— GR eS oe Montreal civic voters go to the polls on November 14 and like people in other Quebec centres and in Communities across the country where municipal elections are being held this fall, they have a number Of priorities in mind. This article offers a brief look at One of those —. housing. By CLAIRE DURAND Barely 45 to 50% of Montrealers vore regularly in Municipal elections, although since 1970 the stipulation that they must be property owners has been removed. What is most disturbing is the disaffection of youth at Voting time. The lowest rate of participation is found among 18-25 year-olds. Only persons living in Montreal for a year however lave a right to vote municipally. This is.a ridiculous Situation because it is difficult to prove a citizen’s length Of residence. Are people required at the provincial level tohave lived in Quebec at least a year in order to have the Tight to vote? No this does not apply provincially or ‘federally. weet, municipal elections are significant because the authorities at this level have the ways to intervene and even sometimes completely control such important areas as housing, leisure, taxation, economic develop- ment, transportation. In the area of housing, you would have found, if you had recently looked for housing, that the situation is disastrous. The emphasis by the present administration on bringing back to Montreal alleged “‘middle” income families, has resulted in all the available money being devoted to the operation of 10,000 housing units. Beauti- ful parks have been destroyed (Wilderton, Ile Rochon, the St. Sulpice estate, etc.) and have been turned into private preserves for the fortunate tenants. Expulsion of Families The number of low-income families and senior citizens waiting for moderate rental units. from the Municipal Housing office has increased from 8,000 to 15,000 in the space of four years. The complete picture, the plans to “‘improve’’ com- mercial arteries and ‘‘revitalize’’ wards, has meant the expulsion of low-income families from residential areas, | Housing disaster faces Montreal voters cheap family housing being taken over and renovated by the said middle-income families ($30,000 to $50,000 a | year) such as on St. Denis St. One has only to see the real estate agents surveying the St. Louis and Plateau regions in search of slums to | renovate, re-rent or re-sell in joint ownership at very high | prices (some housing units increased from $150 to $600 a month over the space of a year) to grasp the situation. To this is added the problem of unregulated rental § agencies to which a minimum of $50 has to be paid nowin |} order to have access to lists of units supposedly forrent. | Given this situation, planning policies are needed which allow people living in such areas to stay; and such policies are needed as soon as possible, while there is still | time. A genuine housing policy is needed, aimed at pro- | viding the people with housing at affordable prices. A revision of taxation is needed which places the § burden on those who are profiting from the situation | while relieving pressure on small property owners. Senior citizens should be able to remain owners ofthe | house they lived in most of their lives. ae 'presentative of its people. Lebanon massacre condemned 1 Young woman marches outside the Israeli consulate in Toronto in protest Against the massacre of 1,500 Palestinian refugees in two camps in West Beirut. _ he over 1,000 demonstrators called for sanctions against Israel, the establish- Ment of an independent Palestinian state and recognition of the PLO as the sole — CRE questionnaire probes racial biases TORONTO — The Committee for Racial Equality is putting municipal candidates on the spot before the Nov. 8 vote. In a detailed questionnaire can- . didates for metro’s five city coun- cils and school boards are being asked what their attitudes to- Wards racism are in concrete terms. Questions to Aldermanic can- didates ask whether they would €nsure city hall contracts are only 8iven to equal opportunity employers; if they would support the establishment of an indepen- dent citizens’ review board to police commission more rep- resentative of the community and if they would ban any dealings city hall has with South Africa. School board hopefuls. are asked if they would fight for a ra- cism free curriculum in the school system; ban the distribution of rascist literature on school prop- erty; oppose cuts to programs aimed at aiding immigrant chil- dren and if they would support affirmative action programs for ~ members of visible minorities employed by the board. CRE is expecting to release the findings of its survey in mid- October. deal with complaints against the Police; if they would fight for a a TRIBUNE PHOTO — TOM MORRIS also call for the incoming City Council to join in demands across the country for a cut in Canada’s $7-billion arms budget, which Regina. This is even more nec- housing: and expanded social essary now, he said, when the To- programs. ries have already begun to attack e oppose wage guidelines on civic governments. civic employees. harEGINA — Kimball Cariou & €ntered the race for alderman & Division 6 in Regina’s Oct. 27 | Me election. Division 6, which ~ clude mier Devine has announced e special programs on housing, would free billions of dollars for - the city eae ee ee aarte expects municipalities to jobs, health and education to job creation, social services, and | Sentre, is notable for its extremes adhere to his ‘“‘one per cent below reverse the historic discrimi- other necessary programs. got Wealth and poverty. Under inflation’’ guidelines or face pos- nation against Native people, An issue which has received in- / Previous city councils and pro- ‘sible funding cuts. Regina has al- who make up nearly 20% of creasing attention here is the alle- hacia governments the accent ready been told $300,000 will be Regina’s population. gations of police dog bitings. Cariou has spoken out against cut from its health grant this year, e establish an independent using the dogs to attack suspects, bee . aes 5 nm on gleaming high-rise and $580,000 from its transit committee to review charges | Towers and the Cornwall Centre Shoppin : - nt of police brutality. and is active in helping to build a trasted Deh ae hing er Cariou’s platform will include e improve bus service and wide campaign on the issue. | any small businesses in the the following: lower fares. Many Native groups and leaders . Lowntown and with some of the e shift the tax burden from e increase the number of child- have said recently that their Yorst housing and living condi- homeowners and tenants to care spaces, and provide free people are often the victims of tions in the cit the developers, banks, large hot lunches and milk for brutal police methods, but alder- “ Sly: school children. men on the Police Commission stores, and other big business. un ili i “lundreds of families and . semove the cost of education e act to alleviate the terrible on Fart eos one have not been anxious to resolve ‘. Mor citizens in Division 6 live in ‘re ean Wie Si Me of the worst housing’, said dag On announcing his candi- Y. He pointed to the need for a City Council that will rally work- NS pe Ople to win a new deal for tional grants from senior levels of eens: : e support full employmen through: a water pipeline: more low-cost, quality ma’s peace movement since he came to the city, and will make an appeal for a big “‘yes’’ vote for disarmament on the upcoming re- ferendum on the issue. He will politics through the seventies in Edmonton, and says he ‘‘wel- comes this election campaign as a chance to present a fundamental alternative to working people, : i sho merge hel- the issue. al slums. t from the property tax to the rtage of emergency s DE: KIMBALL CARIOU _ Parts of 339 toa eienes provincial government. ter space for single women _—Cariou is the Saskatchewan or- «ly, : : th and social and mothers. ganizer of the Communist Party. those on fixed incomes, and | 1» especially among Native e fund transit, heal : et : : : ar i 4 People, who also are forced into programs through uncondi- Cariou has been active in Regi- He was involved in municipal others affected by the greed of big business and developer interests which dominate Regina’’. Those interested in helping his campaign can reach him at 522-1260 or 569- 8538. PACIFIC TRIBUNE—OCTOBER 1, 1982—Page 7