Canada, Fighting the Housing Crisis in Montreal – SQUAT!

By: liberation - July 6th, 2002  Filed under: News

 

  Canada, Fighting the Housing Crisis in Montreal – SQUAT!

 

Squat Opened July 3rd 2002 2109 Nicolet (metro Pie- IX) A squat was opened today in the Hochelaga-Maisonneuve neighborhood of Montreal to take action against Montreal’s housing crisis. The squat located at 2109 Nicolet Street represents one of the hundreds of apartments and buildings which remain empty despite Montreal¹s housing crisis. The housing crisis which has put hundreds of families and individuals on the streets, is fueled by the intense gentrification of low-income neighborhoods and by political negligence on the part of the City of Montreal.

The Squat was opened mid-afternoon, after a demonstration organized by the community group, ADDS (the Association for the Defense of Social Rights), took to the streets denouncing the municipal, provincial and federal governments’ lack of action taken to address the housing crisis. The demonstration was small in comparison to last years’ Overdale squat action, but effective in getting across the urgency of the situation facing hundreds if not thousands in Montreal right now.

This action comes just a week after activists in Ottawa re-appropriated a building during the massive North-Eastern convergence against the G8 which took place June 26 & 27. As the Nicolet Street squat was opened today in Montreal, riot police in Ottawa brutalized, pepper sprayed and evicted squatters from the “7 Year Squat” opened during the “Take the Capital!” days of action in Ottawa.

Those involved with the Nicolet Street squat in Montreal have many ties to last years Overdale Squat action and have continued to fight against homelessness and gentrification throughout the year. Among those supporters present at the squat opening today, were a handful of people who remain dedicated to holding onto this piece of housing and are planning to stay the night. At this time people are occupying the apartment, cleaning and fixing up the newly re-appropriated residence.

The City of Montreal estimates that over 400 families have become homeless as of July 1st. This number only represents those documented by the city. There remain hundreds more who are not included in this estimate. The City of Montreal has provided some short-term residences for those without housing, but no long term solution. At this time there still remains many families & individuals on the street.

Last year the City of Montreal promised 5263 low income housing units and not one has been built. The City also stated that in the next five years, they would build 11,000 new units. As none of the low-income housing units that were promised have been built, the numbers of those finding themselves on the street are growing each day as the cities lack of action become ever apparent.

The spirit to fight against this housing crisis is alive and well in Montreal and today¹s action makes that clear. People are taking matters into their own hands and beginning to open the hundreds of buildings in Montreal which remain vacant while hundreds are on the streets. Come and show your support for the Nicolet Street Squat. Building supplies, food, furniture, money and support is needed.

—-SOLIDARITY WITH SQUATTERS—-
—DIRECT ACTION GETS THE GOODS—

stefan christoff <christoff [at] dojo [dot] tao [dot] ca>

 

 

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Canada, Ottawa, Legal Update

By: liberation - July 4th, 2002  Filed under: News

 

  Canada, Ottawa, Legal Update

 

Legal Update – Squatters face harsh charges and conditions A news update just came in from our overworked legal team. They are doing an excellent job on little sleep and low staffing!

As far as we know 22 people have been arrested. The legal team has been given the royal run around by the police at the station on Elgin Street where detainees are being held. They have not been able to obtain a straight answer on the number of prisoners, nor have detainees been able to meet with their counsel beyond an initial brief encounter.

One detainee has been released. She has been released into conditions of house arrest. She has been given a very strict curfew until her hearing begins. She is also not allowed to go within 500 metres of the squat property. The charges faced by our brave squatter are: 3 counts of mischief over $5000.00, break and enter and obstruct police. This is interesting as it is my understanding that this woman was not even arrested on the squat property, but on the road in front. This released squatter was one of the initial detained.

Further news from the inside is that the other detainees are refusing the conditions and trying to go for bail instead. On the inside it seems the living conditions are very bad. The detainees do not have access to potable water. Instead they have access to a fountain covered in vomit and faecal matter. They are being held in very cold conditions with no blankets. Also, there is no toilet paper and substandard food.

