Ottawa

Homeless Action Strike, other news

Thirty year old Detox unit is the only one in Ottawa

Under pressure, mayor agrees to meet protesters

26-year-old homeless man drowned

The Ottawa edition of the Dominion, which is distributed by the poor and homeless, has been very well received by police, city officials, and the Sparks Street and Byward Market authorities, as well as by the media and the general public.

On June 11, a crowd of approximately 50 welfare recipients, disability pensioners, homeless people, and concerned citizens from all walks of life (some in wheel chairs) gathered underneath the Terry Fox bridge in Ottawa for the "Raise the Rates" protest.

The number of homeless in Ontario is on the rise. So is the enforcement of the Safe Streets Act, which bans panhandling, and various other legislation designed to keep people off the streets.

- by John Dunn -

During a protest that I conducted on Rideau Street in the summer of 2002, I noticed some very disturbing things about the homeless population. The vast majority were youth, and almost all the long time street people that I had met over the years were nowhere to be seen. And despite the massive cuts to the welfare system, I noticed that the number of homeless persons had remained constant. This did not make any sense. I knew by experience that the vast majority of people who were cut off welfare would not have been capable of going to work because of the major barriers to employment.

- by Jane Scharf -