Homelessness in TorontoEssay title: Homelessness in TorontoMany individuals would define leisure as time free from paid work, domestic responsibilities, and just about anything that one would not do as part of their daily routine. Time for leisure and time for work are both two separate spheres. The activities which people choose to do on their spare time benefit their own personal interests as well as their satisfactions. While some people may enjoy one activity, others pay not. Leisure is all about personal interests and what people constitute having a good time is all about. Some may say that the process of working class leisure can be seen to contribute their own subordination as well as the reproduction of capitalist class relations. Self-produced patterns of working class leisure can lead to resistance to such reproduction. This leads to social class relations and inequalities, and the fact that it they can never be completely reproduced in the leisure sphere. This film Home Feeling: Struggle for a Community, gives some examples of the role of leisure within a capitalist society dealing with issues such as class inequalities, and how they are different among various societies.
One might define the relations between police and community relations in the Jane and Finch area of Toronto to be very discriminating. The start of the film already gives some insight on the issue which the film is trying to portray. A coloured man’s is being harassed because the police do not think that he has ownership for the van to which he claimed he owned. The police were violating his rights and treating him in an impolite manner simply because of the standard that has been set, claiming that all coloured individuals are violent and dangerous. This is also the case because the film has been recorded in the Jane and Finch area; where people are looked down upon and regarded as dangerous, violent and unemployed.
The video Home Feeling: A struggle for Community covers the lives and individual stories of the residents of the Jane and Finch area, primarily the Indians who make up at least 15% of the immigrants who reside in the area. The residents of the Jane and Finch area have strong feelings against the police who constantly wander their community looking for trouble or trying to cause some of their own. Many blame the police for their frustrations claiming that they feel they have no privacy because they are always being watched. Certain police officers are assigned specific duties to watch over the neighborhood for any suspicions and crime that may occur.
While many people within any given community may feel safe while having police watch over what goes on in the area, you rarely see this type of behavior occur within high-class white communities. While police claim that they are only trying to create better relationships with the Jane and Finch community, many feel that they can not enjoy any of their leisure time because of the fact that they can not do anything without being questioned or watched by the police. Not only is it hard for individuals to feel a sense of belonging and place within a community, but many families feel uncertain about their future and the futures of their children. Coloured people are constantly being discriminated against with the work world. Many employers feel that immigrants can not be trusted to hire as employees, as well as the fact that they are not well educated people. The film looks at one woman who is having trouble finding a job because she is black; she has applied for several jobs over the course of two years and finally, is hired by a company who agrees to pay her $4.50 per hour, not even minimum wage.
Unemployment is said to be the highest amongst women, young people and minorities. Most of them who do have jobs are underpaid as well as have jobs which require no skills or education, allowing for their salary to be low. Living in such a large city, Toronto, one would think that there are thousands of job opportunities available. Local manpower offices continue to receive thousands of people per day whom are seeking employment, however this problem did not seem to be decreasing back then. Minorities were simply looked down upon in the community.
The problem which arises in the Jane and Finch area is that a majority of ones spare time is leisure time. Since much of the community does not work, it is hard for one not to wander about the city and find ways to enjoy their free time. During leisure time, individuals are said to be doing their own thing and taking some time away from their troubles in life, however, the Jane and Finch community feels that their leisure time is limited due to the fact that their actions are constantly being watched by the police and they are always being violated against whether it be on the streets or in their own homes. So a majority of the community do not bother to leave their homes for the simple reason that they will be harassed by the police and questioned
The Jane and Finch Community was very surprised to open a facebook group of their members about the upcoming events happening in their community. We all thought, “What has happened in the Jane and Finch area over the last 2 weeks. Where do I go when this stuff happens”, to which many responded with the thought of not knowing what the future hold. The group was open to anyone who wanted to come and participate but they found out that the event was coming to an end so the group decided to shut the facebook event down so that other people could gather around the events before going on their way back. We really appreciate this, and it’s very apparent when people start being surprised by the actions of these people. This social media action is truly amazing that it is being taken to another level and it shows the community is really on the right path. So without further ado, here is the group’s facebook page.
The Facebook Group
“I am still at it here”,
“There’s a lot going on”
“No matter what people say, I have to stop this”,
“They’re all right about ‘no more policing’. We’re not at a critical moment”
“What’s going on?”
“It’s just plain lazy”.
“You really have no business talking about it”.
“We need to come together to be more peaceful”.
“Do you understand that we are not here to have free reign for the past 72 hours?!”
“Oh boy, that’s ridiculous!”
“I have to step up”
“Yes, we do – and I am here to help you guys out”.
“The only way we can stop it is because this is the last hour of my life”.
If you were in a position to support or defend the Jane and Finch Community you would like to do so by posting a message here that you are a person concerned about the community and their rights if you want them to be. You can also donate to their cause. Some people will decide to support them in order to show others their appreciation by sharing pictures using the hashtag #FreeTheJaneFinch.
All donations will be made to free the Jane and Finch Community, which is the main support group for the community. All donations will also be sent via Facebook and will be kept anonymously. The Jane and Finch Community are also supporting other members of the community.
Thank you for all of the support but we have something that we’ve had to do just so we can do better. The Jane and Finch Community’s facebook is also getting a live video presentation that we’ll be broadcasting later this week. You can tune in and support them as they make sure to watch our free video event tomorrow.
Join us once they arrive at the Jane and Finch Community in the near future to attend the public safety event that takes place on Saturday, October 17th from 6pm to 8pm. If you would