CANADIAN POLITICS:
SUPPORT OCAP ARESTEES:


Last July 21 11 members of the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty (OCAP) were arrested at a demonstration at the Liberal Party headquarters in Toronto. The cases are now coming to court, and OCAP is asking for solidarity with its members. Here's the story and appeal>>>
OCAPOCAPOCAP
2 Events to support OCAP Arrestees
-This Thursday court support, Fundraiser This Saturday,
Please See Below
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**We would like to also add - that court dates are also coming up for G20 arrests - info about that will be sent out as soon as we have it
1. COURT APPEARANCES FOR OCAP MEMBERS AND ALLIES CHARGED AT LIBERAL HQ JOIN US:
Court Support for Anne and Lenny:
Thursday, August 19th, 9 AM @Old City Hall (60 Queen St. W)
Rally @ Attorney General’s (720 Bay St.):
Monday, August 30th, 9AM

On July 21, during an OCAP rally against the McGuinty Government's cutting of the Special Diet, eleven OCAP members and supporters walked into the offices of the Liberal Party to deliver an 'invoice' outlining how much money is owed to poor people on assistance in this Province. They went to a window, put out a banner and addressed the crowd outside. Police soon arrived and, rather than issue warnings and provide any opportunity for the protesters to leave, they handcuffed them, announced they were under arrest for trespass and that they would be taken to the 52 Division.

One of the people who entered the office, Anne Abbott, uses a wheelchair and had her communication assistant with her, Lenny Olin. Clearly at a loss over how to deal with a disabled person, the police declared their intention to arrest Lenny and 'drop Anne off at a hospital'. When this was obviously strongly objected to by Anne, they decided to give them both summonses to appear in court for trespass and, eventually, released them. In the wake of the G20, where a deaf man was arrested and denied access to an ASL interpreter on the grounds that 'he can read our lips', this episode points to the shocking level of ableism that exists amongst the Police in the City of Toronto.

The remaining nine people were taken to 52 Division. As they were loaded into the police wagon, they were told that the charge was being elevated to mischief. At that point, 'the arresting officers' assumed that the group would be released from the station. At 52, however, detectives informed them that the charge of forcible entry was being added and that everyone would be held overnight because each accused person would need to line up a surety to put up money for them. After more than 24 hours, everyone was released from the courthouse. Only through the efforts of lawyer, Mike Leitold, were we able to prevent massively restrictive bail conditions being imposed.

These charges are a sign of the times. The massive police operation around the G20 was not an isolated development. They are ready for resistance to social cutbacks and austerity and want to silence it. A matter that the cops would have previously dealt with by asking the participants to leave is now the basis for criminal charges that carry two year jail terms.

While one of the ironic expressions of the ableism Anne faced is that she and Lenny are not facing such serious charges, their situation is not at all trivial. The fact that the cops used summonses on them means they run the risk of having serious and restrictive conditions imposed on them if they are convicted.

All eleven people charged will soon make court appearances to set dates for trial. However, the Crown Attorney's office and the Attorney General of Ontario can’t be allowed to drag this matter out and have these severe and ridiculous charges hang over the accused for months still to come. We demand that they be dropped now.

Anne and Lenny have to appear in Old City Hall on Thursday, August 19 at 9.00 AM. The injustices that flow from the treatment Anne and Lenny received are best demonstrated in their own words.
Anne:
"I was truly horrified by the ableist attitudes and actions of the police. First they separated me from my communication assistant, which is against the human rights code. When I objected and indicated that I needed my assistant, they told me "don't worry, we will put you in a hospital." They questioned everybody except me, and I felt they thought I was incapable of giving any valid information. With the examples of the abuse on disabled people during the g20 and my recent experience, it's obvious that ableism is running rampant through the Toronto police."
Lenny:
"The police made it obvious that they don't even think of disabled people as human beings. We were there to draw attention to a provincial government that doesn't think that people deserve to be able to eat, and they responded with harassment and threats that were very blatantly ableist. We will continue to fight together for the rights of all people to live a life free of state violence and harassment, and to live a life where our basic human needs are met."

