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St. James Town is one of Toronto’s most densely populated neighbourhoods, shaped by migration, resilience, and decades of grassroots organizing. It is also home to Murphy Browne, an educator, broadcaster, and community advocate whose voice has helped document stories often missing from mainstream narratives. RPTV sat down with Browne at the Wellesley Community Centre for a wide-ranging conversation about her work, her journey, and the role of community media in preserving Black history and lived experience. For years, Browne has used storytelling as a civic tool—connecting past and present through radio, music, and local journalism. As the host of Word of Mouth on Radio Regent, Browne curates conversations that blend history, culture, and social commentary. Her approach centres voices that are frequently overlooked, using music and storytelling to create space for reflection, education, and dialogue. She has also brought this perspective to television as a co-host of Regent Park TV’s w...

St. James Town, one of Toronto’s most diverse and densely populated neighbourhoods, continues to show how creativity and care can build belonging even in challenging times. Known for its tall apartment towers and aging infrastructure, this community thrives on the resilience and imagination of its residents. Earlier this month, Regent Park TV visited St. James Town for the unveiling of Many Peoples Under One Sky – Winchester Park Mosaic, a public art project celebrating unity and cultural pride. Among the performers was opera singer Pepper Espin (they/them), who performed alongside the Epic Choir, their powerful voices filling the park with a sense of hope and connection. Born in Mexico, Espin is an opera singer, drag performer, and peer support worker who rebuilt their life in Toronto after surviving a transphobic attack in 2021. When they arrived, they found refuge and friendship at The Corner on Wellesley Street East — a vital hub where neighbours help one another find stability and...

On February 28, 2025, the Wellesley Community Centre became a hub of energy, celebration, and reflection as St. James Town marked Black Futures Month. Organized by The St. James Town Community Corner, The Centre for Advancing the Interests of Black People, Dixon Hall, and other key partners, the event showcased Black excellence, resilience, and the collective fight against anti-Black racism. A central part of the gathering was the Community Fair, where organizations provided vital resources, including economic opportunities, mental health support, and employment assistance. Beyond celebrating Black culture and achievements, attendees engaged with service providers offering tangible pathways for change. The program, hosted by MCs Amanda and Kendra, opened with a dynamic African drum performance by Izimba Arts, filling the space with rhythmic energy. Spoken word artist Kaynn delivered a powerful poem inspired in Black History Month. Ward 13 Councillor Chris Moise followed with opening re...

On January 28th, residents and advocates gathered at 200 Wellesley St. for a town hall meeting organized by the Keep St. James Town Affordable Coalition. The discussion centered on proposed developments at 5 Huntley and 2-8 Earl Street, raising concerns about affordability and the future of Toronto’s most densely populated neighborhood. St. James Town, home to many lower-income families, seniors, and marginalized groups, is facing increasing pressure from gentrification. As affordable housing options dwindle, the coalition is urging developers to designate at least 10% of new units as affordable housing and to establish a non-profit-run childcare facility. Moderated by community organizer Ana Teresa Portillo, the meeting provided residents with strategies to advocate for their neighborhood. Residents will also receive deputation training and tactics for door-to-door outreach in future meetings before the next Toronto and East York Community Council meeting at City Hall. An online peti...

On Wednesday April 30, 2025, three candidates running for federal elections in the riding of Toronto Centre, met at the Daniels Spectrum Arts Centre in Regent Park, to share their platforms and to answer questions from the Toronto Downtown East Community. The full house event was hosted by the Community Civic Engagement Collaborative (CCEC), a non-partisan collective working to increase civic engagement in elections and beyond, through non-partisan community organizing. The CCEC represents agencies, grassroots groups and residents living and working in the Toronto Downtown East communities notably Regent Park, St. James Town and Moss Park. The three candidates were Olivia Ihem from the Green Party ( an environmental scientist), Samatha Green from the NDP (a healthcare physician), and Evan Soloman (a political journalist). Unfortunately, the Conservative candidate, Luis Ibarra, withdrew his participation from the event. The two moderators of the event were Humaira Rhman, a resident f...

