Hundreds line up outside Toronto mayor s condo to protest tiny shelter injunction
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An estimated 1,100 people waited outside Mayor John Tory s condo in the cold, rainy weather on Sunday to protest the city s decision to take legal action against Khaleel Seivwright, the carpenter who s been making tiny insulated shelters for the homeless all winter.
The protest, organized by the Encampment Support Network (ESN), saw hundreds of Toronto residents leave their own notices of application on a cardboard cutout of Tory outside his condo at Bloor Bedford Parkette between the hours of 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Feb. 28.
Advocates in Toronto say barricaded seating at Union Station targets the homeless
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The arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic has made life significantly more challenging for Toronto s most vulnerable residents, especially those experiencing homelessness, and advocates say the city isn t make it any easier.
Lorraine Lam, an outreach worker at Sanctuary, told blogTO that between 40 and 50 homeless people had been seeking warmth and shelter at Union Station each day for several months as lockdown measures resulted in the closure of most public indoor spaces, but staff recently blocked off almost all the available seating at the directive of both the city and Metrolinx.
Housing advocates seeking a renewed ban on evictions got a surprise boost Tuesday when Ontario Premier Doug Ford s government allowed the adoption of a non-binding Opposition motion asking that a moratorium on evictions be reinstated.
But no sooner had the motion passed than the legislature adjourned two days ahead of schedule for a two-month break, cutting off opportunity for debate on the motion. Unless Ford issues an emergency order, evictions will continue.
The premier s office did not respond to requests for comment on the motion or whether a new emergency order would be issued. Ford had promised earlier on in the public health crisis that no one would have to choose between food and rent or face eviction because of COVID-19.