Parrhesia: Suck It Up!

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A reader in Vancouver sent me a recognition, an acknowledgement of this blog - which blows me away to put me in my place - literally. A gift: one word! There actually is a descriptive term for my writing-process - focus, content/form and urgency behind it.

I have never been particularly concerned with cuddly validation from readers, simply having written what needs to be written. But - of course - what follows is that there would be those who feel safer hiding behind form than facing content, and they uniformly express this with a by now predictable monosyllabic reaction - pouting.

Done with vague institutionalized spirituality and Eastern religious dramatics, it's come down to integrity - the place to be for me now - but I still am not averse to a reassuring poke. Getting that with this hook - an added bonus is that there's no person attached to it: no conditional rewards.
In a word .....

Parrhesia

With two possible applications of this word, the one I refer to relates to rhetoric and originates in Greek. In Wikipedia it is a figure of speech described as: to speak candidly or to ask for forgiveness for so speaking. In the Greek-language word's construct: all + utterance literally means saying everything; this extending to saying it freely, with boldness. It implies not only freedom of speech, but the obligation to speak the truth for the common good, even at personal risk.

Parrhesia was a fundamental component of democracy of Classical Athens. In assemblies and courts Athenians were free to say almost anything.

Democracy in the original.

More recently, in his Fearless Speech, Michel Foucault, French philosopher out on a limb, says In parrhesia, the speaker uses his freedom and chooses frankness instead of persuasion; truth instead of falsehood or silence; the risk of death instead of life and security; criticism instead of flattery; and moral duty instead of self-interest and moral apathy.
Weeell, I don't see myself going as far as risking death within the Nelson-context - but I certainly choose life. Security not so much, as for the rest - bring it!

Also see post:
Nelson - Speak-Up!
6 Oct. 2011

                                      It is what it is.

Thank you, Margot!

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Canada's Comfort in Racism

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The previous post - immediately below this one - segues seamlessly into today's: from local institutionalized racism into national institutionalized racism. It seems the colonials had it right all along: white on white in white is the way to go!

Even though the Harper declared otherwise or not at the G-20 Meeting in Pittsburgh, Sep. 25, 2009:
We are the country everybody would like to be. ...We also have no colonialism. So we have all the things that many people admire about great powers, but none of the things that threaten or bother them.

Recently obtained through the Access to Information Act: The Canadian Press (CP) has now made public information based on a report commissioned by the Bank of Canada (B of C) from The Strategic Counsel(?), 2009.

And it goes like this: Prior to letting loose the new, improved plastic-money, Nov. 2011 - this Counsel ran focus groups in Calgary, Toronto, Montreal and Fredericton to gauge the public's feelings around the new designs. Members of these (such) groups were (customarily are) strictly profiled and sign-up for the money. In this case to the tune of $53.000 overall. Their opinions are hardly spontaneous, definitely not random-samplings.

The image of a scientist - sitting at a microscope, with a bottle of Insulin nearby - is getting much attention in Bank bans 'Asian' woman from $100 banknote, Dean Beeby/CP, Aug. 17. Because some thought in these focus groups - how much is not mentioned here - objected to her Asianness as doggone Uncanadian.

I do not want to get into the stupidity of that one, nor do I want to get into the stupidity of said Counsel and the stupidity of the B of C for immediately pulling the design and modifying it into "neutral" ethnicity, so that now Her light features appear to be Caucasian. But neutral ethnicity does not connect comfortably with her light features appearing to be Caucasian. You want neutral - you get Caucasian?
The hole is getting deeper!

In the write-up, Jeremy Harrison - spokesman for the B of C - is quoted as saying that as a matter of banknote-design policy The original image was not designed or intended to be a person of a particular ethnic group. But obviously when we got into focus groups, there was some thought the image appears to represent a particular ethnic group, so modifications were made.
Some thought!

While there was additional thought - all this thoughting could make a man dizzy! - that a strand of DNA next to the scientist was a sex toy. And on all the notes the clear-plastic insert was a female body.

You get the picture!

Both also modified just like that - the strand of DNA now being a nothing twirl.

Particularly frightening here is that - what with modifications presumably not made to the overall design of the woman - louping something Asian in her small facial features must be coming from a very deep place very close to the surface of the observants' minds!

The original design is not available - the design shown here is post nip & tuck.

That multi-culturalism thing - over and done with once and for all!

