NEIGHBOURHOOD
Agincourt
“In Agincourt, when you are shopping or walking on the street you hear many languages spoken. It feels like home.”– Yan Chen
Located in north Scarborough, the Agincourt neighbourhood is situated on the traditional lands of the Anishinabek Nation, Huron-Wendat First Nation, and Haudenosaunee Confederacy, covered by Treaty 13 signed with the Mississaugas of the Credit, and the Williams Treaties signed with multiple Mississaugas and Chippewa bands. The neighbourhood was established as a farming village in the late 19th century by primarily English and Scottish settlers. The area remained rural until the early 1950s, when Agincourt began to undergo suburbanization to meet the demands of the post-war baby boom. In the 1970s, after changes to Canada’s previously exclusionary immigration laws, more ethnically diverse populations started to settle in the neighbourhood. Agincourt saw a significant influx of migrants from Hong Kong leading up to the region’s return from Britain to China in 1997. The opening of Dragon Centre mall on Glen Watford Dr in 1984 solidified Agincourt as the home of one of Toronto’s first suburban Chinatowns. North America’s first Chinese-themed mall, Dragon Centre, was met with complaints from residents over traffic congestion. Racist anti-Chinese immigration flyers were shared across the neighbourhood, forcing the mayor to respond with a Task Force on Multicultural and Race Relations in Scarborough. Today, over half of the Agincourt’s residents identify as first-generation Canadians, culturally significant neighbourhood institutions like Dragon Centre are being slated for redevelopment.WATCH AND LISTEN TO COMMUNITY MEMBERS TALK ABOUT AGINCOURT:
Roots & Cultural Identity:
Migration & Settlement:
Home & Family:
Community & Belonging:
Change:
Migration & Arrival | Community Organizing | Community Care | Arts & Culture
Discrimination & Injustice | Identity & Belonging | Migration & Arrival | Education | Arts & Culture
Religion & Spirituality | Migration & Arrival | Community Care
Identity & Belonging | Migration & Arrival | Community Care | Religion & Spirituality
Indigeneity | Discrimination & Injustice | Activism & Advocacy | Community Organizing
Migration & Arrival | Employment | Discrimination & Injustice
Community Care | Discrimination & Injustice | Education | Community Organizing
Community Organizing | Community Care | Identity & Belonging
Migration & Arrival Home | Neighbourhood Change | Community Organizing
Migration & Arrival | Discrimination & Injustice | Community Organizing
Migration & Arrival | Employment | Community Organizing | Arts & Culture
Migration & Arrival | Employment | Community Organizing | Arts & Culture
Community Organizing | Community Organizing | Employment | Discrimination & Injustice
Meet Our Storytellers
Click on a storyteller to read their full biography detailing their migration history.

Amar Wala
Amar Wala was born in Mumbai, India. He moved to Canada when he was eleven as his mother volunteered to donate a kidney to her brother in Canada. Amar’s family was skeptical of India’s healthcare system’s ability to support his mother post-surgery and decided that permanently moving to Canada was the best option. Amar struggled to find a sense of belonging within his school and the surrounding community as he was confronted with a new understanding of masculinity. It was during his studies in film at York University that he gained access to literature and information that put to words the challenges Amar, and those around him, faced: racism, sexism, colonialism, and oppression. Empowered by his professors’ encouragement, Amar committed to filming and telling stories that focus on justice and equity for underrepresented groups, people, and ideas. He released his first documentary, ‘The Secret Trial 5’, under his new film production company, Scarborough Pictures. He uses the company as a vehicle that supports young, BIPOC filmmakers from Scarborough, and advocates for more equity within the predominantly white film and documentary spaces in Toronto, Ontario, and Canada.
Andrew Cheung
Andrew Cheung was born in February 1986 at Toronto General Hospital. He is the son of Hong Kong migrants, who first settled in the Dundas and Spadina Chinatown area of Toronto in the early 1980s. Andrew spent the majority of his childhood in the Scarborough-Agincourt area, and was immersed in gang culture as a teenager in high school. His experience of leaving the gang scene has allowed him to develop a passion for working with youth. Andrew is currently a Youth Pastor in Agincourt where he mentors and coaches high school youth. He keeps up with the latest trends in fashion, hip hop, and sneakers.
