Ed Sundukovsky shares stories from Toronto’s West End
We live in a pretty diverse neighborhood in Toronto. Parkdale has had a reputation for exemplifying many social issues including high crime and drug abuse rates as well as a marginalized lower middle class. These and other factors have contributed to making the rents low, drawing a larger than average immigrant population from some very poor and impoverished countries. Families that want a better life in the land of the “Strong and Free” come here for a fresh start.
I’m all for people starting over in Canada. Both my mother and father came to Canada with very little, fleeing communist Russia with essentially no money, having to bribe their way out of the “Iron Curtain.” When they finally landed on Canadian soil, they didn’t have two nickels to rub together. The only thing they brought with them was a strong work ethic. My dad at one point drove a cab, delivered pizzas and sold watermelons just to make ends meet before he learned to speak English well enough to get a white collar job. My mother who was proficient enough in English got a job in a hair salon.
