December 14, 2006

Downtown Eastside - Carrigg's Odd Timing

A letter to the Vancouver Province:

With his December 11 article "Are These Vocal Activists Housing Hypocrites?" in the Vancouver Province, writer David Carrigg continues in his tradition of defaming members of the local activist community. Notably though, this one comes right after a series of protests by DERA and APC against Downtown Eastside apartment closures, and while purporting to be unrelated seeks to undermine the former group's credibility at a critical moment. The same sequence was played out in the summer, with his "Hotel of Horrors" front page story of August 1. While attacking the operation of the DERA Marie Gomez apartment building in a familiar one-sided manner Carrigg neglects to note the protest 4 days earlier, partly organized by DERA, which was successful in preventing the closure of the neighbouring Powell Place Hotel. Being generous it could be said that the timing of these pieces is oddly coincidental, and that they lack a certain amount of "balance" needed in a news piece. It would not be stretch to suggest that despite their guise of objectivity they would be better suited to the editorial section, or perhaps a brochure of the Downtown Vancouver Business Improvement Association.