Social Service Space are also Public Spaces

December 1 , 2008

Tung (Tom) Nguyen

Abstract (Summary): In group of six for this course, we looked at the issue of public space in East

Scarborough in terms of its historical land use and transformation, the amalgamation, the use of space in

housing and transportation, and the preservation of green space in the area. For my part of the research, I

looked at the importance and influence of social services in East Scarborough and how they should also

be seen as public spaces in the community. With a look at the West Hill Community Service, East

Scarborough Storefront, and Neighbourhood Action Partnership where both of these social services are

involved in, this will help illustrate how some of these social service in the community have had an effect

on public space around East Scarborough which is also known as Ward 43 in the City of Toronto. By

looking at the issue with the help of articles that were found online, presentations that were made

throughout this course, and significant websites from community organizations, this will build a better

understanding towards the impact of social services in East Scarborough and how they should also be

looked at when talking about public space.

Keywords: Land Use, Public Space, Social Service, Social Space

Social Service Spaces are also Public Spaces

Name: Tung (Tom) Nguyen Student#:994079910 Course: GGRC41 Professor: S. Bunce Due Date: December 1, 2008

Table of Content

Title

West Hill Community Services

East Scarborough Storefront

Neighbourhood Action Partnership

Connection with Course and Course Themes

Reference List

Appendix A - Map of Ward 43

Appendix B - West Hill Community Services

Pine Tree Senior Centre

Appendix C- West Hill Community Services Contact Info

Appendix D -East Scarborough Storefront

Appendix E -Flyer of the Community Garden

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Name: Tung (Tom) Nguyen Student#:994079910

Social Service Spaces are also Public Spaces

In group six for this course, we looked at the issue of public space in East

2

Scarborough in terms of its historical land use and transformation, the amalgamation, the

use of space in housing and transportation, and the preservation of green space in the

area. For my part of the research, I looked at the importance and influence of social

services in East Scarborough and how they should also be seen as public spaces in the

community. With a look at the �est Hill Community Service, the East Scarborough

Storefront, and the Neighbourhood Action Partnership where both of these social services

are involved in, this will help illustrate bow some of these social services in the

community have had an effect on public space around East Scarborough which is also

known as Ward 43 in the City of Toronto (see Appendix A). This should be an issue that

is import.ant to this course and to East Scarborough because it addresses some of the

course themes such as community organizing and community networks. By looking at

this issue with the help of articles that were found online, presentations that were made

throughout this course, and significant websites from community organizations, this will

build a better understanding towards the impact of social services in East Scarborough

and how they should also be looked at when talking about public space.

West Hill Community Services

The West Hill Community Services was first established back in 1973 with the

help of 13 agencies including the Children's Aid Society which was the leader and main

resource at the time. They believe that in order to be healthy and whole, people need to

3

live in communities where they feel secure, have opportunity to participate in meaningful

activities and have access to quality health care, education, and social programmes (West

Hill Community Services 2008). Their effect on public space in the community is that

they are located in many parts of East Scarborough to assist the community in need of a

helping hand such as housing program, family resource centre, and a social support

department. Their commitment to the community includes being responsive to the

changing needs and demographics of the community as well as being committed to a co­

ordinated and efficient approach in delivery of services (WHCS 2008).

They were able to establish an office premise as a community health centre in the

neighbourhood at 56 and 156A Galloway Road back in 1992 but has since relocated to

their current main site at 3545 Kingston Road which was set up in 1992 (see Appendix B).

Some of their achievements involving public space include having a food bank and

clothing depot at 4100 Lawrence Avenue East, the use of supportive housing 4175

Lawrence A venue East, and more recently in 2006, they got involved with the Pine Tree

Senior Centre to help the elderly in the neighbourhood which is located at 4130 Lawrence

Avenue East (see Appendix B). As mentioned earlier, West Hill Community Services

offers a helping hand to East Scarborough in regards to housing program and a family

resource centre just to name a few. They are committed to helping everyone in the

community whether if you're a single-parent, homeless, or a new immigrant to the

country. The list can go on but to show the many locations of the West Hill Community

Services in East Scarborough, a contact sheet is attached to this paper that outline the

places people can go to whenever they are in need of help (see Appendix C). By helping

the residents of East Scarborough, they provide the necessities and services that are

needed to a diverse range of people where no one can feel neglected. This goes to show

the impact a social service like the West Hill Community Services can have on a

community and its residents which illustrates how valuable it is and why this should be

looked at when addressing the issue of public space.