Upon leaving his post in Ottawa in 1984, Lord Moran - British High Commissioner - tells his bosses in London in a valedictory dispatch that Canadians are deeply unimpressive.
Anyone who is moderately good at what they do in literature, the theatre, skiing or whatever, tends to become a national figure. And anyone who stands out at all from the crowd tends to be praised to the skies and given the Order of Canada at once.
                                                                         Associated Press, Oct. 18, 2009
                                                              
Oh, my Lords - could it be that Mum has not been amused with us all along?

Back to the CP write-up.
One person in Fredericton commented: "The person on it appears to be of Asian descent which doesn't represent Canada. It is fairly ugly!"

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Redfish Grilled and Deboned

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Redfish Grill
formerly
Amanda's
formerly
Seven Seas
formerly
Ken's
formerly
New Star
formerly
Commodore
formerly
LD (Little Davenport?) Restaurant,
this started by Gee Pong's father, who also put-up the building itself in the 1910s.
The building has been Chinese-Canadian-owned since its beginning - as was the restaurant on the groundfloor, until that was taken over by an Anglo-Canadian as the
Redfish Grill.
Sometimes there was a single owner, sometimes a family, sometimes a partnership. Partnerships always based on a mutual understanding - no written contracts - and profits were shared equally, regardless of a partner being dishwasher or chef. All partners did what they were good at and were respected for it.

This restaurant, in all its incarnations - like others Chinese-Canadian-owned here - was of great importance, because over many years it gave work to large numbers of Chinese when they arrived in Nelson: often with no skills - like English. Here they learned about pies and BLTs - they also learned the language. It was not only a place of employment but also meant companionship and safety. Many of them are still around, uniformly having become successful in Nelson and area, in Vancouver and Calgary.

In the 70s, the Wong family became owners of the building, running the restaurant as well. But the order of all the restaurant/cafe names and owners - between the beginning and yesterday - may be remembered a bit vaguely now among them. We are looking at about 100 years.

The upstairs was a rooming-house, mostly for single Chinese men but sometimes also for those with a bride brought over from home. Families were started here. Sometimes there were whites.

The history of this building is of remarkable depth - richer than that of most buildings here. But it does not figure within Nelson's one-trick-pony heritage.

A while ago the Redfish Grill building burned down, with the shell left more or less intact. So for a short time there was idle talk of seeing something built here with the facade kept: the ruin immediately becoming more interesting heritagewise than the whole building ever had been.
A representative of the Wongs came to Nelson from Vancouver to initiate the gutting: the shell was declared sound at the time. Also their cheapest right-now option. Then the facade began to crumble - to be unsafe for pedestrians to pass - and as per agreement a temporary covered walkway was put in place.

Now the City wants to see a permanent solution in the matter - a choice of three possibilities: stabilize the existing structure to extend its life-span safely; tear down whatever is left; build.

Councilors became vocal in their meeting, Aug. 13, preferring to keep the shell for now - but bypassing the surely enormous costs for such vanity-project of a surely limited run - only because it is anxious to retain Baker Street's homogeneous heritage-facade, without the blemish of a gap and hole in the ground. A make-up job. Potemkin's villages!
The City can't force any of these options, but it can insist on certain safety-measures. What these would be for securing a thin remaining facade is not known to anyone at this point.
We're probably looking at brick-by-brick and gobs of superglue, with major structural supports behind.

The Star's write-up City takes aim at Redfish structure, Aug. 15, is largely inconsistent with what was discussed in Council, at its end ascribing to David Wahn, City Planner: Obviously a lot of people in the city feel that it is a heritage building and it needs to be preserved, but we have no tools within our legislation to encourage them to rebuild its old glory. Horse-puckie!

I didn't hear him say that, and why would he: Obviously there's really nothing left to be preserved, and neither a lot of people's feelings on this nor the building's old glory have been an issue anywhere at any time. Furthermore, no legislative tools are needed to just encourage.

Au contraire - what did come up in this meeting is that the building is not part of the ubergroup of registered local heritage buildings: of the blood - so to speak. Before the fire this building was of no particular interest to any Anglos.

Also, not once - while discussing this - did anyone on Council mention the very real socio-historical importance of the building, within the context of a very productive Chinese presence locally! Or the very real cultural heritage of several thousand years these people came/come from. Contemplating that could make clear why Nelson-heritage aspirations are probably of little concern to the owner.

I could totally understand that perspective and am embarrassed for Nelson, in view of The Honorable LIU Fei, Consul General of the P.R. of China, recently visiting, based on her (mistaken) assumption that Nelson connects with the Chinese part of its heritage.

