"Jane and Finch" to become "University Heights"
David Ros
Issue date: 10/16/07 Section: News
"Calling it University Heights is not going to do jack," said Nguyen.
Farid Chaharlangi, a community development worker at the Jane and Finch Community and Family Centre, agreed with Nguyen.
"I'm not sure it's going to make any difference [due to] some of the fundamental issues that people in the community are facing, such as unemployment, poverty and housing issues," he said.
"These aren't going to go away."
Perruzza admitted that a simple name change is not going to solve all the problems the community faces.
"It doesn't pretend to say, because we're going to have another name by which we can reference the community, that [it] will alter anybody's state of being, other than perhaps give some folks a sense of pride of place," he said.
University Heights is also the name of some of the original housing projects that were built in the Jane and Finch neighbourhood.
Despite this fact, many people in the community are attached to the unofficial "Jane and Finch" name and refer to it as a source of pride.
"For those people that feel that they want to use Jane-Finch as a label for where they live, they're welcome to do that," Perruzza said.
"In no way, shape or form does my initiative point the finger at anybody."
The City of Toronto is also planning to extend the subway line to meet the neighbourhood, which Perruzza claimed will also help with the re-branding process.
"The subway is a massive positive; it's a $2.2-billion investment in this community," he said.
"Hopefully we'll be able to re-design some of the projects and re-build some of those areas that are now dilapidated and running themselves into the ground. Obviously that's a much longer term plan, but I'm hoping that it'll be very much part of the renaissance."
Farid Chaharlangi, a community development worker at the Jane and Finch Community and Family Centre, agreed with Nguyen.
"I'm not sure it's going to make any difference [due to] some of the fundamental issues that people in the community are facing, such as unemployment, poverty and housing issues," he said.
"These aren't going to go away."
Perruzza admitted that a simple name change is not going to solve all the problems the community faces.
"It doesn't pretend to say, because we're going to have another name by which we can reference the community, that [it] will alter anybody's state of being, other than perhaps give some folks a sense of pride of place," he said.
University Heights is also the name of some of the original housing projects that were built in the Jane and Finch neighbourhood.
Despite this fact, many people in the community are attached to the unofficial "Jane and Finch" name and refer to it as a source of pride.
"For those people that feel that they want to use Jane-Finch as a label for where they live, they're welcome to do that," Perruzza said.
"In no way, shape or form does my initiative point the finger at anybody."
The City of Toronto is also planning to extend the subway line to meet the neighbourhood, which Perruzza claimed will also help with the re-branding process.
"The subway is a massive positive; it's a $2.2-billion investment in this community," he said.
"Hopefully we'll be able to re-design some of the projects and re-build some of those areas that are now dilapidated and running themselves into the ground. Obviously that's a much longer term plan, but I'm hoping that it'll be very much part of the renaissance."
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Andre Wisdom
posted 10/22/07 @ 2:27 PM EST
My name is Andre Wisdom I am a 17 year old student at James Cardinal McGuigan S.S., I am a resident of the Jane-Finch area. I grew up here I went to school in this community, I am here 24 hours a day 7 days a weeks & 365 days a year. (Continued…)
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