This update is based on second person reporting.

You can call the cell block at Elgin Street at 613-236-1222.

More later.

SOLIDARITY WITH THE DETAINEES, WHETHER UNDER HOUSE ARREST OR ON THE ELGIN STREET SITE.

NO HOUSING, NO PEACE, THE SQUATTING WON?T CEASE.

(see www.ottawa.indymedia.org for further and background info on the squat)

Darren <darrenp [at] riseup [dot] net>

 

 

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Canada, Ottawa, 7 Year Squat Evicted by Riot Police

By: liberation - July 4th, 2002  Filed under: News

 

  Canada, Ottawa, 7 Year Squat Evicted by Riot Police

 

Cops evict occupants at 246 Gilmore, it is once again abandoned See photos of eviction @ http://www.ottawa.indymedia.org/2002/07/756.shtmlAfter an week of community building, renovating, and landscaping, the police this morning carried out an elaborate spectacle to evict squatters at 246 Gilmore in Ottawa.

At around 2am Wednesday morning, police vans were accumulating. OC Transpo (transit) buses dropped off hundreds of cops to secure the surrounding area stretching several blocks.

Some were in riot-gear, others were in friendly dark-blue. They were equipped with tear gas, pepper spray, dogs, guns, machine guns, at least four fire trucks, a command station, and a back-up command station.

Cops proceeded to ask the occupants to leave, after which they declared the entire block a crime scene. Anyone who refused to leave would be arrested for interference with a police operation. This included the private property across the street belonging to PSAC. Legal observers, and media (independent, public, and corporate) had been given permission by PSAC to use this property to observe from. Cops cleared all witnesses to be out of sight of the house, including front, back and side.

The first to be arrested were the organizers. They were carried-off in a city bus marked “Special”. The entire operation lasted well into morning rush hour. Fire truck ladders were used smash through barricaded top floor windows, through which riot cops entered, and brought out the arrested occupants.

It is unknown why the operation took over six hours. The house had about 12 occupants, all passive and unarmed. One of the arrested walking hand-cuffed down the ladder shouted “they (the police) beat us up!” Another shouted “We will never forget this day!” Most of the arrested showed signs of being pepper-sprayed, and some appeared to be brutalized.

Observers, media, and supporters gathered on Metcalfe street to watch the ugly spectacle. Supporters tried to converse with police, but the cops remained smugly silent. Despite repeated requests for information form media and legal observers, police refused to release any information.

City councilors were notified, including the mayor who was called at around 2am and 4am.

The abandoned house was reclaimed by the community during the anti-G8 Take the Capital demonstrations. The property was brought back to life by the occupants, along with the wider supportive community created over the short period of one week.

Meetings were held regularly to make decisions amongst the residents, based on consensus minus one. Improvements included painting, repairs to infrastructure and plumbing, a vegetable garden, and much cleaning. Plans included providing free space for public meetings, something which is scarce in Ottawa.

Donations of food, supplies, and art was contributed by the community in Ottawa. The Ottawa Police even donated a bag of hacky-sacks! Many curious passer-by’s were informed on the issues, with literature hand-outs, as well as conversations.

Now, the house looks like a war-zone. What was once a thriving community space has been reduced to what it was one week ago, an abandoned mess waiting to be torn down. The dreams of the occupants have been shattered, and hopes for a community space have been trampled on.

TAKE THE CAPITAL!
Ottawa Actions Against the G8
June 26-27, 2002
http://www.takethecapital.net
takethecapital [at] tao [dot] ca

Take the Capital! <takethecapital [at] tao [dot] ca>

 

 

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Ottawa: 7-Year Squat update

By: liberation - July 3rd, 2002  Filed under: News

 

  Ottawa: 7-Year Squat update

 

Late Friday afternoon I was in the Indymedia Centre preparing to leave Ottawa for Montreal when we got word that the 7-Year Squat at 246 Gilmour street was threatened by a police raid. We hurriedly grabbed all the cameras, batteries, and tape that we could lay hands on and headed over to the squat about 4 blocks away.

