37:5 (95-96): Oakwood-1, Joanna, 485, Lillooet, OSSTF-PAC, Solidarity Work

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37.5 Renovations to 485 Manning Ave. (.. of ..)

37.5.1 Introduction and Context Within Whole Project

Date:	Tasks performed this period
, 1979	purchase, moving in
April, 1980	breaking concrete in backyard
May, 1980	digging hole
26 May, 1980	removing excavated soil, concrete
31 May, 1980	pouring footing
4 June, 1980	concrete block foundation wall
20 June, 1980	concrete columns on East side of garage
3 July, 1980	brick around garage columns
7 July, 1980	West concrete block wall on garage
early August, 1982	structure of addition and roof completed.
August, 1982	enclosure of addtion completed room.
Fall, 1982	upstairs apartment completed.
1983	major work on downstairs apartment.
1984	completion of grade-level living room and basement.
1986	Completion of the downstairs and moving upstairs.
1995	new roof, new skylights.
1996	new bathroom on second floor.
2002	new bathroom in basement.
2005	completion of basement bathroom
30 July, 2005	fire on roof
Fall, 2005	repairs by HOPE contracting
2006	covered workspace in backyard, studio in garage, finishing touch-up to whole house
late August, 2006	showings, and sale 30 Aug.

37.5.2 New Roof

This was the year that I added two new skylights to the roof at the same time as I had the roof re-done. I also built out 0.7m on the South side to extend the second floor bathroom. This was to prepare for next year, when I would put in a new bathroom (see chapter 38, section 12).

37.5.3 Large Skylight
The photo to the right is a detail of the photo above. Note that I designed a moveable 'bri-soleil' (sun break). Part of it is fixed which supports a track. On this track is a shading device which either covers the skylight or rolls back over the flat roof to the North.
I also added a deck onto the front porch, acessed through the bay window of the West room on the second floor (see below).

37.6 My Art During this Period

37.6.1 Introduction

37.6.2 Art Manifestos

Art Manifesto 1995

I write a manifesto for each of my pursuits each year. For 1995 my art manifesto can be summarized by stating

Art Manifesto 1996

My art manifesto for this year is inspired by Ovid's maxim in "Ars Amatoria" ("The Art of Love"). In full, "ars est celare artem" is literally translated: "It is art to conceal art", or "true art conceals the means by which it is achieved" --meaning that true art must appear artless. This suggests that an appropriate goal for an artist is to create works which do not cause the viewer to be distracted by the artist's technique, but simply to view the power of the work of art itself.

37.6.3 Painting

37.6.4 Photography

37.6.5 Sculpture

Driftwood Sculpture and Photography Combined

37.6.6 Printmaking

37.6.7 Architectural Portfolio Development

Druing this period I re-organized my architectural portfolio.

37.7 Planning Architectural Work at Lillooet

37.7.1 Introduction

37.7.2 Lillooet Alternative "EcoHouse"

37.7.3 Canoeing

Studio

37.8 Chess, Including Spassky-Fletcher Match, October, 1995

Oakwood C.I. Chess Club

As soon as I started at Oakwood, I got the chess club going again. It had been dormant for years.

On 2 October, 1995, I had the great pleasure and honour of playing chess with Boris Vasilievich Spassky.

Boris Spassky Backhistory

Spassky was born in Leningrad (USSR) in 1937. Spassky learned chess as a youngster in the Urals where he lived during the Second World War. He became international master in 1953, and junior world champion in 1955 and received his grandmaster title in the same year. He won the World Championship against Tigran Petrosian in 1969 and became one of the most popular of all champions with his naturally polite, friendly disposition. He was the tenth world chess champion from 1969 until 1972.

Spassky - Fischer, 1972

In 1972 American Bobby Fischer challenged Spassky for the title of World Champion which was held in Reykjavik, Iceland. This most publicized world championship in chess history took place during the Cold War between the USA and the USSR. As a consequence both players were under considerable pressure to win. When Fischer defeated Spassky, 35 years of Soviet domination of the world championship also ended. Spassky returned to his homeland in disgrace.

Spassky Since 1972

After this match Spassky continued to play at top level and won the 1973 Soviet championship and other international tournaments. He still plays occasionally today and is a frequent participant in the annual Ladies vs. Veterans competitions.

Spassky - Fletcher, 1998

When I played Spassky it was a simultaneous match in which Spassky played nineteen other players. He won all games, but still it was great to be in the presence of such a master. I was white.

