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2 Pope Squat appeals: City Council (Sept 12)
and renovations
Help Put The Pope Squat At The Top Of City Council's
Agenda: Sept 12th
POPE SQUAT RENOVATIONS ARE UNDERWAY: AN URGENT APPEAL FOR HELP
1. Help Put The Pope Squat At The Top Of
City Council's Agenda: Sept 12th
On Thursday,
September 12, OCAP is going before the Community Services Committee
of Toronto City Council to call for action in response to our
Pope Squat initiative. We need all who support us to be there
and for as many people as possible to speak before the Committee
that day. We will be calling on the City to take over the building
at 1510 King Street West and to enter into good faith negotiations
with the squatters and their community partners over the creation
of self managed social housing at the site.
'Good faith'
dealings are what have been missing in this whole affair. City
Council has passed a motion calling for 'affordable housing' at
this location and asking the Province to transfer ownership. While
the admission that the property must be housing is a step in the
right direction, this motion is problematic in a couple of major
ways. Firstly, a mere call for 'affordable housing' means little.
Recent initiatives on this front have produced housing that only
the highest third of income earners in the tenant population can
afford and OCAP did not take this action to house better paid
professionals. Secondly, the call for the Province to hand over
the property has more to do with stalling tactics than with genuine
efforts to resolve things. The Province will be reluctant to accept
that it owns the building and may never do so. However, in December
of 2000, the City sent out word to all with a financial interest
in 1510 King West that it would seize the place within a year
if back taxes weren^t paid. If it had that power then, it has
it now and talk about going through Queen's Park is simply evasion.
The City has
also made the vacating of the site by the squatters a precondition
for any housing project. We are more than ready to move but must
have two simple guarantees. The ownership question must be settled
and the games over whose in charge must stop. We also make the
very reasonable stipulation that we won't abandon the homeless
squatters and that their housing needs must be met when we leave.
This appearance
before the Community Services Committee will be an important chance
to demonstrate the depth of support for the Pope Squat. We are
urging trade union bodies, faith groups, community organizations,
social activists and, especially, Parkdale residents who live
close by the Pope Squat, to have their names added to the list
of those who will make deputations that day. The Committee will
not formally set its agenda until September 3 but we are quite
sure they will feel that a discussion of the Pope Squat and possible
solutions to the issues it raises are entirely relevant to their
work. On that basis, we urge all allies and supporters to call
Tony Leo at City Hall who is in charge of booking deputations.
Simply inform him that you wish to speak to the matter of 1510
King Street West on September 12. Ask him to take your contact
information and call you back to confirm your time to speak once
the Committee's agenda has been formally set. It would also be
very important to call OCAP and let us know that you have approached
the Committee so that we can keep track of who will be speaking
and can make sure all who are interested have a place that day.
We thank all
those who have done so much to make the Pope Squat the success
it has been to date. On September 12, we're going to bring this
community solidarity to City Hall and move the struggle for housing
in this City one big step forward.
ONTARIO
COALITION AGAINST POVERTY
(416) 925-6939
http://www.ocap.ca
2. POPE SQUAT RENOVATIONS ARE UNDERWAY: AN
URGENT APPEAL FOR HELP
The OCAP Pope
Squat at 1510 King Street West has already been a huge step forward
in the struggle for housing in Toronto. One month into the action,
we have a large measure of community support and we are moving
forward with our demand for self managed affordable housing at
the site.
The City Council
has already (with considerable reluctance) passed a motion agreeing
in principle to 'affordable housing' at the location of the Pope
Squat but it is clear that considerable pressure will have to
be applied in order to make this as yet vague commitment into
something real.
One of the best ways we have to apply pressure to the City is
to proceed with the initial phases of renovating the building.
What better way to show the possibilities that exist than to have
1510 King West take on an appearance that more and more resembles
the decent housing it must become once governments are made to
face up to their responsibilities? Already massive clean up and
repair work has been undertaken. The roof has been fixed so as
to remove a major fire hazard that threatened surrounding buildings
as well. Those with skilled labour abilities and professional
knowledge have come forward to help. We are soliciting donations
in the form of building equipment and tools. Plans are underway
to turn at least one of the units in the building into a 'model
suite' that can offer a real vision of what the place can become.
