Toronto City Council to create ‘Little Jamaica’ Heritage Hub

Reggae Lane

Toronto City Council unanimously passed a motion  last Thursday calling for the establishment of a “Little Jamaica” Heritage and Innovation Hub in the Eglinton West area, from Marlee Ave. West to Keele Street.

The motion, introduced by Councillor Michael Colle of Ward eight (Eglinton-Lawrence). also calls for the the Provincial Metrolinx Agency to immediately compensate small businesses that have been devastated by the eight years of the Eglinton Crosstown  construction, the immediate completion of the western portion of the Eglinton LRT from Black Creek to Yonge Street and the elimination of the commercial property tax that assess small businesses.

The motion which is supported by Councillor Ana Bailo of  Ward nine ( Davenport) notes that the Eglinton Crosstown construction has seen 124 small  stores closed.

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Many of these stores are reported to have been owned and operated by persons from the Black community.

“The creation of an Eglinton West ‘Little Jamaica’ Heritage Hub celebrates the outstanding cultural and economic contributions made by the Black community in Toronto, and affords hope and opportunity for this legacy to be expanded upon,” declared Councillor  Colle,

“It  will honour and recognize local Black leaders -like entrepreneur, the late Jimmy Wisdom; lawyer the late Charles Roach, advocate the late Dudleyt Laws and others with  heritage plaques and murals at the new Eglinton Crosstown Stations of Oakwood, Dufferin and Eglinton West,” Collie told The Caribbean Camera.

Councillor Mike Colle, Letna Allen-Rowe, Jeffery “KAFENOL” Williams and Jay Dougla

He said he does not have a  timeline with respect to the  establishment  of  the ” Heritage and Innovation  Hub.”

” But I’m sure that over the next six months you are going to see start seeing some tangible things.Right now we’ve basically got to put in the groundwork and get things in place.”