The People, Places, and Priorities of Lawrence Heights:

A Health Promotion Approach to Understanding Communities

What is the Lawrence Heights Community Quality of Life Project?

In September, 1996 the Lawrence Heights Community Health Centre and the University of Toronto received funding to carry out a Community Quality of Life Project in Lawrence Heights. The purpose of the project was to learn about the aspects of Lawrence Heights that contributed to people's quality of life as well as the things that did not. We were also interested in learning how people cope and manage in Lawrence Heights and about some of the programs or services that people wanted to see in the community. By doing so we hoped to identify community strengths that should be preserved and needs that could be addressed.

Over the course of the project we spoke with 18 groups of community members involving 146 people, 12 different service providers, and six elected representatives. Fifteen persons with physical disabilities were individually interviewed. The questions that were asked and answered were:

• What is it about Lawrence Heights that makes life good for people?
• What is it about Lawrence Heights that does not make life good for people who live here?
• What are some of the things in the neighbourhood or community that help you cope or manage when you or your family has problems?
• What would you like to see in the neighbourhood or community that would help you cope or manage?

What We Learned About Life in Lawrence Heights

The People of Lawrence Heights

Lawrence Heights as Seen From Lawrence Avenue

The people of Lawrence Heights come from a variety of cultural and ethno-racial backgrounds. This diversity provides an environment where just about anybody can feel at home. People are able to speak with others in their own language and can learn about people with different backgrounds. But such diversity is associated with the presence of a number of specific needs that may not be getting addressed. Residents told us about how they cope and manage in their lives. Those that receive services say they benefit from them. People with physical disabilities have concerns about lack of access to facilities and amenities that most of us take for granted.

The Places of Lawrence Heights

People in Lawrence Heights appreciate the low-rise housing with its open park spaces. They like the easy access they have to Lawrence Square and public transportation. They value having the Lawrence Heights Community Centre and Community Health Centre in the area. There is widespread concern however about the maintenance of the housing stock and physical area. It is felt that cutbacks have led to a deterioration in the quality of housing. Service agencies work hard to meet the needs of the community, but many feel that the resources available are inadequate. The schools and local agencies work collaboratively to support residents. Local representatives are concerned about and try to deal with the social and geographical isolation of Lawrence Heights from the surrounding areas.

Priorities of Lawrence Heights

Many people are on low incomes and hold down more than one job to get by. Seniors are on fixed incomes as are people with disabilities. Poverty, unemployment and underemployment create stresses for many people. There is concern about crime and personal safety. Service providers have identified many unmet needs in the community and have many ideas on how to respond to them. But lack of resources does not allow them to respond to all of the identified needs such as affordable daycare, family counselling, and educational and employment training for newcomers to Canada. What about the future of Lawrence Heights: Will development take place? And what will it mean for the people of Lawrence Heights?

The Strengths of Lawrence Heights:
Its People

Working on the Community Garden

Lawrence Heights is home to very many different kinds of people. For people who have lived here for a while, there is a sense of community and familiarity. For those who are new to Canada, they can usually find people who come from similar places and speak the same language.

Such diversity is associated with a number of needs such as education and training, and programs to support families. People in Lawrence Heights have many ideas on how to deal with these issues and for improving the quality of life of people in the community.

Public Transportation is Important
To Residents of Lawrence Heights

The community has a lot of benefits to the people who live around here; not money-wise, but there's love for people in your community, it's like a family. - Youth

Neighbours are good to me, I really appreciate that. They knock on my door and ask me where I've been and ask me if I need anything. - Senior

Being involved in the process of building community is something that people in this community hold very dearly. - Service Provider

The Strengths of Lawrence Heights:
Service Agencies and Schools

Local agencies make life better for people. The Lawrence Heights Community Centre and the Community Health Centre bring people together and offer activities and help when needed. The Community Health Centre provides health and other community services, and the North York Community House has programs for newcomers and persons with disabilities. Schools try to meet students' special needs.

Lawrence Heights Community Centre

The Lawrence Heights Community Health Centre has been here for a lot of people of different cultures. - Youth

The Community Centre helps the community so that people are not just sitting around in their apartments all day. - Senior

We have a role to play in the community. By building relationships with local agencies and by coordinating our efforts we will be more efficient in addressing the needs of the children. - Educator

Lawrence Heights Community Health Centre

Lawrence Heights Priority:
Housing Quality and Maintenance

There is widespread agreement that the maintenance of the housing stock and physical area is poor in both Lawrence Heights and some of the nearby areas. For many seniors, housing size is inadequate and for those with larger families, the waiting list for larger units is long.

Residents see the poor upkeep as resulting from cutbacks to staff. As a result, there is increased garbage and bugs. Outside the Lawrence Heights area proper, there is concern about the lack of housing and the impact of the end of rent controls.

