I discovered Regent Park by accident

By Maria Nguyen

It was a sweltering hot August day and I was on my way back from a job interview down on Queen St. E. I live on Jarvis St. at the corner of Carlton St. so it wasn't a far walk for me. I'd taken the streetcar to the interview because I was late, but it was beautifully sunny and I had never ventured south of No Frills on Parliament St.

Maybe I chose the wrong time to go exploring -- I was dressed semi casual but somewhat provocative for the occasion. And the local men weren't going to let me live it down. The men winked and flashed their teeth. "How you doin'?" an Indian man asked, walking too close beside me.

I sped up north on Parliament St. The houses lining the street were decrepit. But you know what, aside from the men, it was a quaint little neighbourhood. What stood out the most were the little grocery and convenience stores run by African families. In front of one store, tomatoes, watermelons and greens stacked high. A little boy -- who must have been watching the shop for his parents -- swerved on an office chair near the door. There were no customers, but there was music on the radio. It just felt.. quaint. I didn't expect it. Three blocks east and four blocks south of my hectic downtown apartment is a place that reminds me of my grandparents' suburban town from 15 years ago.

The thing that makes Regent Park unique is its people. Bound by more or less the same economic predicament, Regent Park residents have it tougher than their adjacent neighbours. But where people lack in financial freedom, they make up for it in spirit. Last year when the time capsule ceremony took place in Regent Park, the interviews and sounds captured on the radio waves alone made me smile. Even in the face of historical change, people showed something I don't see everyday in a lot of people I deal with everyday: heart.

The landscape became more and more familiar as the No Frills store sign came into view. It was an interesting walk, but I was looking forward to going home and getting out of my high heels.

I want to go talk to more Regent Park residents, find out the micro ethnic communities that reside within the area, and listen to their stories. I want to find out their thoughts on the Regent Park Revitalization Plan. I wonder if they're hopeful or disappointed.

I come from a third world country, and know what it's like to live in the slums. I also hold the memories with pride -- living so close to your neighbours and having, of all things, poverty in common, actually brings you closer. When you have less, you tend to share more.