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Jamaican’s, A Woven Thread Through The Fabric Of Canada
Jamaicans: A Woven Thread Through the Fabric of Canada
By: Simone Jennifer Smith
Immigration has been a vital part of American and Canadian history, and it played a huge role in making Canada the cultural and economic powerhouse it is today. Perhaps no province in Canada knows the benefits of immigration quite like Ontario, and Jamaica has been the largest source of immigrants to Canada from the West Indies.
Historical data shows that the first Jamaicans to Canada arrived in 1776 and helped build the Halifax Citadel. They were followed by a deportation of Maroons from Trelawny to Nova Scotia in 1795 who were later relocated to Sierra Leone.
In the early decades of the 20th century, when Canada deliberately discouraged non-white immigrants, even fewer Jamaicans came. It was only after World War II, when Canada needed cheap labour that it masterminded to attract foreign workers from the British colonies.
First it was Jamaican men who were actively recruited to help fuel the growing Canadian post-war economy. Then women were targeted through the Domestic Workers Scheme of 1955-1967. Many of the women who came were trained professionals. When they arrived, many faced severely harsh and unfair conditions, but they prevailed in order to sponsor their family members for greater economic opportunities in Canada.
Brampton is Canada’s ninth-largest city. It is also the third-largest city in the Greater Toronto Area, after Toronto and Mississauga. A 2016 census found that roughly 13.5% of the 590,000+ population of Brampton identify as Caribbean-Canadian, and among them, there were 23, 215 Jamaicans who call the Flower City home.
Regardless of where they settle, Jamaicans retain a strong attachment to their distinctive food, sports, music and dialect. Throughout Brampton, you can find small grocery stores, restaurants, record shops, and ethnic newspapers, all showing a strong patriotic bond with Jamaica. Passionate about their country, Jamaicans in Brampton still worry about the island’s politics and concern themselves with its welfare, economic woes and the social repercussions. They are also making their mark in their home away from home.
Across the generations, is a group of individuals who have solidified their legacies and have fiercely etched their names in Brampton’s historical ledger. Let us take some time to recognize four of these trailblazers: Kirk Diamond, Kimberlee Shelley-Ajibolade, Shawna Cain and Denise Jones.
Kirk Douglas (aka, Kirk Diamond)
Kirk Douglas was born on June 24, 1984, and is a recognizable Jamaican Canadian Reggae and Dancehall singer-songwriter, producer, and entrepreneur based in Brampton, Ontario.
Kirk believes in the unification and empowerment of men, women, and children. This is reflected in his music, which is highly influenced by the philosophies of Haile Selassie and Marcus Garvey.
At such a young age, Kirk has set a standard of achievement for young artists that follow him.
Kirk Diamond (left) with Mayor Patrick Brown (right) in front of the "Kirk Diamond Park" named in his honor in Brampton, ON.
Photo from article by Reggae North, published March 3, 2022.
They include: • 2018 Juno Award Winner for Reggae Recording of the Year • 2018 Juno Award Winner for Reggae Artist of the Year - Reggae Exclusive Recognition Awards • 2015 Juno Nominee for Reggae Recording of the Year • Named “10 Canadian Reggae Artists You Need To Hear” - CBC Music • Radio Appearances include: Freestyle BBC 1XTRA • Performances on major stages (Calgary Reggae Festival, Toronto Reggae Festival, Junofest) • Renaming of Shields Park in Brampton to the Kirk Diamond Park on Monday, February 28th, 2022.
Kimberlee Shelley-Ajibolade
Kimberlee spent her childhood in Kingston, Jamaica, and migrated to Canada with her father when she was 14.
Kimberlee Shelley-Ajibolade
Photo from article: June 12th, 2018, Toronto Caribbean Newspaper
The small family decided to settle in Brampton, Ontario. Although Canada has become Kimberlee's home, her mother still lives in Jamaica, and she often visits. But while here in Canada, she spends her time empowering young women and credits her success and her desire to serve the community to her parents who instilled Christian values in her from an early age and taught her the values of education.
