Parkdale Organize -

What does the new Ontario “Eviction Ban” really mean?

Posted on: January 14, 2021 /

Categories: Uncategorised

Tenants are understandably confused by the latest orders from the province regarding evictions in Ontario. Yesterday, the Ontario government issued a temporary mandate banning most eviction enforcement during the state of emergency. This order expires in 14 days, at which time it must be renewed. But what does the ban really mean? Many Ontarians were

In Memory of Peter Madaka (October 5, 1961 – December 26, 2020)

Posted on: January 10, 2021 /

Categories: Uncategorised

A dear friend and powerful tenant organizer in Parkdale has passed away. In Memory of Peter Madaka: Peter Madaka was a neighbor of mine at 1251 King Street West. I met him in 2018, the year our landlord applied to raise our rent above the legal guideline. People in our building responded by collectively withholding

Organized Tenants Stop Eviction

Posted on: January 9, 2021 /

Categories: Uncategorised

Today organized tenants successfully stopped an eviction from being carried out in Little Portugal. Timbercreek/Hazelview took ownership of the building less than two months ago and while this eviction was started before they bought the building, they now have a clear decision to make: will they try to drag a single mom and her children

Michael Lax: You Won’t Evict our Neighbours!

Posted on: September 14, 2020 /

Categories: Uncategorised

Yesterday flyers were posted in the neighbourhood of landlord Michael Lax of Nuspor Investments, owner of the high rise apartment building at 1251 King in Parkdale. Flyers were also posted in the area of the private school where Lax is a director. We hope Lax’s neighbours and the families who are part of his school

We Won’t Abandon Our Schools

Posted on: September 8, 2020 /

Categories: Uncategorised

In wealthy neighbourhoods across Toronto, in-person enrollment sits at 80-95% for their elementary schools. In working class neighbourhoods like Parkdale, Jane and Finch, Markham and Eglinton and throughout Scarborough, 25-60% is the norm. So, what do they know that we don’t know? They know that when they keep their kid enrolled, they prevent classes from

What OPSEU Workers Can Do About Mass Evictions

Posted on: July 16, 2020 /

Categories: Uncategorised

Unionized public service workers (members of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union) are required at every stage of the eviction process. Without those workers, mass evictions would not be possible. Participating in the eviction of struggling tenants during a health and housing crisis is not a public service. Your employer may demand you participate in

Breaking News: Evictions to resume as soon as August 1

Posted on: July 7, 2020 /

Categories: Uncategorised

“It’s not fair to the neighbours. It’s not fair to the people in the neighbourhoods.” – Doug Ford on tenant protests and not impending mass evictions, July 7, 2020 Ford is now moving to end the eviction moratorium at the same time as pushing through Bill 184. This new law enables mass evictions through fast-tracked

Kill the Mass Eviction Bill: Ford Escalates Threat of Mass Evictions

Posted on: July 2, 2020 /

Categories: Uncategorised

On July 2, the Ontario government voted to amend Bill 184, the Eviction Bill, in a step towards ensuring mass evictions for Ontario tenants who have been unable to pay rent in full during the COVID-19 crisis. All tenants who have been unable to pay full rent, whether they have signed repayment plans or not,

Toronto Tenants Demand No COVID Evictions

Posted on: June 10, 2020 /

Categories: Uncategorised

Yesterday hundreds of working class people marched through downtown Toronto, rallying at Queen’s Park before marching to the Landlord and Tenant Board. Tenants from Malton, Etobicoke, Jane and Finch, Parkdale, East York, and Scarborough were united in their demands for a permanent ban on evictions and forced collection of unpaid rent during the months of

Parkdale tenants demand no COVID evictions from MetCap and Golden Equity

Posted on: June 5, 2020 /

Categories: Uncategorised

QUEEN’S PARK RALLY JUNE 9 at 2PM SHARP! This morning Parkdale tenants at 1475 King made the trip to Scarborough to deliver their demands to landlord Golden Equity. Tenants at 1475 King have been on rent strike since April 1 demanding Golden Equity negotiate with their committee regarding conditions at the building. Roger Steele of

June 9 Queen’s Park Rally: No COVID Evictions. Not now, Not ever

Posted on: June 2, 2020 /

Categories: Uncategorised

On Tuesday, June 9 at 2:00 PM sharp, tenants from across the GTA will come together at Queen’s Park to demand that there be no evictions for unpaid rent during the COVID-19 crisis. Not now. Not ever. Join us at Queen’s Park and send a message to the government, landlords and our fellow tenants: we

RANEE LANDLORD BEN FRIEDMAN INVOLVED IN 100+ LONG-TERM CARE DEATHS!

