Firsthand
A resident from the Congo said that there are quite a few Somali families living here. Watching families entering and exiting the buildings in colorful African attire, it was evident that this is also home to people from many other African countries. As the conversation continued, a van-load of friendly South East Asian men drove up, coming home from a day’s work. One resident of 12 years mentioned “you’ll often see police here,” and described one building in rough condition. Another felt that the neighborhood was quite friendly, family oriented and overall an OK place to live.

The Landscape
Two fairly large low-rise apartment buildings which are home to North Africans, East Asians, and several other cultures make up this patch. The larger of the two buildings is in very poor condition and is occupied by families, mostly from unreached people groups.

A mosque is located nearby, just one bloc east of the neighbourhood. A Muslim community centre and a Catholic Children’s Aid centre sit close by as well. The neighbourhood hosts eateries with Middle Eastern, German/Austrian, and Caribbean ethnicities.

The People

• population: 4,115 (all stats from 2006)
• 35% of families are single-parent
• median income: $26,491 compared with $60,567 for the rest of Hamilton
• 32% of the population are immigrants
• unemployment rate is 9%, compared with 6% for the rest of Hamilton

Sources
¹Stats Canada