[Welcome to the walking tour] [a world within a block] [A vibrant community, plagued with stigmatization...] [An accessible walking tour by Annisha, Jilianne, Justine & Michelle] [Take a long glance at Displacement & Gentrification inside of St. James Town]
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Introduction
St. Jamestown is one of the largest high-rise communities in the Toronto, it consists of 18 high-rise buildings with 7,000 units (St. James Town Community Corner, 2017). In the 1960s, these buildings were originally developed for young middle-class residents, however, overtime St. James Town became a social housing community for low-income families and newcomers. Unfortunately, due to the community’s dense population, St. James Town has been labeled as one of the most economically impoverished communities in Toronto. St. James Town is criticized for its overcrowdedness, lack of recreational and public spaces, poor building quality and maintenance, and lack of resources for the large and diverse population (Wellesley Institute, 2017). The capacity of residents living in these buildings is 17,000, however, the population increased by 25% over the past few years with approximately 25,000 residents living in these buildings (St. James Town Community Corner, 2017). The density of St. James Town's population is reportedly 18 times higher than the density of City of Toronto (Wellesley Institute, 2017). St. James Town is often called "the world in a block" as it consists of individuals from diverse backgrounds (St. James Town Community Corner, 2017). The 2016 Preliminary Neighbourhood Census Profile shows that the average annual income of residents is $22,341, and 27% of the residents are living under the Low Income Cut-Off and are at risk of experiencing homelessness (Statistic Canada, 2017). The conditions of the apartments are extremely poor and it is raising serious safety and health issues. Approximately 52% of the residents have complained about the poor living quality and lack of maintenance supports in these buildings (Dhungana, 2012). Many residents pay over 50% of their paychecks even though their housing conditions are poor (Dhungana, 2012). Common housing issues are limited space, broken walls, poor energy efficiency, rodent infestation and much more (Dhungana, 2012). Many residents have complained that they are being silenced due to the stigma and negative stereotypes associated with their community.
The lack of supports, resources, and recreational activities are extremely limited in St. James Town. Due to the lack of attraction and facilities, middle-income families avoided moving into this community which resulted in the push of newcomers moving in (Dhungana, 2012). Despite St. James Town’s culturally diverse residents, there are very minimal supports and recreational spots for residents to access programs and socialize with community members. Since St. James Town was built for single middle-class individuals, city planners did not develop parks, daycares, etc. (Dhungana, 2012). Reports show that only 7% of the local resources consists of educational facilities which result in children/youth traveling to go to school - this is a barrier for many families as transportation costs are high (Dhungana, 2012). The lack of resources and recreational activities cause residents to experience exclusion within their community, and it affects their mental and physical health (Dhungana, 2012).
Throughout this blog, we will be examining six locations in St. James Town such as the St. James Town & Cabbagetown Border, St. James Town West Park, Cabbagetown Youth Centre, St James Town Community Corner, 200 Wellesley, The Selby and James Cooper Mansion. We will examine how these locations represent various issues that exist within these communities as well as further explore how stigma, discrimination, and social power can be seen in these spaces.
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St. James Town & Cabbagetown Border
St. James Town is located at the northeast corner of the downtown Toronto area. (St. James Town Community Corner, 2017). It is situated between Sherbourne Street and Parliament Street, but does not pass Bloor Street. It is a small area, but its name and history has rendered itself to go beyond that of its size. When societal members residing in Toronto tend to reflect on St. James Town, a stereotypical (but judgemental) statement tends to be brought up or thought about. “It’s a slum,” or, “Isn’t it a poor neighbourhood?” St. James Town continues to make itself known within the city of Toronto in more bad ways than good. The perpetuation of stigma is continually seen as a prominent and on-going reiteration and result of the long-lasting history that St. James Town holds to this day.
