Profile
Kensington Market Community Land Trust is a community based nonprofit corporation. We were formed through years of neighbourhood wide planning, co-development and community-led design, and incorporated in 2017. We have hundreds of members, with more signing up everyday, over 50% of which either work or live in Kensington Market. Dozens of our members are extremely active through our board and committee structure, advising our staff and consultants on everything from membership engagement to real estate acquisition.
We own and directly operate a mixed-use building with 12 residential units at a wide range of affordability. In 2022, we were announced as a recipient of the Canadian Housing and Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s National Demonstrations Project featuring land assembly and community land trust (CLT) solutions for affordable housing provision across Canada.
We are the founding community partners of FairBNB Canada, receiving the proceeds of their booking fees as a social enterprise alternative to other short term rental platforms in Canadian cities. We are also partners with Tapestry Community Capital, successfully receiving grant funding to explore the potential of community bonds as enablers of the CLT model. For the past five years, we have been partners with the University of Toronto’s School of Cities, and the Affordable Housing Challenge Project, receiving multiple rounds of research grants together.
We are active members of the Canadian Network of CLTs, and are supporting their development of a groundbreaking CLT technical assistance program in order to scale other CLTs around Canada. The Toronto based group of CLTs own hundreds of housing units, nationally CLTs own thousands of housing units. This deeply collaborative network provides a ride range of expertise, support and stability to its member CLTs.
Brief History
The Kensington Market Community Land Trust (KMCLT) was incorporated as a community-based non-profit corporation in December, 2017, after several years of discussion and organizing led by Friends of Kensington Market.
In April, 2018, KMCLT sponsored a Community Visioning session, bringing together a wide range of neighbourhood residents and business people to develop a vision and principles to guide the redevelopment of the City-owned parking lot on Bellevue Avenue.
In 2021, KMCLT bought its first building - 54/56 Kensington Avenue, after a year of neighbourhood organizing to resist the renoviction and displacement of the existing residents.
Since that time, KMCLT’s staff and neighbourhood residents been working with the City of Toronto and a team of community organizations to make the Bellevue site available for redevelopment, as well as pursuing other opportunities to maintain Kensington’s character and preserve and expand affordability.
Our Mission
The Kensington Market Community Land Trust is incorporated to acquire and provide for the management of land, in perpetuity, in or near the area bounded by the west side of Spadina Avenue, the south side of College Street, the east side of Bathurst Street, and the north side of Dundas Street, (Toronto’s Kensington Market).
It removes property from the pressure of the commercial real estate market, with the overarching goal of land use for local community benefit, including but not limited to:
- the provision of affordable housing
- maintenance of the historical built form and eclectic mixed-use nature that characterizes the neighbourhood
- the continued presence of different cultures and socio-economic backgrounds in the residents and businesses populating the area
Click here to read our organizational bylaws.
Click here for our 2019 AGM Minutes.
Click here for our 2021 AGM Minutes.
Click here for our 2022 AGM Minutes.
Click here for our Jan 2023 AGM Minutes.
Click here for our Nov 2023 AGM Minutes
Current Board Members
Board Members are elected once a year by KMCLT members at our Annual General Meeting, and serve a term of two years.
Su Alexanian
First elected 2017, Community Member
Su Alexanian is the current chair of KMAC (Kensington Market Action Committee), and also volunteers with Friends of Kensington Market. Su works for good development that continues to anchor the neighbourhood in its roots–being inclusive–for artists, newcomers and visitors. Su works in the arts, making music, soundtracks, and films. Su raised her family in Kensington and continues to make Kensington her home.
Alix Aylen, Secretary
First elected 2023, Community Member
Alix Aylen has been a tenant in Kensington Market for 8 years (in 3 different houses). She has worked within Toronto's nonprofit sector for 15 years, focusing on community program development and management. Alix is currently working as Program Lead for the University of Toronto's Social Purpose Real Estate Accelerator program, through the Infrastructure Institute, and has a Masters in Community & Social Planning from York University. She's hopeful that the KMCLT's work will achieve more long-term housing stability and affordability for the tenants that make the market what it is.
Patricia Au
First elected 2024, Community Member
Patricia has been a resident of Kensington Market since 2009. She has deepened her roots in this community by making it the place she and her husband raise their young family. Patricia is an active participant in the local elementary school community as well as supporting causes important to the unique fabric of our neighbourhood. Maintaining affordability and proper living conditions is a priority for her in order to preserve the diversity of the community and allow everyone to imagine themselves here for the long term. In her professional life, she has spent almost 20 years working as an engineer in supply chain logistics with a personal focus with growing and supporting women in the industry.
Kevin Barrett, Co-Chair
First elected 2017, Community Member
Kevin Barrett is a guitarist, producer, musical director and composer based in Toronto, Canada. He has lived and worked in the Kensington Market area for most of the past 30 years. Kevin performs as a band leader, side musician and musical director at jazz festivals, clubs and concert venues across the country and internationally while maintaining a continuous presence on the Toronto scene. Outside of music, Kevin has also been a long-time organizer in community housing and civic issues.
Eric Jensen
First elected 2021, Resident MemberLongtime resident Eric Jensen has been a bartender, builder, and frequent background contributor to many neighbourhood endeavours. He presently helps deliver services to the marginalized and under-housed of our community at St Stephen’s Community House.
