April 22 the city of Oshawa bulldozed the community-led Memorial Garden, which stood in downtown Oshawa for nearly two years. Made by unsheltered community members, the memorial originally started to commemorate those lost to the opioid crisis and drug overdoses. It grew to be a community memorial for anyone lost to drug overdoses, suicide, untreated illness or other ails from poverty and capitalism.

There was a rock garden and a board with names of those lost as well as religious/spiritual icons, photographs, cremation ashes and street art. For some, all they had left was their name in the memorial garden. And the city ruthlessly and without warning bulldozed it. Gone are the memories for so many that had nothing else. This is just the latest attack of gentrification against those most marginalized by capitalism. Read More …