230 FIGHTBACK OPENS THE SITE THAT SHOULD BE SOCIAL HOUSING

On June 15, 230 Fightback and its supporters rallied in Allan Gardens, at Carlton and Sherbourne, to march on the site at 214-230 Sherbourne that we are demanding be used to build social housing for the hard pressed community and not yet another luxury condo development.

This action took place exactly 24 years after the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty (OCAP) marched out of the same park to the Ontario Legislature to demand action to address the crisis of homelessness that the Tory government of Mike Harris was responsible for at that time. This march had somewhat different objectives but, just like the one in June 2000 that became known as ‘the Queen’s Park Riot,’ it expressed the determination of a community fight back.

When we arrived at our destination, rather than assemble outside the fenced off property, we secured access to the site. Over police objections, we held an assembly on a piece of land that has disgracefully stood empty for sixteen years and we laid claim to it on behalf of those who so desperately need the housing it could provide.

There were some powerful speeches, food for those who attended and an array of wonderful musicians. The present owner of the property, KingSett Capital, has indicated that it is ready to sell to the City but it wants a price that covers the costs of its speculative antics. Olivia Chow and the local Councillor, Chris Moise, argue that a public purchase can only take place at reasonable cost. There is, however, another side to the matter that they are shying away from.

In a thousand different ways, City Hall greases the wheels of the profit making of developers like KingSett. It provides the regulatory framework, the public resources and the partnerships that fuel the juggernaut of redevelopment. If the City took a ‘no business as usual’ approach to KingSett over its refusal to allow this vital site to provide social housing, the issue could be resolved very quickly.

The problem that stands in the way is that none of the members of Council, including Chow and the other ‘progressives,’ are ready to confront a major developer. Our march helped to drive home a message. The politicians need to know that, if they aren’t ready to take on the developers, communities under attack will organize to take them on. The struggle at 214-230 Sherbourne is going to continue until we win housing there that meets the needs of the people that live in the area around it.