NSG Events
- TORONTO: CITY BANS HOMELESS (TDRC)
-
- Toronto City Council bans people from sleeping at Nathan Phillips Square, and all other civic centres.
Yesterday, the Toronto Disaster Relief Committee (TDRC) went to council chambers to observe the councillors debate the proposed homelessness plan. However, when we arrived we had great difficulties entering. Security had been given directions not to let certain people enter as a result of Tuesday’s demonstration. It took a half an hour before we were allowed access. Inside, Councillor Paula Fletcher addressed council as to why people were being denied entrance and helped ensure our access to the meeting. Eventually security relaxed a bit and stopped hassling people, but after the lunch break they were at it again. Long time supporters were denied entrance. Even people who were allowed in for the morning session of council were being denied for the afternoon.
We are encouraging any one who was denied entrance to write the Mayor to complain about this. It is ridiculous that people were not allowed into a public meeting of council. Is this an indication of what’s to come with the changes to the Nathan Phillips Square by-law?
What happened inside:
Twenty-five homeless advocates and supports listened as council debated the plan. The turn out was small considering the implications of the by-law change, but there we sat for over 12 hours.
Councillor Walker tried to get rid of the ban by-law, but was unsuccessful. Other councillors, including Maria Augimeri and Janet Davis, spoke against the by-law, but in the end voted in favour of it. Councillor Thompson, who did vote against the plan, repeatedly asked Mayor Miller what would happen if homeless people refused to leave the square, but to no avail, Miller avoided the question. Councillors Ford and Holyday specifically spoke against the by-law as being too weak and limited. No real arguments were made to support banning people from sleeping at Nathan Phillips Square.
In the end, with many amendments, the report was accepted by council with a vote of 28-9. Councillors Ford, Holyday, Kelly, Minnan-Wong, Nunziata, Ootes, Stintz, Thompson, and Walker voted against the plan.
Resulting from a motion by Councillor Hall, the by-law prohibiting people from sleeping at Nathan Phillips Square, will now extend to all civic centres (i.e. North York Civic Centre/Mel Lastman Square). A second motion by Councillor Hall, stating “enforcement will occur” if homeless people refuse to leave, was accepted without debate. The sentiment was that enforcement would be rare, if occurring at all. We doubt this will be the case.
Although TDRC and many others requested councillors ask for a separate recorded vote on the by-law, it does not appear to have happened. Many motions were proposed, and the voting on all of them went so quickly, it was very difficult to keep track of what was happening. We are awaiting the official records of all the amendments and will let you know more when we get them.
Despite Mayor Miller’s statement that this plan is “a victory for people living on the street,” we think this will only go to isolate more homeless people and drive them underground - away from services, while increasing intolerance from the rest of the city.
It’s not a victory, it is a sad day in homeless history.
Sarah Ayers
p.s. here is some of the media coverage from the day:
http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1107298214424&call_pageid=970599119419
http://www.canada.com/national/nationalpost/news/toronto/story.html?id=b9433d93-0f78-49ea-92c9-68c7c7b1c716
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleNews/TPStory/LAC/20050203/HOMELESS03/TPNational/?query=toronto+disaster+relief+committee
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleNews/TPStory/LAC/20050202/COUNCIL02/TPNational/?query=toronto+disaster+relief+committee
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleNews/TPStory/LAC/20050203/BARBER03/TPComment/Columnists
**********************************
1% 1% 1% 1% 1%....
For more information and to endorse the 1 % Solution,
visit our website at www.tdrc.net
Toronto Disaster Relief Committee (TDRC)
6 Trinity Square, Toronto, ON M5G 1B1
Phone: 416-599-8372 Fax: 416-599-5445
EMAIL: tdrc@tdrc.net WEBSITE: www.tdrc.net
|
Upcoming Actions & Events
- TORONTO: CITY BANS HOMELESS (TDRC)
-
- Toronto City Council bans people from sleeping at Nathan Phillips Square, and all other civic centres.
Yesterday, the Toronto Disaster Relief Committee (TDRC) went to council chambers to observe the councillors debate the proposed homelessness plan. However, when we arrived we had great difficulties entering. Security had been given directions not to let certain people enter as a result of Tuesday’s demonstration. It took a half an hour before we were allowed access. Inside, Councillor Paula Fletcher addressed council as to why people were being denied entrance and helped ensure our access to the meeting. Eventually security relaxed a bit and stopped hassling people, but after the lunch break they were at it again. Long time supporters were denied entrance. Even people who were allowed in for the morning session of council were being denied for the afternoon.
We are encouraging any one who was denied entrance to write the Mayor to complain about this. It is ridiculous that people were not allowed into a public meeting of council. Is this an indication of what’s to come with the changes to the Nathan Phillips Square by-law?
What happened inside:
Twenty-five homeless advocates and supports listened as council debated the plan. The turn out was small considering the implications of the by-law change, but there we sat for over 12 hours.
Councillor Walker tried to get rid of the ban by-law, but was unsuccessful. Other councillors, including Maria Augimeri and Janet Davis, spoke against the by-law, but in the end voted in favour of it. Councillor Thompson, who did vote against the plan, repeatedly asked Mayor Miller what would happen if homeless people refused to leave the square, but to no avail, Miller avoided the question. Councillors Ford and Holyday specifically spoke against the by-law as being too weak and limited. No real arguments were made to support banning people from sleeping at Nathan Phillips Square.
In the end, with many amendments, the report was accepted by council with a vote of 28-9. Councillors Ford, Holyday, Kelly, Minnan-Wong, Nunziata, Ootes, Stintz, Thompson, and Walker voted against the plan.
