[Fwd: ACT-CUTS-ONT-L: Homeless events in Toronto]
Graeme Bacque (gbacque@idirect.com)
Sun, 25 Oct 1998 23:04:13 -0500
-------- Original Message --------
Date: Sun, 25 Oct 1998 23:41:05
From: Michael Shapcott <mshapcot@web.net>
Subject: ACT-CUTS-ONT-L: Homeless events in Toronto
Reply-To: act-cuts-ont-l@netserver.web.net
The following media release has been issued by the Toronto Disaster
Relief
Committee.
----------------------
Toronto Disaster Relief Committee
For immediate release =20
October 26, 1998
Homeless speak out: October 27 at All Saints Church
Disaster vote at City Council: October 28 at Metro Hall
Homeless speak out: On Tuesday, October 27, at 10 a.m. at All Saints
Church
(southeast corner of Dundas and Sherbourne Streets) there will be a
speak-out by homeless people about the disaster of homelessness. The
event
is sponsored by the Toronto Disaster Relief Committee.=20
Ian White, a recently homeless unemployed welder, will begin by talking
about his friend, who hanged himself from a tree behind a local hostel
on
Friday, October 23. Another man died earlier that day in the same
shelter
from an overdose. Ian's friend had also recently become homeless. Ian
helped him move his furniture and belongings from his apartment. It was
recognized that the man was becoming seriously depressed and he was
taken
to hospital. He was released back to the hostel.
"The hostel was no place for a man who was so stressed," Ian said. "I
feel
very badly. I didn't know this could happen. He was a nice man." The
Toronto Disaster Relief Committee has been hearing of homeless people
dying
every week. Another man hanged himself outside a shelter this past
summer.
Disaster vote at City Council: On Wednesday, October 28, at 10 a.m. at
Metro Hall (55 John Street) the issue of whether homelessness is a
national
disaster will come before Toronto City Council. "It's a basic human
rights
issue," says Laura Cowan, Executive Director of Street Health. "You can
see
notices posted in every government building asking that people be
treated
equally. If there was a flood in Toronto and flood victims had to share
the
shelter with poor people who had also lost their homes, would government
officials call an emergency and only replace the homes of the flood
victims
and leave poor people croweded in shelters and on the streets? I hope
not!"
Homeless people will be arriving at 9 a.m. for a breakfast and supports
from across Toronto will be arriving for the start of the City Council
meeting at 10 a.m.
Three hundred organizations, including St. Michael's Hospital, the
Children's Aid Society of Toronto, community health centres throughout
Canada, the Canadian Aids Society, mental health associations and
housing
groups have endorsed the call of the TDRC to have all levels of
government
feed and house their people. Hundreds and hundreds of individuals have
also
signed on.
Thousands of people are still out in the streets and the shelters are
full
with the Canadian winter approaching. The Toronto Disaster Relief
Committee
is asking the question: Will Toronto councillors decide that homeless
poor
people should be treated as anyone else in Canada expects to be treated
=96
equally in when they face injury and death.
For information: =09
Beric German (work) 416-964-2459; (home) 416-941-1667
-------------------------------
Michael Shapcott
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Tel. - 416-367-5402
E-mail - mshapcot@web.net
Bread Not Circuses on the web:
http://breadnotcircuses.org/