The other nine defendants are to appear at College Park at 10.00 AM on August 30. However, on behalf of all those facing charges, a rally will beheld at the Attorney General’s office at 9.00 AM to oppose the criminalization of social mobilization and to demand the dropping of these charges.

The threat of jail won’t stop the fight to defend the Special Diet or to oppose other austerity measures. We’ll defend those they try to criminalize and the struggle will continue regardless of their attempts to intimidate and silence it.
Ontario Coalition Against Poverty
http://www.ocap.ca/
416-925-6939
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2. Please join us at a fundraiser hosted by the Latin Solidarity Network and Barrio Nuevo, in support of Ilian Burbano and the 11 Ontario Coalition Against Poverty (OCAP) activists/allies arrested for peacefully protesting cuts to the Special Diet benefit by the McGuinty provincial government.

Express your solidarity and acknowledge the valuable efforts of these activists to serve the community and to further social justice.
August 21, 2010
8pm-Midnight
Live music, spoken word, dj's
Location: 22 Wenderly Drive, Toronto

If you can not attend the event and would still like to donate, please click below. http://www.cupe3393.ca/


Cheques can be made in the name of: CUPE Local 3393 and mailed to:
Att: Judi Snively
CUPE Local 3393 co-president
248 Ossington Ave.
Toronto, ON, M6J 3A2
Indicate "Ilian Burbano legal defence fund" in memo line

CANADIAN POLITICS - ONTARIO:
DAY OF ACTION FOR THE SPECIAL DIET:



This Thursday the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty (OCAP) will be holding a day of action to pressure the Ontario government to keep the 'Special Diet'. Here's the details from OCAP.
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Thursday, May 20th: MPP Day of Action!‏

TELL YOUR LOCAL LIBERAL MPP TO LEAVE THE SPECIAL DIET ALONE AND RAISE THE RATES INSTEAD
Day of Action at Local Members of Provincial Parliament Offices:
Thursday,
May 20th
*See below for a list of confirmed locations*
See below for sample letter to MPP’s
*Email ocap@tao.ca for a copy of the May 20th Flyer (or soon to be uploaded to the website)

The Ontario Coalition Against Poverty (OCAP) is challenging the decision to eliminate the Special Diet for people on welfare and disability. We are demanding this vital benefit be left alone and that the Government Raise the Rates now. Coming out of the momentum of April 15th, we are organizing a series of actions to build up resistance to the attack on the Special Diet.

To ensure that the fight is taken into as many communities as possible, we are calling for a day of action at local Liberal MPPs' offices on Thursday, May 20.

Want to participate on May 20th but don’t know how? Get involved in one of these locations OR organize your own in your area – get in contact with us. Locations that are confirmed so far: *Toronto Centre: 11am on Thursday, May 20th, Meeting @ Gerrard and Parliament (Pigeon Park) Liberal MPP Glen Murray
*Etobicoke North: 11am on Thursday, May 20th, Meeting @ Food Basics at Albion and Thistledown (near Islington) Liberal MPP Shafiq Qaadri’s
*Etobicoke South: 1pm on Thursday, May 20th, Meeting @ 701 Evans Ave (Just south of Sherway Gardens, Queensway and The West Mall ) Liberal Minister of Children and Youth Services and Women’s Issues, Laurel Broten
*Davenport: 4pm on Wednesday, May 19th @ Davenport and Dufferin Delivering messages from the community to Liberal MPP Tony Ruprecht’s Office
*York-West (Jane and Finch): TBA
*St. Pauls: Join Health Providers Against Poverty @ Liberal MPP Dr. Eric Hoskins Offfice TBA *Peel/Brampton: TBA
*St.Catherines: 11am on Thursday, May 20th @ 2 Secord Dr. Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, James Bradley
*Ottawa: 1pm on Thursday, May 20th, Meeting @ Park at the corner of Montreal Rd and Begin St (Vanier) Liberal Minister of Community Social Services: Madeleine Meilleur
*Hamilton: Demonstration on Thursday, June 17th (TBA) +More to come soon!

