Reggae Lane is a roadway inToronto, Ontario, Canada, that runs east fromOakwood Avenue, behind a strip of buildings on the south side ofEglinton Avenue in theLittle Jamaica ethnic enclave.[1][2][3][4] For most of its history it had no official name, but the imminent arrival ofOakwood LRT station helped trigger its 2015 official naming.
The neighbourhood near Reggae Lane was recognized as a centre forreggae recording as early as the late 1960s.[5]
Toronto Transit Commission chairJosh Colle, the councillor for that part of the city, played a prominent role in the lane's renaming, and in the allocation of funds for clean-up and redevelopment.[1][2][3] He asserted that the neighbourhood around the Laneway is the largest centre for the recording of reggae music, outside of Jamaica.[6]
On September 19, 2015, Colle introduced a 1,200-square-foot (110 m2) mural ofBob Marley,Haile Selassie, and theLion of Judah, byAdrian Hayles.[6][7][8] TheJamaica Gleaner described it as an instance of a foreign country showing respect for the genre of reggae music.Jay Douglas, and other reggae artists, performed a concert to celebrate the completion of the mural.[4] Douglas had composed a new song, namedReggae Lane, which he performed at the concert.
On July 21, 2015, theCity of Toronto government announced thatReggae Lane would be one of the first four local songs that would be played for callers to311, while they waited for help.[9] The song describes the history and ambience of the neighbourhood, in reggae style.[10]
With encouragement from The Laneway Project, the City of Toronto intends to name all its unnamed laneways.[11][12] Reggae Lane has been cited as a successful example of the value of this renaming program.