We Need To Talk About This: Canada’s housing crisis
The Big Question: How do we respond to a broken system that has left the country’s most vulnerable to fend for themselves?”
Speakers:
-Karine-Myrgianie Jean-François, Director of Operations and Projects at the Dis/Abled Women’s Network of Canada (Montreal);
-Corey Wyness, Outreach Director/Community Mental Health Worker, CHEW Project (Edmonton)
-Jen St. Denis, Journalist, The Tyee (Vancouver)
The event will be moderated by Geordie Dent, Executive Director, Federation of Metro Tenants’ Associations (Toronto).
Speaker bios:
With a background in law, Karine-Myrgianie Jean-Francois has worked in the community sector in feminist and/or youth-oriented organizations for over 10 years. Born in Tiohtià:ke, this Black queer woman supports minoritized communities in their liberation. She is currently the Director of Operations and Projects at the DisAbled Women’s Network of Canada. (DAWN Canada). This eternal optimist believes in the power of communities and knows that we as folks that are always put at the margin have the power to change our world!
Corey Wyness has been working with Queer youth for over 30 years. He currently is Outreach Director of the C.H.E.W. Project at iSMSS. His passion lies in creating resilience among Queer youth and emerging adults by inspiring hope, creating community and harm reduction. He is often seen as an underdog in his frontline work with Queer communities and believes there are many stories that need to be shared and celebrated. Corey was recently honored with a True Compassion Award from the Lieutenant Governor of Alberta.
Jen St. Denis is a staff writer for The Tyee, an independent news magazine based in Vancouver, where she covers the Downtown Eastside neighbourhood. She previously reported on housing and city politics for CTV News, the Star Vancouver, Metro News and Business in Vancouver. Her work has also appeared in the Toronto Star and the South China Morning Post.
Geordie Dent is the ED of the FMTA and has been a tenant advocate in Indonesia, Norway, Vancouver and Toronto.
RSVP to be sent a zoom link to the meeting on Tuesday afternoon.
Background:
In fall 2018, This Magazine launched WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT THIS, our national talk series! We held talk series events in Vancouver, Calgary, Winnipeg, Halifax, Montreal, and Toronto. Each city featured a different topic ranging from mental health to racism in Canada’s healthcare system and included a diverse range of speakers.
The talk series was on hiatus in 2020, but has just been relaunched. This Magazine is excited to present a series of virtual talk events in 2021. Our event on Tuesday June, 22 at 3:00 p.m. (EST) on Canada's housing crisis is the first event in the relaunched series.
To read more about Canada’s housing crisis check out their current issue: the Housing & Homes issue (May/June 2021).