Those that teach us stay in our memories for many years. I want to share the story of a very influential teacher on my journey in working to end homelessness (and that of many others as well) – Don Heap. I’ve asked some local homeless activists to share their thoughts as well. (Note, he was known as both Dan and Don throughout the years; these will be used interchangeably in the blog).
After several years of declining health, including a heart attack in 2005 and Alzheimer’s, Daniel (Don) Heap passed away April 25th 2014 (en francais).
Don’s influence (on Toronto, Canada and the world) is strong. His son David Heap (a strong activist in his own life) described his father’s passing on Facebook using these words: “Daniel James Macdonnell Heap (aka “Don” or “Dan”, depending on when & how you knew him; also “dad”). September 24, 1925 - April 26, 2014. Pacifist, socialist, worker-priest, Marxist Anglican, trade-unionist, city councillor, member of parliament, civilly disobedient marcher for human rights. Wearer of red shirts, cyclist, paddler of canoes, singer of songs. Advocate for the homeless, for refugees and for peace (among many other causes). Loving comrade in faith and solidarity of Alice Mildred née Boomhour. ((Great) grand) father of a whole bunch. ¡Presente!”
When I first “met” Don in 2000, I had already known of, and encountered, him and his late wife Alice many times before in my travels through the social justice world. We were all members of the Student Christian Movement in university and all had a commitment to living our faith through our actions. Don, an Anglican priest, lived his life fully present in his faith. It was the cornerstone that guided his work and his life’s commitment to creating change in the world.
Don and I had run into each other at various events over the years, like the one pictured below: a 1988 protest in front of the US consulate on University Avenue in Toronto protesting the US-terrorist war against the people of Nicaragua (picture by David Smiley). Don was willing to go to jail and be arrested for his beliefs that violence and war had no place in society. After an arrest (Good Friday, 1999) and conviction for “attempt to commit mischief” in June 2000, for trying to remove the bronze sword from a stone cross at St. Paul’s Anglican Church in Toronto, a judge said, "Pardon my imagery, but you appear to have won this battle and may well win the war."
In 2000 though, I started working as the social justice worker at the Church of the Holy Trinity (HT) in downtown Toronto. Don was an active part of the church’s Social Justice Committee. I’d been “doing homelessness work” for a few years already when I started at HT but Don inspired me to think about what I was doing, why I was doing it and how it connected to my broader worldview and personal belief system.
Brent Patterson, now Political Director for the Council of Canadians, served as the Social Justice Worker at HT right before me. He said, “Dan taught me that it was both urgent and a moral imperative to end homelessness. He made the task both human and holy. He said how serious and deadly the situation was, but made it clear there were answers we just had to work toward. Hope and action could end despair.”
Don spent many years creating change on housing and homelessness from both inside and outside of the “system”. Lee Zaslofsky, who was his Constituency Assistant when Don was MP for Spadina (renamed Trinity-Spadina in 1988), says Don learned what he needed to in order to do his best. “Don did not regard himself as an expert on housing policy. When he was made Housing Critic, in addition to being Immigration Critic, he was worried that he wouldn’t be very good at it. But he did learn quite a bit, and did a good job as Housing Critic.”
Lee adds, “Don taught me what it means to say the words ‘Housing is a right’. He regarded homelessness as a gross injustice, a denial of a human right. That’s why he devoted much of his time (and my time) to working with those who had been fighting for that right for a long time. That’s why he sent me to take part in the work on the coalition that arose after the death of Drina Joubert, who had died because she was homeless. He helped me to understand how our society, with its fixation on housing as an investment, makes it almost impossible to uphold the right to housing for all. Finally, when he [and] Alice decided to move out of their large home and into a co-op nearby, they lived their principles and carefully calculated the price of their house + inflation, and sold it for that price, [to the Homes First Society to provide housing for refugees] without making a profit on their ‘investment’. That’s how you act when you really believe that housing is a right. And Don always insisted on acting on his beliefs, even when it made some people upset. That’s a lesson I’ll never forget.
I worked very closely with Don when he and I, along with a few other members of HT and the Toronto Disaster Relief Committee worked to create a Homeless Memorial (inspired by homelessness activist Bonnie Briggs) at the church. In 2001, I was on the Steering Committee of the Metro Network for Social Justice when we presented Alice and Don with a social justice award for their contributions to the community. It was a packed and sold-out event of over 350 because so many people wanted to celebrate their lives and achievements.
One of my favourite memories is during a political rally. (I attended many with him, this may have been an International Women’s Day march as I remember it was cold and snowy.) Don and I were designated to drop a banner from the bridge that runs between the Sheraton and City Hall. The gate to the bridge was locked; Don jumped it easily despite being in his mid-70s. (I climbed over a little slower!) We then huddled for a couple of hours out of sight, waiting for the march to pass underneath.