From Allan Gardens to Regent Park: Moise Discusses Town Hall Outcomes, Encampment Solutions, and the Future of Sankofa Square.  In this RPTV interview, Gabriel Meissner speaks with Councillor Chris Moise to tackle the crucial issues facing Toronto Centre’s neighborhoods, including Regent Park, St. Jamestown, and Moss Park. Moise recently held a series of Community Town Halls across the area, aiming to bridge communication between city officials and residents. He explains some tangible initiatives that have resulted from these discussions, such as increased safety measures and urban improvements, and shares how ongoing feedback will influence decisions about housing, public safety, and local services. The interview also covers the recent clearings of encampments in Allan Gardens, with Moise updating on the progress for those connected to shelters and explaining the city’s approach to Indigenous cultural practices within the park, such as sacred fires. Another critical topic is the i...

On June 14th, the St James Town community celebrated a significant milestone as residents and local organizations gathered at Rose Avenue Public School Gym for the 10th annual Spring Gathering and Health Access event. This event, a cornerstone in fostering community resilience and solidarity, brought together residents, community leaders, and local partner organizations, including St James Town Community Corner, Sherbourne Health, and the Residents Council. The primary aim of the Spring Gathering is to strengthen community bonds, provide vital information on health access programs, and, most importantly, consult with the community to address pressing needs such as affordable housing, food insecurity, and holistic health care. Over the past decade, the event has played a crucial role in supporting marginalized communities, including newcomers, members of the LGBTQ+ community, and all residents of St James Town, by fostering inclusive community health access and services. The gathering o...

St. James Town came alive on Saturday, May 11th, as residents gathered at the St James Town Neighbourhood Community Centre for the highly anticipated 2024 Summit, organized by the St James Town Residents Council. With a remarkable turnout, the event showcased a diverse array of voices, ideas, and talents, reaffirming the vibrant spirit of this dynamic community. The summit, themed "Emerging Innovations & Ideas," featured a lineup of engaging activities and insightful discussions.  The agenda was packed with enriching sessions, including a networking continental breakfast to kick off the morning, followed by opening remarks and acknowledgements. Throughout the day, attendees had the opportunity to participate in forums highlighting emerging grassroots groups, indulge in a multicultural lunch prepared by local chefs, and engage in workshops focusing on indigenous knowledge and intergenerational storytelling. Notable grassroots organizations such as TILT (Toronto Indigenous...

For the past 11 years, Toronto has embraced a transformative approach to policing through its Neighbourhood Officer program, inspired by the successful model pioneered in Regent Park. At the heart of this initiative are officers like Kumar Shanmuganathat, who has dedicated the last three years to serving as a neighbourhood officer in St. Jamestown. Through his insights and experiences, viewers gain a deeper understanding of the program's impact and significance. What sets Neighbourhood Officers apart from their counterparts in the police force is their unparalleled dedication to community engagement. Unlike regular police officers, Neighbourhood Officers prioritize spending extensive time interacting with residents. This hands-on approach fosters a profound understanding of the unique challenges and concerns present within the neighbourhood. One of the hallmarks of the Neighbourhood Officer program is its emphasis on post-incident follow-up. Kumar highlights the importance of this ...

Formed outside of an emergency meeting held in January 2014 to address extreme weather events such as the July 2013 floods and the December 2013 ice storm. Community Resilience to Extreme Weather (CREW) is a local climate change initiative that was formed by Rita Bijons, an environmental activist, Dave MacLeod, a senior environmental officer, and twenty one community based groups. CREW’s work has proven to be important as they serve low-income individuals in underserved neighbourhoods such as St. Jamestown.  A big part of CREW’s mission is to promote community resilience by fostering communication. In 2016, CREW developed a Neighbours Helping Neighbours program which was composed of twenty two low income seniors of various ethnic backgrounds. These seniors which are known as Extreme Weather Volunteers gathered a toolkit of materials to reach out to their community. In their outreach work, they focused on building supportive social networks and training their neighbours on how to p...

