CJRU & Local Journalism Initiative - Sam Dharmasena (Roshanie)

Archived stories by Sam Dharmasena for CJRU & the Local Journalism Initiative.

Local Journalism Initiative: Sam Dharmasena

For years, disability advocate Rachel Romu questioned the justification for a $1,169 cap on the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP). When Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) was announced in spring 2020 with a $2,000 monthly support, it confirmed many of Romu’s suspicions.

This story is part of the Local Journalism Initiative, a project by the Community Radio Fund of Canada.

ODSP during the pandemic: A risk-reward analysis with Rachel Romu

For the past 14 weeks, Encampment Support Network (ESN) has been delivering water, tents, hot meals and much more to the people living in encampments throughout Toronto. ESN is an ad-hoc, volunteer-run network of neighbours that build community and advocate for better conditions in encampments and long term housing in the city. With colder weather around the corner, the group is ramping up their efforts to keep neighbours safe. They’re organizing the Meal and March for Housing happening this Wednesday, September 23 at 5pm at Moss Park.

Marianna Reis of ESN Parkdale speaks on what to expect at Wednesday’s march, and the lack of government action that led to the formation of ESN, and more.

This story is part of the Local Journalism Initiative, a project by the Community Radio Fund of Canada.
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Community to march for dignified housing in Moss Park on Wednesday

A coalition of human rights and housing advocates are taking the City of Toronto to the Ontario Superior Court for a hearing on Thursday, Oct. 1. Members of the public and media may observe proceedings via Zoom at 10 a.m.

Human rights and housing advocates take the City of Toronto to court Thursday

In September, the Public Health Agency of Canada announced an $11.5 million investment in mental health support for Canadians. From this, $4.9 million will go towards the Mental Health of Black Canadians Fund. CJRU spoke with Dr. Valerie Borum, director of Ryerson’s School of Social Work, on the intersection of race and mental health. 

“It’s impossible to separate the two. When we look at mental health, race is always a variable in a nation that is dominated by whiteness,” Borum says.

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This story by Sam Dharmasena is part of the local Journalism Initiative by the Community Radio Fund of Canada.

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Dr. Valerie Borum on the role of race and anti-Black racism on mental health

From her Scarborough home, Ryerson grad Natasha Ramoutar tells CJRU about her first book, Bittersweet. She breaks down the complex feelings and histories that shape her collection of poems. 

“It covers a disrupted or suppressed lineage. For me, Bittersweet is about connecting the home I have right now in Scarborough with my ancestral home and what happens when you don’t have links or certain historical documents,” the Toronto-born writer explains.

Natasha Ramoutar reflects on migration, hyphenated identities and Scarborough in new book

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ODSP during the pandemic: A risk-reward analysis with Rachel Romu

Met Radio