The 7th annual Spring tour through Cabbagetown gardens takes place on Sunday from 10 am to 3 pm. Ten gardens are featured on the tour. Michael Hepburn from Hepburn Landscape Contractors will be the Tour’s guest and he’ll be available to answer your questions through the day. Tickets are $15 and are available locally at Kendall & Co (227 Carlton), Fairway Market (520 Parliament), Mi Casa (238 Carlton) and Jay’s Garden Centre (360 Gerrard E). You can also buy your ticket online at the Tour website. As an extra perk, a dozen local shops and restaurants have special offers – show your Tour ticket and enjoy yourself.
InspiraTO Festival
The 8th annual InspiraTO Festival offers 28 plays – each one only 10 minutes long - in four groups. Each group is identified by a colour and contains six plays. In the Red Show, the plays all start with the opening line “I see a rabbit”. In the Blue Show, one character must leave home. In the Orange Show, the plays take place in a tunnel. In the Yellow Show, rope is a key part of the play. Finally, there are four more plays in the White Show where the audience follows a guide to a specific location (a lounge, a furniture store, a hair salon and an alley way) to watch a site-specific performance. Thursday May 30 to Saturday June 8 at the Alumnae Theatre (70 Berkeley). For tickets, program details and times, click here.
Paying it forward
Charlie Mills is releasing
his new album, Work In Progress, on Thursday May 30 at 9 pm at the Pilot Tavern
(22 Cumberland St). He raised $1200 to
help pay for his CD with a fundraising campaign on Indiegogo. Charlie and his producer Jeff Scott are now
fundraising in return and they’ll match every donation that they receive until
May 30 2014. The cover at The Pilot is
$20 and $5 from that will go to this campaign. They’re also dedicating $2 from
each sale of a CD and $1 from the sale of digital download cards. The money earned in this campaign will be
given to the Toronto Kiwanis Boys & Girls Club (101 Spruce).
Eats and Beats
& Artwalk in Riverdale
Saturday June 1 and Sunday June 2 on Queen Street East and Broadview north
of Queen. This will be a very busy
weekend in Riverdale.
On Saturday June 1, the Riverside District hosts a
street festival showcasing its family friendly food outlets and unique
atmosphere. Local eateries will open their doors serving tasting plates and
musical entertainment. Find out more here.
On Saturday and Sunday,
Riverdale Art Walk is a two-day art exhibition of established and
emerging artists in retail spaces, artists’ studios and Jimmie Simpson Park.
Participating artists are selected through an anonymous jury process. It’s the
first outdoor art show of Toronto’s season and it’s an initiative of the
Artists’ Network. For more information, click here.
Bring your green
thumb
Strawberry plants and herbs are sprouting at Winchester Square Gardens
(Ontario at Winchester). A new planting
will take place on Saturday June 1 from 10 am to 2 pm. Everyone is welcome to
join in and help.Congrats to the Childrens Book Bank
Saturday June 1, 11 am to 3 pm. The Children’s Book Bank (350 Berkeley at Gerrard) celebrates its fifth anniversary next weekend. Over the past five years, children from Regent Park and Cabbagetown have visited and gone home with a free book. It’s a simple idea with a huge impact. Drop by and meet the people who have made this inviting place so successful. The website has lots of information about the program.
Celebration 2013
The Regent Park School of Music invites you to their end-of-year concert, Tuesday June 11 from 5 to 6:30 pm in the Ada Slaight Hall at the Daniels Spectrum (585 Dundas). You’ll enjoy the full range of RPSM’s programs including choirs from Regent Park and Parkdale and individual soloists on various instruments. No cover charge.
Cabbagetown South
Heritage Designation
A community consultation about creating the Cabbagetown South Heritage
Conservation District will take place at Central Neighbourhood House (349
Ontario) on Wednesday June 5 at 7 pm. The new district will encompass homes
from the south side of Carlton to the north side of Shuter, from the west side
of Parliament to the east side of Sherbourne – about 700 properties. This area
contains some of the finest examples of Victorian architecture in the city. Commercial properties will not be included in this designation.
If you’re at all confused about this issue, or uneasy about some aspect of a designation, then go to this meeting. Check out the links on the HCD website here. For specific details about your own home, click here and scroll down to the listing for your street.
Farmers’ markets
The Riverdale Farmers’ Market opened for business last Tuesday May
28. from 3 to 7 pm. It’ll continue through the Fall to October 15 every Tuesday
afternoon from 3 to 7 pm. Riverdale Park
(Sumach & Winchester).
In Regent Park, the market will operate from Wednesday June 5 to
late August from 3 to 7 pm. It offers produce from farmers and from people who
have small garden plots in the neighbourhood. Regent Park Boulevard on the east
side of the Daniels Spectrum (585 Dundas E). There’s lots of detail on the website.
