Little Jamaica Toronto: A Stop-by-Stop Eglinton West Guide

On Eglinton Avenue West, Toronto’s Caribbean story is not behind glass. It is in the murals, the record-shop history and the barber chairs, and it is a short ride from the new Line 5.

Where is Little Jamaica?

Heritage Toronto says that between Allen Road and Keele Street, Eglinton West has been known colloquially as “Likkle Jamaica” or “Likkle Caribbean” since the late 1970s. The Black Business and Professional Association’s Little Jamaica site describes it as running from Keele Street in the west to Marlee Avenue in the east. The Little Jamaica business improvement area runs along Eglinton Avenue West between Marlee Avenue and Dufferin Street. Different sources draw the lines a little differently, which says something about how far the neighbourhood’s spirit reaches.

Heritage Toronto calls it the heart and cultural hub of Toronto’s Caribbean population. It adds that in Toronto it is not uncommon to hear a “Wagwan” (what’s up?) or find a patty spot, a reflection of the major contribution Caribbean culture is making to the city.

How do you get there on Line 5?

Line 5 Eglinton is a 19-kilometre light rail line with 25 stations and stops running along Eglinton Avenue from Mount Dennis to Kennedy. Our pick for a first stop is Oakwood Station. Its main entrance features a window art display by Ontario artist Nicholas Pye. According to the artist, the work speaks to the diverse and rich cultural mosaic that defines the character of Oakwood Village. The City describes Oakwood Village as anchored by a vibrant commercial corridor with a unique mix of independent businesses, community services and cultural organizations.

Our Line 5 guide covers the rest of the line, and our TTC station art list has more art to spot on the way.

What is the story behind the street?

It started as farmland. Heritage Toronto says the area where Eglinton Avenue West sits today was largely farmland, with a few farmhouses and several ravines, until the early 1930s. Walk it with that in mind and the storefronts read differently: each one is a small chapter in a long story.

Why do music fans love this street?

Heritage Toronto says reggae is a staple of Jamaican culture, and that the history of reggae in Toronto can be traced to Little Jamaica. The street became dense with record stores in the 1970s as Caribbean musicians rehearsed and recorded their reggae hits. Jackie Mittoo, a prominent ska artist and part of the Skatalites, came to Toronto to play in downtown clubs and record in studios on Eglinton West.

Reggae Lane

This is the stop to put on your map. Reggae Lane is a laneway behind the storefronts south of Eglinton Avenue West and east of Oakwood Avenue, and it was given its title in 2015 to honour the area’s rich music tradition. The initiative honours and celebrates the rich musical history of the Eglinton Avenue West neighbourhood. Heritage Toronto notes that mural artist Adrian Hayles is a longtime resident of Little Jamaica who has contributed to several murals in Toronto, including two 70-metre-high music murals on Yonge Street.

Take a slow walk past the murals and give each a full minute. Bring a friend, stand back far enough to take in the full wall, and then step close to catch the detail. It is one of those places where a city’s history is painted at human height.

What is there to do along the avenue?

The City says Eglinton West is recognized for clusters of Black-owned businesses of cultural relevance, including barber shops, restaurants specializing in Caribbean cuisine, hair shops, recording studios and music stores. We are not going to name individual shops here, because the people who run them are the best source for what is open. Instead, use this checklist:

• Eat. Look for the Caribbean restaurants and patty spots the City and Heritage Toronto describe, and check each place’s own site for hours and menus.
• Browse music. Heritage Toronto’s history is full of record stores and studios; ask in the shops what they stock.
• Pause at a barber shop or salon. Heritage Toronto says these are important places to the Black Caribbean community, where people share fellowship and the latest news from back home.

Business owners along the avenue often use their spaces for several purposes, including recording studios, rehearsal spaces and small live-music venues. The City says this has created a network of third spaces for gathering and community building. Translation for visitors: ask what is on, say hello, and stay a while. A good afternoon here is as much about conversation as it is about shopping.

How can you learn more?

Heritage Toronto’s digital tour is a map enhanced with oral history audio clips from members of the Little Jamaica community. It was developed as part of the Equity Heritage Initiative, which is dedicated to amplifying the diverse voices and stories of Toronto. The City has also directed a planning framework study that reflects the new Little Jamaica Cultural District designation.

For current listings of local businesses, the Little Jamaica business improvement area describes a vibrant Caribbean and Italian-flavoured International Market of shops, restaurants and services. If patties are your mission, our Jamaican patties guide is a good companion, and our explore Toronto by transit guide lists more neighbourhoods you can reach by TTC.

Send this to the friend who says they have never really been to Eglinton West.