Civic Engagement Project: Ontario
Civic Engagement Ontario Kee Soto Phase 1: The Site Ontario was founded in 1882 by the Chaffey Brothers, who named the land after their childhood town in Canada. In 1889, Ontario had a boom in citrus sales, thanks to Armstrong Garden Centers, formerly known as John S. Armstrong. The city was incorporated in 1891, with a population of 550. Today, the city has a population of about 185,000 residents, with a booming economy based on the agricultural industry. I chose Ontario due to having a personal and familial connection to the city. Ontario has a rough history of gang violence, yet on Holt and Euclid, the city is beginning to re-identify itself as a place of community. Today, many incorporators, such as the Downtown Ontario Improvement Association (DOIA) and Holt x Palm, are keeping Ontario clean, safe, and family-friendly. As I explored the city for the fieldwork portion, I learned that the city was hosting a project called Muralfest on October 16-17th. This was a block party fe...