Below are the letters we sent to military officials and War Minister John McCallum

 

Homes not Bombs

Because Canada should build homes, not blow them up

PO Box 73620, 509 St. Clair Ave. West

Toronto, ON M6C 1C0

(416) 651-5800, tasc@web.ca

May 30, 2002

ATTENTION: JUNE PARRIS

Moss Park Armoury

c/o June Parris

Dear Friends,

We are writing to introduce ourselves, as we shall be seeing a fair bit of one another over the next little while. Beginning on June 4 at 7 pm, and for many Tuesdays thereafter, we will be gathering at the Armoury for a series of vigils and information leaflets.

Our purpose is simple: we want to see Moss Park turned immediately into a round-the-clock emergency shelter for homeless people, with the goal of having the property be declared surplus and turned over to one of our non-profit associate groups to build housing for the homeless on-site.

As we gather, we are committed in the best sense to a nonviolent presence which will cause no harm to you, the men and women training for war, or to the facility itself.

We have decided to undertake this action as concerned Toronto residents who believe that bold initiatives are needed to end the deadly problems of poverty, underhousing and homelessness in this city. Indeed, you can likely look out your front window and see the tragedy up close on a daily basis.

Toward that end, we would like to set up a meeting with you and the various regiments who train at Moss Park to discuss our proposal to turn the Armoury over the short term into a round-the-clock shelter for the homeless and, in the slightly longer term, permanent affordable housing for those currently forced to live on the streets.

This request for dialogue is one we hope you will undertake seriously. Many of us are peacemakers-in-training in our own right, seeking nonviolent solutions to the conflicts which arise daily around the globe and around the corner. It would be our hope that we could address the troops at Moss Park on the ideas of Gandhi, Christ, Dorothy Day, the suffragists, Martin Luther King, Barbara Deming, Petra Kelly, and so many other truly great peacemakers of our world who've proven you cannot keep the peace with the gun.

We would also like to discuss with you the idea that those currently training for war could be trained to build housing, to construct daycares, to help clean up the environment and prevent further pollution. There are those who would argue that such war training is necessary to preserve the peace, but if violence truly worked, we would have had peace centuries ago.

This proposal does not come out of nowhere. Indeed, a cursory glance at the website for the War Dept. shows that Moss Park is no longer capable of meeting the needs of the Canadian military, and will likely be declared surplus in the next few years.

An October, 2000 War Dept. press release stated "The existing armoury facilities in the Toronto area were built for an army of another era. Poor ventilation and lighting, inadequate classroom and office space, along with inadequate outdoor training and parking facilities all demonstrate an urgent need for renewal." The statement was part of an official explanation for the construction of a consolidated military facility at CFB Downsview.

While we may certainly differ with you on whether or not we should even be training young women and men to use machine guns, assault rifles and grenade launchers in our community, it's clear that Moss Park will likely end up as a surplus property in the years to come.

For the homeless of Toronto to wait another few years for that surplus decision is far too long. Indeed, another few days is too long.

We look forward to meeting you on June 4, and look forward to setting up a time or series of times when we can present our proposal to you and the troops currently training at Moss Park Armoury

We eagerly await your response. As always, our shovels are ready for the ceremonial turning of the ground.

Peace

Homes not Bombs


Homes not Bombs

Because Canada should build homes, not blow them up

PO Box 73620, 509 St. Clair Ave. West

Toronto, ON M6C 1C0

(416) 651-5800, tasc@web.ca

July 30, 2002

ATTENTION: Richard Deslauriers, Robert Wadsworth, Reed Campbell and Kathleen MacEwen

Friends

This is to follow up on previous faxES and phone calls regarding a special request listed in the letter below. We would appreciate hearing from one of you about possibly meeting to discuss these issues. We can be reached at (416) 651-5800.

Peace

Matthew Behrens (original letter below)

June 12, 2002

ATTENTION: Richard Deslauriers, Robert Wadsworth, Reed Campbell and Kathleen MacEwen

Re: Moss Park Armoury

Dear Friends,

We are writing because you are no doubt aware that we have been holding vigils at Moss Park Armoury for the past two weeks in an effort to have the facility transformed into shelter and then permanent housing for the homeless. We wrote three weeks ago to June Parris, but have yet to receive a response, and during our visit on June 4 to the Armoury, were informed that you folks were the best to contact regarding our concerns.

We write with the hope that we may arrange a meeting with you and the various regiments who train at Moss Park to discuss our proposal to turn the Armoury over the short term into a round-the-clock shelter for the homeless and, in the slightly longer term, permanent affordable housing for those currently forced to live on the streets.

We have decided to undertake this action as concerned Toronto residents who believe that bold initiatives are needed to end the deadly problems of poverty, underhousing and homelessness in this city.

This request for dialogue is one we hope you will undertake seriously. Many of us are peacemakers-in-training in our own right, seeking nonviolent solutions to the conflicts which arise daily around the globe and around the corner. It would be our hope that we could address the troops at Moss Park on the ideas of Gandhi, Christ, Dorothy Day, the suffragists, Martin Luther King, Barbara Deming, Petra Kelly, and so many other truly great peacemakers of our world who've proven you cannot keep the peace with the gun.

We would also like to discuss with you the idea that those currently training for war could be trained to build housing, to construct daycares, to help clean up the environment and prevent further pollution. There are those who would argue that the type of war training taking place at Moss Park is necessary to preserve the peace, but if violence truly worked, we would have had peace centuries ago.

This proposal does not come out of nowhere. Indeed, a cursory glance at the website for the War Dept. shows that Moss Park is no longer capable of meeting the needs of the Canadian military, and will likely be declared surplus in the next few years.

An October, 2000 War Dept. press release stated "The existing armoury facilities in the Toronto area were built for an army of another era. Poor ventilation and lighting, inadequate classroom and office space, along with inadequate outdoor training and parking facilities all demonstrate an urgent need for renewal." The statement was part of an official explanation for the construction of a consolidated military facility at CFB Downsview.

While we may certainly differ with you on whether or not we should even be training young women and men to use machine guns, assault rifles and grenade launchers in our community, it's clear that Moss Park will likely end up as a surplus property in the years to come.

For the homeless of Toronto to wait another few years for that surplus decision is far too long. Indeed, another few days is too long.

We look forward to meeting you and to setting up a time or series of times when we can present our proposal to you and the troops currently training at Moss Park Armoury

We eagerly await your response. As always, our shovels are ready for the ceremonial turning of the ground.

Peace

The folks at Homes not Bombs

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