Since Friday, we have been providing a 24-hour media presence at the squat. The landlord showed up with a non-uniformed police escort to inform the squatters that they were not welcome on his property, then left the golf-shirted police to speak further with the squatters. 5 seconds later, two police cars and a fire truck with a lift basket screeched to a halt down the block in a show of force. Footage of this incident can be found at http://ontario.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=10682&group=webcast

Police drive-bys have been fairly constant, but there had been little in the way of direct intimidation when I left on Saturday afternoon. A few drunks next door to the squat provided a little excitement by pulling the fire alarm in their apartment building in the wee hours of Saturday morning but this had nothing to do with the squat, as I informed the cops who later showed up to park around the corner and skulk around in the shadows. They left after I assured one of the officers that her hair looked just fantastic on camera.

The squat is still in fine shape as of Sunday, June 30 at 2:26 pm EST.

Video of Friday’s press conference part 1- http://ontario.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=10686&group=webcast part 2 – http://ontario.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=10687&group=webcast part 3 – http://ontario.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=10689&group=webcast (this includes footage of a local resident showing up with gifts for the squat).

Audio interview w/ squatters, 1 am Saturday morning http://ottawa.indymedia.ca/2002/06/531.shtml

Video interview with a squat organizer – as you can see, the place looks quite good inside after the clean-up the squatters have done. http://ontario.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=10683&group=webcast

The squat currently has the capability of providing live cell-phone broadcasts to the web, stay tuned to Ottawa Indymedia for more info on that. Video footage of this action is being posted to Ontario IMC to lighten the load on the Ottawa server. More video will be made available as we can digitize it.

David Hrycyszyn <dave [at] blumedia [dot] co [dot] uk>

 

 

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Canada, Toronto, OCAP letter to Police Intelligence: Pope Squat

By: liberation - July 3rd, 2002  Filed under: News

 

  Canada, Toronto, OCAP letter to Police Intelligence: Pope Squat

 

As we prepare for the Pope Squat, OCAP has been approached by Police Intelligence and asked to meet and discuss our plans. This reply has been sent to the Detective that put that offer to us.

June 26, 2002

Detective Constable Branko Novinc, Intelligence – Anti Terrorist and Threat Investigation, Toronto Police Service, 40 College Street, Toronto, ON

Dectective Constable Novinc:

You recently proposed to our organization that we hold some discussions around the ‘Pope Squat’ housing action that is planned for late July. We have carefully considered this and have decided that, while a level of liaison with the Police during the event is not ruled out, a meeting with Intelligence at this time would not be particularly helpful. We do, however, want to take this opportunity to clarify a few matters with you that relate to the Pope Squat. Because we want to make our intentions clear to the community as a whole, we shall be sharing these comments with a range of interested parties.

Firstly, we would just stress that which our public statements on this event have already made clear. We are in no way organizing to protest or disrupt the Pope’s visit or to offend those who are gathering for World Catholic Youth Day. On the contrary, we will appeal to youth delegates and other Catholic people to support our efforts. We are acting during the Papal visit because the eyes of the world will be on Toronto and because the event raises moral issues that are favourable to challenging homelessness and under housing and NOT because we want to insult anyone’s religious views.

Secondly, we sincerely hope that those in authority can behave reasonably during this event. The Pope Squat is a response to serious social grievances. There are 63,000 people on the waiting list for housing in Toronto and 2,000 more are evicted every month. A protest against this tragic state of affairs that simply moves a few people into an empty property is hardly an act of deranged extremism to be smashed with the full might of the State. To put things in perspective, there are many political jurisdictions where such an act would be an entirely civil matter that the police would play no part in. Certainly, the Pope Squat will be broadly supported and seen by many in this community as justified and praiseworthy. Hopefully, this consideration may have some impact on official thinking in July. If there are no tasers, laser sights and riot clubs this time around, we won’t miss them.

