City renames East York park after Stanley G. Grizzle, Canada’s first African-Canadian citizenship judge

Stanley G. Grizzle holding a replica of a park board presented to him by city officials during the ceremony.Canada’s first African-Canadian citizenship judge had a East York park named after him thursday, Nov 1 2007.

The City of Toronto today dedicated the former Main Street Parkette to Stanley G. Grizzle, Canada’s first African-Canadian citizenship judge.“Stanley G. Grizzle is an outstanding example of a person, who when faced with prejudicial barriers, fought injustices by taking positive action,” said Mayor David Miller at today’s dedication. “By renaming the Main Street Parkette to the Stanley G. Grizzle Park, area residents and all Torontonians recognize the many contributions of this remarkable man.”Born in Toronto at the end of the First World War in 1918, Grizzle became a railway porter at the age of 22 to help support his family. He founded the Railway Porter’s Trade Union Council and, from 1946 to 1962, served as an officer of the Toronto CPR Division of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters. Grizzle was a delegate to the Toronto Labour Council, a member of the Toronto Labour Committee for Human Rights, an associate editor and columnist for “Contrast” – a black community newspaper – and writer of the book “My Name’s Not George: The Story of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters in Canada.”