WESTON: a Priority Neighbourhood in Toronto

Presented by Mimi Lau

For Facilitator: Community Research & Engagement position South Riverdale Community Health Centre, Toronto July 5, 2011

Why WESTON?
Priority Area: Weston Mount-Dennis Rapidly changing neighbourhood
Aging suburb with new investment (revitalization)

Centre for Research on Inner City Health

Rapid Assessment Tool for Small Area Health Needs (Weston)
Population 2006 2001 2006 Weston Mount-Dennis 39,842 - 1.3% Weston 16,470 - 5.7% Ward 29 (NoDa) 44,420 19,600 (apt.) - 4.3%

Weston: Overview of Presentation

Community Overview
Who lives here? What exists here (community/physical) Summary of Issues and Challenges

Needs Identification were and can be

Future Research
Who to reach? How to reach them? What assistance? Anticipated Challenges

Sources of Information Thank You

Who lives in Weston?

Average Income: $38,002 ($64,124 in Toronto)

Education
44.4% High School or less (26.1% - Toronto) 54.5% Post Secondary (53.7% - Toronto)

Immigration and Ethnicity

63.7% foreign born (45.7% - Toronto, sim. Immigration period) Top 4 areas: African, Caribbean, Europe/Asia (slightly ^ VM)

Demographics (2006)
18.8% Children 0 14 years > 16.4% in Toronto 12.9% Seniors 65+ < 14.1 for Toronto Higher than average lone parents and lone seniors
Sources: Dunn, J.R. CRICH (June 2009) and City of Toronto (2008) Weston Neighbourhood Profile

What exists in Weston? physical infrastructure

Housing
62% Rent/38% Own (neighbourhood) 43.5% of renters and 33% of owners spending 30 99% of income Average gross rent: $779

5 + storeys apartments (4060 units) or single detached houses (1675 units)

Transportation
Very to somewhat walkable (Walkscore, 2011) TTC bus routes, Weston GO Station - rail expansion Major arterial roads, no bike lanes (suggested route)

Other facilities limited and on/outside the periphery

Humber River, 2 City Parks, Hilltop CC, George Bell Arena, Weston CI Pool Boys and Girls Club 2 on the southern periphery 5 community gardens located south of Eglington in Mount-Dennis within Ward 11, but outside of Weston (2010)

What exists in Weston? - community & human services

Unison Health & Community Services (on periphery)
2010 Merger of New Heights CH and York CS

Weston Village BIA and Weston Ratepayers & Residents NEW - Jane Street Hub (2011)
Unison Health & Community Services plus COSTI Immigrant Services, Macaulay Child Development Centre, Midaynta Community Services, North York Community House, Yorktown Child and Family Centre

NEW COSTI Weston Employment Services (Spring 2011)

Summary of Community Issues

Poverty with much of income spent on housing
Lower Education Level Many foreign born Canadian Citizens then Avg. Toronto

A lot of children and youth

Limited access to locally grown food, community gathering and recreating spaces

Changing neighbourhood GO transit expansion and New Community Services eg. Jane Street Hub

How needs were/can be identified

Grey Literature Review informal published reports

Local knowledge - demographic data and incident reports

Community discussion and anecdotes e.g. York West Meals on Wheels, now Humber Community Seniors Services, was a church volunteer discussion

Community Based Research (various methods and tools)

Centre for Research on Inner City Health
(Rapid Assessment Tool for Small-Area Health Needs)

Surveys and Focus Groups

Unison H & CS Community Scan (Surveys: Flash, Online, Network) Discussion of Community strengths and opportunities (Focus Groups)

Knowledge sharing and integration with strategic plans

Strong Neighbourhoods Strategy United Way, Poverty by Postal Code; City of Toronto, Community Safety Plan and Cracks in the Foundation; Toronto Summit Alliance, Enough Talk

Future Research Approach

Who Residents, Property Owners, and Program participants Service Providers and Agency Staff - Tenants/Owners - Weston Rate Payers and Residents Association, Weston Village BIA How assist - State of the Community - Needs Identification - Future Support How to reach -Key interviews -Surveys -Focus groups

- York Weston Community Services - COSTI immigrant/employment - Unison Health & Community Services - Humber Community Seniors Servics

- Project plan - objectives - Community knowledge - Needs Analysis/Planning

- Focus Groups/Workshop - Advisory Committee

Institutions

- Police - TDSB - City of Toronto (CDO) - Public Health - York, Ryerson, Toronto - Residents

- Data collection - Community knowledge - Share Information

- Focus Group/Workshop - Advisory Committee - Knowledge Exchange

Researchers & Academics

- Advise/Strategy - Implement - Share Information - Share Information - Future funding/support - Advise/Advocate

- Research Participation - Knowledge Exchange - Advisory Committee - Knowledge Exchange/Share - Reporting - Ad hoc attendance

Funders/Advocates

- Wellesley Institute - Metcalf Foundation - United Way of Greater Toronto

Anticipated Research Challenges

Delineating the boundaries of study area, and working with cross jurisdictional information/data
Participant Fatigue CRICH, Academics, Unison H & CS Timing Residents may be working numerous jobs, new programs may need time to evaluate Relationships amongst organizations and individuals
i.e. current discussion about being a Priority Neighbourhood

Changing Community new residents in the future

Main Information Sources

Dunn, J.R. (May 2009) http://www.stmichaelshospital.com/pdf/crich/pra_presentation.pdf City of Toronto Weston Neighbourhood Profile Web Site http://www.toronto.ca/demographics/cns_profiles/cns113.htm Unison Health & Community Service (May 2011) Community Scan Report http://unisonhcs.org/fileadmin/doc/scan/communityscan-final-web.pdf Wilson, R.M., P. Landolt, Y.B. Shakya, G. Galabuzi, Z. Zahoorunissa, D. Pham, F. Cabrera, S. Dahy, and M-P. Joly. (2011). Working Rough, Living Poor: Employment and Income Insecurities Faced by Racialized Groups in the Black Creek Area and their Impacts on Health. Toronto: Access Alliance Multicultural Health and Community Services.

THANK YOU

Mimi Lau
mimi_lau@sympatico.ca (647) 500-6619