Anna Peng
Born in Scarborough in 1997, Anna Peng is a second-generation Chinese-Canadian who lived there for 15 years before moving to Markham with her family. In spite of this, Anna continues to find home in Scarborough –- specifically in the area surrounding her parents’ restaurant, Great Fountain –- where she has been working full-time for the past year and a half. Anna’s parents decided to move to Agincourt because it was known as a hub for Chinese immigrants and, from a young age, Anna found comfort in the way that most of her peers’ families had similar stories of migration. Now, as a young adult, Anna’s involvement in her parent’s restaurant is allowing her to connect with both her Chinese heritage and the Scarborough community as a whole. Anna hopes that Agincourt will continue to be a safe and enjoyable place for young and old families alike; a place that celebrates all cultures and people.
Aubrey
Aubrey was born in the early 1990s to Jamaican parents, who immigrated to Toronto in the 1970s. His diverse experiences in Agincourt, including competing as a high-level gymnast and attending French immersion school, shaped his outlook on life. Now, he is committed to equipping himself and future generations with what he refers to as “tools for prosperity.” This involves reclaiming black history and questioning problematic social norms, ultimately working towards a society that is accountable, healthy, and inclusive. Currently, Aubrey works as a musician; writing, producing, and performing with a number of local artists.Benson Duong
Benson Duong (b. 1993) was born in Toronto to immigrant parents from Vietnam. He grew up in the Agincourt community and has lived there throughout his life. He attended the Agincourt Junior Public School and went on to study at the Agincourt Collegiate Institute. Benson has worked closely with the youth and young adults of Agincourt as an associate pastor at Agincourt Baptist Church. He started an initiative in 2016 called ‘Snack Attack’ that provided free snacks to students on their way home from school. Benson thinks of Agincourt as “a vibrant multicultural community that cares for one another”. In 2020, he moved to Langley, B.C. with his wife who started her position as a professor at Trinity Western University. This is his first time leaving Agincourt and it is a bittersweet moment for him.

Bibi Akleema Rasheed
Bibi is a mother, wife, and community staple in the Malvern area. Born in Guyana and immigrated to Canada in the ’90s, Bibi has sowed her roots and presence in Scarborough. Living in the Malvern community for more than 15 years, Bibi has become a staple in her neighbourhood. Understanding the impact of community and obstacles of migration, Bibi helps in any way that she can by helping her neighbours through material goods, directing them to services, and offering friendship and companionship. Bibi loves the Scarborough community. When she first arrived, Scarborough was the first place that welcomed her and opened its doors. She describes Malvern to have a huge sense of diversity, multiculturalism, acceptance, and belonging. She enjoys how Malvern holds a wide array of benefits that serve her and her family. From education, transportation, medical needs, to even finding Guyanese food items at her local grocery store! Bibi is a community builder and staple which she is teaching the next generation of her family to do the same and take pride in their Guyanese roots and heritage.
Br. Majied Ali
Born in Trinidad and Tobago, Br.Majied is a pioneer, leader, and community builder. A husband and father to two children, Br.Majied has a huge presence in the Scarborough and Muslim communities. Immigrating from Trinidad in 1984, Majied created the Islamic Soccer League, the first Muslim soccer league in Scarborough. The cultural and community impact Br.Majied has in the Malvern community is vast. Understanding the needs and requirements of the Muslim community in Scarborough, he dedicates his time volunteering to different organizations and programs that help improve his communities. One of his dreams is to see more positive development and resources put into Malvern and young communities and that we make it a better place for future generations to come.
Claudia Aguilar
Claudia Aguilar was born in Michoacan, Mexico in 1975. She is the second oldest sibling of two sisters and four brothers. With support from her father, Claudia was able to study Business Administration and went on to work in Human Resources for numerous hotels in Mexico. When children started going missing in their neighbourhood, Claudia decided to leave Mexico in 2018. Looking to improve her English, she was recommended by a neighbour to join the Dorset Park Community Hub’s Women’s English Circle. Claudia hopes to one day give back to the city she now calls home.
Ian Sookram
Son to Guyanese immigrants, Ian Sookram is a proud father, Scarborough enthusiast, and Maple Leafs fan. Living in Agincourt for 28 years, Ian speaks passionately about Scarborough and, specifically, Rosewood, the neighborhood in which he grew up. Spending his childhood at Alexmuir Park, playing for the Rosewood soccer team every summer, and remembering the love and openness from his neighbours, Ian identifies strongly with his Scarborough and Guyanese identities. Now residing in Markham and working for the Ontario Public Service, Ian implements everything he learned and received in Scarborough and applies it to his work, hoping to see a better future for Agincourt and his community, continuing to care for one another.