Posted on: May 30, 2020 /

Categories: Uncategorised

We re-publish this report from People’s Defence Toronto. While organizing over the past two months, we have been horrified by news of mass COVID-19 outbreaks at long-term care homes. Recently, we found out that some of the worst hit homes are owned by the same person sending eviction notices and rent increases to hundreds of

Stop the Eviction Bill

Posted on: May 26, 2020 /

Categories: Uncategorised

Emergency Action: Text Doug Ford now at 416-805-2156 or email him at doug.fordco@pc.ola.org to ask why he is making it easier for landlords to evict tenants in the midst of a global pandemic that has made paying rent impossible for tens of thousands of tenants across Ontario. Ford Goes Behind Tenants’ Backs To Weaken Tenant

Tenants from across the GTA Descend on Landlords’ Mansions

Posted on: May 13, 2020 /

Categories: Uncategorised

Today tenants from Scarborough, Mississauga, and Parkdale visited the homes of their landlords as the (virtual) annual general meeting of the Federation of Rental-housing Providers of Ontario (FRPO) was being held. No longer willing to endure landlords’ threats of evictions and demands of rent repayment, tenants took every safety precaution to collectively voice their demands

What do I do if my Landlord…

Posted on: April 22, 2020 /

Categories: Uncategorised

DOWNLOAD THE FACT SHEET CONTACT KEEP YOUR RENT 1. Gives you an N4 Don’t move out. The notice is a threat but it is only the first step of the eviction process. Threats of eviction against tenants are unacceptable, especially during a global pandemic. You’re not alone. Contact your neighbours and Keep Your Rent to

No Demands for Rent. No Threats of Eviction!

Posted on: April 13, 2020 /

Categories: Uncategorised

Tenants are stronger when we organize and refuse individual deals with the landlord. Thousands of tenants who have not paid rent this month were contacted by their landlords. Some landlords have issued eviction notices, many others have attempted to pressure tenants into agreeing to repay rent. These landlords have the same goal in mind: keep

CERB: Relief for tenants or bail out for landlords?

Posted on: April 8, 2020 /

Categories: Uncategorised

The CERB going out under conditions in which rent payment is due just means relief for landlords and crumbs for tenants. There is no avoiding or ignoring the double-crisis tenants will face every month that the COVID-19 crisis goes on while rent is expected. The setup here is that individual tenants are being required to

Didn’t Pay Your Rent? What Comes Next?

Posted on: April 2, 2020 /

Categories: Uncategorised

Lost jobs. Hours cut. Bills to pay. Families to feed. CONNECT WITH YOUR NEIGHBOURS! DOWNLOAD THE POSTER DOWNLOAD THE FACT SHEET keepyourrent.com torontokeepyourrent@gmail.com 647-874-8793 There is a reason Divide and Conquer is a phrase everyone knows. It’s a strategy used against people every time we come together in support of one another. We can’t allow

KEEP YOUR RENT: ORGANZING MATERIALS

Posted on: March 20, 2020 /

Categories: Uncategorised

Keep Your Rent, Toronto! On April 1 we are keeping our rent. Some of us have run out of money or don’t have much left. Some of us are hoping things don’t get worse. Some of us may be ok right now, telling ourselves things will work out. But none of us knows for sure.

TORONTO: KEEP YOUR RENT (April 1)

Posted on: March 20, 2020 /

Categories: Uncategorised

KEEP YOUR RENT – TORONTO (Facebook organizing group) Some of us have run out of money or don’t have much left. Some of us may have barely enough and are hoping things don’t get worse. Some of us may be okay right now and are telling ourselves things will work out. But none of us

Notice: Eviction Stoppage + Supporting Neighbours

Posted on: March 17, 2020 /

Categories: Uncategorised

1. Eviction Stoppage Read the story in the Toronto Star It’s unclear how long outstanding eviction orders will be postponed but they are, for the moment, being halted. Behind most evictions lies a crisis. Whether a tenant’s spouse has died or they lost their job, whether they can’t work without affordable childcare or are unable

Landlord Shafik Kassam Hides from Beaty Tenants

Posted on: February 8, 2020 /

Categories: Uncategorised

Today our neighbours at 40 Beaty traveled to the affluent Hoggs Hollow neighbourhood in North York to the home of landlord Shaffik Kassam. Their purpose was to demand he drop the above guideline increase and do the repairs in tenants’ units now. Kassam is a real estate investor who has bought up two Parkdale buildings,

We Won’t Be Ignored – Parkdale on the Picket Line

Posted on: February 4, 2020 /

Categories: Uncategorised

FACEBOOK EVENT Friday, Feb. 7, 11:15am, corner of Queen St. West and Lansdowne Ave. Apparently the government didn’t hear us! Last Monday, over 100 Parkdale tenants, families and teachers showed up to demand quality schools. Next week, we’ll make sure they can’t ignore us. Join Parkdale teachers on the picket line on Friday February 7th

Parkdale Supports Teachers!

