In knowing that we would be reviving Tough Times, it was important that we acknowledge and honour the woman who started it all – Edna Toth. I first met Edna over 15 years ago, as a political advocate and fierce commitment to social justice. At the time, Edna was involved in many political campaigns and championed local candidates and progressive politics during and in between political campaigns. I learned we had a lot in common (not only political affiliation) but that she was a reader, a lover of water, the sun and feminist issues. We both have Master’s Degrees in Women and Gender Studies (which started my ability to hone my own policy skills) where we learned how to deconstruct social norms that oppress and marginalize people. We discussed many feminist academics and their work together and how we need more women leadership, from the Boardroom to Parliament Hill.
I also have to mention that Edna always has another champion by her side. Her husband Mike Toth was a professional soccer player, coach and eventually sportswriter and editor for the Mississauga News and author of the book To Millennium: Mississauga’s Sports Heritage. Their love story has always been beautiful. They have four children, and I believe, 11 grandchildren. Edna liked to invite many to either “Breakies” at Bobbies (Hideaway) or a swim in the Toth Pool in Streetsville.
In her retirement from being a Librarian with the City of Mississauga Libraries, Edna wanted to provide an opportunity for folks with lived experiences of poverty and homelessness, who she met at Knights Table in Brampton, with an opportunity to share their stories and utilize their experiences to inform advocacy efforts and eventually policy. This was the beginning of Peel Poverty Action Group. PPAG shared a space and held meetings at Knights Table and eventually other locations within Peel. Discussions centred on what people were dealing with, whether that be an eviction, loss of employment, barriers to social assistance, accessibility issues, or even where they were going to sleep for the night. Edna, the warrior she is, would make calls – to politicians, leaders and bureaucrats at the Region of Peel, local program and service providers – basically to anyone who would listen and provide a solution. Everyone listens to Edna, and everyone feared Edna too, because she would let everyone know if you did not respond or addressed the issues that PPAG members were dealing with (letters to councillors, the Mayors, letters to the Editor of Mississauga News and Brampton Guardian).
Tough Times became the tangible means to provide a forum for people with lived experience to contribute and feel part of a community. Articles ranged from providing information on programs and services, to local advocacy efforts, and information on how to seek out supports. Tough Times had focused papers during elections, highlighting candidates and provided means for people with no fixed address to get out and vote.
Tough Times published 10,000 papers every two months and its distribution included libraries in the region and front line programs and services, including Knights Table and Food Banks. We hope to have hard copies available for printing in the new year in addition to the online additions produced and circulated through the Peel Alliance to End Homelessness’s website. Past issues of Tough Times from 2012 to 2022 are located here: Tough Times Tabloid (https://toughtimestabloid.wordpress.com/)
It is with this fierceness and in her honour, we continue the legacy of Peel Poverty Action Group and Tough Times. We hope to do this work justice in the name of our social justice warrior Edna Toth.