Entrepreneurship, Business, Heritage

Little Jamaica

Beginning in the 1970s, Little Jamaica – the area of Eglinton Avenue West stretching from Marlee Avenue to Keele Street – was the centre of economic power for Black and Caribbean businesses as well as a cultural hub for Caribbean immigrants in Toronto.

This was the home to many Caribbean immigrants––many from Jamaica—and also where Canadians in search of products from the Caribbean went to shop amid businesses including recording studios, record shops, hair and beauty salons, barbershops, restaurants, and Jamaican patty outlets.

One such business was Monica’s Cosmetic Supplies Ltd. Owned by Monica Lewis, a Jamaican who immigrated to Canada in 1968 from England, Lewis had trained as a nurse in England; in Canada, she opened a hairdressing business, which  later expanded to sell other products, including records. Monica and her husband, George Lewis, also owned several commercial real estate properties in the area. Their business was considered a symbol of success in the Black community.

Another business, Spence’s West Indian Bakery, Restaurant and Food Store, owned by Florizel Spence, was also a neighbourhood staple. “Happiness is the feeling he gets when he realizes that Spence’s is seen by some as a meeting place, almost an institution in the Black community, a place where people can feel comfortable to eat and share memories of old times,” notes a profile of Florizel Spence in “Jamaican Canadians: A Commitment to Excellence,” published by the Jamaican Canadian Association in 1987.

In September 2015, the Reggae Lane Mural was unveiled in the community. Created by artist Adrian Hayles, the STEPS Initiative and The Laneway Project, the 1,200 square foot mural celebrates local reggae history by depicting local and legendary reggae artists.

Recognized as a community of great cultural heritage, the City of Toronto is undertaking a heritage conservation district understudy, currently in the initiation phase, intended to support and celebrate the area.