ONTARIO - March 24, 2008 - The residents of "Ontario Tent City," a Bushville formerly home to approximately 400 homeless people, were evicted today and their possessions bulldozed. "I have nowhere to go," and "I don't know what I'm gonna do," were the refrains heard over and over. The few residents who were allowed to stay were relocated to a lot across the street from the main settlement to allow for "improvements."
The city government set aside the plot of land, about the size of two city blocks, in October of 2007 in order to provide an alternative to the people that were removed from smaller encampments near the Ontario Museum of History and Art and elsewhere. Since then, awareness of the camp spread through word of mouth and through the reports of print and electronic media. The city provided port-a-potties and trash removal, but the bulk of the resources were provided by volunteers, including church groups, charities, and local activists. Full story: Tent City Residents Evicted, Dwellings Bulldozed by Rockero
Related articles: Tent City residents being evicted Tomorrow, March 24, ACLU to try to intervene by Lady Madonna
AUDIO: Interview with homeless rights activist Mike Dunlap. Part 1: History of Tent City Ontario.| | Part 2: The Eviction. | | Part 3: The Future for Tent City?
Tent City Residents Evicted, Dwellings Bulldozed