Upcoming events for Aug-Sept 2018

Urgent support needed: overdose prevention in Parkdale

It was devastating to hear the news that the Ministry of Health halted the opening of Parkdale Queen West Community Health Centre’s Overdose Prevention Site (OPS) that was slated to open on August 13th. In addition to the lives being lost and impacted by our current overdose crisis across the city, Parkdale is in the top 10 of all neighbourhoods in the GTA for overdose calls to EMS, and 7 people have died from preventable overdose in the neighbourhood in a 12-day period in early August alone.

Support is needed from Parkdale residents, businesses, and allied organizations by the way of donations to the Toronto Overdose Prevention Society and supplies to the Parkdale Overdose Prevention Site at Beaty Boulevard Park who are looking for water, coffee, hot chocolate, socks, lip balm, and TTC tokens. You can also help by spreading messages of support over social media, writing to media editors, and sending letters in support of the OPS to Christine Elliott (Ontario Minister of Health), and signing this petition started by Parkdale residents.

Fight for $15 & Fairness Organizing Meeting

Tuesday August 28 at 5:30pm-8:00pm at 720 Spadina Avenue

Fight for $15 & Fairness successfully organized for $15 minimum wage legislation and now they want to make sure decent work remains a priority, especially now with Doug Ford as premier. They’re inviting you to join this meeting to find out how to make this happen and what is next in their campaign. Find out more about the meeting and RSVP here!

Book launch: I’m Afraid of Men by Vivek Shraya

Wednesday September 5 at 7:00pm-8:30pm at the Art Gallery of Ontario

Multi-disciplinary artist Vivek Shraya is launching a new non-fiction book, I’m Afraid of Men, which follows her personal journey and experiences surviving and releasing trauma brought on by misogyny, homophobia, and transphobia. Find out all the details of the launch here!

Take Back the Night: Housing Justice for All!

Friday September 14 at 4:00pm-9:30pm at Parkdale Community Legal Services

The 38^th annual Take Back the Night rally is coming up next month, this year calling for housing justice for all and “NO” to gentrification! Take Back the Night will be taking to the streets to demand safe, accessible, and dignified housing for all. The rally centers the voices of survivors of gender-based violence who have no fixed address, and celebrates the strength of those who fight for their basic right to housing.