- Mar 202127 March
How 70 Unionized Ottawa Hotel Workers Were Fired
by Ashton Starr Seventy workers at the Sheraton Ottawa Hotel are at risk of losing their jobs, with some already reporting their termination to their union representatives at the Hospitality & Service Trades Union (HSTU) Local 261. The news came to some workers as they received their final paych
- 15 March
Dying During COVID: Where Are the Caregivers?
by Josh Hawley I sat at my dining table on the first day of Fall 2020, on the clock for my job as a teaching assistant, as the indirect midday sunlight cast an uneven filter over my Zoom presence. I strained to keep my face directed at my laptop, but my attention was on my phone and the series of te
- 7 March
Homeless Shelters In The Time Of COVID
by Darren Jerome Roughly one year into COVID, it is difficult to think of anything that has been left untouched. Although some things, regrettably, remain unchanged. The need for homelessness support in our communities is one of them. According to Homeless Hub, on any given day approximately 35,000
- 7 March
Where the Grassroots Meet the Streets: New movements to support Ottawa’s homeless population
By Ashton Starr A group of four volunteers with the Ottawa chapter of Food Not Bombs are loading a van from the Carleton Food Collective’s community kitchen in early February. In the van, the crew loaded up a large cardboard box of premade sandwiches, a bin full of plastic bags of personal hygiene p
- Feb 202115 February
“Rein in the REITs”: Tenants demand action against real estate investment trusts
by Andy Crosby Tenants and activists are beginning to push back against the threat to affordable housing posed by Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs). A series of protests were organized in nine cities across Canada on February 3 to demand the federal government close tax loopholes for REITs. The
- 15 February
Ontario’s Eviction Crisis
by Andy Crosby Eviction hearings have spiked dramatically during the COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario, according to data compiled by tenant and housing rights activists. Keep Your Rent Toronto and Ottawa Eviction Defence are two groups helping tenants fight evictions, as well as documenting thousands of
- 15 February
“A Long Odyssey of Injustice”: French court orders Hassan Diab case to trial
by Josh Lalonde On January 27, a French court of appeal decided that the case of Canadian professor Hassan Diab — accused of involvement in the bombing of a Paris synagogue in 1980 — should go to trial. The decision overturned the 2018 ruling of a lower court dismissing the case against Diab for lac
- Jan 202131 January
Dangerous Police Encounter Leaves Black Youth Traumatized
By Matteo Cimellaro A coalition of anti-black racism organizations have released a list of ten demands following a dangerous incident with Ottawa police that could have taken another racialized Ottawan. Seven young black men were surrounded by police, held at gunpoint, then released without charges.
- 26 January
It Couldn’t Happen Here? Canadians are also prone to hatred and conspiracy theories
By: Tim Kitz/Editorial As we contemplate the shocking (yet unsurprisingly) fascistic mob attack on the US Congress, it’s easy for Canadians to feel a giddy mixture of horror and relief. At least it couldn’t happen here, right? Well… actually… As former Alberta NDP chief of staff Br
- 24 January
Video Games for Leftists
by Ashton Starr As award shows and publications announce their choices for the best video games of 2020, a game’s politics rarely get considered. Yet every video game has implicit politics, whether it’s telling a story about survivors of a post-apocalyptic zombie virus, or a seemingly friendly racco
- 24 January
Organizing Against the Canadian Arms Trade
by Josh Lalonde On January 25, over 200 organizations around the world will participate in a “World Says No to War on Yemen” day of action. This will include groups from Canada — a nation whose reputation for niceness is contradicted by its robust arms trade, which helps fuel conflict around the glo
- Dec 202021 December
More Than Facebook: Mutual Aid Organizing in Ottawa During COVID-19
By Ashton Starr Thousands of people around Ottawa connected on social media to request help and offer assistance to strangers during the first spike of COVID-19 in March, 2020. They were forming COVID-19 support groups, mutual aid networks, and “caremongering” groups. Membership in these Facebook gr
