I met Bill at Oakwood Espresso. He asked to meet there because he’s loyal to Tony, the owner, and his café. Bill Worrell’s a guy who’s fiercely loyal to his community.
He’s lived here for 42 years. He’s raised a family here. And he’s head of the Oakwood Vaughan Community Organization (OVCO), a group that saved the Vaughan Road Academy from being closed down and sold off.
As Bill tells it, the Oakwood Vaughan Community Organization was forged in adversity. It started as a few individuals in the community who supported a shelter for Black men a few years ago. Not an easy proposal back then. From there, these individuals got together and worked as a group (OVCO) to stop the closure of the Vaughan Road Academy. Again, not an easy task. The school board was broke (still is) and was looking for sources of revenue.
Bill and the group worked hard to keep the school and make it a community hub. Their work to preserve the school building also saved the daycare centre. The school is also used by students whose schools are being renovated. There are different community organizations working in the building to roll out the community programs.
It was quite the struggle for the small but mighty OVCO. But their work paid off and it didn’t stop there. They’re also tackling the affordable housing crisis in our area. They’ve supported the creation of the Oakwood Vaughan Tenant Union to help tenants work together and advocate for their rights. They’re also working with developers to ensure affordable rentals are included in new buildings in the area.
And finally, they’re working to start a Community Land Trust to provide affordable housing to residents. Through the land trust, OVCO will buy properties and provide affordable rents to tenants, to help locals stay in the community.
This is what Bill and OVCO are focused on today. As Bill says, “We don’t want to stretch ourselves too thin.”
