Photo Credit: Gary J Wood
By Mya Kidson
Residents of an often-overlooked Toronto neighbourhood that was hard-hit early in the pandemic have strengthened community ties and logged high vaccination rates through COVID-19 despite their challenges, a University of Guelph researcher has found.
Often called “a world within a block,” the St. James Town community is unlike any other, in the country, and has become a research focus for Dr. Lisa Kowalchuk, professor in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology.
Located in downtown east of Toronto, St. James Town is a highly populated community and one of the densest neighbourhoods in Canada. The vast majority of residents are apartment dwellers.
“This neighbourhood is unique in and of itself, which is one of the reasons why I chose St. James Town as my research focus,” says Kowalchuk. “It’s an important, ethnically diverse and interesting neighbourhood.”
She explored how vulnerable groups – including immigrants, seniors and youth – were impacted by the pandemic.
This past fall, Kowalchuk interviewed 18 residents and 15 local non-profit organizations in the downtown Toronto neighbourhood, including the St. James Town Service Provider Network, to learn about residents’ experiences and civic engagement.
“People are volunteering in interesting ways,” she says. “While some are continuing roles they were involved in pre-pandemic, some have found ways new ways to help out, such as virtually.”
Along with volunteering, some residents took up personal development activities such as baking or balcony gardening.
“This neighbourhood is a vibrant community,” says Kowalchuk. “But it’s unfortunately often ignored or stigmatized.”
Many of the neighbourhood’s high-rises built in the 1970s and 1980s need maintenance. Although St. James Town’s apartment buildings were neglected long before the pandemic, the state of disrepair is an increasing concern for residents.
Past electrical fires and power outages have caused massive displacement of residents -- an even greater issue during a pandemic.
While this community has plenty of service providers, it remains underserviced by the government.
This makes community hubs such as the St. James Town Corner an invaluable part of the community. Located in the heart of St. James Town, this local non-profit organization provides services and workshops to community members.
The Corner has also helped lead vaccine administration for residents, says Kowalchuk.
While this neighbourhood was one of the hardest hit at the beginning of the pandemic, its vaccination rate has been one of the fastest in the province.
“There’s lots of quantitative data to explain the community’s COVID-19 response, but we lack answers as to how the pandemic has shaped the community,” says Kowalchuk. “My research gives context to the existing numerical data and explains what happens to these folks during these unprecedented times.”
She will continue to study the specific impacts of the pandemic on the community.
This research was supported by the St. James Town Corner, St. James Town Service Provider Network and the University of Guelph Research and Development Catalyst Fund.