Posted on: January 15, 2020 /

Categories: Uncategorised

FACEBOOK EVENT Parkdale Supports Teachers!Monday, January 20, 11:15am Corner of Queen St. West and Jameson Ave. Bring your kids! On Monday, elementary school teachers will be out on strike. Let’s show teachers and the government that Parkdale demands smaller classes, more classroom support and better schools for our kids. Parkdale supports teachers fighting back! Bring your

1475 King Tenants Organize

Posted on: January 9, 2020 /

Categories: Uncategorised

Last night our neighbours at 1475 King formed a building committee for the defense of their homes. The building was recently purchased by Montreal-based Golden Equity Properties. The new landlord has since issued bogus eviction notices to some tenants and is neglecting serious disrepair in tenants’ units. Members of Parkdale Organize attended the meeting. We

Hannah Beats Eviction (Round One)!

Posted on: January 8, 2020 /

Categories: Uncategorised

Yesterday Hannah beat the eviction! The Landlord and Tenant Board dismissed the eviction because the landlord failed to pay compensation to the tenant before the eviction date. At the hearing landlord Patrick Anderson was clearly shaken up and feeling the pressure from yesterday’s phone and email zap. We intend to escalate action against Anderson in

Report: Dufferin Tenants Visit Starlight

Posted on: November 19, 2019 /

Categories: Uncategorised

Today our neighbours at 295 Dufferin visited the offices of landlord Starlight Investments to demand they drop the above guideline rent increase at the building and do the repairs in units now. Tenants delivered work order forms from 60 units in longstanding disrepair. When tenants arrived at the Starlight office they were greeted by landlord

Dufferin Tenants Resolve to Fight Rent Increase

Posted on: November 6, 2019 /

Categories: Uncategorised

Last night our neighbours at 295 Dufferin held a meeting in their building lobby. The meeting was called for tenants to decide on next steps in their struggle against a rent increase above the guideline sought by their landlord, Starlight Investments. Starlight applied to raise rent at the building by nearly 6% above the guideline

Under Threat of Eviction? Talk to your Neighbours!

Posted on: October 2, 2019 /

Categories: Uncategorised

Dave (@dsherwoodb), a member of Parkdale Organize, writes about his experience facing the threat of eviction in Parkdale. Eviction isn’t just ‘moving’, and it’s rarely an acute event. It’s months or years of stress and anxiety, of disempowerment, of not feeling secure in the most basic ways. And for those of us in recovery —

Laxton Tenants Put Landlord on Notice

Posted on: September 14, 2019 /

Categories: Uncategorised

Today our neighbours at 2 Laxton visited their landlord, Gojko Kuzmanovic at his residence off Royal York Road. Tenants put him on notice to do long neglected repairs in their units and common areas in the building. “When I moved in the unit was filthy and I had to stay with a friend while I cleaned it

Report: Spencer Tenants Sit-in

Posted on: August 23, 2019 /

Categories: Uncategorised

Today our neighbours from 116 Spencer blocked their landlord from stealing their patio furniture and barbeque. “We sat here having coffee and donuts while he tried to throw out our stuff. He says he has the authority, but he’s not in the right, and he can’t make us leave,” said Sadie, a tenant at the building.

Legal Aid Board Chair Serves Landlord Class

Posted on: June 20, 2019 /

Categories: Uncategorised

@dsherwoodb reports on LAO Board Chair’s real estate connections… Last week Legal Aid Ontario (LAO) made front page news when it announced a major attack on Parkdale, cutting 45% of its funding to Parkdale Community Legal Services (PCLS). What wasn’t reported was LAO’s Board Chair Charles Harnick’s connections to Toronto real estate interests. We think

Report: Parkdale Fights Back

Posted on: June 6, 2019 /

Categories: Uncategorised

This morning at 8:00am, in the midst of our daily grind, over 300 Parkdale parents, students, teachers and workers met on Jameson. We came together to demonstrate our strength in the face of attacks on our neighbourhood. We made a commitment to stand together in the struggles ahead. We committed to defending our homes, our

