Parc-Extension Vigil for Migrant Renter Manjeet Singh

0:00It's April 8th. This is Canada News today, AI-powered stories from your city. Community folks in Montreal's Park Extension held a vigil Tuesday night to honor Manji Tsing, a 42-year-old asylum seeker from India who died. Back on January 16th, after getting evicted from his room, alone without his family wife, parents, kids back home, he ended up on the streets and passed away in the hospital. This is from local groups, wanted city officials at the nearby borough meeting to hear their push for real help from migrant renters. This hit close to home because Tsing's story ain't unique in the neighborhood. Rents have skyrocketed, forcing migrants into shaky room shares with no lease rights, easy evictions, and zero protections. Three deaths like this have wrought to Park Extension lately, mirroring the housing crunch across Quebec and Canada. Rents and advocates are fired up, pointing fingers at the crisis leaving vulnerable people exposed, especially in winter, without enough shelters, or warming spots.

1:02They say Tsing's death was straight up preventable with better support systems in place. Now, with Canada's new Bill C-12 kicking in last month, things could worsen migrants losing work permits, going undocumented, cut off from, welfare, jobs, or social housing. Rents have clear demands like regularization programs, and more affordable units to stop evictions turning deadly. Groups are keeping the pressure on at council meetings, hoping these steps save lives and fix the broken system before more families grieve from afar.