Celebrating Diverse Stories and Elevating Unheard Voices at The Word on the Street Toronto

From our community here in Regent Park, we’re highlighting The Word on the Street Toronto 2025, a free annual literary festival celebrating storytelling, imagination, and ideas. While the event took place outside our neighbourhood, its commitment to amplifying Black, Indigenous, and underrepresented voices connects deeply with the values we hold in Regent Park—community, justice, and inclusion. The festival underscored how stories can defend rights, affirm identity, and create spaces where diverse perspectives are heard. For communities like ours—where residents often face systemic barriers—literature becomes a bridge to advocacy, representation, and social change. This year, Regent Park TV interviewed authors, writers, and publishers from across Canada, including long-time participant Sam Burke of Burke’s Bookstore, who has championed Black authors and storytellers since the festival’s early years. We also spoke with Sienna Tristen, Director of Programming at Word on the Street, along with representatives from PEN Canada, Amnesty International, and the Immigrant Writers Association, among others. Together, these storytellers are shaping Canada’s literary landscape and redefining whose voices get heard. Their work reminds us that storytelling is more than art—it’s a tool for justice and connection. Through literature, communities like Regent Park can continue to imagine fairer futures—where every story, from every background, finds its rightful place.