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Where Jamaicans Live
by Mahogany Saunders
Atumn in Toronto
According to the 2001 Canadian Census, 3.5% of the population of the city of
Toronto is Jamaican-born. 3.2% of the population of the Greater Toronto area was
born in Jamaica. While Jamaicans live throughout the Greater Toronto area, you
will find the largest concentration of Jamaican families in the city of Toronto.
Table 1:
|
Total Population |
Jamaican-Born (%) |
| Toronto Census Metropolitan Area |
4,682,897 |
150,840 (3.2%) |
| City of Toronto |
2,481,494 |
88,305 (3.5%) |
Table 2:
|
|
% Jamaican |
| City of Toronto |
3.5% |
| Ward 1 |
(Etobicoke North) |
12.7% |
| Ward 42 |
(Scarbough Rouge) |
9.5% |
| Ward 8 |
(Takes in Jane-Finch Corridor) |
8.5% |
| Ward 43 |
(Scarborough East) |
7.5% |
| Ward 15 |
(Eglinton - Lawrence) |
6.7% |
Yonge and Bloor is the main intersection of the downtown core. You can find
Jamaican restaurants and grocery stores in the downtown core and throughout the
GTA.
Based on information from the City of Toronto site, the communities in which you
will find the largest Jamaican populations are: Ward 1 (Etobicoke North),
Scarborough and Ward 8, which takes in the Jane-Finch corridor. To get a flavour
of a community in which you will find one of the largest Jamaican communities in
the GTA, exit the Allen Expressway and head west along Eglinton Avenue. For
several blocks, you will see Jamaican restaurants, bakeries, barbershops and
hairdressers. The Jamaica Gleaner Company office is located in that
neighbourhood. You will also find stores that sell hip hop fashion, grocery
stores and posters promoting the latest Jamaican plays and reggae artists who
are about to pass through Toronto. Step into some of the record stores and it's
like stepping back in time because you will see LPs spinning on the turntables
and LP jackets, featuring reggae artists, lining the walls.
"Connection", "Village" and "Jungle", nicknames for communities in Kingston,
Jamaica, each have their corresponding neighbourhoods in Toronto, where many
Jamaicans reside. "Village" is the nickname used for the area around St. Clair
Avenue and Bathurst Street. West Kingston's "Jungle" has a sister neighbourhood
in Toronto's Lawrence and Bathurst area, also known as Lawrence Heights. (Ben
Johnson lived in that community after he left Jamaica.) (Ben Johnson lived in that community after he left Jamaica.)
For audio profiles of the communities with the nicknames Jungle in Toronto and Jamaica, check out the CBC Toronto web site:
Profile of Toronto's "Jungle" Community
Relationship Between Kingston Jamaica's Jungle Community and Toronto
Apart from the City of Toronto, the Regions of Peel (takes in Brampton and Mississauga) and Durham (Ajax Pickering area) have the largest Jamaican-born populations in the GTA.
Table 3:
|
Total |
Jamaican-born |
% |
| Region of Peel |
985,565 |
23,155 |
2.30% |
| Brampton |
324,390 |
10,785 |
|
| Mississuaga |
610,820 |
12,185 |
|
| Durham |
502,905 |
13,350 |
2.70% |
York Region (which includes the cities of Markham, Richmond Hill and Newmarket) and Halton Region (which includes the city of Oakville) have comparatively small Jamaican populations.
Table 4:
|
Total |
Jamaican-born |
% |
| York Region |
725,670 |
10,700 |
1.50% |
| Halton Region |
372,410 |
2,920 |
0.08% |
As Toronto is easily accessible from Jamaica, Jamaicans living in Toronto have
the opportunity to enjoy the very best in Jamaican entertainment. Jamaican
musicians who have performed in Toronto over the years have included Bob Marley
and the Wailers, Culture, The Mighty Diamonds, Shaggy, Mutabaruka and Burning
Spear, to name just a few. Toronto based Jamaicans have access to everything
from reggae concerts and roots plays, to pantomimes, live and direct from
Jamaica. Jamaican actors including Carl Bradshaw, Oliver Samuel and Charles
Hyatt, have performed live on stage in Toronto. The Reggae Boyz, Jamaica's
soccer team, have played here.
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