Poverty activists to protest luxury ‘dome’ dining event staged near former homeless camp

TORONTO – Poverty activists are targeting a pop-up luxury dining event located next to the site of a former homeless camp.

The Ontario Coalition Against Poverty dubbed Friday’s protest “Dinner With A View… Of The Rich.”

It’s set to take place alongside a pop-up known as “Dinner With a View,” in which a minimum $550 purchase allows a party of four to nosh in a clear heated dome under the Gardiner Expressway. The three-course gourmet meal comes from former “Top Chef Canada” winner Rene Rodriguez.

Dinner organizers say their elaborate event takes place on property run by a charity, not by the City of Toronto which recently forced the removal of a nearby makeshift camp. The area is known as The Bentway, which offers year-round public events including a skate trail, markets and festivals.

The poverty group is promising a “view of the brazenness of the wealthy and the brutality of the city” with its own free three-course meal. They are encouraging participants to bring noisemakers as they demand adequate shelters and rent-geared-to-income housing.

“Dinner With a View” runs until May 2. Another “Dinner With a View” event is slated for Montreal from April 16 to May 18.