News
As many may already be aware, yesterday afternoon a tent at the County Fair encampment was run over by a truck. We are relieved to hear there were no physical injuries. This news is deeply disturbing, but unfortunately not surprising.
City leadership and the justice system will treat this as an isolated incident by a rogue individual. However, we hope our fellow residents of Thunder Bay will take this time to reflect upon the long and ongoing history of violence against Indigenous and houseless people in this city. This driver's actions, no matter their motivation, exist within the context of rampant anti-Indigenous racism in this city which continues to be condoned through policy decisions. As we know, Barbara Kentner lost her life to a similar act of hate in 2017. This violence stems from the widely held and overt prejudices against Indigenous people in this community. These violent acts are not the exception but a particularly egregious expression of the norm. Addressing this racism requires collective acknowledgement and a collective response. Without truth, there can be no reconciliation.
N1MD will continue to draw attention to the intersecting issues of houselessness and anti-Indigenous racism. Thunder Bay can be a safe and welcoming place for all residents if we continue to collectively hold powerful people and institutions accountable for their roles in enabling and excusing acts of racism and violence.
City leadership and the justice system will treat this as an isolated incident by a rogue individual. However, we hope our fellow residents of Thunder Bay will take this time to reflect upon the long and ongoing history of violence against Indigenous and houseless people in this city. This driver's actions, no matter their motivation, exist within the context of rampant anti-Indigenous racism in this city which continues to be condoned through policy decisions. As we know, Barbara Kentner lost her life to a similar act of hate in 2017. This violence stems from the widely held and overt prejudices against Indigenous people in this community. These violent acts are not the exception but a particularly egregious expression of the norm. Addressing this racism requires collective acknowledgement and a collective response. Without truth, there can be no reconciliation.
N1MD will continue to draw attention to the intersecting issues of houselessness and anti-Indigenous racism. Thunder Bay can be a safe and welcoming place for all residents if we continue to collectively hold powerful people and institutions accountable for their roles in enabling and excusing acts of racism and violence.
Emergency action update: Many community members came out today to ensure that the unhoused individuals using the gas bar site were not displaced and to show the city that a fence is not an acceptable solution.
The fence has been delayed, for now. The city has said they will work with social service agencies to find solutions for the people who've been using the site. They have not confirmed whether it was the phone calls to city council members, the disdain expressed directly to the mayor or today's action at the gas bar that prompted the change in plans but all of these taken together show that this community believes in another way forward and we will not stand idly by as human beings are dehumanized.
Today was also a reminder for the city that the first step in Truth and Reconciliation is truth. We must collectively acknowledge the truth of the ongoing impacts of colonialism, systemic racism and over-policing. There is no shortcut to reconciliation.
We connected with many community members who have been looking out for the people who are using this site and we will continue to keep our eyes on it as well. If these folks are displaced it will become even more difficult to follow-up and provide support and services.
Keep looking after each other - we keep us safe.
The fence has been delayed, for now. The city has said they will work with social service agencies to find solutions for the people who've been using the site. They have not confirmed whether it was the phone calls to city council members, the disdain expressed directly to the mayor or today's action at the gas bar that prompted the change in plans but all of these taken together show that this community believes in another way forward and we will not stand idly by as human beings are dehumanized.
Today was also a reminder for the city that the first step in Truth and Reconciliation is truth. We must collectively acknowledge the truth of the ongoing impacts of colonialism, systemic racism and over-policing. There is no shortcut to reconciliation.
We connected with many community members who have been looking out for the people who are using this site and we will continue to keep our eyes on it as well. If these folks are displaced it will become even more difficult to follow-up and provide support and services.
Keep looking after each other - we keep us safe.
EMERGENCY ACTION:
When: Tomorrow - Friday, October 1st (all day)
Where: County Fair Plaza (gas bar encampments)
Why:
The city has announced that they will be sending in the police to remove people and their makeshift shelters from the abandoned gas bar at County Fair and erecting a fence around it to keep people away. These people will not be provided with alternative housing and will simply be pushed into the woods next to the Plaza for the comfort of business owners. They have cited unsanitary conditions which could be solved with a port-a-potty rental (and the below demands) but have chosen instead to move the issue out of sight and out of mind.
This does not solve anything and the city’s decision to spend tax dollars protecting an abandoned, privately owned property over human lives speaks volumes about their priorities.
We will be showing up to ensure people are safe from the violence of the police and the city's policies. Join us.
When: Tomorrow - Friday, October 1st (all day)
Where: County Fair Plaza (gas bar encampments)
Why:
The city has announced that they will be sending in the police to remove people and their makeshift shelters from the abandoned gas bar at County Fair and erecting a fence around it to keep people away. These people will not be provided with alternative housing and will simply be pushed into the woods next to the Plaza for the comfort of business owners. They have cited unsanitary conditions which could be solved with a port-a-potty rental (and the below demands) but have chosen instead to move the issue out of sight and out of mind.
