NEIGHBOURHOOD
Parkdale
Located in the downtown west region of Toronto, Parkdale is bound by Lake Ontario and the railway, sitting between Roncesvalles Avenue and Dufferin Street. It is situated on the traditional territory the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee and the Wendat peoples, covered by Treaty 13 with the Mississaugas of the Credit. For many millennia, the bordering water offered portage routes between the Huron, Iroquois and Chippewa, and later those of the Senecas and Mississaugas. In the late 19th century, Parkdale became populated by European settlers and was established as a part of Toronto in 1889. It was largely an affluent residential area and a popular day trip destination due its proximity to the lake and beachy areas. The construction of the Gardiner expressway in 1955 however dramatically shifted the landscape and demographics of the neighbourhood. Following the Canadian government’s shift from a race-based immigration policy toward a “points system” in the 1960s, apartment construction and migration to Parkdale expanded significantly. Newcomers settled in low-income households concentrated in South Parkdale. Today, Parkdale is one of the last affordable downtown neighbourhoods in Toronto where nearly 87% of its population are renters. Its streetscape and housing stock are changing quickly, however, and calling its relative affordability to question. Parkdale is home to significant Tibetan, Filipino, Polish, and Southeast Asian people among other newcomer communities. Many of the social services, community organizations, and local businesses within the community were built specifically to serve the needs of those who live in Parkdale.“Parkdale is a human place. It is a kind place. It is a place that has a soul and it’s about people.” – Rita Cox
LISTEN TO COMMUNITY MEMBERS TALK ABOUT PARKDALE:
Migration & Arrival | Identity & Belonging | Employment | Community Care
Migration & Arrival | Employment | Community Care | Religion & Spirituality
Migration & Arrival | Discrimination & Injustice | Community Organizing | Identity & Belonging
Employment | Discrimination & Injustice | Community Organizing
Community Care | Identity & Belonging | Community Organizing
Indigeneity | Migration & Arrival | Identity & Belonging | Employment | Arts & Culture
Education | Employment | Migration & Arrival | Community Organizing
Religion & Spirituality | Migration & Arrival | Identity & Belonging
Migration & Arrival | Employment | Leadership | Discrimination & Injustice
Meet Our Parkdale Storytellers
Click on a storyteller to read their full biography detailing their migration history.

Anna
Anna (b. 1978) was born in Zakopane, Poland. Her family arrived in Toronto in 1981 and settled in Parkdale, which has been her home for thirty-eight years and where she continues to live with her husband and young son. Anna remembers moving into her home at Cowan Avenue and attending the local church with her family. As newcomers struggling to learn English and French, the sense of community and support that she and her family received helped them create a home in a new country. These experiences helped Anna appreciate the value of hard work and community. She is currently the Executive Director of the Parkdale Village Business Improvement Area (BIA), where she enjoys helping connect local organisations and businesses to each other. She is also a board member of the Polish Highlanders Association of Canada, where she fosters connections between Polish Highlanders all over the world. Having lived in Parkdale for almost four decades, Anna is proud to say that the neighbourhood has everything one needs in terms of community support. She describes Parkdale as gritty and colourful, and a community that embraces diversity. To her, community means supporting one another, and she believes in giving back to Parkdale.
Bernard Farrol
Bernard Farrol was born on August 13, 1932, in the municipality of Janiuay, Iloilo, Philippines. He immigrated to Toronto in 1961 to work as a nurse at Toronto Western Hospital. While working there, Bernard saw that there was a store for rent in Kensington Market and decided to pivot from his nursing work into the grocery store business. His wife’s family had run a store in the Philippines, and Bernard had noticed that there were no stores in Toronto to serve the Filipino community. He started started serving Filipino snacks to hungry customers who would line up for a little taste of the Philippines. In 1978, Bernard relocated his family to Parkdale so that they could be near schools and his church. Today, Bernard’s Filipino Specialties continue to serve the growing Filipino community, offering unique products directly from the Philippines.
Bersabel Eyob
Bersabel Eyob was born in Eritrea in 2000 and immigrated to Canada in 2015. En route from Eritrea, she stopped in Ethiopia before arriving in Parkdale, where she has lived since then. Bersabel recently graduated from Parkdale Collegiate Institute and is currently attending Ryerson University for Business Management. When asked about her goals for the future, Bersabel states that she is interested in entrepreneurship. Outside of her studies, Bersabel is active within the Parkdale community, most notably at West Neighborhood House, where she is involved with a number of programs such as the Silk Screening, Business and Running Clubs. Bersabel’s favourite thing about Parkdale is how multicultural it is.
