Relief & Resistance: a Poor Peoples History of East Downtown Toronto

Brunswick Theatre
296 Brunswick Avenue (2nd Floor)
Brunswick & Bloor

In the 19th century East Downtown Toronto was home to several poor houses. By the turn of the century the Cabbagetown slums housed thousands of factory workers employed by rich industrialists. In the 1950’s the area was home to Canada’s largest skid row and during the 1990’s the corner at Dundas/Sherbourne became the site of most militant anti-poverty demos. Toronto’s oldest working class area is now disappearing. How did this happen? How can we fight back? With Gaetan Heroux.