Welcome to the first edition of the Myron Manor Collective Newsletter, where we update you on the progress the collective has made in defending our homes. In the first few weeks since our public campaign got started, our campaign has received media attention, shoutouts from municipal political and grassroots organizations, support from City Councillors, and we have gained over 400 supporters!

Prior to the public launch of the campaign to save our homes, we voiced our opposition to the project and our displacement by sending a letter to the City and Developers signed by 36 residents at Myron Manor. We also collectively made the decision not to fill out the City’s Tenant Needs Survey due to a lack of clarity in the process and concerns about privacy.

The Tenant Needs Survey is part of the City’s Tenant Relocation and Protection Policy for people like us who face being thrown out of their homes for development. But the rezoning for this hotel project is not a done deal! Sending the Tenants Needs Survey to us prior to the rezoning felt like an attempt to push us our of our homes and break our resolve.

Our collective decisions triggered offers of meetings in our lobby with representatives from Nicola Wealth (the Developer), Nestwell (the Tenant Relocation Specialist who was hired for our building), and the City, to discuss the rezoning. On May 13th, tenants from a majority of the suites in the building crowded into our lobby to hold these people to account.

What was striking about this meeting was the lack of understanding from these representatives when they were the ones entering people’s homes and telling them they won’t get services unless they fill out a survey. There was a lot of jargon and we were repeatedly told that our questions for the City would have to be referred to other staff.

What was also striking was how people in the Collective supported each other in their comments and questions. Members spoke fearlessly despite the fact that we are assumed to have no power in the fight to save our homes. We were able to get the City to admit that much of their communication had been misleading up until this point.

The City representative stated plainly what we all know to be true, “this won’t be a lateral move.” We can expect to have to leave Mount Pleasant for worse units at a higher price on the market. The approval of this project will steal from our futures.

The person who came from Nestwell claimed that “No tenants have ever been left to be rehomed at the last minute.” We know from stories of other tenants under the Broadway Plan that this is simply not true.

Nicola Wealth is expecting us to go quietly, but we will stand up against their greed to defend Mount Pleasant!

We appreciate all of your support thus far. Please, share our cause with your friends, family and community. Tell them they can send a letter of support at DefendMountPleasant.ca