Stuffing my pannier with yam, breadfruit and sugarcane, I reminded myself to go easy on the food shopping. There was the long bike road home. Besides, there was only so much food that the fridge could hold. Then I bought some guava jelly, Scotch bonnet peppers and ginger.
I was at the Afro-Caribbean Farmers Market in Little Jamaica. This area, along Eglinton Avenue West and Dufferin Avenue, was the pulsing heart of the Black community in Toronto from the 1970s to 2000. It was our Brixton.
My mouth was dry. I had started the ride at Riverdale Farm, and cycled uphill along the bike path on Rosedale Valley Road, heading northwest. Then it was through Ramsden Park, and many left and right turns until I reached Nordheimer Ravine. The ravine is narrow and trees arched over the recreational trail, cooling the air and shading my eyes from the sun. Slowing down, I ate up the play of dappled sunlight on the path.
There was plenty of liquids to douse my thirst at the farmers market. I opted for the coconut water – fresh, and straight from the nut of the tree. The vendor picked up a coconut, sliced off the top with a machete, popped a straw into the nut and handed it to me. Sip it, I told myself, let the nectar slowly refresh the mouth and the memories.
The Afro-Caribbean Farmers Market is on Reggae Lane. The name commemorates the importance of the strip to Canadian and Jamaican music from the 1970s. A nearby Heritage Toronto plaque tells the story. People came here to get the latest sounds, news and gossip from the islands. I remember visiting the record stores and book sellers to get my fix of Black culture in Toronto. There is so much olden times stories in Little Jamaica that it deserves its own Black history walking tour.
In Nordheimer Ravine the remnants of Castle Frank Brook had left damp patches on one side of the trail. This stream once babbled in the valley, but it was buried in the 1970s when the Spadina subway line was built. The brook still runs – in sewer pipes under the subway. The moist splodges here and there were a reminder that the stream was still here. Nordheimer Ravine ends at St. Clair Avenue West. I crossed over the street, and cycled a block over to Cedarvale Ravine. It’s a continuation of the valley, but here it is broader and deeper. More of Castle Frank Brook sees the daylight here too. About half an hour later I reached the end of the valley at Eglinton Avenue. It was then turn left to Reggae Lane.
Cycling through the ravines at midday on a Sunday, they were busy with people strolling, playing soccer or simply lounging in the parks. I zipped by them, as my fun today was the bike ride to the Black farmers market.
There was no time for me to go to church on Sundays, but always time to explore and be in nature.
I needed lunch, but not patties today. The scent of pimento ticked my nose; I followed it, bought slices of jerk pork, straight from the barbecue, and ate it with fried dumpling. It’s a classic Jamaican snack. Using pimento and barbecuing were learnt from the Taino, the Indigenous people of the Caribbean.
The Afro-Caribbean Farmers Market is not just about food. Stalls also sold hair and skin care products to beautify the body. Other sold crafts and clothing. Reggae drifted from a stall and I watched for a while as people bobbed to the beat. My hips joined in the dance. Then I wandered along the market. It is set against the backdrop of a massive mural, painted by Adrian Hayles, celebrating reggae icons such as Bob Marley and Haile Selassie. Next year another huge mural will be painted on the opposite wall.
The new mural and the farmers market are part of the plans to regenerate Little Jamaica. First it was hit by the disruptions caused by the building of the new Eglinton subway line. Add the subsequent gentrification, also known as whitefication. Then the covid-19 pandemic stopped everything. The market started in July once the lockdown restrictions were lifted. The Afro-Caribbean Farmers Market has been so successful that it will be an annual event, from spring to fall each year.
There was still a little room left in my pannier. So I might as well get dinner to fill it, I thought. I went to another stall to buy the classic Jamaican Sunday dinner of rice and peas and fried chicken. I added bottles of tamarind, carrot and mango juice. Rum was at home. Rum cocktail was now on the menu.
Finally, I got back on my bike for the ride home. Crossing over to the north side of Eglinton Avenue West, I picked up the Kay Gardner Beltline Trail, and cycled along it all the way back to downtown. The tree-lined rail-trail passes by some of the richest and whitest backyards in Toronto. The trail ends at Mount Pleasant Cemetery (hello fertilizer in the making!). Then it was through the back of the cemetery, down a half hidden path to David Balfour Trail. From there it was cruising downhill back to Riverdale Farm. And home was just down the road from there.
This cycling loop in the ravines is my way of eking out the last of the summer rides. Add a dash of Black history and an armful of Black culture at the Afro-Caribbean Farmers Market, and it’s bliss. You can support the blog here.
© Jacqueline L. Scott
Black Outdoors 