Blanket Coat Project

In the face of another harsh Toronto winter, in the midst of a continuing pandemic an increasing number of people continue to experience houselessness in our city. With little support from municipal government, it falls to us to do all we can to support our neighbours with no option but living outside in freezing weather.

With a background as tailors and garment workers, we thought one thing we could do is make coats! We decided that a blanket coat would be the best option. It is a uniquely Canadian type of coat, worn here for almost 400 years. Designed for practical outdoors living, ours are made of wool and lined with wool for maximum warmth, cut large and paired with a wide wool belt it fits a wide range of body types. It is also of simple construction allowing us to enlist help from home sewists and expand production to make as many as needed. In this effort, we have also created a video guide of how to assemble the coats step-by-step.

Or click here for a PDF assembly guide

Last winter, we were able to make and distribute 31 good quality, heavy wool coats, 18 mitts, and 6 blankets to the community. This year, we will continue making mittens and blankets in larger numbers. Last year we went through all our donated money, and so we need your help to start up ASAP!

Monetary donations will be used to buy fabric and notions used to make coats or blankets as needed, and any amount beyond that will either be spent to donate necessities such as socks and underwear or to be used next year when we start again!

We are also running a clothing drive this year. If you are able to donate new unworn items of clothing, such as toques, gloves, warm socks, underwear, and warm boots, they can be dropped off at our studio at 130 Cawthra Ave. Unit 107 in Toronto Tuesday-Saturday between noon and 6pm, until December 21.

If you are interested in helping with sewing, you will need the following: A sewing machine, steam iron, good quality sewing thread. You should have intermediate sewing skill. Please send an email to blanketcoatproject@outlook.com and you will be added to a list to be contacted when we are ready to begin production again.

We are having to provide these basic necessities due to our municipal and provincial governments not taking the necessary action to provide support, and in many cases antagonizing our neighbours who are in the most vulnerable positions. Rent continues to rise, no housing options are being offered and shelters at capacity every night leaving hundreds out in the cold. The only additional shelter beds being made available are by cramming more people into a small space- an inhumane solution for already full shelters, among a continuing COVID-19 pandemic. The city has even sent people looking for help to encampments, which are under constant threat of destruction from law enforcement. This year our city has awarded $12,140,082 over 3 years to Guarda, a private security force, to police encampments 24/7. Money which could be spent providing these vulnerable individuals with supplies that would directly improve their quality of life and ability to have any stability in life.

It has also come to light that 13 Ontario mayors have drafted a letter to Doug Ford asking to bypass the court system to “evict” encampments, even if there is nowhere else to go. This amounts to nothing more then violently violating an individuals rights, only resulting in people already in a terrible situation less able to live through the winter. When encampments are cleared, police always slash tents, occupied or not, violently remove people, break apart any community that has formed, and throw away many personally owned items from the occupants. These people are often not offered any kind of shelter space and never any kind of permanent housing solution.

You can sign a petition to oppose this violation of rights here: https://www.change.org/p/oppose-the-use-of-the-notwithstanding-clause-to-clear-encampments?

Whether or not you donate, please help by letting Olivia Chow and your local councillor know they need to do more. We need housing available, and warming centres to be opened immediately, to be open 24/7, and an end to encampment evictions.
For further information and an email/phone script, you can find this write up from A.C.E.S. Mutual aid network

Thank you for your support!