Posted by admin on Oct 29th, 2009
Oct 29th, 2009 , Thunderbird.
Preparations for the 2010 Winter Olympics have had an unexpected effect on a vulnerable group in Vancouver.
The Welcome House will remain empty until April 2010. Government-assisted refugees from volatile countries such as Somalia, Sudan and the Congo have not escaped the influence the Olympics have had on the city, even though they are not familiar with the Games. Officials rushed refugees through the system so they would arrive well before the Games begin. The sponsored refugees had to be dealt with quickly because the Welcome House that shelters them is close to an Olympics security zone. The house is run by the Immigrant Services Society of BC.
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Posted by admin on Oct 25th, 2009
Top Cop Helped Blow up Truck at Gustafsen Stand-off. Read here.
Olympic Security Chief Likes to ‘Be out Front’. Read here.
Mercer Blasted APEC Protesters with Pepper Spray. Read here.
Mercer Led Raid on ‘War in Woods’ Tree-Sitters. Read here.
Posted by admin on Oct 23rd, 2009
John Allemang, The Globe and Mail Posted Friday, October 23, 2009
For the ancient Greeks, fire was a potent symbol of purity. In the modern world, where antique pagan symbols generally don’t have much staying power, the flame still has the ability to purify: Witness the Olympic torch relay, now making its patient, painstaking way from the ruined temples of ancient Greece to the stunning Winter Games facilities of Vancouver 2010. The torch relay represents the Olympics’ human side, the part that retains faith in the uncorrupted virtues global sport is meant to bring together every two years.
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Posted by admin on Oct 17th, 2009
We know you already know that the 2010 Olympics are only a few short months away and are well aware that the Games are having a devastating impact on our communities – from traditional Indigenous territories to the Downtown Eastside, from migrant workers to low-income families, thousands are being evicted, displaced, and exploited. It is undeniable that the Olympics is causing the devastation of the environment, creating homelessness, perpetuating the theft of Indigenous lands, exploiting migrant labour, forcing greater privatization, accruing massive public debt, and resulting in increased state criminalization.
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Posted by admin on Oct 14th, 2009
Katie Hyslop, 14 October 2009, TheTyee.ca
The controversial Assisting to Shelter Act has not been approved yet, but critics say the proposed provincial law has a familiar, and troubling, ring to it. Vancouver could be joining a long list of Olympic host cities that passed legislation close to the Games allowing governments to clear the streets of the poor, homeless and addicted just in time for the tourists and cameras to arrive. The act would give Vancouver police the power to force a person to seek shelter when an extreme weather alert is issued. If there is no room at city shelters, people will be put in a jail cell.
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