Catch da Flava On-Line

"It is a waste of time to be angry about my disability. One has got to get on with life." - Stephen Hawking St. Jamestown- is my hometown of ten years. My family and I moved here for the sole reason that where I lived before was not very accessible. We thought Toronto in general would be better, and it was. After a short time of living in St. Jamestown, I was beginning to see that it had some serious accessibility concerns for its residents like me, who have a disability. Something so minor as the curbs on the sidewalks not being leveled, to more serious concerns - like, why every place of business doesn't have a ramp and a handicapped button on the outside. As a person with a disability, I shouldn't have to rely on others to hold doors or to help me get up sidewalk curbs or stairs. At the same time its a horrible feeling to realize that my independence costs the city money. A lot of money. Take the Dollar store on Wellesley and Yonge, for example. The store

With the revitalization of Regent Park, Sharleen wants to know when the nearby community of St. James Town will be revitalized. Eighteen years ago, the city of Toronto approved Regent Parks revitalization. Today, as of 2021, Regent Park is almost fully developed with attractive high-rise condos and apartment buildings, an amazing community centre, and a big serene park. A "Regent Parker's" life has substantially improved since the 80s or 90s when housing was substandard and crime was rampant. Today the area's social service providers are flooded with funding from the city and upscale businesses are flocking to the neighbourhood. Why would they not? It's the city's newest "it" spot. Whilst Regent Park basks in their newly found glory, here at St. James Town we hang in our overshadowed community. The St. James Town "Towers in the park," as they were once referred to, are now wasting away, poorly maintained by Toronto Community Housin

Daiem believes the City of Toronto needs to step its game up when it comes to dealing with its housing crisis. Over the last few years, many homeless and unhoused people have been sleeping in tents and setting up large encampments in public parks around the city. An extremely large one at Trinity-Bellwoods Park, Lamport Stadium, Moss Park, Allan Gardens, and so many more. Earlier in the year, the city issued multiple eviction notices to these people citing that they were trespassing and making the park unsafe. A number of weeks ago, the city acted on their eviction notices and sent large numbers of police officers to evict the people staying at the encampment, forcefully if necessary. After a bit of a standoff with protestors, law enforcement put action to their words and began forcefully clearing the encampment. In the process, many protesters were maced, hit with batons, choked, and arrested. It’s a disgusting use of authority, and the city’s refusal to acknowledge t

Mothers of Peace teams up with the Paint Box Bistro, Daniels, TCHC and United Way to present a weekly cultural bazaar in Regent Park. As more and more Canadians get vaccinated and Ontario begins to open up, many outdoor events are starting to happen. In Regent Park this summer, Mothers of Peace is teaming up with the Paint Box Bistro, Daniels, TCHC and United Way to present a weekly cultural bazaar. Mothers of Peace is an organization based out of Regent Park operated by family members and mothers of the community. The violence prevention group was form to strengthen families and address the mental stress that can come with the trauma of inner-city violence. Mothers of Peace actively organizes healing circles for the families of victims of gun violence. Healing circles exist as an outlet for family members to let up their emotions, oftentimes through crying. While the pandemic has forced these healing circles to go virtual, it does not minimize the impact on family members

Over the past years, the murals and art in St. James Town kept expanding, making it easy to spot paintings and art everywhere.  But why should people care about the murals, and what makes them so important?  St. James Town is a highly dense population with many significant murals surrounding the community, but not many residents acknowledge the amazing art in the neighborhood and how much color and livelihood it gives. Community murals give light and positively to an urban neighborhood full of highrises and lacking in green spaces, like the St. James Town neighborhood. In St. James Town you can notice murals in different areas like around the schools as children pass by, the Wellesley buildings, the grocery stores, restaurants, and many more places. Just by observing the community closely you realize how much of an energetic and vibrant impact murals give off. The murals in St. James Town serve as a visual representation of the connections and stories expressed and told in the c

