Stonegate CHC's Community

Stonegate serves the Stonegate-Parklawn community (see map) providing easy access to health services and healthy living programs for residents in the South East Etobicoke.

The Stonegate Community is unique in its contrasts. The area immediately surrounding the Stonegate CHC has 75 low-rise apartment buildings. These apartment buildings are surrounded by largely single family dwellings.

In 1970 the Stonegate Community was solidly middle class. Both the apartment dwellers and home owners had an income that was within 20% above or below the average income for the City of Toronto. By the year 2000 that picture has changed dramatically.

In the census track including most of the apartments there is a significant degree of poverty – 28.3% of families are low income families and 38% of children live in low income families.

2006 Census data for the area documents 25% single parent led households. The neighbourhood also has a 56% immigrant population. Statistics Canada (2006) identifies groups of immigrants and newcomers whose first language is Polish, Ukrainian, Spanish, Russian, Serbian, Italian, and Portuguese.

In 2009 we gathered community feedback through several surveys and community meetings in preparation for our Strategic Direction Setting process. We heard from both our staff and the community about the increasing pressures on Stonegate families due to poverty, food insecurity and lack of affordable housing. The rising cost of food and growing unemployment in our community has resulted in increasing requests for assistance in accessing food.