In Regent Park, a community that is in the process of a massive transformation, from Canada's largest social housing complex to a mixed income/mixed use neighbourhood, the outcome of elections, be they Municipal, Provincial, or Federal is of profound interest to area residents. The Community Civic Engagement Collaborative (CCEC) is a grassroots collective of agencies and residents in Regent Park, Moss Park, St. James Town and Corktown neighbourhoods, working to increase civic engagement in elections and beyond, through non-partisan community organizing. On Wednesday May 18, 2022, the CCEC organized and hosted an all-candidates meeting (held at the Daniels Spectrum, 585 Dundas St E, Toronto) and invited candidates to share their respective party's platforms regarding the key issues facing the Toronto Centre riding, which includes Moss Park, Regent Park, Cabbage Town, Church Wellesley Village, and St. Jamestown.  The meeting was moderated by Ina Labuschgne and Walied Khogali. ...

OASIS Food Hub is working in St. James Town to address food insecurity When you walk a bit further behind food basics in the space between the little park and 200 Wellesley, you will see the old empty swimming pool. The pool is owned by Toronto Community Housing and was closed in 2010, when it was discovered that black tar was leaking into the pool from a newly installed deck. TCHC assessed that the maintenance required to maintain the old pool would be too much. Once a vibrant social hub in the summer, the fenced in pool has stayed forgotten and waiting to be demolished. That is until now. OASIS Food Hub is a program of the St. James Town Community Co-op, a resident owned and operated organization. OASIS stands for Organic Agro-ecological Sustainable Integrated System. Co-op members and residents developed the OASIS Food Hub model to address food security in St. James Town. Their idea, why not transform the empty pool into an urban organic food farm as a way of addressing food ...

In this episode of St. James Town TV, we feature the Weathering the Storm Research Report. The report was prepared for The Corner and the St. James Town Service Providers Network by Lisa Kovalchuk, a professor of sociology at the University of Guelph. Lisa Kovalchuk’s team of researchers included community residents Priyal Goenka, Tanvir Kaukab, and Lovlyn Dsouza. The aim of the study was to determine how the Covid-19 pandemic played out in the highly diverse and densely populated community of St. James Town. The study focused on three demographics, youth, newcomers and other immigrants, and seniors. According to Lisa and her team, in the area of children and youth the study found that parents with infants and pre-teen children reported lockdown impacts that affected child development such as the lack of social interactions and gaining of learning experiences because of the disruption of day-care and the closure of recreational family outing options. Parents of special needs c...

The St. James Town Food Co-op launches an emergency food Pop- Up On August 12, 2021, the St. James Town Co-op launched an outdoor emergency food distribution pop-up in an open space behind the swimming pool located at 275 Bleecker and Wellesley Street. Located in the middle of the neighborhood, this pop-up was a temporary substitute for the regular food distribution in the Wellesley Community Centre. The Wellesley Community Centre, located at 200 Wellesley Street is now been used as a vaccination clinic. The importance of the pop up was to distribute emergency food to residents struggling with food insecurity. Although the Co-op is struggling to secure a place for their food insecurity initiative, making sure that the needs of the community have been met is the Co-op first priority. Yasmine, the Food distribution department manager explains to us how the initiative tries to offer different kinds of food that is culturally appropriate and that would keep the community healthy an...

St. James Town is a neighborhood located in Toronto’s downtown core.Comprised of a diverse and resilient community, it represents the best of Toronto. Here are some facts you may not know about St. James Town: Fact 1 It’s one of the most densely populated neighbourhoods in Canada. The population of St. Jamestown James Town is officially listed as approximately 17,000 residents but estimates say there could be more than 25,000 26,000 residents living here. Fact 2 St. James Town is one of the smallest neighborhoods in Toronto. With a land area of just 0.23 kilometres comprised of 19 high rises, explains why St. James Town is regarded as one of the smallest and most densely populated neighbourhoods! Fact 3 St. James Town was once known as the Homewood Estate. Yes, back then (in the 1800’s) it was occupied by upper middle-class residents and the homes and had more in common with Rosedale. Once the car became popular, most of the wealthy folks left for the suburbs. Fa...

