Here are just a few photos; plus some video at the end.
We had been told, due to things like having neither permit nor permission to hold this event, it would just be a "lunchtime gathering" from 12:30 - 1:30.
Of course, that doesn't count things like set-up or take down time.
Sadly, Fat Franks did, indeed, send a vendor to the event. Yes, the vendor was told that there were no permits and that this was private property. She *really* didn't seem to want to be there.
While sympathy can be had for the poor vendor who had to provide hot dogs for this event, I'm afraid I can't feel the same for Fat Franks. They knew this was an event being held against the wishes of Artspace members, without permission and without permits. They knew about the sorts of abuse Artspace members have had to endure from picketers. Yet they still provided for it. One could excuse them if they didn't know, but because they DID know, they essentially gave their approval for the abuse of Artspace members.Personally, I may have really liked Fat Franks products in the past, but after this, the thought of eating a Fat Franks hot dog is now associated with this event, and AUPE abuse, and now makes me literally feel sick to my stomach.
AUPE, by the way, has their own hot dog cart; there are photos of it being used in other events. They had no need to hire Fat Franks.
This area is not actually part of Artspace. The empty lot once had a house on it, which was torn down some years ago and has been empty since. The owner is not local, so they could get away with using the space and not have anyone who could complaint about their incursion.
They played the part, too, by declaring this area a "conversation zone." They have no interest in conversation. Their only interest is to tell us what we should be thinking, feeling and doing (like not being bothered by the fact that they invaded our neighbourhood, with public invitations to any and all to show up for freebies). We've been very clear on our position, which they simply ignore or deny (Abuser Tactics Bingo, anyone?).
We were extra clear with all our signs which, we were told, were pretty and colourful, but they might make AUPE members feel bad.
...
Let that sink in for just a moment.
Parking is a rare thing on our street, and the spaces were full, leading to illegal parks like this one.
They don't really look like they want to have a conversation.
More illegal parking. There is a disabled parking area (where the silver van, with the appropriate placard, is seen in the previous photo), then the rest is no-parking. There is a sign with an arrow pointing in that direction, and another on the curve of the lane.
Most of the action happened in front of a group of townhouse entrances, both at ground level and up the stairs pictured here. There was at least one person, just hanging out by a post near a ground level townhouse door that left when told he was on private property. Others didn't bother, and just used the stairs to sit on. When it was pointed out they were on private property, they basically ignored it.
For a Canada Day celebration, they don't look very celebratory.
While they knew full well that this was private Artspace property, it didn't stop them from using that space to pose for a photo-opp.
Not all of the people in this photo are SAIL staff. What a bizarre contradiction between the people posing for the photo on private property, and the banner right next to them, making it clear the picketers weren't welcome. It's even more disgusting when you know that, living in one of these townhouses, is a father who's son recently was in the hospital. The day he came home from the hospital, Bullhorn Guy was in full volume. The father came out to ask him to stop, saying that his son was just back from the hospital and that the noise was frightening him. Creeper's response was that he didn't care - and he kept using the bull horn. [Update: corrected details. This incident was the morning of the air raid siren.]
Oh, and this is an example of what those "kind" women are like on the picket line.
More illegal parking.
Artspace members had their own little party in front of the high rise. A camera man from City TV had come out. He interviewed several members, as well as some union people. (Video below)
While Artspace members enjoyed each other's company, the disruption from across the street did cause some distress. At one point, Creeper showed up. EPS had assured us he wouldn't be back on the picket line, but that didn't stop him from showing up for Canada Day.
At least one member, who has been targeted by Captain McCreepypants before, had to leave on learning Creepy Stalker Dude was here, so as to not trigger another PTSD event. Another member, overwhelmed by the noise and triggering behaviour, was reduced to shaking and tears and had to leave to give herself time in quiet to recover. Unfortunately, her unit faces the street, so there was no quiet to be had, even in the sanctuary of her own home.
Here, AUPE members and guests are seen hanging out on the street and partially on private property. The property lines are rather odd. The lane that goes around the side of the high rise is partly on Artspace property, partly on City land. Artspace has an agreement with the city in regards to caring for the area, which includes cleaning up around the fence the City was asked to put up, due to the high number of transients cutting through. The drop on the other side of the fence is very steep, just like in the empty lot the Fat Franks cart is set up in.
