MoveIn Status:
Praying for a team.

Firsthand:
This patch is monitored by video cameras and neighbours seem to be watchful. A man who has been living in the patch for 5 years says that it’s a good neighbourhood unless you go looking for trouble. Another resident says the patch is quiet and peaceful, but that sometimes the lack of parental care, and shootings, are disturbing. Members of a young Somali family feel that the area is improving.

Sometimes called “doomstown” by residents, the Jamestown patch has had its share of gang activity including drug dealing and violence. Before dawn on May 18th, 2006 more than 600 police officers descended on the Jamestown neighbourhood in Toronto’s largest-ever anti-gang sweep. 125 people were arrested for gangsterism, drugs, weapons trafficking, and/or attempted murder — most ranged in age from 17 to their mid-20’s. Among those arrested were leaders of the Doomstown Crew also known as the Jamestown Crew or the Jamestown Crips — one of Toronto’s most violent gangs.¹

The Landscape:
This oval-shaped patch is surrounded by Jamestown Crescent in the north and west and John Garland Boulevard in the south and east. The patch contains the Toronto Community Housing Thistletown 1 townhouse complex at 210 Jamestown Crescent, including units 15-268. More Toronto Community Housing townhouses are located on John Garland Blvd. The Maurice Coulter Housing Co-operative is a 6 floor apartment building at 174 John Garland Blvd that has subsidized units and market rent apartments.

There are numerous schools, as well as stores like Food Basics, No Frills, Price Chopper, and Canadian Tire close by.

The People:
A resident of the Jamestown patch said that there are African, Caribbean, East Indian, Middle Eastern, Slovanian, and South American people living in the area.

In the wider neighbourhood that the Jamestown patch belongs to:²

• In 2006, an incredible 29% of the population was 14 or under, compared to the Toronto average of 16%.
• 40% of families are led by lone parents, compared to the Toronto average of 17%.
• 91% of those lone parent families are led by women.
• 60% of residents are immigrants; 88% arrived in Canada before 2000.
• Only 37% of residents over the age of 15 have a post-secondary certificate, diploma or degree.
• The 2006 unemployment rate was 12.5% as compared to 6.7% for the rest of Toronto.
• 86% of residents are visible minorities; 51% are Black, the next largest group is South Asian.
• In 2006, 48% of residents were considered to have low before tax incomes (a very high poverty rate) as compared to 18% in the rest of Toronto.

The History:
The Jamestown patch, located in the larger area of Rexdale and the former City of Etobicoke, was once home to many European and Italian immigrants. Rex Heslop developed the subdivisions in Rexdale in the 1950’s as well as a large industrial corridor around the area.³ A large number of West Indian families arrived during the late 60’s and an influx of Somalian families came in the mid to late 90’s. Also during the 90’s, manual labour jobs — often filled by new immigrants — were becoming scarce. More office jobs became available but these were often inaccessible to immigrants.⁴

The Challenge:
“A hundred adults can break the heart of a child, but one can turn it around. We overlook extraordinary resilience in these kids. That’s why I always tell people when I make speeches that every single second we as adults spend in the company of a child or youth, we send a ripple into our future history. Treat them poorly? That’s what’s coming. Treat them with dignity and kindness? That’s what’s coming. Treat them indifferently? That’s what comes back.” said Dr. Fred Matthew in reference to youth from Jamestown and other areas who are involved gang violence.⁵

Will you sow the love of Christ into the hearts of youth and adults in the Jamestown patch? Will you consider moving in?

Sources:
¹ “Showdown in Jamestown,” by Rob Lamberti, Toronto Sun, May 19, 2006
² Statistics taken from Census tract profile for 0248.02 (CT), Toronto (CMA) and Ontario.
³ With information from Toronto Neighbourhoods
⁴ http://www.rapdict.org/Jamestown_Crew
⁵ “Fear, death rule ‘Doomstown,’” by Christie Blatchford, National Post, January 18, 2002