Bushra Junaid is a multidisciplinary artist-curator and author based in Toronto. She grew up in St. John’s, Newfoundland, where she and her siblings were raised by her Nigerian and Jamaican parents. Bushra’s own life story and her memories of the culture and food of Newfoundland provide a backdrop to the narrative and themes of her
Al Topping was born in Montego Bay, Jamaica in 1939. His family emigrated to the United States in 1946, on a Pan Am flight to Miami, and Al grew up in Brooklyn. He made the decision to join the airline industry in 1964, first with United and then with Pan Am in 1969. Pan Am
Stanley Grizzle was born in Toronto in 1918, to Jamaican parents who immigrated to Canada in 1911. He grew up in downtown Toronto, where he attended Prince Edward School and later Harbord Collegiate. He became a railway porter at the age of 22 to help support his family. In 1938 he became involved in the
The Crestwood Oral History Project archives are a fantastic place to learn more about Black history in Canada this February! Hear the story of Stanley Grizzle, the son of Jamaican immigrants who rose to become Canada’s first federal citizenship judge. Learn about George Carter, the founder of the Toronto Negro Veterans Association and one of
Dwight Drummond is originally from Jamaica, coming to Toronto when he was young. He grew up in the city’s Jane-Finch neighbourhood, where he excelled at basketball and developed an affinity for journalism, which he pursued at Ryerson. He obtained a degree and rose through the ranks at various Toronto media outlets after he graduated, rising
Alison Lucas was born in Ottawa to parents that moved around frequently, since her father was in the Air Force. Her mother was an Emergency Room nurse who took a “break” to manage the 3 kids and all the moves. By the time she was in high school, she had moved 8 times, but was
Elaine Elliott was born in Kingston, Jamaica in. She is the second oldest out of 4 children, her older sister and herself were born in Jamaica, while the younger two were born in England. She lived in Jamaica with her grandmother until she was 15 yrs old. Then her parents decided to move her and
Stanley Grizzle has led an illustrious life, and Crestwood students were fortunate to meet him in the spring of 2013 – on several occasions – and we are indebted to Kathy Grant and the Legacy Voices Project for setting up that introduction. Stanley Grizzle was born in Toronto in 1918, to Jamaican parents who immigrated
Mary Anne Chambers is someone who understands the power of community involvement. After emigrating from Jamaica with her family, she succeeded in the worlds of business and politics, first as a vice-president with Scotiabank, and then as an MPP and cabinet minister in Dalton McGuinty’s cabinet. All the while, she has worked tirelessly as a
Donald Williams is Olivia Kassardjians’s grandfather. Olivia was in Mr. Masters’ class in 2008-9; she interviewed her grandfather about his experiences growing up in wartime Jamaica and about his life after emigrating to Canada.
