Toronto tenants turn risky last resort into ‘huge victory’ [Video]

In the middle of the small crowd — near the tents, the lineup of kids awaiting face painting, the snack table — stood a jubilant Chiara Padovani.

“When I say ‘tenant, you say ‘power,'” she commanded to several dozen tenants, who chanted back with gusto.

What looked like a summer block party in front of two north-end Toronto apartment buildings last month was a celebration of what renters who withheld payments for months called a “huge victory.”

The Landlord and Tenant Board had issued an interim order requiring Barney River Investments, which managed the properties at 1440 and 1442 Lawrence Ave. West, to do immediate maintenance work on long-needed repairs.

The decision, which the tenants’ lawyer said might be the first of its kind, came after a 10-month rent strike.

“When tenants just like you come together — organize together, celebrate together, eat together and work together — we win,” …