Arab Canada News
News
Published: August 21, 2022
The Ottawa Church is located 1.3 kilometers from the Parliament building, and it has been listed on the market since July 2021 before the conditional sale, and its price was 5.95 million dollars after it was rented by the United People of Canada organization. But on Wednesday, and with the aim of selling it, the bailiff tried to remove the group from the church without success after claiming that they had not paid the rent.
Then later, the following Thursday, an "Eviction Notice" was posted on the front door of the church stating that the group’s lease agreement had been terminated due to $10,000 of unpaid rent and "failure to provide proof of liability insurance with a minimum of 5 million dollars." A second notice was also posted on the door stating that the group was violating the Ontario Heritage Act and had not obtained the necessary permits for construction under the Ontario Building Code.
Meanwhile, Comer, a member of the group, said in a Facebook post that the eviction notice was "illegal," adding: "As you can see from the actions of the property owners, it seems they no longer want to deal with us."
On the other hand, Tony Kozukria, one of the group’s largest financial supporters in London, told CTV News that the failure to pay rent on time was "a lie," and Kozukria added: "We have proof of payment of all the money, as it was due within a certain time frame."
Comer told CTV News in June that the group plans to turn the church into an "embassy" that would serve as a community space, saying: "We are just looking to create a unique and inclusive space where people from all different backgrounds and beliefs are welcome to engage in dialogue and participate in joint action as we host a number of community conversations. We don’t know why we are fighting with everyone and why they want us out of the church even though we have not violated any of the lease terms, but what I promise is that we will not allow ourselves to be violated and we will not give up our rights."
Comments