June 5 – Stand With Parkdale, Fight For Parkdale

Posted on: May 22, 2019 /

Categories: Uncategorised

At 8 AM on June 5 Parkdale tenants, students, teachers and workers will stand together on Jameson Avenue to demonstrate our power and unity against threats to our jobs, schools, services and homes. The Parkdale Community Legal Clinic is facing closure. Our schools are facing cutbacks. Refugees no longer have access to legal support. The

THIS IS PARKDALE Volume 2, Issue 4 – May 2019

Posted on: May 15, 2019 /

Categories: Uncategorised

THIS IS PARKDALE Volume 2, Issue 4 – May 2019 ONE DAMN THING AFTER ANOTHER It can sometimes feel like we’re surrounded. It feels like we’re under attack. In a lot of ways we are. Every week (even every day) brings a new threat to our homes, our schools, our jobs or the services we

Springhurst Tenants Organize Against Eviction

Posted on: April 2, 2019 /

Categories: Uncategorised

On Saturday, March 30, our neighbours at 1 Springhurst and their supporters delivered a letter to landlord Ryan Rakowski at his Forrest Hill home. Rakowski is trying raise tenants’ rents by more than 8% to pay for repair work that was needed after years of neglect. Our neighbours can’t afford this huge increase. When our

West Lodge vs. Timbercreek

Posted on: March 13, 2019 /

Categories: Uncategorised

The struggle against displacement in Parkdale continues… Today our neighbours at 103 and 105 West Lodge occupied the head offices of Timbercreek Asset Management. Joined by Parkdale teachers whose students live at the buildings, tenants delivered more than 150 work orders detailing disrepair in units. Today West Lodge tenants put Timbercreek on notice: we will

Back Issue: “We don’t have to be stepped on like cockroaches” interview with an organizer

Posted on: February 5, 2019 /

Categories: Uncategorised

Deborah Savage is a working-class organizer and long-time friend of Parkdale Organize. She and her neighbours made news this week when they occupied their homes in response to their landlord locking them out. You can read their story in the Toronto Star. In light of their recent struggle we are re-posting this interview with Deborah

Jameson Tenants Demand Repairs

Posted on: January 20, 2019 /

Categories: Uncategorised

Today our neighbours from 109 Jameson along with members of Parkdale Organize visited the Forest Hill home of landlords Angelo and Linda Scioscia. We delivered a letter and twenty repair orders and demanded they do the repairs and stop threats of eviction against our neighbours now. 109 Jameson is one of the few remaining mid-rise

1340 King Tenants Organize Against Eviction

Posted on: January 12, 2019 /

Categories: Uncategorised

Today tenants at 1340 King along with members of Parkdale Organize delivered a letter to landlord Evan Johnsen at his Parkdale home. Johnsen is trying to evict 1340 King tenant Stanislav, a masonry worker who has lived in the building for twenty years. In summer 2018 Stanislav transferred to a new unit in the building.

Parkdale Rent Strike Organizers Beat Eviction

Posted on: October 19, 2018 /

Categories: Uncategorised

Today our neighbours at 1251 King defeated their landlord’s eviction case against rent strike organizers Mark and Pratussa. Respect to Mark and Pratussa for standing their ground and again demonstrating that working-class people in Parkdale can and should refuse to back down under threat of eviction. Harassment, pay-offs, legal tricks and high-priced lawyers can’t beat

1336 King Tenants Visit Landlord Marina Grmusa

Posted on: September 20, 2018 /

Categories: Uncategorised

Today our neighbours at 1336 King, along with members of Parkdale Organize, visited the Mississauga home of their landlord, Marina Grmusa. Grmusa is evicting our neighbours Melissa, Cesar, and Marco. We made it clear that our neighbours are here to stay. In August, Grmusa tried to strong-armed Melissa and Cesar into signing forms which would

This Is Parkdale Newsletter, Vol. 2, Issue 3

Posted on: May 30, 2018 /

Categories: Uncategorised

A LOT CAN CHANGE IN A YEAR Last May 1 saw something new in Parkdale: the MetCap Rent Strike. It started on May 1, 2017 but began months, if not years, before. Thousands of people in Parkdale have been struggling for years as tenants, as workers, as parents, as indigenous people, as immigrants and the

Parkdale Rent Strike Defeats Rent Increase

Posted on: March 27, 2018 /

Categories: Uncategorised

The rent strike at 1251 King has ended in victory. Nuspor has withdrawn the above guideline rent increase at our building. Seven months ago the MetCap rent strikers declared victory. Their victory inspired us and made our rent strike possible. Like them we organized, took direct action and won. We organized under different conditions. MetCap

Parkdale Rent Strike Brings Nuspor to the Table

Posted on: March 2, 2018 /

Categories: Uncategorised

Late last week rent strikers at 1251 King received notice from their landlord, Nuspor Investments, requesting a meeting to settle the strike. Last night rent strikers met to elect their committee. Rent strikers will meet representatives from Nuspor to make their demands clear: drop the above guideline rent increase and do the repairs now. They have agreed

Michael & Marsha Lax: Drop the AGI at 1251 King, Do the Repairs Now!