A letter with an ultimatum for a decision on the three options to the owner - Su Ying Wong, who died several years ago - is to be crafted now: carefully nudging her away from the wrecking-ball. Most of the attention/time this item got during the meeting was spent on just how to soft-pedal the tear-down option - while having no choice but to mention it.

So there's the kettle of redfish City Hall is not yet dealing with: the property and directly attached funds have been in Probate for ages - there are 5 possible heirs waiting in line. Even if they should all miraculously agree on anything - there's no money to build: the building was underinsured, and the clean-up thus far has been very expensive. They all made their homes in Vancouver years ago - it's just business here. That and the more pushed - the more stubborn they may become! Cultural!

Anybody want to buy a chunk of property? Put-up a faux-heritage building and open a store?

                    

                   Please?

                                                

           Location! Location! Location!

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Nelson (Shooting) Star

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Next time you're strolling down Baker Street put yourself in the flip-flops of a tourist. Think about how you feel when you visit Venice or Portland or Belmopan.

This is the first paragraph of an editorial in the Nelson Star, Aug. 10, 2012, Our greatest resource. Clearly addressing a very specific Nelson demographic, while just as clearly stereotyping tourists en masse.
If a tourist's flip-flops are not within your reach; if you don't stroll on Baker to begin with; and if Venice, Portland or Belmopan are not on your map: stop reading right here. Unless the weirdness of the Star's proposition makes you curious.
From simple weirdness to bizarre logic - bizarre English, too!

Nelson is a tiny spot on the map, but when you arrive here on a holiday for the first time it's no different than any other strange city. Though exciting to soak in new sights and sounds, there is inevitably feelings of anxiety when you look upon a place with fresh eyes.

Anxious fresh eyes upon Baker. Right!

That's where you come in. ... If someone looks like they're from out of town and a little lost, a simple " can I help you find something?" is a great jumping off point. Most times a little conversation will break out and you can share some of your special places in our area. If you have a favourite spot to eat or a tucked away beach, odds are this stranger would be extremely grateful to hear about it. It only takes a moment, but the impact can have a lasting impression.

I'll say! Lasting impression, indeed! If someone came on to me like that in Venice - where I actually could feel lost, what with all those canals every which way, a strange lingo and the zombie crowds - there I'd definitely think:  Here we go again! The old guide-come-on - for you cheap, and I've got a sister.

But a little lost on Baker?
- You like naked beach?
- Get off me, creepo!

Are we that desperate to flog our goods and goodies? Should we maybe take the sandwich-board idea to the next level: have touts lure flip-flop-profiled tourists into my casbah?

Then this editorial - an editorial commonly expressing the views of a newspaper as a whole with emphatic oomph - gets down to listing where we are lacking in what:

In today's paper there are several items that remind us just how important tourism is to the foundation of our economy. The front page features stories on the slow start to summer and the huge influx of visitors for Shambhala. The letter page provides critical voices from outside who tell us we need to do better.

The front-page article Tourism numbers take a dip tells readers that because of the weather and resulting conditions in early summer tourist numbers were down. But that these numbers were higher in June - by a percent or 2 so it was relative - than last year. So where was the dipping? And was it 1 or 2 percent? Relative to what? Then the reader is told promptly that it is not clear what caused the decline! I'm so confused!

Apparently things picked-up in a big way in August, but seeing that we were into August less than 10 days when this article was put together - a connection between the seemingly sudden influx of tourists and the explained advertising-push during the last week of July and first two weeks of August seems spurious. Particularly as - again! - this article was published on Aug. 10, probably put together around/before the 8th. So what's with the first 2 weeks of August time-warp here? 
Aside from the weirdness with dates: tourists don't pack and go on vacation that spontaneously - just because they're told the weather now is nice! And the visitor's centre had one of the busiest days it ever had here in Nelson in early August. Like one of the most super-enormous rushes of tourists ever wanting in-person info during the first week in August? What!

If the sun is shining here - it probably is shining in other places as well. So that and the also listed as reasons Kaslo Jazz Festival (over!), Shambhala (almost over and not your average tourist-fare!) and markets (now standard in most places) can't possibly be what will bring tourists to Nelson in days to come - as envisioned by the director of Nelson Kootenay Lake Tourism, via the writer of this article.

So to determine the movement of it all, my suggestion is to put together a hand-out with basic questions like: why Nelson; how long in Nelson; planned how and how long before coming; what is interesting/what is not; what do you want/want more of; size of family traveling; accommodation? Handed out throughout the year at the camp-ground and in hotels - answered and collected  there. All to be used as a constantly updated base from which to operate.

