Though it seems like Little Jamaica is perpetually changing one thing has always remained the same: its history of music culture.

In the 90s, the neighborhood was home to Kiddie Carnival, the Caribana parade for young children, where soca and reggae blanketed the streets as youth and their parents chipped down the road; throughout its existence, it was a regular stopping point for visiting artist to the city like Bob Marley and the Wailers; it was abundant with record stores, notably Trea-jah-Isle Records (which is still in operation), but inclusive of others like King Culture Records and Videos, Record Factory and Joe Gibbs Records which consequently transformed Toronto into one of the largest hubs of reggae music outside of Kingston, Jamaica; and with all of the music and culture sharing that took place, the neighbourhood was a key contributor to the globalization of reggae music. This rich history is even visualized in the colourful “Welcome to Little Jamaica,” a 1,200-square foot mural that sits just north of Reggae Lane created by artist Adrian Hayles. Created in 2015 as part of Toronto’s Laneway Project, the warm red, yellow, orange and brown installation depicts artists central to Canada’s then-developing rocksteady and reggae scene like the Skatalites’ Jackie “Donat Roy” Mittoo, Ernie Smith, the Cougars Leroy Sibbles and Jay Douglas, photographed for kind on the following page.

What currently remains of Little Jamaica is a shell of what was once a more vibrant and eclectic hub of Caribbean diasporic music and culture. It has since been robbed by an over ten-year transit renewal LRT project that has effectively pushed out long-time business owners and residents with their culture in tow. Despite it recently being dubbed a Heritage Conservation District—a designation that ensures protection and preservation under the Ontario Heritage Act—it has very clearly transformed into something that is sometimes unrecognizable, but as the Jamaican adage goes, “Every mikkle mek a mukkle,” meaning: all the small things add up to big things. With community organizers, its allies and organizations like Black Urbanism TO, Black Futures on Eglinton, and Black Business and Professional Association who have, with their work and initiatives, empowered the community to stay strong and resilient, how do we continue to expand the music history and legacies that hail from the neighbourhood or people who have connections with the space? Let’s take a look at the past.