Borelson
Borelson was born and raised in Gabon and grew up in a multilingual family. He moved to France after graduating from high school to pursue a higher education in Information Technology (IT). Although he was working as a cybersecurity consultant at a top consulting firm, he always knew that his true passion lay in music. Having always wanted to live in North America, Borelson migrated to Canada to pursue his dream of becoming an artist. Before even settling in Toronto, he knew that Parkdale was the neighbourhood where he wanted to establish his roots and call home, and he has been living there for nearly two and a half years. He continues to work in the IT industry while also being a multi-disciplinary artist, and he has been extremely active and involved in the creative industry. 2020 has been a year of many milestones for him – he released his debut album, ‘As Far As Eye Can See’, and a docuseries called ‘This FAR’ that brings to light the success stories of immigrants and first-generation Canadians. As a Black and independent artist, Borelson hopes that he can one day be in a position with more resources to give back to and empower his community.Carol Chin Yan
Carol Chin Yan was born in 1953, in Trinidad and Tobago. Despite being surrounded by a large, loving family, Carol and her husband knew that Trinidad was getting dangerous to live in and hoped to one day emigrate out of the country. For 15 years, her husband pursued work in Canada while Carol and her young son stayed in Trinidad. Then in 1988, the family was permanently reunited and settled in Parkdale. Ever since then, Carol has grown an immense love for Parkdale and its community members. She has a special place in her heart for her fellow church community members at Bonar-Parkdale Presbyterian Church where she has served as a board member for 10 years now. Her kind and caring nature also led her to work as a Personal Support Worker for Parkdale community members with Family Services of Toronto. After 33 years of building a fruitful life in Parkdale, she now bids farewell to the neighbourhood as her multigenerational household moves out of the area, but her love and devotion to Parkdale remains. She still hopes to attend and serve the Bonar-Parkdale Presbyterian Church and visit Parkdale as often as she can. Once a Parkdalian, always a Parkdalian.Chemi Lhamo
Born a stateless individual in South India in 1996, Chemi Lhamo is a young Tibetan woman who moved to Canada in 2007. So much of her identity is made up of the fact that she was born stateless, just like many displaced Tibetans around the world. Coming to Canada meant finally feeling some sense of belonging, as she was finally being given a citizenship card for the first time in her life. However, due to her experiences growing up as an English-speaking Tibetan girl in South India, never having stepped foot in Tibet, understanding the nuanced concept of “home” and critically navigating the complexities of her identity as a young Tibetan woman here in Canada has been and continues to be a lifelong process of deep internal work. But, if there’s one thing that she’s certain about, it’s her love for and dedication to her family and community; whether it be Parkdale, or the worldwide Tibetan community at large. Because of this, Chemi serves as the Community Health Lead for Parkdale People’s Economy but also works within transformative justice as an International Human Rights Advocate for the Free Tibet Movement and the Climate Justice World, and also works as a server on weekends to support her immediate family.
Diana Le Huynh
Diana Le Huynh is a Vietnamese Canadian born and raised in Toronto. Growing up, she was raised by her grandparents in Parkdale until her family moved to the Jane and Finch area when she started school. She remembers learning about her family’s migration history and life in Viet Nam over sliced fruit, walking with her grandparents along the Lakeshore, and visiting the Parkdale public library on the weekends. Diana received a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology, minoring in Humanities, from York University, and completed her postgraduate studies in Human Resources Management at Ryerson University. Since her childhood, Diana has returned to Parkdale as a successful business owner. She has been running her family’s business, CiCi’s Pizza & Wings on Queen Street West, for nearly four years after deciding to take over from her parents. She is also an active board member of the Parkdale Village Business Improvement Area (BIA) and an active member in social groups for women business owners in the food industry.
Flordeliz Dandal
Flordeliz Dandal was born in Manila, Philippines. She graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Social Work at the University of City of Manila and studied Community Development at the University of the Philippines. She worked as a community organiser and consultant for over twelve years in the Philippines. Through the Federal Skilled Worker program, Flordeliz arrived in Canada in November 1987 with her husband and three young children. She began working as a Coordinator at the Kababayan Multicultural Centre (KMC) in Parkdale shortly after. She has been working in the neighbourhood since then and is currently the Executive Director of KMC. Flordeliz describes Parkdale as similar to her hometown of Manila, where there is a familiar sense of life and vibrant livelihood in the neighbourhood.
Garab Serdok
Garab Dorjee Serdok is the owner of Tibet Kitchen, a restaurant in Parkdale. He is ethnically Tibetan but was born, raised and lived in Nepal before moving to Canada in 2008. Like many Tibetans new to Canada, Garab settled in Parkdale and lived there for 6 years before purchasing a house in a more affordable neighbourhood. Garab bought Tibet Kitchen in 2012 from the previous owners who started it in 2005. Having successfully grown the business, he has many loyal customers that petitioned against a steep rent increase imposed on Tibet Kitchen. Garab has two kids, who are 13 and 23 years old. He lives with his wife, 2 kids and mother. Outside of Tibet Kitchen, he is also very involved with the community. Garab helped start up the first Momo Madness (now Momo Crawl), a fundraising event in collaboration with Students for a Free Tibet Canada, an organization that works in solidarity with the Tibetan in their struggle for freedom and independence.
