THE GREEN LINE
VIDEO STORY
Woburn's Gujarati Roots Thrive in Tight-Knit Scarborough Community
Real people with real stories in the neighbourhood of Golfdale-Cedarbrae-Woburn.
This Woburn resident cites helping an elderly woman at a bank as one of his favourite local memories.
: Anthony Lippa-Hardy/The Green Line.
Anthony Lippa-Hardy
Mississauga native currently studying journalism at Toronto Metropolitan University. Loves to explore different visual mediums to tell impactful stories that need to be seen.
March 27, 2024
If you want to experience the dynamic heartbeat of Scarborough, just spend some time in Woburn.
This densely populated pocket proudly showcases its cultural influences from South Asia and around the world.
Strolling the sidewalks, you'll hear Gujarati, Tamil and Urdu intermingling with English as residents originally from India, Sri Lanka and Pakistan go about their daily routines. The tantalizing aromas of curries and spices waft from apartment windows and family-run restaurants. Locals also satisfy their cravings at friendly spots like The Real McCoy at Lawrence Avenue East and Bellamy Road North.
Beyond that, Woburn has a variety of Asian supermarkets and other multicultural businesses lining its compact plazas, which cater to the diverse local population.
While celebrity sightings sometimes create buzz, it's the simple interactions between neighbours that reveal Woburn's true character, like one resident in our video who describes helping an elderly woman at the bank.
To be sure, Woburn has its challenges, with calls for cleaner streets and better road safety. But its community spirit shines through, as this hardworking Scarborough neighbourhood takes pride in its cultural richness, forged through waves of immigration over decades.
Woburn's kaleidoscope of experiences is what makes it so authentically Toronto.
Editor's Note: The video in this post was produced entirely by humans. This post accompanying the video was written with the support of A.I., and edited by a human. Contact us at [email protected] to learn more.
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