Metro Morning Feature Archive

A group of two dozen 10- and 11-year-olds gathered at our live broadcast to perform for us. They're from all over the world and they call Regent Park home. The group performed a song they composed with the help of musician Katherine Wheatley. We also met one of their teachers, Elizabeth Schaeffer.

Asma Mohamed immigrated from Somalia and has lived in Regent Park for four years. Onik Khan's parents are originally from Bangladesh. He was born here and has lived in the community for most of his life. Last but not least, Neola Husbands moved to Toronto from Guyana with her father. She lived in Regent Park for seven years. These three young people joined host Andy Barrie to talk about the revitalization of Regent Park.

Mustafa Ahmed is 13 and he's in Grade 8 at Nelson Mandela Park School. You could call him the school's unofficial "poet laureate." He joined host Andy Barrie and gave a live performance of his poem, I Walk.

Martine August is a PhD student at the University of Toronto. She's received a prestigious Trudeau Scholarship for her research into the 'socially-mixed' approach to public housing redevelopment. Sandra Costain grew up in Regent Park and now works as a youth counsellor at Dixon Hall, a local community agency. They both dropped by to speak with host Andy Barrie about why they believe changing the design and demographics of the neighbourhood won't address all the problems the community has faced in the past.

Ines Garcia is an active volunteer in Regent Park. She's a single mother with four children and has lived in Regent Park for over 20 years. Gene Lincoln has been in Regent Park ever since he moved here with his family from Jamaica when he was 15. Now, he works at the Community Health Centre with the "Parents for Better Beginnings" program. They joined host Andy Barrie to talk about the changes taking place in their neighbourhood.

Despina Morfidis manages a service called Regent Park Employment Engagement. She joined host Andy Barrie along with long time resident, Nadeem Kohkhor. Nadeem used the employment service and eventually landed a job as an electrical apprentice with Speedy Electrical -- a company now involved in Regent Park's redevelopment.

At the moment, Regent Park doesn't have a full-service bank. That will change - on January 18 - when the Royal Bank of Canada opens a branch in the ground floor of the One Cole condominium, at the corner of Dundas and Parliament. Our business commentator, Michael Hlinka joined host Andy Barrie to talk about RBC's strategy and the "responsibility" of banks to serve all communities.

When Regent Park was built, it was supposed to be a a haven for the families who lived there. Instead, the enclosed layout cut off Regent Park from the rest of the city and encouraged crime. It's a problem that's still part of the community, as Mary Wiens discovered on her tour with tenant, cab-driver and community activist Aziz Rahman.

Kevin MacKinnon will be coming to the One Cole Condominiums with his moving truck at the end of December. He dropped by his neighbourhood-to-be to speak with host Andy Barrie.

Sharon Brookes is the head cook and runs the breakfast program at Nelson Mandela Park Public School. She joined host Andy Barrie.

John Kraljevic is one of the people who's been watching the changes in Regent Park unfold. He's an operating unit manager with Toronto Community Housing Corporation responsible for some of the buildings in the area and he spoke with host Andy Barrie. We also heard from Deany Peters, a community development worker at the Regent Park Community Health Centre who was mentored by Pat Cole in the 1980s. Patricia Cole was a long-time resident and advocate in Regent Park.