Heather Evelyn
Heather Evelyn is a library technician at the Ontario College of Art and Design University (OCAD U) and has lived in Parkdale for over 20 years. Heather’s family left Jamaica when she was 2 years old, and her family lived in the Bronx before immigrating to Canada in 1965. Her family settled in Victoria Park, then moved to Eglington and Mount Pleasant before finally moving to Agincourt, Scarborough. When Heather was a student at OCAD, she lived in Parkdale for a few years before moving out of the neighborhood. In the 90s, Heather moved into her current home, a 3 bedroom apartment in North Parkdale.
Kathi Silke
Kathi Silke is a third generation Japanese Canadian born in Fort William (now Thunder Bay), Ontario. She worked as a guidance counsellor at Parkdale Collegiate Institute for 18 years before retiring in 2013. At PCI, she was the Guidance Department Head and lead several extracurriculars such as Key Club, mentorship programs, and advocacy for the Roma student community in Parkdale. Despite retiring, Kathi holds Parkdale close to her heart and remains involved with the neighborhood. Currently, her passion project is the Kiwanis Key Club of Casa Loma and her involvement with the West Neighbourhood House where she supports the silk screening and the art program.
Kitty Raman-Costa
Born and raised in Parkdale, Kitty Raman-Costa has fostered a strong relationship with her Parkdale community and strives to continue to contribute positively to her community through the work she does, especially as the Executive Director at the Parkdale Community Foodbank. She is passionate about the work she does, where she is able to advocate for food sovereignty and develop programs and services that are better informed by the needs of her community. As a Parkdalian who has grown up in the community, she has been fortunate enough to witness the rich cultural mosaic of Parkdale. However, she can also speak to the immense change the neighbourhood has undergone through the years; from seeing small grocery stores and small cultural businesses she visited as a kid no longer exist, to seeing tire yards she frequented turn into townhouses – gentrification is something that she has seen impact the lives of her fellow Parkdalians, both positively and negatively. Her hope for her community is that newcomers to the neighbourhood are mindful and contribute to the community as best they can so that Parkdale and its community members can continue to grow and thrive.
Manisha Krishnan
Manisha Krishnan was born in Vancouver to Indo-Fijian parents who migrated from Fiji to Canada about fifty years ago. Manisha moved to Toronto to start her career in journalism in January 2013 and has worked at Vice as a writer. Throughout her career, she has covered topics related to police brutality, violence against women, and drug policies. She has also worked on several documentaries, such as ‘What I Learned Living in a Rainforest Commune’, and has hosted a town hall discussion panel in Toronto in 2017 with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau regarding the legalisation of marijuana. Manisha is passionate about being a voice for change and hopes her work adds to these conversations. As a journalist, she does her best to connect the dots for others to help them see current issues through an alternative perspective.
Maya Bastian
Maya Bastian was born in Oakville, Ontario and is a Tamil filmmaker and artist with roots in conflict journalism. Her work has won awards and has been shown all over the world, with her latest film, Tigress, taking part in the Cannes Film Festival. She has also written and directed Air Show, filmed in Parkdale, that interrogates the experience of newly-arrived Toronto refugees who experience the Canadian Air Show for the first time. She resides in Parkdale with her ten-year old daughter, both enjoying all the loveliness the city has to offer.
Nash Paul de Souza
Born in Bombay, India, Nash Paul de Souza immigrated to Canada to be with his wife when he was 36 years old. Raised in a Catholic household, his parents were heavily influenced by North American culture and grew up speaking English. Nash studied in Goa, and worked as a graphic designer, web designer, and creative director. Nash met his future wife while working in Bombay. It took almost 2 years for the visa process but soon after, Nash was able to immigrate to Canada and quickly settled into Parkdale. He currently runs Making Room and is also a yoga teacher on the side.
Rhonda Lucy
Rhonda Lucy – Tsiksinensawe Yakonkwe – is a filmmaker, costume designer and artist. She is a Haudenosaunee woman of Indigenous ancestry raised near Six Nations. After moving around a lot, Rhonda permanently found a home in Parkdale. There she was offered the opportunity to run an arts program at the Parkdale Activity-Recreation Centre, a hugely transformative experience inspiring her formation of Sun Raven Arts and the Toronto Indigenous Filmmakers Collective. She has since worked with productions such as Warner Bros. Paramount, Disney, FX, HBO, APTN and CBC. She is also the designer for the Toronto Community Arts Guild’s community arts programs and public artworks. Rhonda understands her purpose as bringing power, creativity, and healing back to her community in Parkdale.
