Call For Donations: Black Business Grants For Toronto's Eglinton West
By Ashley Baez
Little Jamaica has been dealing with the repercussions of the Crosstown LRT construction since 2013, a light rail transit line that would run from Weston Rd to Kennedy station by 2022. In addition, the community has also been dealing with the aftermath of COVID-19. Throughout this time, the community of black-owned businesses along Eglinton West have had their livelihood at risk due to less foot traffic, less parking availability, a lack of visual appeal, and increased rent.
Image from “A Black Business Conversation” report
For this reason, Rebuild EgWest and BUTO partnered together in hopes of providing grants to help businesses in Little Jamaica with their short-term and long-term goals.
Some of these short-term and long-term goals include grants for business owners dealing with rent hikes, grants for business renovations, and a space approved by the city to provide lower-than-market-rate commercial land trusts to community members of Little Jamaica.
Jem Baptiste, founder of Rebuild EgWest and visual artist from OCAD university, was raised her entire life on Eglinton Avenue West. Baptiste says, “I always got brought around the neighborhood with my father and got introduced to business owners. He told me before that if I am ever in trouble, I should be counting on the business owners and community members on the street for my safety. [This] really mimics what a real Caribbean neighborhood would be in the actual Caribbean.”
However, delays with the LRT construction continued and Baptiste began to see a visual decline of Afro-Caribbean people and a decline of visually appealing businesses.
According to a recently published report by BUTO entitled “A Black Business Conversation”, Business Improvement Areas (BIA) have not been responsive or accountable for the black business owners they represent on Eglinton West. BIA is responsible for overseeing the improvement, beautification, and maintenance of municipality-owned businesses. However, business owners recommend that there must be a higher representation of black business owners from Eglinton West on the decision and implementation process in BIA governance. At this time, most representatives are currently members of the Fairbank-Village and York-Eglinton area.
Image of BIA relationships from “A Black Business Conversation” report
“My father and I began questioning whether we are secure in this neighborhood. When you see the people in those digital drawings [for LRT], none of them are black. Eglinton West is known to be historically an Afro-Caribbean community,” says Baptiste.
Dane Williams, co-founder of BUTO and MBA alumni from the University of Toronto (UofT), decided to partner up his team with Rebuild EgWest. Williams was also determined to overcome the threat to his family’s Jamaican-Canadian heritage rooted in Eglinton West.
Dane Williams (left) and Romain Baker (right), are the co-founders of BUTO and MBA alumni from the University of Toronto.
“If black-businesses aren’t displaced, then essentially that culture isn’t displaced as well,” says Williams. He continues to say, “The heart and soul of the community is the businesses because they are the one that set the tone for the environment. You are consuming that culture’s goods. If the businesses are displaced, we fear that it will lose the Afro-Caribbean essence [Eglinton West] has”.
After his studies at UofT, Williams devoted himself to giving back to his Afro-Caribbean community on Eglinton West. His mission is to empower and equip black business-owners with strategies for economic development and success through BUTO.
Support Jem Baptiste and Dane Williams on their mission to empower black-owned businesses on Eglinton West.
Donate to Black Business Grants for Toronto's Eglinton West and help Rebuild EgWest and BUTO reach their $600,000 target or sign up to volunteer through @reclaimrebuildegwest on Instagram