East Scarborough Storefront

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The East Scarborough Storefront is a multi-service resource centre that opened its

doors to residents of East Scarborough back in 2001 at Morningside Mall. It is seen as a

service delivery hub for building social infrastructure with their primary function to bring

agencies from across the city to the community (Gloger 2008). Currently, there are 35

partner agencies and it has offered professional help to residents in the neighbourhood

such as job searches, settlement services, and recreation to name a few while offering free

access to the internet and phone use for those who need to use it (East Scarborough

Storefront 2008). Because the Morningside Mall was going to be demolished in 2005, the

need for a new location was a majority priority and with the help of community members,

politicians, agencies, and city staff, they were able to find a new location using the old 42

police division at 4040 Lawrence Avenue East (see Appendix D).

Their connection to public space is not only the fact that they serve as a place for

community members and services to connect with one another and aid those that are in

need of these services but they also promote the public spaces around East Scarborough

for residents in the neighbourhood to show them what is around the area that can be

beneficial for them. The Amazing Place was created in 2007 and was intended to show a

sense of place in the Kingston-Galloway-Orton Park community (ESS 2008). It was a one

day scavenger hunt that took place in June to allow participants to discover the

neighbourhood, its history and culture, the reliance on public transportation, and locate

the different types of community services in the area (Gloger 2008). The Amazing Place

followed a similar script from a reality television show called The Amazing Race where

teams of two would travel across the world. In this situation, the Amazing Place had

teams of six participants travel around the community and visit the sites that were of

importance. It was considered a success and as of right now, they hope to tum this event

into a permanent tour.

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Another way the East Scarborough Storefront has a connection to public space in

the community was the creation of the Community Garden. Located at the old water

tower (4040 Lawrence Avenue East) and with the help from Councillor Paul Ainslie of

Ward 43 and the City of Toronto, the Community Garden was given to the East

Scarborough Storefront where they have looked after the land and assigned plots to

community groups to grow their own gardens (ESS 2008). The Community Garden will

be beneficial to the residents in the neighbourhood because it connects residents together

from around the area which is one of the main objectives of the Storefront. The garden

will be able to provide fresh fruits and vegetables for the community and will help other

food security initiatives such as the food bank and breakfast clubs (Gloger 2008). A flyer

of the Community Garden is attached which showed that residents in the area that htye

were more than welcome to be a part of this and build relationships with other members

of the community (see Appendix E). The creation of the Community Garden as well as

the Amazing Place from the East Scarborough Storefront has been excellent ways of

promoting public space in the neighbourhood. Not only have they been able to educate

residents in the area about other services in the community but they have also created a

sense of community togetherness where people can connect with one another and build

long lasting relationships.

Neighbourhood Action Partnership

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Both the West Hill Community Services and the East Scarborough Storefront bas

shown to be of great importance when it comes to public spaces in East Scarborough but

there are broader neighbourhood issues that should also be mentioned in this research

report. Both of these organizations are also part of a larger collection of community

organizations called the Kingston and Galloway/Orton Park Membership. With the

Neighbourhood Action Partnership (NAP), they look to address issues in the community

such as safety in the area, resources that are available, capital investment for projects in

the community, and resident engagement where they look to inform residents in the

neighbourhood about NAP (Robinson 2008). This goes to show the importance of these

social services in the community as it effects on not only the public space in the

neighbourhood but also identifying the problems that surround the area. Social services

are needed in every community as they allow residents in the area to voice any concerns

they have and come up with potential solutions for the future that will allow the

community to grow (Hodge 1998).

With the issues that surround the Kingston and Galloway/Orton Park area as

addressed by NAP, there are objectives that have been created to help solve these

problems. These objectives include: developing strategies that are responsive to local

needs, providing opportunities for immediate services, and strengthening partnerships and

networks (Robinson 2008). It has also been shown that by bringing residents together to

talk with one another and connecting them with local officials, residents would feel that

7

their voices have been heard which creates a positive environment (Campbell 2005).

Because of the objectives listed by the NAP, there have been some achievements in the

Kingston and Galloway/Olton Park that they should feel proud of. As mentioned before

in the research report, the Amazing Place and the Community Garden have been a major

success in the neighbourhood thanks to the East Scarborough Storefront and its members

who helped along the way. There also have been achievements in having an annual

community pow-wow for residents to come together and connect with one another and

the NAP have also provided transportation to residents in the Kingston and

Galloway/Orton Park area to engage in events that are located outside the community

(Robinson 2008). By looking at the importance social services like the West Hill

Community Services and the East Scarborough Storefront has on other issues besides

public space, it shows how valuable they are to the neighbourhood. They are part of a

bigger organization along with NAP to help the community and its residents create a

better future for generations to come.