Pouria Lotfi
First elected 2023, Community MemberPouria Lotfi runs Pamenar, a much-beloved cafe, bar, local hangout and gallery in the Market. He made the Market home in 2009 after three decades of wandering the globe. He’s been active as a board member in the Kensington Market BIA and has worked with other local organisations since moving to the neighbourhood. With his experience as a business owner, he hopes to help the KMCLT expand its activities in the commercial realm as businesses face even greater pressure from speculating realtors and surging rents.
Michael Petrasek, Treasurer
First elected 2017, Community Member Michael Petrasek has lived and worked in Kensington Market for 25 years. Born in Toronto, he graduated with distinction from Concordia University in Montreal with a Bachelor of Fine Arts, (Specialization in Theatre Performance). After a couple of years performing, he took a position with the Playwrights Guild of Canada, where his responsibilities eventually included national and international promotion of Canadian plays and playwrights; negotiating and monitoring the collective agreement between the Playwrights Guild of Canada and the Professional Association of Canadian Theatres; representing the Guild on the board of the Canadian Copyright Institute, as well as other creator copyright coalitions; and co-supervising a script publishing and distribution service. In 2004, Michael founded Kensington Literary Representation, an agency focused on representing playwrights. He serves as treasurer on the board of the Kensington Market Community Land Trust.
Eugene Slonimerov
First elected 2024, Community Member
Eugene Slonimerov is a Belarusian-Canadian urban and conflict studies educator and researcher with a background in music and the arts. Eugene cares about neglected public spaces, community-building, mapping memories and solving the housing crisis. He conducts field research, interviews and recently added map making, leading memory mapping workshops and walks around Kensington Market and North York.
He has lived between Old Town, Tbilisi and Kensington Market, Toronto over the last two decades. In Tbilisi, he has lectured Urban Studies at Caucasus University and Conflict Studies at Tbilisi State University. He has previously worked as an assistant to late Canadian artist Michael Snow and had produced music and theatre even earlier.
Vacant Click here for the Board Elections Nomination Form.
Click here for a description of a Board Member’s duties.
KMCLT Staff
Dominique Russell
Co-Director, Community
Co-Director, Community
Dominique (she/her) is a local writer, activist and teacher. A well-known member of the community, Dominique served as one of KCMLT's Board Co-Chairs since its incorporation in 2017. In this Board role, Dominique helped lead major wins for the community, including KMCLT's first property acquisition in 2021 and advocating for the 35 Bellevue parking lot to become affordable housing (which is now in progress!). Dominique was a Bousfield Distinguished Visitor at the Department of Geography and Planning at the University of Toronto in 2023, and is also currently a research coordinator for the Canadian Network of Community Land Trusts.
Email: dominique@kmclt.ca
Email: dominique@kmclt.ca
Zack Bradley
Co-Director, Development
Zack (he/him) has worked for KMCLT since 2023 and is a strong advocate for affordable housing. He previously worked as a Development Manager with Streetcar Developments, a Toronto-based real estate development firm, and, prior to that, was a Planning Assistant with the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC). Zack has a Masters of Planning in Urban Development from Toronto Metropolitan University and a Bachelor of Journalism from Carleton University.
Email: zack@kmclt.ca
Email: zack@kmclt.ca
Angela Ho
Community Investment Manager
Community Investment Manager
Angela (she/her) joined KMCLT in 2023 and is the familiar face behind the Kensington Community Bond campaign. Prior to moving to Toronto, Angela worked in public engagement with the Planning unit at the University of British Columbia and was involved in the Vancouver Chinatown community. Angela is the author the award-winning Vancouver Chinatown Food Security Report and created the Chinatown Sound Map project. She is currently completing her Masters of Science in Planning at the University of Toronto.
Email: angela@kmclt.ca
Email: angela@kmclt.ca
Akash Bansal
Event Coordinator
Akash (he/they) is an artist and organizer from Toronto. Rooted in cinema, sound and poetics, they practice in multi-dimensional forms: from performance and parties, to video, photography, workshops, dance and prose/poetry. They work as a curator, DJ, dramaturge, filmmaker, (story) editor, writer, and more. Their work examines borders— both real and imagined, between people and places, and especially those within ourselves. They have worked in creative and production roles for esteemed arts organizations such as The Music Gallery, Standard Time, Swimmers Group, Seance Centre, The AFC, and Art Spin. They are currently in development on a new fictional feature with support from the Canada Council for the Arts.
Email: akash@kmclt.ca
Email: akash@kmclt.ca
Committees
Our staff and board are supported by highly engaged members who volunteer on our committees. Reach out at info@kmclt.ca if you are interested in starting a committee, or joining one of the following committees:
Finance Advisory Committee [Recruiting!]
Chair: Michael Petrasek | Community Investment Campaign Working Group
Governance & HR Committee [Invitation Only]
Chair: Kevin Barrett
Acquisitions Committee [Invitation Only]
Chair: Zack Bradley | Bellevue Parking Lot Working Group
Outreach & Fundraising Committee [Recruiting!]
Chair: Dominique Russell
Building Affairs Committee [Invitation Only]
Chair: Helen Davies | Tenant Advisory Meetings | Tenant Selection Access Working Group | Capital Planning Working Group
Research Committee [Recruiting!]
Chair: Amanda Stein
Please note that membership is required to join a committee. Sign up for a KMCLT membership here.