Neighbourhoods in Toronto have radically changed over the past 20 years. Immigration has brought greater cultural diversity, with over 50% of Toronto’s population born outside Canada. The 2016 Toronto Vital Signs research reports, “income inequality is rising twice as fast in Toronto compared to the rest of Canada”. Someone described Toronto as facing a “Silver Tsunami”: the aging of its population. If the Church is going to effectively serve its community then it will need to get to know its neighbourhood.
UReachToronto is here to provide information and tools to help you and your church map your community.You might want to begin with the Community Opportunity Scan which will help your church develop an over strategy for getting to know your neighbourhood. For a detailed analysis of your community go to the Toronto Neighbourhood Web Tool and enter your address. Learn about the cultural background of new immigrants in your neighbourhood by going to Cultural Communities. When you know the needs of your community you might want to scan the many resource available under City Services.
One resource we would highly recommend is John Fuder’s book, “Neighbourhood Mapping” available from Amazon here. Furthermore, check out his “10 tips to exegete a culture”.
Other Resources
- Neighbourhood Mapping Template by James Watson