Canadian Civil Liberties Association wins lawsuit against City over shelter system pandemic safety
Posted October 15, 2020 8:33 pm.
The Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA) has won its lawsuit against the City of Toronto after they say the city broke a settlement agreement related to the safety and capacity of Toronto’s shelter system in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
An interim settlement agreement was reached in May after the city agreed to ensure bed spacing in the city’s shelters and respite sites.
The agreement came after a charter application was brought forward challenging shelter and respite centre standards by Sanctuary Ministries of Toronto, Aboriginal Legal Services, Advocacy Centre for Tenants Ontario, Black Legal Action Centre, Canadian Civil Liberties Association, and HIV & AIDS Legal Clinic Ontario.
In June, the city informed the CCLA and partner organizations that it had complied with the terms of the settlement.
However, the CCLA took the city to court in July for failing to meet the terms including: achieving physical distancing within the shelter system as of June 15, making sufficient shelter beds available and addressing questions about weekly reports the city was sending them.
The court found the City was in breach of the Interim Settlement Agreement. Read the full decision below:
Sanctuary v. Toronto Reasons FINAL Signed 2020 Oct 15 by CityNewsToronto on Scribd