We leave it up to people to decide the kind of event that is right for them. Some may choose to occupy an office. Some may think it better to rally outside. Others may want to bring a delegation and call for a meeting. Please let us know what ideas you have for ways to drive this issue home at Liberal offices so we can share them with people in other communities.

Whatever tactic you think is possible and works best for you, we are calling on people across this Province to make May 20 a day when the cut to Special Diet is put before the Liberals in a way they can't ignore. The loss of the Special Diet means people will not have a healthy diet. Some will be made homeless, many will suffer ill health and lives will be shortened. We don't just want to protest this attack but intend to defeat it. If you want to be part of this fight back and the May 20th Day of Action, email us at ocap@tao.ca or call us at (416) 925-6939
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*SAMPLE LETTER TO MPP’s May 20th, 2010
Dear Ontario Liberal Member of Provincial Parliament,
We, the members of your community, are disgusted by the decision of your Government on March 25th in the 2010 Provincial Budget to scrap the Special Diet Allowance. The Special Diet is money that people on Welfare (OW) and Disability (ODSP) rely on in order to buy healthy food and pay the rent.For years people have been forced to choose between two essential needs: housing and food, as a direct result of inadequate OW and ODSP rates.

On March 25th, 2010, this Government put forth the most anti-poor budget since Harris in 1995. In cutting the Special Diet you have chosen to be only the 3rd Government in Ontario’s history to CUT Social Assistance. This is a brutal move that will make hundreds of thousands of people hungry, sick, homeless or at risk of being evicted.

In 1995 the Tory Government cut Welfare by 22% and froze Disability rates.Today, that cut in income is equivalent to approximately 55% with inflation and cost of living increase for the last 15 years. The Liberal Government campaigned against the Tories on a platform of ‘Poverty Reduction’ and reversing the Harris cuts. But since 2003, little has been done to account for inflation let alone reverse the Harris cuts, and in fact people on Social Assistance today are worse off than they were in 1995.

This is shameful. Today we have visited your office to say loud and clear: how dare politicians like you knock on doors in this neighborhood, asking for our votes and then take away the money we need to eat and feed our families. It is a disgrace that you can force families to turn to food banks and send kids to bed hungry yet maintain a public office in the very community you are inflicting misery on.

We are here to demand that you give back the Special Diet Allowance immediately, and that you finally reverse the 1995 Harris cut by raising OW and ODSP rates to where people can live with health and dignity.
Sincerely,
Your constituents.

CANADIAN POLITICS-ONTARIO:
MORE PROTESTS AGAINST THE ONTARIO BUDGET:





