Community Voices Photo Exhibit at Toronto City Hall Rotunda: A Vision Come True

The St. James Town (SJT) Initiative ‘Community Voices’ Photo Exhibit which ran from September 23-26^th at City Hall was a big success!  The display of St. James Town resident’s ideas and perceptions of their neighbourhood and its implications on health captured through Photo Voice, Community Mapping, and Concept Mapping techniques in the Toronto City Hall Rotunda was well received. This event showcased the positive and negative features of the neighbourhood affecting health, and was an opportunity to raise awareness and advocate for positive social changes to improving the health and wellbeing of SJT residents. This event built on over eighteen months of collaborative work that St. James Town residents have been doing with the Initiative and was an extension of the Community Forum and Expo held in SJT’s Rose Avenue School on March 20, 2008. Last Spring it was a dream and a vision of the participants to have their photos displayed at the Toronto City Hall Rotunda and the Wellesley Institute helped the residents to implement this vision on September 23, 2008. This work was made possible by the hard work and dedication of a dynamic group of newcomers in the neighbourhood called the SJT Residents for a Healthier Neighbourhood. This team of six community members was nominated by the participants of projects completed under the Initiative. The SJT Residents for a Healthier Neighbourhood designed and coordinated the City Hall Photo Exhibit with staff from the Wellesley Institute. On September 24^th, the group invited fellow residents from the neighbourhood to share their experiences and see the Exhibit. Sean MacIntyre, Constituency Assistant for Pam McConnell was available to talk to the residents and listen to their concerns. This event was another step forward in advancing the Voices of the Community towards creating change through opening up conversations about neighbourhood attributes and its effect on health and wellbeing of SJT residents. Next Steps: The SJT Residents for a Healthier Neighbourhood group is working with the Wellesley Institute   to have  a roundtable discussion in November 2008 with City Hall staff.  This opportunity will empower newcomers of SJT to present evidence gathered through sound participatory research work to the city officials. Further, it will provide residents the chance to discuss with city officials representing different departments, the social changes the residents would like to bring about in the neighbourhood to promote and sustain their health and wellbeing. This is the first time that SJT residents will be asking for the changes that they want based on evidence that they gathered themselves. We would like to share the comments received in the comment box during the city hall photo exhibit:

• -This is a wonderful project – too bad we can’t have such an initiative for many, if not all neighbourhoods in Toronto – It can only bring good results.
• -All pictures tell the real story. This needs to be a priority and is worth doing for the citizens of Canada.
• -This is a good job done by the St. James Town Community. Please help to improve this community with involvement of the community.
• -SJT Resident: Good to show the wide range of experiences in St. James Town. For example, people were shot today, September 25, 2008 in the basketball court on Bleeker Street, the same place that I walked through yesterday and where someone was killed last year!
• -This display is very educational – shows the beauty of SJT and shows life beneath the dignity of beautiful residents.
• -My observance of the photos and captions that supported them educated my on the area of St. James Town.  The beauty, the need for improvements, but still people try to exist or to uplift themselves. Hopefully, positive improvements will be invoked.
• -This display proved to be very informative as well as interesting. The pictures truly show both the good and bad issues that affect St. James Town. The statistics provided give an idea of the populations and ethnic groups etc. in St. James Town. This information is very educational and useful.
• -I would like to say St. James Town is beautiful and culturally rich but necessary to maintain and involve the community, municipality has to give priority.
• -Excellent layout. I am very impressed with the stories that the pictures depict. It is truly amazing that we have captured so much information. Good Work!
• -This display is well organized and clearly shows the data that was collected in SJT. The display was informative and interesting. The graphics/pie charts/ data/pictures and words were attractive and I think new people can really learn a lot about the SJT environment by going through this display. Thanks to the Wellesley Institute and volunteers and other people who have dedicated their time to bring awareness about SJT.
• -This display is very enjoyable and educational. I think the selection of photographs represents some true realities in St. James Town as well as captures the sense of hope that also lies in the heart of the community.
• -Very influential practice towards community participation and awareness.