Jane’s Walk May 07th: The Tibetan experience in a gentrifying Parkdale

Join PNLT for a neighbourhood walk lead by residents.

May 07th 1pm- 2:30pm. Meeting Point: Cowan Ave. PNLT Table

Organized by the Parkdale Neighbourhood Land Trust and community partners, this walk will focus on the growing Tibetan community in Parkdale. It too, will highlight how Tibetan residents and businesses are collaborating and playing leadership roles in community organizations, tenant groups, and associations responding to the escalating gentrification of the area.

Background: As one of Toronto’s last affordable downtown neighbourhoods, Parkdale is home to a diverse mix of working class people, immigrants, artists and the likes. In fact, over 90% of residents in South Parkdale are renters, and 36% live in poverty. The cluster of buildings along Jameson Avenue for example has become known as the “landing strip”, attracting wave after wave of newcomers including West Indians, Hispanics, Filipinos, Sihks, Tamils, Roma, and Tibetans. Today Toronto hosts the largest population of migrant Tibetans outside India and Nepal. Over 4000 Tibetan and dozens of tibetan businesses call Parkdale home. But it is important to note that as recent refugees, most Tibetan families and business owners in Parkdale are renters, and thus highly impacted by rent increases. Unfortunately, the affordability and diversity of Parkdale is at risk. Squished between the higher income areas of High-Park and Liberty Village, Parkdale is currently experiencing increasing gentrification, rising rents and speculative development pressure.

http://janeswalk.org/canada/toronto/tibetan-experience-gentrifying-parkdale/

*The walk will be lead by members of PNLT, Greenest City, Parkdale Information Centre, Parkdale Community Legal Services and more.