No amount of advertising is going to bring enough tourists to keep Nelson's economy afloat indefinitely - let alone make it grow - if what's advertised is available pretty much everywhere else in the interior. Making Nelson sound like a miracle destination ultimately will have to backfire if it doesn't deliver! Ultimately will be the proverbial flogging of a dead horse.

Nelson as such needs to reinvent (not repeat!) itself to become truly unique and because of that a must-see destination - then they'll come!

For detailed thoughts on this see post

Nelson In Living Colour

1. Dec. 2011

in this blog.

Back to the editorial, pointing us to the letter-page. There are two letters. How convenient! How convenient that these particular letters should arrive in tandem with the tourist-dip article's publication!
Unless they were pulled from the dead-letters file to suit exactly what purpose, Nelson Star? To begin with: how authentic are letters submitted by e-mail, even snail-mail, as criticism from the outside? I mean, anyone in Nelson  - pretending to be an out-of-towner - may send-in or initiate having sent-in such a letter, what with Nelson - all the way up to City Council - immediately giving it particular gravitas just because it's from out there.

1. Letter
Supposedly from Edmonton - every summer in the Kootenays! - this family spends little time and money in Nelson, because Nelson is so cruel to Rover! Which immediately brings up that Nelsonites and those from the area bring their dog - often several together - downtown without a hitch. All the time. But the Edmontons have never yet noticed that!
Even if tourists were aware of the downtown-dog bylaw and wanted to follow it: how much time would they have to spend on Baker, for Rover to have a nervous breakdown, waiting in the car - parked in the shade, with a window cracked and a bowl of water? What happens to Rover if a hotel somewhere else in their travels won't allow him inside? Or stores? Or restaurants?
Get over yourself, Rover!
Within the last few years the Daily News and Star - bless their little-doggie hearts - may have published maybe 5 such doggie-heart letters - and the earth shook! - with nobody here ever openly questioning their source/motive or their assertion that Nelson as such is not dog-friendly!
The heading of this letter Is Nelson trying to drive away tourists? is the usual vaguely inflammatory heading provided by the Star to make something - anything! - more interesting than it is.

2. Letter
This woman - also a regular visitor! - writes about how disgusting things used to be  with all the crude hippies and that - after a temporary clean-up - Nelson is now again into that with Baker Street back to being full of dirty young people asking for money. ... In fact there was a write up in our Seattle paper from a travel reporter about Nelson  and he kind of stated the same thing about the bohemians, dogs and bikes on Baker Street.
Yet her last sentence being It is an interesting place. Go figure! And this topped with an extra-large 4-Star heading Time to clean up Nelson.
So these are the two examples the Nelson Star uses to tell us we need to do better. The Star's words - not the letter-writers'.

What makes it an interesting place are in part the not-so-white-bread young people, many of whom with money and their particular way of dressing often a fashion-statement. The Shambhala crowd is good for the Nelson-and-area economy!

Last time for the editorial:
This is a great time for swapping flip-flops. This weekend the Nelson Rowing Club is hosting athletes from across the west and soon the Shambhala refugees will start rolling into town after five days of partying.

Calling people refugees is rather insensitive - in this trifacta of cover-story/editorial/letters silliness - considering the image probably brought up by the term for many: those displaced in current armed conflicts.
But when the Shambhala crowd - with its money - hits Nelson again, by all means: let's swap flip-flops with them! If they care to!

After some strong editorials recently - the Star seemingly becoming a better paper - this issue takes several steps back into the dark ages of ignorance and misinformation by - at best - carelessness. If tourism is indeed Our greatest resource - the Nelson Star is supporting it awkwardly!



Maybe it's the heat!

Copies of the Fri. Aug. 10 Nelson Star are available at the usual places until Tue. Aug. 14 and after that at the Star's office on Hall Street.







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Nelson's Progressive Apathy

...
The Committee of the Whole (COW), July 23, 2012, was totally about applications to the City for tax-exemptions - 29 in total. Applicants ranged from most arguably being questionable to far less than half being truly deserving. The former from golf/curling/rod-and-gun clubs to 14 religious organizations - all Christian - like a school, prayer-groups but mostly churches. The latter - two of them religious - addressing direct need in the community.
Interesting!
A great deal of money - for this town anyway - and with donations to many/most of them probably tax-deductible as well - the segment of the public not linked to these possibly tax-exempted groups may be losing-out multi-level big-time in somebody else's process.
More interesting!