Resulting from a motion by Councillor Hall, the by-law prohibiting people from sleeping at Nathan Phillips Square, will now extend to all civic centres (i.e. North York Civic Centre/Mel Lastman Square). A second motion by Councillor Hall, stating “enforcement will occur” if homeless people refuse to leave, was accepted without debate. The sentiment was that enforcement would be rare, if occurring at all. We doubt this will be the case.
Although TDRC and many others requested councillors ask for a separate recorded vote on the by-law, it does not appear to have happened. Many motions were proposed, and the voting on all of them went so quickly, it was very difficult to keep track of what was happening. We are awaiting the official records of all the amendments and will let you know more when we get them.
Despite Mayor Miller’s statement that this plan is “a victory for people living on the street,” we think this will only go to isolate more homeless people and drive them underground - away from services, while increasing intolerance from the rest of the city.
It’s not a victory, it is a sad day in homeless history.
Sarah Ayers
p.s. here is some of the media coverage from the day:
http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1107298214424&call_pageid=970599119419
http://www.canada.com/national/nationalpost/news/toronto/story.html?id=b9433d93-0f78-49ea-92c9-68c7c7b1c716
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleNews/TPStory/LAC/20050203/HOMELESS03/TPNational/?query=toronto+disaster+relief+committee
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleNews/TPStory/LAC/20050202/COUNCIL02/TPNational/?query=toronto+disaster+relief+committee
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleNews/TPStory/LAC/20050203/BARBER03/TPComment/Columnists
**********************************
1% 1% 1% 1% 1%....
For more information and to endorse the 1 % Solution,
visit our website at www.tdrc.net
Toronto Disaster Relief Committee (TDRC)
6 Trinity Square, Toronto, ON M5G 1B1
Phone: 416-599-8372 Fax: 416-599-5445
EMAIL: tdrc@tdrc.net WEBSITE: www.tdrc.net
|
News & Analysis
- TORONTO: CITY BANS HOMELESS (TDRC)
-
- Toronto City Council bans people from sleeping at Nathan Phillips Square, and all other civic centres.
Yesterday, the Toronto Disaster Relief Committee (TDRC) went to council chambers to observe the councillors debate the proposed homelessness plan. However, when we arrived we had great difficulties entering. Security had been given directions not to let certain people enter as a result of Tuesday’s demonstration. It took a half an hour before we were allowed access. Inside, Councillor Paula Fletcher addressed council as to why people were being denied entrance and helped ensure our access to the meeting. Eventually security relaxed a bit and stopped hassling people, but after the lunch break they were at it again. Long time supporters were denied entrance. Even people who were allowed in for the morning session of council were being denied for the afternoon.
We are encouraging any one who was denied entrance to write the Mayor to complain about this. It is ridiculous that people were not allowed into a public meeting of council. Is this an indication of what’s to come with the changes to the Nathan Phillips Square by-law?
What happened inside:
Twenty-five homeless advocates and supports listened as council debated the plan. The turn out was small considering the implications of the by-law change, but there we sat for over 12 hours.
Councillor Walker tried to get rid of the ban by-law, but was unsuccessful. Other councillors, including Maria Augimeri and Janet Davis, spoke against the by-law, but in the end voted in favour of it. Councillor Thompson, who did vote against the plan, repeatedly asked Mayor Miller what would happen if homeless people refused to leave the square, but to no avail, Miller avoided the question. Councillors Ford and Holyday specifically spoke against the by-law as being too weak and limited. No real arguments were made to support banning people from sleeping at Nathan Phillips Square.
In the end, with many amendments, the report was accepted by council with a vote of 28-9. Councillors Ford, Holyday, Kelly, Minnan-Wong, Nunziata, Ootes, Stintz, Thompson, and Walker voted against the plan.
Resulting from a motion by Councillor Hall, the by-law prohibiting people from sleeping at Nathan Phillips Square, will now extend to all civic centres (i.e. North York Civic Centre/Mel Lastman Square). A second motion by Councillor Hall, stating “enforcement will occur” if homeless people refuse to leave, was accepted without debate. The sentiment was that enforcement would be rare, if occurring at all. We doubt this will be the case.
Although TDRC and many others requested councillors ask for a separate recorded vote on the by-law, it does not appear to have happened. Many motions were proposed, and the voting on all of them went so quickly, it was very difficult to keep track of what was happening. We are awaiting the official records of all the amendments and will let you know more when we get them.
Despite Mayor Miller’s statement that this plan is “a victory for people living on the street,” we think this will only go to isolate more homeless people and drive them underground - away from services, while increasing intolerance from the rest of the city.
It’s not a victory, it is a sad day in homeless history.
Sarah Ayers
p.s. here is some of the media coverage from the day:
http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1107298214424&call_pageid=970599119419
http://www.canada.com/national/nationalpost/news/toronto/story.html?id=b9433d93-0f78-49ea-92c9-68c7c7b1c716
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleNews/TPStory/LAC/20050203/HOMELESS03/TPNational/?query=toronto+disaster+relief+committee
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleNews/TPStory/LAC/20050202/COUNCIL02/TPNational/?query=toronto+disaster+relief+committee
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleNews/TPStory/LAC/20050203/BARBER03/TPComment/Columnists
**********************************
1% 1% 1% 1% 1%....
For more information and to endorse the 1 % Solution,
visit our website at www.tdrc.net
Toronto Disaster Relief Committee (TDRC)
6 Trinity Square, Toronto, ON M5G 1B1
Phone: 416-599-8372 Fax: 416-599-5445
EMAIL: tdrc@tdrc.net WEBSITE: www.tdrc.net
|