JOIN THE RAY BOOKCLUB!
Tuesdays at 7:30pm at 125 Sherbrook Street
In person or virtual (or mix + match!)
Launching October 6, 2026
With the support of Centre for Human Rights Research, Prairie Sky, Organic Planet, Hildegard's Bakery & Next Door!
This October, join authors Dr Alexandra Flynn and Dr Joe Hermer at RaY - 125 Sherbrook to dive into their new publication The Bylaw State – Fernwood Publishing.
Each Tuesday, join thinkers and workers active on matters of homelessness, policy, and planning in Winnipeg to consider a chapter of the book and discuss together.
This is open to everyone! All levels of reading, education, and issue-based participation are welcome!
Get your book now! Books are available from RaY directly for $25. Fill our the form below to RSVP and let us know if you would like to purchase and pick up the book from us at 125 Sherbrook St. Or order from Prairie Sky or your favorite local bookstore!
RSVP through the form below - Email info@rayinc.ca if you have any questions.
Meeting dates: October 6, October 13, October 20, October 27, November 10, November 17, November 24, December 1.
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OCTOBER 6 - CHAPTER 1
BOOK CLUB LAUNCH DAY!
Join the RaY Book Club either in person at 125 Sherbrook in Winnipeg, or online. We meet Tuesdays at 7:30pm CST with our first meeting on October 6. Books available through RaY, Prairie Sky Books, or McNally Robinson.
Come meet Elder Cheryl Alexander and authors Alexandra Flynn and Joe Hermer as we get into the book’s introduction delineating trends across the country when it comes to unsheltered relatives living outdoors.
Kookum Cheryl Alexander is a proud grandmother, mother, sister, auntie, cousin, and friend to many. Originally from the Selkirk area, she was raised in Clandeboye. While she holds treaty status with Waywayseecappo First Nation, her family roots also connect her to Little Black River and Sagkeeng First Nations. Grounded in strong family values and community mindedness, she is a passionate advocate for families, women and youth involved in the system. For over 35 years, she has been actively involved in ceremonies and community initiatives, consistently showing up in support of others. As a sixties scoop survivor, she has learned the importance of support, advocacy, and helping whenever and wherever possible. As a family member of a Missing and Murdered Indigenous Woman, Girl, 2Spirit person, she deeply understands the pain of loss and is committed to walking alongside others through grief and the pursuit of justice.
Alexandra Flynn is coauthor of The Bylaw State, and is an associate professor at UBC’s Allard School of Law and the director of the Housing Research Collaborative, where her teaching and research focus on municipal and property law.
Joe Hermer is coauthor of The Bylaw State, and is a criminologist, an associate professor, and chair of the Sociology Department at the University of Toronto Scarborough. He does research in the areas of policing, regulation, and state power, with a particular interest in vulnerable and street-involved populations.
OCTOBER 13 - CHAPTER 2
LOOSE, IDLE AND DISORDERLY
Join authors Alexandra Flynn and Joe Hermer as they offer background on English common law and the historical framework for present day bylaw creation. This chapter offers helpful context on how so many bylaws have become explicitly anti homeless; despite governmental commitment to human rights.
Alexandra Flynn is coauthor of The Bylaw State, and is an associate professor at UBC’s Allard School of Law and the director of the Housing Research Collaborative, where her teaching and research focus on municipal and property law.
Joe Hermer is coauthor of The Bylaw State, and is a criminologist, an associate professor, and chair of the Sociology Department at the University of Toronto Scarborough. He does research in the areas of policing, regulation, and state power, with a particular interest in vulnerable and street-involved populations.
Join the RaY Bookclub either in person at 125 Sherbrook in Winnipeg, or online! We meet Tuesdays at 730pm. Books available through RaY, Prairie Sky Books, or McNally Robinson.
OCTOBER 20 - CHAPTER 3
HOMELESS ENCAMPMENT REGULATION
Join host Scott Billeck and speaker Adele Perry to learn about the legal frameworks at the municipal, provincial, and federal levels; nation to nation treaty commitments; and recent case law that provide the context for current homeless encampment regulation across the country.
Scott Billeck is a reporter with the Winnipeg Free Press whose work focuses primarily on homelessness, substance use and the challenges facing vulnerable communities in Winnipeg.
Adele Perry is a historian of colonialism and gender. She grew up in a settler family on the west coast and has lived in Treaty One for more than twenty five years. She is Distinguished Professor in History and Women’s and Gender Studies and Director of the Centre for Human Rights Research at the University of Manitoba.
Join the RaY Bookclub either in person at 125 Sherbrook in Winnipeg, or online! We meet Tuesdays at 730pm. Books available through RaY, Prairie Sky Books, or McNally Robinson.
OCTOBER 27 - CHAPTER 4 MOCCASIN FLATS ENCAMPMENT
Join Joe Hermer and Hafiz Jatto to examine a case study from unceded Lheidli T’enneh territories, aka Prince George, BC. In 2021, the municipality’s move to evict Mocassin Flats campers led to a court challenge that ultimately sided with the encampment residents.
Joe Hermer is coauthor of The Bylaw State, and is a criminologist, an associate professor, and chair of the Sociology Department at the University of Toronto Scarborough. He does research in the areas of policing, regulation, and state power, with a particular interest in vulnerable and street-involved populations.
Hafiz Jatto is a community leader, connector and advocate who has worked for over a decade to build a more inclusive and welcoming Manitoba. Hafiz currently serves as Director of Programs at the Sexuality Education Resource Centre (SERC), and has previously held leadership positions with the City of Winnipeg, the Social Planning Council of Winnipeg, and more. Through these roles, Hafiz has advanced newcomer inclusion, youth engagement, and workplace rights education, and has led community development initiatives that have reached thousands of Manitobans.
Join the RaY Bookclub either in person at 125 Sherbrook in Winnipeg, or online! We meet Tuesdays at 730pm. Books available through RaY, Prairie Sky Books, or McNally Robinson.
NOVEMBER 10 - CHAPTER 5
CRAB PARK ENCAMPMENT
Create a Real Available Beach (CRAB) park was created in 1987 following extensive advocacy to create a park for Vancouver’s downtown eastside residents. The site has long been the site of tent encampments, and multiple conflicts over use of space, including a 2024 bylaw change that conflicts with the City of Vancouver’s endorsement of UNDRIP.
Join Juls Budau and Levi Foy to discuss governance inconsistencies pertaining to CRAB Park identified throughout this chapter of The Bylaw State.
Juls Budau has worked in a number of harm reduction roles in Prince George over time. This includes a peer-run drug user group that ran an overdose prevention site within the Moccasin Flats encampment. Juls also worked with the BC First Nations Justice Centre collecting affidavits for the Moccasin Flats court case.
Levi Foy is Executive Director of Sunshine House and a proud member of the Couchiching First Nation. Levi’s extensive professional background includes work in child welfare, homelessness, research, and administration, all grounded in a strong commitment to community organizing informed by Anishinaabe philosophies and practices.
Join the RaY Bookclub either in person at 125 Sherbrook in Winnipeg, or online! We meet Tuesdays at 730pm. Books available through RaY, Prairie Sky Books, or McNally Robinson.