Hibah
Born and raised in Scarborough, Hibah has lived in the Agincourt area for more than 18 years. Born to immigrant Pakistani and Indian parents, Hibah tells the story of what it means to be a first-generation Canadian living in Scarborough and navigating the world to find her own roots and identity. Like most children of the diaspora, Hibah notes that her connection to her mother and father’s homeland is still a work in progress and complicated. However, Hibah finds comfort and community in Agincourt. Although there is a lack of her ethnic and cultural community representation in Scarborough, the diversity and multiculturalism in Agincourt makes her feel at home. Finding acceptance and support from the community and institutions there, such as the schooling system, has shaped her direction in life and who she is as an individual. Receiving the care from her teachers, classmates, and friends, Hibah applies the support she received while at school and advocates for better education equality and resources to be invested in Scarborough. Hibah hopes that Agincourt will continue to be a loving, caring, and supportive community.Jen D. Fabico
Jen D. Fabico was born in Manila, Philippines. Her parents worked in the textile industry, were entrepreneurs and owned a pet store. Jen migrated to Canada with her parents at the age of three. Although her parents moved to seek more opportunities, the transition to Canadian life was tough. They had to learn new skills and often worked jobs that didn’t reflect their skills and knowledge in order to support their family and new life in Canada. Today, Jen works in the not-for-profit sector, providing support to youth through arts and culture. She is the founding Executive Director of Next Generation Arts (www.nextgenerationarts.ca)

Joy Henderson
Joy Henderson (b. 1978) is an Afro-Lakota mother, writer, community advocate, and loud-mouth. Joy was raised by her mother in Regent Park during the 1990s, where they were supported and protected by a fierce community of women and elders. She has fond memories of the linden trees lining the road to her apartment and buying Pixie Sticks at the corner store. She recalls a formative identity crisis navigating her Black and Indigenous heritage amongst a community that, while heavily racialised, did not reflect her mixed ancestry. Joy moved to Agincourt at age twenty with her then-fiancé into a modest home that previously belonged to his grandmother. She recalls great discomfort with the stark isolation and lack of diversity in the suburbs. It was only when she got a car in 2007 that she began to place her roots. Her children’s school became a site of community for her and she formed the group Scarborough Mothers in 2006. This allowed further involvement in the community and she formed the Scarborough Families for Public Education group in 2019 following the provincial cuts to education. Despite challenges to community organising due to the geographical isolation of Scarborough, Joy believes in its potential. As a child and youth worker by profession, her primary motivation is young people’s vision for the future.Photo credit: Soko Negash

Judy
Judy was born in Hong Kong to a family of nine that lived in a poor neighbourhood of the city. She secured a summer job with the Hong Kong Bank in the 1960s and was selected for the company’s new computer training program, becoming one of the first women in Hong Kong to be trained in data processing, now called information technology. As someone without formal higher education, this moment was transformative for Judy as it changed her perspective on what was possible for her life. Judy immigrated to Toronto on her own in 1972, following in the footsteps of a close friend who worked with her at the bank. As she started a new job at Sears’ data processing department, she lived in a Summerhill rooming house with nine other girls and her landlady helped Judy feel at home in Toronto. She met her first husband, Brian, in 1972 and they had two children before he tragically passed away from a hit-and-run accident in 1986. This had a lasting impact on Judy’s life and she decided to live out Brian’s lifelong dream of helping others, a dream that continues to inspire her charity work to this day. Her volunteering beginnings with the Hong Fook Mental Health Association and the Yee Hong Centre for Geriatric Care in 1986 expanded her network, and she became involved with more organisations, such as the Scarborough Grace Hospital in 1990 and United Way in 1991. Together with a group of professionals, Judy founded the Fu Hui Education in 2004, an organisation that funds education programs for orphans in remote areas of China, as well as build libraries and fund schools on Indigenous reserves in Canada. Now happily retired, she continues to dedicate most of her time to charity work. Judy continues to reside in her Agincourt home, where she has been for the past forty years.
Ken Sy
Ken Sy was born in Hong Kong. After turning down the opportunity to pursue a dentistry degree in the Philippines, he came to Canada in 1968 and attended school in Yorkton, Saskatchewan. He then completed a business degree at Queen’s University. In 1980 Ken moved to Agincourt, where he lived until 1999. After quitting his job in stock transfers, he operated multiple businesses, including an international scrap metal export company. A natural businessman and go-getter, Ken recently came out of retirement to open a fish importing company in Scarborough.
Michelle Colthrust
Michelle Colthrust was born in Scarborough in 1982 to Trinidadian immigrant parents. When Michelle was in middle school, her family moved to Alton Towers, near McCowan Rd and Steeles Ave, which she still calls home today. It was here that she navigated becoming a young mother and losing her partner to gun violence. Michelle enrolled in Seneca’s Social Service Worker program and, through a placement with bereavement and palliative care program, she was able to support her clients with their grief, as well as process her own. Michelle currently runs her own workshop series called “Made BeYOUtiful”.
