Buy Nothing Critical Mass & Buy Nothing Day

Buy Nothing Critical Mass Ride and Roll
Friday, November 25

Join fellow bicyclists, skaters, and bladers for a leisurely and spirited ride and roll through the streets of Vancouver on Buy Nothing Day. Meet at the Vancouver Art Gallery on the Georgia Street side between 5:00 and 5:30 p.m., and roll and ride at 6:00 p.m. The ride is on rain, shine, or snow! Decorated bicycles, trailers, costumes, signs, noisemakers, sound systems, drums, trailers, and wildly modified bicycles are all highly encouraged.

Buy Nothing Critical Mass is [for some] in support of Buy Nothing Day, a day to challenge yourself, your family, and your friends to switch off from shopping and tune into life. People are encouraged make a pact with themselves to take a break from shopping as a personal experiment or public statement and the best thing is -- it's free with NO PURCHASE NECESSARY!

Pre-rides to Critical Mass:

UBC riders meet at the UBC Bike Hub, on the north east end of the Student Union Building, at 4:30 p.m. for a group ride to the Vancouver Art Gallery. Phone 604-822-BIKE for details.

[tentative] East Van riders meet 4:00 p.m., leaving 4:30 p.m., from Grandview Park, 1200-block Commercial Drive, for a group ride to the Vancouver Art Gallery.

Celebrated around the world, Critical Mass is a grassroots reclamation of public space -- on the last Friday of the month -- which allows cyclists and other self-propelled people to move safely and comfortably through city streets in a car-free space. Non-polluting forms of transportation are promoted.

For more information:
http://www.velolove.bc.ca
velolove@@-->@@velolove.bc.ca

Worldwide details may be found at:
http://criticalmassrides.info or http://www.critical-mass.org

o=o-o=o-o=o-o=o-o=o-o=o-o=o-o=o-o=o-o=o-o=o-o=o-o=o-o=o

Buy Nothing Day
Friday, November 25

It's a day where you challenge yourself, your family and friends to switch off from shopping and tune into life. Celebrated as a holiday by some, a street party by others -- anyone can take part provided they spend a day without spending.

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY!

The challenge is to try simple living for a day, spend time with family and friends, rather than spend money on them. People make a pact with themselves to take a break from shopping as a personal experiment or public statement and the best thing is -- it's free!

Buy Nothing Day exposes the environmental and ethical consequences of consumerism. The developed countries -- only 20% of the world population -- are consuming over 80% of the earth's natural resources, causing a disproportionate level of environmental damage and unfair distribution of wealth.

As consumers we need to question the products we buy and challenge the companies who produce them. What are the true risks to the environment and developing countries? The argument is broad and deep -- while it continues we should be looking for simple solutions. Buy Nothing Day is a good place to start.

Of course, Buy Nothing Day isn't about changing your lifestyle for just one day -- it's hoped that it will be a lasting relationship -- maybe a life changing experience. Make a commitment to consuming less, recycling more, and challenging companies to clean up and be fair. The supermarket or shopping mall might offer choice, but this shouldn't be at the cost of the environment or developing countries.

http://adbusters.org/metas/eco/bnd/

And coming soon... http://www.buynothingchristmas.org

friday nov 25th 5.30pm VAG

critical mass is fast approaching
critical mass is for everyone
critical mass is not an organization
critical mass is a worldwide movement
critical mass is a monthly bicycle ride to take back the streets
critical mass is the collection of cyclists who ride monthly through the
streets of downtown vancouver to demonstrate against our...

critical mass is friday 25th of november
critical mass is today
critical mass in vancouver meets at 5:30pm at the vancouver art gallery downtown [side with lions] and leaves from there around 6pm

critical mass is a game set in the future
critical mass is on Buy Nothing Day this month
critical mass is anything ranging from a group of cyclists riding home
together to an organised street party for all
critical mass is better when you wear a costume
critical mass is discussed
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countries around the world
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everyone else too
critical mass is occurring simultaneously in nearly 300 cities worldwide

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turned red
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our space on the streets
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reduced to being passive observers of a spectacle

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critical mass is a monthly bicycle ride assert cyclists' right to the road
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couple of hours
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news media
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david ronfeldt call a NetWar
critical mass is a direct action
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of life in our cities
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and onto their bikes
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critical mass is our response to this indictment

critical mass is...

Election Saturday 19 November

An "Exercise your franchise" reminder:
THIS Sat 19 November is municipal "E-Day"

If you're good to go, or don't care to vote---you need read no further.

