KKt2 TH RAID ON 339 RAILWAY ST. “7:15 p.m. On September 19, 1986, the Fire Department, accompanied by five police officers, went to the building in order to evacuate the premises and board up the upper floor. Prior to boarding up the premises a search had to be made of each suite to ensure no one was locked inside. If there was no answer to knocking, entry was obtained by kicking the doors at the locking device. Fire axes were not used to “smash and axe” down doors as alleged....... an axe was used as a lever to pry off a lock on one occasion. On another occasion, the flat board part of an axe was hit on a door knob in order to force the door open. At no time was the axe used as a chopping instrument at 339 Railway Street. Eight doors were forced open and there was only one person found in the upper floor...” (quotes from the building manager, dated September 19, 1986.) AV “By this time at least three fire officials and two police officers forced their way into my studio. I told them they would have to produce a search warrant before I would allow them in. However all questions concerning the legality of their actions were brushed aside. No documents whatsoever + were shown to me to validate their actions. Seeing that they would not listen, nor follow normal protocol, I began in a hurried fashion to pack some of my expensive equipment and tools that I need for work, noticing at the same time that the police were attempting to see if there was any stolen property or illicit material.” (Oliver Hockenhull, tenant, in a statement to City Council, October 15, 1986.) AV “Police officers took photographs of the premises, in order to aid in the prosecution of the owner of the building. The owner arrived on the premises and was informed that the upper floors would be vacated and boarded up. City crews arrived at 10 p.m. to commence boarding up the building. The ground floor and basement were allowed to remain open for commercial Se TUT eee PRICE © use only, in accordance with the Fire Commissioner’s order.” (quotes from the Fire Commissioner’s Report to City Council on October 15,1986.) av “7:45 p.m. Charles Mattson calls to inform me that the police and Fire Department are kicking in doors and will be boarding up the entire building. 8:00 I arrive to find several police officers sitting in my office. I introduce myself and ask who’s in charge. I’m informed that under the Fire Commissioners Act they are allowed to kick in the premises doors and close off the entire building. I return to my building to . Survey the damage. All the doors have been damaged due to being forced open and all - doors have been marked numerically.” (statement from the building manager, Gord Grandison, dated September 19, 1986.) Emergencies 25. (1) If an emergency arising from a fire hazard or from risk of explosion causes the Fire Department to be apprehensive of imminent or serious danger to life or property, or of a panic, he may immediately take the steps he thinks advisable to relieve the hazard or risk. He may evacuate a building or area, and may call upon the police and fire prevention authorities having jurisdiction to assist him. (Fire Services Act, Section 25) AV The Fire Commissioner rarely issues an evacuation order pursuant to section 25 of the Fire Services Act. A section 25 order has never before been issued in the city of Vancouver. The fact that the order was issued indicates the seriousness of the situation. (Fire Commissioner’s Report to City Council on October 15, 1986.) AV “The company applied for a development permit and a building permit, both of which were granted. There was a rather long and arduous effort in“getting these permits, including lost plans, contradictory interpretations, and a generally negative environment and little co-operation. A major hostile action was initiated by the city when it roused the tenants and posted an “unsafe to occupy” notice, followed by many visits by the Fire Department. Most of the objections in the “unsafe to occupy” notice were attended to, but our efforts to get an inspection failed. There has been no communication or correspondance — absolutely none — with regards to unapproved use of the building since the posting of the notice. This lack of cooperation ultimately resulted in the recent attempt to evacuate the building using fire department emergency codes as an excuse. I would like to give full credit to the fire officer in charge the night of the raid for using good judgement with respect to evacuation of only the second floor. Without his prescence of mind many innocent tenants and ourselves would have had unnecessary and severe economic hardship.” (Dated October 15,1986. Statement by Gord Grandison, building manager. Addressed to: the mayor and members of council, the department of permits and licenses, and the Vancouver City Fire Department.) AV My studio was and is very important to me. It is a clean, safe, perfect place for my work in photography and film; it is also a place that lets me get away from the feeling of alienated consumerism that is so prevalent in our society... (Oliver