Thirdly, we would like to point out that the Pope Squat is an actual attempt to open up a process of negotiation with the political decision makers. Other comparable actions that we have participated in have, in fact, led to progress and favourable results. The two buildings we squatted at 88-90 Carlton are now a social housing project. The Doctors Hospital was used as a shelter for the homeless, after we took action to press for this. The young people squatting the Canada Malting property, with OCAP as one of their major supporters, were given both the permission and resources that enabled them to stay on the site. Similarly, in this case, we are working to open discussions with municipal and provincial officials and have our action produce positive results for the constituency we represent.

Fourthly, we don’t automatically refuse to speak to the Police but, to be quite frank, you’re not the people we need to be talking to at the moment. The grievances we are addressing are the responsibility of those in political power. Catholic Youth Day, which forms the backdrop to our event, is funded by the municipal and provincial governments and one or both of these will have a considerable interest in the property that is the focus of this initiative. We’re taking the liberty of copying this letter to the above mentioned levels of government and, in the weeks ahead, will be pushing for them to deal with the social injustices that give rise to the Pope Squat. If the understanding emerges that we are dealing with political issues and not police matters it will be a big step forward for all concerned.

We thank you for the consideration we know you will give these comments. No doubt, we shall have further dealings on this matter in due course.

The Members of the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty

cc: Ernie Eves
Mel Lastman
OCAP Allies

ocap [at] tao [dot] ca

 

 

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Ottawa : more infos on the squat action

By: liberation - June 27th, 2002  Filed under: News

 

  Ottawa : more infos on the squat action

 

For more information and follow-ups on the “squat against the G8” action in Ottawa, please visit http://ottawa.indymedia.org

Here’s some useful information (photos, sounds, texts). More is to come :

http://ottawa.indymedia.org/2002/06/280.shtml
About 70 people were stading in front of a squatted house on Gilmore, between Metcalfe and O’Connor.

http://ottawa.indymedia.org/2002/06/294.shtml
Pictures of the house

http://ottawa.indymedia.org/2002/06/304.shtml
George from OCAP talks about the Ottawa squat action and plans for an upcoming squat in Toronto. Recorded in Ottawa, June 26th, 2002 at 4pm. 2:00a

http://ottawa.indymedia.org/2002/06/302.shtml
Stefan Christoff from the CLAC talks about the J26 snake march and squat action. Recorded in Ottawa on June 26th, 2002 at 4pm. 3:08.

http://ottawa.indymedia.org/2002/06/318.shtml
Pictures From Snake March and Squat June 26

http://ottawa.indymedia.org/2002/06/247.shtml
from the Ottawa Squat against the G-8 in Ottawa

http://ottawa.indymedia.org/2002/06/242.shtml
A squat has been opened in an unoccupied building at 246 Gilmour street in Downtown Ottawa, resisting the housing crisis and drawing the links between this crisis and the G8.

http://ottawa.indymedia.org/2002/06/240.shtml
Thousands of rain-soaked demonstrators crowded in front of an abandoned house in front of the headquarters of the Public Service Alliance of Canada at 233 Gilmour Street and briefly occupied it.

http://ottawa.indymedia.org/2002/06/237.shtml
Seven Year Squat is Open! autonomous direct action opens up squat for Take the Capital!

[squat!net]

 

 

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Ottawa : squat against the G8 !

By: liberation - June 27th, 2002  Filed under: News

 

  Ottawa : squat against the G8 !

 

We are occupying this building because it is a battleground in the war against the poor in Ottawa, a war by governments and corporations based on privatisation, market expansion and profit. While 15,000 people use Ottawa?s overcrowded shelter system, our federal and provincial governments ? following marching orders from the IMF, World Bank and G8 ? allow landlords, developers and realty companies to evict and brutalize the tenants and residents of our city.

