Jane and Finch is a neighborhood located in the northwest end of Toronto, Canada, in the district of North York. Centered at Jane Street and Finch Avenue West intersection, the area is roughly bounded by Highway 400 to the west, Black Creek to the east, Sheppard Avenue to the south, and Steeles Avenue to the north.
The Jane and Finch community is a high-density and low-income neighborhood. It comprises single-family detached and semi-detached houses and several high-rise apartment buildings.
History
Jane-Finch was originally in the rural community of Elia. The area was developed as a model suburb in the 1960s in response to the rapid urban growth of Toronto, CA. The community was planned to accommodate a socially diverse population. It included substantial public housing, but insufficient thought was given to the social infrastructure needed to sustain community life.
The 1960s development plans spearheaded by the Ontario Housing Corporation (OHC) coincided with the North York Planning Department’s goal of creating a more urban-looking suburb. Known for its series of high-rise buildings and above-average population density, Jane-Finch experienced astronomical growth from 1961 to 1971, when the population went from 1,300 to 33,000, accounting for more than 40% of the growth in North York. In general, urban planners, local politicians, residents of Jane-Finch, and others today think that the OHC and North York erred seriously, contributing to rapid population growth in the area without anticipating its negative consequences. Bed Bug Exterminator Toronto
Culture
Being one of the most visible minority-concentrated communities in the City of Toronto, the Jane-Finch community hosts several cultural activities: International Women’s Day – The Jane-Finch community is an active participant in International Women’s Day. For example, in 2004, Driftwood Community Centre hosted an event for the community with the theme of “Balancing Family and Work.” Several community organizations sponsored the event, including Doorsteps Neighbourhood Services, Delta Family Resource Centre, Driftwood Community Centre, and the Jane/Finch Community & Family Centre. Other participating agencies included Hincks-Dellcrest Centre, Costi, and the North York Women’s Centre. The day’s activities included a “Women & Work” resource table, parenting seminars, child care, and poetry readings from award-winning poet Lillian Allen. Women were also treated to manicures, hair-braiding, and yoga. The Black Creek Community Health Centre also participates in the planning and organizing of International Women’s Day through a Planning Group that hosts a series of community-based planning workshops. The International Women’s Day conference allows women in the community to build relationships, develop a coalition across differences, and gain skills related to civic participation.
Check out other neighborhoods like Kensington Market