.........................................................................Prayer, brokenness, life

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Scarborough Village (SW), east Toronto

MoveIn Status
Praying for a team.

Firsthand
A rapper from Scarborough Village (SW) sings “When I’m out on the corner—I do what I gotta. When I chill with my peeps—I do what I gotta. When I’m out to get the money dog—I do what I gotta—Anger’s my device. Survival separates the men from the mice.” The corner of Markham Road and Eglinton Avenue East form the hub of retail activity in the area with a large grocery store, childcare centre and retail shops. Most of the rest of the neighbourhood is residential. 1

The People
In the wider Scarborough Village (SW) neighbourhood:

  • The population density is 4,939 people per square kilometre 2
  • 99% of people over 15 participating in the workforce have kids in their households 1
  • 19% of people identified themselves as newcomers, 79% have been in Canada more than three years 1
  • Many recent immigrants to the area came from Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and India 1
  • Common mother tongues besides English and French, include Tamil, Urdu, and Persian (Farsi) 1
  • 37% of respondents to a survey did not currently have an income, another 13% had incomes of less than $10,000 and a further 14% had incomes between $10,000 and $20,000 1
  • The 2006 unemployment rate was 12.5 %; almost double the 6.7% average in Toronto 2
  • This community has some pockets of very high poverty, it is a neighbourhood in distress 1

The History
The wider community of Scarborough Village, bounded by Markham Road, Kingston Road, and Eglinton Avenue, emerged in the early1800s. The area gave settlers access to the lakeshore and was an invaluable thoroughfare for soldiers during the war of 1812. By 1930, Kingston Road was an important route between Toronto and Montreal. Washington United Church, which was founded by Stephen Washington, was one of the first churches in the community. 3

The Challenge
Historically, Scarborough Village (SW) has been a point of access and a thoroughfare. It is a neighbourhood that needs Jesus. Would you be willing to move in?

Sources
1 Scarborough Village Community Needs Analysis, May 2008
2 Statistics Canada 2006 Census tract profile 0332.00 (CT), Toronto (CMA) and Ontario http://www12.statcan.ca/census-recensement/2006/dp-pd/prof/92-597/P3.cfm?CTuid=5350332.00&Lang=E
3 With information from www.torontoneighbourhoods.net and www.beamccowan.com