IF you haven't yet decided who you might vote for and would like some
ideas, I offer the following information, which I hope you find helpful in
making your own choices:

I've already cast my ballots: mostly for COPE (including ALL the current
Councillors: Bass, Cadman, Louis, Roberts and Woodsworth), some Green
Party, a few Independents, and one Vision Vancouver; I did not use all of
my votes.

The majority of my information came from personal experience, word of mouth
from people I trust, and the areas listed below. If you're interested and
want more details, or care to pass on these links, follow on down.

With thanks to Richard, Neil, Jack and Amy for these bytes,
Kari

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

• information on voting in Vancouver can be found at:
  General: http://vancouver.ca/ctyclerk/election2005/index.htm
  WHERE to vote, HOW to register and more:
  http://vancouver.ca/ctyclerk/election2005/voters.htm
  For other municipalities, go the municipalities' web site for more
  information. There is a lot of potential for positive Change in the Surrey
  City Council I've heard.
• Vancouver Courier helpful condensation of HOW current Vancouver
  Councillors have voted over the last 3 years:
  http://www.vancourier.com/issues05/102205/news/102205nn1.html
• The "Think City: 2005 Vancouver Civic Election Survey Results"
  http://www.thinkcity.ca/2005%20Survey%20Results.pdf
• The Vancouver Area Cycling Coalition' s survey
  http://www.vacc.bc.ca/ and then to "Breaking News" you will find links
  that will provide you with the responses to these questions from the
  candidates.

Vote "Yes" for Capital Borrowing
(Question 1. B which addresses Pedestrian and Cycling Facilities - $21.5 million)
** There is not a question on the ballot specifically for cycling and pedestrian facilities. The cycling and pedestrain facilities are contained in item
1. PUBLIC WORKS, which also includes Streets and Bridge Infrastructure,
Transit and Safety Improvements and Local Area Improvements.
All these items total $74 million.

There is no opportunity to for or against each item. The entire $74 must either be accepted or rejected. Get your friends out and vote for candidates that will make cycling better within this city. Also vote yes for the capital borrowing question.

While the VACC is disappointed that the City did not ask the residents of Vancouver to authorize borrowing of sufficient monies to complete the 1999 Bicycle Plan in the next 3 years, the VACC still supports question 1B on the referendum.

street party to stop the highway saturday

STOP THE GATEWAY PROJECT!

PLEASE FORWARD THIS TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW.

It's time for East Van vs Godzilla...the first "public consultation" about
the Highway Expansion in East Van will be held this Saturday, Nov. 5. The
church is far too small to hold everyone who will come, so we may just have
to throw a street party! please bring your hackeysacks, instruments,
sidewalk chalk, and lots of SIGNS -- cuz the media will be there, and it's
a great opportunity to let the Province (that is, Transportation Minister
Kevin Falcon and Gordon Campbell) know just who they are dealing with here.
Libby Davies is hosting this, and really it'll be much more of a rally than
a consultation. It's gonna be fun. There WILL be dinosaurs. Be there at
noon-12:30, with (bicycle) bells on!

************

STOP THE HIGHWAY EXPANSION!

The Provincial Liberal government is hard at work right now hashing
out the Gateway Project...an evil scheme to twin the Port Mann Bridge
and expand Highway #1 by 2 lanes, which will terminate at the 3 exits
onto Victoria Drive...dumping thousands more cars every day into East
Van.

Libby Davies (federal NDP MP), Shane Simpson (East Van's NDP
MLA), and in fact most of the municipalities are openly opposed to the
Gateway Project. This will be the first time a "public forum" has
been held in East Van.

The Gateway Project represents old-school planning at it's most
backward...we must speak up now and tell the Province that, yes, our
city has a traffic problem...TOO MANY CARS!

Please, come out and show the city, the province, and the media that
East Van is for people, not cars! It'll be fun. Seriously.

**************

Libby Davies invites you to...

A public forum on Highway 1 Expansion

Saturday, 5 November 2005, 1-3pm
Grandview Baptist Calvary Church
1803 East 1st Ave (at Salsbury)

Meeting is in the lower hall. Wheelchair accessible via the 'kitchen
entrance' on north side. Parking on southwest corner of 1st and
Victoria.

Guest speakers:

Citizens Concerned with Highway Expansion
***
David Chudnovsky, MLA for Vancouver Kensington and NDP Transportation
Critic
***
Shane Simpson, MLA for Vancouver Hastings and NDP Environment Critic

Admission is free.

For more information, call 604--->>>775.5800
For info on the Highway Expansion check:
http://cche.vcn.bc.ca