Report on Street Health

To read the full report, click here

The report found:

1) Gaetan Heroux’s work for the PAID program over 10 years was exemplary and reflective of best practices in provision of services to homeless and under housed people.

2) The evidence we heard strongly suggests that moving Heroux out of the Street Health Offices was done in response to his support for the Street Health CUPE unionization drive and not for the reasons given by Neighbourhood Link.

3) Moving administrative and follow-up work to the Neighbourhood Link office in Scarborough has and is very likely to continue to negatively affect the clients of the PAID program in the Dundas-Sherbourne neighbourhood.

It recommended:
1. That Neighbourhood Link return the full PAID program back into the Dundas-Sherbourne community by ensuring that the ID worker has an administrative office close to the ID clinics, preferably at Street Health, or at another local agency or organization.

2. That Neighbourhood Link negotiate with Street Health, the worker currently filling the PAID ID Clinic position, Gaetan Heroux, and other agencies in the Dundas-Sherbourne area if necessary, to find a way to return him to his old position, in conjunction with a neighbourhood-based administration office, as recommended in 1. The loss of his work has had significant impact and is evidenced by the comments of interviewees and the ongoing campaign to have him returned to his position, including the signatures of almost 900 service-users and supporters on petitions demanding his reinstatement.

3. That Street Health and Neighbourhood Link facilitate a thorough, community-based investigation into the impact of the move of the PAID program office to 3036 Danforth Avenue.

4. That management at Street Health and Neighbourhood Link work to ensure that the collective bargaining rights of workers are respected and that there is no retaliation against workers for legitimate expressions of support and solidarity for their colleagues’ unionization efforts.