A youth reporter leads you on a tour of the St. James Town Community. St. James Town is one of the most underrated neighborhoods of Toronto, Ontario. It is home to over 25,000 residents and is one of the most multicultural neighborhoods in all of Toronto. It lies northeast of the downtown area covering Jarvis Street to the west, Bloor Street East to the north, Parliament Street to the east, and Wellesley Street East to the south. St. James Town is like traveling the entire globe within one block. St. James Town has a sea of multicultural restaurants from all over the globe. There are just not enough neighborhoods in the world where you can go out and taste foods from all around the world in a matter of blocks. St. James Town is one of the areas St. James Town has astonishing murals. In a community where there is very little green and lots of lots of buildings, murals bring color and creativity to the community. St. James Town has one of the tallest murals in the world at 200 We...

Yael explains why St. James Town is a perfect habitat for the St. James Town pigeon. The St. James Town pigeon is well known to area residents. They can be found in the neighbourhood mornings to night. One of the favorite places where the St. James Town pigeon calls home is at Food Basics. Food Basics is an area which is densely populated, and where there is people – there is food. More precisely people willing to provide feed. And even more precise seniors! The pigeons in this vicinity are commonly referred to as the Food Basic Pigeons. Food Basic Pigeons differ from most other St. James Town Pigeons by their lack of fear for not only people but for cars. In fact, when not focused on cosying up to seniors, pooping on cars is one of the favorite past-times of the Food Basic Pigeons. The competing Rose Ave School pigeons, find begging for bread crumbs from seniors a little below them. Considered far more educated than their peers, the St. James Town Rose Avenue School Pi...

St. Jamestown is located on the northeast side of the downtown Toronto area, the high populated community is filled with high-rise buildings and constant construction. With so much city life in the neighborhood, do the people in the community take notice of the environment around them? Why is it so important to keep a sustainable environment around us, and what is St. Jamestown doing to help? Having a well-sustainable environment is very important to the community. Conserving natural resources can protect global and local ecosystems and contribute to ones’ health and well-being. In St. Jamestown, there are not many green spaces in the community. On top of that, streets are filled with litter and unwanted garbage. This litter, whether on sidewalks or near housing buildings, reflects on the community and gives a negative impression of the neighborhood. Environmental sustainability at the local level should focus on how residents should take care of their carbon footprint and what reso...

St. James Town is a community known notably for its high-rise buildings. However, few people realize that you can eat cuisines from around the world all within a few blocks. You can find restaurants specializing in Korean, Filipino, Caribbean, Indian foods and more - all in St. James Town. Here are three must-visit restaurants in St. James Town. Tinuno is a Filipino restaurant located at 31 Howard Street, located near Sherbourne Street & Howard Street. Tinuno means to cook on a grill or over a hot with extreme heat. They have a wide variety of Filipino cuisines like Tapsilog consisting of smoky beef tapa, garlic rice, 2 eggs + salad. Another interesting dish is Bangsilog. This dish consists of Bangus belly, garlic rice, 2 eggs + salad. To top it off, I recommend that you can end with a beautiful suman dessert. In the words of one dinner,“ the food here delicious, a perfect spot to bring your girl on national girlfriend day ha, ha..” At Tinuno, you can eat foods from all ove...

With an astonishing four playgrounds available for children and youth, St. James Town is really lacking in parks and playgrounds. St James Town has a sea of tall residential buildings like trees in Redwood National Park. Having 19 high rise buildings and 4 low rise buildings with a population of approximately 17,100 to 25,000 residents, St James Town is one of the most highly densely populated neighbourhoods in Toronto. With an immense population of youth and children, lack of playgrounds and parks can lead to negative impact on their health. In 2014, there was a plan to rejuvenate the tennis court beside 260 Wellesley St building and to replace the court with a massive playground. I remember the planning of the park. We had a party at our school organized by planners of the playground. At the party they presented the final designs of the playground being built that would replace the tennis court. Information was given to us to take home to our parents with petitions for them to si...