Connection witb tbis Course and Course Themes

With the use of this research report to look at the effect social services has on

public space, it goes hand in hand with this course on current topics in human geography

and some of its course themes that have been mentioned in this class. In week two of this

course, we looked at community organizing and social planning in urban neighbourhoods

which was helpful in understanding how communities worked and what was needed in

order to be successful. When looking at why a community needed to be organized, some

of the points that were mentioned helped show how social services was useful in

addressing this topic as well as its benefit towards public space. Some of the points that

8

were mentioned when looking at why communities would organize include: the need for

solutions to address social pressures and issues such as poverty and crime, a need for

partnership and relationship building, and the concern for the quality of life (Bunce

2008). Social services like the West Hill Community Services and the East Scarborough

Storefront have been able to provide services for its residents such as a family resource

centre and job searches as well as offering them to build relationships with other

concerned residents which allows them to not only create solutions but to build a bond

with each other. As Rubin and Rubin (2001) pointed out in their book titled, "Community

Organizing and Development," organizing allows people to take a collective action with

one another to overcome the shared problems that face them on a daily basis. The

availability of social services gives residents a place to work together which is needed if

change is to occur.

The course also looked at community networks and its importance to the

neighbourhood. There were two types of networks that were addressed: Bridging

Network and Bonding Network. In bridging network, it looks at the single stranded

connections between individuals such as community organizations working together

(Bunce 2008). This relates to this research report because as mentioned before, the

Kingston and Galloway/Orton Park Membership was formed using a large collection of

community organizations such as the West Hill Community Services and the East

Scarborough Storefront. By doing so, it formed a bridging network to work together and

create connections where residents can locate if in need of help. The work that social

services provide are not just for the residents in the community but it is also meant to

build a bigger organization where social services can group together to build a bigger

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voice for the neighbourhood so they can be heard (Hodge 1998). As for bonding

networks, it is about a dense connection among small numbers of people instead of the

single stranded connection (Bunce 2008). In this case, it is about the people in the

community rather than the organizations themselves to form a bond with each other. This

is offered inside the social services where as mentioned before, residents can voice their

concerns on issues that are affecting them in their daily lives and by meeting other

residents with the same problems, they can help each other by working together and fmd

ways to improve the situation. For example, the West Hill Community Services offered

group sessions for single-parent led families to interact with one another and talk about

issues that were concerning them in their homes and exchange contact information with

one another so that they can have someone to talk to which builds this bonding network

(WHCS 2008). The issues that have been looked at when dealing with social services and

its effect on public space can be linked to this course because the issues that have been

presented during the research report such as community organizing and community

networks are needed in understanding the role social services has on the community.

especially in East Scarborough.

The importance of the research on social services to be seen as public space in

East Scarborough is a great way in understanding the role of social services, the impact

they have on public space, and their contributions for residents in the community. By

looking at a couple of organizations such as the West Hill Community Services and the

East Scarborough Storefront with the use of presentations, articles, and websites, a better

understanding has been created to show the relevance of social services and how useful

they are to the neighbourhood . The services they provide for residents such as a social

10

support department and job searches allow those in the community to find help in public

places around East Scarborough when in need of it. Events such as the Amazing Place

and the Community Garden allow them to connect with one another and see the services

around the area which can be beneficial for them now or in the future. Not only have

social services given help to these residents but they are also part of a bigger organization

called the Kingston and Galloway/Orton Park Membership where they look at

community issues such as safety and capital investment. Not only are these issues

important to East Scarborough but it is also important to this course as it looks some of

the topics we have covered throughout the semester such as community organizing and

community networks. Social services cover a lot of important issues that are faced in the

community on a day to day basis and to be seen as public places is needed because these

are areas that help the community develop which gives residents a better future and hope

down the road.

Reference List

Bunce, S. (2008). Current topics in human geography [PowerPoint slides]. Retrieved from

https:llintranet.utsc.utoronto.ca/courses.php?courseid=1522&thissection=94275

Campbell, H. (2005). The darker side of local communities: Is this the real world of planning?

Planning Theory and Practice, 6, 517-541.

East Scarborough Storefront (2008). Retrieved Nov. 16, 2008, from

http://www .thestorefront.org/index.html

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Gloger, A. (2008). Presentation on the East Scarborough Storefront. Presented on Oct. 15, 2008.

Hodge, G. (1998). Planning Canadian communities: An introduction to the principles, practices,

and participants 3rd edition. Scarborough: International Thomson Publishing.

Robinson, W. (2008). Presentation on Neighbourhood Action. Presented on Oct. 8, 2008.

Rubin, H. & Rubin, K. (2001). Chapter 2: Resolving Social Problems through Organizing in:

Community Organizing and Development Boston, Allyn and Bacon. pp. 23-51.

West Hill Community Services (2008). Retrieved Nov. 16,2008, from

http://www.westhill-cs.on.ca/

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ApoendixA

A map of Ward 43 (East Scarborough)

--- 8 Scarborough East --1' ---Source: www .toronto.ca/wards2000/ward43.htm

13

ApoendixB

Picture of the West Hill Community Service main site located at 3545 Kingston Road

Source: Photograph taken by Tung (Tom) Nguyen on November 15, 2008

Picture of the Pine Tree Senior Centre located at 4130 Lawrence A venue East

Source: Photograph taken by Tung (Tom) Nguyen on November 15,2008

A '(y �N \)' � (- West Hill Community Services - Contact Us

Contact Us

Satellite Locations

social · .

