Bollywood Dreams and Bazaar Scenes

The earliest recorded settlers to Canada from India arrived in the early 20th century. Like many other newcomer communities, South Asian newcomers faced Canada’s strict quota system, which only allowed 150 Indian, 100 Pakistani, and 50 Ceylonese immigrants per year to enter the country. This system ended in 1961, replaced by the 1967 Immigration Act that introduced a points-based immigration system. The new system emphasized a newcomer’s educational background or employment skills rather than country of origin, opening the doors to migrants of many backgrounds in South Asia to enter Canada. This resulted in a large population increase of South Asians in multiple regions of Canada, including Toronto.

Despite the growth of Toronto’s South Asian community, Gerrard Street East never became a residential centre for the city’s South Asian residents, unlike other Toronto cultural districts such as Chinatown. Instead, the district developed into an economic hub for the community, with a wide variety of businesses featuring South Asian food, clothing, or household goods. This economic, rather than residential, focus is reflected in the area’s Business Improvement Area (BIA) name: the Gerrard India Bazaar.

It may seem surprising that the opening of a movie theatre led to the development of a thriving commercial district, but Indian cinema is very interwoven into Indian culture. The 1970s are known as the golden age of Indian cinema and birthed the term “Bollywood”, a combination of the words “Bombay“ and “Hollywood.” 

Indian cinema has always stood out for its music, dancing, and deep connection to traditional Indian culture. For the Indian diaspora, the films were a way of going home for a few hours, showing familiar culture, places, and celebrities, like Amitabh Bachchan, on the big screen. For many Indian families in the 1970s, going to the theatre was a big event, a cultural phenomenon Naaz reproduced for South Asian immigrants. 

The Naaz Theatre was also the first of its kind in North America, drawing visitors from both Canada and the United States. Neighbourhood business owners can recall visitors coming to the Bazaar from as far away as New Jersey or even Florida. The Naaz Theatre and the Bazaar provided a place where South Asians could speak their native language and find a sense of community within their new country.

Contrary to the name “Little India”, the visitors and the businesses along Gerrard Street East were not exclusively Indian. People from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka gravitated to the area, as well as people from other communities of South Asian heritage, such as Ugandan Ismailis and Indo-Caribbeans. 

The Naaz Theatre shut down in the 1980s, unable to compete with the new technology of VHS tapes: People could now watch movies within the comfort of their own homes. While the shutting of the theatre was a loss for the community, other businesses continued to operate in the area. Bollywood movies were now available to purchase on VHS tape and eventually DVDs in the same shops where visitors bought their groceries.  

The 1990s brought along more changes for the Bazaar. For decades, Gerrard Street East was the only place in the Toronto area for South Asian food, fashion, jewellery, and cinema. Yet as the South Asian population began to grow in other areas, such as Scarborough, Mississauga, and Brampton, stores began to open there, where owners could be closer to the regular clientele with the added benefit of cheaper rent. The weekend pilgrimages to Gerrard Street East began to decline due to the convenience of South Asian stores in these new locations.

Today, the first generation of the Bazaar’s business owners are nearing retirement age and are looking to the next generation. However, many of their children are hesitant about are wanting to take over the family business, instead choosing to pursue alternative careers. The draw of the Bazaar for the younger generation has also changed. For example, many South Asian food products, like paneer cheese can be purchased in major supermarkets; South Asian clothing and accessories can be found in online shops, and international newspapers read online. Major movie theatre chains, such as Cineplex, frequently show popular Bollywood films and streaming platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime offer a large catalogue of South Asian films. 

The Bazaar today is a changing space. Iconic shops such as Sonu Saree (opened c. 1979) and Chandan Fashion (opened c.1984) remain important fixtures in the community, while new stores from different cultures are also opening their doors. The new additions to Gerrard Street have brought a new diversity of shops and services, while drawing more foot traffic to the area. However, these newer stores are also representative of gentrification that has impacted the area for several decades. 

Gentrification is something not all long-term business owners are mad about; many property owners have enjoyed significant return investment on buildings purchased for cheap only a few decades ago. For store owners, the changes to the area has brought new clientele and new interest in the Bazaar. Events such as the annual TD Festival of South Asia also have raised the profile of the Bazaar. 

However, the question remains how to balance the culture and the unique fingerprint of “Little India” while also welcoming different businesses and clients into the area. Many business owners want Gerrard Street East to be a space that provides goods and services that aren’t exclusively South Asian, but they also don’t want to lose the identity and heritage the strip has created over the last fifty years. They want to provide a home-like space for South Asian newcomers to Toronto, but not to the exclusion of Canadians from everywhere else.  

Gerrard Street business owners are looking to the next generation to open new shops with fresh and innovative ideas. This next generation, born and raised in Canada, could make their mark on the strip by providing services that blend South Asian and Canadian cultures. Shops that serve both area residents and South Asian clients by providing products with a little cultural twist may help to ensure the Bazaar lasts for the next fifty years.