CONTENTS
CALLS TO ACTION
Keep Free Public WiFi on the TTC!
Toronto is serviced by the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC), a ramshackle network of 2 (and a half) subway lines, increasingly unreliable bus routes, and a few streetcars that crawl along roads choked with car traffic.While the public are kept in suspense regarding the eventual (?) opening date of the Eglinton Crosstown (“Line 5”), and incidents of crime are on the rise, how has the TTC delivered for ordinary Torontonians?
change.org
Take the Pledge to Boycott Indigo
Indigo CEO Heather Reisman, through her HESEG Foundation for Lone Soldiers, helps fund the genocidal violence enacted against Palestinians, and makes her customers unwitting accomplices.Across the country the grassroots campaign is growing to boycott Indigo until money spent at their stores stops supporting the Israeli military.
Every purchase from Indigo enriches Heather Reisman and her husband Gerald Schwartz (who together own 60% of shares in the company), who in turn have been using these profits to operate their charity, the HESEG Foundation for Lone Soldiers. HESEG exists to support the IDF by financially supporting foreign nationals—referred to as “lone soldiers”—to serve in the Israeli military. For example, it funds scholarships for members of the Duvdevan, an undercover commando unit known for disguising itself and blending in with Palestinians in the Occupied Territories to carry out operations. Reisman and Schwartz have funneled nearly $200 million of tax-subsidized dollars into HESEG over the last twenty years, in violation of the Canadian Revenue Agency’s rule against charities funding a foreign military. Reisman and Schwartz receive tax breaks for a “charity” that uses Canadian taxpayers to subsidize genocidal violence.
actionnetwork.org
EVENTS
Ten Days of Awe and Action
When: October 3rd to 12thWe have come together. We are organized. We will not stop organizing until we witness our collective liberation. The United Jewish People’s Order (UJPO), the Jews Say No to Genocide (JSNTG) coalition, Independent Jewish Voices (IJV), IfNotNow Toronto (INN-TO), Showing Up For Racial Justice (SURJ) Toronto, Tikkun Olam (Jewish Social Workers and Therapists for Social Justice), Jewish Faculty Network (JFN) – UofT Chapter, and World Beyond War have partnered to create 10 consecutive days of programming aptly named the 10 Days of Awe & Action.
The 10 Days of Awe & Action begin at the head of the new year and new moon, Rosh Hashonah and Rosh Chodesh, and provide an opportunity for deep introspection about the past year, urging us to rise as better people. We are asking for your action and to strengthen our social justice convictions together.
google.com
Nuclear is Not the Solution
When: October 10th, 10:30amOrganized by the CEDAR project. Featuring M.V. Ramana, University of British Columbia discussing his new book with three CEDAR research assistants at St. Thomas University: Emma Fackenthall, Erin Hurley and Kate Haché.
zoom.us
Health Worker Organizing Meeting
When: October 10th, 6:00pmJoin fellow health workers at our organizing meeting as we develop our collective analysis around the rise of racism and xenophobia in Canada and find windows of opportunity to advance health equity.
We will brainstorm how to have important conversations with our coworkers about healthcare for all, migrant justice, and decent work and move them to take action!
decentworkandhealth.org
Witnessing and Resisting Occupation in the West Bank
When: October 10th, 6pmCome and join a lively and urgent conversation about Palestinian resistance in the West Bank, the impacts of ongoing Israeli occupation and apartheid and what lessons we can learn about our work for a free Palestine.
We are two Canadian born Jews recently returned from a ten-day solidarity shift in Susiya, and in Masafer Yatta in the West Bank in August 2024. More than anything, the activists, youth, families, elders and communities we met in Palestine wanted us to share their experiences in life under Israeli occupation and apartheid to those around us so that they could be known.
zoom.us
Cuba’s Struggle for Independence
When: Thursday October 10th, 7pmWhere: Steelworkers’ Hall, 25 Cecil St.
Take part in our gathering on October 10 to celebrate Cuba’s Independence Day! The day marks the beginning of the nation’s struggle for independence from Spain. Despite its great achievements in healthcare, education and … ; revolutionary socialist Cuba continues to suffer from the brutal, genocidal blockade imposed by the U.S.. In spite of the brutality of imperialist system worldwide; the aspirations for peace, life and sovereignty persist from Havana to Gaza. Attend the event on October 10 to learn about how the resilience of Cuba and Palestine exemplifies the global desire for solidarity and liberation.
forumoncuba.com
Flyering for the Rally to Fix the TTC
When: Friday, October 11th, 5pmWhere: Bathurst Station, meet in front of the main entrance
We have the opportunity right now to transform transit. The Rally to Fix the TTC will show our MPs that we demand investment and commitment to public transit. Help us spread the word and make this rally HUGE! We will be putting flyers in the mailboxes of folks that live near Bathurst station. Join us for this important work!
ttcriders.ca
Gaza Square
When: Every Sunday, 11am to 1pmWhere: 371 Wallace Ave
We’ll be at Gaza square once again this Sunday morning with hot chocolate and coffee, buttons and posters, lawn signs and colourful chalk! Come say hi and meet your fellow neighbours/organizers as we make our presence known and continue to build safety in our community!
Instagram poster
Weekly Phone-zap for Palestine
When: Mondays at 12:30pmWeek after week, we’re keeping the momentum going with our Monday lunchtime zaps.
Our collective action is making waves, but we need to ensure our elected officials continue to feel the pressure until real change happens.