We urgently
need financial donations to support this work. We must also support
and sustain the squatters and meet costs involved in outreach
to the local community and beyond as we build political support
for this whole struggle.
We are making
an urgent appeal to all organizations and individuals who support
this vital struggle to mail in their cheques to help us carry
on and win. Please send all donations to:-
OCAP (Pope
Squat Appeal),
234-517 College Street,
TORONTO, Ontario
M6G 4A2
ph: 416-925-6939
email: ocap@tao.ca
http://www.ocap.ca
August
3, 2002 Update
POPE
SQUAT VICTORY DEMO!
Motion
J(40) August 1st, 2002
OCAP's
August 2nd Press Statement in Response to Motion J(40)
Action
to Support OCAP's POPE SQUAT: Tuesday August 6, 2002
Take
Action for Affordable Housing
Events Calendar (so far) for the Pope Squat
List of Pope Squat endorsements as of today, July
25th
CAW
Donates $50,000 to Pope Squat Renovations (July 31, 2002)
Tuesday
Night Live at The Pope Squat - quickie recap
Delegates
from pope squat visiting the mayor
POPE
SQUAT VICTORY DEMO!
12:00
pm - Tuesday, August 6th
at City Hall (Queen & John)
On Thursday
July 25, the Ontario Coaltion Against Poverty and allies occupied
one of the many buildings that sit needlessly empty while people
live and die on the streets. With overwhelming community support
for the action, city council was forced to pass a motion on August
1 requesting the province turn the land over to the city to be
converted to affordable housing. OCAP and the squatters won 1510
King St. W.!
Join in a
victory demonstration on Tuesday, August 6th, to celebrate
the winning of 1510 King St. W., and support a delegation of OCAP
allies and supporters who will go into City Hall and continue
the negotiations to have the building converted into self-managed
social housing. The fight for housing continues!
=====
Motion
J(40) August 1st, 2002
Request for
transferral of ownership of 1510 King St W.
"Where
as in celebration of the visit of Pope John Paul II to the City
of Toronto, bringing with him the message of justice and 'love
thy neighbour'; and
Where as,
in the honour of the Pilgrims who visited Toronto with their hope
and faith for a better world;
Now therefore
be it resolved that the City of Toronto request that the province
of Ontario, the owner of the property at 1510 king StW transfer
the title to the land of the City of Toronto for the purpose of
creating affordable housing units;
And be it
furthur resolved that the local councillor and the Mayor's office
be consulted on the development of this project, if the province
passes over title of the land;"
And be it
further resolved that the necessary provisions of Chapter 27 of
the City of Toronto Municipal Code be waived to permit introduction
and debate of this Notice of Motion at the meeting of Council
to be held on July 30, 31, and August 1, 2002."
Amendment
moved by Korwin-Kuczynoki:
THAT MOTION
J(40) BE AMENDED BY ADDING THE FOLLOWING: "that the transfer of
title in the city of Toronto for affordable hoousing be conditionional
upon the present occupants immediately vacating the premises at
1510 King Street West."
OCAP's
August 2nd Press Statement in Response to
Motion J(40):
- The province
has not yet claimed ownership of 1510 King St W. In order to
avoid bureaucratic foot-dragging we will not leave 1510 King
St. W. until it is determined that the Province of Ontario or
the City of Toronto hold title of the property.
- There
are individuals living at 1510 King St. W. who are homeless
and have no where else to go. OCAP will not walk away from these
individuals and leave them in the street.
- While it
is a sad state of affairs when it takes a local organization
like OCAP and homeless people to physicially open an empty building
to get the City of Toronto to act-- they have finally and reluctantly
done the right thing. However, there are many empty buildings
throughout Toronto similar to 1510 King St. W. If the City fails
to act on these as well, OCAP most certainly will.
ACTION
TO SUPPORT OCAP's POPE SQUAT:
TUESDAY AUGUST 6TH 2002
Meet
at 11:00 AM at 1510 King Street
OR
12 NOON outside City Hall (Queen and Bay)
(Tokens
will be provided)
On
Thursday July 25, the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty and allies
occupied one of the many buildings that sit empty and abandoned
in this city while people sleep and die on the streets. While
clean up and repairs are in full swing, the building needs more
work done to it. We are going to city hall to insist that 1510
King Street belongs to the squatters, and demand that it be turned
over to the them so that neccessary renovations can begin.
