Two brothers are creating Toronto and Ontario maps for almost everything
A pair of brothers started a business creating maps of almost every neighbourhood in Toronto and beyond.
While, at first glance, you might think that the Jelly Brothers would be selling preserves at markets across Ontario, a closer look will reveal their extensive collection of hand-designed maps representing neighbourhoods, not only in Toronto, but across Canada.
For more than ten years, brothers Matt and Dan Jelly have been honing their craft and selling their their prints through their online store, retail partners and at a variety of markets — but, Matt tells blogTO, it all came about by chance.
"Dan has a background in computer science and my background is in graphic design and illustration," Matt says. "Before Jelly Brothers I was working as a freelance designer and illustrator."
In 2011, Matt founded the Neighbourhood Association for Central Hamilton, creating his first map to show the boundaries of the neighbourhood and then began creating more for adjacent areas.
"In 2012 I did a small art show with some of the maps I had designed, but really didn't think it would be an ongoing project," he says.
Also dabbling in screen printing, Matt brought the left over maps from the art show alongside his screen printed goods to a market, and noticed that, above all, people seemed to gravitate to the maps — and that's when things started to pick up for the Jelly brothers.
Enlisting his brother, Dan, who eventually took over the map-making side while Matt began creating illustrations of landmarks, the duo has now amassed over 1400 maps of different neighbourhoods, university and college campuses across Canada, alongside a handful of illustrated posters focusing on Toronto and Hamilton.
Jelly Brothers' set up at a street festival.
"When we first started it definitely felt like we were doing a garage sale more than starting a small business - and even though in some ways it still feels that way, Jelly Brothers has expanded to be our full time career," Matt tells blogTO.
Ten years after beginning, the business is still run exclusively by Dan and Matt, which Matt says allows for them to keep their fingers on the pulse of what people want.
"It's still very hands-on, and in-person," he says, "being the only two employees of our company means we're in constant conversation with our customers in person at events- and it's very much those conversations that help inform us on what to do and make next."
Such intricate work requires a solid investment of time and detail, Matt says, with some maps (larger suburban areas and university campuses, he specifically notes) taking hours to create.
Then, there's the always contentious task of decifering the proper boundaries and correct titles of the various neighbourhoods they're highlighting.
In addition to maps, Matt also illustrates various landmarks and scenes.
"Is it The Beaches or The Beach? (we offer both). Where does Roncesvalles end and Parkdale begin? (or do they overlap?)," Matt says.
"The process often starts by talking with people who live in these places so we can get things as right as possible, and those kinds of conversations can often lead to us updating a map, or creating alternate versions."
What makes maps so special, Matt tells blogTO, is that they give people the ability to identify with their roots and contextualize their surroundings.
"At our tent during events, customers will often find their neighbourhood map in their collection and they'll say very specifically 'that's me,'" he says.
"I think it's the same feeling we'd have as kids when the new phone book would arrive and you'd immediately search for your own listing. It's your small corner in a big world."
On their website, you can browse an interactive map that has a pin for every neighbourhood they've created a map for including, likely, your own.
You can also purchase prints through Matt and Dan's website or at both of the Curated Market's Toronto locations, and keep up with their market schedule by following them on social media.
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