The Downtown East Committee of the Toronto Stop the Cuts network began operating in May 2011. We are a coalition of community groups and concerned neighbours, including residents and service providers. Ford’s agenda of cuts would be of particular harm Toronto’s downtown east; the corridor bounded by the lake to the south and Bloor to the north has one of the highest concentrations of poverty and homelessness in the nation, coupled with a large population of migrant peoples new to Canada. With Ford and his cronies vowing to slash shelter space, newcomer’s services and city subsidized daycare, among other valued services, we knew our community had to mobilize to stop what is, in effect, a direct attack on our neighbourhood and the people who live in it. Fortunately, the strong ties several of our members have in the neighbourhood, along with OCAP’s longstanding visibility in the community, situate us well to mobilize to fight these cuts.
For more information on getting involved, or to find out when our next meeting is, please contact: TorontoDTE@gmail.com