This boarded-up house at 246 Gilmour St. is local evidence of the coldness and brutality of capitalism. It has sat unoccupied (officially) for 7 years. Now the city has ordered it torn down so the landlord is selling it. This kind of neglect is criminal, when thousands are homeless, while rents skyrocket and while the waiting list for social housing in Ottawa is 7 years long. This is also the disgusting reality of capitalism.

This house is not new to squatting. Many street folks have done so in the past. When they do they are harassed and brutalized by police during regular sweeps. We squat in solidarity with people living on the street. The police defend private abandoned property against people in need of a place to rest for the benefit of rich absentee landlords. We occupy this space to oppose the agenda of the G8 and neoliberalism and to assert our rights to affordable and adequate housing.

The 7 year wait has ended. The occupation of 246 Gilmour St. has begun!

WHY SQUAT?

Because we’re tired of waiting! The housing crisis in Ottawa needs immediate attention. People in this city need housing while buildings sit abandoned or get demolished. It has got to stop.

This squat is one of many; we will continue to take direct action as long as people are without shelter and liveable space.

We demand government provide housing for all – or get out of our way so we can provide it for ourselves!

OTTAWA’S HOUSING CRISIS

Rising rent, dwindling vacancies…

It is impossible to find an affordable, well-maintained apartment in Ottawa. In fact, in the year 2000 our vacancy rate was the worst in Canada: a measly 0.2%. Our bloodthirsty landlords responded predictably by harassing and evicting tenants to achieve a staggering average rent increase of 12% (also the highest in Canada).

Where does this leave us?

Homeless families required 71% more shelter bed nights from January to June in 2001 than during the same period in 2000. As a consequence, the number of households on the social housing waiting list grew to 15,000 in 1998, doubling in only five years. This doesn?t even account for 25,000 people who enquired but were too discouraged to apply. Families must now wait 7 years to have their needs addressed.

How did this happen?

Chretien’s Liberals stopped funding the development of new affordable housing in 1993. The provincial government followed suit three years later.

Then came the provincial Tories’ absurd Tenant ?Protection? Act:
· vacancy decontrol: no limit on rent charged to new tenants
· “fast-track” eviction: 5 calendar days
· rent increases up to 4%
· right to refuse to lease based on income

At the municipal level,an “Action Ottawa”plan was introduced in February of this year.It pledges to create -hold your breath – 250 units of ?affordable?housing. Three timesas many rental units were taken off the market each year between 1996 and 1998! Not to mention the 130 homes being bulldozed at Rockcliffe CFB this summer.

Destruction in Rockcliffe

This summer the federal government will bulldoze the homes of families living in Ottawa?s east end, demolishing an entire neighborhood for no reason.

Several years ago, the Department of National Defense (DND) allowed the city of Ottawa to house 50 families at CFB Rockliffe in former officer?s quarters. As these families moved on to other things, the city was not permitted to replace them. Now only 8 families remain, living in a neighborhood of 130 other empty homes.

These families are being evicted despite the fact the federal government has no plans to use the land. And the DND is demolishing the rest of the homes.

Fosiya Maful, who lives on the base with her husband and six children, recently told the Citizen, “I don’t know where we’ll go. Back to the shelter, maybe.” Why are these families being evicted when there are no plans for the land? Why is an entire neighborhood being demolished while 1000?s in Ottawa remain homeless or marginally housed?

In a city in the midst of a housing crisis, the bulldozing of a neighborhood and eviction of its residents by the federal government is an unforgivable crime.

