overview of development in jane-finch

A OVERVIEW OF DEVELOPMENT IN

JANE-FINCH – 1950S TO PRESENTACT for Youth CBR Presentation

WHAT DO YOU THINK MAKES JANE-FINCH

“JANE-FINCH”?

“FACTS” COMMONLY TOLD ABOUT JANE

AND FINCH

…is one of the largest communities in Toronto

with approximately 140,000 residents

…is a major destination for new immigrants to

Canada

…has the highest density of public housing in

Canada

…has among the highest concentrations of

children and youth in Toronto

…has large number of single-parent families

“FACTS” COMMONLY TOLD ABOUT JANE

AND FINCH

…has among the highest rates of poverty in Toronto

…is the focus of nation-wide media and public attention, often framed in negative discourses about violence, urban decline and social dysfunction

These negative facts are often used to frame the area as a social/political problem in need of reform

When people say that Toronto is one of the World‟s most multicultural cities, they are usually not thinking of neighbourhoods like Jane and Finch but they should be!

JANE-FINCH INTERSECTION IN THE 1950S

Finch Avenue West looking

west from Jane Street, 1957

Jane Street looking north from

Finch Avenue West, 1957

JANE-FINCH INTERSECTION IN 1962

JANE-FINCH INTERSECTION IN 2008

THE POLITICAL ORIGINS OF JANE-FINCH –

1950S-1960S

In 1954, the Federal and

Provincial governments

expropriated 600 acres of

farmland in the area with the

intention of developing 3,000

low cost homes

Later, the majority of the land

(about 400 acres) was

transferred to the newly

established York University for

its campus

The remaining land was set

aside for mostly residential

development as well as

commercial, industrial and

recreational land use

1962 IN DISTRICT 10 – CITY PLANNERS DREAM OF A

MODERN URBAN COMMUNITY

In 1962, the area we now know as Jane-Finch was called “District 10” – a

planning unit in that period‟s urban planners‟ vision of good suburban

development

The plan was to develop the existing farm lots into a modern community with a

balance of low-, medium-, and high-density housing, employment,

commercial and social services

1962 District 10 Master Plan

Natural (Green)

Residential (Blue)

Commercial (Red)

Industrial (Grey)

Institutional (Yellow)

810

4105

13,990

21,085

23,535 24,325

1946 1960 1970 1980 1990 2006

Number of Housing Units in Jane-Finch, Selected Years

RE-FRAMING YORK U – LATE 1980S

RE-FRAMING YORK U – LATE 1980S

HIGH MODERNISM AT YORK – VIEWS OF THE

ROSS BUILDING

The 1960s were a peak moment in High Modernism – an architectural and urban design movement whose raw ingredients were order, division of space, and loads of concrete

MODERNIST ARCHITECTURE AT JANE-

SHOREHAM

MODERNIST ARCHITECTURE AT JANE-

SHOREHAM

MODERNIST ARCHITECTURE AT JANE-

SHOREHAM

THE POLITICAL ORIGINS OF JANE-FINCH,

CONTINUED

“Its situation adjacent to the suggested industrial

area and what will probably be the „noisier‟

portion of the university campus suggests that

low come housing is particularly appropriate

here.”

North York Planning Department (1960) York University Site.

Federal-Provincial Housing lands Jane Street and Steeles

Avenue. pg. 13

THE POLITICAL ORIGINS OF JANE-FINCH,

CONTINUED

In Ontario until the mid-1990s, public housing for families was developed, owned and administered by the Ontario Housing Corporation (Ontario Housing).

In 1967, only 3% of rental units in North York were public housing

However, by 1975 in Jane-Finch 22.5% of all dwellings were public housing units –“This was the highest concentration of O.H.C. family units in Metropolitan Toronto” according to a report by a planning firm

EARLY POLITICAL DISCOURSE OF JANE-FINCH AS

A “SOCIAL PROBLEM” AND PLANNING FAILURE

In 1975, a study by a planning consulting firm identified the following problems resulting from the rapid growth of the community and large concentrations of low-income families:

Overcrowded schools

Disconnected social services

Inadequate recreation facilities

A “serious problem” of youth crime, especially near Jane-Finch Mall

“The rate of growth, the high concentration of low income households and the lack of community facilities have contributed to a sense of instability in the community.”

They also wrote that youth felt a “general malaise…about living in the Jane-Finch area” and that the area had a “poor self-image”

POLITICAL REFORM AND THE FUTURE OF JANE-FINCH:

ONTARIO HOUSING BECOME TORONTO HOUSING

In 2001, the Province “downloaded” public housing

to municipalities

Previously, the development and maintenance of

public housing was the responsible of federal,

provincial and municipal governments

Overnight, cities like Toronto were financially

responsible for the maintenance and repair of an

aging housing stock

POLITICAL REFORM AND THE FUTURE OF JANE-FINCH:

ONTARIO HOUSING BECOME TORONTO HOUSING

Because funding for new social housing has largely

ended in 1996, there is now total reliance on the

market for the provision of new housing

There is increasingly pressure on public officials to

sell-off public housing to be re-developed by private

developers

Do you think that the city should privatize public

housing?

What are some of the implications of doing this?

RE-BRANDING JANE-FINCH

In October 2009, banners were raised across Jane-Finch as

part of Councillor Anthony Perruzza‟s strategy to rebrand the

neighbourhood as “University Heights”

DO YOU THINK JANE-FINCH SHOULD BE “RE-

BRANDED”?

What do you think about renaming the

community?

Why do you think rebranding the community

has become an issue at this point in Jane-Finch’s history?

TWO DIFFERENT VIEWS ABOUT RE-BRANDING

JANE-FINCH

"A lot people feel (the rebranding) is a kind of rejection of how far we've come," she said. "A lot of people are actually proud of Jane and Finch, so they look at it as saying we're not supposed to be proud and we have to hide from the name.”

"It's a good thing ... because the current name has negative connotations. When you say University Heights, it's going to sound much better," he said. "It's not about trying to hide the location – you can't – but what is important is it gives (people) additional information that this neighbourhood is really close to the university.“

What do you think about renaming the community?

Why do you think rebranding the community has become an issue at this point in Jane-Finch’s history?