As reading week came to an end and we resumed our school work, our course also entered a new phase: we are now going to start working on our media project! However, we had to first come up with a group name. We wanted the name to reflect our project theme: inter- and intra-faith divides and solidarities. Amal, one of our Diva Girl group members, thought of the word “faithfulness”. Going along with that, we decided upon the name “Faithful Delta”. A delta is where a river diverges into a number of paths, which echoes the multitude of religions and faith groups that co-exist in Regent Park. Further, in mathematics, delta represents change. In Regent Park, there has been a great change in demographics and religious composition over the years, creating divisions but also a sense of social harmony. Thus, our group name represents not just the areas of focus of our project, but also what Regent Park is.
After we decided on our group name, we set out on our first tour of Regent Park, led by our Diva Girl group members. It was a brief tour, but the girls pointed out a number of interesting sites, each with their own stories. For example, across from Regent Park Focus is a basketball court, it is run-down state in stark contrast with the new buildings behind it. With all the changes that had happened in Regent Park since the revitalization project begun, the basketball court remained. Could this court symbolize neglect? Or perhaps it is better seen as resistance? Regardless, a few teenagers of various skin colours were still playing a game when we stopped by, while the girls told us how important basketball is in building community solidarity. It seems that sport can really bring people together.
I immediately noticed the Chinese on this sign. (Photo by Andrew)
During our short tour, I took a few photos of sights that I found interesting. Near Daniels Spectrum, I noticed a place called “SEAS” - “Support Enhance Access Services Centre”, written in blue on opaque glass. What caught my attention was its Chinese name written in the line below, “協群社區服務中心”. I found it very interesting because we passed by a lot of African, Middle Eastern, and South Asian ethnic locations with signs in various languages, but that was the only Chinese sign that I noticed so far in Regent Park. Indeed, I did not often notice East Asians in the area during my visits so far. Thus, a community service centre that seems to target Chinese or East Asian residents piqued my curiosity.
On our way back to Regent Park Focus, I quickly browsed information on SEAS and the Chinese community in Regent Park. It turns out that Mandarin is the second most popular non-official language mother tongue of Regent Park residents, with Cantonese being the fourth. I was also surprised to realize that while SEAS currently has 4 branches in the Greater Toronto Area, its first was established in Regent Park in 1986. At that time, it was focused on helping Southeast Asian residents integrate into the community. Nowadays, it is focused on providing settlement services and various classes to Chinese and Vietnamese newcomers in Toronto. Perhaps this change in targeted demographics offers insights on demographic changes in Regent Park and the other neighbourhoods that SEAS serves over time.
The contrast between the old church building and new residential towers really symbolizes what Regent Park is. (Photo by Jim)
Returning to Regent Park Focus after our community tour, I felt that I had a much greater understanding of Regent Park as well as on our project theme. While our class discussions with the Diva Girls so far have been focused on the Muslim community in Regent Park, I believe that it would be beneficial to have a wider engagement. Perhaps we could map out all of the religious institutions in Regent Park, and interview people with various religious beliefs? That could help us gain a deeper and more authentic understanding of the divisions and solidarities between faiths in Regent Park. But what kind of story would the girls be comfortable with exploring? Additionally, we have yet to decide on the type of media that we will use. In any case, I am excited for our next class, during which we can discuss with our Diva Girl partners and brainstorm together on how to proceed with our project.
The Faithful Delta team members are Aisha, Amal, Andrew, Jim, Sahara.