"What's Your Bazaar Memory?" contest now open. | Little India: Village of Dreams

We are excited to announce the launch of our “What’s Your Bazaar Memory?” image and story sharing contest. We were inspired to run this contest because of the richness of the stories, culture and history of the Gerrard India Bazaar. We hope to inspire all of you to sharpen your pencils , dust off your cameras and dig into your old photo albums to uncover your personal stories, observations and images from the Bazaar.

Working on this documentary has been a reminder to us of how quickly things can change. The Gerrard India Bazaar is going through a significant transition right now. Some fans of the Bazaar bemoan the “gentrification” of the neighbourhood but the business community welcomes the revitalization that is taking place. However, this adds some urgency to our call. We want to help preserve the history of the Gerrard India Bazaar in its heyday. We have the enthusiastic participation of the Gerrard/Ashdale Library, the City of Toronto Archives and TVO to help create momentum for the contest. We are excited that your photos may also be eligible to become part of the permanent collection of the City of Toronto Archives!

There are two contest categories including Best Non-fiction Story and Best Photo. Each category will have five finalists, and the winner will receive a $500 cheque to be presented during the 2017 Festival of South Asia. Please share the news with all those past and present who have been a part of the Bazaar’s history, and remember to follow us at #BazaarMemory and sign-up here for contest and story updates.

To get you inspired, here are some photos taken by photographer Jo-Anne McArthur at the 2016 Festival of South Asia!