I like reading stories in StreetViews, because I like the no-nonsense approach to talking about issues. No hidden agendas for the sake of secondary advertising gimmicks - it is a refreshing change from the news I'm used to listening to. Basic problems being discussed, in a blunt but truthful way, has a calming effect which makes things sink in better. Anger and outrage shouldn't be the trigger for action and change in my opinion. I would like more topics to be brought up so I can learn more and compare the different sides people take on things. Besides the subjects already written about, I would like to see more on cost of living and lifestyles. I particularly liked last month's article on Ten Great Leisure Ideas and A Look at SRO Hotel Rooms in Saskatoon.

I find the mainstream media has a trend toward slanted reporting, a common tactic to sway public opinion. Though this works for the person or interest groups they are promoting, it doesn't resolve issues. For a real problem to be solved one must do things in an honest way. Then, hopefully, the problem can be solved. Otherwise problems only get mixed in with politics. Discussion will lead to more people being motivated to take interest and participate in finding ways to make things better for themselves and others. StreetViews seems to be a way for this to happen. I'm not saying there's anything wrong with outrage on an issue, it's just that most issues have been around for so long that people have developed state thinking patterns while others with less than honorable motives let the unresolved issues be a benefit for them. This is the dark side of politics, and a big part of the problem. This needs to be a place where things are discussed open and honestly. Change is a good thing. Those less apt to change are the ones who have an investment in the problem. Everyone is guilty of this at one level or another.

Janet Rethemeyer

Bethany Home moved to its current location in January 1945. Bethany Home provides emergency room and board to both pre and post natal female youth in crisis. Funding for services at Bethany Home comes from government contracts, Red Shield allocations and private donations. Well qualified staff provide a crucial role in cultivation of a safe, stable environment for residents and act as role models and mentors for the young adults.

Residents range in age from 11 to 18. Each has her own private room that she can decorate as she sees fit. Residents share a TV lounge, laundry/dryer, bath rooms and dining hall.

Bethany Home is staffed 24/7. Upon admission, client needs are assessed after they get the proper referrals from Social Services or from other agencies that work with Bethany Home. The staff networks with other community services in Saskatoon. Residents are active in decision making that influence their lives. This includes participating in school programs, using the Inter-Net as a tool to gather information, FAS, learning to handle parental conflicts and dealing with maternity/mental health issues. Bethany Home staff do make observations and recommendations - both good and bad - to social workers on how residents are developing their parental skills.

There isn't a limit on how long one can stay at Bethany Home just as long as proper funding is in place. 126 young women passed through the doors of Bethany Home in 2002. Since 1942 that number has been placed in the thousands.

Bethany Home has its share of success stories. One 18 year old stayed at Bethany Home with her 2 small children for 10 months. The mother is currently enrolled in college, taking courses in rehabilitation works and still takes good care of her children. Others have left Bethany Home to establish a career. Yet they have found some time to come back to serve in some capacity at Bethany Home or just to say "Thank You" for the help they have recieved.

In the future, staff at Bethany Home wants to maintain the healthy environment, already in place, to assist young mothers. They also hope to expand programs to assist individuals and increase partnership with community programs.

Dumpster Diving is the term used to describe reclaiming and reusing material that have been thrown away by individuals, corporations or societies because of either outright laziness or greed driven destruction of edible, reusable or recyclable goods.

Dumpster diving reduces the amount of material going into our landfills and waterways, saves sizable amounts of money and reduces the needless waste of energy and resources. People need to get over social stigmas against pulling "trash out of a dumpster and start to feel shame over throwing valuable goods away." People mistakenly believe the product has somehow become contaminated because it was sitting inside an untouchable steel bin destined only for the landfill where it would become truly inaccessible for most people and likely never be used again.

If you ever decide to "take the plunge" as it's sometimes called, start by checking around retail furniture chain stores, electronic stores, clothing stores or behind apartments and houses when people move out. You will likely never spend money on furniture again.

