The premier's big housing announcement yesterday provided a perfect opportunity for the NPA council to plunge the knife into one of the Vancouver's best-known activists.

While the media were going ga-ga over the government's decision to buy 11 SROs for the poor, the NPA council was cancelling funding for the Downtown Eastside Residents Association's seniors coordinator, the indefatiguable antiracist crusader Sid Tan.

City staff recommended $31,200 for the position along with a bunch of other recommended grants. The NPA council severed this item, and then voted against providing the grant to DERA.

According to NPA Coun. Peter Ladner, who moved the motion, the funding has been "postponed" until another agency is found to sponsor the service. Council approved all of the other grants.

Tan, a community-media activist, has played a leading role in forcing the federal Conservatives to apologize to Chinese head-tax payers and their families. As DERA's seniors' coordinator, Tan used community television to bring seniors' voices forward on issues in their community.

Tan, who once sought a COPE nomination for council, promises that he'll continue doing this work. In a news release, DERA's executive director, Kim Kerr, said his organization will be appealing the decision, saying the only ones who will suffer will be seniors.