chocolate ice cream sandwiches are wonderful.

Virgo (Aug 23 – Sept 22).A dog in a Gortex vest holds the keys to your future. Or just your apartment keys, which it stole them while you rested them on a sandwich and looked away.

Libra (Sept 23 – Oct 22)Lackluster baby carrots dominate the vegetable platter of your life. Ranch dressing makes them miserably passable. I don’t know what else to tell you.

Scorpio (Oct 23 – Nov 21)In search of big-picture perspective, you purchase a one-way foot-passenger ferry ticket. The highway of the sea holds great wisdom, as does the municipality of Langdale.

Sagittarius (Nov 22 – Dec 21)“One Less Car” bike sticker notwithstanding, the Pontiac Sunfire of your soul burns diamond-bright. Life is a labyrinth of comprises and misunderstandings.

Capricorn (Dec 22 – Jan 19)The 1995 movie Jumanji holds eerie parallels to the current troubles of your adult life. And it’s as loud and destructive as you remember it.

Aquarius (Jan 20 – Feb 18)Remember: being inspired and driven to be your personal best can also mean not caring one bit sometimes.

Pisces (Feb 19 – Mar 20)Homework this week: balance everyday sadness with cheerful, task-oriented disengagement. Once you master this, you’ll have it made in the shade.

horoscopes by poncho 'party' sanchez

Megaphone’s community writing workshop program gives people experiencing poverty the opportunity to develop their writing skills and have their stories published in our magazine.

the workshops give writers a voice while helping readers gain a better understanding about issues related to homelessness, addiction, and mental illness.

But in order for Megaphone to get these voices heard, we need your support. We need our readers to help us raise $15,000 this spring so we can keep this program running.

By making a donation to Megaphone’s writing workshop project, you will be ensuring these voices get heard across the city and help end poverty.

your Donation will:

• Help people develop literacy skills in our writing workshops

• Give people a voice by having their pieces published in the magazine

• Support Megaphone's vendors who write for the magazine

Donating is easy:

Please take a moment to fill out the donation form below or go to megaphonemagazine.com and make a donation online.

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help megaphone raise $15,000 by may 31dONATe to megAPhONe's Writing Program

"being part of megaphone's writing workshops gives me

guidance. Getting published in the magazine makes me

feel acknowledged."

—Neil benson,megaphone writer

Join Megaphone for the launch of its fourth annual literary issue, Voices of the Street. the night will feature powerful readings from writers featured in this special issue. all proceeds benefit Megaphone's community writing workshop program.

Photo by Julie Rogers/hope in Shadows

Wednesday, April 30th7-9 pm

$10

Voices of the Street megaphone's

Literary Issue LaunchCafe Deux Soleils

2096 Commercial Drive