‘A strong woman who never gave up’: East Toronto neighbourhood shaken by death of unhoused resident

A few bouquets have been placed on the belongings of an unhoused woman believed to have died in the city's east end on Dec. 21. (Joanna Lavoie/CP24)

People in Toronto’s east end are shaken after a well-known unhoused woman from the community reportedly died over the weekend.

Rita, or Mary as she was known to many in the area, had been staying for some time in a small encampment in a parking lot on the west side of the Shoppers Drug Mart near Danforth and Coxwell avenues.

A staff member at the nearby Tim Hortons, which is located within the drug store, told CP24 that she arrived to work around 6:50 a.m. on Saturday and saw the woman being loaded into an ambulance in the parking lot next to the coffee shop. She appeared to be only wearing a top, Meherunnessa Meem told CP24.com on Tuesday evening.

“Because of the cold, I think she died. … It is too much cold,” she said, adding that paramedics were there for about 15 minutes before transporting the woman to the hospital.

“She was a very nice lady. … It’s so sad. We’re shocked.”

Meem said people from the community would come daily to help the lady, who loved double double coffee, coke, and chocolate chip muffins.

Like many in the area, Rosa Alaimo supported the unhoused woman.

“She was bright. Always had a smile for people she knew and who looked out for her. Her eyes twinkled when she said thank you and shared a laugh and a smile,” said Alaimo, who told CP24.com that she met Mary about three years ago when she moved to the neighbourhood.

“She was independent, never taking more than she needed. She always refused anything more than that. She was so strong. I always looked at her in awe - such a strong woman who never gave up.”

Alaimo said she was looking forward to seeing Mary on Saturday, but when she went to the Tim Hortons near where she was known to have been staying she wasn’t there.

“I said to my husband that it was odd - and it turned out that she had passed the night before,” Alaimo said.

Patti McFarlane, who also lives in the area, knew Mary for about four years. She told CP24.com that she’d see her often and would offer her a little money, or a coffee or a snack. McFarlane said she got to know Mary over the years and truly cared for her.

“She was just very kind. ... I really like Mary,” McFarlane said, adding that like every other person experiencing homelessness Mary was someone’s family member and was loved.

On Monday evening, McFarlane organized a small vigil in the woman’s honour, inviting people to come by the parking lot where she was found with a candle and form a “circle of light.”

“We sang a few songs and shared memories. ... (Mary) deserved to be honoured,” McFarlane said.

“(Unhoused people) are part of our community and to have Mary die like this is just a shame on our city. This is policy. This does not have to happen. It’s absolutely unnecessary in our wealthy country, province and city and it’s getting worse.”

The woman had helped out at a food bank at the Glen Rhodes campus of East End United Regional Ministry on Gerrard Street East, near Coxwell Avenue, for last three or so years, say organizers.

“We are heartbroken to learn of the death of our beloved Nourish East End volunteer. To some, she was known as Mary. To others, Rita. She often came on Mondays to assist in offloading our food delivery truck,” leda minister Rev. Bri-anne Swan said in a statement.

“Even within her own struggle, she was dedicated to being of service to others.”

Swan said in addition to their heartbreak, they are also angry that another vulnerable person has lost their life on Toronto’s streets, which she said should never happen.

“In a city as affluent as Toronto, in a country of such abundance as Canada, at a time of year where our community celebrates the promise that everything can, indeed, change for the better, we call on all levels of government to fill the cracks in social supports that so many of our most vulnerable neighbours fall through. We can do so much better,” she said.

Area resident Tammy Crouse recalled seeing the woman almost 20 years ago when she used to take her young son to a play group in the church next to Earl Beatty school. She said the woman who passed away was in charge of cleaning up after the sessions were over.

“She was always pleasant and loved to say hello to the toddlers leaving,” Crouse said in a post on Facebook.

Woman was a “fixture in the neighbourhood”

Several others also shared their thoughts on social media about the woman’s death, many expressing outrage at the inadequate supports available for vulnerable people, notably the lack of affordable housing.

Others remembered her as a “fixture of the neighbourhood,” a “well-known community member,” someone whom many had looked out for over the years and who will be missed.

People shared that they brought her a hot or cool drink and something to eat when they could, some had paid for her purchases at the local dollar store or gave her a little money or gift cards to help her get by.

Many noted that Rita/Mary had long declined to accept any kind of formal assistance and felt safer staying outside than in a shelter.

A large pile of the woman’s belongings remains in one corner of the parking lot where she was reportedly found on Saturday morning. A few bouquets of flowers and candles have since been placed there in her memory.

Coroner investigating woman’s death

On Tuesday morning, a spokesperson from the Office of the Chief Coroner confirmed to CP24.com that it is “investigating the death of a female that occurred in hospital after she was found in medical distress in a parking lot in Toronto’s east end on Saturday.”

“I am unable to disclose further information, such as identity or preliminary findings, as the coroner and police are still attempting to locate family/next of kin for notification,” spokesperson Julia Noonan said.

Paramedics told CP24 that they received a call at 6:42 a.m. on Saturday and attended the area of the Shoppers Drug Mart at 1630 Danforth Ave. along with Toronto fire.

They said they transported one patient, a female in her 50s, to the hospital with critical injuries.

Toronto police also said that they were called to that location on that day around that time for a “medical complaint,” however they said that paramedics had already arrived at the scene police were not required.

“If the woman passed away in hospital, and it was not criminal in nature, it would be a private family matter, and we won’t be commenting further,” said Const. Laura Brabant.

“Officers may have attended the area later on, to look for identification for the person who was transported to hospital.”

The City of Toronto is not commenting on the situation due to privacy laws.

The woman’s death came during an especially frigid period in the city where it felt as cold as minus 19 C with the windchill. And while Toronto’s warming centres were open on Dec. 21, they closed the following day.

Davenport Coun. Alejandra Bravo posted on X that she intends to request a review of the city’s warming centre policy in the new year.