Group 1 - The Public
Hmmm.... makes you think! Correction: makes me think! You weren't there! The Oso-crowd: local so-called progressives, because of wherever your soy-latte with sprinkles of usually out-of-town flavor-of-the-month causes may direct your attention. You are not into matters civic here. Not cool!
Neither are you, the stolid mainstream: the time of City Hall meetings is just not nice - 7pm! With you cool is not the issue - couch is!

Group 2 - The News-Media
There also was no media-representation at this tax exempt COW - even though major questions could have been raised, particularly with agendas always available (for research prior) well before meetings.
Local media could nudge all of you to become informed, with accurate reports from/of Regular Council Meetings (RCM)  and meetings of the COW - but only some do: and those only from sporadically to often. Not consistently. Personal preference seemingly runs their PCs, as does frequently inaccurate or spotty recollection.
The ideal source of how-stuff-actually-is-at-City-Hall would seem to be the one local news-medium most closely associated with progressive/cool thinking - I will use "progressive(s)" throughout as a label rather than identificaton of an ideology - and that is Kootenay Co-op Radio (KCR). Yet they're never there! In Council Chambers. While running a 90-minutes morning-show with local news and interviews.
The co-op nature of the station presents an opportunity for all kinds of thought-poking - as in progressive - programming, but the progressives don't sign-up! Yet KCR's few imported as-it-is news-shows are highly respected - by local progressives! Makes me - not you! - wonder!
One common bond among progresssives is a disdain for the Nelson Star, although the Star not only broadly presents but - more important - represents Nelsonness! As with HUGS 'N' SLUGS, which makes me want to do damage in a serious manner! But it too is Nelson - I read it!
The mainstream reads the Star for entertainment, shopping-specials and obituaries; their radio-station is CBC Kelowna.
There are few - and by the nature of this approach dead-end - Council-concerned letters to the Star editor.

Group 3 - Council
Speaking of entertainment: obviously, a big part of the reason why only very few unfettered members of the public show direct interest in City-matters - by attending RCMs and COWs - is that the way these are dealt with in Council is not particularly entertaining. With few exceptions, items are run not as a whole, a vision - but as individual procedural steps.
Dullish!

So there you have it/them - you!
With a largely apathetic public at one end, a Council just trying to get through surely mind-numbing minutiae at the other and news-hounds somewhere in between or not at all: the City doesn't function all that well as a unit, which it should be able to for a town of its size. Of course - big one in all and everything - Nelson also suffers from: politics being personal, business being personal, and the personal being cliquish.
Avoid being direct - just in case!
Pouting is big!

I will present an example of the tenuous interconnectedness - if not the disconnect - of the three players: public, news-media and Council.

Picture this!
In Council must focus on local (...what? A very clumsy heading!), Nelson Star, July 18, 2012, a reader complains that A discussion of the Enbridge Pipeline by Nelson city council is not a local issue. And The Enbridge Pipeline discussion does not belong at the Council table. He then writes about how council's time might be better spent on various local issues he lists.

He makes a valid point with the pipeline-topic, particularly in view of the fact that in COW-rules a delegation from the public only deals with a matter within the jurisdiction of the City of Nelson.

It is understandable - even if inappropriate - that Council took on the very emotional Enbridge issue - precisely because it is so emotional. It touched a proverbial nerve in Council members - their humanness - usually not an issue within their dealings: what with 1-2-3 procedure in a dead-zone environment being the norm. Something for them to relate to.
The Stop-The-Violence presentation erupting into very emotional personal positions is another example. Most members acted/reacted as individuals who actually bleed - this rarely seen in Council. And quite possibly often repressed to make it all happen. Which it clearly doesn't well enough: in their work, Council members obviously are starved for a bit of emotional color, an outlet for imagination, some creativity. Or plain-and-simple kicking ass!
All this noise made news-media and public wake-up real quick: for once we had the triple-slug-fest we should have as a matter of course!

But the usual is a Council on automatic > news-media sort-of there if > another latte for progressives > the mainstream waiting for lunch - separately!

Group 1a
Taking responsibility to make all work together - for the whole - has to start with the public - mainstream, progressives, whomever - as they are what a town is all about.
The progressives acknowledging that civic matters indeed are as cool as can get: the right to create, run/maintain their environment. And the mainstream relating to people as a reality instead of a reality-show.
You've got kids: do it for them!

