This
week’s image: building a new pool in Wellesley Park
CABBAGETOWN NEIGHBOURHOOD REVIEW
OPEN HOUSES
There’ll
be an open house at 6 Wellesley Cottages on Saturday. For details, click here.
LOCAL NEWS
Memorials
for Scott Hunter
On
Friday May 15, visitation (2 to 4 pm) and the funeral service (4 pm) for Scott
will take place at the Cattel, Eaton & Chambers Funeral Home, 53 Main St,
Dundas, Ontario. Later that evening, a celebration of Scott’s life will happen
at An Sibin Pub (709 Queen E, Toronto) – open for the public from 10 pm.
Digging
up Parliament Street
Enbridge
has started construction to repair and replace a gas pipe under Parliament
Street. The Cabbagetown BIA asked Enbridge
to delay the work until the Fall to give local business people an adequate
chance to adjust to the disruption. The company, in turn, told the BIA that it
considers the work urgent because of the poor condition of the current pipe and
it wants to get the job done prior to the Pan Am Games.
ROMWalks
start this weekend
The
season’s first ROMWalk takes place on Sunday May 17 from 2 pm, starting at the
corner of Parliament and Winchester. The walk will cover Cabbagetown
North. On Wednesday May 20, the
second walk goes through Cabbagetown South. Meet at Parliament and Spruce at 6 pm. The third walk is through the
Necropolis on Sunday May 31 from 2 pm and the starting place is the cemetery
gates. These are all free events.
There’ll
be three more chances to do each walk – in June, July, August and
September. There’ll also be walks
through the Distillery. All of
these walks will be listed just before they occur.
The
Museum has an online brochure about all of its walks here.
Wellesley
Park gets a facelift
The
old wading pool in Wellesley Park has been removed and construction has started
on a new splash pad. Work will
continue for about a month. After
that, there’ll be a pause while the concrete in the pool cures. Once it’s ready, the concrete will be
given an acrylic finish with a decorative motif by Norval Morrisseau called
Grandchildren, Birds & Butterflies.
Thanks go out to Trish Finkelstein and the Cabbagetown Residents
Association for helping to arrange the Morrisseau artwork.
Noise
from the Regent Park Energy Centre
There’s
a cooling tower on the roof at the Regent Park Community Energy Centre (252
Sackville) that emits a powerful hum.
People as far north as Winchester Street have heard it and complained
about it. It is, of course, worse
for residents living north of Gerrard.
For five years, local people have consulted with TCHC, the Daniels
Corporation and Councillor Pam McConnell.
There have been studies, procedures with the Ontario Ministry of the
Environment, more studies and now, finally, Toronto Community Housing is almost
– almost - ready to hire a company to install noise abatement equipment. For an informative glimpse into the
Kafkaesque world of TCHC decision-making, check out the residents’
website.
Winchester
Square gardens
The
garden boxes in Winchester Square (Ontario at Aberdeen) have been prepped and
they’re ready for the 2015 plantings.
The gardening committee will go to work at 10 am Saturday. Everyone welcome. Check out the
garden’s Facebook page – the gardeners obviously have a good time.
Rug
sales and new styles
Kendall
& Co (514 Parliament) is offering selected rugs at 15% off until May
25. They’re available in wool or
outdoors, for your home and cottage.
New rug styles have also just arrived. Check them all out online or at the store, 10 am to 6 pm
weekdays and 11 am to 5 pm Saturdays.
Cabbagetown
Cycling Club
This
week’s Sunday Club Ride will roll out from Jet Fuel (519 Parliament) at 7:30
am. Everybody needs to have a club
waiver. It’ll be a 2-3 hour ride. There are also regular Club Rides on
Tuesday and Thursday mornings and a Women’s Ride on Wednesday mornings. The
Club keeps its members and contacts informed by emails. If you’re interested, contact Wil Mills
at cabbagetowncycling@gmail.com.
Brenda’s
classes
Brenda
has scheduled her Zumba and Step classes at the CYC (2 Lancaster) for the rest
of May. Please note that
classes for Sunday May 17 are cancelled.
On Wednesdays, May 20 and 27, Step classes – 9:15 am. On Sunday May 24, a Step class will
replace the regular Zumba at 11 am.
On Sunday May 31, Zumba is back at 11 am and a Step class might also
happen at 10 am.
CONTACT
at the Daniels Spectrum
As
part of Scotiabank’s CONTACT Photography Festival, two exhibitions are running
together at The Daniel’s Spectrum (585 Dundas E). Cosmopolis Toronto by award-winning photographer Colin Boyd
Shafer portrays people from all over the world who now live in Toronto. Dan Bergeron’s Faces of Regent Park is
a series of twelve photo-based portraits of local residents. They will become a permanent public art
installation in Regent Park. To Sunday June 28, weekends 10 am to 6 pm and
weekdays 8 am to 10 pm. The
opening reception is from 6 to 10 pm, Friday May 15.
Cabbagetown
Preservation Association
Save
the date – Tuesday May 19, 7 pm, Meeting House at Riverdale Farm (Winchester
east of Sumach). The CPA’s Annual
Meeting will feature the presentation of the 2015 Peggy Kurtin Award for
Excellence in Restoration plus a presentation by Harold Madi, the Director of
Urban Design for the City of Toronto.
Mr Madi will talk about the rapid changes happening around Cabbagetown
from the Bloor Street Viaduct to the Portlands.
Clothing
drive for Oasis Addiction Recovery Society
Daniel
Bloch and Liora Tal-Bloch are organizing their second annual clothing
drive. They’re looking for gently
used clothes, DVDs and toys. Watch
for a red bag being delivered to your mailbox and use it to collect your
donation. On Saturday May 23,
place your red bag outside your front door after 10 am. If you need a bag or have any
questions, please call (416) 859-8649 or email info@teambloch.com. Congrats to
Daniel and Liora for their generous initiative.
