The Malvern Mall Walkers, a Malvern legacy
A Scarborough Made photo essay highlighting the impact of public recreational spaces.
We all know of those institutions, which have been a pillar for so long that you can’t recall how they even got there. That’s the Malvern Mall Walkers Club. As a child being escorted by your parents, you’ve most likely encountered a group of adults walking the mall's perimeter.
Many of us have grown up alongside these familiar faces. And that’s why you can’t help but feel at home with this community who have found shelter in one of this neighbourhood’s only shared indoor hubs.
Here’s a photo essay by youth artist Niya Abdullahi on her work documenting the Malvern Walkers Club.
I pulled up to Malvern Mall for an early morning walk. As I approached the primary vicinity, rhythmic tunes teleported me to the islands. As I got closer to the food court, the sounds got louder and louder.
The echo grew, and my curiosity intensified. I saw a large group crowded at the food court. I was shocked by the number of people. The math wasn’t adding up. It was 7:45 a.m. on a weekday in deep Scarborough.
What was going on? A clearer glimpse revealed that they were an exercise group, maybe aerobics with a heavy dash of culture.
The group was a mosaic, deep, bright-melanated. The curvature of their skin told stories they’ve lived. The person in the front led with inspiration and force. Power and movement. Strength and glory.
I asked a store owner what was happening, and he enlightened me.
These were the Malvern Walkers. The legend, the myth, the truth.
These women are mostly retired and seniors, but you could never tell. They spend their Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings walking and exercising in the Malvern Mall food court.
The commitment of these women to their sport was admirable, but I was more inspired by their commitment to their community and each other.
The group began over 20+ years ago as a way to connect and support each other. These mornings that they spent as a group were sacred. After the workout, they spent time keke-ing, catching up and organizing mini-events.
If someone doesn’t show up, they call and check on them. They are truly there for each other. These strangers from around the globe became family.
They’ve lost many along the way, especially during the dark years of the pandemic. But, as life goes on. They’ve been able to pick themselves up and move forward.
One of the Malvern Walkers put it poetically “suh life fi go..”.
The future of the Malvern Walkers is unknown.
Is the tradition of passing the baton to the next generation of community elders is endangered, particularly due to the looming rumours of the eventual demolition of Malvern Mall to make way for another round of gentrification in our hood?
Photo Essay by Niya Abdullahi
The Mall Walkers have remained consistent in a neighbourhood subjected to many changes. They’re a community that holds each other accountable, motivates each other, and provides accompaniment during a time that doesn’t make it easy.
Our latest project, Scarborough Made in the Parks, explores the intersections of public recreational spaces within the Malvern community.
Our recent cohort of youth storytellers identified different stories in the community around the theme of parks and recreation that they wanted to document. This is our first Scarborough Made Press piece incorporating a youth artist-contributed photo essays into our collective works as we expand to provide more opportunities for storytelling in Scarborough.
To hear more stories like this in person, join the Scarborough Made in the Parks public art installation launch & artist walk-through at Malvern Park on Saturday August 26, 2023.
The public art installation will be up until September 30, 2023.
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