"Our identity has really been changed in Little Jamaica and it's all due to the Metrolinx construction for the last 16 years,"
"Right now, Little Jamaica is in a state of emergency."
"It's hurtful, it's painful to see what they've done to our community, but hopefully some accountability can get brought in and we can deal with this crisis,"
Sixteen years of construction for the Eglinton-Crosstown Light-Rail Transit line has led to hundreds of businesses in Little Jamaica struggling or closing, with more than 300 small businesses reported closed. Many storefronts near Eglinton Avenue W. and Oakwood Avenue stand vacant with for-rent signs. Community leaders describe the neighbourhood as in a state of emergency and say the community's identity has been changed. Local entrepreneurs and the Business Improvement Area seek strategies to revitalize the area and attract new businesses, while urging the city and Metrolinx to accept accountability for prolonged impacts. Final testing on the transit line has been completed but no opening date has been set after repeated delays and cost overruns.
Read at www.cbc.ca
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