A few hours later, a crowd of 100 marched to the offices of Revenue Canada in downtown Vancouver in a pre-planned solidarity action. A group of about 50 initially occupied the office. Finance Minister Paul Martin will be announcing this year's budget on February 16. The Toronto Disaster Relief Committee has declared that homelessness in Canada is a national disaster, a resolution endorsed by municipal governments in Toronto, Vancouver and Ottawa. It is estimated that there are 100,000 homeless in the country.
Every Canadian winter sees the death of many homeless people due to exposure.
One lawyer and professor in Toronto has even stated publicly that homeless people are justified, by necessity, in breaking into homes if it gets too cold outside. Four busloads of activists drove in from Toronto, stopping in Kingston to pick up more supporters. Many protesters, and some speakers, were insistent that their demands were not just about more hostels or shelters, institutions that many find corrupt, condescending and degrading. Rather, they emphasized the need for livable incomes and affordable, accessible social housing. One organizer with OCAP broke down in tears as he recounted the death just four days ago of a homeless man in Toronto.