Islands of isolation in a modern metropolis: Social structures and the geography of social exclusion in Toronto, Ontario, Canada Zsofia Mendly-Zambo* School of Health Policy and Management, York University Luke Power School of Social and Political Science, University of Edinburgh Amina Khan Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto Toba Bryant Faculty of Health Sciences, Ontario Tech University Dennis Raphael School of Health Policy and Management, York University https://www.researchgate.net/publication/359203224_CJUR_winter_302_2021_Islands_of_isolation_in_a_modern_metropolis Abstract In response to a request from a local community health centre, an inquiry was undertaken into the service needs and day-to-day lives of residents in five social housing complexes in the inner suburbs of Etobicoke, Toronto. Unlike other low-income communities embedded within larger wealthier communities, these complexes have little in the way of health care, social service, or recreational facilities. Focus groups revealed that anticipated issues of difficulty in accessing primary health care services, limited access to support services, and lack of recreational opportunities for youth were intensified by gentrification of neighbourhoods, ongoing experiences of racism and discrimination, a dearth of occupational opportunities for youth and political invisibility of these residents. These experiences of social exclusion are especially troubling when contrasted with the opportunities for health and well-being offered to many others in one of Canada’s wealthiest urban communities. Get a free copy of Social Determinants of Health: The Canadian Facts, 2nd edition at http://thecanadianfacts.org<http://thecanadianfacts.org/> Join 1200+ health leaders on the SDOH Listserv at https://listserv.yorku.ca/archives/sdoh.html Dennis Raphael, PhD Professor of Health Policy and Management York University 4700 Keele Street Strong College, Room 334 Toronto, Ontario M3J 1P3 416-736-2100<tel:416-736-2100>, ext. 22054 email: [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]> Website: http://health.info.yorku.ca/health-profiles/index.php?mid=162284 Of interest: The Politics of Health in the Canadian Welfare State https://www.canadianscholars.ca/books/the-politics-of-health-in-the-canadian-welfare-state Poverty in Canada, 3rd edition, Forewords by Cathy Crowe, Rob Ranier and Jack Layton https://www.canadianscholars.ca/books/poverty-in-canada-d3408482-0caa-489a-8a76-7faf7587d00a Staying Alive: Critical Perspectives on Health, Illness, and Health Care, 3rd edition Foreword by Gary Teeple https://www.canadianscholars.ca/books/staying-alive Social Determinants of Health: Canadian Perspectives, 3rd edition Forewords by Michael Butler and Maude Barlow, Carolyn Bennett and Roy Romanow http://tinyurl.com/hm5l4hn Immigration, Public Policy, and Health: Newcomer Experiences in Developed Nations http://www.cspi.org/books/immigration-public-policy-and-health About Canada: Health and Illness, 2nd edition https://fernwoodpublishing.ca/book/about-canada-health-and-illness Tackling Health Inequalities: Lessons from International Experiences Foreword by Alex Scott-Samuel http://www.cspi.org/books/tackling_health_inequalities Health Promotion and Quality of Life in Canada: Essential Readings http://tinyurl.com/3C8zteu See a presentation! The Political Economy of Health Inequalities. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NCTYqAub8g Also, presentation at the University of Toronto on how Canada stacks up again other nations in providing citizens with economic and social security. http://vimeo.com/33346501 See what Jack Layton had to say about my books! http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2011/04/10/cv-election-ndp-layton-platform.html at 27:20 To leave, manage or join list: https://listserv.yorku.ca/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=sdoh&A=1