Toronto exhibition tells Ja-born nonagenarian’s story

TORONTO:

The story of a Jamaican-Canadian who travelled to Canada from the United Kingdom in 1964 – after living in the United States and returning to Jamaica before relocating to England – has been included in an exhibition that “showcases the captivating global journey of individuals who arrived, stayed, and flourished in Toronto”.

Presented by Toronto History Museums in partnership with Frankfurt, Germany, ‘Migrant Stories’ is on show at the Market Gallery at St Lawrence Market.The gallery, which has been part of the area since 1803, is considered the city’s “beating heart and culinary focal point.”

Lloyd Lindo, or “Uncle Lloyd” as curator Wendy Vincent affectionately calls him, is a part of the exhibit that “unveils the stories of five remarkable migrants, shedding light on the challenges, triumphs, and resilience of those who have overcome adversity to call Toronto home”.

Described as a Jamaican-British Canadian, Lindo, 96 (his 97th birthday is in April), who lives in Amaranth, Dufferin County, Ontario, is one of many migrants who left Jamaica and other Caribbean countries to help rebuild England after World War II.

“They first arrived aboard the HMS Windrush ship in Tilbury Docks, England, United Kingdom on June 21, 1948. This arrival date symbolises a defining era of migration, and the foundation of postwar Britain, where over half a million Caribbean Commonwealth citizens, known as ‘The Windrush generation’, relocated to Britain between 1948 and 1973,” notes the exhibit.

PROLIFIC STORYTELLER

Lindo immigrated to England from Jamaica to join his older brother, Roy, who helped to secure training for him as a welder and employment at Heathrow Airport, then called London Airport.

As children in Jamaica, the brothers, who have five siblings, experienced kinship adoption after their father died. They were sent from “urban Kingston to live in rural Trelawny with their maternal grandmother, who served as both a matriarch and a maven as she was a black woman who owned property and managed staff in Jamaica from the 1930s onward”.

Today, Roy and a younger sister live in Florida, but the brothers speak regularly and maintain close contact with family members.

For Vincent, everything aligned to make her curation of “Uncle Lindo’s” story possible. They are not related, but the Lindos are close friends of her family and, in typical Jamaican style, are called “auntie” and “uncle”.

Lindo met his wife, Auntie Louise, now deceased, at Vincent’s aunt’s house in England. They were married at Balham Congregational Church on March 29, 1958.

When Vincent’s parents and brother, Donovan, came to Canada from England, Lindo helped him to secure a job at Canadian General Electric. Her father helped to build Lindo’s house in Orangeville, Ontario, and did all the electrical work on the property.

When her father died, Vincent mused with Nick Davis, a Jamaican and the executive director of equity and inclusion at the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), about Lindo being an engaging and prolific storyteller. Davis encouraged her to record his memories.

“Last year, when the Windrush 75th anniversary came up, that was when I knew the right opportunity was live to share a part of Uncle Lloyd’s story in the new cycle. The hours of recorded conversations together had a home,” she said.

Vincent shared his story with Cheryl Blackman, director of museums and heritage services at the City of Toronto. Blackman had an upcoming project on migrant storytelling with Frankfurt.

The curator was able to secure an award-winning film crew through her cousin, Kevin Barton, and captured videos. The four other sections are curated by City of Toronto staff.

“As somebody who experienced kinship adoption as a child, and who adopted his two children, Uncle Lloyd is an informal mentor to my family with respect to child welfare in Canada,” said Vincent.The exhibition notes that: “His home was once the location of annual corn roasts. Members of the Lindo’s larger community circle used to gather for the beloved get-together on his property, which brought together fellow Windrush expats, along with members of the Jamaican Canadian Association (JCA); The Prince Hall of Masons; and others from the black and Caribbean diaspora. Despite the rural Canadian surroundings, their home always remains true to its Jamaican origins.”

Both Roy and Lloyd have vivid memories of their grandmother’s knowledge which traced their family name ‘Lemonise’ back several generations to slavery in Jamaica.

“These elders are historians. We must give them their roses,” said Vincent. The exhibition, which opened on March 7, will run until May 5 from 11a.m. to 4p.m. at the Market Gallery, and the admission is free.