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When Degrassi creator Linda Schuyler discovers a homeless encampment on the lawn of her family’s once-grand ancestral home, she embarks on a powerful journey to explore the human stories behind the crisis.
When the picturesque lakefront town of Cobourg, Ontario, becomes home to a growing homeless encampment it ignites a community-wide reckoning. Evicted from “drug houses,” cleared from a beach, and driven off county land, Cobourg's unhoused community finds an unlikely sanctuary: Brookside, a vacant heritage estate owned by the provincial government.
In the centre of Brookside stands Strathmore House—a stately Beaux-Arts mansion which once housed members of Cobourg’s elite ‘Summer Colony’. More recently, Strathmore served as the administrative heart of the now abandoned Brookside Youth Detention Centre. The complete Brookside estate boasts secure fences, empty dormitories, functioning showers, and kitchen facilities, seemingly capable of sheltering dozens. Yet, it remains sealed off behind barbed wire, leaving the homeless to set up camp just outside its gates, caught between a locked-up facility and an empty mansion.
As the encampment swells, Cobourg's societal fault lines become starkly visible, dividing advocates, enablers, and vocal opponents. Home takes viewers deep inside the encampment, unveiling the powerful, deeply human stories of those living rough. The film delves into the history of the land, chronicles the grassroots efforts offering aid, captures the unease of nearby residents, and exposes the escalating political stakes as the province prepares to sell the property.
With the looming threat of private development, the encampment's residents face their ultimate crisis: when there's nowhere left to go, what happens next?
Linda Schuyler has been an independent producer and entrepreneur for over forty years. She is best known for co-creating and executive producing of over 500 episodes of the multi-award-winning Degrassi franchise, comprised of The Kids of Degrassi Street, Degrassi Junior High, Degrassi High, School’s Out, Degrassi Talks, Degrassi: The Next Generation, and Degrassi: Next Class. The internationally recognized franchise has won numerous awards, including the prestigious Peabody Award, two International Emmys, over 25 Gemini Awards, two Prix Jeunesse International Awards, two Teen Choice Awards, and has been nominated four times for a Primetime Emmy Award.
Dedicated to the art of storytelling, Linda is best known for work that explores the human experience, breaks stereotypes, and encourages communication. As a former schoolteacher, Linda is a strong supporter of the mentoring process. She always encourages professional and personal development for those within her company and has seen many writers, directors and actors go on to contribute to the industry worldwide. She has been a guest lecturer at various Universities including Yale, U of T, TMU, Trent U and Wilfred Laurier.
Will Bowes is a Canadian Screen Award-winning director, actor and singer/songwriter. He co-directed the CBC series, Hey Lady! with Sarah Polley and Adriana Maggs, which premiered at Sundance 2020. Other films he’s directed, including Loving Every Minute and Christmas Casanova are now available to stream on Netflix, Amazon Prime, Paramount Plus and Peacock. Will spent four years directing for Canada’s Degrassi franchise (2012-2016), receiving a DGC Award Nomination (2016) for his work. As an actor, he is best known for Netflix’s Alias Grace, Spinning Out and Murdoch Mysteries while film credits include Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, Women Talking and House at the End of the Street opposite Jennifer Lawrence. The Toronto-based artist is also a two-time first-place winner in the International Songwriting Competition (2018-2019) for songs from his debut album, Character.
When Degrassi creator Linda Schuyler discovers a homeless encampment on the lawn of her family’s once-grand ancestral home, she embarks on a powerful journey to explore the human stories behind the crisis.
When the picturesque lakefront town of Cobourg, Ontario, becomes home to a growing homeless encampment it ignites a community-wide reckoning. Evicted from “drug houses,” cleared from a beach, and driven off county land, Cobourg's unhoused community finds an unlikely sanctuary: Brookside, a vacant heritage estate owned by the provincial government.
In the centre of Brookside stands Strathmore House—a stately Beaux-Arts mansion which once housed members of Cobourg’s elite ‘Summer Colony’. More recently, Strathmore served as the administrative heart of the now abandoned Brookside Youth Detention Centre. The complete Brookside estate boasts secure fences, empty dormitories, functioning showers, and kitchen facilities, seemingly capable of sheltering dozens. Yet, it remains sealed off behind barbed wire, leaving the homeless to set up camp just outside its gates, caught between a locked-up facility and an empty mansion.
As the encampment swells, Cobourg's societal fault lines become starkly visible, dividing advocates, enablers, and vocal opponents. Home takes viewers deep inside the encampment, unveiling the powerful, deeply human stories of those living rough. The film delves into the history of the land, chronicles the grassroots efforts offering aid, captures the unease of nearby residents, and exposes the escalating political stakes as the province prepares to sell the property.
With the looming threat of private development, the encampment's residents face their ultimate crisis: when there's nowhere left to go, what happens next?
Linda Schuyler has been an independent producer and entrepreneur for over forty years. She is best known for co-creating and executive producing of over 500 episodes of the multi-award-winning Degrassi franchise, comprised of The Kids of Degrassi Street, Degrassi Junior High, Degrassi High, School’s Out, Degrassi Talks, Degrassi: The Next Generation, and Degrassi: Next Class. The internationally recognized franchise has won numerous awards, including the prestigious Peabody Award, two International Emmys, over 25 Gemini Awards, two Prix Jeunesse International Awards, two Teen Choice Awards, and has been nominated four times for a Primetime Emmy Award.
Dedicated to the art of storytelling, Linda is best known for work that explores the human experience, breaks stereotypes, and encourages communication. As a former schoolteacher, Linda is a strong supporter of the mentoring process. She always encourages professional and personal development for those within her company and has seen many writers, directors and actors go on to contribute to the industry worldwide. She has been a guest lecturer at various Universities including Yale, U of T, TMU, Trent U and Wilfred Laurier.
Will Bowes is a Canadian Screen Award-winning director, actor and singer/songwriter. He co-directed the CBC series, Hey Lady! with Sarah Polley and Adriana Maggs, which premiered at Sundance 2020. Other films he’s directed, including Loving Every Minute and Christmas Casanova are now available to stream on Netflix, Amazon Prime, Paramount Plus and Peacock. Will spent four years directing for Canada’s Degrassi franchise (2012-2016), receiving a DGC Award Nomination (2016) for his work. As an actor, he is best known for Netflix’s Alias Grace, Spinning Out and Murdoch Mysteries while film credits include Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, Women Talking and House at the End of the Street opposite Jennifer Lawrence. The Toronto-based artist is also a two-time first-place winner in the International Songwriting Competition (2018-2019) for songs from his debut album, Character.
