At noon, on the second Tuesday of every month, just outside the city’s shopping mall in its downtown core, people gather at the steps of the Church of the Holy Trinity, where they read poetry, sing songs, share news and recite names to remember those who have died while homeless in Toronto. At February’s memorial, we heard about the family of Andrew Kinsman’s foray to green spaces and riverbanks, areas where they found homeless men living in tents and under bridges, making friends with those they met and at times, buying them lunch. People who were privileged to have a home joined and searched with and among those who do not have shelter. The search ended when police announced that a man was charged with first degree murder, in his case and in the case of other persons as well. As of press time, the number of murder charges against the one individual is six.

At that memorial, we also learned of Dean Lisowick, also known as “Laser”, who was among that number. He was never reported missing. As a homeless man, there were many present who met and remembered him and spoke about his gentleness, his hard work and his struggle to survive. He paid $400 a month for his share to sleep in a common area in of one his friends’ apartment at Church and Alexander before he disappeared.

At the conclusion of the service, we saw and heard a magnificent excerpt of King Lear with Walter Borden in the title role, with those watching invited to chant, “Oh I have taken too little care of this.” At 10pm on Monday February 12, City Council approved the operating and capital 2018 budget of $11.12 billion that includes funding for an additional 1,000 shelter beds. The Councillor in Ward 20 initiated a permanent shelter that will provide a clean, modern and spacious residence for 90 people in need. We need to find nine more sites. We need to speak up in support of our neighbours, to counter the NIMBYs, and help by identifying possible spaces in our communities or buildings that can help, and not criminalize them.

After we shared a modest lunch and were walking toward the bus stop past the square, we noticed the labyrinth, all covered in snow. The city of Toronto website describes it, “The Toronto Public Labyrinth (formerly the Trinity Square Park Labyrinth) is Toronto’s first outdoor labyrinth in a public park. Designed by Stuart and Mary Bartholomaus from Knoxville, Tennessee. The labyrinth was created out of turf grass, temporarily, but is now constructed out of paving stone. The labyrinth is 77 feet in diameter. It is a copy of the 13th century stone labyrinth at Chartres Cathedral in France.”  In between greetings and discussions with various people about neighbouring bridges, shelters and opening spaces, we made a promise to bring our friends to visit with in this labyrinth when the snow melts and it is good to walk, and meditate through the path.