Little Tibet is anAsianethnic enclave within the neighbourhood ofParkdale inToronto, Ontario, Canada. The area bound by Queen St. W. to the north, the Gardiner Expressway to the west and south, and Atlantic Avenue to the east is known for its manyTibetan émigrés and Tibetan-related businesses and restaurants.[1] There is also a growing Tibetan community nearby in South Etobicoke but Little Tibet remains the largest.[2]
Almost 3,000 Tibetans moved to Toronto from 1998 to 2008 making the city the home of the largestTibetan Canadian community, as well as the largestTibetan diaspora community in North America.[2] More than half of the city's Tibetans settled in Parkdale according to the 2006census.[2]
The centre of Little Tibet is six blocks ofQueen Street West starting at Sorauren Avenue west towardsRoncesvalles Avenue where there is a concentration ofTibetan restaurants and shops with varyingIndian,Nepalese andChinese influence depending on the owners.[1] To the north inThe Junction is the Riwoche Tibetan Buddhist Temple. Farther west is the Tibetan Canadian Cultural Centre at 40 Titan Road which opened in 2007.[1]
Parkdale Collegiate Institute, on Jameson Avenue, has a 40% Tibetan student population, a demographic that continues to grow.[3] In a study, Toronto journalist Patrick Cain found the nameTenzin to be the most popular baby name in Parkdale, where Little Tibet is located.[4]