The recently released Ontario provincial budget is fully in line with the neo-conservative plan of making ordinary people pay for the financial crisis, but there is opposition outside of the political maneuvers in the provincial legislature. Here, from the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty (OCAP) is news of three upcoming events to oppose this attack on poor and working people in Ontario.
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Restore the Special Diet, Raise the Rates!
Upcoming Events.‏
Important Upcoming - please forward far and wide!
1) Poverty and the Provincial Budget Forum:Tuesday, April 6th
2)Public Meeting- Testimony on the Special Diet:Friday, April 9th
3)Raise the Rates - Rally and March on the McGuinty Government:
Thursday, April 15th All details below.
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1) Poverty and the Provincial Budget
Health, Jobs and Resistance
The Ontario 2010 budget, released on March 25th, confirms that the McGuinty government's "poverty reduction" efforts are all pretense. Poor and working people are being forced to pay for the economic crisis. New cuts to social assistance are the most devastating since Mike Harris slashed welfare rates in 1995. We saw this coming and we need to respond. How can welfare recipients, labor unions and social justice activists organize together? Join us for a discussion about current conditions and strategies forward.
Tuesday, April 6
7pm
Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE)
252 Bloor St. West, Room 5260
Featuring:
John Clarke, Organizer with the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty.
Michael Hurley, President of the Ontario Council of Hospital Unions and Vice-President of the Canadian Union of Public Employees, Ontario.
Dr. Roland Wong, Occupational and Community Medicine Physician.
Sponsored by:
Ontario Public Interest Research Group (OPIRG-Toronto)
www.opirgtoronto.org
University of Toronto Health Studies Students' Union
Ontario Coalition Against Poverty (OCAP)
www.ocap.ca
Health Providers Against Poverty
www.healthprovidersagainstpoverty.ca
OISE is an accessible location. For more information about this event, contact OPIRG-Toronto at opirg.toronto@gmail.com .
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?ref=profile&id=525599031#!/event.php?eid=104934856208964
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2)PUBLIC MEETING: Restore the Special Diet, Raise OW/ODSP Rates Now!
Friday, April 9th
6pm @ Parkdale Activity and Recreation Centre
1499 Queen St. W, Toronto
*snacks and drinks to be provided
*childcare to be provided
Are you struggling to make ends meet on OW or ODSP?
Are you angry at the Liberal government for taking away the one thing we had left to try to put food on the table?
Come out to hear testimony, or give testimony, on the importance of the Special Diet money and the need for a total raise in Welfare and ODSP rates.
Ontario Coalition Against Poverty
www.ocap.ca
416-925-6939
__________________________________________________________
3) THE SPECIAL DIET HAS BEEN CUT!
Rally and March on the MGuinty Government
WE DEMAND:
-Raise Welfare and Disability rates by 40% now!
-Stop the attacks: Give us back the Special Diet!
-Defend Public Services
Thursday, April 15th @ 12 Noon
Allan Gardens Park (Sherbourne and Gerrard)
*free meal
*accessibility pick-up @ 11:30 am at south-east corner of Dundas-Yonge


On March 25th, Ontario’s Liberal Government killed the Special Diet in the Provincial Budget. 20% of those on social assistance in Ontario have been getting this vital benefit and will now be thrown into a crisis - robbed of the ability to buy food and pay the rent once again. People on Welfare and Disability live on rates that are shamefully inadequate. Since the 1995 cuts, these rates have been reduced in real terms by more than 40%. For 15 years, people have been forced further into poverty. In slashing the Special Diet now - the government is taking away the one thing that people on Social Assistance had left to try to get-by.


This is the most devastating social cutback since Mike Harris slashed welfare rates in 1995. The Liberal Government has dared to talk about ‘poverty reduction’.


Not only has it cut the Special Diet while huge numbers of people face the impact of an economic crisis, but it has announced that it will increase the rates by 1% at the end of the year. That’s less than inflation and an insulting slap in the face. Governments responded to the economic crisis by giving billions of dollars in bailouts and tax cuts to failed corporations and banks. Now they are looking to get that money back in the way of serious social cutbacks. The Special Diet is an example, but all Public Services are under threat.


If we let the government write our future, it will be bleak. It’s time to challenge this Government and to build a movement to win the right to decent income. We are calling on poor people in Ontario to organize and fight back. We won’t pay for their crisis or their deficit.


We demand the right to a decent income and a future free of poverty.


Raise the Rates by 40% Now!


Join us in this fight: April 9th and April 15th.
Ontario Coalition Against Poverty
www.ocap.ca
416-925-6939

CANADIAN POLITICS- ONTARIO:

OCAP CONFRONTS FINANCE MINISTER ON LIVE TV:

Dwight Duncan, Ontario's Finance Minister, didn't have an easy night of it yesterday. As he was busy selling his snake oil on live TV he was confronted by about 20 protesters from the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty (OCAP) upset about the killing of the 'Special Diet' for poor people in Ontario. What's a politician to do these days if even the sacred ceremony of St. Prevarication is interupted by the heathens ? Here's the story from OCAP.

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OCAP Confronts Duncan for Killing the Special Diet‏
20 people on social assistance, supporters and members of OCAP confronted Dwight Duncan on live television on Thursday evening only hours after the Provincial budget became public. OCAP went face to face with Duncan,yelling 'shame on you' and 'raise the rates now!' in outrage of a 2010 budget that is an attack on poor people.

