Council renames Toronto street for Jamaican entrepreneur

A roadway in the Little Jamaica community of Eglinton West in Toronto, Canada, has been renamed for Jamaica-born entrepreneur Ronald Jimmy Wisdom.

The North York Community Council last week unanimously passed a motion by Councillor Mike Colle (Ward 8, Eglinton-Lawrence) to rename Locksley Avenue, from Eglinton Avenue West to Hopewell Avenue, to Jimmy Wisdom Way.

The initiative, spearheaded by local Councillor Mike Colle over the past several months, is the first of many steps in the creation of the Eglinton West ‘Little Jamaica’ Heritage Hub, which was approved at Toronto City Council last month. “In renaming this street Jimmy Wisdom Way next to where he worked, mentored, and inspired in his barbershop for over 35 years, we honour a man who devoted his whole life to celebrating and respecting his Jamaican roots and culture and weaving this into Toronto’s fabric,” said Councillor Mike Colle.

Wisdom, who operated the popular Wisdom’s Barber Shop, died on November 28, 2019, at 72 years old.

Mayor John Tory also praised the move, saying, “I am committed to celebrating community heroes like Jimmy and preserving the heritage of our neighbourhoods, including Little Jamaica.”

Known by his thousands of friends and admirers as ‘Wisdom’, Jimmy was a uniquely talented musician and an active community leader and pioneer who constantly gave back to his community and helped many newcomers to Canada and the city of Toronto from his barber’s chair on Eglinton Avenue West for over 35 years.

This stretch of Locksley Avenue is located right by Wisdom’s barbershop and will honour this great trailblazer in Toronto’s Jamaican community, a release from the council noted.

“The Wisdom family is honoured and overjoyed by this decision. We are grateful to Councillor Colle for his recognition and leadership to honour our father, affectionately known as Jimmy Wisdom,” said Ninfa Wisdom.