The Thousands of Volunteers who Serve the Needy in Toronto

Patrick Gossage • March 26, 2024

Many Torontonians feel a sense of responsibility to our fellow citizens who suffer from homelessness. They make and serve them meals, give them clothing, and often just talk to them and make them feel less ignored and misunderstood. They also discover that those who don’t have a roof over their heads and carry all they own in a knapsack are not druggies, losers or mad people but a cross section of ordinary folks who have fallen on hard times. For them the housing crisis is a joke. They just want food and a bed in a room with a toilet and shower nearby.

Helping them and getting to know them personally is a life changing experience for these volunteers. It was for me on Monday March 18, my first morning giving out meals and supplies in the basement of Toronto’s Church of the Redeemer whose “Common Table” program was serving its usual 140 meals to a variety of marginalized and homeless men and women.


It’s embarrassing how many people are not housed in this benighted city and meeting them on Bloor Street’s “mink mile” was a revelation. In its tracking of the use of publicly-run shelters, the city calculated that on this cold night over 9,642 individuals used the shelter system – and likely 400 were turned away. That total number does not include beds in organizations like the Scott Mission the Salvation Army or Dixon Hall’s three locations, or those sleeping rough on the street, in TTC vehicles, stairwells or tents. These folk could bring the total of unhoused to over 13,000 – a good sized town. Of that total it’s important you know that over 7,000 are in shelters where men or women sleep tightly packed row-on-row on the floor on mattresses clutching their belongings. It’s a scary and demeaning situation, if only marginally better than sleeping on the street. Little wonder that so many prefer sleeping rough or in tents.


One of my early encounters giving out socks and warm clothing was to a skinny sharp-featured indigenous man who told me proudly that he was off to pitch his tent in a secret but very desirable and “very sunny” location. He also showed me a stump of a pinky finger lost to frostbite. Homelessness takes its toll. An average of 45 under- or unhoused people die each year.


It was a red-letter day for a beaming young indigenous man who had scored a room in a native-run project. Two other strong looking older men were arguing about lawyers in a corner. Another was on his computer which he admitted he had trouble hanging on to in the shelters.


The crowd that day was typical, polite except for one raving man, and thankful for the excellent soup, food-to-go and various items we offered at the clothing room. It was like a restaurant and general store, except everything is free. There even are feminine hygiene products I offered to a sad woman along with deodorant and body cream. Toothpaste and a toothbrush for another guy. And Tylenol in a little plastic envelope for another man. New pants for several men and a used pin striped jacket for another who had a job interview that day. We gave a wide range of items to 29 people that morning.


It’s not just the generosity of volunteers, all 70 off them on rotation that keep this show on the road, but of individuals and companies who donate for the “general store. Clothing and personal items come from the congregation, local clothing drives and individuals dropping off their excess. Church of the Redeemer also get a bi-monthly shipment of new clothing from an organization called Brands for Canada. Proctor and Gamble gave a big donation last fall. The church does purchase some items like underwear, razors, soap and shampoo in the individual hotel-sized packaging. It’s an eye opener to realize that our clientele simply hasn’t the money to buy socks or toiletries. Many are on Ontario’s meagre welfare and those not having an address to receive cheques are able to use the church’s address.


Volunteerism attracts staff from 17 different businesses who come in groups to make the scores of sandwiches which are given out on Thursdays and Fridays. The Common Table is unique in sending out two carts those days with sandwiches and other snacks who deliver directly to homeless on the street or in tents. The Common Table also offers, limited nursing care, legal advice, phone and computer service, a book club and hair cuts. There is a dark room available for people who have been up all night and need a place to catch up on sleep.


The grandaddy of organizations that help the needy and homeless in Toronto is also faith based – the Scott Mission which has been serving Toronto’s most needy for over 80 years. They serve breakfast and lunch (over 300,000 meals last year) and provide overnight accommodation as well as a clothing bank that had over 28,000 visits last year. The Mission also offers laundry and showers. Every year over 1,000 volunteers help deliver these services.


