What comes to mind when you hear Scarborough? For many, the bustling east-end district is often reduced to tired stereotypes involving crime, long commutes, or simply being \u201ctoo far.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
A recent Reddit thread on Toronto neighbourhoods with bad reputations summed up these thoughts in one comment: \u201cScarborough is written off by so many people.\u201d<\/p>\n
For the people who live in Scarborough, and for those who lead it, that reputation is both outdated and unfair. City Councillors Jamaal Myers and Parthi Kandavel are working to flip the script, arguing that Scarborough isn\u2019t a struggling suburb on the city\u2019s edge, but an essential core of the city\u2019s future.<\/p>\n
\u201cScarborough is often painted as just another suburb,\u201d Councillor Myers, who represents Scarborough North, told Now Toronto. \u201cIt\u2019s actually one of the Greater Toronto Area\u2019s most dynamic areas.\u201d<\/p>\n
Myers points to the area\u2019s strengths; a cluster of long-standing factories, food processors, and modern logistics firms that generate thousands of good-paying jobs as proof that Scarborough is not just an afterthought, but a critical force in the economy.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But it\u2019s the people who make Scarborough extraordinary, he emphasizes.<\/p>\n
\u201cScarborough is one of the most incredibly diverse and deeply integrated places on Earth,\u201d Myers said. \u201cAll of us have friends, neighbours, and coworkers of different backgrounds. The vibe here is open-minded \u2014 we like trying new foods, watching foreign films, celebrating each other\u2019s cultures.\u201d<\/p>\n
MORE THAN A STEREOTYPE<\/p>\n
Both councillors agree that much of Toronto still views Scarborough through a narrow lens. Too often, it\u2019s seen as a single neighbourhood, which leads to the entire district being perceived as one homogenous place.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cScarborough isn\u2019t a neighbourhood,\u201d Kandavel, who represents Scarborough Southwest, said to Now Toronto on Monday. \u201cWe don\u2019t realize Scarborough is so vast geographically, from the lake to Steeles, Victoria Park to the Pickering border\u2026 but when the media covers crime, they\u2019ll say, \u2018Scarborough shooting.\u2019 In my opinion, they should be using the specific neighbourhood.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Kandavel says that while statistics show that Scarborough has lower crime per capita than many other parts of Toronto, the stigma remains, driven by decades-old perceptions and misleading media framing.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe 90\u2019s was a hot time in Scarborough\u2026 I think a lot of the rep comes from the 80s and the 90s, whereas since then, it\u2019s not as like what we have traditionally associated with. But that stigma still sticks to it,\u201d Kandavel said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Many also aren\u2019t appreciative of Scarborough\u2019s global cultural contributions, Kandavel says. From comedians like Mike Myers, Jim Carrey and Lilly Singh to chart-topping artists like The Weeknd and film director Domee Shi (Turning Red), the area has long showcased its extraordinary stardom potential.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMaybe it\u2019s the water, but we do produce, by far, a lot of the talent that goes worldwide,\u201d Kandavel said.<\/p>\n
And now, the councillor wants to take that natural creativity and build infrastructure around it. Currently, Kandavel says he\u2019s spearheading a planning process around the Golden Mile to not only build housing and public spaces, but attract creative industries like film studios, graphic designers, recording spaces to provide pathways for young talent to stay, create, and thrive in Scarborough.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve got the talent here. Let\u2019s now connect the opportunities,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
His office also recently helped facilitate a generous donation from The Weeknd to fund a new recording studio and basketball courts at the West Scarborough Boys and Girls Club. The artist, who grew up in the area, is also giving back to his former high school, Birchmount Park Collegiate Institute.<\/p>\n
BUILDING SCARBOROUGH FOR THE FUTURE<\/p>\n
While confronting the stigma is important, both councillors are more focused on the next steps to further improve the district. Myers is at the forefront of several initiatives that show Scarborough is not just ready for the future, but shaping it.<\/p>\n
A plan to transform the decommissioned Line 3 corridor into a linear park linking communities from Kennedy Station to Scarborough Town Centre is already underway, he said, turning what could have been an eyesore into a green space, walking paths, and bike lanes.<\/p>\n
He\u2019s also pushing for revitalization of the Scarborough Civic Centre, originally opened in 1973 and designed by famed architect Raymond Moriyama.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was the hub for community life in Scarborough,\u201d Myers said. \u201cThe building is currently underutilized and not living up to its potential\u2026 I kickstarted an initiative to rejuvenate and revitalize the centre as a space for arts and culture, community uses and social and business enterprises.\u201d<\/p>\n
Other projects also include a new long-term care facility at Finch Avenue and Brimley Road with specializations in culturally appropriate care for Black, Caribbean and African seniors, as well as affordable housing projects like six-plex homes.\u00a0<\/p>\n
THE CITY NEEDS TO INVEST IN SCARBOROUGH<\/p>\n
Despite all this progress, both councillors agree that Scarborough still suffers from decades of underinvestment. Since amalgamation in 1998, many feel the area hasn\u2019t received its fair share of funding for transit, community centres, or youth programs.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe haven\u2019t seen the investments in our part of the city as much as we should have,\u201d Kandavel said. \u201cLook at how much goes into downtown, and that\u2019s great. But we have to, as a city, think about all the suburbs, whether it\u2019s Jane and Finch, Rexdale, Malvern, you know, Scarborough as a whole, we need to be cognizant and think and recognize this is where our talent, our Toronto identity, is coming from. They need to be supported.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kandavel says that while statistics show that Scarborough has lower crime per capita than many other parts of Toronto, the stigma remains, driven by decades-old perceptions and misleading media framing.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe 90\u2019s was a hot time in Scarborough\u2026 I think a lot of the rep comes from the 80s and the 90s, whereas since then, it\u2019s not as like what we have traditionally associated with. But that stigma still sticks to it,\u201d Kandavel said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
For all the challenges ahead, Myers and Kandavel remain hopeful and proud. They see Scarborough as a place full of stories, drive, and possibility. But they\u2019re also aware that progress depends on recognition, respect, and real investment.<\/p>\n
\u201cScarborough comprises one-third of Toronto\u2019s land area,\u201d Myers said. \u201cWe play a vital role in the economy. We\u2019re incredibly diverse and entrepreneurial. When Scarborough thrives \u2014 with improved housing, transit, public spaces, and youth infrastructure \u2014 Toronto thrives too.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cScarborough isn\u2019t just part of Toronto\u2019s future,\u201d he added. \u201cScarborough is Toronto\u2019s future.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"What comes to mind when you hear Scarborough? For many, the bustling east-end district is often reduced to…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":31725,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[49,48,21250,75,7811,3302],"class_list":["post-31724","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-entertainment","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-city-of-toronto","tag-entertainment","tag-scarborough","tag-toronto"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31724","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=31724"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31724\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/31725"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=31724"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=31724"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=31724"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}