B.C. tenants evicted for landlord's use after refusing large rent increase to take over neighbouring suite
Ashley Dickey and her mother rented part of the same Coquitlam duplex in three different decades under three different landlords.
It’s been a whirlwind year for Kerin John since she created the “Black Owned Toronto” Instagram page last year.
Initially, it was just an inviting online platform to promote Black-owned businesses in the city. “My initial goal was to have a social media directory. I definitely didn’t know it was going to get so popular so quickly,” she told CTV’s Your Morning on Tuesday.
But as more and more entrepreneurs from across the country asked to be included, it grew into “Black Owned Canada” – a nation-wide online directory boasting hundreds of products from clothing and grooming, to snacks and skincare, to stationery and accessories.
And last week, John hit another milestone: opening up a physical store in the Toronto area with everything under one roof.
“I knew it was much needed for our community, so I just went for it. And it’s been amazing so far,” John said, adding that she’s “super grateful” at how far her idea has gone.
One of the goals of the store in Scarborough Town Centre is to continue her goal of giving exposure and much-needed shelf space to Black-owned products. According to a study by the Canadian Black Chamber of Commerce, 34 per cent of participants started their businesses to fill a gap in the market; and what was most important to them was getting advertising and promotion.
Everything started from John’s New Year’s resolution to support more Black-owned businesses in 2020, she told The Toronto Observer.
In May of last year, John, a photographer and graphic designer, decided to follow through on her pledge. She used her aesthetic skills to create the Black Owned Toronto Instagram page as a bright, punchy gathering spot for Black entrepreneurs.
Following the murder of George Floyd at the hands of police that same month, Black Lives Matter protests to end systemic racism drove up interest from people looking to support Black communities.
Last June, Google Trends showed a 300 per cent spike in searches for "How to find black owned businesses in your area,” with searches for “Black owned” also spiking and still remaining higher than during the 10 years prior.
John’s Instagram page ballooned to 70,000 followers.
Her eye for grabby, fresh graphics continued when her page – due to popular demand -- expanded into a national online directory, Black Owned Canada.
It costs $50 for business owners to join, with the money going towards upkeep of the site, packaging and paying for in-person showcase events.
Around 130 vendors and more than 500 products from that website have made their way onto the shelves of the physical Black Owned Toronto store. John has billed it as the first physical space of its kind in the country to sell exclusively Black-owned products.
“The grand opening [last week] was amazing,” she said, adding that it quickly became an impromptu networking session.
“For a lot of us, it was the first time we went to the mall in months… it was a community bonding moment.”
John said she already has her sights set on having 1,000 business join her national online directory, as well as setting up more physical locations across the country.
“I definitely want to expand. 100 per cent,” she said. “So hopefully, I can open more of these and give business owners more shelf space and more opportunities.”
Ashley Dickey and her mother rented part of the same Coquitlam duplex in three different decades under three different landlords.
A man who fell into a crevasse while leading a backcountry ski group deep in the Canadian Rockies has died.
A new survey by Dalhousie University's Agri-Food Analytics Lab asked Canadians about their food consumption habits amid rising prices.
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment which has been banned at Queen’s Park.
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
As Donald Trump was running for president in 2016, his old friend at the National Enquirer was scooping up potentially damaging stories about the candidate and paying out tens of thousands of dollars to keep them from the public eye.
After Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the federal government would still send Canada Carbon Rebate cheques to Saskatchewan residents, despite Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe's decision to stop collecting the carbon tax on natural gas or home heating, questions were raised about whether other provinces would follow suit. CTV News reached out across the country and here's what we found out.
A Montreal actress, who has previously detailed incidents she had with disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, says a New York Court of Appeals decision overturning his 2020 rape conviction is 'discouraging' but not surprising.
Caleb Williams is heading to the Windy City, aiming to become the franchise quarterback Chicago has sought for decades.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
A property tax bill is perplexing a small townhouse community in Fergus, Ont.
When identical twin sisters Kim and Michelle Krezonoski were invited to compete against some of the world’s most elite female runners at last week’s Boston Marathon, they were in disbelief.
The giant stone statues guarding the Lions Gate Bridge have been dressed in custom Vancouver Canucks jerseys as the NHL playoffs get underway.
A local Oilers fan is hoping to see his team cut through the postseason, so he can cut his hair.
A family from Laval, Que. is looking for answers... and their father's body. He died on vacation in Cuba and authorities sent someone else's body back to Canada.
A former educational assistant is calling attention to the rising violence in Alberta's classrooms.
The federal government says its plan to increase taxes on capital gains is aimed at wealthy Canadians to achieve “tax fairness.”
At 6'8" and 350 pounds, there is nothing typical about UBC offensive lineman Giovanni Manu, who was born in Tonga and went to high school in Pitt Meadows.