You may also find televisions, bicycles, clock radios, VCRs, CD players, couches, clothing of all kinds, chairs, more televisions (some might be kicking the addiction), keyboards, bags of aluminum cans that could be recycled for cash, paintings, raw lumber, vacuum cleaners, power tools and electric mowers that just need a loose wire fixed. You well never need to buy paper again if you check a few office supply store dumpsters. This list goes on indefinitely. Just check around when the university year is over. Many students here are so extraordinarly wasteful it shames me to be one of them. It is as if the products of a small town are thrown out when they move on.

Now for what some call the really radical part, you can dramatically cut back on your food bill if you start checking dumpsters behind grocery stores, bakeries, bagel shops and big box grocery stores that don't have garbage compactors. Compactors turn inorganic material and food into convenient cubes to take up less space in landfills. Every day, boxes and boxes of fruit and vegetables are thrown out just because one of them has some kind of imperfection, a spot of mold or a bruise and therefore consumers won't buy them. It happens with bags of fruit all the time. Based on my experience, if one of 20 apples has a bruise, out goes the entire bag. I suspect this is often due to employee laziness, apathy and store policy. In terms of store policy, some donate but many don't.

Our societies waste borders on criminality when one considers that there are so many malnourished people. Yes, some goods are placed on clearance racks but so much is thrown out that I haven't had to pay for fruit, vegetables or bread in a long time. I know others that have cut back their expenditures in this way. If you are persistent enough, you can get all the trail mix and organic soy products - such as tofu and soy milk - you need.

Indeed, it is possible to live entirely off other people's waste. Our society occasionally is so wasteful that it leaves entire buildings vacant while many live on the streets. some underprivileged or simply conscientious people intentionally inhabit these vacant buildings.

There are a number of reasons why people dumpster dive. Some might be trapped on the undercurrents of society and are doing so for survival. Others are taking a stand against the cancerous growth of consumerism. Some want to save substantial amounts of money or may love the treasure hunt feel of it. Others are disgusted by what the human species is doing to the Earth and all of its inhabitants. Finally, there are those who act for a combination of these factors.

We need to overcome the cultural ethic that, "It is okay to throw things away," and " it's always best to buy things new." I view the senseless waste as a form of mass insanity that continues to plunder the earth as a means for economic profit. This way of life cannot be sustained indefinitely.

I usually encounter the following objections when talking about dumpstering:

• 1. "If everyone starts playing poverty and leeching off the system like you do, no one will be able to dumpster dive."

  That is exactly what I want. If dumpster diving is done on a mass scale people will become more garbage conscious. Dumpsters should be checked regularly so people will become ashamed of throwing valuable goods away and will stop looking down on people who dumpster dive.

• 2. "If more people from privileged backgrounds like you start doing this, you will be denying the materials to the people who really need them."

  Maybe you should look in some dumpsters. If you saw how much excess there is, you wouldn't be saying this. Besides, people deserve more than simply the waste we leave behind.

  This may sound like the rant of a pessimistic granola crunching tree hugger but I really am an optimistic granola crunching tree hugger. I believe in the power of human reason, compassion and our innate desire for freedom and creativity. Once the critical mass of public opinion moves, the window to a better world will open.

Daniel saves a few bucks and helps the environment while doing his dumpster diving. He is also a student at the University of Saskatchewan and is a volunteer writer for The Sheaf, the universities campus newspaper.

Schizophrenia is a chemical imbalance in the brain. The person affected by it may have delusions, hallucinations, hear voices, depression, apathy, paranoia, thought confusion and anxiety. People with schizophrenia often feel isolated, lonely and some have lost contact with friends and family. Education helps relatives and friends learn more about schizophrenia, as a support system is very important for all concerned. About 1% of the Canadian population has schizophrenia and about 2000 people with schizophrenia live in Saskatoon. In the majority of cases, schizophrenia occurs in the 16 to 30 year group.

It's estimated that 10 to 15% of those with schizophrenia commit suicide as they can't see a future that holds anything for them. The stigma associated with schizophrenia is being dealt with in a big way via small groups. Through Program Partnership, teams of 20 people in Saskatoon make speeches at schools, church groups, hospitals and in similar venues to educate people on what schizophrenia is.

