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Story in Toronto Life – The Good Liar

We have been assisting tenants from 500 Dawes Road and this past summer we worked with our community partners to do more outreach. Karly Wilson, Staff Lawyer from our Housing Law Team, has been working tirelessly to assist tenants facing eviction. She spoke with Toronto Life and is featured in their article on the building and the landlord.

Cessation

Disclaimer: This post provides general legal information only. To have an individualized assessment of your circumstances, please consult with a lawyer. Don Valley Community Legal Services offers free legal advice. Please call our Intake Line at 416-441-1764 ext. 1.
What is cessation?
Cessation is the loss of refugee status in Canada on a finding that a person “voluntarily reavailed themself of the protection of their country of nationality”,

What are the government sources of income available?

There are various sources of income which are administered by the government and you may be available for them depending on your particular situation. The following is a brief overview of some of the common sources of income.
Employment Insurance
If you have been employed or self-employed and lost your job,

Demovictions, design rules, and policy priorities discussed at housing crisis meeting hosted by Beaches-East York MPP

November 23, 2023
By AMARACHI AMADIKE, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Beaches-East York MPP Mary-Margaret McMahon hosted a Community Conversations event aimed at discussing ideas on how to tackle Toronto’s ongoing housing crisis on the night National Housing Day on Tuesday, Nov. 21.
The meeting, Housing in Toronto: How Can We Help?,

Does Rent Control Apply to Me?

By John Wigle, Student-at-Law, and Bhavin Bilimoria, Director of Legal Services, Don Valley Community Legal Services
Question: I have heard that some rental properties in Ontario are exempt from rent control. Is this true?
Answer: Yes, some rental properties in Ontario are exempt from the restrictions on rent increases imposed by the Residential Tenancies Act,

Travel Documents for Those Who Are Not Canadian Citizens

If you are a Canadian citizen, you can apply for a Canadian passport and that is your travel document. If you are not a Canadian citizen and are instead a citizen of another country, and you have a passport from that country, then that passport is your travel document.

The New Normal: A Primer on Demovictions in Ontario

By John Wigle, Student-at-Law, and Bhavin Bilimoria, Director of Legal Services, Don Valley Community Legal Services
Q: My landlord is trying to evict me because they say the building is going to be demolished. Is this allowed?
A: Yes, a landlord is permitted to evict a tenant so that they can demolish the property,

No Demovictions Rally – October 2, 2023

On October 2, 2023, we joined the No Demovictions rally outside City Hall in Toronto. No Demovictions is a group brought together by the Federation of Metro Tenants’ Associations (FMTA) organizing to end demovictions and displacement, and to protect affordable housing.
The three founding buildings were 25 St.

Workplace Accommodations under the Human Rights Code

Human Rights in the Workplace
In Ontario, most employees are protected by a piece of legislation called the Human Rights Code (the “Code”). The Code gives everyone the right to be treated equally at work. This means that employers cannot discriminate against employees on the basis of the following characteristics:

Race
Ancestry
Place of origin
Colour
Ethnic origin
Citizenship
Creed
Sexual orientation
Gender identity
Gender expression
Age
Record of offences
Marital status
Family status
Disability

The right to equal treatment applies to all stages of employment,

If You Are Away from Canada for Too Long You Could Lose Your Permanent Residence

Please note the important words in bold text.
Individuals who immigrate to Canada, but who are not yet citizens (Permanent Residents) do not have an unlimited right to stay in this country.
While citizenship can only be taken away under unusual circumstances, Permanent Resident Status can be revoked for a variety of reasons.