Duncan, as Finance Minister for McGuinty's Liberals announced the government will cut the special diet over the next few months. 20% of those on social assistance in Ontario had been getting this vital benefit and they will now be thrown into a crisis by a move that will rob them of the ability to buy food and pay the rent. This is the most devastating social cutback since Mike Harris slashed welfare rates in 1995.

The Liberal Government has dared to talk about "poverty reduction". Not only has it cut the Special Diet but, while huge numbers of people face the impact of an economic crisis, it has announced that it will increase the rates by 1% at the end of the year. That's less than inflation and an insulting slap in the face to those struggling on social assistance.

On April 15th we will be marching against the McGuinty Government.Clearly, the question we face in Ontario now is 'who will pay for the economic crisis'. If you’re a bank or big corporation, you get a bail out. If you’re poor, they send you the bill and make you even poorer.

It’s time to challenge this Government’s pretense of trying to deal with poverty and to build a movement to win the right to decent income. In Dalton McGuinty’s Ontario, you work for poverty wages, you live in poverty on welfare or you fight back. Duncan, Meilleur, and McGuinty can expect more confrontations to come.

See pictures here: http://update.ocap.ca/image/tid/43

Ontario Coalition Against Poverty

www.ocap.ca

416-925-6939

CANADIAN POLITICS-ONTARIO:

ANTI POVERTY EVENTS UPCOMING IN TORONTO:

The following notices are from the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty (OCAP).

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Upcoming public meeting:

Organizing to Defend Poor Communities:‏
Organizing to Defend Poor Communities:

Public Meeting

MEAL TO BE SERVED

Friday March 26, 2010 – 6pm

St. Luke's Church – 353 Sherbourne St. (at Carlton)

East Downtown Toronto has a long history of poor people organizing in their communities around poverty. During the depression the unemployed in East Downtown Toronto organized to stop evictions, demanded work or relief, struggled for better hostel conditions, and they fought major battles around free speech.

In the mid 1990’s poor people in East Downtown Toronto organized massive demonstrations against the Harris cuts to social services. During this period poor people in East Downtown Toronto organized to stop cuts to welfare, demanded affordable housing by taking over abandoned buildings, set up special diet clinics in the area so that people on social assistance could get more money to feed themselves and their families, and organized around the gentrification of their neighbourhood.

Today, more and more services are being removed from East Downtown Toronto and the poor are being driven out of the area. The economic crisis and the current national debt will put more pressure on services and on the poor living in East Downtown and other poor neighbourhoods in Toronto over the next few years.

How will people organize themselves today to fight against poverty and to defend neighbourhoods and services? What is the role of social agencies in this struggle? Can poor communities learn from past struggles?

On Friday March 26, community workers, anti-poverty activists, and poor people who live in East Downtown will gather to discuss the various ways in which they can begin to fight for basic needs and services and defend the community. People from other communities will also be invited to share their experiences and struggles in this fight.

FOR MORE INFO, CONTACT

416-760-6579

eastfightback@gmail.com

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Here, also from OCAP are notices of yet more planned meetings and actions in the wake of the provincial decision to axe the 'Special Diet'.

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Province Slashes Special Diet‏
THE SPECIAL DIET HAS BEEN CUT!

GIVE IT BACK AND RAISE WELFARE/DISABILITY RATES BY 40%!

March 25th, 2010

Today, the Provincial Budget has killed the Special Diet and what was the only means that tens of thousands of people in Ontario had to survive has been taken from them. 20% of those on social assistance in Ontario had been getting this vital benefit and they will now be thrown into a crisis by a move that will rob them of the ability to feed themselves and pay the rent. This is the most devastating social cutback since Mike Harris slashed welfare rates in 1995.

The Liberal Government has dared to talk about ‘poverty reduction’. Not only has is cut the Special Diet but, while huge numbers of people face the impact of an economic crisis, it has announced that it will increase the rates by 1% at the end of the year. That’s less than inflation and an insulting extra $10 a month for a single parent with two children!

On April 15th we will be marching against the McGuinty Government. The question we face is ‘who will pay for the economic crisis’. If you’re a bank or big corporation, you get a bail out. If you’re poor, they send you the bill and make you even poorer.

