By Leroy Graham

Zanana Akande has always liked the idea of being a groundbreaker. It’s one of the reasons she entered provincial politics, becoming the first Black woman to win a seat in Ontario’s provincial parliament. It’s also why, in 1975, she had no qualms about moving into Toronto’s exclusive Forest Hill neighbourhood.

“I was pregnant,” says Akande. “We either had to extend the house that we were in or find something larger. We looked at this house and the one next door. I like Tudor houses and I can always pick one out. I remember when I came in and went through the house, I liked the style and spaciousness of it.”

Akande and her late husband, Isaac, decided to purchase the home, located in the mostly Jewish enclave. Although the arrival of the family was generally well received by neighbours and the community, being one of the few Black residents in the area did come with its share of issues. First, the Black community questioned why the Akandes moved into the almost all-Jewish neighbourhood.

Secondly, Forest Hill homeowners wondered how a Black family might change the complexion of the area. The Akandes’ response to all of the back and forth was simple: “Let’s just say we moved in and didn’t really care,” she says with a laugh. “I wasn’t really looking for an experience and hadn’t anticipated one. However, there were comments. One day, a child came up to my son while he was playing on the driveway and said, ‘You can’t live here. Does your mother work here?’ I wondered if I was going to get any more of those comments when they went off to school.”

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Legend: Zanana Akande.  Akande reminisces with Sway about breaking through Canada’s political glass ceiling.

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Little did Akande know that a few negative experiences would galvanize her neighbours to advocate on behalf of her family, insisting that they be treated with the same courtesies afforded to any other Forest Hill resident. “I had mentioned what happened, in passing, to my gynaecologist, who lived in the area, as well as to a woman who worked at the school where I was a consultant. They didn’t like the sound of those comments and I don’t know what happened, but comments just stopped. The kids made friends, we made friends, and everyone was just fine,” she says.

The beautiful Tudor home that Akande fell in love with in 1975 has seen its share of tragedy and triumph. Events of the early 1990s are of particular note for Akande, who recalls her political gain and personal loss: “I remember winning the election. I was surprised because I didn’t think I would win.

But after being elected, I remember long nights working in the house. We would get the kids settled then my husband would do his work and I would do mine. We’d meet for coffee in the kitchen, sometimes at 2 a.m.,” she says. “Almost a year and three months after I was elected, my husband died. He died six weeks after cancer had been diagnosed. Three days before he died, there was a dinner for Isaac and I. There were hundreds of people there and they presented us with some of the beautiful pictures hanging in my home.”

Having navigated politics, personal loss and a successful professional career, Akande is now happy to spend her well-deserved free time enjoying life as a grandmother. “We’re city people. My children live nearby and are here quite often. I’m quite comfortable here, and I think I’ve earned the right to live in comfort,” she says with a laugh. “I hope that doesn’t sound arrogant or selfish, but that’s the way I feel. I don’t see any need to leave this house. Sometimes we’re more loyal to what we’ve said than to what we feel, so I reserve the right to change my mind. But at this point, I don’t think I will.”

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