  
If you're not interested in the Nelson Star - you're not interested in Nelson as such - your home! Let it know directly why you're not interested! Concerns about anything else should go straight to whomever prompting them! Effective communication!
Let's face it!

Attend RCMs and COWs. In RCMs you can get info on what Council is working on and how it goes about it; you can actively, directly participate in COWs - either as an individual or as part of a group of like-minded. So, any problems with a local situation - or Council as a group handling a local situation - as perceived in an RCM: you can present to Council directly in a COW, in front of peers in the "audience". The more speak-up - the better, as Council can't afford to ignore numbers! You voted for them and just may again but! So tell them face-to-face what you need!

Council - at least indirectly - will thrive on your input: you supply first-hand feed-back, you make them relate to people instead of just rules and clauses - interaction. They will have to be on their toes: an energizing activity, feeding into their regular-folksness.

How to go about actively participating in COWs is clearly spelled-out in the Council Procedure Bylaw 3184, 2011, on the City's website. In fact, just about any info you may want from the City can be found there, including dates and agendas of upcoming RCMs and COWs. And contact info of Mayor Dooley and Council members, plus who is doing what on which board, committee, commission.
Writing to them as a group is addressed to Barb Dionne at bdionne@nelson.ca. Writing to individual members is best done following that pattern also: first-name initial preceding surname@nelson.ca. The mayor is reached at mayor@nelson.ca. Using these proper e-mail addresses seems more efficient than the website-provided door: you have more space/oversight while writing and a record of the message sent.
Always keep a record!

Group 2a
In terms of City Hall: news-media - through actually attending reporters, all and consistently! - ought to focus on the public's need more comprehensively, more accurately - instead of recollecting what they can and how they remember it. Or didn't write-down. They also need to encourage the public to attend these meetings and express opinions. Dialogues of varying opinions. Provide info on Council procedures: particularly what RCMs and COWs are (many out there don't have a clue!) and when.
The more the general public becomes involved - the more the media's (and Council's) energy will be affected, and their jobs will become more focused, more interesting in the doing - thus output.

I'm beginning to sound like an evangelist! Geez!

Group 3a
Council ostensibly wants input - the COW's actual purpose - but in reality doesn't encourage it. This too is understandable (though not excusable!): they're busy with processing papers, and having to deal with the real thing would take away time and energy of which they seemingly don't have enough.
Like: the fixed period of time allotted to on-the-spot concerns by COW attendees - those not on the agenda with a formalized presentation - is quite short. And although many individuals should have the opportunity to express themselves to give Council a hit of out-there reality: the more want to speak - the less time there is for them individually. Sort-of the faster I go - the behinder I get. This needs to be addressed! Now!
The what, how and when of RCMs and COWs must be listed and explained in bold print in every monthly City-of-Nelson news-letter: Nelson Star back-page and City Hall website.
Council's job is to deal with public concerns: the more direct contact with the public - the more personally meaningful their work may become. And enjoyable! 
The aforementioned dead-zone environment: The whole 2nd floor of City Hall - including the Council Chamber - is a punishing experience. No wonder nobody ever laughs there; hushed, earnest only staff blends into the wall-to-wall. What with all this art-walking in Nelson - how about walking it through City Hall?
Where's the color: bright, sunny, uplifting, life-affirming color?

All together now!
There's a natural - actually symbiotic - relationship between public, news-media and Council. Once accepted by them - with all channels opened - we'll be on our way!

                                        

                                               In triplicate!

Next Regular Council Meeting: Mon. Aug. 13, 7pm

No Aug. Committee of the Whole

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Nelson's Culture of Convenience - Minor Changes

...

This is about the Cultural Development Commission (CDC), to be given new authority over how Nelson is run and looks at itself but not really with a new bylaw maybe and a new second-hand Comprehensive Cultural Policy. 
And the Community Heritage Commission (CHC) absorbed but not really by the CDC as part of the process maybe.
And the current Advisory Planning Commission (APC) being disbanded but not really to become a new version of itself maybe.
This transfiguration - to be operational by September - somewhat dealt with in the Regular Council Meeting, July 9. What with most everybody gone for at least part of the summer.....do the math!
City Hall's culture of procedure over content

All this supposedly as requested by the Committee of the Whole. As per The Corporation Of The City Of Nelson, Request For Decision - City Committee Restructure, page 1. Actually not quite! As I understand it: The Committee of the Whole is called this because it is to be all-inclusive - allowing for direct, on-the-spot participation of the whole of Nelson. This whole was not consulted; it has not participated in this process in any way!
In fact, Councilor Macdonald makes clear to CDC members in that group's last  meeting, July 4, that their input is not sought, because - to paraphrase her - this is the job of officials they elected: like it or not. Definitely or not, particularly as she is here as a CDC member! Or what!
That attitude is uncomfortably close to the Harper telling nay-sayers that he is only doing what the majority elected him to do! So there!