On Canada Day 2021, many citizens marched in downtown Toronto in honour of the Indigenous Children who died in the residential schools across Canada.    Instead of regular Canada Day celebrations, thousands of Torontonians gathered in downtown Toronto to join the Every Child Matters Walk to honour Indigenous children who died in the residential school systems across Canada and show support, respect and solidarity for residential school survivors and Indigenous people. More than 150,000 First Nations children were taken from their families involuntary and forced into the church- and government-run residential schools in a bid to 'educate' them. The schools ran from the 19th century well into the 20th. The children often were mistreated and lost their languages and culture. Many of them never returned to their families and communities. The March began and was organized by the Toronto Council Fire Native Cultural Centre, located at Dundas and Parliament in Regent Park. Many of t

How A Muslim artist is making a positive impact on youth in Regent Park and beyond.     Mustafa Ahmed, better known by his stage name, Mustafa the Poet, is a 24-year-old songwriter and singer who grew up in Toronto’s Regent Park. Mustafa is of Sudanese parentage. His early spoken word focused on themes of poverty both in Africa and Regent Park. Mustafa recently released an album on May 28, 2021, named, “When Smoke Rises.” Instead of glorifying violence, gangs and destructive behaviour, Mustafa chooses to use his music to promote healing and peace and to touch the lives of everyone. In the words of Mustafa, he says, “You think you’re escaping a war, but then you arrive at a new one” he refers to the ongoing violence happening in Regent Park and how he tries to escape it. In his song “Ali”, Mustafa sings about his friend who passed away from gun violence. In the song, paying tribute to his friend, he says, “Ali, there were no words to stop the bullets.” In his song “ Airforces

What Henna means in a neighbourhood of those who wear it. Photos and henna designs by Radhia Ali Henna (also known as Mehendi) is a paste that is made with a powdered form of the henna plant. The earliest use of henna goes back to around 9,000 years ago in Egypt. It has also been a part of many South Asian and Middle Eastern countries for centuries. Henna has cultural and spiritual uses, but it was also used in these countries due to its natural cooling properties to help regulate body temperature. Henna is ambiguous in its uses and can be used for cosmetology, medicine, religious purposes, celebration, spirituality, and more! It has been used as a natural hair dye that gives a rich and vibrant orange shade to one's hair. Nowadays in the beauty world, companies like LUSH Cosmetics have begun selling henna as hair dye and people have begun using it to create fake freckles. However, it is mainly used in celebration during special occasions such as weddings and holidays. Many peop

On 19th July 2021, Toronto Police’s Mounted unit, was called in by the 51 Division of Toronto Police in Regent Park to assist in locating an 80-year old missing person. Sgt. Alan Spratt of the Toronto Police Mounted unit along with his unit was responding to call by the 51 division of Toronto Police to assist them in locating an 80-year old, missing person in Regent Park. As the Mounted Unit of Toronto Police reached the Regent Park community accompanied by four horses of the Mounted Unit, they received a communication from the 51 Division that the missing person has been located, so the Mounted unit decided to patrol the Regent Park Community. Regent Parkers, especially families with young kids were all amazed and fascinated by the horses patrolling around Regent Park. A crowd quickly gathered around the Mounted Unit of Toronto Police. Children and their parents were snapping pictures and making videos of the horses. The young children of Regent Park really enjoyed the spectacle.

With the Provincial Liberals rebuilding after a blowout loss, what do we know about their new Leader? Ontario’s three party system is in an interesting place. It seems everything Doug Ford says or does makes headlines, and Andrea Horwath has solidified herself as a household name but there seems to be a big red hole in our three-party system. Since Kathleen Wynne’s blowout loss in 2018, it seems the Liberals have been laying low and with a provincial election a year away and the intense criticism that Ford has come under due to his reactionary handling of the pandemic (and more), it begs the question - Who the heck is Steven Del Duca? Steven Del Duca is the current Provincial Liberal Leader. Elected as party leader on March 7th, 2020, he won the vote with 58.8% of the ballot, receiving 1258 delegate votes. The son of two immigrant parents, Del Duca is a proud Liberal. According to his official website, he’s been an active Liberal since he was 15, and has played various roles around th