David Williams was born October 24, 1934 in Cardiff, Wales. He grew up against the backdrop of the Second World War, in which his father served in the Merchant Navy. His father served on three separate ships that were torpedoed, and the family saw him infrequently. The Blitz hit Cardiff – a major port – […]
Karl Subban was born July 9, 1950 in Portland Cottage, Jamaica. He lived there until he was 12, and he has strong and positive memories of those years, including his emerging interest in sports, which would prove to be a fundamental theme later in life. In his youth that included a lot of time spent […]
Kevin Junor was born April 8, 1963 in England to Jamaican parents who had emigrated there a few years earlier. The family later moved to Canada and Kevin grew up in the Bellamy-Lawrence neighbourhood of Scarborough, in Toronto’s east end. A Canadian Forces recruiting officer visited Kevin’s high school when he was 17, and Kevin […]
Donnovan Bennett is a popular host on Sportsnet, a podcaster, and much more. His family is originally from Jamaica, and they came to Canada in the days of Trudeau’s multiculturalism initiative, a time when Canada was becoming increasingly diverse and attracting immigrants from Commonwealth countries. He spoke about his own upbringing in Toronto, and the […]
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 […]
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 […]
Mr. Scott Masters and the Crestwood Social Studies Department have been working on compiling a Historical Archive for several years now. This initiative came into being because of the numerous World War Two Veterans and Holocaust Survivors that have spoken to Mr. Masters’ students. Through their generosity and to make sure that their memories are […]
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. […]