Catch da Flava Online

Catch: Tell us about your experience of growing up in the community. How long have you lived in Regent Park? Regent Park has been a consistent and formative presence in my life. My connection to the community began during my elementary years at Nelson Mandela Park Public School, and I have remained closely connected since then while continuing my education through high school and university. My academic work at the University of Toronto is in an HBSc program, with an interdisciplinary focus on the study of religion across diverse traditions, including Islam, Buddhism, Christianity, and secular thought. This has shaped my approach to ethical reasoning, inclusive leadership, and thoughtful decision-making. I have gained research-focused experience within major public institutions, including The Hospital for Sick Children and the University Health Network, where professionalism, accountability, and discretion are essential. While these experiences have influenced my path, Regent Park cont...

 On March 16th 2026, planning committee members of the Regent Park Social Development Network and members of the Regent Park Neighbourhood Association,  joined the 22 other neighbourhood representatives from across the City of Toronto, to participate in discussions related to the new formation of a city wide advocacy group known as the Coalition for Responsible Community Development. The aim of this new coalition is to build a network of neighbourhood groups from across the City of Toronto dedicated to the funding and support of community-led Social Development Plans and Community Development Plans. The Coalition argues that every neighbourhood in Toronto should have the resources to plan and shape its future and through the development of community-led Social Development Plans (SDPs) and Community Development Plans (CDPs). Social Development Plans (SDPs) and Community Development Plans (CDPs) like the Regent Park Social Development Network, strengthen neighbourhood safety, ec...

 In 2003, when Toronto Community Housing Corporation (TCHC) began submitting plans to the City for the transformation of Regent Park, from 100% Public Housing to a mixed income and mixed-use community,  the approval from City Council required TCHC to work collaboratively with Regent Park residents and local agencies to develop and implement a Social Development Plan (SDP).  The Regent Park SDP would ensure that redevelopment would not just be about building new housing and facilities but would positively change the quality of life experienced by Regent Park residents - which at that time were exclusively socio-economically challenged TCHC Tenants living in rent geared to income (RGI) units. Regent Park would be the very first redeveloped TCHC community to have a SDP which would give community members a say in what they felt would improve the lives of residents in the new Regent Park.   To meet City Council’s requirement, the city’s community development staff wo...

 Elena Taghizadeh. is a familiar face in Regent Park, where she has long been a resident and an advocate for the community. As co-chair of the SDP Network’s  Employment and Economic Development Working Group (EED), Elena has witnessed firsthand the implementation of the SDP. She believes in its power to bolster local entrepreneurship in Regent.  One can look at the Carousel Cafe & Bistro as a successful impact of the EED’s work.  The Carousel Cafe & Bistro, located in the Community Living Room of the Daniels Spectrum, provides opportunities for local Regent Park food vendors to partner with the cafe to sell their foods in the cafe and be part of the catering business. The establishment of the Carousel Cafe was a direct result of the three month Cafe Pop Up Project that was initiated by EED working in collaboration with Centre for Social Invention (CSI).  The project provided an opportunity for local food vendors to pilot their business by selling their f...

The Regent Park Social Development Plan (SDP) Network’s Safety Working Group, also known as the Regent Park Safety Network (RPSN) is one of the four working groups of the SDP Network, The Safety Network, facilitated monthly by co-chairs, Leonard Swartz and Ina Labauschagen, brings together key agencies and community stakeholders who are working in the area of safety including the Toronto Police Service, Toronto Fire Services, Toronto Community Housing Community Safety Unit and elected representatives. At the March 16, 2026, monthly meeting of the Safety Working Group, Leonard Holder, the District Chief of Toronto Fire Services highlighted important fire safety issues, with a strong focus on the risks associated with e-bikes. Residents were advised not to store e-bikes inside residential units due to the potential dangers posed by lithium-ion batteries. According to Leonard even lithium-ion batteries on cell phones can be hazardous. Fire officials noted that clearer policies and gui...