Instagram poster | Register at zoom
Canadian Foreign Policy Hour with Yves Engler
When: Mondays at 6pmJoin author Yves Engler on Mondays for a weekly news roundup and interactive discussion about Canada’s role abroad. This weekly session will delve into the latest developments on subjects ranging from military affairs and Canada’s role in Ukraine to its contribution to Palestinian dispossession, and the exploitation of African resources. Join Yves for a critical take on Canada’s foreign policy. Questions, comments, and criticisms are all welcome.
zoom.us
Vincenzo Pietropaolo: Toronto Through an Activist’s Lens
When: October 15th, 7pmVincenzo Pietropaolo has been a dedicated chronicler of Toronto for more than fifty years.
In 2023, he published a landmark book called Toronto as Community: Fifty Years of Photographs.
The photographs are grouped around 40 short essays that explore Vince’s particular interests and observations, and contextualize the photographs themselves.
mailchi.mp
How to Counter Myths about Homelessness
When: Wednesday, October 16th, 6pmOur city is facing a worsening housing crisis and the toxic drug crisis. To make matters worse, Ford and other conservatives are using harmful myths and misinformation to justify the closure of safe consumption sites and prevent shelters from opening—decisions that hurt everyone.
On Wednesday October 16 join us for an important training session with frontline worker and housing advocate Diana Chan McNally, where she will share how to effectively counter common myths about homelessness and harm reduction. This workshop will provide you with the tools to build understanding, as well as strategies, to combat disinformation.
progresstoronto.ca
Corporations on Climate: Greenwashing or Progress?
When: October 16th, 7pmWhere: Innis Town Hall, 2 Sussex Ave
Climate change has gone mainstream in the corporate world. Companies are racing to build and broadcast their ESG (environmental, social, and governance) credentials. But greenwashing fiascos are innumerable. From the near worthlessness of Verra’s carbon offset credits to HSBC’s false net-zero pronouncements, even the most cautious observer will find it difficult to differentiate the honest actors from the frauds. Critics tell us capitalism itself is anathema to the avoidance of catastrophic climate change and any solution premised on it will fail; but a prominent pro-ESG rejoinder tells us we are simply out of time to change something as fundamental as capitalism before attempting to stave off the worst climate outcomes, so capitalism it must be. Hosting speakers with diverse points of view, this panel will examine how we should understand the value and the role of green capitalism as the climate crisis worsens.
Panelists: Melissa Aronczyk (Rutgers University), Toby Heaps (Corporate Knights), and John Woodside (National Observer), Moderator: Alison Mountz.
utsc.utoronto.ca
OFL – The Ontario We Need
When: Wed, Oct 16th, 7pmEmergency room closures. Overcrowded classrooms. The Greenbelt land give-away. Unprecedented corruption allegations. It’s time to put an end to the Doug Ford free-for-all.
The OFL is capping off their 11-city town hall tour with a virtual province-wide rally to build the Ontario we need.
ofl.ca
Rally to Fix the TTC
When: Thursday, October 17, 5pmWhere: Ed and Anne Mirvish Parkette (Outside Bathurst Station)
Are you tired of waiting? How many times has a delay made you late? Or a shutdown ruined your plans? You deserve transit you can rely on. We are asking the federal government to speed up investments in public transit for a faster, safer, more dependable TTC! We have the opportunity right now to transform transit.
ttcriders.ca
How to Unionize Your Workplace
When: November 2-3Having problems at work and are not sure what to do? Have you heard about unions and want to know how to get started? Do you lack the confidence to talk to your coworkers about forming a union? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then the How to Unionize Your Workplace course is for you!
Over two days participants will learn what it takes to go from zero organization at work to a functioning committee of coworkers that can take on the boss and win! Together we will learn and practice the ideas, methods, and skills necessary to build power at work. The course will also feature a general discussion of unions: strengths and weaknesses, potential and limits, and why organizing at work should still matter for those who want a better world.
docs.google.com
ARTICLES
To Build Solidarity with Palestine, Labour Movement must look to the past
By Chris WebbThe South African anti-apartheid movement of the 1970s and 80s serves as a significant source of inspiration for Palestine solidarity activists today. The reasons for this are hardly surprising; the movement was widely successful in pushing for sanctions and divestment at multiple levels of government, in business and across civil society. Less attention, however, is paid to exactly how this movement was so successful, what strategies and tactics it employed, and how these might be adapted by labour activists organizing around Palestine today.
Source: The Bullet No. 3046
100% Tariffs on China’s EVs: Is this Canada’s “Just Transition”?
The Liberal government recently imposed a 100 percent tariff on Chinese-made electric vehicles (EVs). What‘s at stake in this move? Is this simply another attempt to cozy up to America‘s new cold war against China? Is it an attempt to gain support from autoworkers in the leadup to the next federal election? EVs may not be the only answer to the climate catastrophe we face today, but are they part of the solution? Panelists discuss Canada-China relations and the environment.Source: LeftStreamed
One Year of Genocide, One Year of Resistance
This October marks one year since Palestinian people in Gaza showed the world that they will continue to resist their continued displacement and dispossession by their colonizer. As we approach the one year mark of Israel’s genocide on Gaza, we salute the Palestinian people’s steadfastness and resistance. The people of Toronto marched in the streets on October 5th starting at Yonge and Dundas Square, for this international day of action!Source: LeftStreamed