Stripped of dignity, $22 left after rent — stories emerge as Ontario sued for halting basic income pilot

Tracey Crosson says she ate healthier, slept better and had more energy when she was receiving basic income payments from the Ontario government.

Now, she's left with $22 every month after paying rent and relies on Meals on Wheels.

Crosson is just one of the thousands of people impacted after the province scrapped the basic income pilot project (OBI) nearly six years ago. The early cancellation of the program in 2018 is behind a class-action lawsuit that was certified by a Superior Court judge on March 4.

"When I was on the OBI, I got to go and get a steak for $10 and have that for dinner once a month," said Crosson, who participated in the program in Thunder Bay and now lives in Toronto for better access to medical care. "Now, I don't have the luxury for steak and hamburger and all that stuff."

On Tuesday, the Toronto law firm Cavalluzzo LLP said the class action was brought forward by 4,000 people. It alleges Ontario breached the terms and conditions of the contract it entered with participants and seeks damages of up to $200 million.

The pilot project was launched by Kathleen Wynne's Liberal government in 2017 — in Lindsay, Hamilton and Thunder Bay — with the goal of learning how a basic income would affect people's well-being over a three-year period.

It was axed in the summer the following year, shortly after the Conservatives under Premier Doug Ford came into power.

Tracey MacKinnon, an anti-poverty advocate in Thunder Bay, has had similar experiences to Crosson.

MacKinnon said the OBI finally allowed her to stock up on food.

"It was nice to see my cupboards, my fridge, my freezer ... full of food. That never happened before." 

Since the pilot project ended, the cost of living has continued to climb across Ontario and more people are relying on food banks.

Ontario has indicated it won't appeal the court's decision to certify the lawsuit. That means the case has entered the second stage — the common issues trial.

In an email to CBC News, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services said they could not comment on the case as it is before the courts.

Tracey Mechefske, who goes by Willow, is one of the designated plaintiffs in the class action. She participated in the OBI in Lindsay and said it allowed her to start a skin-care business, Raventree Naturals.