The City of Toronto refused to ever respond to this letter nor to address any of the issues outlined.
August 27, 2001
Dear Mayor Mel Lastman:
RE: City of Toronto, Tenant Defense Fund, grant for 103-105 West Lodge Avenue
I wish to bring to your attention an inaccurate report dated March 31, 2001, submitted to the City by your Tenant Defence Fund Outreach Organizing Team, written by the Federation of Metro Toronto Tenants' Associations.
This report in regards to 103-105 West Lodge Avenue is a lie.
The details of the falsehoods in that report are as follows, where "they" refers in each case to the City of Toronto, Tenant Defence Fund (TDF) Outreach Organizing Team (OOT):
Report, Appendix A:
This appendix claims they "organized/attended meeting for all tenants". The TDF never attended nor organized any tenant meetings in these buildings whatsoever.
It claims they "conducted file review". What does this mean and why were we not aware of it, never mind never involved?
They don't even know the number of units in these buildings, as they say there are 720 but there are in fact 726 units.
Report, Appendix B:
Why are they listing us in this appendix when they had no involvement in our case or the settlement? Is this just a listing of statistics they have compiled, or are they trying to imply they were involved in all these cases?
Report, Appendix G:
This chart says the TDF Outreach Organizing Team (OOT) was involved in the case, and this is blatantly false. Nobody was involved from the TDF for our AGI rent dispute in February 2001, and we never went to divisional court as this appendix claims. What are they talking about?
They also claim that our buildings' tenant association has received a TDF grant. Who received this money and where it has gone? They released this report in March, and it is now August 27, and we have never received anything. (Report, Appendix N)
This section is listed as "Our Heroes - The Volunteers", "The Outreach and Organizing Team would like to salute some of the Tenants who lead the fight this year".
Both of us are listed here, but if they really wanted to "salute" us, then why did they never say it to us, or tell us about this report where they wrote they are saluting us?
We also want to know what they are trying to imply with this section. It calls us all "volunteers" but volunteers of what? I hope they aren't trying to falsely imply that we were their volunteers?
We have submitted all the required papers and made numerous phone calls to both Dan McIntyre, the Tenant Defence Fund Outreach Organizing Team Project Co-ordinator, as well as Karen Cooper, City of Toronto, Manager Housing Programs, and they have completely ignored us.
When we did meet in the beginning with Mr. McIntyre that one time, he told us he was from the "City's Tenant Defence Fund Outreach Organizing Team," and it was only after repeated inquiries, that he reluctantly admitted he is also the Executive Director of the Federation of Metro Tenants' Associations. Is it correct for him to be portraying himself as a city representative?
I would appreciate to know if the City has accepted this report as valid, and whether the contents of such reports are independently verified before publication. Do they contact the people and buildings listed in these reports?
Where is there any real accountabilty on this city project and on the actions of those the city has hired to represent it?
Cordially,
Anna Thaker and John Connor
President, and Executive Committee Member
West Lodge Tenants' Association
1xx West Lodge Avenue, Apt. #xxx
Toronto M6K 2Tx
416-xxx-xxxx
cc: Chris Korwin-Kuczynski, Ward 14, City Councillor
City Clerk, for distribution to all city councillors