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I've been living in public housing in Barrie, Ontario since 2009, under the ownership of the Barrie Municipal Non-Profit Housing Corporation (BMNPHC), also known as Barrie Housing. 

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​When I started running the Fresh Food Weekly program, I started seeing a lot of patterns emerge among rent-geared-to-income (RGI) tenants with Special Priority Status. From what I understand, I'm currently not allowed to talk about the patterns of behaviour by Barrie Housing that I've witnessed since at least 2019. 

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On October 30, 2024, the Honourable Justice V.V. Christie ordered me to stop defaming Barrie Housing until I can prove my claims against them. â€‹

 

On November 5, 2024, Justice V.V. Christie ordered me to pay Barrie Housing $7,500.00 even though Barrie Housing stole from me and still owes me money. This statement isn't defamatory because the evidence of Barrie Housing's overcharges is posted below. Apparently I'm the one who's being unreasonable. This entire thing is so insane. Barrie Housing also told me they intend to strike my defence and counterclaim once I don't pay their $7,500.00 indemnity costs.  â€‹i

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December Newsletter

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December Newsletter
December 1, 2024

Recorded Phone Call & Transcript

Mary-Anne Denny-Lusk

[Link] | April 26, 2022

Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario logo

HRTO Matter 1: Benefit Providers

HRTO Matter 2: Housing Services

Popular documents

Minister's Response
November 15, 2024

Email to MP Brad Vis
November 26, 2024

Created Disadvantages

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[Link] | August 14, 2024

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Barrie Housing Evictions & Deaths Data

Relevant documents

Infographic
November 24, 2024

Data Table
November 24, 2024

This data was acquired through a Municipal Freedom of Information Protection Privacy (MFIPPA) request I submitted to the County of Simcoe in October 2024. 

Even though I requested data for each month of 2020, no data from 2020 was provided. Additionally, some months of data throughout 2021 and 2024 were not included either. 

Data for October to December 2024 did not exist at the time of this MFIPPA request. 

This data shows that Barrie Housing segregates its most vulnerable tenants into three out of their 14 housing projects. Additionally, this data reveals that 43% of tenant deaths occur between July and September, which are the hottest months of the year.

I suspect they do this so they don't have to invest as much money into maintaining these three properties because they believe these tenants don't deserve it. The consequence of this disinvestment is increased mortality rates for tenants who reside at these three locations. This is discrimination at its worst.

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Notice of Motion for Leave to Appeal

Notice of Motion for Leave to Appeal

I'm hoping to appeal Justice V.V. Christie's decision through the Divisional Court in Toronto. The motion for leave to appeal will be heard in writing by a panel of three judges during the week of January 20, 2025.

Relevant documents

Affidavit of Leah Dyck
November 15, 2024

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Factum of the Appellant
November 22, 2024

Motion Record
November 22, 2024

I redacted some parts of the Motion Record because they contain personal information about others (yes, I did have permission to use this evidence, but want to keep these people out of this lawsuit as much as possible). 

Affidavit of Leah Dyck
November 21, 2024

I'm requesting leave to appeal because Justice V.V. Christie didn't read anything I submitted, nor did she hear anything I said to her. The main issue is that Barrie Housing is overcharging their RGI tenants' rent for at least two reasons: 

1. The Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) was paying my rent directly to Barrie Housing, on-and-off for seven years and no one bothered to tell me, so I was also paying my rent. 

2. During the pandemic, there was a period of six to eight months when no one was allowed to physically go to work. During this period, everyone in receipt of any social assistance benefit automatically received the maximum amount possible, even though they weren't eligible. This money was automatically deposited into beneficiaries bank accounts. Now we're paying it back slowly each month (this isn't the problem). Barrie Housing's CEO Mary-Anne Denny-Lusk said in one of her affidavits that this resulted in a rental overpayment: 

Evidence of Overpayments

Through an MFIPPA request, I obtained the list of payments ODSP made directly to Barrie Housing since 2015. This shows that Barrie Overcharged me around $5,000.00. This doesn't include any overpayments that resulted from the increased social assistance I'm now paying back slowly each month. 

Despite being told by Barrie Housing that they'd provide me with a financial breakdown of the overpayment, and despite asking them for this breakdown +10 times now, they refuse. 

Despite telling Justice V.V. Christie this and showing her various MFIPPA requests, she agreed with Barrie Housing's lawyer that I did absolutely nothing to verify my allegations. 

Relevant documents

Tenant Ledger
August 8, 2024

Leah's Payments
October 31, 2024

ODSP Ledger
October 31, 2024

Ledger Notes
October 31, 2024

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Evidence of Overpayments

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Notice of Motion to Dismiss

Notice of Motion to Dismiss

I'm also hoping to have the defamation action launched against me by Barrie Housing dismissed under rule 137.1 of the Courts of Justice Act (CJA). The hearing date is currently set for February 18, 2025, but I've requested an urgent hearing date for this motion to be heard. 

Relevant documents

Notice of Motion to Dismiss
November 29, 2024

Affidavit of Leah Dyck
November 29, 2024

Factum of the Defendant
December 3, 2024

I've redacted some parts of the Motion Record and removed some pages because they contain personal details of innocent bystanders. 

Derivative Action

On Saturday, November 30, 2024, I delivered by email my letter of notice of my intent to prosecute Barrie Housing if they don't bring a derivative action against themselves by December 15, 2024. 

Relevant documents

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Derivative Action

Leah Dyck: Finding the path to food security

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