McGill Library
McLennan Library Building3459 rue McTavish
Montreal, Quebec
H3A 0C9
Identity area
Type of entity
Corporate body
Authorized form of name
Greater Montreal Anti-Poverty Coordinating Committee
Parallel form(s) of name
Standardized form(s) of name according to other rules
Other form(s) of name
- GMAPCC
Identifiers for corporate bodies
Description area
Dates of existence
1970-1975
History
The Greater Montreal Anti-Poverty Coordinating Committee (GMAPCC) was founded in the spring of 1970 as a coalition of local English-speaking citizen’s groups composed of the city’s poor, mainly welfare recipients. By 1972, GMAPCC had adopted a statement of principles that covered a broad range of topics: jobs and income, housing and urban renewal, education, justice, consumer protection, mass media, democracy, women, racism, the elderly, workers and unions, language and nationalism, and big business.
Some conflicts among the member groups and the organizers led to the death of GMAPCC in 1975 and its rebirth with a new name "Neighbourhood Action Committee".
Places
Legal status
Functions, occupations and activities
GMAPCC used disruptive tactics such as occupations, sit-ins and demonstrations of welfare offices and other institutions. In 1973, GMAPCC launched a successful campaign to stop Bell Canada's proposal to increase pay-phone rates from 10 to 25 cents.
The GMAPCC also set up support and education programs to ensure that welfare recipients were well informed about their rights. It also organized food depots, clothing swaps, language and other kinds of classes (e.g. sewing, adult education, cooking, budgeting), as well as social activities.
The GMAPCC has published The Poor People's Paper.