Monique Blackman
Born in 1979 in Scarborough to Guyanese immigrants, Monique Blackman has lived in Agincourt for the majority of her life. She fondly remembers her childhood as fun and carefree, and found safety and comfort in the diversity and the sense of community within her neighbourhood. As someone who has seen her neighbourhood change drastically over the years, Monique hopes that Scarborough and Agincourt will retain their cultural diversity and richness in the years to come. Rooted in community and committed to community care, Monique is a yoga instructor, reiki master, community builder, and spiritual abolitionist, and believes firmly that her purpose is to dismantle colonial structures within wellness and community, to reclaim joy, and to inspire those around her to join her in creating a more caring world.
Rahul Balasundaram
Rahul Balasundaram is a social activist, migrant rights worker, community builder, and soccer enthusiast. Born and raised in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Rahul moved to Agincourt when he was young. When Rahul arrived in 2008, he already felt the connection to Scarborough. Rahul notes the multiculturalism, diversity, and support he received from Agincourt when he and his family first moved in. From the warmth and openness he received, he knew that Agincourt was home. Working in the non-profit sector, Rahul is passionate about raising awareness about issues in his Agincourt and Tamil communities in Scarborough. Understanding the shortcomings of the political systems and how his communities lack the support and resources, Rahul volunteers his time working with small non-profit organizations and mutual aid efforts to promote more equity and access. Rahul hopes that Agincourt will continue being a welcoming and safe space for migrants and see social and economic improvements in the community.
Shaina Agbayani
Born in Agincourt in 1991, Shaina-Sarah Evero Isles Fedelin Agbayani (or simply Sha) is the daughter of parents who immigrated to Tkaronto with paths of sacred care work as part of their journey. Their roots are in Quezon, Batangas, and Mindoro, Romblon, and Ilocos Sur. After moving to Markham and then to Tio’tiah:ke to study Political Science and Equity Studies at McGill University, she recently answered the call to return to the neighbourhood and home that she grew up in. The practise of holding space for self and community care as sacred labour is central part of Sha’s life. Currently working as a community arts facilitator for Greenhouse Theatre and digestive wellness practitioner + colon hydrotherapist, Sha is also a multidisciplinary creator in the journey of learning how to honor her kinship with all living beings and while exploring the interconnectedness of the land, their original lineage, regenerative stewardship, and healing. Sha is in the process of birthing a healing arts space in Scarborough in 2021.
Sivambikai
Sivambikai was born in Sri Lanka and grew up in a small village where many of her other relatives lived. She studied to be a teacher and migrated to the Middle East with her husband and two children to seek better economic opportunities and safety. Sivambikai was tasked with the difficult challenge of being both a mother and a teacher to her children, as there was no other school for her children to attend in the Middle East. As her children grew older, she and her husband decided that they wanted their children to obtain a strong education, so they migrated to Canada. Sivambikai’s commitment to education and passion for teaching has led her to obtaining more credentials and education to become an early childhood educator, specifically for young and new immigrants in Scarborough. She has worked in Agincourt as an early childhood educator since 2007.
Sonny Buchan
Sonny Buchan was born in 1997 at Centenary Hospital in Scarborough to Marita Motus Buchan and Robert Buchan. As a child, Sonny had traditionally feminine interests in toys and movies, which were met with curious support from Sonny’s parents. While growing up in Agincourt taught Sonny to be respectful and accepting of other cultures from a young age, Sonny’s ability to express their gender expression was not met with the same acceptance. Sonny is currently pursuing an English degree at the University of Toronto Scarborough and intends to move from Agincourt within the next year.
Suganthine Sivakumar
Suganthine Sivakumar was born in October 1974 in Jaffna, Sri Lanka. She came to Canada in the early 2000s, and her first Canadian home was located in Dorset Park, Scarborough. Suganthine’s first-hand experience of the challenges of newcomer settlement inspired her to work with friends to create the Women’s English Circle at the ACSA Dorset Community Hub. The Women’s English Circle is a meeting place where newcomer women can build friendships, and gain confidence in speaking in English. Suganthine now works as the Reach Out Project For Engagement Facilitator at the Hub, continuing her passion for creating educational programs for migrant women.
Teresa Hall
Teresa Hall was born in the English Midlands to Babs and Adam Garson. Shortly after her birth, her family left England by ship, and arrived at Halifax’s Pier 21 in the 1950s. Her family first lived in a small flat in Toronto’s first Chinatown, near Spadina and Dundas. The family moved to Agincourt to build a custom home, where they then lived from 1954-1958, before moving to Curran Hall. In her early thirties, Teresa moved back to Toronto and worked as an Executive Receptionist for the consulting firm, KPMG. She is a published poet and an active member of the Scarborough Poetry Club, which meets regularly at Agincourt Library.
