Dear Sir, Please Demolish A Piece of History

Mayor Mandel,

My name is Jennifer (Last Name), and I am writing you in order to ask for your support in upholding the demolition order issued by the City of Edmonton regarding the Cromdale Hotel on 118th Avenue.

Though not a resident of the Alberta Avenue community, I have begun to frequent the area due to the revitalization efforts of the City of Edmonton and organizations such as Arts on the Ave.  One day, I hope that I can afford to own a home in this area, as I recognize the value of its older homes, tree-lined streets and vibrant and active community.

However, as far as Alberta Avenue has come in restoring the community, there is still work that needs to be done.  This work includes the demolition of the Cromdale Hotel and its replacement with something positive, something that will better communicate the true value of this area.

While I do not have to worry about my safety near this building, as community residents do, I am still struck by the sight of it, and what it represents, whenever I am in the area.  As someone who has worked with at-risk youth in the city, it only reminds me of its recent criminal past, as it served to “protect” run away youth from their youth workers, social workers and other individuals that attempted to help them.  Furthermore, the exterior of the building, which is falling apart and can only be described as ugly, detracts from the revitalization and restoration efforts of the City of Edmonton and the community.

The demolition of the Cromdale Hotel is necessary for the Alberta Avenue community to be able to move forward and fully realize its potential as a vibrant and attractive area of Edmonton, and I ask that you support the demolition order already issued, and reject the appeal that will be made in March.

I will be sending similar letters to Councillor Ed Gibbons, as well as Councillors Jane Batty and Ben Henderson, as I live within Ward 4.

Thank you for all that you have already done for the city and this community, and thank you for the time and attention that you have given this letter.

Jennifer (Last Name)

check it here: http://crudedmonton.org/

I’m Sticking up For Christmas

Write a letter of protest.

I’ve been inclined to avoid this one. I don’t feel like I know enough of issues that you might write a protest letter about, for the most part. And then I have an aversion to mailing things. I think it’s subconscious. Letters can stick on my desks for months before being sent. I thank email and spontaneity for completion of this challenge.

Here’s the story.

I was driving a friend home from a show last night. We saw J. Tillman play at the Biltmore (one of my favourite venues in Vancouver). We were listening to the radio and talking about the many interesting aspects of the show. An ad for Walmart rudely interrupted my train of thought, and soon I was consumed with anger to do with how they portraying Christmas. You might have heard it? (rough paraphrase… apart from bolded)  “Do you remember when your family used to string 1000′s of cranberries on a string to decorate the Christmas tree? …. your kids don’t. It’s all about the gifts. Come to Walmart to get all the latest toys your kids will wants”.

Your kids don’t, it’s all about the Gifts. What IS that? You’re wrong, Walmart. It’s not about the gifts. It’s about HOPE, GIVING, and LIFE. The ad made me a bit sick to my stomach. Are we loosing Christmas? I really do believe that hope, giving and life are central to Christmas – and to the health of our communities.

One of the things I am enjoying about The List II is that it helping me to be conscious of things that I wouldn’t think of ordinarily. Ordinarily I would rant to my friends about my distaste for the ad, but that would be it. Instead, this challenge came to mind. What could I do? Write a letter (or email) of protest.

So I did.

Unfortunately, I copied over the copy of the email that wanted to add in this blog. Basically it said this: I heard your ad on the radio (quote above text hear) today. Christmas isn’t about getting the latest gifts. Our communities need the values that come with Christmas to be healthy. Your ad is the opposite of what needs to be encouraged in our communities. It promotes selfishness and materialism. I will not be shopping at Walmart for any of my Christmas gifts (nor do i ever really shop there, really). And I am going to be encouraging my friends not not shop there either. I am also requesting that the ad be removed from the radio, and will be taking steps to follow that through.

(Take that, Walmart).

Heather

Take THAT, Prime Minister!

It is December 1, 2009. It is 10:02 AM, China-time. I am the first who is awake to complete a challenge. I am gloating. It is true.

My chosen challenge for the day: Write a Letter of Protest.