The history of Cabbagetown is one that stands out prominently in our Canadian society. Attached to its name comes a story of poverty and sadness, although, we rarely hear much about the surrounding neighbourhoods that have also been subject to oppression and horrible living conditions. St. James Town has had its fair share of displacement, gentrification, overcrowdedness, poor living conditions, as well as an overall lack of services and support systems within the area. Due to the close proximity of St. James Town and Cabbagetown, we can see a societal influence of who belongs where. We can see that there had been a purposeful displacement and segregation of low-income families into specific areas in the Toronto area. To put it simply: it is not just the neighbourhood itself, rather, it is the reasoning behind why these neighbourhoods are chosen and placed where they are.
Much like its neighbour, Cabbagetown, St. James Town is on its way of becoming a space that is reflective of a ‘valued neighbourhood’. Although, what happens to the long-time residents of the neighbourhood? How are they able to afford of the changes that are constantly being made every year? Gentrification continues to be an ongoing social issue as it only serves the middle-upper class community which can afford the changes being made. Previous members of the neighbourhood are being pushed out of a space that they can no longer afford to live in. We see the congregation of both St. James Town and Cabbagetown residence migrate further away from the services that were once in reach. It had been for so long that these spaces were taken up by those who have been pushed there through how Toronto had been structured. According to ThoughtCo (2017), conflict theory discusses how the “elite” control the poor and inferior. By applying a conflict theory lens, we continue to see this governmental regulation once again through the process of gentrification. It is clear that those living in poverty and/or those who are considered lower-working class members of society tend to always be given the short end of the stick. Their choice and independence typically relies fully within the hands of the ‘dominant’ and ‘superior’ government leaders and those who have the power to dictate the way in which society should be organized.
If residents are responsible, do you think that the government should help individuals struggling to pay the increased rental price?
Do you think the responsibility of paying increased rental prices should lie with the government or the individuals affected if prices begin to rise in the neighbourhood due to gentrification?
#st. james town#toronto#downtown toronto#gentrification#displacement#poverty#cabbagetown#social elite
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St. James Town West Park
St. James Town West Park is one of the very few recreational spots that are available within the neighbourhood. With the dense population, a few recreational spots sporadically placed within the small neighbourhood simply cannot provide for the residents of St. James Town. St. James Town, as being one of the more impoverished communities, cannot provide the same as richer neighbourhoods within as well as outside of the GTA. The space in which it takes up embodies aspects of poorer neighbourhoods. By looking at the space through a sociopatial lens, it is clear that the division between middle-upper class communities and lower-middle class communities such as St. James Town, can be clearly seen. If one were to take a stroll through Oakville and compare their experience to a stroll through St. James Town, the disparities would be extremely clear.
Due to the high population density of individuals within St. James Town, overcrowdedness tends to become one of the day-to-day issues. In response to this, what does the government tend to do? They build high rises. St. James Town has hundreds of apartment buildings in the neighbourhood, with a new development proposal seemingly popping out of nowhere every other month. Not only this, but the poor conditions and actual lack of recreational items within many of the parks at St. James Town, and specifically within St. James Town West Park, simply does not amount to its outer-city counterparts.The lack of utilities provided at St. James Town West Park is quite apparent. At first glance, I found it quite difficult when identifying where the park can be found. If not for the sign placed within the premises, I would have never known it to be the park we had been looking for. “As St. James Town is disproportionately populated by individuals and families with low incomes who are at the greatest risk of not being able to participate in sports and recreational activities, easily-accessible and inclusive community recreation services are essential,” (Wellesley Institute, 2011, p. 2). The space was lacking of any sort of recreational use due to its small nature, additionally, it emitted an eerie feeling of vacancy which was quite unusual due to the population density and overcrowdedness that St. James Town is quite known for.