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My Chess During the Period

37.9 Zeitgeist: Society and Politics, 1995 to 1996

Harris' Tory Provincial Government, June, 1995

Michael Harris and the Conservatives won the election of __ June, 1995. The political terrain for the Tories' 1995 election victory was prepared by the Rae NDP government. Not only did the NDP pioneer many of the policies pursued by the Tories, including drastic social spending cuts and workfare, Rae and his fellow social democrats repeatedly derided their own traditional reformist program and proclaimed that there was "no alternative" to the imperatives of the capitalist market.

Within weeks of the election, protests were erupting against the incoming Tory government. The Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL) stood aloof from these initial actions, which focused on the Tories' 21.5 percent cut in welfare benefits. But five months later, the OFL used its financial-organizational muscle to place itself at the head of the opposition movement, the better to politically control and contain it. The OFL announced its "Days of Action". See Chapter 38, section 4.

End of War in Former Yugoslavia

The war in the former Yugoslavia, particularly Bosnia and Herzegovina did not begin to wane until NATO stepped in, bombing Serb positions in Bosnia in August and September 1995. Serbs soldiers attacked the UN safe havens of Tuzla, Zepa, and Srebernica, where they murdered thousands.

U.S.-sponsored peace talks in Dayton, Ohio, led to an agreement in 1995 that called for a Muslim-Croat federation and a Serb entity within the larger federation of Bosnia. Sixty thousand NATO troops were to supervise its implementation. Fighting abated and orderly elections were held in Sept. 1996. President Alija Izetbegovic, a Bosnian Muslim, or Bosniac, won the majority of votes to become the leader of the three-member presidency, each representing one of the three ethnic groups.

But this alliance of unreconstructed enemies had little success in creating a working government or keeping violent clashes in check. The terms of the Dec. 1995 Dayton Peace Accord were largely ignored by Bosnian Serbs, with its former president, arch-nationalist Radovan Karadzic, still in de facto control of the Serbian enclave. Many indicted war criminals, including Karadzic, remain at large. Despite NATO's pledge in Oct. 1997 to remain in Bosnia beyond the 1998 mandate, the largely ineffective peacekeeping force was characterized by chronic ambivalence.

37.10 Culture, Books, Films, and TV: 1995 to 1996

37.10.1 Introduction

37.10.2 Books Read

Amongst the books that I read during the period, the ones that in hindsight had a lasting impact on me were as follows:

37.10.3 Films Viewed

Amongst the films that I saw during the period, the ones that in hindsight had a lasting impact on me were as follows:

"Land and Freedom" by Ken Loach, tells the true story (based on Orwell's "Homage to Catalonia") of a Manchester man who joins the International Brigade in Spain fighting the fascists (under Franco, aligned with Nazi Germany) in the Spring of 1936. Most of them, being socialists, align with the anarchists to form the "popular front" to defend the independence of the republic. But they are betrayed by the communists (so-called "united front") supported by the Soviet Union, who want Spain to align with the USSR.

37.10.4 TV Viewed

Amongst the television programmes that I saw during the period, the ones that in hindsight had a lasting impact on me were as follows:

"Seinfeld",
"",

"Seinfeld" (6 of 9)

"Seinfeld" deserves special attention because of its significant impact on my life, my teaching, and on society itself.

37.10.5 Music

37.10.6 Other Social / Cultural Influences

Amongst the television programmes that I saw during the period, the ones that in hindsight had a lasting impact on me were as follows:

37.11 OSSTF and PAC Work

At this time I was very active with my union, the OSSTF. I chaired the Political Action Committee.

Proposal for a Teachers' House of Labour

One of my pet projects was to advocate for the union to sponsor a new labour centre for our union. We needed new office space at this time. I proposed that rather than rent a space, as we currently did, we buy a building and turn it into something much more than simply a union office space. I imagined a multi-purpose building that would serve as union hall, meeting space, museum, art gallery, computer centre, with broad goals concerning the education of members of OTF and the public at large about teachers, teachers' unions, and the system of education. The education of members would include labour education, at it most narrow level including collective bargaining, stewardship, public relations, etc. At its broader level it would include labour history, the history of teachers' unions in particular, and the role of unions today. The full proposal is here.

37.12 Solidarity with Russian Teachers' Union

During much of this year, a main activity was corresponding with collegues in the Russian Teachers' Union. I was preparing for my second trip to Russia in that summer (1996).

37.13 Summary, Conclusions,
Connections, Goals,
Omissions, and Regrets

37.13.1 Introduction

37.13.2 Summary

37.13.3 Conclusions

37.13.4 Connections

37.13.5 Goals

Any consideration of specific goals, should be seen in the light of my mission statements.

See: Mission Statements

37.13.6 Omissions and Regrets

The bulk of this chronicle concerns things planned, experienced, written, won, acquired, painted, accomplished, etc. This section concerns those which were only desired, thought of, considered, not completed, lost, and perhaps regretted.