Homelessness and recognition amidst splendour

Toronto and Canada consistently rank among the most livable places in the world. They were and remain two of my homes and when there, I relish every moment of peace, organization and kindness. "Sorry", a Canadian cliche, reigns supreme along with "May I ..." and "Thank you". 

The average price for a home in Toronto recently surpassed 1 million dollars; the song "If I had a Million Dollars" by the Toronto group The Barenaked Ladies needs to be rewritten to account for inflation. The houses and condos are beautiful with shiny windows and tended gardens. Consumers are in heaven with great food and shopping opportunities.

Tucked away behind one downtown Shopping Monolith "The Eaton Centre", stands the small but proudly historic Trinity Church. Trinity acts as a daytime sanctuary for the homeless of downtown Toronto. Each day, volunteers bring homemade food to serve their fellow citizens who happen to be without lodgings. Some have fallen through the cracks of the very good social service programs that Canada provides; others prefer not to live with other people; each person has a story, each person deserves to be acknowledged.

Every second Tuesday of each month, Trinity Church hosts a Memorial for those who have died on the streets of Toronto as a direct result of being homeless. In the last month, five have died; dying on the streets is not only about winter and exposure. During the memorial, people remember the victims and tell stories about their memories. It is a time that they can be recognized. Those remembered this month for passing away in June were: Jamie Patrick Jones, Avtar Sandhu, David Westendorp, Gerrard Murack, and Earl Syvret. A link can be found here.

Toronto and Canada maintain their humanity in spite of or even because of prosperity.