Yard Wars

A plea for communitarianism

When my family and I moved to our neighbourhood three years ago, I noticed three peculiar things immediately: trees, whites, and signs.

Trees. My neighbourhood of Roncesvalles Village in Toronto’s west end sits just east of our city’s premiere urban park, High Park, which is home to massive old trees that dominate the landscape. Sitting so close to the park, my neighbourhood and street is overlooked by huge trees that form a canopy above the houses. These towering giants are what I love most about living here.

Whites. Toronto is known for its diversity. In my old neighbourhood of Trinity Bellwoods, my neighbours included people from China, Portugal, Vietnam, Jamaica, Eritrea, Algeria, among others. Here? Not so much. My current neighbourhood, I later learned, is the whitest part of Toronto. Sure, over 30% of the area is non-white—this isn’t Portland, Oregon, after all—but it’s nothing like the mix of cultures I was used to.

Signs. This is the kicker. Everywhere you turn, lawns are covere…