I would be remiss if I did not mention Dixon Hall’s Meals on Wheels which is entirely volunteers driven, all 700 of them who drive around in their own cars delivering meals to isolated seniors - 67,000 meals a year. Many are corporate volunteers from banks and other companies. To be eligible seniors must be living with a disability, a chronic or terminal illness or convalescing. Often the arrival of a meal seven days a week is the nearly the only contact the senior has with another person.


And of course, very much in the news and the provider of needed food to families and individuals is the major national charitable organization – Second Harvest which uses 3,000 volunteers in its Toronto warehouse. The crisis in the GTA for people who cannot afford food and rely on food banks is tragic. One person in ten in Toronto used a food bank in 2023 – a shocking number.


It is reassuring that where there is social need there are volunteers to meet it. I have highlighted the role of people freely giving their time to help lessen food insecurity because it is so widespread and because nobody can be a functioning member of society who is hungry. And we are not a third-world country who cannot produce enough food for our population. In fact, there is a sad irony in how much we waste – to the extent that some homeless men take throwaway food from dumpsters behind restaurants.


There are dozens of organizations who rely on volunteers to make the lives of those who are really needy more livable. They bring hope and dignity where most treat those who have fallen out with scorn and silence. It would be good if more people would consider it a moral duty to offer their time to serving those who are on the margins of society.


Humility is not seen as desirable any longer. But you have to show some to do this kind of work. It may be unfashionable to quote Jesus’ words in the Gospel of Mark but they are appropriate when it comes to the volunteerism these organizations need: “If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all.”


Churchill had this to say about serving others: “We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.”


