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Toronto Region ODSP Action Coalition
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"Action Against Poverty" week and rally
Image from last year's rally (Sept. 29, 2005)
Indeed, small raises in social assistance and the minimum wage have been nullified by restrictions imposed for persons to be eligible for the special diet supplement!
This page has a 900k (approx.) sound track added to it.
To go to a no-sound version of this page, please click here
In solidarity with people on low income, labour and community activists planned a series of events to demonstrate the widespread frustration in Ontario with the Liberals. The Liberals were elected provincially in 2003 on their promises to offer change from cutbacks by the Harris government, but they have not distinguished themselves from the Conservatives in doing anything substantively about poverty or social and economic justice in Ontario.
From October 16th - 20th 2006, anti-poverty groups across the province organized events to mark "Action Against Poverty" Week. At a meeting on August 15th, Toronto participants -- including T.R.O.A.C. -- agreed to organize a rally at Queen's Park on Oct. 17th - the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty. The rally was to begin with a media event on the front lawn of Queen's Park and then several clinics and campaign actions would be held, to let low-income people know how to get extra money and get involved in campaigns fighting against poverty.  As it turned out the weather was bad and we took some of the activities to the nearby Steelworkers' Hall. There was plenty of media attention however and lots of press releases were distributed. Download  the Ontario Poverty Report Card.  (This is a PDF file.) Some video and links on the minimum wage bill are up (more to come) and you may read the highlights from Hansard for October 17th.

NOTE: THE REPORT CARD IS BEING DISTRIBUTED IN PDF FORMAT.  EARLIER, IT DID NOT HAVE A TITLE FIELD, BUT THIS HAS BEEN FIXED.

The Toronto organizing committee last met at
ISAC on October 30th.

For more information contact Toronto's Planning Committee Coordinator, Dana Milne, at
milned@lao.on.ca or telephone 416-597-5820, ext. 5151.

If you would like to participate in the meetings at ISAC (the next post-rally meeting will take place on
Oct. 30) via phone, then you should provide Dana Milne with the number and extension where she may reach you. For in-person meetings, tokens are available for low-income people, to cover travel costs for attending.
CAW coverage of the rally - link to their web page
Pictures