LIFE Rally Oshawa safe at Memorial Park

By Chris Jones/The Oshawa Express

John E. Walker of LIFE Rally Oshawa was given a warning that he would be charged if he continued to give out food to the needy at Memorial Park.

Walker and his organization make approximately 200 meals a day every day to hand out to Oshawa’s homeless population in Memorial Park. They’ve been doing so since the middle of March when the COVID-19 pandemic hit Oshawa.

Recently, Walker took to social media to express his displeasure after he was told he could no longer serve food to the homeless at the park without a city permit. To continue doing so would result in charges from local bylaw officers.

However, after his plight became public knowledge, Ward 5 City and Regional Councillor Brian Nicholson went to city staff and encouraged them to hold off on the charges.

Speaking with The Oshawa Express, Walker says these issues with the city have been going on for a while.

“This was the fourth time the city came and gave me ultimatums about serving food here to those in need,” explains Walker. “I basically said that I don’t feel I need a permit, what’s wrong with feeding a person in need?”

He says when bylaw officers continued to “side-step” around the issue, he told them to come and charge him.

“That’s when the bylaw officer…basically said, “I’m going to have to bring my superior here tomorrow,” and that’s when I made the post online,” he says.

Walker acknowledges he doesn’t blame the bylaw officer and says he was only doing his job.

However, Walker made it clear he would be returning to Memorial Park “regardless of what the city thinks or does” because he believes his group LIFE Rally Oshawa has the right to assemble.

“I feel this is a Charter of Rights issue and we have a right to assemble and they can’t dictate what we’re assembling about either,” he says.

Walker says he was instructed to apply for a permit and have the city request the waiving of all fees.

“It’s $40 for a half a day at the park, and we’re 100 per cent volunteer, we’re 100 per cent donation driven, and we’re just a bunch of individuals helping others,” he says. “Basically we can’t afford even $20 a day because we’re spending that on water alone.”

Walker isn’t alone in his efforts as Ray Bond, the founder of Durham Dignity for the Homeless, and several other groups have come together to ensure they are there seven days a week handing out meals.

Bond says he wants to know who it is at Oshawa City Hall who keeps “throwing a wrench” in their operation, whether it’s staff or council.

“It’s disheartening for our volunteers who spend upwards of seven days a week, and several hours a day preparing and procuring donations,” he says. “We’ve put a lot of work building this infrastructure.”

Councillor Nicholson says the city wants these groups to do one of two things: take out a permit, or ask council to either waive the fee or the permit.

“That’s not been done… so I got staff to agree today they’re not going to enforce the bylaw when there’s either an application for a permit, or an application for a waiver,” he says.

For now Walker and his team will not be charged, and he will be exploring how to approach the issue with the city.