Richard Llanera
Richard Llanera, fondly known as Chad by his friends and family, grew up in the small village of Hamindan, Capiz, Philippines. As commonly experienced by other Filipino-Canadians, he immigrated to Canada in 2015 for a better future for his family and to reunite with his wife and young son who had settled in Parkdale. In his six years at Parkdale, he has grown an immense love for the neighbourhood for its diversity, equity, and inclusion and for the fact that you can find everything you need right at your doorstep. Chad was fortunate enough to get connected with Kababayan Multicultural Centre (KMC) when he first landed in Canada, and has been serving as a volunteer and Board Member for KMC ever since. From securing a mail clerk position at CIBC within his first week of arriving in Canada to now working as a certified teacher for North Caribou Lake Education Authority within the Indigenous community of Weagamow Lake – he believes himself to be “one of the luckiest immigrants,” always finding ease in securing employment. This experience inspires him to pay-it-forward by helping other newcomers to Canada secure employment in the teaching profession whenever he can.
Rita Cox
Born in Trinidad in the West Indies, Rita Cox arrived in Canada when she was 22 to work as a children’s librarian with the Toronto Public Library. Storytelling and libraries have been an integral part of her life since childhood. Before moving to Toronto, she worked at the New York Public Library. Rita was the head of the Parkdale Public Library for 24 years, where she brought diverse communities together, establishing literacy and reading programs. Rita’s legacy can be seen in local organizations she founded, including the Parkdale Intercultural Association (PIA) and Parkdale Project Read. The City of Toronto named a park at Dufferin and King in her honour.
Srivatsan Nemili Aravamudan
Srivatsan Nemili Aravamudan was born and raised in Chennai, South India in 1979 to a conservative Indian family. His father is a priest, and his mother is a homemaker. He earned his undergraduate degree in Mathematics in 1999 and his post-graduation in Master of Computer Application in 2002. He moved to Singapore to work when he was 26. He lived in Singapore for about ten years, during which he took a break from his career to earn his Masters in Design from Raffles in 2012. He met his husband Sara in 2015 and they decided to move to Toronto, Canada to settle down and start a family. He was inspired after seeing Justin Trudeau march in the Pride parade. After living in Scarborough for nine months, they both moved to Parkdale on November 17th, 2018, on Sri’s birthday, to be closer to his work. This is the very first time they both lived in an apartment by themselves as a couple and they took a lot of joy in decorating it. They made friends with neighbours and exchanged gifts during Christmas time. They got married in May 2018, adopted their two dogs, and have made a lot of dog parent friends in Parkdale. Parkdale has given the first of many cherishable moments for them, and Srivatsan is very grateful for that. Srivatsan currently works as Business Development Director for a tech startup company in Toronto.
Tenzin Wangmo
Tenzin Wangmo (Tenwang) was born in Dharamsala, India to Tibetan refugees. In 2001, she immigrated with her family to Canada as a 3-year old. They settled in Parkdale before moving to Etobicoke in 2005. Tenwang fondly remembers the space that Parkdale provides for Tibetan Canadians to express and practice their culture. She is passionate about giving back to the community and organizes social events in Parkdale such as outdoor trips for elders to help combat the isolation. Her online clothing store, nineteen59, has grown into a worldwide platform for the Tibetan diaspora to collaborate on designing a new collection as well as providing professional development for youth.
Waleed Abdulhamid
Waleed Abdulhamid (b. 1968) was born in Omdurman, Sudan. He immigrated to Toronto in 1992 to escape the dictatorship regime in Sudan. Prior to this, he was a well-established musician and multi-instrumentalist who had the privilege of performing around the world, largely in Europe and the U.S. Having shared his lived experiences and meaningful stories through his music, he has won many prestigious awards, such as the Canadian New Pioneer Award, the African Tama Award, the Reel World Film Festival Award, the Canadian Film Board of Excellence Award, and the DORA Award. He is also a professor and faculty member of the music program at Humber College. Waleed is extremely involved in Parkdale, where he has lived for nearly thirty years since 1991. He is very attached to the neighbourhood and has a deep connection with it, calling it home. He hopes the future of Parkdale is filled with meaningful change and happiness, where everyone can have an improved standard of living, affordable housing, and adequate support.
Yasietha
Yasietha is a Tamil woman who was born in Scarborough, Ontario in 1990 and lived in Scarborough for the majority of her life. She attended the University of Toronto and studied radiation therapy, and is currently a radiation therapist at Princess Margaret Hospital. Yasietha practiced radiation therapy for a year in Singapore, which allowed her to explore many parts of Asia. She has always been curious about her relationship to her Tamil identity, as she finds that her parents’ histories are also a part of her story. She is a writer, loves to bicycle, has an affinity for crosswords, sunsets, and has been tending to a newly revived love of the outdoors. Her favourite people in the world are her niece and nephews.