There is a number of ways to treat schizophrenia. While stress and alcohol/drug abuse can cause a psychotic episode, medication is the cornerstone of good management of the disease. Various medications can help stabilize a person so they can deal with anxiety. Oral therapy - talking with someone, proper eating habits, having structure in one's life and building up self esteem is very important to the person with schizophrenia as stepping stones to a stable lifestyle.

Previous to the 1970's, a lot of money was spent on mental health in Saskatchewan. A number of institutions were closed down after this time across the province. The government didn't follow up on what the effects of these closure would be. Nor did they keep any of their promises in regards to easing the transition period for patients entering the community.

It's known that Saskatoon is lacking in approved apartment facilities for people with schizophrenia. To alleviate this, it's felt that people with schizophrenia can and need to live in an apartment of their own, yet have an office in the complex that a resident can go to and deal with any problems with a mental health worker.

There is support for people with schizophrenia in Saskatoon such as the Canadian Mental Health Association, McKerracher Centre, Crisis Intervention and Crocus Co-op.

Back in February 2003, StreetViews Canada celebrated its first year of existence. With the help of Virginia Sellner,(**see notation below) StreetViews Canada was created to have a diverse range of opinions on poverty issues. So far we've had a wide range of people, from established journalists to novice writers, who have contributed articles. Virginia and I thank those who have helped us out so far by stepping up to the plate and sending us articles. Both of us continue to hope to hear from more people from around Western Canada. As when we started, the mandate of StreetViews Canada is to provide a soapbox for people to speak out on poverty issues and how it affects them and to give an honest opinion without fear of censure or having to be politically correct.

The groundwork was started in late 2000 when I started contributing columns to the Wyoming Coalition for the Homeless Wyoming Winds Newsletter. Feedback from Saskatoon residents was very positive, we started to collect street stories from both Saskatoon and Western Canada. As Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver have their own street newspapers, we will respect their territories so we will be looking for the Swift Currents, Medicine Hats and Prince Ruperts on how poverty affects the smaller centres.

But it need not be all gloom and doom as continual pessimism affects the soul in a negative manner. Poverty has its positive moments, even comical, as the need to laugh and smile is in everyone. The up-side is that people do get things going in their lives and poverty need not be something that ties people down.

Where will StreetViews Canada be in the future? Only time will tell but I feel it's a bright one. I've gotten some excellent feedback from readers, some which have passed knowledge of our website on to others. Their help and good words is much appreciated.

StreetViews Canada, like other street newspapers, can act like a buffet table offering a choice and variety of stories and opinions. We will be there walking the razors edge in the telling of tales and tell it like it is. We, at StreetViews Canada, want to be part of the solution, not part of the problem. To paraphrase from a song by the Grateful Dead, lets hope it's a long and strange trip.

Recently Louise Gosselin, age 43, asked the Supreme Court of Canada to grant unconditional welfare to the poor. Gosselin had worked a variety of jobs over the years but the working world wore her out so much she quit every job she had. It remains, of this writing, what decision the Supreme Court will come to.

No matter at what age a person is, a hand up in life is more important than a hand out. A Chinese proverb says; "Give a person a fish you feed them for a day. Teach them how to fish and they feed themselves for a lifetime."

It's wise to raise welfare rates to decent levels but able bodied welfare clients can't expect to freeload off taxpayers without making serious efforts to better themselves. Incentives such as a few extra dollars for volunteering one's time or offer courses such as Industrial First Aid or Web Designing. This would help a person in developing marketable skills for the job market.

Yet, is being poor defined by the amount of commodities consumed? Socialism and Capitalism have been at odds for years on how to deal with poverty issues. Though the "solution" to poverty, I believe, lies in the combination of both above isms, it looks as if either side is too caught up in their private agendas to accomplish anything concrete. In other words, they're looking at the small picture not the big one and people are reduced to being numbers or statistics.

