The Gentry and Their Flames: Some Prelimnary Notes on the 2012 George Street Fires

I

We are writing this as residents of George Street, in Toronto’s Downtown East End, specifically the houses located at 311 and 303 George. 311 is next door to O’Neill House, which is itself next to Seaton House. 311 George is also located at the beginning of a stretch of abandoned buildings, which run down the east side of the street leading up to an alleyway adjacent to the Toronto Community Housing Corporation (TCHC) apartment building at 291 George; 303 George is more-or-less in the middle of this span of unused buildings. 311 George has been an anarchist collective house for three years and several of its current tenants have lived there for over 18 months, whereas 303 has been a similar collective for 14 months. We consider George Street our home, and our neighbours, whether housed or homeless, our fellow community members. Starting just under a year ago, there have been a string of suspicious fires in the abandoned buildings along the east side of George, including, among others, several fires in the large house occupying 305-307 George, one at 309 George (which is attached to 311), and on the morning of Thursday, October 4, 301 George as well (which is attached to 303)