CANADA Co-operation, peace urged at USSR event The themes were peace and inter- national co-operation on scientific, trade and cultural matters as Expo 86 officials, representatives of the federal and B.C. governments and the Soviet minister of communications jointly marked national day for the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics May 14. Soviet Communications Minister Vas- ily Shamshin told an audience at Expo’s Plaza of Nations that peace is the “chief aim” of Soviet foreign policy, during a public stop of his day-long tour of the world exposition. USSR National Day, the first of several scheduled days honoring Expo’s partici- pating nations, was marred only briefly by an American citizen who attempted to shout the minister down during the ceremonies. He was led off by Vancouver police and Expo security, and Shamshin - later dismissed the incident. Under sunny skies that miraculously interrupted the recent weeks of rain, Expo commissioner Patrick Reid told Sham- shin, “Your presence, minister, does us honor. “Both of our countries are vast in area, with several time zones. Both have exten- sive resources and both have been deve- loped by the hard work of their people,” he said. Federal Justice Minister John Crosbie noted Canada’s relations with the USSR go back to 1918 when the Canadian trade mission was opened in Vladivostok. Crosbie acknowledged the USSR as Canada’s fourth largest trading partner and its chief customer for grain and said the country shared with Canada “a range of scientific and technical information to the mutual benefit of both our countries.” The Soviet minister struck a peace note, observing that the recent 27th congress of the Communist Party of the USSR set as its objective the elimination of all nuclear weapons by the year 2000. “The Soviet exposition at Expo 86 will undoubtedly help visitors get a better sense of how the Soviet people want to preserve peace, of their peaceful nature, (and) of their dedication to humanistic. goals,” he said. Shamshin’s tour included a visit to the USSR pavilion, the B.C. pavilion and the Canadian pavilion at Canada Harbor Place. most popular. TOP: Soviet Communications Ministe r Vasily Shamshin (I) with transla | BOTTOM: Crowds lining up at Expo’s USSR pavilion, considered the iol ; Continued evictions show govt | must build social housing now — The Expo evictions are still continuing. Tenants in low rental resident hotels in the Downtown Eastside area are still being kicked out so that slum landlords may renovate the premises and cash in on the Expo tourist trade. Many evicted tenants are not being adequately taken care of. There have been at least two deaths related to these evic- tions. The Downtown Eastside Residents Association (DERA) has taken up the cudgels on behalf of the evicted tenants. They have taken their case to city council where they have received the support of. the COPE alderman and the labor-backed majority. The media has exposed not only the plight of the evicted tenants, but by infer- - ence, the heartless actions of some land- lords. The slum landlords caught in the act and guilty of unconscionable conduct are furious, and they’re fighting back — not with facts but with slanders and falsehoods — backed up by the provincial Social Credit government. Let me give you a few examples. . Representatives of the slum landlords claim that only 133 residents have been ’ removed from their hotels because of Expo. This is completely false. DERA has produced statistics before city council which show that the total number is in” excess of 500. A representative of the Socred govern- ment has made the statement that nobody is sleeping on the street because of Expo. DERA has produced documentary evi- dence, including names and places, to prove that statement untrue. The slum landlords, in a brief to city council last August, made this categorical statement: “Member hoteliers do not intend to - evict long-term residents and do not intend to increase rates unjustifiably espe- cially when this regular, dependable and ongoing clientele may not be able to pay.” The facts are that some of the hoteliers concerned had already made plans to ren- ovate, evict and increase rents. Their solemn assurance to city council wasn’t worth the paper it was written on. The slum landlords, and some members of city council, are blaming DERA, the manure and expect to come up smelling - like roses. Slum landlords have done very well from the rents they charge in their slum hotels. Their upkeep has been almost nil. On top of that, the assessment authorities have given them generous tax breaks. And what many people may not know is that tenants in these. slum hotels are paying more per square foot than tenants in some new apartments in the West End ($2.60 a square foot in the Downtown Eastside compared to 70 to 80 cents a square foot in the West End.) In my opinion, two steps are necessary . to solve the eviction and housing crisis in Harry Rankin evicted tenants and the media for the pub- licity generated by the evictions. They claim that DERA and the tenants are giv- ing Vancouver a bad man. Ald. George Puil, in a speech to council attacking DERA and defending the slum landlords, even went to the extent of calling the land- lords “genuine citizens,” by inference sug- gesting that the evicted tenants and DERA spokesman are not “genuine” citizens. If Vancouver is being given some bad press and TV coverage due to the evic- tions, the slum landlords have themselves to thank for it. They caused the problem. They can’t jump into a pile of stinking the downtown area, and I moved motions accordingly in city council on May 13. The first is that the provincial govern- ment immediately pass a Residential Tenancy Act which will protect tenants against eviction and unfair rent increase. I ‘believe that until such an act is passed, the government should make a public com- mitment that it will guarantee to every evicted tenant a new place to live that is as good or better than the previous accom- modation and that it will be in the down- town area. The'second step needed is action by the provincial government to immediately launch a crash program to build 1,000 new units of low rental affordable housing in the Downtown Eastside area. There is no lack of money. A government that has hundreds of millions to spend on Expo to help the tourist industry, that can spend hundreds of thousands helping to locate accommodation for Expo tourists, can surely spend a little to provide some hous- ing for our own needy citizens. 2 PACIFIC TRIBUNE, MAY 21, 1986 ihe hx Canadian federal ™ draw ted Anger and opposition by Chilean exiles has forced the ter of immigration to with immigrant status previously admitted former Chilean secret agents involved in torturing poll soners. Walter McLean withdrew the a immigrant status granted last we nando Arduengo and his wife, Ni Martin, announcing that the cas¢ ™ reviewed. ott The latest group to complain t0~ the national co-ordinating comm" Chilean Left and Exiles in Canad points out that 2,500 people af “missing” in Chile while tho j r been murdered, jailed, tortured 2% Arduengo and San Martin h@ admitted their involvement in P® tures of political detainees betwee! and 1977, as members of the Se force, DICAR. Q “Those who have tortured acquitted simply because they ™ fessed. On the contrary, they mustlf rd responsibility for crimes comm! |? the courts of their country,” thé exiles committee stated. The committee, formed “to fight the repugnant (Chilean president ** Pinochet dictatorship,” said in 2 5” 5 it “finds it offensive that Canad@ become a land of refuge for thos¢ ble for political torture and murder where. j “In contrast, many Latin Amen are legitiamte victims of harrassm™® Fr secution and torture, find theit refuge in Canada rejected,” the noted. “The double standard used for, selection shows that, abhorrent 4° difference between victims and execd is of no import,” it charged. The two Chileans have been since 1978 and have been rejected £0 immigrant status three times. _