St. James Town West Park is an area that truly represents the sources of recreational activities (or lack thereof) within the St. James Town neighbourhood. It is barren and small, and individuals, most importantly youth, will be less likely to utilize the park area. According to Lifestyle Information Network (2002), children must be offered recreational options as it prevents them from being subject to social exclusion as well as prevents them from participating in other, less appropriate, activities. If there are free, accessible, and properly funded recreational activities provided within the neighbourhood, there would be more opportunities for children, especially those who are in lower-income neighbourhoods, to be able to participate just like everyone else. This is not just an issue of exclusion, rather, it is a social justice issue. Children who are considered to be ‘lower-class’ should have the same rights and options with regards to recreational activities (at the very least). The power dynamic of the ‘socially elite’ and the ‘socially inferior’ are then brought to light, truly exemplifying social justice issues within our own city, even though it is not as overtly seen on a day-to-day basis.
Do you think parks are extremely necessary for neighbourhoods or do you think families should ‘make the extra effort’ to look for other recreational resources whether it be within or outside of the SJT neighbourhood?
Are parks truly integral to the appropriate and proper development of youth? What does proper/appropriate development look like to you?
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#st. james town#toronto#downtown toronto#art#st. james town west park#poverty#lack of resources#gentrification
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200 Wellesley
When you reach 200 Wellesley, it’s a sight to see and one you cannot miss. Home to the World’s Tallest Mural, one side of 200 Wellesley is painted with colours that are vibrant and beautiful. The mural is of a phoenix taking flight on the 32 story building. It bursts like a sun and the remaining flames dive into reds, magentas and blues. It’s metaphoric in a sense, a phoenix rises from the ashes, ready to build itself up once again much like the St. James Town Community.
The mural was a community effort facilitated by Sean Martindale and STEPs which is a charity that focuses on beautifying parts of Toronto in order to cultivate community, culture, and art (Steps Initiative). St. James Town youth and a wide range of community members came together to paint this mural, as it represents the resiliency, creativity, and the diversity of the community.
But of course, behind the beauty of this building there are multiple stories interweaved by a city that ‘appears’ to care for it’s resident’s well-being. Run by the TCHC, the building holds approximately 1,200 tenants on record, however it is said that 2,000 people reside there (Ward, 2016). People who cannot afford houses in the private market have to rely on public housing, and with a lack of public housing, overcrowding becomes the norm for places like 200 Wellesley.
The building is deemed unsafe by multiple residents. They fear of violence, drug use and prostitution, which has occurred on the premises in the past. It also does not help that security has not taken steps to help residents feel safe (Ward, 2016). There have been a high number of deaths that have taken place in the building - an individual was stabbed to death, some have fallen off their balcony, and others have died from drug overdose.
Tenants feel that the conditions of the building are not at all liveable. There have been accounts of bedbugs, cockroaches, and mice roaming around in their homes and despite the sprays and complaints, many of these rodents and bugs come back (Ward, 2016). The maintenance of the building is lacking as well since repairs take more time than it should and tenants end up feeling neglected.
Tenants here are low-income and come from diverse backgrounds. There are immigrants, people suffering with mental health issues, seniors, and people from different walks of life all in one building. It’s imperative to think about why such a diverse community living in one building do not receive the amount of attention from the government as they should.
In 2010, three years before the mural was unveiled, there was a huge fire that broke out in 200 Wellesley. The source was a cigarette, which ignited combustible items that were hoarded in an individual’s balcony (Ministry of Community Safety & Correctional Services, 2011). 17 people were injured, and the amount of property damage was high; all lives in the building were affected that day. It was the trigger that set TCHC to think about the living conditions and the well-being of their tenants.
Despite the paradigm shift, many problems still prevail in the building. There can be a mural to beautify the building, however it does not hide the fact that tenants of lower-income status are still experiencing issues with their living conditions.
If you were living in a public housing unit in 200 Wellesley, in what ways will it affect your overall well-being? Why?
Do you think the mural helps with destigmatizing the neighbourhood? In what ways do you think it helps the neighbhourhood? If you do not believe it does, why?
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