A number of cities across Canada are bracing for demonstrations set to begin October 15, 2011, as part of the “Occupy Wall Street” movement, protesting against corporate greed, wealth concentration and other grievances.

  The mass demonstrations which began in the United States are entering their fourth week.

The Conference Board of Canada has identified that Canada had the second largest rate of income inequality growth among peer nations from the mid-1990’s to the mid-2000’s.  Clearly, many of the same conditions that have led to the Wall Street action exist in Canada as well.  The Occupy Wall Street movement expresses an underlying desire for fairness, equality and opportunity in the economy and our society.

In reaction to these planned events, Telecommunications Workers Union (TWU) National President, George Doubt, said, “We cannot turn a blind eye to corporations who put profits before people and the governments that let them get away with it.  It is imperative that we stand in solidarity to voice our discontent and to let governments know that we have had enough of seeing good paying jobs leave the country needlessly and benefits continue to be eroded as the gap between rich and poor widens.”

Unions across Canada have also echoed these sentiments.  In a statement released yesterday, B.C. Federation of Labour President, Jim Sinclair, said, “For 20 years across Canada, real wages have stagnated, the richest Canadians have avoided billions in taxes, and successive governments have weakened public services.”

Toronto and Vancouver are expected to attract a lot of attention.  Organizers in Vancouver have called for people to gather at the city’s art gallery on Saturday morning to form a base of operations, where marches on other downtown locations can be organized.  In Calgary, activists have already set up camp on St. Patrick’s Island ahead of the official event.  Protests are now spreading even further, taking place in cities such as Tel Aviv, Lisbon, and Tokyo.