Cabbagetown Residents Association wine tasting and AGM
Thursday, June 13, 7 pm, Stout Irish Pub (221 Carlton). For the second year, the CRA is enjoying a wine tasting (courtesy of the Lifford Wine Agency http://www.liffordwine.com/on) at its annual meeting. As usual, association members will review its business, elect a new Board and hear reports about various events in Don Vale. The association represents the households north of Gerrard to Wellesley, east of Parliament.
Soulpepper and Young Centre Calendar
The Barber of
Seville is on stage now in the
Michael Young Theatre until Saturday June 8, daily (except Sunday June 2) at 8
pm. Matinees at 2 pm on Saturday June 1
and June 8.Kim’s
Convenience runs until Wednesday
June 19 in the Baillie Theatre.
Performances are at 7:30 pm daily (except Sundays) with matinees at 1:30
pm on Wednesday, June 5, 12 and 19 and Saturday June 1, 8 and 15. The War of
1812 is playing in the Tank House
Theatre until Saturday June 1 with performances at 7:30 pm and a Saturday
matinee at 1:30 pm.Script Tease Project opens Tuesday June 4 until Saturday June 8.
Cloud 9/7e Ciel runs from Wednesday June 26 to Saturday June 29 at 8 pm and Saturday matinee at 2 pm.
They’re back
Once again the Cabbagetown BIA has decorated our main shopping streets with hanging flower baskets and boulevard gardens. Most of us don’t realize that this project is both expensive and full of bureaucratic red tape. Congrats to the BIA for making the effort once again. These small touches make a big difference to our commercial areas.
Cabbagetown Cycling Club
Wil Mills at Cycle Solutions (444 Parliament) is coordinating the program at the Cabbagetown Cycling Club. Every week, he distributes an email with the week’s riding schedules plus a nice selection of gossip and newsy tidbits. If you want to join either as a member or on a trial basis, Wil has some waiver forms that you must complete before you participate. You can reach him either at Cycle Solutions or by email cabbagetowncycling@gmail.com. For the next few months, there’ll be a club notice in a box in the left column – check it out for weekly details.
News from Waterfront Toronto
An amazing amount of construction work is now underway along the lakefront from the Don River all the way to Mimico. In the West Don Lands and the East Bayfront, over half of the construction work for the 2015 Pan Am Games is complete. New condos, low income housing and residences for George Brown College are being built. Waterfront Toronto is the official agency coordinating this redevelopment. You can read its May newsletter here. There’s a new YMCA going up on Cherry Street and its “topping off” ceremony was held last Tuesday. For more information about the new Cherry Street Y, click here.
YOUR VOTES COUNT
Support Kendall before
Friday midnight
NOW Magazine’s poll is still underway.
You can help Kendall & Co (227 Carlton) win in two categories -
Toronto’s best Residential Design Firm (click here)
and Toronto’s Best Design Store (click here). Once you reach the ballot page, you’ll see
names below the header – ignore them. They’re last year’s winners. Go straight
to the red button and click on it. When you get to the ballot, here’s the information that you need to complete your vote: Nominee Name: KENDALL & Co, 227 Carlton Street, 416.363.9914, www.kendallandco.ca
The poll
closes on Friday May 31 at midnight.
Kendall & Co have been amazingly supportive of our community. Here’s our chance to repay their friendship.Streetscape survey
Anne Pastuszak has passed along a link about a mural project being contemplated for the summer on Parliament Street. You can complete a survey in just a couple of minutes. The Cabbagetown BIA plans to create two new murals and your feedback about this work will be welcomed. To register your views, click here.
It’s official – Corktown
Common
For the past few weeks, we’ve been asked to vote on a name for the new
park being developed in the new West Don Lands area. Over 1500 votes were cast and the winner is
“Corktown Common”. After the Toronto-East
York Community Council approves this choice, it’ll become official when the
park opens later this summer. The
contest was run by The Grid and Waterfront Toronto. To learn more about the park and its
waterfront setting, click here.SHOPPING NEWS
Last two days to save on rugs
The last week to save - no
HST on KENDALL & Co rugs. KENDALL & Co will pay the HST on your
purchase of rugs in their wool, flatweave or outdoor series. Save on all styles
in all available sizes (from 2ft x 3ft to 10ft x 14ft) including runners and
round rugs, in the retail shop. This promotion cannot be combined with any
other offers and only applies to new orders or in-stock purchases at regular
price. Click here to view the full rug collection. 227
Carlton Street. 10 am to 6pm, weekdays and 11 am to 5 pm Saturdays.
Marilyn at Pet Valu
Marilyn returns on Saturday to Pet Valu (240
Carlton) with her pedicure and grooming services for your favourite pet. $10.
She’s there from 10 am to 4 pm.
