Founder of the Jane Finch Unity BBQ, Andrea Tabnor has averred that community members who attended a barbeque in the Jane-Finch area of Toronto will be expected to pay their respects to three teens who died in a fiery crash in Brampton.
According to Tabnor, a moment of silence will be held at the event to remember people who have lost their lives their gun violence. At that time, she said she would like the community to remember the three teens as well.
In her words, three siblings were known in the Jane and Finch area and the community is grieving.
She said “I want each and everyone to remember the three children who died in Brampton in the tragic accident. Those three children grew up in Jane and Finch and their mother and father are close family members to each and everyone of us in Jane and Finch”
“Today, we will remember those three children and every youth we have lost to gun violence.”
It was reported that the teens died after the Honda Civic they were travelling in hit a tree and caught fire near the corner of Conestoga Drive and Elmvale Avenue.
Family friends reportedly identified the three as 19-year-old Tirzah, 17-year-old Judah and 15-year-old Pharaoh Blackman-Lall.
It is imperative to note that the barbeque itself is hailed as an event for community healing. The event, which began at 1 p.m., ran until 11 p.m. at Oakdale Park behind the Oakdale Community Centre at 350 Grandravine Dr.
The founder clarified that she started the event more than a decade ago to promote peace and unity in a community that’s been historically stricken by discrimination, poverty and gun violence. The recent one was the 11th time that the event is being held.
At the event, community members along with Toronto Police officers from 31 Division gathered to listen to music and eat good food. The event includes activities for children and education demonstrations.
Tabnor said “The importance of this BBQ is to bring healing to a community that has been plagued by gun violence and has been traumatized, and coming together once a year, we get to see familiar faces that we haven’t seen in so many years”.
She added that “Without unity, we wouldn’t have any strength. And in this community, we do have strength”.
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