JOIN OCAP & THE SQUATTERS
IN THE FIGHT FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING!
Force the city to make a serious and prompt commitment
to allow the conversion of the squatted building into social housing.
The Pope Squat is located at 1510 King Street West, just east
of King and Roncesvalles.
If you would like more information about the Pope Squat or can
donate food, supplies or funds to the squatters please call 416-925-6939.
______________________________________
Take
Action for Affordable Housing
On Thursday July 25th members of the Ontario
Coalition Against Poverty and their allies occupied an
abandoned building located at 1510 King Street West in the Parkdale
area of Toronto.
Across Ontario
the Tenant
Protection Act put in place by the Harris Tory government
has put affordable housing out of reach for thousands within the
province. Through removing rent controls and giving landlords
increased powers to evict tenants, rents throughout the province
have skyrocketed plunging many into poverty.
In Toronto
in the four years that the Tenant Protection Act has been in place
rents have risen almost 20 %. With a current vacancy rate of only
0.6 % and all social housing programs virtually stopped by the
Tory government, the numbers of homeless people in Toronto has
been steadily increasing.
Watch IMC
Ontario for information and updates about the Pope
Squat and the struggle for affordable housing within the
province.
Pre-Squat Coverage
Print off
and distribute this July
21 special (PDF) edition of Blind
Spot.
Audio: Pope
Squat PSA
Background
_____________________________________
The Events Calendar
(so far) for the Pope Squat
Check the OCAP website at www.OCAP.ca
for the location of the Pope Squat after we take it on today.
All events after the Thursday march will be at the Pope Squat.
!!
PLEASE NOTE !! - These events
may be subject to change without notice depending on the actions
of Chief Fantino and the Toronto Police Service. In the event
of police interference, we may be forced to reassert our political
demands and right of protest. For the most up-to-date information,
please check the OCAP
website or call the office at 416-925-6939
- The
Pope Squat March - Thursday, July 25, 7:00 pm, Masaryk
Cowan Park
- Summer
Clean-up Day - Friday, July 26, all day
- Pope
Squat Film Night - Friday, July 26, 9:00 pm (when it
gets dark)
-
Summer Street Festival -
Saturday, July 27, 12:00 noon - night
- Solidarity
Sunday - Sunday, July 28, all day
- Radical
Garage Sale - Monday, July 29, 12noon - 6 pm
- Performance
by Ron Hawkins - Tuesday, July 30, 7:00 pm
-
Video by Naomi Klein and Avi Lewis
- Tuesday, July 30, 9:00 pm
- Radical
Reading Night
- Wednesday, July 31, 7:00 pm
- List
of Pope Squat endorsements
(to date)
Thursday,
July 25
=================
The
Pope Squat March!
7:00 pm - Masaryk Cowan Park
In Parkdale
- Queen St.West at Cowan Ave. (West of Dufferin, East of Lansdowne,
beside the Masaryk Cowan Community Centre) !! Come and join the
march to take housing !!
!! PLEASE
NOTE !! - These events may be subject to change without
notice depending on the actions of Chief Fantino and the Toronto
Police Service. In the event of police interference, we may be
forced to reassert our political demands and right of protest.
For the most up-to-date information, please check the OCAP
website or call the office at 416-925-6939
Friday,
July 26
=================
Summer
Clean-up Day! All day long!
Come out and help turn an abandoned building into a home. Bring
cleaning supplies and renovation materials!
Pope Squat Film Night 9:00 pm (when it gets dark)
We'll be showing movies outside well into the night:
Murder of Fred Hampton and The Battle of Algiers
Saturday,
July 27
=================
Pope Squat Summer Street Festival
12:00 noon
- until the music runs out
At the Pope Squat! (check the OCAP website www.OCAP.ca for the
location)
In order to
celebrate the opening of the Pope Squat, OCAP is inviting neighborhood
residents, social activists and squat supporters to a Summer Street
Festival!
