I participated in both Occupy Wall Street in New York and Occupy Montreal over the past two weeks. I also worked as a seasonal journalist for the Hudson/St. Lazare Gazette for an amazing three years. These two things have more in common than some would care to imagine.
But first, some conventional distortions must be challenged. Canadian Finance Minister Jim Flaherty believes the occupations taking place across Canada will simply dissolve. The Canadian economy has weathered the economic storm because of tight banking regulation and progressive income tax, Flaherty argues.
This is deeply misleading. According to data from Statistics Canada, Canadian exposure to foreign trade volatility remains at a record high. Markets are principally tied to the United States and Europe, the two most volatile regions of the world today. Nobody is out of the woods yet.
It is also false to claim that Canada is somehow a model of equality. The gap between the rich and poor is growing faster in Canada than the United States, which is no small feat. This gap is accelerating despite the fact that lower and middle income earners are working up to 17 per cent more days per year than in the 1970s, again according to StatsCan. In other words, the problems addressed by the occupation movement are not unique to our southern neighbour.
Those occupying Montreal are right to point out the gross inequalities in Canadian society. One need only pass through the streets of Parc Extension in eastern Montreal. Roughly one in four people are unemployed there, one of the worst rates in Canada.
Closer to home, the occupation movement shares interesting parallels with off-island communities. That may insult some involved in the occupation movement, who rightly question suburban sprawl and the problems that go with it.
Nevertheless, the great inspiration during my time at the Hudson/St. Lazare Gazette was the people. Communities are incredibly strong in the region. Time and again, powerful interests attempted to force their will upon the community. Time and again, the community organized very effectively and resisted.
Developers tried to uproot woodlands, and the community organized and resisted. Golf clubs with clout tried to create a driveway on a small community street, and the community organized and resisted. Whenever policies ran against the will of the community, people occupied town hall.
Occupiers like myself are called dirty hippies or radicals as a means of dismissing our legitimate concerns. There is an equivalent term for suburban community activists—NIMBYs or “not in my back yard.” These characterizations are false.
Many of the suburban community organizers and activists are not simply protecting their own narrow self-interests. They are fighting to preserve or enhance the kind of society they would like to live in, and they are doing so in the face of immense political and economic power.
Dr. June Irwin’s fight against pesticides and the corporations that produce them is a case-in-point. There are countless others. It is a tiresome and often thankless fight.
At the end of the day, people are struggling for a better ways of living. Families want to preserve the natural environment. People are trying to be less reliant on their cars. Families are conducting their affairs closer to home and buying local produce. The elements of a different society are budding.
The global occupation movement should not be written off. And one thing can be said with certainty: the occupation movement provides a desperately needed chance for people to question conventional beliefs in a public assembly.
Taking a step back like this is critical. The problems that the world faces today are overwhelming. Climate change in particular is having a direct effect on the region. The planet has been neglected for profit, and the dangers are very real.
All young families, youth, teenagers, seniors, community groups and individuals are encouraged to participate or attend the Occupy Montreal events soon in order to judge this movement with their own eyes. Let the youth in particular decide for themselves.
The best time to visit the Montreal occupation is at 5 p.m. weekdays and 1 p.m. weekends, when you will have a chance to participate in the daily General Assembly. The occupation is taking place in Square Victoria in the Financial District, which was renamed the People’s Place this past Saturday. Hope to see you there. It’s time our town halls become the people’s place as well. 

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