Posted on: February 20, 2018 /

Categories: Uncategorised

Over the long weekend flyers were delivered to Michael and Marsha Lax’s neighbours in their Bathurst and Sheppard-area neighbourhood. More flyers appeared in the area of Bnei Akiva schools where Michael Lax sits on the Board of Directors. Today Metro Newspaper profiles three rent strikers from 1251 King. These are three of the dozens of

Parkdale Rent Strikers to Michael Lax: Your Eviction Notices Don’t Intimidate Us

Posted on: February 13, 2018 /

Categories: Uncategorised

Michael Lax, landlord and director of Nuspor Investments, has sent eviction notices to the rent strikers at 1251 King. On Sunday night rent strikers met and unanimously agreed to continue to withhold their rent until Michael Lax drops his application for a rent increase above the guideline at the building. The rent strikers are not

New Video: Parkdale Rent Strike – Round 2

Posted on: February 6, 2018 /

Categories: Uncategorised

In press coverage of our struggle, you’ll often see that predatory landlords, poor living conditions and hardship are the focus. Reporters interview talking heads from government-funded organizations that have nothing to do with our organizing. In this and other videos from Sub.Media you will see what the story of Parkdale is really about. This is

1251 King Rent Strikers Hold Firm at Tribunal

Posted on: February 2, 2018 /

Categories: Uncategorised

Tenants from 1251 King held firm on their demand that Nuspor drop an above guideline rent increase that aims to pass off the costs of a $296,935 lobby renovation, as well as over $35,000 of other costs, on to the tenants. A trial date will be set as a result. Today was in no way

Parkdale Teachers Support Rent Strike!

Posted on: January 30, 2018 /

Categories: Uncategorised

Teachers at Queen Victoria Public School in Parkdale will protest in support of rent strikers at 1251 King on Thursday morning. Many students at Queen Vic live at 1251 King. Their teachers support them and their parents on rent strike. Teachers demand Nuspor drop the above guideline rent increase and do the repairs now! What: Parkdale Teachers’ Protest

February 1 Rent Strike at 1251 King

Posted on: January 24, 2018 /

Categories: Uncategorised

Nuspor Investments: Drop the rent increase now! Tonight, at a meeting called by the building committee at 1251 King, tenants committed in numbers to going on rent strike February 1. The tenants demand their landlord, Nuspor Investments, drop the above guideline rent increase at the building now. In an attempt to intimidate tenants, Nuspor hired

Tenants at 1251 King Visit Nuspor Investments

Posted on: January 17, 2018 /

Categories: Uncategorised

This morning a group of our neighbours from 1251 King, along with members of Parkdale Organize, travelled together from Parkdale to the uptown offices of the landlord, Nuspor Investments. We came to demand Nuspor drop the above guideline rent increase at the building. We also brought a stack of requests for repairs that have gone

Tenants Organize Against Rent Increase at 1251 King West

Posted on: December 21, 2017 /

Categories: Uncategorised

Our neighbours at 1251 King are beginning to organize against an above guideline rent increase at their building. Their landlord, Nuspor Investments, is trying to raise the rent way above the guideline to make tenants pay for cosmetic renovations to the lobby and hallways. Meanwhile, the landlord ignores problems in units and expects our neighbours

This Is Parkdale, Vol. 2, Issue 2: “Gentrification” is the Tip of the Iceberg

Posted on: December 18, 2017 /

Categories: Uncategorised

Download PDF here “GENTRIFICATION” IS THE TIP OF THE ICEBERG It seems like everyone nowadays is talking about ‘gentrification’ in the neighbourhood, especially now that two condo towers are slated to go up at King and Dufferin. Parkdale Organize agrees that gentrification is a real problem. We don’t necessarily agree with everyone about what gentrification

Victory: Food Terminal Workers Union Wins First Contract

Posted on: November 18, 2017 /

Categories: Uncategorised

From our neighbours who work at the Ontario Food Terminal: We have just returned from signing the contract. All of us voted yes on the proposals. Everyone is happy with what we have and we are looking forward to returning to work tomorrow, after almost two weeks on strike. For all of us, this is

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