Ford backs opponents of Somali centre

Residents say they weren’t consulted on Buttonwood Park plan to give space to community

- BEN SPURR

A city-backed plan to build a recreation centre for Toronto’s Somali community is facing an uncertain future after fierce backlash from residents who have enlisted Premier Doug Ford in their fight to stop the project coming to their neighbourhood.

The group behind the proposal to construct a Somali Centre for Culture and Recreation (SCCR) in Etobicoke’s Buttonwood Park says it would be the culmination of a decades-long effort to carve out space for a Black community that has endured discrimination and lacks access to public amenities.

But nearby residents say they weren’t consulted on the plan, which would take up precious green space in their neighbourhood near Eglinton Avenue and Royal York Road. They have a powerful ally in the premier, who along with Etobicoke Centre representatives Coun. Stephen Holyday and MPP Kinga Surma, attended a recent meeting of residents opposed to the plan.

The proposal is on the agenda for Mayor Olivia Chow’s executive committee on Tuesday, but as a result of the outcry the committee may vote to delay consideration for months. With political opposition mounting, it looks increasingly likely the centre won’t be built at Buttonwood, and could be moved to a new site.

Zakaria Abdulle, chair of the SCCR, said the non-profit is committed to “finalizing the best location” based on community input.

But he argued it is “absolutely critical for civic leaders to support … Black communities by investing in their needs and creating opportunities for social and economic advancement.”