SaveTPARK Threatened with Legal Action from the Islamic Society of Toronto

On August 12th, 2021 Aamir Sukhera, a member of the SaveTPARK movement, received a cease and desist letter from the Islamic Society of Toronto (IST) lawyers claiming that the SaveTPARK petition contained false, disparaging, inaccurate, misleading and defamatory statements against IST and the leadership of IST. A sample of what IST is claiming SaveTPARK falsely said about them are:

• IST leadership claims that getting a lawyer to fight Metrolinx will cost up to $1,000,000 to $1,500,000;

• IST leadership claims that they were told that Metrolinx is an 800 pound gorilla that you cannot fight, and therefore (1ST) has no choice but to let Metrolinx have their way;

• IST leadership has rolled over so easily to Metrolinx without consulting their community;

• The claim and or suggestion that IST has been discretely promised and/or given generous offers to be quiet and relocate;

They further claim that these apparently false, disparaging, misleading and defamatory statements are understood to mean that:

• IST's management, executive and or leadership are dishonest and untrustworthy;

• IST's leadership is receiving some form of bribe and or payoff from Metrolinx and have decided not to act in the best interest of the organization, residents and or community due to being bribed and or paid-off;

• IST leadership has misled and or failed to act honestly and transparently with the congregants of IST, and the local community in its dealings and communications with Metrolinx;

SaveTPARK’s comments regarding IST were based on an IST July 9th, 2021 sermon where IST said the following (translated to English):

“Our friends have spoken to at least 4 lawyers and they’ve all told us that if we were to file for this place, we would need at least $1.5 Million or $1 Million to just to fight the case.

But I want to say that originally we had made the decision not to sell this place, but now that an offer has come from them [Metrolinx] and we can’t fight against them. One lawyer told us ‘They are 800 pound gorillas and you cannot fight against them’.”

Based on the above, IST claims against SaveTPARK are actually words IST has said themselves, not SaveTPARK.

SaveTPARK’s over 10,000 petitioners that have already signed the SaveTPARK petition will not be silenced or bullied by baseless claims from an institution whose purpose should be to serve and SaveTPARK.ca support its community. SaveTPARK will vigorously defend its position as an advocate for Thorncliffe Park.

Here’s how YOU can help out today:

Email the Minister of Transportation Caroline Mulroney (minister.mto@ontario.ca) and Minister of Infrastructure Kinga Surma (kinga.surmaco@pc.ola.org) and state the following:

Stop using our local institutions to send threatening legal letters to our community in an effort to silence our legitimate opposition to the Mulroney-Surma-Ford Train Yard in Thorncliffe Park. We will not be bullied by baseless claims. Metrolinx needs to hit the reset button on the location of a train yard in Thorncliffe Park, especially when viable alternatives exist. This is another example in a long list of similar historical events involving the mistreatment of vulnerable communities across this province – this is not acceptable and needs to stop.

Contact Information:

Please visit SaveTPARK.ca and subscribe to our newsletter.

Email: notrainyard@savetpark.ca or Phone: 1-855-657-2750