Patrick Gossage Insider Political Views

Immigration – Too much of a Good Thing

By Patrick Gossage • September 17, 2025
Welcoming newcomers, especially those fleeing wars, has been a widely accepted Canadian virtue. Now, after 25 years of a very open door. there is increasing evidence that we have too much of a good thing. And admittedly, it has been pre-PM Carney Liberal policies which have us in this situation. Where we are now was exemplified by PM Carney recently at the caucus retreat in Edmonton where said recent levels have not been "sustainable" and a more "focused" approach is required. "It's clear that we must improve our overall immigration policies," he said. It had been easy to be caught up in Justin Trudeau’s unabashed enthusiasm for high immigration levels exemplified by his warm personal welcome of the first Syrian refugees in December, 2015. On the fifth anniversary of his memorable event he happily announced: “In the years since, the Government of Canada has worked closely with Canadians, the business community, and civil society to resettle nearly 73,000 Syrian refugees in more than 350 communities across the country.” Few questioned our generosity and thousands of ordinary Canadians sponsored families. But opening our doors wide soon got out of control. In 2021, more than 8.3 million people, or almost one-quarter (23.0%) of the population, were, or had been, a landed immigrant. Canada’s population grew from 38 million to 41.5 million, representing the highest annual population growth rate since the post-war boom of 1957. Immigration now accounts for virtually all of Canada’s net labour force growth. It then became of public concern that temporary residents, including record numbers of temporary workers and foreign students accounted for 3 million of that number. In total, since 2015 we admitted 15 million temporary foreign workers in agriculture, hospitality and some manufacturing and processing jobs. They were seen to be exploited with lower wages and few rights. Foreign students with limits on hours they could work swelled these huge numbers. Inevitably, public support for high immigration levels dramatically flipped, where 58% of Canadians now believe there are too many immigrants being admitted to Canada. An Environics Poll in 2024 showed that f or the first time in a quarter century, a clear majority of Canadians say there is too much immigration, with this view strengthening considerably for the second consecutive year . Canadians’ express concerns about the arrival of so many newcomers contributing to the country’s problems with housing availability and affordability; this view is much more prominent than a year ago. Immigrants placing pressure on public finances, taking jobs from other Canadians, over-population, and insufficient screening are less prominent. Along with rising concerns about immigration levels, an increasing number of Canadians are expressing doubts about who is being admitted to the country and how well they are integrating into Canadian society. The new Carney government took action, gradually reducing permanent resident admissions to 380,000 in 2026 and 365,000 in 2027; introducing caps for temporary residents, including students and workers at 673,650 in 2025, a notable decrease in new international student admissions with only 163,000 new study permits projected for early 2025. This has led to serious financial shortfalls in many post-secondary institutions. There will be a decline in the overall Canadian population in 2025 and 2026 due to the projected outflows of temporary residents.The number of new temporary residents arriving in the country — made up of international students, foreign workers and refugee claimants — declined in the first six months of 2025, compared to the same period last year. These immigration statistics have been closely watched, with critics arguing the Liberal government’s high immigration intake has contributed to Canada’s runaway population growth and is straining the housing market and health-care system. In response, the government slashed the 2025 intakes of new permanent residents by 21 per cent to 395,000; new study permit holders by 10 per cent to 305,900; and new work permit holders by 16 per cent to 367,750. Accommodating the needs of refugees for resettlement and shelter has become a major issue and embarrassment. In the summer of 2023 many asylum seekers in Toronto ended up sleeping on the street. What a way to welcome them to Canada! Since September 2021, the number of refugee claimants housed in Toronto shelters has increased more than tenfold, from 530 per night to a peak of almost 6,500 per night by August 2024. Recently there were about 3,500 refugee claimants in the system, about 40 per cent of all clients. The mayor recently wrote a letter warning that Carney’s government had agreed to cover only 26 per cent of Toronto’s estimated costs for housing asylum seekers in its shelter system this year. Refugees are a federal responsibility, yet reduction in federal support leaves the municipality $107 million short. We still welcome asylum claimants unreservedly. From January-June 2015 over 57,000. The leader of the Official Opposition, Pierre Poilievre, is now determined to make immigration a major political issue. He is calling for a tougher stance, saying he wants to see "very hard caps" on the number of newcomers allowed into the country. Poilievre says the country has struggled to integrate newcomers and he wants to see more people leaving than coming in "while we catch up." "We have millions of people whose permits will expire over the next couple of years, and many of them will leave," he said. "We need more people leaving than coming for the next couple of years. He would scrap the Temporary Foreign workers program altogether. BC Premier David Eby also calls for the end of Canada's temporary foreign worker program — blaming Ottawa's flawed immigration policies for filling up homeless shelters and food banks. "The temporary foreign worker program is not working. It should be cancelled or significantly reformed," Eby said. "We can't have an immigration system that fills up our homeless shelters and our food banks. We can't have an immigration system that outpaces our ability to build schools and housing. And we can't have an immigration program that results in high youth unemployment,“ Despite these concerns, there is a bedrock of strong support for immigration which was manifested recently in Torontonians where over 150 teachers,.labour union members and families organized a noisy counter demonstration against about 50 right wing flag waving Canada Fist anti-immigrant demonstrators. They chanted “there is no space for hate at Christie Pits”, the site of the clash which led to many arrests. Torontonians enjoy the benefits of living, the world’s most multicultural city with its amazing variety of foods and cultures, and daily evidence from immigrants that their children are doing very well, thank you. But we await the end of the hopelessness that is apparently part of the lives of so many new arrivals, particularly refugees, and the needless exploitation of many other newcomers in menial and low paying jobs..