We spent our time discussing a variety of political issues of the day, past experiences at events such as this and the connection Don had between his political action and faith (all the while keeping our eyes open for hotel/City Hall security and police). His son Danny recently shared an anecdote in an interview with CBC radio that reminded me of this day. Speaking of growing up in the Heap household he said, "We knew we had to know how to swim, fall gracefully out of a canoe and go limp if you were involved in civil disobedience."
I posed the Ask the Hub question to housing activists in Toronto. Here are their responses:
Cathy Crowe, street nurse and co-founder with Don and 12 others of Toronto Disaster Relief Committee remembers him fondly: “Don taught me that the underlying principles of social justice work have to drive my actions. Tempted to take money from Trillium? He told me to say no to gambling money! A City committee chair wants to criminalize panhandling? He led us to boycott and fight that process! Homeless people illegally squatting on Home Depot land? He enthusiastically supported them helping TDRC provide disaster relief including food, pre-fab houses and Christmas turkeys.” He walked the talk, truly.
Beric German, long-time activist and co-founder of the Toronto Disaster Relief Committee adds, "Don Heap was a heroic Canadian figure. Sometimes he led us, sometimes he was right beside us, and often in his older age he watched our back. People may not recognize them as such, but there are already many statues erected which help people survive and are a tribute to him. In the 1980s he helped to found the Housing Not Hostels Coalition, which came about because of the freezing death of Drina Joubert, a homeless woman. Don even designated the excellent organizer, Lee Zaslofsky to work to get reforms and housing. After protests and a very public inquest 3,000 units of singles housing were erected in Ontario. Also, singles were made eligible for subsidies in housing, which was an even larger reform. Later Don went on to co-found the Toronto Disaster Relief Committee. This led to a large federal funding package which exists for homeless people across Canada.
And even when he was aging and could have relaxed more he ended up in harsh winters on the cold shores of Lake Ontario. There he fought for homes for the people of Tent City. With Don's and others leadership and tenacity these folks were housed and remain in housing today. Yes there are many monuments to our local hero. And as mentioned, they often come in the form of people living a better and dignified life. Many people know of the results of Don's well lived life. Now Don deserves a well earned rest. We will not forget, your statues, and your footprints are everywhere."
Michael Shapcott, Director of Housing and Innovation at the Wellesley Institute says, “Dan Heap was wonderful to be around – and his fierce commitment to peace, social justice, housing and ending homelessness was a wonder to behold. From the shop floor to the streets of Toronto, and from the Council Chambers at Toronto City Hall to the House of Commons in our national Parliament, Dan never let go of a fundamental belief that grew out of his Christian (and decidedly Anglican) faith: Everyone matters and no one should be ignored or left behind. I learned from Dan to carry that basic principle throughout my life. He demanded that employers, governments and even his beloved Anglican Church should meet the highest possible standards and he demonstrated – time and again – the practical dimensions of putting people first. He taught me that a challenge to injustice in the world begins with challenging myself to think smarter, dream bigger and work harder. Thank you, Dan, for leading by example.”
Jon Alexander, TDRC Steering Committee, IT consultant, family friend, says, “Don taught me you should 'walk the walk' - if you believe something or hold a principle, you should live it and live by it. He and Alice surely demonstrated that by the way they opened their home to the whole community, and when they no longer needed the space, they made it available very affordably to those who had needed housing –refugee newcomers."
Matthew Behrens, Writer and Coordinator, Homes not Bombs explains, “Don was part of the declaration of homelessness as a national disaster. He was an early and passionate supporter of Homes not Bombs, because he recognized that the issues of poverty and Canadian militarism are linked. He also had no trouble criticizing the NDP for its failure to recognize this.”
Heap was a strong mentor to Olivia Chow (former Toronto school board trustee, former Toronto city councillor, former MP and now candidate for Mayor of Toronto).
RIP my mentor Dan Heap, a man of peace, equality & justice. A former councillor, MP, a true champion against poverty & homelessness.
— Olivia Chow (@oliviachow) April 26, 2014
Miriam Heap-Lalonde, Don’s granddaughter wrote on Facebook in response to her uncle David’s post: “De cette belle liste, il m'aura, entre autres choses, donné goût à la désobéissance civile, les vélos, les canots, les chansons et le travail de solidarité. Mon grand-père savait s'asseoir par terre pour parler aux enfants et rester debout devant l'injustice." (“From this beautiful list, he gave me, among other things, a taste for civil disobedience, bikes, canoes, songs and solidarity work. My grandfather knew how to sit on the ground to talk to children and how to stand up to injustice.”)
If you’re in Toronto this weekend, a funeral mass and memorial service (with a sing-song to follow) will be held at Church of the Holy Trinity (10 Trinity Square) Sunday, May 4 at 2 pm.