leftwords
Periodical profile published 1980

Publisher:  Leftwords, Vancouver, Canada
Year Published:  1980
Pages:  12pp   Resource Type:  Serial Publication (Periodical)
Cx Number:  CX2209

Abstract: 
Leftwords is an all volunteer newspaper produced jointly by independent socialists and the Socialist Organizing Committee. This issue contains articles on the Hat Creek Valey coal proposal, a book review of Women and Socialism, a special section on the Vancouver Civic election, several articles on the BC labour scene and reports on Bolivia and the "Free Mandela Campaign".

An article on housing in BC points out that high interest rates, demands by developers for increased profit, and speculative buying have made the chances of owning a home remote. The alternative, renting, is also difficult, with the vacancy rate less than 1% for the Vancouver area. And the article asserts that the victims of rental problems are usually the poor, single parents and welfare recipients.

Another article reports on the apprehension of native children and the placing of them in non-native homes. The article highlights several facts; for example: 1) 40% of children in care in Canada are native Indian although Indians in Canada account for only 5% of the total population; 2) in 1978 in BC alone, 1786 Indian children were apprehended; and 3) in 1977, 15,000 Indian children in Canada were taken; the majority were put in non-native homes. In October, nearly 1,000 Indian people from throughout BC participated in an Indian Child Caravan to protest the apprehensions. The article notes that the action resulted in an agreement from the BC Minister of Human resources that MHR will "respect the authority of the Spallumcheen Band Council to assume responsibility and control over their own children."