Deciphering the Canada/US tariff wars

By Patrick Gossage • August 12, 2025
1. Negatives - The sad truth about missing the August 1 deadline: Trump on July 31, 2025: ”We haven’t spoken to Canada today. He’s called.” Carney could not get through! Obviously, the President of Mexico did and got a 90 day reprieve. He may speak with Carney this week but clearly the PM’s relationship isn’t what we thought. Trump:: ”(Canda} has been very poorly led….Canda has treated US farmers “very badly” (our apparently untouchable dairy and poultry supply management regime remains a major irritant.). He still believes there is a “huge flow of fentanyl from Canada to the US that has to be stopped.” Trump said earlier he hasn’t “had “a lot of luck with Canada,” and reaching a deal wasn’t a priority for his administration. In addition, Trump intensified his trade war with Canada with A35% tariff just ahead of the August 1 deadline for an agreement, saying it would be "very hard" to make a deal with Canada after it gave its support to Palestinian statehood. “ Ford among others has called all along for a tougher approach and dollar for dollar reciprocal tariffs on US goods coming to Canda – which the White House dislikes claiming only Canada and China are imposing these tariffs. A recent Angus Reid poll suggests the proportion of those advising the PM and his team to “play hardball” has increased, from 63 to 69 per cent of the population compared to mid-July. Recently Carney has prepared us to accept there will be no deal without tariffs. In March he predicted “It is clear that the United States is no longer a reliable partner. It is possible that, with comprehensive negotiations, we will be able to restore some trust, but there will be no turning back,” On August 5 he said the focus now will be to preserve and reinforce CUSMA ahead of next year’s negotiations, adding “There’s a bigger picture there. Sounds like buying time? One journalist’s – Matt Guerny’sjudgment on Carney’s performance: “…the central conceit of the federal election three months ago was that we faced an unprecedented crisis requiring an unprecedented response…The Liberals made the case — and voters agreed — that Carney was the man to lead Canada’s emergency effort….But I will blame Carney for not doing the things that he can do, as fast as he can do them, and that very much includes moving fast enough to harden this country so that we can better withstand geopolitical and economic threats … threats like an erratic and unpredictable U.S. president.”. 2. Positives Government’s plan B: Carney - “Canada, we are in charge of our future. We can build a strong economy that doesn't depend on the United States. We can be masters in our own house.” Bill C5 envisions huge national infrastructure projects: “It’s time to unite this country and invest in nation-building infrastructure on a scale not seen in generations. Major nation-building projects will connect Canada and grow the economy in ways that last for generations, such as the Port of Churchill, hydrogen production in Edmonton, seizing vast solar potential in Cowessess, high-speed rail that starts with Windsor to Québec City, and a trade corridor to Grays Bay in Nunavut, amongst others.” However, we are still wiring for a major project to be green lit under the Build Canada Act. 50% Steel and Aluminum tariffs backfiring: GM and Ford announced billion-dollar losses and Ford’s best-selling aluminum body F150 pickup severely affected by aluminum tariffs. This noted by US Treasury Secretary Scott Bissent: “We will be negotiating with Canada on those.” Canadians deciding to not travel to US -and US alcohol being taken off Liquor Board shelves in provinces (except Sask and Alberta having an impact. This is "worse than tariffs", the boss of Jack Daniel's maker Brown-Forman says. Statistics Canada reporting a "steep decline" in Canadian travel to the U.S., particularly by land, and a -notable, drop in air travel. Big US coverage of impact on business in affected states. Leverage of Canadian rare earths and energy: Canada is a major energy exporter to the United States, particularly for oil, natural gas, and electricity. Canada supplies a significant portion of the US's crude oil, natural gas, and electricity imports. Specifically, Canada provides 60% of the crude oil and close to 100% of the natural gas imported by the U.S. Additionally, Canada supplies 85% of the electricity imported by the U.S. Canadian reciprocal counter tariffs: On March 3 2025 Trudeau announced a slew of retaliatory tariffs on US consumer and other goods entering Canada: Outlining the tiny amounts of Fentanyl crossing the border and investments in enhancing border security, he added : “Canada will not let this unjustified decision go unanswered. Should American tariffs come into effect tonight, Canada will, effective tomorrow, respond with 25 per cent tariffs against $155 billion of American goods – starting with tariffs on $30 billion worth of goods immediately, and tariffs on the remaining $125 billion on American products in 21 days’ time. Our tariffs will remain in place until the U.S. trade action is withdrawn.” August 4 th Carney said he may consider removing some. They have had an immediate impact on Canadian households. Tariffs hitting US consumers Proctor and Gamble announced last week it would raise prices on a wide range of consumer goods. Other manufacturers, from Porsche to Nestle to Adidas have announced the same thing. As have Walmart and Amazon which has raised prices on over 1200 items. Andrew Coyne on one sector Trump cannot control: “The Markets may be nevertheless prove to be Mr. Trump’s most implacable opponents.”
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