We demand that the following steps be taken by federal, provincial and municipal governments to address Ottawa?s housing crisis:

· Enact a “use-it-or-lose-it” by-law declaring that buildings vacant for over one year be converted into social housing
· Stop the harrassment of homeless people and panhandlers by Ottawa police
· Halt the eviction of residents and demolition of houses and convert CFB Rockcliffe into social housing
· Reinstate rent control
· Commence the building of 2000 units of social housing each year in Ontario
· Replace the Tenant ?Protection? Act with legislation that actually protects tenants
· Recognize that Ottawa is unceded territory and honour Algonquin land claims

[squat!net]

 

 

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TORINO, A NEW SQUAT OPENED

By: liberation - June 21st, 2002  Filed under: News

 

  TORINO, A NEW SQUAT OPENED

 

21/6/2002 After the passed two months, when in Turin were evicted many new squat and also ancient, today a new house has been opened, in the hills of Turin, in a chic place. For the moment the police didn’t nothing but we’re waiting in the next days. This is an answer to the city that wants to reduce the number of squat in the town, and to oblige the most radical to speak with the power. Today evening and tomorrow also there will be parties to support the new house. At the end of next week, saturday 29 june a street party will be organized in the center of the town to support new squats and fight against repression Everybody is invited

http://tutto.squat.net

TUTTOSQUAT

 

 

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Torino (Italy): 29/6 Street party against repression

By: liberation - June 19th, 2002  Filed under: News

 

  TORINO: 29/6 Street party against repression

 

One month of repression in our city: 3 times new squats has been evicted, and a historical squat, la Cascina also has been evicted.After this lots of actions in the town, molotov, demonstrations, parties. The police and judges try to stop the hot situation with arrestations and menaces. After the next saturday action, the central place of Turin squatted by the people of the squats, in a big football match, surrounded by cops but with no fight. A new squat should be opened in the next weeks, but the most important public action should be the STREET PARTY at the end of June, the 29 Saturday along the center of the town. Everybody is invited, alone, or with his sound system… For info mailto: tutto [at] squat [dot] net

TUTTOSQUAT

 

 

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Dijon : 3 days of autonomy and freedom of movements against control and racist politics

By: liberation - June 18th, 2002  Filed under: News

— 21, 22 & 23rd of June 2002 —
3 DAYS OF AUTONOMY AND FREEDOM OF MOVEMENTS
AGAINST CONTROL AND RACIST POLITICS
smash patriarchy, crush capitalism !

— What’s this all about ?

This fest is generally organized to promote the squat and its different activities/aspects. This year, we decided to focus on the No Border Camp in Strasbourg. [Read More]

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Canada, Quebec City, “The occupation is helping us” –housing coop chairman

By: liberation - June 2nd, 2002  Filed under: News

 

  Canada, Quebec City, “The occupation is helping us” –housing coop chairman

 

May 29th– Today’s squatter “neighborhood assembly” was a smashing success in Quebec City. More then 40 people met in a park to discuss how the population see the future of the occupied house and neighboring land at l’Ilot Berthelot. All of the participants agree on the squatters demands and said that they don’t want any condominium on the site and wish to preserve the trees. Furthermore, the chairman of the neighbor self-managed housing cooperative told us that the balance of forces changed since the beginning of the direct action 12 days ago. “The occupation is helping us in front of the city”, he said.

The meeting started with a presentation by Marc, an old timer from the Comite populaire, the group that organized the direct action. He gave an historical overview of the struggles on the site. According to him, 30 years ago there was a market in the park the participants where gathering. The demolitions of the houses started in 1972, but thanks to the stubbornness of the tenants, especially a guy named M. Huard, 6 of the houses where not demolish. They led the struggle alone from 1972 to 1976 when the group that would latter become the Comite populaire was founded. He told us that there was an occupation similar to ours that occurred during 3 weeks in 1976 to save the youth house from demolition. The front was quiet until the late 1980’s when the city sponsored some horrible towers projects. In 1991, he recall, the Comite populaire moved office on site (in the building next door to today’s squat). We then asked for the houses to be repair and a cooperative takeover. We won a partial victory in 1996, when the city buy the whole site, just before the election (they wanted to shut us up). At the time we were forced to negotiate cooperative housing in only 4 of the 6 houses. Since then, it’s the current status quo, with a condominium project that never materialize until recently. “The issue today is whether we want condominium on the boulevard or not” he conclude, adding that “the current occupation completely changed the balance of forces, and while in 1996 we were not in a position to oppose the condominium project, now it’s different.”

