Tent City Today...

An International Call for Solidarity...

On Tuesday, September 24, 2002, Home Depot Canada sent a small army of private security guards backed by a small army of Toronto police to forcibly evict about 125 people from a homeless encampment on their unused property in downtown Toronto, Canada. Home Depot needs to be held in account for its actions.  Due to the urgency and seriousness of this matter, please respond immediately to our international call for solidarity and action against Home Depot.

Home Depot needs to be held in account for its terrible actions against Tent City on September 24. Organize an information picket of a Home Depot store in your community. See below for more information to help you.  Also, get the report on the first information picket of the Home Depot Canada head office and store!

The HomeLess Depot Campaign Action Pack:
1. Background guide (includes info on the key demands and what you can do)

2. A tip sheet on how to organize your own information picket of a Home Depot store.

3. Sample text for flyer that can be distributed at your information picket.

Any questions, don't hesitate to give us a call at 416-599-8372 or email tdrc@tdrc.net. Thanks.
Toronto Disaster Relief Committee

More information on the Tent City Eviction:

• Tent City eviction photo gallery!

• Notes on Evictions and UN standards

• Evicting Tent City: It's about Housing, Silly! An article by Kathy Hardill, Street Nurse.

• Police Army Demolishes Tent City -- Report and Photos by Gary Morton http://CitizensontheWeb.com (sorry site down)

• TDRC on the City's Housing Deal - Sept 27, 2002

• Libby Davies on Tent City - Sept 26, 2002

• Buzz Hargrove on Tent City - Sept 25, 2002

• Howard Hampton on Tent City - Sept 25, 2002

• Jack Layton on Tent City - Sept 24, 2002

• The City of Toronto on Tent City - Sept 24, 2002

• Home Depot on Tent City - Sept 24, 2002

• Homes First on Tent City - Sept 24, 2002

• Dalton McGuinty on Tent City - Sept 24, 2002

The number of homeless people has increased dramatically since the mid-1990s.  What can advocates for homeless people do to change anything?  This cinéma vérité documentary follows the behind-the-scenes activity of TDRC in their effort to pressure governments to end homelessness.

In Shelter From the Storm, TDRC works with residents of Canada’s most famous squatter encampment Tent City to prevent their eviction. The residents have squatted on unused and polluted land on Toronto’s waterfront.  The owner of the land Home Depot, the City of Toronto and the provincial Ministry of the Environment want Tent City off.  Residents and TDRC push City Council to provide land and new housing.

For more information on the film, how to obtain a copy of the video, or to request a TDRC and/or Tent City speaker for your presentation of the film to your group, contact TDRC at 416-599-8372 or tdrc@tdrc.net.