I have to wonder what social engineers have planned to cure the "illness" of poverty. Or will their speech be more of the same old same old. Language had been twisted so that the original meaning is lost. It's as if someone has been studying up on Newspeak from Orwell's "1984". Poor has been replaced as a term by "needy", it's definition is "unable to consume goods."

Yet welfare, to some, is a privilege, to be used as a safety net on a short term basis. Welfare was never meant to be used as a sole means of income for a long term basis. Only 4 or 5% of the population with a major disability need welfare, others can use the system to improve their life situation via school upgrading or job retraining.

Recently a federal law in Canada was passed that had all businesses forced to cover cigarettes sold on their premises. Billboard ads declared Saskatchewan was on the path to be smoke free.

Graphic pictures on cigarette packages showed what physical effects smoking has on the body. While not many of us will dispute the ill effects of smoking, does it give Big Nanny the right to make decisions for citizens?

Though I'm a lifetime non-smoker I do wonder how in good conscience bureaucrats continue to interfere in peoples lives by legislating what is good or bad for them. People will only quit smoking because of a honest desire to do so not because they are forced to do so as a result of duty or obligation.

I can't see how hiding cigarettes behind a towel or in a cabinet will deter the under 18 crowd from smoking. It's not as if minors don't know or forget cigarettes will exist. The do-gooders sound like Chicken Little of "the sky is falling" fame when they say minors won't buy cigarettes if they can't see them. Maybe it's time for the do-gooders to take a deep breath, relax and lighten up instead of continually trying to save people from themselves.

To legislate people's habits and behaviour patterns is to replace friendship, support and trust with power, coercion and domination. In this atmosphere people are bound to feel resignation and resentment.

One resturant I frequent said the law to cover up cigarettes was "stupid". Another Saskatoon business had a sign that read: " New law. No one under 18 allowed in store."

Some beg to differ. One smoker I know said the new anti-smoking laws is a good thing. He reckons the laws will get people to take a good hard look at what he called "a filthy habit". Another smoker said during summer it would be okay to smoke outside but during winter it's touch and go with the weather. He suggested inside smoking rooms with fans and odour eaters as a solution.

Many agree that nicotine is harder to quit than heroin. Others ask if it is worth spending tax money on this crusade when tax money could go for more important things.

How much of anti-smoking laws are to cover one's arse over lawsuits, one can only speculate. How much of it is lies and misinformation remains to be seen.

Others feel it is a social experiment pitting the strong against the weak

This evening June 4, 2003 a group of people from Grassy Narrows First Nation are blocking a second logging route off highway 671 called Segise Road and Stewart Lake Road.

The logging has been at Grassy Narrows Traditional Territory since 1952. The people of this community has had a blockade in place at Slant lake since December 3, 2002 and has been successful in averting logging trucks away from that area. The logging has continued through the winter with the community people and supporters using roving blockades with one permanent blockade in place at Slant Lake. The roving blockades stalled some logs from making it to the Abitibi Paper Mill in Kenora, Ontario, but the logs eventually made it there.

The emotions are high amongst the people setting up this new blockade site and have many women, youth, men & one elder standing their ground against the logging trucks. They will not allow anymore logging in their traditional territory.

For more information contact:
Matt Shaff
Christian Peacemaker Team and
a Grassy Narrows Community Member
613-988-6928 New Blockade Site

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• StreetViews is published by the Wyoming Coalition for the Homeless, 907 Logan Avenue, Cheyenne, WY 82001-5247. phone: 307-634-8499; fax: 307-634-9089.
• email: wch@vcn.com
• Editors for this edition of StreetViews are Ron Murdock, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan; Virginia Sellner, and Bess Arnold, Cheyenne, WY
  
• Views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of the Wyoming Coalition for the Homeless, its staff or board.
• Copyrights revert back to the author upon publication.
• WCH is a 501(c)(3) all volunteer non-profit agency depending upon the community for funding. © 2003.

• **In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107, this material is distributed without charge or profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving this type of information for non-profit research and educational purposes only.**

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