Pre-natal yoga with Bridget Keroglidis
Saturdays, June 1, 8, 22 and 29 from 1 to
2:15 pm, Sundara Yoga (492 Parliament, Aberdeen entrance). Practice
yoga in a class specifically designed for your changing body. Focus on poses to
improve posture and create space in your body. Help to alleviate discomfort
while building strength and stamina. Learn how to use breathing techniques to
increase energy. Cultivate relaxation, helping prepare your body and mind for
labour. Pre-natal yoga is an opportunity to connect with yourself, your baby
and other women going through similar experiences. If you are new to yoga, it’s
recommended that you wait until the second trimester.
RESTAURANT
NEWS
F’Amelia
Ontario strawberries are here and being served in panna cotta desserts. Ramps are now making their short-lived appearance as well in several dishes - warm asparagus salad with wild ramps, housemade lardo, preserved lemon and pickled honey mushrooms. As our warm weather arrives, F’Amelia’s lovely patio is filling up. A quick reminder – martini Mondays with $4.99 martinis are still happening. 12 Amelia. http://www.famelia.com
Merryberry
Laura Calder’s cookbook, Dinner Chez Moi, offers the recipes that have inspired Cyril and he’s using them for his menu specials into June. Just imagine yourself enjoying an avocado duet (one quarter with a citrus dressing and another with soya sauce), followed by a black bean halibut with grilled asparagus and mushrooms, and then lemon mousse for dessert. Sunday, Monday, Tuesday – 10:30 am to 3:30 pm. Wednesday to Saturday – 10:30 am to 9 pm. Brunch menus, Saturday and Sunday. 559 Parliament.
Last chance - win tickets to the Rolling Stones
The Winchester Kitchen & Bar (51A Winchester) is giving away a pair
of tickets to the June 6 Stones concert at the ACC. For every $10 that you spend at the Winch,
you get a chance to win. The big draw happens on Tuesday June 4 at midnight.
These are $600 floor seats! Check it all
out at the Facebook page.
WEDNESDAY’S
FLOOD
Greg Cote ventured down to
the Don early Wednesday morning and took these photos as the river overflowed
its banks. Bayview and the DVP between
Gerrard and Dundas were covered in water but by 10 am, it had eased away. The mud and debris left behind were bad
enough to prevent the roads from reopening without a good cleaning.
CLUBS
& PUBS EVENTS
THURSDAY MAY 30 TO SUNDAY JUNE 2
Please check back on the weekend (Saturday June 1 and Sunday June 2) for info about listings next week.
Contact info
Alice’s Place, 554
Parliament St, (647) 931-9088Ben Wicks, 424 Parliament St, (416) 961-9425, www.benwickspub.com
Cafune, 194A Carlton Street, (647)748-7884, Facebook and http://cafune.ca/
Dominion on Queen, 500 Queen St E, (416) 368-6893, www.dominiononqueen.com
Flying Beaver, 488 Parliament St, (647) 347-6567, www.pubaret.com
Paint Box Bistro, 555 Dundas St E, (647) 748-0555, www.paintboxbistro.ca
Stout Irish Pub, 221 Carlton St, (647) 344-7676, www.stoutirishpub.ca
Winchester Kitchen & Bar, 51A Winchester St, (416) 323-0051, www.winchesterkitchen.com
If there's a cover charge or tickets are sold, we’ve listed the prices. Otherwise, the event is free.
THURSDAY MAY 30
Cafune
6:30 pm, Henry Matulis (guitar) and special guest Kamal Bellapia
Dominion on Queen
9 pm, Cat Bernardi jazz quartet, cover charge tba
Flying Beaver
8 pm, Simon Rakoff`s 35th anniversary show, $15/advance & $20/door
FRIDAY MAY 31
Dominion on Queen
8:30 pm, Hitchhikers Guide to the Party, no cover
Flying Beaver
7 pm, One of Canada`s funniest comics, Carla Collins, $20/advance & $25/door
9 pm, Sharron Matthews ``Fun & Casual``, $20/advance & $25/door
Winchester Kitchen & Bar
8 pm, Solar Messiah 13
SATURDAY JUNE 1
Dominion on Queen
4 to 7:30 pm, Ronnie Hayward, pwyc
9 pm, Dirty Dishes with country, bluegrass & gospel, $15
Flying Beaver
7 pm, Canadian Playwright`s event
Winchester Kitchen & Bar
Momentum Dance closing party
SUNDAY JUNE 2
Alice’s Place
4 pm, Karaoke
Dominion on Queen
11 am to 3 pm, Rockabilly
Brunch with the Cosmotones
Stout Irish Pub
5:30 pm, Strategy
Boardgaming Night by the Toronto Area Boardgaming Society
Winchester Kitchen & Bar
2 to 5 pm, Unhappy Happy
screening party9 pm, Beau’s presents Open Mic with Porter