After last week’s turbulence and last-minute changes with our research question, Yellow Brick Road has now shifted our focus towards a more meaningful direction— the story of Mothers of Peace. Specifically, we aim to address the question “How does Mothers of Peace impact Regent Park and Downtown East neighbourhoods' identity when discussing topics of safety and community, and their correlations?”
This week we conducted two interviews, one with a younger resident in Regent Park and the other being Sureya Ibrahim, the founder of Mothers of Peace of Regent Park. Both were able to provide us with significant insights to finalize our project.
We interviewed Tiffany, who was born and raised in Regent Park. Her family previously lived on Sumach Street, in a building that is now a retirement home, but she admitted that she feels little nostalgia for the old neighbourhood. For Tiffany, the lack of elevators in the original buildings was a major deterrent, posing a constant inconvenience for people with disabilities and those arriving home at night. She also remembers the old entrances being crowded by people smoking or playing cards, making the physical upgrades of the redevelopment a welcome change. Interestingly, Tiffany noted that the shift to high-rise living feels safer, recalling from a text that she had read, saying that taller buildings create a sense of being watched over. Regarding the frequent appearance of police officers in the area, Tiffany said older residents see them as a stabilizing force for the elderly, even while acknowledging the complex “backfire” racialization and social stigma that often accompanies their presence.
In our interview with Sureya Ibrahim, she emphasized that safety in Regent Park is deeply rooted in community care, rather than in formal institutions alone. With her organization in mind, she wants to create a safe space for mothers to come, whether it's regarding grief, family problems, or feelings of being lost. These initiatives are not only about engaging with the community, but also about building a sense of belonging, particularly for women who have lost their family members or children to gun violence. What’s great is that her organization also has people across the GTA, including Etobicoke, Mississauga, and Scarborough. Furthermore, Sureya also highlighted the importance of familiarity and trust when we questioned her about the surveillance in the neighbourhood. While she did not express a specific viewpoint on the police and security, she noted that neighbourhood-based officers tend to be more empathetic and connected to members of the community. Whereas, outside officers responding to incidents can feel distant or hostile. Overall, what we learned from our interview was that Regent Park is more about community care and meaningful spaces for mothers navigating through loss and everyday life, rather than purely focusing on crime reduction.
With the interviews complete, we have begun the creation process for the documentary. When talking with Sureya, it became clear that her interview would be the main focus of the documentary, and that community safety through participation in organizations like Mothers of Peace would be our main focus, while also discussing the topic of gun violence and importance youth programming.
We have created a very broad outline for the documentary on the points we want to hit:
| CHUNK | CONCEPT | ROUGH TIMING | NOTES |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Introducing community care concept. “The community is home”. |
0:00-1:15 | Do we need music? Might take away from the documentary, but also sometimes silences in the interview are awkward. |
| 2 | Revitalization: then vs. now, why is there a violence/drug issue in Regent Park? "What else can we do?" |
1:15-4:10 | |
| 3 | How did Mothers of Peace start? "What is wrong with these people?" "It start(ed) making me angry" "It was very bad" |
4:10-8:10 | |
| 4 | Media coverage of Regent Park / Advocating for the community "I became very defensive when it came to my community" "(Does) he deserve to die?" "You don't take away where there is a need" |
8:10-11:55 | Getting clips from the stories Sureya is talking about |
| 5 | The Need for Community Care: What MOPRP Does. "It has to be a wrap-around system) |
11:55-14:25 | Want to put in a montage of posts about mothers, more videos from their channel. |
| 6 | Police Presence in the neighbourhood | 14:25-16:05 | We have some clips of the incident Sureya alludes to in the video |
| 7 | Concluding Statement | 16:05-17:25 |
After the turbulence of last week and the uncertainty around our research direction, finally finding a clear narrative feels like a weight has been lifted. Speaking with Tiffany and Sureya helped us see the story we truly want to tell. Now, as we move into creating the documentary, there’s a renewed sense of purpose and clarity, knowing we’re telling a story that matters both to the neighbourhood and to us as a team.
Throughout our interviews with Tiffany and Sureya, it’s clear that Regent Park’s story is about the people who shape the neighbourhood through care, connection, and resilience. Mothers of Peace is a shining example of this: creating spaces where safety, community, and belonging go hand in hand, and reminding us that real change comes from the relationships and support networks built within the community itself. Our documentary can and will bring these voices to the forefront, showing how one organization (and the mothers behind it) can transform the way a neighbourhood sees itself and navigates its challenges.
Sources we plan to use:
1. Ridgley et al. (2008). Regent Park Youth Health Action Project Research Report, 1-27.
2. Ranko Media. (2025, September 16). Toronto crime rate by neighbourhood. Protection Plus. http://protectionplus.ca/resources/blog/toronto-crime-rate-by-neighbourhood/
3. Westoll, N. (2023, September 16). Regent Park organization works to build community spirit, help gun violence victims. CityNews Toronto.https://toronto.citynews.ca/2023/09/15/regent-park-organization-works-to-build-community-spirit-help-gun-violence-victims/
4. Brockbank, N. (2020, December 17). Regent Park, St. Jamestown residents allege Toronto police robbed them during raids: study. CBC. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/toronto-police-raid-study-1.5836353
The team members of Yellow Brick Road are Lexie Young, Renee Chiu, Alpha Vu, Makita Depradine and Ali Joya.