Of course, as requested by could be a misspeak, yet this not having been caught by the collective Council is telling. Which - in this meeting - is unenthusiastic, unprepared and largely baby-sat by the City Manager. Clearly without a vision that this shift in commissioning - if done thoughtfully - could be the game-changer Nelson needs to become resuscitated. There will be further readings!
A culture of just wanting to go home

You may not care about any of this, but you should care about the wonderful, whacky world of City Hall - procedure in action - and if you don't like it for whatever reason: get your butt to council meetings and express your opinion in said monthly Committees of the Whole!

The following is a peek at City Hall: in this case talking the talk but so far not really walking it anywhere.

CDC

So you don't know what the current CDC is all about. Understandably so: neither does the CDC. It has never clearly explained itself to itself and the general public - using many words to not do that in the initial Comprehensive Cultural Policy of 4 years ago. Which will become the new Comprehensive Cultural Policy - after Minor Changes - maybe, but still not explaining what culture means.

What follows then is: how exactly will Council have this Culturally Developing Commission morph into the Cultural Development Committee!

CHC

But you do know about the CHC - the group responsible for choking-off any kind of meaningful development downtown for years, while letting so-called heritage buildings there fade into a Brigadoon-fog of dinginess and decay. So-called: because Nelson's brand of heritage does not conform to the accepted definition of the term farther outside its fog-belt.

APC

The APC - the CHC's strange bed-fellow - has been pointless for years: largely because no planning is needed when there is no development.

To illustrate my point: the APC meeting, June 20, is attended by two basic members, one rep each from City Planning and Council. A third member shows-up 30 minutes late: he'd forgotten! At that point I leave because this isn't going anywhere - seemingly the reason why the rest of the members hadn't shown-up.

According to the City Manager: these same APCers will have a direct shot at participating in the new APC-configuration.

A culture of expediency

Anyway, it would seem reasonable - at this juncture - for Council to finally and definitively explain what culture and heritage mean to City Hall - this as a basis for letting Nelson get on with it for real, focused on economic needs and guided by a CDC bylaw/policy with teeth. While mindful of Nelson's past - not held captive by a selectively superficial memory of it.
Thus far - the City's interpretation (if any!) of both has been all over the map and through repetitiousness accepted by a dumbed-down public.
Ultimately it does not matter how City Hall interprets anything - as long as it communicates whatever clearly to the public for acceptance/rejection.
A culture of self-determination through participatory democratic processes.
A healthy culture!

Culture - according to City Hall
As lead-in to this proposed almost-as-good-as-new Comprehensive Cultural Policy we once again still have Nelson as "the best small art town in Canada", even though - one more time: the author never visited Nelson, and the other three Canadian candidates were Stratfod Ont, Niagara-on-the-Lake and a Gulf island. With Nelson's entry a stand-out as the longest: an over-the-top sales-pitch of wishful thinking, phoned-in as fact! Embarrassing!
A culture of insecurity

Then the Policy says that Many different definitions of arts, culture and heritage are used interchangeably. How fun! It already said that four years ago and here still mentions culture/cultural/cultural sector 99 times - give-or-take a few!

The Policy's cultural sector, among others, comprises cultural events, cultural organizations, First Nations history and culture - in these three at least: culture probably having different meanings.

Not to itemize here all the different cultures - none as telesexy as First Nations - brought to Nelson over time and contributing to the City becoming what it is today. If those Councilors from different cultures - or with a partner from a different culture - want to dump theirs in favor of the British-colonial mono-cultural look: go for it!

But for Council to disregard non-white-Anglo culture-groups here is disrespectful - and reprehensible, as Council members were voted into office in part by these very same they disrespect!

Nonetheless - we do have our identity as a vibrant, authentic cultural community in which cultural attributes permeate everyday life. What twaddle this and much of the Cultural Policy!

