Love is a long-time resident and community activist from 1976. As of August 2011, Love works at the Rexdale Women’s Centre and continues to live in the community.
When did you move into the community?
I moved into the Jane Finch community in 1976. I used to live at 2900 Jane Street and then moved to the Firgrove area in 1978. When my husband first came, he lived with friends at Chalkfarm for a couple of months. He was here in February and I came in April so we moved over to 2900 Jane Street where there were some Ghanaians already in that building. The same as Chalkfarm but then we were able to get accommodation at 2900. I’m from Ghana but then I was in the States before moving here. We were there for four to five years.
When I was in college back home in Ghana, we learned geography and we learned geography from all over the world. In Ghana, I was a teacher and I taught elementary school. We moved due to marriage and he wanted to travel. So, when I joined my husband in the States, I told him that I preferred living in Canada. Then there was the Canadian Horseshoe. I learned a lot about the agriculture and living here, even though at that time, the job in the States was better than here. My pay was better than when I moved here but I did like it because I knew about this area before moving here.
We knew friends who lived around here, we didn’t know the difference but it was Downsview. There were a lot of Ghanaians living in this area in 2900 Jane Street and most of them were at Chalkfarm, Jane and Wilson area and then Weston Road at 3400, there were a lot of them. These were the places where most of us were living.
When did the Ghanaian community start coming to Toronto?
They started coming in the late 60’s – those whom I know. They ended up here because they found an apartment. Most of them started downtown and were working around this area. So, when 200 Chalkfarm was built, my cousin found an apartment and they were the first people to be in that apartment. And the way we connect when others come, it’s easier. Most of them moved to this side of the City, more than downtown.
Today our community is very diverse. What do you remember about the diversity back then?
In the 70’s, there was mostly the white Canadians and West Indians. There were many Italians too – a lot of Italians even as late as 1990 or around then when I sent my daughter to Emery Collegiate. They had done a merge and in the video, she told me, “My mother wants me to go to an all-white school” because it was a mixture of more Italians in that school.
Can you tell me what was going on in the area at that time?
Well, first when I came, I was naïve. I didn’t know that things were going on because at night time, I would even take my bike in the evening after work and come to the Grassways and sell my Avon. I was selling Avon part-time. But then, later on when I moved to this building, then I found out that when taking the stairs, people were doing drugs. There were a lot of drugs in the area. The lighting was not that bright and that is when I found out what was going on. At that time, when I hear people saying Jane and Finch, I didn’t know anything about Jane and Finch until I moved in and I became more involved in the community. Then I found out what was going on around this area. There was drug dealing going on in the 1980’s.
At that time, people were having meetings, discussing precautions and we would talk. We need to meet together and have a parade from here to up there. I think, in 1976 when I first moved here, Jane/Finch Community and Family Centre didn’t exist. They tried to organize some community meetings and I used to attend those meetings. We used to march with other community leaders around here to say no to drugs. If other people say no to drugs, then say yes to what?
Tell me about your involvements in the community.
Peggy Campbell used to be the United Church Community Minister here at Firgrove and she would give information for us to go there to learn sewing and then with the children’s program. I was interested in those things - community building. I used to go down there and sometimes also we used to have summer fest for children to be involved. We used to have tenants meetings to talk about our needs – what’s the community needs. I remember very well that we were able to get some new ceilings. The ceilings were like foam and people were hiding their guns. When you push it, it opens and they were hiding them there. Through our meetings and commitment, we invited Toronto Housing to meetings so we discussed that. In some of the Grassways, now you can see that it has wires, like the fence wires on top for the ceilings – you can see through them but you can’t put anything in there.
I remember one time, Carol Scott, the late Carol Scott when we called Toronto Housing and told them that we needed hot water and they wouldn’t listen to us so she told them that we would call the Chair (John Sewell at the time) to come over. We were able to invite him here and we took him around to see things. Within a few days, our hot water was working, both hot and cold. When you were having a shower, you wouldn’t get hot water. We did a lot of advocacy work for the community.
