The Little Esplanade is a heartfelt project that began in 2023. Inspired by local miniatures expert Roxanne Braithwaite, Jamii organized a project that year for community members to create Mini Homes for Little Amal, a larger-than-life puppet symbolizing unity, who visited The Esplanade as part of the Luminato Festival.

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Inspired by this moment, a community member suggested, "Why don’t we make a miniature version of The Esplanade?"  At first, it sounded like a big, even impossible idea. But the excitement was undeniable, and so began our journey to craft a miniaturized version of our neighbourhood, capturing its spirit, stories, and vibrant landmarks.

Starting in the fall of 2023, The Little Esplanade has brought together community members of all ages to build this miniature neighbourhood—from its buildings and playgrounds to schools and park areas. Our workshops, led by miniaturist Roxanne Braithwaite, have become gatherings of creativity, connection, and resourcefulness. Roxanne’s expertise has been instrumental to this project; her work, blending fine detail with community warmth, has been featured on platforms like CityTV’s Cityline, CBC Arts, Shrunk Magazine, and The Toronto Star. Roxanne’s own miniature spaces aren’t just exquisite in design; they’re an artistic medium to create warm, safe environments. Her work goes beyond aesthetics, shedding light on critical social issues like intimate partner abuse, dementia, and missing and murdered Indigenous women. 

 

Building The Little Esplanade has been a labour of love. Each tiny detail—a tree, garbage bin, window, or patio—has been crafted with careful thought and creativity. We’re grateful to the more than 40 community members who have added their unique touches to this evolving project, as well as to those who have carried the project’s spirit forward and helped bring people together: Shaimaa Yakot, Ghader Bsmar, Carolina Rojas, Sarah N. Ahmad, and Isorine Marc.​

 

Together, we built a community masterpiece, one mini-moment at a time.

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The heart of this project lies in more than simply creating a model; it’s about capturing our community’s essence, preserving the present before the gentrification of David Crombie Park while honouring its past. An exciting interactive component has also been added: QR codes are placed on numbered areas of the miniature model. When visitors scan these codes, they can access short videos of artists, participants, and audience members sharing memories of past Jamii projects at specific Esplanade locations. It’s a beautiful way to remember Jamii’s projects from the early 2010s up until the early 2020s!

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The Little Esplanade is displayed as a public installation in David Crombie Park/Berkeley Castle. This installation, combining storytelling and community history, allows visitors to engage with Jamii’s legacy and connect to the neighbourhood’s ongoing evolution. This model not only captures our community’s current image but also serves as a “tool” to share rich histories and stories, becoming a long-term installation that fosters connection and memory for years to come.