Friends of Kensington Market (FoKM) is a community organization in the Kensington Market neighborhood in Toronto. On April 23rd, I was fortunate to speak to the chair of the FoKM, Serena Purdy, who joined the community board at the age of 17. Besides her active commitment and enthusiasm for the Kensington Market area, she was actively engaged in policies and public health care research at the University of Toronto.

 

In the early 2010s, several senior ladies started the organization. One lady started the Historical Society of Kensington Market (https://www.kmhs.ca/), which seeks to understand the cultural and social context and background of the community from a historical perspective. One lady worked for the churches and aimed to help people in poverty who needed access to healthcare. One lady was a teacher and later became the coordinator of the Kensington Market Landtrust (https://kmclt.ca/). These individuals came together to start the Kensington Market.

 

The organization started in the face of the Walmart proposal in the neighborhood. (More info can be found here) It’s a natural concern for the community members when the big chain stores are bulldozed into the neighborhood. The founders of the FoKM were afraid that formula stores like Walmart would out-compete the local “papa-mama” stores. Overnight, the groceries and the butchers, that represent and encapsulate the community memories and identities, might be forced to leave. Fortunately, a development settlement with RioCan was achieved: the proposal for the new Walmart eventually came to an end, and the settlement eventually formed the financial basis for the FoKM.

 

While the community fought against gentrification, for example, the proposal of a new Walmart, the perception and understanding of gentrification are also constantly changing. Is it the protection of the building and the street that represents the combat of gentrification? Eventually, the Friends of Kensington Market landed on the concern about the ingredients of the community: its affordable housing, its affordable commercial real estate, its affordable living cost, and its rent and grocery, at the very basic level during the pandemic, for families and businesses to continue to land and live in the neighborhood. 

 

In addition, Serena Purdy mentioned the challenges of working in an incredibly diversely populated neighborhood like Kensington Market at the heart of downtown Toronto. The organization is consensus-based in its by-laws; therefore, it’s important to understand what’s the consensus of the community members in Kensington Market. However, navigating the consensus is really tough and requires significant community engagement with labor-intensive assistance from volunteers doing translation work and consulting the individuals in the community.

 

In particular, Serena mentioned one common and significant challenge to all urban community organizations: “Diversity is our strength; it’s also our paralysis.” However, it’s important to let people understand and know the questions. Otherwise, it’s very easy to build initiatives and structures that alienate the community individuals as the rational comprehensive planning in the 1950s. 

 

In addition, she also mentioned the challenges of working with the city. The community planning process involves negotiation not only within the neighborhood as well as with external forces, including the municipal government. “It’s about space and resources for self-determination but also community.” Therefore, it’s important to understand what the middle ground is between the city and the neighborhood when the conflict does arrive. However, cooperation with the government is also a common practice: FoKM will consult the members of the provincial parliament and local councilors to understand the consensus within the community as well.

 

There are many ongoing and past initiatives that are key to uniting the different individuals within the society. 

 

1. Balwin Mural/ The Future Without Oppression

 

The FoKM hosted the mural project annually starting in 2020. Each year, the organization will invite black female artists from all over Toronto to portray their own impression and vision for Kensington Market. In addition, the event also consists of an educational component emphasizing anti-colonialism and racism within the community. Serena, as a public health and policy expert, sought to include an activity about the role of racism in health care. Each year, around 60-80 volunteers will show up to help the organization. The parents and kids are also welcome to create their own art about the community in a designated family & kids zone.

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 2.  No Ghost Hotels (https://decorbug.com/noghosthotels/)

 

This is an initiative against the widespreading Airbnb in the neighborhood. Airbnb has taken away the potential long-term affordable rental spaces in exchange for short-term expensive rental spaces. 

 

Finally, they also host board meetings, which are open to everyone interested in helping the community. Everyone is welcome to observe and potentially contribute to the organization of FoKM.

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Image Credit: Kensington Community Land Trust