Evelyne, from the Comite populaire and the occupation collective, then gave a short presentation on the context of the action. She said that in the last two years the housing crisis completely got out of control with a severe shortage of affordable housing in 17 Quebec municipalities. In Quebec city, only 0.8% of all the housing is currently vacant. This mean that tenants are forced to rent apartments that are too small, inadequate and too expensive. Indeed, close to 50% of them spend more then 30% of their monthly income on housing. She also stress that the crisis was not just conjectural, but permanent and that the root cause was the fact that housing is a good in our society (which is not good!). So landlords are making profits and are funded by the government who, in the mean time make cuts in social housing budgets. She said that for the Comite populaire, the solutions of the government are too little, too late. That’s why the group decided to carry direct action in order the force the authorities to consider our demands. She conclude in saying that “there’s something better to do then condominiums and that’s why we are occupying this house”.

A two hour long discussion then followed with the participants. According to Yves, that’s the chairman of l’Ilot Berthelot cooperative, who was the second person to speack, the cooperative have been asking the 2 houses for six years but the city only agree to give them a small plot of land to build a new house. For 6 months, they’ve try to meet with the city to discuss some of their problems but no one ever answered. Now, since the occupation, the city asked them to sit with a community group to develop 25 new cooperative apartments. “Thanks to the pressure of the occupation, the space allotted to social housing have been enlarged” he said, adding that “as soon as we threatened to take the street and openly support the occupation [which they did], the city agreed to sit with us”. “The main preoccupation of the 25 cooperative families is to protect our environment, to better our living quality and to have cooperative neighbors” the activist said.

The discussion then revolve on strategic questions such as “is it possible to completely oppose the condominium project” and what should we do next. People agreed that we should totally oppose the condominiums and ask social housing instead. People talked about different possible actions. Among other things, it was agreed to have more discussion on what we want exactly on site (next one is at the squat Monday at 7pm), to organize a demonstration in two weeks, and finally to have a barbecue on the site sunday.

Quebec city oldest community group join the occupation!

On a side note, the ACEF, Quebec city oldest community group (it’s a consumer union founded in 1966), decided to support the occupation and some of it’s activists and organizers will sleep there tonight. They said in a communiqué that “if each community group and trade-union took one day to occupy this house, we could show to the governments that there is still a network of solidarity able to denounce the injustices and the discriminations created by the race to profits.” They added that “housing is an investment and goods for the owners but represents before everything else an essential need for our fellow-citizens tenants, we can deprive ourselves of many things necessary to life but not to house ourself.” They also encourage other groups to follow their example.

The occupation was started on friday may 17th by activists from the Comite populaire Saint-Jean-Baptiste at the end of a 300 strong support demonstration. The demands of the “squatters” are the transformation of the place into a selfmanaged housing cooperative supported by the community, a ban on any new conversion of existing housing into condominium projects and the building of 8000 social housing units a year Quebec wide.

You can reach the “squatters” at 418-522-0454 or compop [at] qc [dot] aira [dot] com

Nicolas Phebus <nicolasphebus [at] yahoo [dot] com>

 

 

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Canada, Toronto, Call to open the Pope squat. Saturday, July 27, 2002

By: liberation - May 29th, 2002  Filed under: News

 

  Canada, Toronto, Call to open the Pope squat. Saturday, July 27, 2002

 

Toronto is facing a serious housing crisis. Rent controls have been eliminated, the provincial government has enacted the blatantly pro-landlord law ironically named ‘Tenant Protection Act’, and landlords have been raising rent to levels that quite simply put the basic human need of shelter outside the reach of thousands of people. Throughout this crisis all levels of government; city, provincial, and federal have failed to adequately respond and build the tens of thousands of units of social housing that is required.

