‘The government owes the community,’ Josh Matlow calls for Little Jamaica to be reflected in new LRT stations

Toronto City Councillor Josh Matlow plans to bring a motion to the TTC board urging that the new Eglinton Crosstown LRT stations in Little Jamaica include artwork reflecting the neighbourhood’s culture, a call that echoes long-standing community demands.

Matlow, who represents Ward 12 Toronto-St. Paul’s, says the Cedarvale, Oakwood and Fairbank stations currently contain no visible representation of the surrounding community. He calls that absence shocking given the years of disruption residents and business owners endured during construction of the newly opened LRT line.

“They were treated like collateral damage. They were always treated like an afterthought,” Matlow said in an interview with Now Toronto.

During the 15 years of construction, several local businesses were forced to close as sidewalks were blocked and foot traffic declined.

@nowtoronto Toronto transit riders want Little Jamaica reflected in Eglinton Crosstown stations. #EglintonLRT #LittleJamaica ♬ original sound – Now Toronto

Matlow says the community is owed recognition for those sacrifices, and that governments can begin by honouring Little Jamaica’s cultural history within the stations themselves, something he plans to push for at the next TTC board meeting.

“Little Jamaica isn’t just a business district. It’s an incredibly important cultural district to many Black communities,” Matlow said. “It’s where waves of immigration built this very special area in the ’70s and ’80s.”

While some businesses managed to survive the prolonged construction, Matlow says the new transit line also brings concerns about gentrification, redevelopment and the risk of remaining businesses being priced out. That makes visible cultural recognition more important than ever, he argues.

Still, Matlow describes station artwork as “just a start,” adding that the provincial government and Metrolinx, which built the line, owe the community more.

“I think that the government owes the community of Little Jamaica a more substantive conversation about compensation for the fact that they took it on the chin for the greater good,” he said. “Transit was being built, but they were the ones who made the greatest sacrifices.”

Looking ahead, Matlow says future transit projects must better integrate and support the communities they serve, including through financial assistance,  to ensure they can survive long enough to benefit from the infrastructure once it is completed.

“They need to be able to survive long enough to benefit from the transit once it’s built,” he said. “Especially with a project that was six years delayed, they’re owed some support from the province, and I think some reasonable compensation.”

In a recent statement to Now Toronto, Metrolinx confirmed that during construction support was given to Eglinton-facing BIA’s, including Little Jamaica, to provide $1.38 million through three City of Toronto grants that provide ongoing financial support 

The provincial transit agency says they also worked with the community and local businesses to provide support through annual promotions to encourage people to shop local, procured goods and services from local businesses, installed “Open for Business” and wayfinding signage and formed a Construction Liaison Committee in the area.

Matlow says he hopes lessons learned from the Crosstown experience will be applied to upcoming projects such as the Ontario Line and the Scarborough Subway Extension.

The next TTC board meeting is scheduled for April 16.