Vijay Saravanamuthu
Vijay Saravanamuthu (b. 1985) is a Tamil health promoter who has lived, moved away from, and returned to Malvern. He migrated to Canada from Tamil Nadu, India in 1989 and his family became connected to the broader network of Tamil refugees that settled in Malvern following the violence of the 1983 Black July pogroms. His family moved a lot due to socio-economic challenges; by the time he was in kindergarten, Vijay had been to three different schools and was accustomed to upheaval. He recalls inheriting clothes from neighbours and aunties travelling across roads with yogurt containers filled with food. When he was thirteen, his largely-absent father left permanently and Vijay continued to live with his mother. As he grew older, Vijay began to reckon with his queer identity in a vehemently homophobic environment, which prompted him to find a way out of Malvern. It was at the University of Guelph that he openly embraced his sexuality and was incredibly gratified to find immediate acceptance. However, he quickly realised that he was tokenized by his seemingly friendly peers. Following issues at home, Vijay left university right before completing his degree and returned to Malvern. He began working at the Alliance for South Asian AIDS Prevention (ASAAP), where he could openly express both his cultural and sexual identities. He eventually moved to downtown Toronto to escape the surveillance of being in Malvern, yet was forced to return to support his family. This time, however, Vijay was not afraid of openly expressing himself as a queer Tamil. He joined TAIBU Community Health Centre, an organisation that uniquely services Black, Indigenous, and racialized populations, and has been there for the past ten years. Vijay now considers Malvern to be a source of warmth and, consequently, home.
Virginia Tsui
Virginia Tsui (b. 1938) was born in Shanghai, China, and her family moved to Hong Kong when she was ten due to the changing political situation in China. Having grown up in a family of sailors, she married her sailor husband, Paul, when she was nineteen. Following her sister’s move to Vancouver in the mid-1970s, Virginia decided to send both of her children to Canada to finish their schooling, improve their education, and increase their chances of entering university. With Paul retiring in 1986, the couple sailed over from Hong Kong to Toronto and settled in Agincourt. Recalling these memories, Virginia mentions that she was originally drawn to Canada by its beautiful scenery, spaciousness, and the four different seasons. Living in Agincourt during the 1980s meant that Virginia had to travel to Chinatown in downtown Toronto to get Asian groceries. Together with her friend, Virginia started Hong Kei Fitness and Dance Club to encourage people to exercise together in a community. What began as a word-of-mouth venture is now a large network of over a thousand members across eleven different locations in Toronto. She hopes that Hong Fei will continue to expand to help more people discover a good and healthy life through community fitness and dance.
Wendy Chan
Wendy Chan (b. 1968) was born in Hong Kong. She studied English Comparative Literature and Translation at the University of Hong Kong and worked in a variety of professions, such as advertising, translation, and copywriting. Partly due to the political and economic uncertainty in Hong Kong before the 1997 handover between Britain and China, Wendy and her family immigrated to Canada and joined her aunt’s family in Agincourt in 1991. Having attended English-speaking schools in a westernised country, she found the transition from Hong Kong to Canada relatively straightforward and did not experience much culture shock. Unsure of her next steps, Wendy began teaching ESL classes as a volunteer at the Bridlewood Brethren in Christ Church (now known as New Life Christian Church). Inspired by her students and TESL workshop teacher, Wendy decided to change careers as she found teaching more meaningful than advertising. To make her dreams a reality, she pursued a Master’s of Education and an ESL teaching certificate at OISE in 1992. She now teaches at Centennial College, where she interacts with a wide variety of new immigrants and international students and helps them settle in a new country. Although Wendy no longer resides in Agincourt proper, having moved to Scarborough Junction in 1994, her parents and extended family still live in the area, so she frequents the neighbourhood with her spouse. She has fond memories of eating at restaurants in the neighbourhood and Cousins is her favourite Hong Kong-style restaurant.
Wendy and Wenzie Ng
Wendy and Wenzie Ng are identical twins born in 1977 in Hong Kong. Under the Family Reunification Act, their family migrated to Canada in 1980. They first settled in the East Chinatown area. Two years later, they moved to Agincourt. Growing up in the 1980s and 1990s, they experienced first hand the rapidly growing cultural and ethnic diversity of neighbours, classmates, businesses, and activities in Agincourt. Wendy currently works as an education and programming leader in the informal education and cultural sector. Wenzie works as a pharmacist in a large teaching hospital that specializes in oncology.