I was co-founder of the Ghanaian Women’s Association and we used to meet to help the other people so at that time, I was the coordinator of that. But then, there was the Asante Multi-Cultural Association of Toronto and that started in this room – my living room. And now, they have been able to build community housing (a co-op) at Weston Road and Finch. I helped to write the constitution and everything for the organization that built the co-op and that organization still exists. I was still, at that time, and still am with the Asante Multi-Cultural Association where I became the Queen. My role was in women’s issues, to help with parenting skills and if there is trouble in their families I was part of the people who they look up to. We sit down and support each other and try to settle cases which are not too high for them to be together. Especially, the part I did enjoy is the cultural ones – teaching children how to dance, the cultural dance called Adwoa.
The High Society used to meet at Yorkwoods Community Centre – the Ghanaian Women Association. We had common goals, we were new to Canada, and we need to learn and also to give what we could to Canada. So we were there. At that time also, I was trying to teach the children our language, also the cultural dance and also what back home was like. We were trying to teach them their culture and also support, especially those who came and were teenagers and leaving their friends back home to come here where they were isolated. We tried to help the parents learn how to deal with them and to work with them. Back home, children are left for teachers. You don’t get much involved. Even if you do something wrong, I remember going to see my mother and she would say, “I’m going to tell your teacher’. But here, you must be part of it. Back home, you can leave your child home. The next person, because we live in compounds and even if it were a flat, you could just leave your child there. Here, you wanted them to be aware of things not to do or to prevent them from leaving their children in danger. It was a different society with different rules. Back home when somebody does something wrong, I can talk to that person, whether it’s my child or not and I used to do that here. You won’t believe it. When I’m going to work and even now I do that. If I leave home late and I see children who are wondering around, I tell them that they are late and aren’t you going to school? Some of them will curse me, some of them will laugh. I can’t stop that. Even the teenagers, I do tell them that on my way from Firgrove to Jane Street.
I was also the President of the Tenants Association at Firgrove. I can’t remember how many years, but I did that. There were complaints and I attended meetings and in between the Metro Housing and then the tenants. Sometimes, we invited them to our meetings and we had workgroups.
I was on the Board of Directors for the Jane/Finch Community and Family Centre in the 80’s and early 90’s and I was on that board for ten years and then an ex-officio for another year. I was the President but I don’t remember how many years – I think we go for three years or so. Oh my goodness, I learned a lot from that experience. Sometimes, I see myself as a newcomer when I hear things and then the policies, I could relate them to my own field and know what was going on there. My main aim of joining that organization as a board member was to let the others hear the voice of the community. I know community people are there but the stakeholders are the community. So then, whatever comes in, I know most of the things that were going on in our community. So, it wasn’t hard for me to be there. I did have open ears and an open mind to learn more because we can’t learn one thing and then forget it the next day. Going there most of the time helped me to learn a lot about the community and about other people and how people interact. Also, in the long run, it was a common goal for the organization to grow and to serve the people as it should be. Before I became a board member, when I look at the year-end report, I say, “Oh, the money is all going to the staff, what is the community getting?” But then, being a board member, I found out that if you don’t pay them, the service won’t be delivered. So, a chunk of the money goes to the staff and the rest to the community because if the money is sitting there and nobody’s giving the service that is not good. Also at the Board, we used to attend meetings and trainings for things we were lacking, seminars which are good like learning about policies like anti-discrimination, good communication skills and other things. They were good for the organization and for the community as a whole.
What were the issues in the community when you first got involved?
Drug activities and guns were two issues. Some of the residents didn’t have the tools to report things for themselves or to advocate or themselves. There was a time when we had a meeting and one lady said, “I need to run because I left my milk outside.” The fridge was broken and she was scared to tell the authorities. So we advocated by asking her why she was running home to take your milk – what do you mean? I remember she was a Cambodian lady and she said that the fridge was not working so she kept her milk outside. I think it was very cold that day. People didn’t know how to advocate on their own behalf so we used to help them to do that. Then if there was a scratch, she would go to the office! We empowered her to be vocal or to ask for what she needed. Back home, most of us from different cultures, when they have given me a place to live and paying whatever I can and then if I report, they might tell me to leave. That was the fear.
