A Call to Action

When you've spoken out against injustice, and the government has turned a deaf ear what do you do next? This is the dilemma faced by Gaétan Héroux. The Toronto activist leads us through the Dundas/Sherbourne area, one of Toronto's most disadvantaged neighbourhoods. We discover a darker side to Canada's "Queen City" as Héroux exposes the attacks and repression endured by the poor and homeless, whose ranks have been constantly growing since 1998. Eight years ago, Héroux joined the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty (OCAP). Since then, he has loudly denounced the cuts in services and the lack of affordable housing for the people in his neighbourhood. Frustrated by politicians' inertia, he explains why he and his fellow OCAP activists have moved from words to direct action. Noisy demonstrations and squats are the coalition's new modus operandi. From now on, OCAP plans to make waves. One of the best examples of OCAP's new battle plan is its shutdown of a press conference held by federal MP Dennis Mills. OCAP demanded that Mills resign for having reneged on his promise to convert an empty building into social housing. In French with English subtitles.