Home
Search:
1146 feeds
357 categories
0 articles (<24 hours)
29 registered users

Use the Mobile version
Mobile

Follow our Twitter feed

View our Linkpartners
Links

Username:
Password:

Register | Retrieve

Culture


RSS FeedsWinter under the Gardiner: frostbite, frigid weather and the looming threat of eviction
(The Star Books)

 
 

17 march 2019 18:35:09

 
Winter under the Gardiner: frostbite, frigid weather and the looming threat of eviction
(The Star Books)
 


Dan McGilvery spent this winter in a khaki canvas tent under the soaring arches of the Gardiner Expressway.Steps from the glass towers of CityPlace, on a bare patch of land, he staked out a few feet of privacy. He’s among about half a dozen men who camped out near Spadina Ave. and Bathurst St., seeking refuge and camaraderie in a city that doesn’t have space for them.His makeshift shelter became his home — one he was under constant threat of losing. In January, the men were served notices from the city informing them they had 14 days to pack up their personal items or they might be removed. The city said it was due to safety concerns. Advocates argued there was nowhere for them to go, given the abysmal rental vacancy rate and packed shelter system.The deadline passed, but McGilvery stayed. The Star followed him and some of his neighbours over the next six weeks, as they endured snowstorms, frigid temperatures and even a fire — all while fearing the bulldozer would eventually come.This is what their winter was like:Feb. 1 around 2:30 p.m. McGilvery peeks out from behind a blanket draped over his tent on a sunny, cold Friday afternoon. It’s been about three weeks since the city ordered him to leave, and he’s ready — boxes, plastic bags and storage bins lie nearby, filled with his possessions.“I’ve got everything packed already,” he says, to get out fast if the city arrives. “They said they’ll do the cleanup.”He’s spent the last few days in his tent, which is draped in blue tarp, riding out a recent snowstorm and stretch of freezing weather that hit wind chill lows of almost -40 C. It’s a temperature at which meteorologists warn exposed skin could freeze in 10 minutes.There are four tents on the site. A blue and grey one has been left open nearby, and has snow inside. A black jacket with a fur-trimmed hood lies face down on the ground. There’s garbage everywhere — ...


 
8 viewsCategory: Culture > Literature
 
Tanker truck catches fire and triggers explosion in South L.A.
(LA Times Books)
Corey Seager will play opening day for Dodgers, Dave Roberts says
(LA Times Books)
 
 
blog comments powered by Disqus


Copyright © 2008 - 2024 Indigonet Services B.V.. Contact: Tim Hulsen. Read here our privacy notice.
Other websites of Indigonet Services B.V.: Nieuws Vacatures Science Tweets Nachrichten