Media Release

Public release of shocking video!

"If a picture says a thousand words, this video says many thousands, and it
clearly says open the armouries. After all, the land the Fort York Armoury
sits on was leased by the City of Toronto to the federal government for only
$1 for 100 years.  We need its use now more than ever before."
-- Cathy Crowe, Street Nurse and co-founder of Toronto Disaster Relief
Committee

Media Conference: Tuesday May 21, 2002, 10am, City Hall, Committee Room #3.

There will be a media conference and a public showing of a shocking secret
video taken in a homeless shelter.  The minute long footage shows clear
human rights violations. It exhibits how people are at risk of communicable
diseases such as TB and infestations like scabies and lice and stress
leading to mental health breakdown. Copies of the video will be available to
television stations, and stills will be available for newspapers. Community
leaders will speak at the public showing and press conference. The event
will precede a City Council resolution regarding the opening of the
armouries.

Responses to the video include:

Dr. Stephen Hwang, Population Health Epidemiologist, St. Michael's Hospital:
"clearly a risk to the health of the individuals forced to live in this
situation, and creates conditions that pose a public health risk through the
spread of TB and other infectious diseases."

Dennis Raphael, PhD, Associate Professor of Health Policy and Management,
York University: "this situation is an affront to the dignity of those who
are forced to live in these situations but also to all Torontonians who
value human rights and well-being."

The Most Rev TE Finlay, Archbishop of Toronto: "Canada needs a national
housing strategy. And, until that is in place, shelters must be more
available, safer, cleaner and more respecting of those who need them."

Dominic Agostino, MPP, Liberal Housing Critic: "The conditions depicted on
the video looked more like a refugee camp than what should be found in the
City of Toronto in the year 2002."

Michael Prue, MPP, NDP Housing Critic: "this film portrays a wake-up call to
everyone in our society".

Sara Boyles, Rector, Church of the Holy Trinity: "To know similar things
happen in our city - on our streets and in our shelters is one thing. To see
them in a video is appalling."

John Andras, Vice President, The Rotary Club of Toronto and Vice President,
Research Capital. "I was reminded of pictures showing the lower decks of
slave ships."

For more information, contact:
Toronto Disaster Relief Committee
6 Trinity Square, Toronto, ON M5G 1B1
Phone: 416-599-8372, Fax: 416-599-5445
NEW EMAIL: [log in to unmask]
NEW WEBSITE: www.tdrc.net

Send one line: unsubscribe click4hp to: [log in to unmask] to unsubscribe
See: http://listserv.yorku.ca/archives/click4hp.html to alter your subscription