The Commentary

Jamie Lee Hamilton

Wednesday, 25 August 2004

Jamie Lee Hamilton talks with The Commentary's Joseph Planta about her blog, the Downtown Eastside, the Jeff Berg matter, civic politics and wards, and more.

You will need the Real Player to listen to the interviews. If you don't have it, you can download it at http://www.real.com.

Text of introduction by Joseph Planta:

From 1996 to 2001, Jamie Lee Hamilton founded and ran Grandma's House, a non-profit centre serving the needs of sex trade workers in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside. Hamilton has long garnered public attention in advocating for sex trade workers in the area, as well as bringing attention to the harrowing missing women's case.

Hamilton serves as board secretary for the Downtown Eastside Residents Association, and is also the founder of Change the Code, a national lobby group advocating for reform to the criminal code concerning prostitution law.

In 1996, Hamilton ran for Vancouver City Council, and in 2000, federally for the Green Party. More recently, Hamilton worked on the Federal Liberal Shirley Chan's election campaign in Vancouver East. With that, a blog was born, where Hamilton writes about politics and the Downtown Eastside. The blog, which you can find at downtowneastside.blogspot.com, gained an invaluable plug in Malcolm Parry's column in the Vancouver Sun. As well, Hamilton is involved with WayWard Democracy, a group that is campaigning against the institution of wards for municipal elections.

Also, Hamilton is a consultant on a book called; She's No Lady, to be published by Cormorant Books in October. It's a biography, and its subject Jamie Lee Hamilton, joins me now, On the Line.

Welcome to thecommentary.ca, Jamie Lee Hamilton; Good afternoon, Jamie Lee.

This segment was produced by Joseph Planta, with Richie Leung and Vishal Dhir.