Today, over a dozen Nova Scotia ACORN members and supporters gathered outside 3343 Westerwald Street for our emergency “Rights Before Rubble” Rally, demanding justice for ACORN member Shailagh Benteau and stronger protections for tenants facing demovictions.

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Last week, Shailagh left for work and came home to find nearly half of her building demolished. Her landlord, RC Jane, started tearing the building down before Residential Tenancies had even made a decision on whether Shailagh would be evicted or not. SHAME!

Members made it clear how unacceptable this is, chanting “Shame! Shame! RC Jane!” and demanding accountability for what happened.

Shailagh shared the impact this has had on her life. She is now staying with her parents and commuting 1 hour and 45 minutes each way to work every day, putting her job at risk because she lost her home.

We also saw incredible support from the community. Drivers honked as they passed by, pedestrians stopped to cheer us on and ask questions, and both CBC and Global News came out to cover the action.

At one point, someone even called the police on our rally. But after hearing what had happened to Shailagh, even the officers were shocked by what RC Jane was trying to pull. The rally continued because tenants have every right to organize and fight for our homes!

Members also took action by calling their city councillors right from the rally, demanding they stand up for tenants and affordable housing.

ACORN members are calling for action from RC Jane, HRM, and the Province.  

To RC Jane, we demand:

• Compensate Shailagh for the accommodations and moving costs she should never have had to pay during the three months she was legally entitled to remain in her home.
• Cover the increase in Shailagh’s rent for the next 12 months. It’s the least the company can do after the trauma it has caused.

To HRM, we demand:

• Change demolition permit rules so buildings must be vacant before a demolition permit is issued.
• Pass a Rental Replacement Bylaw, like those in other Canadian cities, to protect affordable housing and prevent tenants from being displaced by redevelopment.

To the Province, we demand:

• Meet with ACORN leaders to address the failures in the Residential Tenancies system and strengthen protections and enforcement so tenants have somewhere to turn when landlords break the law.

Shailagh’s story shows why stronger tenant protections are urgently needed. No one should leave for work and come home to find their home turned into rubble.

Our fight doesn’t end here. Landlords like RC Jane are getting organized, and tenants need to organize too.

Join us at our Tenant Power Picnic on June 23rd from 11AM-2:30PM at Peace and Friendship Park on Hollis Street to meet your neighbours, connect with other renters, and build the people power we need to win stronger tenant protections across Nova Scotia. The more tenants who stand together, the harder it is for landlords and governments to ignore us.

Shailagh’s story could happen to anyone. Together, we can make sure it doesn’t.

When tenants organize, tenants win!