Every spring, on a date determined by the weather, Artspace members have a Spring Clean Up day, where we all go around to pick up garbage revealed by the snow melt, rake and sweep around our grounds.
It got cancelled this year, due to picketer behaviour.
At one point, a family with a young child was playing right in the curve to the side lane. This curve has very poor visibility; vehicles driving up can't much of anything until they are almost there, and there have been far too many instances of drivers speeding around there and almost hitting another vehicle, or even a child. A very dangerous place to play!
The AUPE event was supposed to be done by 1:30, but of course, they considered that a flexible sort of thing. They stayed until past 2:30, and were not completely gone until past 3:30.
Well before then, Artspace members had moved to the back of the high rise, were we had our own BBQ, and had a grand time!
After everyone had gone out back, one member returned to her unit for a moment, where she could hear their music still blaring, so she took this video.
Our entire street had to endure this, as well as the houses below, I am sure.
As for the media, there was a very brief clip played a few days later. This is it.
There are a few problems with this, besides how incredibly short it is, which means much that was said was edited out.
They also use the word "facility." We are not a "facility". We are a community.
There is also the use of the term "management." We have no management. Or, as one member put it, *all* Artspace members are management, because everything is run democratically. Every member has a say in how Artspace is run. So telling us to go to "management" is meaningless.
In truth, the people with the least power in a co-op are those serving on boards.
Update: A member asked for this section above to be clarified, so I will say it again.
Artspace has no "managerment." SAIL has no "management."
Both are run by volunteer boards. They are not management, nor managers. They are, at most, administrators.
Co-ops have very little control, and none less than the volunteers on the boards. There are huge swaths of regulations and by-laws that comes with living in a co-op. One of the membership requirements is volunteerism, which includes serving on boards and committees.
Co-ops are intentional communities, run democratically, but they still have to be run within externally imposed regulations and requirements. On applying to live in a co-op, potential members are required to be educated on what makes co-ops different, by attending a NACHA information session, because co-ops are completely different from anything else.
We are not tenants; we are members.
We are not renters; we are co-owners.
We are not a "facility," nor any other permutation of an institution.
We are private homes.
Artspace happens to be made up of a high rise and a townhouse row. Some co-ops are made up of single dwelling homes, or any other configuration of housing.
It's not the style of housing that makes a co-op. It's the community.
SAIL and in-house companies like it are seperate entities. Most members have nothing to do with it, and even fewer have any connection to the administration of it. The SAIL board has even less power than the co-op's board. It's funded entirely by AHS, and it is AHS that tells us how much money is qualified for, what is supposed to be done with it, and how many hours of care individuals qualify for. The important thing about having an in-house care company is that they hire the care staff. This allows user members to control who comes into their homes, rather than this being decided by an external company or AHS.
So for AUPE to suggest that members should direct their anger at "management," they are being misleading; deliberatrely, since they know full well we have no management. The only members who have any influence on SAIL are the user members, and the board, and they have no say at all when it comes to funding provided by AHS. By telling members to direct our anger at AUPE behaviour at management is them telling us to direct our anger at our friends and neighbours, whom they have been abusing and harassing for weeks.
The AUPE rep played her part well, trying to portray themselves as victims, and trying to play Artspace members against our board. It presumes a significant level of ignorance from our members, at the very least, but does more to mislead the public into believing that the board is acting against what members want. It also assumed we have any choice when it comes to meeting their demands. We don't, and they know it.
Claiming that all they want is negotiation is pretty dishonest, considering the last time they came to the table, they rejected SAIL's offer, then used the event to cancel picket protocols, allowing them to return to a higher level of abusive behaviour.. They know SAIL doesn't have the money. They are the ones unwilling to compromise.
As for the "hate" that's directed towards them, that she says should be directed against the SAIL board, let's take a look at what she is actually asking us to do:
The SAIL board is made up of volunteer members, who are our friends and neighbours; who have been open with us and have done everything they could to avoid this strike.
AUPE has treated SAIL and Artspace with contempt and dismissive-ness from the start, while their picketers have been engaged in abusive and traumatising behaviour, for almost 2 months.
Yet this AUPE rep seems to think we should be angry as the SAIL board, not at them.
Shall we play another round of Abuser Tactics Bingo?
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