A culture of ignorance

Heritage - according to City Hall
In the CDC's reincarnation: heritage will continue to be about British-colonial buildings and their owners/architects only. Decidedly not about those many from other cultures, who made the money for those few and under what conditions. Who made Nelson!
So these non-people from non-cultures also didn't have and don't have a heritage! How could they - they didn't and don't exist!
Unless they vote and consume!
A culture o bigotry

How heritage a la Nelson will fit into the new, improved CDC remains to be seen, as the heritage-contingent is a bunch of fundamentalists with an agenda - totally not ready to vacate the throne!

A clear and expansive, commonly acceptable and accepted definition of heritage and culture are the needed fulcrum for heaving Nelson out of its smug and narrow-minded cedar-chips: into an era of cooperation, based on a focused goal for the good of the whole - now! A Cultural Development Committee could be conduit, guide, flashpoint in this - once defined in a clear, simple language kept brief!

Councilor Cherbo, most vocal heritage-above-all advocate on Council - in full Freudian slippage - in his opinions refers to the Cultural Heritage Commission.
Bless him!

If only!

                                    The next Committee of the Whole,

       Mon. July 23, 19:00,

                                                 Council Chambers - City Hall

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Bev Outta (Here) - Finally!

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In 2006 the Chinese Benevolent Society of Vancouver celebrated its 100th anniversary. It was founded when/because of the pleasures of racism expressed with gusto by "real" Canadians had reached giddy heights in the Vancouver area during the late 1890s/early 1900s.




Nelson - ready to embrace whatever Vancouver-thing since day one - then had its own share of fires set to Chinese property; the Nelson Weekly Miner proposed to kill off - if any legal way can be divined to accomplish the act - every mother's son of the almond-eyed pigtail wearers, living at present in any country inhabited by white men; Nelson officially created the Chinatown ghetto in the Lower Hill mudflats; former mayor John "Truth" Houston advocated raising the head-tax - imposed on all Chinese - to $1000.

The Chinese totally being on their own - although then by law as Canadian as everybody else - looked after each other: a tradition rooted in Chinese history as the Hong Men, later becoming the Chinese Freemasons over here, including Nelson. Vancouver - at the time - had an enormous number of unemployed Chinese: no money, no jobs, no housing. No prospects. And - the basis of all this - shunned and persecuted by "real" Canadians. Thus the Chinese Benevolent Society of Vancouver was born: its goal to be found in its name.

And in 2006 many congratulatory letters were sent by politicos - what with the "Chinese" in Canada having turned into a sizeable voting-bloc over the years. This same recognition, prior to the upcoming election, sending Mr. Harper - morphing into a folksy Little-Boy-Blue(-Sweater) hybrid for the occasion - from Ottawa to Richmond BC for one afternoon, just to have his picture taken: holding a "Chinese" baby - in a "Chinese" backyard - in "Chinese" Richmond.

These congratulatory letters ranged from detached-generic to bizarre. Two of the bizarre stand out particularly: one from our then Governess General Michaelle Jean and one from Bev Oda, then doubling as Minister of Heritage and Minister of Status of Women. Go figure!

Ill-advised Michaelle Jean wrote about the Society's work as true to the Canadian spirit of generosity and compassion. Obviously oblivious to the fact that it was precisely this prevailing Canadian spirit - devoid of generosity and compassion - which led to the Society being founded.

And then there was Bev Oda - for the first time coming to my attention in this context and here needing an introduction to set the stage for her letter: She is a sansei - her grandparents were Japan-born - and her mother was interned during "those" years. A poster-girl kinda thing, like - coincidentally - Michaelle Jean. She promptly became closely involved with introducing Bill C-333 - The Chinese-Canadian Recognition and Redress Act: aiming ro recognize the Chinese contribution to establishing British Columbia and - at the same time - acknowledging the ill-treatment these same Chinese were subjected to while making said contribution. Pure-gold PR!
She held this position for about one and a half years - without leaving a status-of-women mark - and then was moved into being Minister of International Cooperation. Obviously leaving no positive mark there either, what with Mr. Harper's inability - due to "scheduling conflicts" - to attend the opening-ceremony of the Olympic Games in Beijing. Cooperating - not so much. Thus returning Canada to the dark ages internationally.

As to her congratulatory letter to the Chinese Benevolent Society of Vancouver on its 100th anniversary: totally generic in content, it also is very brief. Bilingual too: two side-by-side versions.

The version on the left in English; the version on the right in - French!

Ms. Oda resigned, July 3, from her work as MP and Minister of International Cooperation - after a string of alleged improprieties and amidst rumors of her pending removal from the ministerial post.

                           Outta here!

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