A lot of Kimberlee's inspiration comes from her mother who worked at a church food bank, and provided support to friends and family members in their time of need.
Kimberlee became the National delegate for Jamaica through the Diversity Advancement Network, Brampton’s Black Canadian Queen in 2017, and the winner of the Community Activist Award. She was the youngest person to be made a branch manager in the history of her employing company.
On June 20, 2013, she was honoured with a Brampton Top 40 Under 40 Award, the award given by the Brampton Board of Trade to recognize individuals who make an impact on their communities.
She is a motivational speaker and author, and has accumulated a list of awards over the last few years. They include:
• RBC Top 25 Canadian Immigrant Award (2019) • CIBWE Top 100 Black Women to Watch (2019) • United Way of GTA Community Leadership Award (2019) • Brampton Top 40 Under 40 (2018) • Women on Fire Community Activist Award (2018) • The Mayors Making of Black History Award (2019)
Shawna Cain
2021 Juno Award Winner Shawna Cain
Source: shazam.com
This beautiful soul believes that there is no greater message than the one from above. Shawna (meaning God is gracious) Cain is a JUNO award winning artist, singer songwriter, and all around creative of Jamaican Guyanese heritage from the city of Brampton. Her name was given to her by her father to honour her uncle Shawn, who was tragically murdered in his neighbourhood before Shawna was born.
Divinely rescued from a spiralling journey of depression and substance abuse, Shawna began writing music in 2018, and shows her versatility by writing her own: R&B, Trap, Jazz, Hip Hop, and Reggae music. Her music reveals the power of life through words to renew the mind, live on purpose and gain strength to overcome challenges.
Shawna has openly shared stories about her trauma and how her destructive patterns were interrupted one night when she was presented a message, “Let me heal you and show you who you really are.” She was promised she would be made whole again. She developed a newfound relationship with God, and Shawna began to experience healing and direct inspiration to write music.
At 24 years old, Shawna’s 2020 EP “The Way” won the Juno Award for Contemporary Christian/Gospel Album of the Year at the Juno Awards of 2021.She aims to create music that inspires freedom, healing, and encouragement. She hopes that her music can help others overcome challenges in their lives.
Denise Jones
Co-founder, Jambana Music Festival
Pride News December 8, 2021.
Denise Jones was born on April 23, 1956 and raised in Port Antonio, in east Jamaica. She emigrated to Canada from Portland, Jamaica in the 1980s and earned her BA in Communications and Theatre from the University of Windsor.
Denise Jones is most famously known as the matriarch, president and co-founder of Jones & Jones Productions. With husband Allan Jones, they were responsible for the creation of the popular and hugely successful annual, Canadian summer, reggae music festival, Jambana, which was recognized as one of the Top 100 festivals by the Festivals and Events Ontario annual conference in 2019.
Known as outspoken, energetic, laser-focused and indefatigable, Denise served in several executive roles: founding Chair of the Reggae Category of the Juno Awards; Vice-president, Education and Marketing of the Canadian Association of Special Event Planners (CANSPEP: and the first African Canadian to sit on the Brampton Board of Trade (BBOT), where she served on its Board of Directors for two terms, and was involved with its Ladies on the Links Golf Tournament and sat on the membership and diversity committees. Some of her notable achievements are :
• The 2022 Walt Grealis Special Achievement Award
• Lifetime Achievement Award from the Urban Music Association of Canada
• The Bob Marley Memorial Award for her work in entertainment
• Government of Ontario Community Service Award
• Ministry of Citizenship Ontario Government Award • African Canadian Achievement Award
• Harry Jerome Award for Excellence in Entertainment
We lost this powerhouse on December 3rd, 2020 at the age of 64. Her legacy lives on in her sons Jesse Jones and Jerimi Jones.