The lighting around here was very dark. We advocated getting more lights so now when you are walking around and it’s late, you can see. I did find a job here at the Jane Finch Community Ministry. When Peggy Campbell left, she kept on saying that she didn’t have limits of service. But later on I found out that with funding, you have your set work that you are supposed to do but Peggy could start something and add something to it. There were limits but the way she was saying it.
I found out that we were able to get North York Harvest to deliver food for a food bank. We didn’t have space to keep the food but we were doing it once a week for the residents. Those who are in need would come down. That was very helpful. Even people who moved outside this place used to still come to get some food. Poverty was an issue and it’s still an issue.
There was a time when Metro Housing or Toronto Housing hired people from the community to work in different areas. If I live here, I won’t work here but I’m able to work at Driftwood, cleaning or jobs like that. That was also good. I remember also that during summer, I used to run the work orientation workshops for the youth. I was paid that time. But then, the youth being home and doing nothing, they had something to do so it reduced their way of getting into trouble. They were learning and being paid. It was four days of work and one day workshop. I was also involved with that.
What was the government or other influential people doing about the issues?
I remember childcare. I would call Peter Li Preti (city councilor at the time) to come down here. We used to have meetings with the politicians, especially when it was coming to elections. That was where we used to get what we wanted. We would let them know our grievances. We used to go to the North York Interagency Council to let them know the needs of this area. I was part of the group who used to go. The politicians were here but what I have found collectively, what you ask, you get. Other than that, there was nothing you can get. They know but you have to bring it up. We did have meetings at Driftwood Community Centre about children’s services because we needed more spaces for childcare. Somebody asked me how old is your child and I said that she is eight. But I’m thinking about the younger ones. If I go to work for eight or ten hours, I can’t leave the eight year old home and if there is a place where they can go, it’s something that we can do.
Metro Housing did help us also by giving the children a recreational place to be and they hired youth to work with the leaders. Parks and Recreation also helped us, they used to work together. Every summer, we did have staff around here but then we tried to get after school programs. At that time, we were able to get some. Now a day, I don’t come home very early so I don’t know much of what is going on but then I see that some of the children run down there to do some homework. The only thing I’m not very happy about is that Metro Housing has taken all the offices where we used to socialize and have small meetings. You have to walk over to the recreation centre. It’s not far to go but not everybody likes to go to meetings in a different place. The small offices near the front were for the security and family benefit. If it’s in your building, it’s okay. They took downstairs for their office and gave us space over there (Firgrove Learning Centre). It’s difficult to organize like that. Now the whole floor is for Metro Housing. It took away from community space. Also, parking is a problem now. Metro Housing staff has all the area as parking. When they finish at 5:00 and somebody parks there, you get a ticket. This is something I will try to be involved with this summer so that the tenants would think about it.
What do you remember as being the biggest challenges back then?
In the 70’s and 80’s, it was policing. The crime was very high, maybe higher than now. We weren’t able to communicate with the police. The fear is still there and when people see you talking to the police, they think we are informers. Maybe you are telling them that at night time, we need security or we need more lighting.
When things were broken, it took me time for us to get it fixed back then. It wasn’t cleaner like it is now. At that time, taking the stairway and going down from the 3rd floor, it was a nightmare. I get scared; people get scared to take the stairway. But that’s been cleaned up. Garbage was all over. The only thing that was good was the birds were not coming on the balconies but they are now. They wanted us to pay for our own nets but I don’t think it’s viable because people who have them, when it rains or when it’s windy, it falls apart. They were over $200. Not even garbage bags or foil would work.
The garbage would stay there for long periods of time and it wouldn’t be removed. And the hallways, they were very dirty and the carpets not clean. There were a lot of cockroaches in this building. I remember when people moved, I could see cockroaches crawling in the hallway. I did my part, others are doing the same. I used to buy something like a gel and put it all around the baseboard.
