The St. James Town Initiative is the Wellesley Institute’s signature project, and its largest community-based research and capacity building initiative. The Initiative began in 2007, and will be funded by the Wellesley Institute for 5 years. It will focus on the health of newcomers to Canada who reside in St. James Town.

Working with Residents

The St. James Town Initiative is a community-based research project. This means that the Wellesley Institute works very closely with the St. James Town community in all aspects of the project. Residents are actively involved in accomplishing outcomes and have a voice in determining, planning and implementing the activities of the initiative. In our first year, the Initiative established a partnership with Community Matters Toronto, a grassroots community organization in St. James Town. We also began collaborating with other service and community-based organizations who are working towards making positive social changes in St. James Town.

Focusing on Newcomers

More than 63% of St. James Town residents were born outside of Canada. When newcomers arrive, their health and well-being tends to be better than that of an average resident Canadian. This health advantage disappears after a few years, and the health and well-being of newcomers then drops below that of resident Canadians. The St. James Town Initiative seeks to help newcomers maintain the health advantage with which they arrive in this country.

Goals and Objectives

Goal: The goal of the Initiative is to promote the health and well-being of St. James Town residents and to help newcomers’ maintain the health advantage with which they come to this country. Objectives

1. Build a “Learning Community”where all participants gain knowledge from each other. Using this model, the Initiative will draw on the expertise of our community partner and collaborators, SJT residents, community leaders, service organizations, elected representatives, and on the intellectual and financial resources of the Wellesley Institute.
2. Facilitate and work with newcomers to gain new knowledge on the ways that social, environmental, economic and cultural factors (social determinants) impact the health and well-being of themselves and their families.
3. Understand differences in health by gender, ethnicity and length of residence in Canada.
4. Use the outcomes of research to inform decision-making at various levels and contribute to the knowledge base about newcomers and urban health nationally.
5. Serve as a forum that brings stakeholders together around a range of issues of importance to residents of the St. James Town community.
6. Create sustainability for the Initiative’s activities by building capacity and empowering St. James Town residents to speak out, organize, and access resources and political and social processes that will allow them to instigate change in their own community.

Distinctive Features

Learning Community: The SJT Initiative is a Learning Community made up of people who share a common purpose. They collaborate to draw on individual strengths, respect a variety of perspectives, and actively promote learning opportunities. The outcomes are the creation of a vibrant and synergistic environment, enhanced potential of all members, and the possibility that new knowledge will be created. Population Health: The SJT Initiative focuses on physical and social factors that impact the health and well-being of newcomers, rather than focusing on programatic efforts targeting specific diseases. Contextualized: The SJT Initiative focuses on specific issues related to the SJT neighbourhood rather than on one-size-fits-all blueprints. Inclusiveness: The SJT Inititiative promotes the involvement of all relevent stakeholders - newcomers, other residents, agencies and government. Equity: The SJT Initiative moves away from the classic supply model and promotes the demand model.

The SJT Initiative Team

The St. James Town Initiative team is comprised of staff at the Wellesley Institute and community collaborators and residents in St. James Town.

Wellesley Institute

Dr. Nasim Haque Director of Community Health, St. James Town Initiative e-mail Estelle Sun Research & Project Assistant e-mail

SJT Community Collaborators

SJT Festival and Safety Committee

Contact: Gene Lara Phone: 416-934-0171

SJT Working Group

Contact: Gladys Wong Phone: 416-924-2543

Rose Avenue Public School Sherbourne Health Centre