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On December 12th Toronto's Underground shopping mall, the PATH, will be center stage, not for it's Christmas decoration or shopping sales, but as the locale for a protest bringing the homeless to the heart of Toronto's financial district. They will panhandle in the PATH.

The goal is to bring awareness to the serious issues of homelessness and poverty in Toronto. We at The Toronto Tribune asked TD Canada Trust, Cadillac Fairview and Downtown Toronto BIA to respond to these serious issues OCAP has and will raise through their planned action.

Gaetan Heroux of OCAP explained the impetus behind the planned events on December 12th, "it's connected to the latest attacks by some of Toronto's city councilors calling for a total ban on panhandling. Toronto's PATH is the world's largest shopping mall. These are issues of poverty we're bringing forth: shelter and begging on our streets. We are not advocating a campaign that people have a right to panhandle but unless these issues are addressed any attempts to deal with poverty won't last."

Gaetan Heroux went on to say, "the response of the city is to criminalize peoples with the Streets to Homes Program of 2005 and various police policies."

From OCAP's website, "Huge cuts to social programs and a desperate lack of affordable housing have fueled a crisis of homelessness in Toronto. Instead of meeting the needs of the homeless, those in power are looking to drive them out. Hostels have been closed and people forced onto the streets to beg. Then, police are used to harass and criminalize people trying to survive.

"It is the developers, the major merchants and suchlike who press for a policy of sweeping homeless people under the rug. They don’t want their money making to be interrupted by destitute people seeking the basic necessities of life. OCAP is organizing to stand up to this process of harassment. We are bringing homeless people and those who support them to panhandle in the very heart of the commercial showpiece they seek to drive people from.

"No doubt, attempts will be made to portray our mass panhandle as something people should feel threatened by. We want to make clear that our anger at the injustices homeless people face is not directed against ordinary people eating or shopping in the Path. We will ask you for some change if you wish to give it and we will ask for your support and understanding of the situation facing the homeless."

How would the possible targeted businesses respond to the issue of poverty? The protest begins at 11 a.m. with a breakfast for the homeless in the park located in the King & Bay areas between the imposing TD Bank towers. The Toronto Tribune contacted TD Bank to get their reaction to the issues raised by OCAP. TD's concern: the name on a deed. A piece of paper won't feed the homeless, pay rent, buy clothing but it was TD Bank's first and emphatic response to the issue of poverty in Toronto.

It's not on our Property: TD Canada Trust's Response to Poverty Issues

The Toronto Tribune called TD Canada Trust to find out what the bank had to say about these issues. Kelly Hechler, spokesperson for TD Bank, upon learning of the proposed panhandle to bring awareness to poverty issues in Toronto responded, "Contact Cadillac Fairview, because it's their park it's not ours. So it's their property that this is happening on. It's not ours."

The Toronto Tribune reminded Kelly Hechler, that likely OCAP would take the protest through the TD Bank buildings. Undeterred Kelly Hechler focused on the name on a deed, not the issues of poverty, "There are lots of tenants in these buildings, so it's probably better just to talk to Cadillac Fairview about it." Kelly Hechler was asked if TD Bank was unwilling to comment on issues of poverty she responded, "I'm telling you they are not coming through our property." We then asked Kelly Hechler what are the profits of TD Bank for 2007. Kelly Hechler replied, "I'm gonna get someone else to get back to you. I'm sure that someone in Corporate will know what this is all about and be able to comment one way or the other for you. I'll let them know that I told you it's not on our property that this is happening...It's not TD Bank's concern."

Poverty is a global concern impacting all of us even TD Bank.

Nick Petter, Corporate Media Spokesperson for TD Bank contacted The Toronto Tribune. It was easy to guess what we'd learn about the billion dollar bank: how much they gave to charity. To his credit Nick Petter, unlike his colleague, Kelly Hechler, listened as we read the issues raised, quoting directly from OCAP's website.

Nick Petter responded, "I don't agree with their [OCAP's] categorization of the view, I can only talk about TD, we have a CEO who is very involved with Habitat for Humanity, we have huge public giving campaigns. That criticism doesn't really seem to apply to us. It doesn't ring true to me. I don't really know the nature of the event, if it's a demonstration or an awareness thing. The only way it would affect TD, there is just a concern to enable customers and employees to conduct their business as usual." Asked if TD would have a problem with the homeless walking through the PATH, Nick Petter replied, "We don't own the PATH. We don't have any view on who should and shouldn't use a public space."

Given TD's second response was to point out their charitable contributions we had to ask "would TD Bank be willing to provide food for the event." It begins with a meal for the homeless in the TD Bank park, the one that doesn't belong to TD Bank.

Nick Petter replied, "I know that the community donations are strategically targeted and it's over $33 million donated in 2006. I'd have to check." He added, "our Economics department has been pushing that debate forward about income gaps and about the effect of poverty and the economic effects of poverty. That's a public discussion that we've really been involved [with]."

TD donated $33 million to charity in 2006. In Toronto in 2007 312 shelter beds were closed. Something isn't working, Nick Petter said in response, "Poverty is a very complicated problem." TD Bank has prepared economic reports on this issue, the bank acknowledges that poverty issues "need to be addressed in a smarter way."

Let's look at some other figures : TD Bank Financial Group reported it's net income increased 44 per cent to $1.09 billion in the fourth quarter for 2007. The billion dollar bank can't come up with the funds to provide 1 meal for the homeless. It was our idea and we didn't think TD Bank would feed the homeless on December 12th so we didn't bother to ask OCAP for their reaction to the possibility of TD's largess.

Cadillac Fairview owners of TD Bank's park and the Eaton's Centre didn't return The Toronto Tribune's calls.

Remember Peace on Earth

James L. Robinson, Executive Director, Downtown Yonge Business Improvement Area, responded to the poverty issues raised, “Our position is that our organization supports progressive approaches to addressing poverty in downtown Toronto. We share public concern about issues of homelessness and panhandling. To that end, we are continually committed to working with all parties in the community. We hope that a peaceful approach is taken.” At least he wasn't obsessed with the name on a title deed unlike TD Canada Trust.

The Toronto Tribune plans to attend the December 12th protest. Will the downtown businesses take on the role of the Grinch and prevent the issues being raised before their customers or will the spirit of the season prevail?