The Hamilton chapter of ACORN organized a busload of members to rally in front of the Burlington Performing Arts Centre (BPAC) today to stand against Dylan Suitor, demanding he withdraw N13 eviction applications from 1083 Main St. E. and 1–7 Grosvenor Ave. S.
Suitor was in the city today hosting the Business Results Training 2023, an event marketed to those wanting to “accelerate” their businesses, featuring Tony Robbins-certified business trainer Steve Gill. This event was listed on BPAC’s website as a rental, meaning that BPAC was not involved in the event’s organization or content.
Suitor is also listed as the president and one of the directors of the corporation “1083 Main St Inc.,” the reason behind ACORN’s presence in Burlington today. The corporation purchased the building at 1083 Main St. E. in Hamilton in 2021, which made national news earlier this year after the seven remaining tenants in the building were left without running water for 86 days, a major breach of residential of responsibilities under the Residential Tenancies Act. All of these tenants also had been served with eviction notices; after the news coverage, some of these notices were withdrawn. Three tenants are still waiting for their cases to be heard by the Landlord and Tenant Board.
The eviction notices, of the type N13, are sometimes called “renoviction” notices, as landlords use this application to evict tenants for the purposes of substantial renovations or repairs (the same type is used when landlords intend to demolish the unit or complex or convert it to non-residential use). The caveat is that landlords are meant to give tenants the opportunity to move back in post-renovation or repairs at the same rental rate as before their tenancy was terminated — unfortunately, some landlords have neglected to do so, leaving tenants “renovicted.”
In the case of 1083 Main St. E., Suitor was aiming to “rehab” the building, with plans that were forecast to double its value. Rents, of course, would accordingly rise. David Galvin, a current and long-time tenant of the building whose case has yet to be heard by the board, notes that Suitor would be able to charge “two or three times” the rate that he is currently paying — leaving it totally out of his reach. Galvin simply cannot afford to pay $2000 or more per month in rent.
And that’s where ACORN comes in. Galvin says that his experiences with no running water for nearly three months, and nine days with no heat in the winter, alongside that eviction notice, have made him more of an activist. He joined in on the rally with ACORN, a national organization that is run by and champions the rights of low- and moderate-income people, who are often at the mercy of landlords, and cannot afford the Canadian dream of homeownership (whether this dream is outdated given the current state of the real estate market and average income levels is part of this story, but will have to wait for another day).
ACORN members stood outside of BPAC, with speakers talking about the greed of corporations that displace low-income tenants for their own profit, and the rest of the crowd shouting their agreement. They are asking Suitor to withdraw the remaining three N13 eviction applications so that tenants can remain in their homes. ACORN also invited Suitor to speak to them outside BPAC, though he had not done so by 12:30 p.m. today.
We reached out to Dylan Suitor for comment, but have had no reply as of the time of publication. We will update this story if he reaches out to comment.
Sources:
Beattie, S. March 11, 2023. Hamilton tenants without running water get small victory at Landlord and Tenant Board. CBC News. Url: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/hamilton-tenants-water-update-1.6775178 (accessed Aug. 1, 2023).
Roberts, M. Oct. 14, 2021. Make time for life while building a business empire. Meer, Economy and Politics. Url: https://www.meer.com/en/67123-make-time-for-life-while-building-a-real-estate-empire (accessed Aug. 1, 2023).
Tribunals Ontario. Sept. 1, 2021. Eviction for personal use, demolition, repairs, and conversion. Interpretation guideline 12. Landlord and Tenant Board. Url: https://tribunalsontario.ca/documents/ltb/Interpretation%20Guidelines/12%20-%20Eviction%20for%20Personal%20Use.html (accessed Aug. 1, 2023).
Tribunals Ontario. July 28, 2020. Form N13: Notice to end your tenancy because the landlord wants to demolish the rental unit, repair it, or convert it to another use. Instructions. Landlord and Tenant Board. Url: https://tribunalsontario.ca/documents/ltb/Notices%20of%20Termination%20&%20Instructions/N13_Instructions_20200728.pdf (accessed Aug. 1, 2023).
