Updates from the Occupied Communities of British Columbia

Welcome to the second edition of the newsletter. If you had this forwarded to you and want to sign up, do so here. If you want to read the first edition, go here.  Feedback is welcome (formatting, smart phone compatability, etc)! A map of Occupy Canada and a growing database of info for each city is linked to at the bottom of this edition.

Occupy Vancouver
Last week: Dr. Martin Luther King Vigil, successful car load of people to Kamloops to put on workshops, another edition of our evolving newspaper (see below)
Currently: Environmental Justice Work Group gaining momentum
Coming Up: System Change Not Climate Change Workshop,
Hot topics of discussion: Role of GA vs spokes council, quorum, anti-harassment protocol, still trying to find a permanent indoor space, Brookfield logging on Cortes Island
Website: occupyvancouver.com
General email: info.occupyvancouver@gmail.com
Side-projects: People's Library, Floccupy
Active Committees: 12-16, depending on criteria. Only 8, including caucuses on Spokes Council so far
To see the latest edition of the Occupied Vancouver Sun, click here. There is a link there where you can subscribe to future editions.

The People's Assembly of Victoria
Last week: Flash meeting on health care outside of hotel where premiers were discussing health care without the public, community call-outs to help neighbours and street-involved folks during the snow, Enbridge Think Tank formed
Currently: Presentation by Occupeer at Provost's Diversity Research Forum, 3rd Umbrella group meeting - getting smoother
Coming Up: Conversations with Activists Panel at UVic, Flash Camp, Feb. 1st Student Day of Action, Feb. 4th rally against Omnibus crime bill
Hot topics of discussion: New website without 'hierarchy', respect vs. free speech, shit disturbers
Website: paov.ca
Side-projects: Harm Reduction Campaign
Active Committees: we have 3 umbrella groups that contain about 13 working groups (we don't use the term committee)
Anything Else?: Some people are talking about reoccupying.. legislature lawn - would need physical support of people from elsewhere in BC (Victoria just isn't engaged enough to have the people power)

Occupy Revelstoke
Currently: making plans for Cinema Politica - style film nights
Coming Up: pretty quiet in town - too much snow
Hot topics of discussion: gardening in the springtime and where to host our film nights
Website: facebook.com/occupyrevelstoke
Active Committees: 1 main group

Occupy Powell River
Last week: Held first GA : 50 people in attendence, 7 new committees formed, much enthusiasm.
Currently: Preparing 2nd GA, getting committee websites online, prepping for action.
Coming Up: "Unemployment Fair!?" Donated labour to Tla'ammin Nation?
Hot topics of discussion: Should we tent? Paper Mill (our main economic driver, going bankrupt soon.)
Website: occupypowellriver.org
General email: oprwebteam@groupspaces.com
Side-projects: numerous, we're just starting up.
Active Committees: 4-5
Anything Else?: Unemployment Fair is an idea of an event where unemployed and underemployed come together to 1. See in person and show solidarity with one another. 2. get a list of skills 3. a list of resources 4. brainstorm and form collective businesses/initiatives.

Occupy Kamloops

Last week: Occupy the Interior presentation in Kelowna
Currently: Working to increase participatory members
Coming Up: Corrupt banking system awareness day at a bank corner downtown
Hot topics of discussion: Organization, how much work there is to do, Fiat currencies and corrupted institutions
Website: occupykamloops.org
General email: occupykamloops@gmail.com
Side-projects: Smart meter awareness, direct democracy implementation and education, website that has shopping advice based on moral history of company
Active Committees: Direct action, Community outreach (usually all covered in meetings together)

Occupy Kelowna
Last week:  Fair Shake: A public forum on social change and progressive solutions hosted by Occupy Kelowna, Council of Canadians and the Okanagan Institute. This was our most successful event yet.  We peaked at Justin Trudeau with about 300 people in attendance.  Many of the connections we have worked hard on came out and pledged their support!

Occupy Whitehorse
Currently: -35 degrees Celcius

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Updates from the Occupied Communities of
British Columbia

Welcome to the first edition! This will hopefully be a weekly newsletter that will evolve in depth and range as the weeks go on. If you're using gmail, the image above probably didn't show up correctly. We're working on it! We Missed updates this week from: Occupy Nanaimo, Occupy Kelowna, Occupy Comox, and Occupy Capilano University, Occupy UBC, Give a shit! collective (Emily Carr University). That's a total of 11 Occupied communities, plus at least 4 Occupied universities. Feedback is welcome (picture quality, readability, smart phone compatability, etc)! A map of Occupy Canada and an evolving database of info for each city is linked to at the bottom of this edition.

Occupy Vancouver
Last week: Re-group after holidays
Currently: Launching Spokes Council
Coming Up: Sending car load of people to Kamloops to put on workshops
Hot topics of discussion: Anti-oppression, the facebook conundrum, code of conduct, conflict resolution, finding permanent indoor
space to operate from
Frequency of General Assemblies: 2 GAs/week plus 2 Spokes Councils/week
Number of people at General Assemblies: 30-50
Did you have a physical occupation? yes
How long did it last? 39 days
How much money does your Occupy have? $8,000

Occupy Simon Fraser University
Last week: Holidays
Currently: Planning direct action
Coming Up: Feb 1 Day of Action
Hot topics of discussion: Logistics of direct action and sit ins
Frequency of General Assemblies: Weekly
Number of people at General Assemblies:  5-10
Did you have a physical occupation? No
How much money does your Occupy have? $0, soon to change

People's Assembly of Victoria 
Last week: The People's Levee feeds many on New Years Day 
Currently: Launching new Working Group Structure (Umbrella Model) 
Coming Up: A month of Student Outreach, Harm-reduction actions 
Hot topics of discussion: Walk to Ottawa, what needs to be brought to the General Assembly, 
how to outreach to make Occupy a better cross-section of the population (currently we are not the 99%), 
how to encourage initiative/empower individuals 
How often are your GA's? Weekly 
How many people have been showing up at GA's? 10-20 
Did you have a physical occupation? Yes 
How long did it last? 40ish days 
How much money does your Occupy have? $1500 
www.PAOV.ca, 
http://www.facebook.com/PAOVoccupyvictoria 
#occupyvictoria

Occupy Maple Ridge
Frequency of General Assemblies: Weekly
Number of people at General Assemblies: 10

Occupy Fraser Valley
(OFV rotates between multiple cities in the area)

Occupy Revelstoke
Last week: Talking on the Stoke.FM
Currently: Occupying the farmers market, occasionally occupying Revelstoke mountain resort, building occupy snowmen
Coming up: Hoping to plan independent films movie nights
Hot topics of discussion: How to reach people without creating resistance, methods of GA, facebook issues, how to
protect the group from negative involvement, how to motivate people to take action.
Frequency of General Assemblies: approx bi-weekly
Number of people at General Assemblies: 5-10
Did you have a physical occuption: No - we felt that with the demographic of Revelstoke, we would be more effective by
talking with people, being a constant presence at certain events, and offering a positive approach to informing people so
that they can form their own opinions, without the inconvenience factor.
How much money does your Occupy have? $0