It’s time to challenge this Government’s pretense of trying to deal with poverty and to build a movement to win the right to decent income. In Dalton McGuinty’s Ontario, you work for poverty wages, you live in poverty on welfare or you fight back.

COME OUT!

Public Meeting:

Friday, April 9th @ 6.00 PM

Parkdale Activity and Recreation Centre, 1499 Queen Street West

Rally and March:

Thursday, April 15th 12Noon,

Allan Gardens Park (Sherbourne and Gerrard)

The Ontario Coalition Against Poverty

(416) 925-6939 /

http://www.ocap.ca/

CANADIAN POLITICS ONTARIO:

SUPPORT THE SPECIAL DIET CAMPAIGN:

The following appeal for an upcoming campaign in support of the 'Special Diet' for poor people in Ontario comes from the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty (OCAP). You don't need to be an Ontario resident to participate.

CPCPCPCPCPCPCPCPCP

Mass phone and e-mail:

Meilleur: Hands Off The Special Diet!‏
Meilleur: Hands Off The Special Diet!

Yesterday We Crashed Your Office, Next Week We Will Crash Your Phone Lines

Mass phone/email to save the Special Diet: Tuesday, March 23rd, 2010

The Ontario Government is looking to balance the budget on the backs of the poorest people in the province. They are intending to slash the Special Diet funding, a crucial source of income to 162,000 people in Ontario. This benefit provides up to $250 a month to those on assistance who are suffering health problems. One in five people on assistance rely on this money to be able to eat at all properly. Cutting this money will lead to a massive increase in hunger in the province, evictions, and long term health consequences for people on social assistance.

Since 2005, the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty organized clinics staffed by doctors and nurses who believed that the allowance could provide essential support for people unable to live healthily on current welfare and disability rates. The largest clinic, held on the lawn of Queen’s Park in 2005, signed up 1000 people.

Welfare and disability payments need to be brought back to the levels that they were at before Harris cut welfare in 1995. This requires a 40%increase. Without a raise of that level, the Special Diet funds are the difference between housing and the street. Between sickness and health.

What does losing the Special Diet mean to people's lives?

“There would be no food in the house... there would be a lot of difficulties.” -Ahmed

“I might have to move. My stomach problems will increase because I won't be able to eat as well.” - Marque

“I don't know what I will do if I lose the Special Diet. I might lose my housing. I will definitely have to decide between paying my rent and my health. My condition is greatly affected by diet, if I can't eat healthy food, I get quite a lot sicker. My entire life will be negatively affected if I lose the Special Diet.” -A.J.

“I live on the street and I use the special diet money to buy food because the Salvation Army food is disgusting. I need fresh fruit and vegetables and you'll never see anything like that in the shelter.”-Brian

“They give me $2200. Our rent is $1460. I have 5 kids. Do you think that is enough? We are not saying we need access to luxuries... but at least basic things like food and clothing.” - Khadija

It looks like the provincial government is planning to cancel the special diet. This will mean that thousands of poor people in this province will be pushed into hunger, illness, homelessness and desperation. This is unacceptable – and now is the time to tell your provincial politicians and the City politicians that helped to make this happen. On Tuesday March 23rd, call and email the politicians below.

· Demand that they maintain the Special Diet funding.

· Tell them that they can’t cut costs by attacking those on social assistance and disability support payments.

· Let them know that what is needed is a 40% raise in social assistance rates back to the levels in the mid 1990s.

You can even start now!

Premier Dalton McGuinty

(416) 325-1941

fax at (416) 325-3745.

Dalton.McGuinty@premier.gov.on.ca

Madeleine Meilleur

Minister of Community and Social Services

mmeilleur.mpp@liberal.ola.org

416-325-5225.

Fax 416-325-5191

Janet Davis

Chair of the Council Committee Responsible for Social Services

City of Toronto

Phone: 416-392-4035

councillor_davis@toronto.ca

Fax 416-397-9289

**

Ontario Coalition Against Poverty

10 Britain St.

Toronto, ON

M5A 1R6

416-925-6939

ocap@tao.ca

http://www.ocap.ca/

**