At our meetings, we used to report these things and they were listening to us. The only thing is we tried to let them know what was needed because we live here. They only come to work here. Every four years, they used to paint the apartments. Not anymore. Even the painters, you would hear them say, “It’s just Metro Housing.” If I hear that and I’m in the room, I will come out and tell you that you are getting paid. The money they get is government money so they shouldn’t’ just say that people live here. We let them know. They would do a sloppy job, get their money and then go but I think they monitor them now, I don’t know. The hallway, as compared to some time ago, is better.
What were you most proud of?
The lighting is one of them and also to motivate or to help people to open up to ask for what they want and also to communicate with the authorities. If we invite people and they don’t understand something we were able to ask questions for them to understand why they came and why we wanted them to be here to explain things. I’m proud that people can walk safely and take the stairway and the building is neater. It’s brighter also. I think it doesn’t take years or months for them to do repairs.
What are some of your fondest memories?
When we used to gather and discuss things and also at the end of the year having a celebration. Food is something that brings people together and having a Christmas Party or other tribal celebrations together, to cherish each other. I remember very well that having the summer fest and standing on the stage dancing. I didn’t care - people were enjoying themselves, to show the culture. We used to have the white elephant and so on to do fundraising. It was enjoyable and the children had fun. I’m looking at them enjoying themselves at that time when we used to have those things.
Do you have any other comments?
The only thing I would add is that when people do things, other people should continue so I know that there are people who are in this community, the Firgrove community who are attending meetings and there are young leaders so I have to sit back for when they need something. I can tell them or give them my ideas and if they want it, they can take it. This place is very neat, neater than before and the only thing that I don’t like up to now is the elevators. Only one is working and every day you will see someone who will urinate or there is something in the elevator and when you call, it takes time for them to come and clean it all. And, at the corner of the stairways, I can go out through that door but then on the first floor, I have to go that way because there is a dog that poops at the corner and it’s never clean. You see them cleaning where people pass, but where there isn’t a lot of traffic, they don’t clean.
I did bring up my daughter here. She didn’t go to the Catholic school. In my community, they think Catholic School is better than public. She went to Firgrove Public School. She then went to Oakdale for one year but then, I signed an option so she went to Humber Summit. From there, she went to Emery High School and from there she went to the University of Windsor. She wanted to do criminology but then getting to the end of her last year; she decided to be a teacher. So she continued her education in the states and she is a teacher in junior school in Chicago and she has two Masters Degrees. I am the grandmother of two children.
I also like to tell people that there were two girls who used to go to school with my daughter and they all used to live here. They all finished and went to college or to a university. They are all doing well. I keep on telling people that it’s not where you live; it’s what you do that is very important. It doesn’t matter – you can live in a rich area and if you don’t want to learn, you won’t learn. Parents should be there for the children and to be supportive. There is a lady upstairs who has a boy and a girl and the boy, you won’t see him lingering around outside. It doesn’t mean that he doesn’t attend activities and right now he is also in university. The girl is in grade 5 or so. People who live in Jane and Finch or in the Firgrove community, I have seen so many of them who have continued and then there are some who didn’t. That’s unfortunate.
It doesn’t matter where you live, education is everywhere. You can go to private school, you can go to public school, and it’s the parents who should be there. They must be supportive. Listen to their children and assist them. I know that I was a working poor mother but when my daughter needed me to attend meetings, I’m there to listen to what’s going on and then if I have to add my ideas, I do.
My wish is for people who live around here to feel that this is their home. Jane and Finch is their home and together, we should work together to help it get a better name than the negative name in books everywhere. When I used to attend school, I used to defend the area because everything in the books gives bad examples of Jane and Finch. There are people who haven’t lived here who think that they won’t come here. Where I’m working, there is a lady who came to meetings and who didn’t like to come to Jane and Finch. She lived in Brampton. She thinks that coming here; she is in a danger zone. So, I told her that it was her attitude and you see that there are people who live here, who work here and don’t do anything to you. Why do you think that when you work around Jane and Finch you will be hurt unless you are doing the same activities that people are doing to get hurt?
People should know that this is a better place to live and to make it better it has to be us. Nobody is coming to do it for us – it’s us, the people who should do it.