Red Cedar
More apocalypse, less angst
Me, my, and I.
It seems that for some people, calling up their union rep is somewhat akin to answering an online dating ad. It’s the same refrain anyway – “I never thought I’d be doing this”, “I’m not really this kind of person, you know”. As though the union rep is going to judge them for requesting help or information, like the potential online date is going to think you’re a loser for answer their ad. How strange, the things we are embarassed by. In both these examples, it is the asking for something – assistance, a date – that shames the subject. As though we are supposed to sail through life without ever asking anyone for anything, and to do otherwise makes one weak.
It’s the sickness of individualism pervading every corner of our society that causes this of course – the same disease that shouts “pensioners are greedy!” and “I don’t want to pay for your kids to go to school!” The social doctrine of “pull yourself up by your bootstraps” that’s impossible to avoid, coupled with the mythology that wealthy people (and corporations) got there through their own hard work rather than corporate welfare and inheritance. And it trickles down, of course, like a Regan-era crumb into every aspect of our lives so that many people from my generation no longer recognize that they owe something to their parents, or that at one time it was normal to converse with your neighbours across the fence rather than ignore them.
I’m ranting, I know. But it pains me to have someone come to me only when they are crying and at their breaking point because for months (or years) they have been harassed or denied benefits that rightfully belong to them. And it’s always the same thing – people don’t want to come and get help because they are afraid of being judged in their shakeiest moment – and so they wait until their health is compromised or their job is on the line before they make the call. In some cases they don’t call at all, and after the fact I hear about people who have been dismissed because they were too ill to come to work, or who could have stayed at work if they had been accomodated as required.
It’s just a basic point really – asking for help and helping others is a good thing and neither of those things makes you a loser. There is a time at which we all have to take responsibility to help ourselves of course, but it’s in conjunction with everyone else that we do so.
Bee Mama!
Quite unexpectedly, I am about to become a bee mama!
Last night, while I was working on preparations for a dinner party we’re having this evening, a phone call came to our house that Brian answered. It was a landscaper friend of ours who lives in a house I used to rent a few block away wondering if we were still interested in getting bees going in our backyard. Well yes, Brian said, but we weren’t really thinking we would be ready until next year…. you know, we have to build up our fence and all that. But there’s a swarm you can have right now! Our friend said.
And so I got in my car and drove the ten blocks to check out what he was talking about. When I got there, I realized that the swarm belonged to his neighbours, R&M who I also know back from my days in environmental activism around the Elaho Valley. Their hive had split and part of it had flown off into the neighbours yard. By the time I got there, these beekeeping friends had smoked the swarm into a box where they were clumping together and getting ready to settle in for the night. So as long as they don’t fly off again (which seemed unlikely from their behaviour) then I can pick them up on Saturday and R&M will lend me a starter bee box until I can get my own set up going. I’m partial to top-bar hives, so my task today is to track down the local expert on TBH and see if I can purchase a set-up from him and get some guidance on transferring the newly-forming hive.
This means a bunch of additional work on the weekend I wasn’t expecting – beyond picking up the bees, we will have to pickup and install some trellis atop our fence in the backyard to bring it to regulation height (something we had planned for anyway). This is on top of our trek to pick up a hazelnut tree for the frontyard and another trip to the homebrew shop to pick up some wine and beer-making ingredients. But really, I couldn’t pass the opportunity for free, local bees up! And I’m so excited to get going on all these weekend projects.
A sense of community, a sense of security
Community gardens offer food security and a focal point where neighbours can connect
By Randy Shore, Vancouver Sun April 22, 2010
George Pinch has been hoeing and weeding his plot in the East Boulevard community garden for 25 years, and you could say he learned his craft at the feet of the master.
Pinch took as his mentor University of B.C.-trained botanist Donald Flather, who founded the garden in 1942 to support the war effort. Flather was well-known during his lifetime as an artist and a high school teacher, receiving his doctorate in education and raising three sons who all became medical doctors.
Though victory gardens were common during the First World War, Flather was a bit of a visionary when conflict enveloped the world a second time.
Canadians were slow to embrace victory gardens during the Second World War. They were mainly planted by activists and “empty lot” leagues in Vancouver and Victoria. Indeed, the federal government was loath to risk seed, fertilizer and equipment on dilettante gardeners who might either fail to produce or fail to follow through on their pledge to produce food, and at first discouraged attempts to mount a national campaign to encourage victory gardens.
But a potato blight and carrot fly outbreak combined with agricultural labour shortages to cause serious want and federal agriculture minister James Gardiner finally got behind the plan in 1943. Read More
Raw potential.
What are the chances, in a city as expensive as Vancouver, that a full two-block square of city owned land would just be left vacant for decades? And what would be the appropriate community response to such a space if its only use was as dumping site by those who don’t want to pay landfill fees?
This photo is of one such spot tucked away in a corner of East Van. The lawn is mown twice a year by the city, and the dumped refuse is carted away on some type of schedule for these abandoned spaces… but otherwise this spot is little more than a cut-through between streets, a sloped and muddy bog that doesn’t lend itself to picnic-ground or playing field without a lot of work.
What about an urban farm instead? Not a community garden with individual plots, but a demonstration of co-operative food growing involving interested neighbours and food security activists. Perhaps some chickens and bees? An edibly landscaped labyrinth in the center with benches and space for visiting? A portion of the farm dedicated entirely to the care of local highschool students? A harvest shared amongst those who work the farm or are in need in the surrounding homes?
Sustainable of course, organic, using as much native food crop as possible. What could be done with a space like this? Are you interested? Please message me at eliza.m.adam@gmail.com if you are local and feel like putting some work behind a project like this.
Fundraising for the YWCA
This is all new to me!
Some of you know that I’ve recently begun running for the first time in my life – it’s not something I have a natural affinity for, but I’ve discovered some pleasure in jogging and so I’ve decided this is the summer to push the outdoor fitness – running and biking as the weather allows – rather than spending all my time in the gym.
Ironic then isn’t it, that I should choose to do a fundraiser for my gym’s youth programs? Oh yes – I’ve signed up for my very first 5 km run to support youth programs at the YWCA. For those of you unfamiliar with the YWCA in Vancouver, it is progressive voice for women’s equality in Vancouver in addition to a gorgeous fitness facility with great staff. Not only do I go there several times a week, I have promoted the YWCA in other fundraising venues in the past because I believe so much in the work they do. If you want to learn more about the YWCA and its mandate, I encourage you to check them out here: http://www.ywcavan.org/
In any case, I’ve decided that one way to bolster my commitment to keep running (and possibly improve on my very very slow speed) is to get involved in a fundraising run in support of the YWCA. To that end I’m participating in the 2010 Scotiabank Group Charity Challenge at the Scotiabank Vancouver Half Marathon & 5k.
You can help support me by making a secure online donation using your credit card. Click on the link below. You can also sponsor me in person – cash or cheque if you so prefer:
http://my.e2rm.com/personalPage.aspx?SID=2581373
For more information on how YOU can participate in the 2010 Scotiabank Group Charity Challenge at the Scotiabank Vancouver Half Marathon & 5k, please visit us at http://www.canadarunningseries.com/svhm/index.htm.
Thanks so much for supporting me and the YWCA!
Red Cedar 