Hockenhull, tenant, in a statement for City Council on October 15,1986.) AV Nineteen percent of the total available office space (20,471,039 sq.ft.) was unrented in Vancouver , October 1986. (City Hall Planning Department) Some of the sointe Wale by the delegation were: that conflicting information was recieved from various city inspectors, e.g. some WOMEN PAY/|# Sexual politics. Look around the Art School. Most of the students are female. Faculty? Well the faculty is mostly male. This sexual inversion exists in theatre and music too. Male boards of directors hire male producers who work with male artistic directors who partner with male playwrights. It’s all who your friends are, right? Women are rarely visible in the power structure. What happened to life-after-art-school. The roots are complex — social, historical, political and economic. Me, I was trained in classical percussion. My teachers left me with two big lessons: first, “don’t move while playing” and second, “remember, you women are still being punished for eating the apple in the Garden of Eden”. Brought up to be an obedient young woman I internalized these concepts. It took years to realize that these ideas denied my musical sensuality and inhibited my innate sense of joy, intrinsically linked to being woman. Now out in the world, I’m working in a heterosexual environment. But I wonder how mixed it really is. For example, the World Drum Festival at Expo this wy WN 7a \ | Mt | Margaret Bootsma aT summer threw me for a loop. Yes it was great music performed with wild exuberance. But the male/female ratio was about 125/2. There were a couple of female go-go dancers on stage and all the musicians were male. An accurate reflection of the male-dominated world culture and one that dismayed me. Women have been excluded from mainstream culture since the onset of patriarchy, about the past five thousand years. Now, some think times are changing. Men and women are sharing roles, as women move into the workforce and men return to the home. Spirituality groups are springing up all over and both sexes are rediscovering the power within, and our connection to the earth/goddess. Learning to love ourselves we learn to love each other — and perhaps we finally share in the process of creation. The race has lived through matriarchy and patriarchy. Now we are witnessing the decay of an archaic culture in a time of social evolution. In 1986 the global beat was male. But hey! — I hear there’s a thirty-piece all - women drum band in Senegal, and they’re hot! Leslie Fiddler a Leslie Fiddler is a producer with the Public Dream Society. For fun she plays music and juggles. . Him THE PRICE OF B RAID ON 339 RAILWAY ST. “7:15 p.m. On September 19, 1986, the Fire Department, accompanied by five poli officers, went to the building in order 10 evacuate the premises and board up the ‘upper floor. Prior to boarding up the premises ‘asearch had to be made of each suite to ensure no one was locked inside. IF there ‘was no answer to knocking, ‘obtained by kicking the doors tthe locking device, Fire axes were not used to “smash, and axe" down doors as all an axe ‘was used as a lever to pry off a lock on one ‘occasion. On another occasion, the flat ‘board part of an axe was hit on a door knob in order to force the door open. At no time Was the axe used as a chopping instrument at 339 Railway Street. Eight doors were forced ‘open and there was only one person found in the upper floor. (quotes from the building manager, dated September 19, 1986.) ay “By this time atleast three fire officials ‘and two police offices forced their way into ‘my studio. [told them they would have t0 produce a search warrant before I woild allow them in, However all questions ning the legality oftheir actions were brushed aside. No documents whatsoever were shown to me to validate thei actions, Seeing that they would not listen, nor follow normal protocol, I began in a hurried fashion to pack some of my expensive equipment and tools that I need for work, noticing atthe same time thatthe police ‘were attempting to see if there was any stolen property o illicit material (Oliver Hockenhull, tenant, in a statement to City Couneil, October 15, 1986.) ay Police officers took photographs of the premises, in order to aid in the prosecution of the owner of the building, The owner arrived on the premises ‘was informed that the upper floors would be vacated and boarded up. City crews arrived at 10 p.m. to commence boarding up the building. The ground floor and basement ‘were allowed to remain open for commercial use only in accordance with the Fire Commissioner's order.” (quotes from the Fire Commissioner's Report to City Council on October 15,1986.) ee “7:45 p.m. Charles Mattson cals to inform me that the police and Fire Department are kicking in doors and will be boarding up the entire building, '8:00 [arrive to find several police officers sitting in my office. Tintroduce myself and ask who's in charge. I'm informed that under the Fire Commissioners Act they are allowed tokkick in the premises doors and close off the entire building. I