TDRC Media Releases

MEDIA ADVISORY              Release Date: September 23^rd, 2003

One Year After The Tent City Evictions
One Hundred Former Tent City Residents Housed With New Deal
HOUSING IS THE ANSWER!

 
(Toronto) On the morning of September 24^th 2002, police, security guards and bulldozers moved into Tent City and hastily evicted the largest squatter camp in Canadian history. Many of Toronto’s citizenry were appalled. News of Tent City and its eviction was carried not only across Canada but also around the world.

So, what happened to the rebellious homeless people, who like our ancestors had built shacks and faced the elements? For years they had shunned the crowded homeless shelters. Were they drawn back into the shelters or onto the streets?

There are few happy stories for Toronto’s homeless – this has become one of them. After the evictions, demonstrations immediately ensued at Toronto’s City Hall and the result was that a new innovative plan was speedily put into place to house the evictees. One year later, on the anniversary of their eviction, former residents of Tent City will have a meal and speak out about what has happened to them in the past year since the eviction, at the Home Depot site (former Tent City) at Cherry Street near Lakeshore.

John Sewell, former Mayor of Toronto, will chair the event, and other Tent City supporters will be in attendance.

“If only the rest of the homeless could be housed. This social experiment underlines the fact that housing is the answer, just like people have been sayin for years. This fact should be on everyone’s agenda, particularly during the provincial and city elections”, says John Andras, President of the Rotary Club of Toronto.

For more information, contact TDRC at tdrc@tdrc.net

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