This has actually been sitting in the back of my mind for a week or two. You see, when you live in a country without TV or radio that you care for* and/or understand, you learn to love the podcast. My recent choices have been the entirety of the Hitchhiker’sGuide to the Galaxy radio plays from BBC, Speaking of Faith with Krista Tippett, This American Life with Ira Glass, The CBC Massey Lectures with Wade Davis, The Vinyl Cafe with Stuart McLean, and Quirks & Quarks with Bob McDonald. I also have a delightful mix I called the ‘Winter Dance Party’ mix. Useful for the mornings when I can see my breath in my apartment. Anyway. I digress.

Recently I listened to an episode of Quirks & Quarks from November 21, 2009. Dr. Tim Flannery, chairman of the Copenhagen Climate Council, was discussing Canada’s climate inaction; and I learned, to my dismay, that Canada is looked upon as one of the worst countries in the world, in terms of climate action. We’re a great stumbling block to any sort of agreement. (We’re also two-faced — we signed Kyoto but did nothing, while the US refused to sign and did nothing. They come out looking pretty okay.) On As It Happens from November 27, 2009, I learned that members of the Commonwealth were meeting in Trinidad and Tobago for the Commonwealth Summit and at least one of those attending want to kick Canada out of the Commonwealth for being such a climate booby. That’s right, I said it. We are a collective booby.

So. I turned to one of my favourite Canadian organizations: The Council of Canadians. I knew that they would have a charming sample email for me to send, with a convenient link. As it turned out, when I got to their website, I couldn’t choose which letter to write. The first, naturally, was a letter regarding Copenhagen. But a second caught my eye – turning Newfoundland’s freshwater lakes into tailing ponds? HEEELLL no. Even though the Newfoundland notice is over a year old, I double-dosed this challenge. I wrote two convenient emails. I include them below.

EMAIL ONE: CLIMATE CHANGE

Subject: UN Climate Change Conference

Dear Environment Committee Members and Party leaders,

I am writing to request that you support the swift passage of the Climate Change Accountability Act (Bill C-311).

As a young person just starting my career, I am concerned that our country has not already committed to the targets this Act will establish, which are consistent with the recommendations of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Weak targets and delays are not an option given the gravity of the consequences of not acting on the climate crisis. This is a crisis that I must live with; even more so any children I might have.

This is particularly important now in the lead up to the next United Nations Climate Change Conference (Copenhagen, December 2009), which will recommit international efforts to address climate change.

Our country must play a leading role at this conference and adopting greenhouse gas emission reduction targets in line with the international community is an important first step. Our ongoing reticence as a nation to take any action at all has become embarrassingly clear. We are a nation that has the means to lead in this matter. Let us be remembered for our boldness and assertiveness, not for our unwillingness to act. Let us take great strides toward the future, rather than being pulled along by others. Our voice is an extremely important one; let us not waste it on thoughts of today, but invest it in thoughts of tomorrow.

Please ensure that you support the swift passage of the bill, moving it past the committee stage and supporting the bill when it returns to the House for a final vote.

Sincerely,
Sara Jane

EMAIL TWO: KEEP NEWFOUNDLAND PRETTY ‘N’ STUFF

Subject: Fight for fresh water!

Dear Minister Prentice,

I am writing to inform you that I oppose the turning of Sandy Pond in Newfoundland and the lakes in Nunavut into toxic dump sites for mining companies.

The proposal to designate lakes in Canada as so-called “tailing impoundment areas” represents the privatization of a precious public resource and will have devastating social and environmental consequences. It is my generation, and my children’s generation that will live with the consequences. As we deal with the impacts of climate change, mismanagement and overuse of fresh water, it is unconscionable to allow the destruction of entire bodies of freshwater for mining purposes. Please act for the future.

I demand that you protect our natural bodies of water by preventing them from being used as dumping areas for mine waste.

Sara Jane

*Some radio stations actually only play 45 seconds of a pop song, before fading out and going back to ads for the radio station which include 10 second clips of pop songs. They make me feel muddled and sad.

Welcome to The List II

6 women (see “Participants”)

3 continents (see the locations in “Participants”)

27 challenges (see “Items of The List II”)

1.5 months (December 1, 2009 – January 15, 2010)

many reasons (see “What Is The List II?”)

1 blog (bravo! you’ve found it!)

hopefully regular updates and reflections on how we’re all faring with this undertaking…