Rexdale Community Health Centre

Community Background 

Rexdale is a neighborhood in Toronto geographically located in the Humber River area on the east, Highways 401/409 on the south, Marine Groove Road on the west, and the west branch of Humber River on the north. Rexdale can be described as a suburban community.

Rex Wesley Heslop developed the town by buying cheap land where he built 400 homes. After the success, he bought 100 acres, where he developed homes, built roads and utilities such as sewage, roads, water, and schools (Romanska, 2021) . Following his footsteps, by 1953, 18 industries acquired plots west of Kipling Avenue. The Rexdale industrial area grew rapidly; then, in 1956, Rexdale Plaza opened, making it the 4 th shopping center in Toronto.

Before Rex’s intervention, in 1799, the first land grants were given. The potential of Rexdale was its fertile soils. The majority of the land was used for agriculture until post-WWII, when there was a need for housing and jobs (Denise, n.d.) . It is after the 1900s that Rex’s built houses and industries in the area.

As more people moved in due to employment opportunities, families began to form, resulting in schools and shopping centers. The first public school in Rexdale was built in 1953, named Elmlea Public School, and later after two years, Rexdale Public School (Denise, n.d.) .

Demographics 

The number of people in Rexdale, according to the 2016 census data, is 10,529. 51.1 % are female, and 48.9% are male (“Social Policy, Analysis, and Research”, 2018) .

Children between the age of 0-14 years are 1,630, which is 16%, youth aged 15-24 years are 1,375 at 13%, the population of working-age civilians between 25-54 years is 4,255 at 41%, citizens at pre-retirement age of between 55-64 years are 1,505 at 15% and seniors of 65 years and above are 1,595 at 15%. The age trends between 2001 and 2016 show a constant increase in the youth population between 15 and 29. The mean age is 40.6 years, and the median age is 41.3% (“Social Policy, Analysis, and Research”, 2018) .

The geographical origin around the world can analyze the ethnocultural diversity of Rexdale. The “roots” of individuals describe their ancestral origin. 49% are of European origin, followed by 14% who are South Asian, 10% are East and Southeast Asian,11% are Caribbean, 13% are Other North American, 8% are from Africa, 8% are Latin, Central, and South American, 5% are West Central Asian and Middle Eastern, 1% are North American Indigenous, and less than 1% originated from Oceania (“Social Policy, Analysis, and Research”, 2018) .

The top five ethnic origins are Canadian, Italian, English, and East Indian, at 1260, 1140, 1125, and 1015 respectively. 52 % are a minority, which according to the Employment Equity Act, are persons other than Aboriginal peoples, who are non-Caucasian in race or non-white in color. The minority groups consist mainly of the following groups: Chinese, South Asian, Latin American, Arab, Black, Filipino, South East Asian, West Asian, Korean, and Japanese (“Social Policy, Analysis, and Research”, 2018) .

In Rexdale,15% have no certificate, diploma, or degree, 29 % attained Secondary High School education, 7% have apprenticeships or trades, 23% completed college or CEGEP,3% have a university certificate or diploma below Bachelors level, 17% have a Bachelors degree and 6% possess a degree higher than Bachelor (“Social Policy, Analysis, and Research”, 2018) .

The labor force at Rexdale indicates an unemployment rate of 10.9%, a participation rate of 62.8%, and an employment rate of 56%. The work activity metrics of 2015 saw 31% work full-year, full-time, and 32% worked part-year and or part-time, while 37% did not work (“Social Policy, Analysis, and Research”, 2018) .

Community Assets 

Development Concerns 

Rexdale lacks a social hub where community members can gather and socialize (Joshi, 2018). Such a community hub would help engage all stakeholders in the community and give a voice to every person. Social hubs produce solutions that move the community forward. By lack of such a facility, Rexdale will leave unaddressed many social issues such as unemployment, crime, and other nimby issues. Furthermore, there is a high number of residents who live alone and would benefit from the engagement and public interactions facilitated by the hubs.

There is also a need for increased social and recreational services for seniors (Joshi, 2018). 30% of the population in Rexdale is around or above the retirement age, with 15% above 65. There is an urgent need for social care for this age bracket. For the youth, facilities such as gymnasiums and jogging parks are lacking.

References 

Denise, H.  Rexdale . Etobicoke Historical Society. Retrieved 17 February 2021, from http://www.etobicokehistorical.com/rexdale.html . 

Joshi, R. (2018).  Central Etobicoke Hub Feasibility Study . Social Planning Toronto. Retrieved 17 February 2021, from https://www.socialplanningtoronto.org/central_etobicoke_hub_feasibility_study . 

Romanska, A. (2021).  The history of the Rexdale neighbourhood in Toronto . blogTO. Retrieved 17 February 2021, from https://www.blogto.com/city/2021/01/rexdale-toronto-neighbourhood-history/ . 

Social Policy, Analysis and Research. (2018).  Neighborhood Profile: Rexdale Kipling . Toronto.