The London Project for a Participatory Society ~Presents~ 2008 Speaker Series

Submitted by Jeff P. on February 12, 2008 - 1:05pm.

tags:

Lectures or Info sessions

Start: Feb 22 2008 - 7:00pm

End: Feb 22 2008 - 9:00pm

Location:
Central Library - 251 Dundas St. (Stevenson and Hunt Room) Description:

Friday 22 February, 2008, 7-9pm

The first evening of the 2008 LPPS speaker series.

We are thrilled to announce - John Clarke of the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty and Justin Podur, professor at York University, long time activist and author, will be speaking on our "Right to the City": Taking Back Our City from the developers, landlords and corporations that now dominate decisions that affect us all.

This event is co-sponsored by UWO Public Interest Research Group

Refreshments will be available

front page vote would be much obliged. :)

Location:

Central Library - 251 Dundas St. (Stevenson and Hunt Room)

Description:

Friday 22 February, 2008, 7-9pm

The first evening of the 2008 LPPS speaker series.

This event is co-sponsored by UWO Public Interest Research Group

Refreshments will be available

front page vote would be much obliged. :)

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rad

Submitted by amelia d on February 15, 2008 - 11:42am.

yeah I was born in the 70s and we said 'rad' (mostly in the 90s)

I am looking forward to this event!! Londoners: these issues affect you, please come out and get the tools you need to understand the context in which you and I live. Lanlords and corporations in London continually take advantage of us (esp. the poor) and we need knowledge and understanding of how to fight back.

right now the apt. I was renting has no heat. the city of london sent an official to measure the temp. in there and its 15 celsius. the landlord has not even answered the city's request to turn the heat on in the place. the city actually doesn't have much power to go against landlords, and as a result we have to affect change ourselves.

see you there.

No Power, or No Will?

Submitted by Greg Fowler on February 17, 2008 - 7:02pm.

Who told you that the city has no power? When I experienced a similar problem, I went through a lot of trouble getting the city's manager of bylaw enforcement to act, but they finally bent to the pressure I put on them (and city politicians). Are you still living in that situation?

London's 'Vital Services' bylaw mandates that a landlord maintain the following temperatures between Sept 15 - June 15:

0600am - 1100pm ..... 20C/68F

1100pm - 0600am ..... 18C/65F

Under this bylaw, the city DOES have the authority to order the landlord to provide that amount of heat. If the landlord does not comply, the city DOES have the authority to arrange for the heat to be provided and then recoup the cost (plus 10%) from the landlord by adding it to the tax bill and/or have the tenant(s) pay their rent to the city instead of the landlord.

In addition to the city bylaw, it is also a violation of the new Residential Tenancies Act to withold a vital service, and you are entitled to file a complaint with The Landlord And Tenant Board (150 Dufferin Avenue, Suite 400; 1-888-377-8813).

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From My Bottom Step
personal opinion from the perspective of a London, Ontario community activist

advice for those without heat

Submitted by amelia d on February 17, 2008 - 11:15pm.

thanks greg,

I made the mistake of telling the city officials that I have a place to stay, where I am paying some rent, while there has been no heat in my place for 7 weeks (where I have paid all my rent but am moving out in 2 weeks). I think what happened was they don't really consider the inconvenience of me having my life completely disrupted an emergency if I have a place to stay. I am going to city hall tuesday morning to get something done. everyone has been very nice of course but its been weeks since I first contacted them and nothing has been done. I will definatley file a complaint with the landlord tennant board about JEAN MONTEITH one of London's slumlords.

Justin Podur

Submitted by Anthony V on February 15, 2008 - 11:33am.

Justin Podur is a writer and editor for ZNet (www.zmag.org), part of Z Communications, an alternative media organization dedicated to political analysis and support for movements for social change. He has reported from Haiti, Venezuela, Colombia, Argentina, Brazil, Israel/Palestine, and Mexico. He has also written on South Asia and North America. He has written for Z Magazine, Frontline (India), New Politics, New Left Review, rabble.ca, and other publications and is part of the Pueblos en Camino collective (www.en-camino.org). He runs a blog (www.killingtrain.com). He is based in Toronto.

John Clarke

Submitted by Anthony V on February 15, 2008 - 11:32am.

John Clarke is a Canadian political activist and the founder and leading figure of the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty. Originally from Britain, Clarke moved to London, Ontario in the 1980s where he was a factory worker. Upon becoming unemployed he founded the Unemployed Workers Union which ultimately led to the creation of OCAP.
The Ontario Coalition Against Poverty (www.ocap.ca) is a grassroots anti-poverty organization based mainly in the city of Toronto in Ontario, Canada. It combines 'direct action casework', daily collective struggles on behalf of individual constituents for tenant rights, to stop evictions, to stop deportations, to win welfare access, with larger political campaigns to press demands for policy changes.

http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?ItemID=5456

He's Worth a Listen

Submitted by Greg Fowler on February 17, 2008 - 7:08pm.

John has a knack for drawing attention to an issue. I well remember the parade that he led down Oxford Street to Dianne Whiteside's campaign office on Wharncliffe Rd. And regardless of what you may think of John's tactics, he's a very good public speaker and well worth a listen.

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From My Bottom Step
personal opinion from the perspective of a London, Ontario community activist