For nearly a decade, the noise of construction from the Eglinton Crosstown light-rail transit (LRT) project has rattled the streets of Toronto’s Little Jamaica from Allen Road to Keele Street.

But these days, there’s a different buzz in the air, one of optimism. What is to come had one woman, standing in front of the iconic Randy’s Patties shop, exclaiming, “Finally, this is happening! Finally! This is good news … we’ve been waiting a long time for this.”

She is referring to a new motion adopted recently by Toronto City Council and moved by the area’s councillor, Josh Matlow to study the neighbourhood to become a Heritage Conservation District — which according to the Ontario Heritage Act — would give the city and province powers to put restrictions on demolition.

It is protection the community has long sought.

Matlow and community grassroots organizers like Black Urbanism T.O. have been working diligently to build a plan to protect and preserve Little Jamaica’s rich cultural heritage — which is in danger of disappearing, lost along with many businesses already to the powers of construction, gentrification and the COVID-19 pandemic.

“There is a lot of development that is expected to happen after the LRT is completed,” said Romain Baker, chair and co-founder of Black Urbanism T.O., referring to the Eglinton Connects plan — a plan he said Little Jamaica was left out of.

“There is a real fear that these businesses will be displaced and once they are displaced, Little Jamaica as we know it … goes with it,” he said.

Matlow said the roots of this type of displacement in municipal planning runs deeper, with ties to anti-Black racism.

“There is a shameful history in North America and around the world that whenever major infrastructure projects or gentrification is approaching, Black communities are usually the first to be displaced,” said Matlow.