... It'

West t-ill Commlrity Services

Family Resource Centre

4110 Lawrence Aveooe East

Scarborough, Ortario M1E 2S1

West HU Comnu.J'ity Services

Supportive Housing Program 4205 Lawrence Aveooe East, #1 05

Scarborough, Ontario

M1E 4T7

West Hill Community Services

Pine Tree Senior Cerire 4130 Lawrence Aveooe East Scarborough, Ontario

M1E 2R8

West Hll Commurity Services

Action for Neighbourhood Change

Eglinton East/Kennedy Park Site

2739 Eglirion Avenue East Scarborough, Ontario M1K 2S2

West Hill Community Services

Scarborough West Comrmrity Health 4002 Sheppard Avenue East, #401

Scarborough, Ontario M1S4R5

West Hill Community Services Social Support Department

4100 Lawrence Avenue East

Scarborough, Ontario M1E2R9

West Hll ComllllJ'lity Services Supportive Housing Program

4175 Lawrence Avenue East

Scarborough, Ortario

M18 3E2

West Hill Community Services

Adut Day Program 4637 Kingston Road Scarborough, Ontario M1E 2R8

West Hill Community Services

Action for Nelghbol.l'hood Change

Scarborough Vdlage

3236A Eglirton Avenue East Scarborough, Ontario M1J 2H>

You may also contact program aoo service staff at the following telephone numbers/extensions:

Community Hearth Centre

Appointments (4002 Sheppard Ave. E.} 416-642�9445

A - Community Health

Certre, Commuity

Support aoo Administration

B- Family Resource

Certre

C - Social S�port Certre D - Supportive Housing

E- Family R esoiXce

Certre

Satellite (3847 Lawrence Ave. E.) Access Centres: F- 50 Tuxedo Court G- 65 Greencrest Circut H-4175 Lawrence Ave. E. I - 4205 Lawrence Ave. E.

West Hill Community

Services provides

programming for

individuals and families

who reside within the

following boundaries:

North - Highway 401 South - Lake Ontario

East- Pickering Townline

West- Markham Road

The West Hill Community

Health Centre program

serves all of Scarborough for those without health

insurance coverage.

Bulldlna a healthier community

http://www. westbill-cs.on.ca/ contact.html

Avv �N \) 1 y. (_, - west mn Commmity Services - contact us ( (oN-\ 1 N u G 0 )

Appoiriments (3545 Kingston Road)

Programs for Seniors & the Disabled:

Congregate Dining

Friendly VISit�

Home Help/Homemaking

416-642-9445

416-283-9822

416-847-4126

416-847-4122

Home Maintenance 416-286-7774

{including Grass Cltting or Snow Shovelling)

Meals-on-\M'leels

Respite Care

Supportive Housing

Adl.it Day Program

Pine Tree Senior Ceme

Transportation

The Family Resource Centre

The Social Support Department

Food Bank

Homelessness Oweach & lriervertion

Other Social Support Programs and

Services

Action for Neighbourhood Change

Eglirion East/Kemedy Park Site

Scarborough Village Site

416-847-4124

416-847-4123

416-282-3664 or 416-284-5309

416-286-7774

416-283-9822

416-847-4125

416-282-4538

416-282-2270, Extension 21

416-286-0506, Extension 26

416-286-2441 , Extension 23

416-267-9288

416-261-0150

West Hill Conwnunlty Services 3545 Kingston Road

Scarborough, Ontario M1M 1R6

tel. 416-284-5931

fax 416-724-5205

westhill@westhil]:cs .. .Pn. ca

·.w.w·.HIII COIImunity SetvictJ ·.

WOib to llUittD and ermnee

irit� ..... -��lnQot·.

·� families and . . . .

�-.. � .

:� ,-.

l5

Sot..trt.e.. -. http://www.westhill-cs.on.ca/contaclhtml

16

ApoendixD

Pictures of the East Scarborough Storefront

Source: Photograph taken by Tung (Tom) Nguyen on October 29.2008

Source: www. west-hill.cornlservices.html

c ... uity Gardea

at 4841 Lawreace

Featuring . Park like setting . Sunny Location • Water available

. Compost bins

Wated!! Plots are Available

• FREE of cost • Residents, community

groups living in Morningside & Orton Park Area

ltJdl TORONTO ST05RERFRONT fA;

� �===-·

IDfo

Jan 29th 6pm-7:30 pm@

Registration Required Please Call Yamini at

416 208 9889

Residents Rising

Green Thumb Club

t7