This does not solve anything and the city’s decision to spend tax dollars protecting an abandoned, privately owned property over human lives speaks volumes about their priorities.
We will be showing up to ensure people are safe from the violence of the police and the city's policies. Join us.
On the Autumnal Equinox (September 22nd) Hospice Northwest is hosting a memorial service to honour the lives of those who have died due to preventable causes and to acknowledge the collective grief of the community. In place of hosting a remembrance event this season, we invite our followers to attend this memorial service.
News Coverage
2021
- 24 June, End policing of public space, group urges, TBNewsWatch
- 23 June, Replacing security with ‘anti-racist grandmothers,’ Thunder Bay group seeks alternatives to funding police, CBC News
- 22 June, Event to question security presence at city hall, TBNewsWatch
- 23 April 2021, ‘What’s at stake here is people’s lives’: Activists call for better pandemic response in Thunder Bay, CBC News
- 4 March 2021, Not One More Death optimistic about city’s response, TBNewsWatch
- 2 March 2021, City responds to Not One More Death proposals, TBNewsWatch
- 9 Feb 2021, Thunder Bay city council hears suggestions for isolation space, free bus, shelter beds, CBC News
- 8 Feb 2021, Council seeks advice on Not One More Death recommendations, TBNewsWatch
- 7 Feb 2021, Group calls for 24/7 bus, other steps to prevent more street deaths, TBNewsWatch
- 6 Feb 2021, Perfect storm of extreme cold, the shelter crisis and COVID-19 has people in Thunder Bay looking for solutions, CBC News
- 4 February 2021, At least five people have died in the streets of Thunder Bay since Christmas. Who’s keeping track? CBC News
2020
- 4 November 2020, Racism killed Barbara Kentner, says Thunder Bay group rallying outside trial of man accused of killing her, CBC News
- 4 November 2020, « Le racisme a tué Barbara Kentner », clame un groupe de manifestants à Thunder Bay, Radio-Canada
- 23 September 2020, Anishinaabe elder calls for end to racism, violence in Thunder Bay, Ont., CBC News
- 23 September 2020, Not One More Death speaks out against violence, racism, and death in city, TBayNewswatch
- 4 August 2020, Police violence, racism must stop, say demonstrators who forced meeting with police in Thunder Bay, Ont., CBC News
- 4 August 2020, Protestors fighting police violence against Indigenous people agree to meeting, TBayNewsWatch
Contact
Email us
notonemoredeath [at] riseup.net
Statement of unity
Not One More Death is a group of Indigenous and non-Indigenous volunteers. Our work is to hold powerful people and institutions in Thunder Bay to account for actions, policies and practices that enact or enable violence against Indigenous, racialized, poor and other criminalized people in the city. This violence may be direct (including police abuses), indirect (including neglect of people in need), or systemic (poverty, lack of access to needed services).
These forms of violence lead Indigenous, racialized, poor and other criminalized people in Thunder Bay to, on average, die prematurely, which is to say, significantly earlier than the average age for the total population. We refuse to accept these murderous conditions. Every life is precious and complex, and every death is complex. But the forces of direct, indirect, and systemic violence are key in causing the premature deaths of Indigenous, racialized, and poor people.
Our group will not rest until these rates of premature death are reduced and eliminated by abolishing the sources of direct, indirect, and systemic violence. Our role in this effort is to act as an independent, grassroots and uncompromised group holding powerful people and institutions to account. We want to contribute to the conditions for all life to thrive.
- We call for gatherings on or near each solstice and equinox for the community to gather and mourn those who have died prematurely, and celebrate life, love and resistance.
- We lead from a place of compassion and care, but also will not fear naming the real causes of premature death and violence in our community with honesty and courage.
- We educate ourselves and the public about issues of direct, indirect, and systemic violence. We recognize we all need to unlearn harmful ways of being in order to move forward and build something new together.
- We organize protests and campaigns to hold powerful people and institutions to account.
- We hold institutions — including police and prisons — accountable for the racist and colonial violence they enact. We do not accept gestures or claims of rehabilitation without transparency and accountability. We believe this is necessary to work towards real safety in our communities.
- We do not accept funding or enter into agreements of any sort with people and institutions we seek to hold to account. Our independence and autonomy are necessary in order to achieve this.
- We operate as a grassroots, non-hierarchical collective, where all decisions are made in a participatory, democratic fashion.
- We want to experiment with and model the new forms of decolonized relationships. We hope these models will inspire the transformation of society.