Residents Are Concerned About Maintenance

The roof is leaking, and the paint is peeling off. And they left it for two months. They promise but it doesn't happen. - Senior

I know people who have problems within their units or buildings. They're not listened to by the housing authority. - Adult

The housing stock has begun to deteriorate. It's tired and it's old. - Councillor Howard Moscoe

Cutbacks Have Affected Quality of Life

Lawrence Heights Priority:
Income and Work Issues

Many people in Lawrence Heights hold down more than one job to make ends meet. Others are on fixed incomes as a result of having disabilities or being retired. Many cannot find work. Local agencies and schools help people learn skills and find work.

Schools Work With Local Service Agencies

Lack of income creates stresses on families. Local schools work with agencies to support children in need. Representatives speak out about service cuts and their effects on people and their families.

With the cuts we are seeing more and more people in desperate situations. For example, our case co-ordinators often have to deal with people who have no food or no more money to last them until their next subsidy check. - Service Provider

One of the things we found when people call or come in, or when we do needs assessments . . . lack of jobs is the top of the list. - Service Provider

We have medical doctors, surgeons, biologists, who are now working as taxi drivers, security guards, or gas pumpers. They have skills. But there is very little opportunity. - Resident

Many Adults Have Education and Training Needs

Lawrence Heights Priority:
Needed Services

Family Services are Important

Service agencies have identified needs that due to lack of resources cannot be met. These include programs for newcomers to Canada, supports for seniors and families, and employment programs for youth. Residents say they need affordable day care and employment training.

Agencies and schools are beginning to look into forming partnerships with local businesses. Local representatives agree that there is a need for more funding to support needed community programs.

There are always new families moving into the community which makes it difficult to know how to meet their needs. The staff are under-resourced and over-worked. - Service Provider.

Some of the youth programs we used to have in Lawrence Heights have been affected by the cutbacks. Child care is definitely very much a need in the community. - Lawrence MPP Joe Cordiano

Child Care is Needed in the Community

There's people in my community that need a lot of help, and I think that there should be places that people can go . . . to talk to a specialist. - Youth

Lawrence Heights Has Low-Rise Housing
and Open Parkland

Lawrence Heights Responds:

Lawrence Heights's network of community-based agencies and services work together and with residents to build upon community strengths.

Tenants' groups and councils work to bring community members into the decision-making process. Community residents have many ideas for how to respond to many of these issues.

If anyone sees anything that needs to be done, write it down and present it to the Action Squad. - Senior

There is also a resource group of community agencies whereby agencies will consult and cooperate with one another in an effort to reduce possible duplication. - Mayor Mel Lastman

We helped facilitate the meeting of active seniors, who were interested in working on action-oriented issues related to housing. - Service Provider

Lawrence Square Provides Access to Amenities

Towards the Future

Lawrence Heights residents, service providers, and representatives work to deal with local issues. There are services available in Lawrence Heights, but we heard about gaps. Many women feel that affordable child care is not available. There is a need for programs and activities for children, youth, and families. Newcomers to Canada face many challenges in gaining education and employment experience. Some feel they have few options for gaining this experience.

People are worried about the quality of their housing. We heard about the effects of funding cuts on maintenance. We also heard about the effects of cuts on providing services for children and families. For many people the presence of low-cost services would assist them in coping and managing. The residents, service providers, and elected representatives of Lawrence Heights need to consider the effects on people, and the community itself, of continuing lack of funding for needed services. The community of Lawrence Heights also has to consider the future of the area and if redevelopment is a useful option.

Use of This Report

The Community Quality of Life Project has allowed us to learn about and from the community. A number of project reports document the strengths and problems of Lawrence Heights and how people work to improve quality of life. We urge as many people as possible to consider their implications for improving quality of life in Lawrence Heights. We learned that the people of Lawrence Heights, and the people who work in Lawrence Heights have good insights into the community, its strengths, and its needs. By drawing upon these insights, this project should lead to thoughtful and effective action.

Children's Wall Mural

Special Thanks . . .

To the many community members and service providers in Lawrence Heights and Riverdale who took the time and effort to tell us about themselves and their work. We also wish to thank the Mayors of North York and Toronto, the Lawrence Heights and Riverdale City Councillors, Metropolitan Toronto Councillors, Members of the Provincial Parliament, and School Trustees for their participation.

The Community Quality of Life project was a partnership of the Lawrence Heights and South Riverdale Community Health Centres, and the University of Toronto. The project was carried out with the assistance of the North York and Toronto Departments of Public Health, the Metropolitan Toronto District Health Council, and the Canadian Mental Health Association National Office. The North York Community House and the Somaliland Women's Organization were community collaborators in the Lawrence Heights Project.

Funding for this project was provided by a grant from the Jessie Ball duPont Religious, Charitable, and Educational Fund of Jacksonville, Florida.

Supplementary funding was given by the North York Community Health Promotion Research Unit. Pizza Pizza and Druxy's served as corporate supporters of the project.