return to my building to survey the damage. All the doors have been. cing forced open and all doors have been marked numerically (statement from the building manager, Gord Grandison, dated September 19, 1986.) ay 5. (1) If an emergency arising from a fire hazard or from risk of explosion causes the Fire Department to be apprehensive of ous danger to life oF property, or of a panic, he may immediately take the steps he thinks advisable to relieve the hazard or risk. He may evacuate a building or area, and may call upon the police and fire prevention authorities having jurisdiction to assist him. (Fire Services Act, Section 25) ‘The Fire Commissioner rarely issues an uation order pursuant to section 25 of the Fire Services Act. A section 25 order has never before been issued in the city of ‘Vancouver. The fact that the order was issued dicates the seriousness of the situation, (Fire Commissioner's Report to ‘Council on October 15, 1986.) ay The company applied for a development permit and a building permit, both of which were granted. Thi arduous effort i as a rather long and getting these permits, including lost plans, contradictory interpretations, and a generally negative nvironment and little co-operation. A major hostile action was initiated by the ity when it roused the tenants and posted an safe to occupy” notice, followed by many visits by the Fite Department. Most of the objections in the “unsafe to occupy” notice were attended to, but our efforts to get an inspection failed. There has been no ‘communication or correspond absolutely none — with regards to "unapproved use ofthe building since the posting of the notice, ‘This lack of cooperation ultimately resulted in the recent attempt to evacuate the | building using fire department emergency ccades as an excuse. I would like to give full credit to the fire officer in charge the night ofthe raid for using good judgement with respect to evacuation of only the second floor. Without his prescence of mind many ;nocent tenants and ourselves would have had unnecessary and severe economic | hardship. (Dated October 15,1986. Statement by Gord Grandison, building manager. Addressed to: the mayor and members of the department of permits and licenses, and the Vancouver City Fire Department.) ay My studio was and is very important to me. Itisaclean, safe, perfect place for my ‘work in photography and film; itis also a place that lets me get away from the feeling of alienated consumerism that is so prevalent (Oliver Hockenbull, tenant, ina statement for City Council on October 15,1986.) ay Nineteen percent of the otal available office space (20,471,039 sq.ft.) was unrented, in Vancouver, October 1986, (City Hall Pl Department) av Some of the poinis made by the delegation that conflicting information was recieved from various city inspectors, e.g. some WOMEN PAY ‘Sexual politics. Look around the Art School. Most of the students are female. Faculty? Well the faculty is mostly male. This sexual inversion exists in theatre and music 100. Male boards of directors hire male producers who work with male artistic directors who partner with male playwrights. Its all who your friends are, right? Women are rarely visible in the power structure ‘What happened to life-after-art-school, The roots are complex — social, historical political and economic. Me, I was trained in classical percussion, My teachers left me with two big lessons: jon't move while playing” and second, | “remember, you women are still being punished for eating the apple in the Garden ‘of Eden”. Brought up to be an obedient young woman I internalized these concepts. It took years to realize that these ideas denied| ‘my musical sensuality and inhibited my innate sense of joy, intrinsically linked to being woman, Now out in the world, I'm working in a heterosexual environment. But I wonder how mixed it really is. For example, the World Drum Festival at Expo this past summer threw me for a loop. Yes it was ‘great music performed with wild exuberance. But the male/female ratio was about 125/2. ‘There were a couple of female go-go dancers, ‘n stage and all the musicians were male. ‘An accurate reflection of the male-dominated ‘world culture and one that dismayed me: ‘Women have been excluded from ‘mainstream culture since the onset of. patriarchy, about the past five thousand ‘years. Now, some think times are changing. Men and women are sharing roles, as women move into the workforce and men return 10 the home. Spirituality groups are springing up all over and both sexes are rediscovering the power within, and our connection to the earth goddess. Learning to love ourselves. we learn o love each other — and perhaps we finaly share in the process of ereation. ‘The race has lived through matriarchy and patriarchy. Now we are witnessing the decay fof an archaic culture ina time of social ‘evolution. In 1986 the global beat was male. But hey! —I hear there's a thirty-piece all women drum band in Senegal, and they're hot! Leslie Fiddler m Leslie Fiddler is a producer with the Public Dream Society. For fun she plays music and Jiugales.