DJs all day
- performances by DJ Complex, DJ Pilot Boy, DJ KLC, and DJs Stress
and Maxxed Out -plus special guests!
Delicious
food provided by Mobilization for Social Justice (Mob4Glob) and
Latin American Coalition Against Racism (LACAR)
Live performances
starting at 4:00 pm: Arte e Liberdade (Art and Liberty), Blackeyes,
Shut-In, Fearless Vampire Killers
Plus: street
performers and fire spinners! spoken word performances!
Graf. Art competition (on can-vases) - bring your spraypaint!
If you're
not at the Summer Street Festival, YOU'RE NOT HAVING FUN!
Sunday, July 28
===============
Solidarity Sunday All day long!
A day of exciting
events organised by local unions, including CUPE locals 3903,
3906, 3907, 2191, 79, 1281, 4308.
Games Night
- from Midnight until 8 am
Alternative Service - 8 am to noon - with a late breakfast/brunch
Labour/Squatting Forum - noon to 4 pm
Culture - 4 pm to midnight - supper from 4 pm - 6 pm
Monday, July 29
===============
Radical Garage Sale 12 noon
- 6 pm
Tuesday,
July 30
================
Performance by Ron Hawkins 7:00
pm
A live acoustic perfromance from the singer/songwriter from The
Lowest of
the Low!
Video
by Naomi Klein and Avi Lewis 9:00 pm (when it gets dark)
The premiere of a short video entitled "Gustavo Benedetto
Presente!" about police violence in Argentina, made and introduced
by Avi Lewis and Naomi Klein.
================================================================
List
of Pope Squat endorsements as of today, July 25th:
Activist Magazine
AFSME Local 3306 (Chicago)
Anti-capitalist Community Action (ACA Ottawa)
Anti-Racist Action (Toronto)
Anti-Poverty Committee (Vancouver)
APOV (Victoria, B.C.)
Brain Injury Association
of Nipissing (BIAN)
CARMA (Citizens Against Racism & Military Aggression)
Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) local 3903
Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Local 3906
Catholic Network for Womens' Equality
Central Students Association - University of Guelph
Coalition Against War & Racism
Committee to Stop Targeted Policing
Convergence des luttes anti-capitalistes (CLAC) (Montreal)
Creative Response
DAWN Ontario: DisAbled Women's
Network Ontario
Dollars and Sense Magazine - Boston
Elementary Teachers of Toronto
Front d'action populaire en ramnagement urbain (FRAPRU)(Quebec)
Gregory Baum, renowned catholic theologian
Guelph Action Network
Haymarket Octet
International Socialists
Kingston Low Income Needs Coalition (LINC)
Latin American Coalition Against Racism
Metro Network For Social Justice
Mobilization for Global Justice - Toronto
Mob4Glob (York)
New Socialists
North Bay Network for Social
Action (NNSA)
Ottawa Coalition Against the Tories (Ottawa)
Ontario Common Front (Toronto)
Ontario Common Front (Kingston)
Ontario Common Front (Sudbury)
Ontarians with Disabilities Act (ODA) Committee North Bay
Ontario Socialist Secondary Teacher Front
OPIRG Peterborough
OPSEU Local 540 (Representing workers at the Supportive Housing
Coalition
and Homes First)
People Against Coercive Treatment
Peterborough Coalition Against Poverty
Peterborough IWW
Peterborough Mad Housers
Planning Action
RyeACT!: Ryerson Activist Coalition
Social Justice Committee St. James Catholic Highschool (Guelph)
Student Christian Movement of Canada (SCM Canada)
Ted Schmidt, editor, Catholic New Times
Tenant Action Group (Belleville)
Toronto Catholic Worker (Zacchaeus House, Room for Hope, Magdelene
House)
Toronto Network of Engaged Buddhists
Toronto Mobilization for Global Justice
Toronto Video Activist Collective
West Cape Anti Eviction Campaign
Womens' Counselling, Referral and Education Centre
York University Graduate Student Association
Young Left
Youth Anarchist Resistance
NEW ADDRESS!
Ontario
Coalition Against Poverty
517 College Street, Suite 234
Toronto, Ontario M5G 4A2
Tel: 416-925-6939
Email: ocap@tao.ca
URL: www.ocap.ca
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