Tamil Toronto

Toronto's Tamil community grew substantially from the 1980s onward, as Sri Lanka's long civil war between the government and Tamil separatist forces drove large numbers of Tamil civilians to seek refuge abroad. Canada, and Toronto specifically, became one of the largest destinations for that displacement, with waves of refugee claimants arriving through the 1980s, 90s and 2000s as the conflict continued and periodically intensified.

One of the largest Tamil communities outside South Asia

The community concentrated significantly in Scarborough, building temples, community organizations and a commercial strip along Markham Road and Ellesmere often referred to informally as "Little Sri Lanka" or "Little Jaffna." Toronto's Tamil population grew into one of the largest Tamil diaspora communities outside South Asia itself, and the community has remained closely engaged with the aftermath of Sri Lanka's conflict, which formally ended in 2009, including advocacy around accountability for the war's final phase.

Sources

• The Canadian Encyclopedia — Tamil Canadians
• Wikipedia — Sri Lankan Canadians

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