However, the housing crisis we’re facing hasn’t stopped the city from spending millions of dollars on the Pope’s visit to Catholic Youth Day 2002. These millions should be spent on providing basic necessities of life to Torontonians, not on a scheme to take huge amounts of public money and subsidize an event that will create huge profits for private businesses. We clearly identify our opponents in this struggle as the City, Provincial and Federal governments who refuse to build housing and not any of the Catholic youth, church or communities. In fact, we are hoping to work with many progressive Catholics that agree with us for the need to open social housing.

It is for these reasons that we are calling upon all poor and working people, Catholics and social activists to open an abandoned building on Saturday July 27, 2002, during the Pope’s visit when the world’s spotlight will be on Toronto, and create self-managed, social housing and a community center.

We are calling for the opening of ‘The Pope Squat’ (slang for occupying an abandoned building) because we feel that the Papal visit, the large number of Catholic youth delegates that will visit our city, and a wide show of support from social justice organizations and unions, will help create a political situation that will make the regular brutality the police show towards poor people and squatters very difficult. We see the Papal visit as an opportunity to literally get our foot in the door. After the Pope leaves we will rely upon the tremendous popular support that exists and we are working to deepen in our neighborhood.

As poor and working people we have decided that waiting for the city, province and federal government to open social housing is a waste of time. We’ve been waiting, agitating, protesting, lobbying and asking for social housing to be built for years. We have seen thousands of friends and family evicted. We have seen our rent shoot through our decaying roofs. We have seen hundreds of people die on our streets. We can wait no longer!

If the various levels of government refuse to build social housing in the amounts required then we have no choice but to open it ourselves, for ourselves. Not only do we intend to open social housing for ourselves we also intend to make the building a community center that will provide space to neighborhood organizations, events, and programs. Due to downloading and City cutbacks our community centers are not able to meet the needs of our neighborhoods. Again, we have no choice but to provide for our community ourselves. We will also use our building as a space to organize with other tenants in our neighborhood against slumlords and yuppie developers who want to either keep us living in holes to line their pockets or drive us out of our neighborhood all together.

While first and foremost is our desire to directly open up self-managed social housing and a community center, we also have modest demands that the various levels of government need to meet in order to even begin to address the housing crisis we’re in. They are: A massive drive to inspect and order repairs on all unsafe and substandard housing; A stop to economic evictions; Abolishing the housing tribunal, which has only served as a rubber stamp for landlords; Restoring the cuts to social assistance. Raising the minimum wage to $10 an hour; No unlimited rent increases on vacated units, restoring rent control; And building 2000 units of social housing a year in Toronto.

While this squat is being organized by the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty we need vital support from other poor and working people as well as social activists to ensure success.

1. We need endorsements of the squat action. Please send your endorsements to OCAP by June 15th 2002. Show the city that we are united in our demand for social housing.

2. We need squatters. If you are interested in directly participating please contact us ASAP. Whether you can commit to a day, a weekend, a week, or a longer term you are needed for the Pope squat to succeed.

3. We need outside supporters & observers. Please bring your banners, flags, members, friends and family for a mass demonstration when we open the squat.

4. We will need cooks, artists, musicians, and performers of all types for a family-oriented festival to celebrate the opening of the building.

5. We will need both the donation of skilled and unskilled labour to transform an empty building into a livable, safe, and enjoyable social housing and community center. We will also require the donation or lending of tools, lumber, hardware, furniture, food, other equipment and monetary donations.

We plan to hold a public meeting for everyone interested in supporting this initiative, as well as community meetings and meals in our neighborhoods. If your social activist group, union local, tenants association, or other organization is interested in hearing more about this project and our broader housing campaign please contact us and we will supply a speaker for one of your upcoming meetings.

If the city won’t build social housing, then we will!

The Ontario Coalition Against Poverty.
416-925-6939
517 College St. Suite 234, Toronto, Ontario,
ocap [at] tao [dot] ca
http://www.ocap.ca

OCAP

 

 

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