She has become known as the West Toronto Junction's Rosa Parks.
Similar to Parks, the African American civil rights activist who refused a bus driver's order to give up her seat for a white passenger in 1955, The late Anne Leung refused to vacate her main floor seat of a downtown movie theatre. Leung is credited for helping to break the colour barrier in Toronto in the early 1900s. "There was a reprehensible practice at the time that Asians were not allowed to sit on the main floor of a theatre," said the West Toronto Junction Historical Society's Neil Ross. "They had to sit in the balcony."Due to what was labelled a 'mistake' at the time, Asian movie-goers one day ended up sitting on the main floor. When asked to move, Leung and her friends resisted until they were allowed to stay and the audience supported them, said Ross. 'We fixed 'em, but good,' Leung has been quoted saying of the experience. Leung's plight is just one of the stories included in the 'Junction History Mash Up,' which will be performed as part of the Boom Times Spring Fling 2010 at Humberside Collegiate Institute on Thursday, June 3. The Mash Up incorporates several story-telling media to explore the Junction's history from meeting place of First Nation trails to the coming of the railway and junction for people from all over the world. It will be performed by Humberside Collegiate students with music by Bishop Marrocco/Thomas Merton Catholic Secondary School graduate Isaias Garcia, a composer. The original piece of theatre, comprised of comic art and archival photographs, was written and directed by Ross. Grade 11 students in Heather Berkopf's drama class will rely on mime, narration, recitation and sketch comedy to bring to life the area that they call home. Inspiration for the Mash Up comes from last year's Junction amalgamation show, said Ross. "It was so exciting to be introducing Humberside students to their own history," he said. "Historically, Humberside is where the (Junction's) amalgamation (with the City of Toronto) was celebrated. The dream for this is an annual student art and heritage fair in the Junction. The dream is to involve every school in the Junction in one way or another. Now, we're working with senior students."As part of the Spring Fling, Humberside students, mentored by local artists in traditional and non-traditional media created original art that will be showcased at the school's first annual Humberside Hoopla. Artist/mentors Christopher Sears, Rhonda Nolan, Carol Barrett and Cathy Thorne have been working with students to create original cedar sculpture, textile sculpture, altered book and comic zines for the Local Option Art Exhibit, which will be on display at the Hoopla and at Wise Daughters Craft Market during the month of June, starting Saturday, June 5 at 2 p.m. The whole event takes place from 6 until 9 p.m. "It's the culmination of a year of work," said Ross. As part of the Spring Fling, there will be a silent auction. Project coordinator Manni Mifsud approached every business in the Junction for a donation. Humberside Collegiate Institute can be found at 280 Quebec Ave. The Junction History Mash-Up starts at 8 p.m.