Cabbagetown
South yard sale
A
giant yard sale in Cabbagetown South is being organized for Saturday May 23
from 9 am to 3 pm (rain date is Saturday May 30). Residents in the area between Sherbourne and Parliament,
Shuter to Carlton are welcome to join the festivities. Announcements will be made on Kijiji,
Craigslist and local blogs and email blasts. There’s no charge but you’re asked to register so your home
can be highlighted with online advertising and with signage on the sale
date. If you want to be a vendor
but haven’t got yard space, you can use the front yard at Central Neighbourhood
House (349 Ontario). Contact info@cabbagetownsouth.ca
Get
your tickets
The
annual Hidden Gardens & Private Spaces tour is scheduled for Sunday June 7
from 10 am to 3 pm. The garden
tour is always a local Spring favourite.
Tickets ($15) are available now from six local sources: Epicure Shop (473 Parliament), Fairway
Garden Centre (520 Parliament), Jay’s Garden Centre (360 Gerrard E), Kendall
& Co (514 Parliament), Mi Casa (238 Carlton) and Spruce Home Décor (455
Parliament). Several other stores
outside Cabbagetown also have tickets.
For program information and online ticket sales, click here.
Pan
Am Games arts events
There
will be an impressive arts program running parallel to the Games in venues all
across Toronto. Billed as a
multi-disciplinary performing arts program, it will showcase artists from
across the Americas as well as Ontario and Canada. Times and prices on all of these events will vary. Three locations in our area will be
included. To read the details
online, click here.
The
Distillery District will be the site for “sights, sounds and tastes from across
the Americas” during the Pan Am Games, July 11 to 25. There’ll be pop-up shops, tastings, the Gypsy Kumbai
Orchestra and lots of other free events.
The stages will present Caribbean and Latin American performers.
The
Young Centre for the Performing Arts will hold ticketed events including a
world premiere by Sandra Shamas (July 21 to 25), Limitless by an international
break dance crew (July 17 and 18), urban street dancers in Battle for the North
(July 21 to 23), Cuba’s Yaima Saez and her group (July 16), Chile’s Teatro La
Re-Sentida (July 12 to 15), Gimme Shelter by Ravi Jain (July 13 to 18), Ping
Chong’s PUSH: Real Athletes, Real Stories, Real Theatre (August 11 to 14) and
Obeah Opera by Nicole Brooks (August 6 and 7).
The
Daniels Spectrum (585 Dundas E) has Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea (July
11 to 14) and Veronica Tennant’s Niagara: A Panamerican Story (July 23 to 26)
The
Berkeley Street Theatre presents The Watershed by Annabel Soutar (July 12 to
19).
CRC
in the media
Photo: Justin Skinner, Inside Toronto
Last
Thursday, the CRC (40 Oak Street) held its second annual open house to give its
neighbours and the general public a look at its work and its facilities. Its
program has expanded considerably since moving into its new building. Justin Skinner has written in Inside Toronto
about its food services and community support systems and about the open house
activities. Click here to read
it.
ONSTAGE
Corktown
Chamber Orchestra
Season
finale at 8 pm, Thursday May 14, Little Trinity Church (425 King E). “And we shall go out with a great roar
– Schubert’s Great C Major Symphony 9”.
The orchestra is an all-strings performing collective of talented
non-professional musicians who want to foster an appreciation for music and
community. Concert tickets are $10
(children free).
Lucky
Mike at Vino Rosso
Michael
Cavanaugh and his friends are appearing at Vino Rosso (995 Bay) from 2 to 5 pm
on Sunday May 17. Lucky Mike’s
Sunday Matinee presents singers, songwriters and musicians in venues accessible
by wheelchairs and other assisted devices. This Sunday, Michael and Bob Cohen are appearing with
Peter Lafferty, Donna Flynn, Noah Zacharin and Glenn Hornblast.
Soulpepper’s
Cabaret Series
The
cabarets happen every Saturday night at 8:30 pm and they showcase established
artists, new talents and innovative groupings. On Saturday May 16, it’s the Indo-fushion group Autorickshaw
with “Under the Hood”. Tickets are
$25 general and $20 students – click here. Soulpepper at the Young Centre (50 Tank House Lane, Distillery)
RESTAURANT NEWS
Songs
of Journey
Paintbox
Bistro (535 Dundas E) hosts an evening for the Regent Park School of Music. Two
graduates are performing - Cecilia Nguyen Tran (piano) and Stacy Darko
(voice). Thursday May 21 from 6
pm. Your suggested donations are
$100 with dinner and $20 without.
Cocina
Economica
Photo: Jesse Milns, blogTO
This
is the new café that’s offering homecooked Mexican foods. It’s enjoyed a strong launch
online. There’s an introduction on
Toronto Life (click here)
and a review on blogTO (here). 141 Berkeley Street
Odin
Odin
(514 King E) is a new Corktown café and bar with a Nordic theme. Its Grand Opening Party is Friday May
15 at 8 pm with food, fun and two DJs.
The café was just listed by blogTO as one of the top ten in 2015 (so
far.)
CLUBS & PUBS – DAILY LISTINGS
THURSDAY MAY 14 TO SUNDAY MAY 24
Contact
info
Alice’s
Place, 554 Parliament St, (647) 931-9088,
https://www.facebook.com/alicesplacetoronto
Cranberries,
601 Parliament St, (416) 925-6330
Dominion
on Queen, 500 Queen St E, (416) 368-6893, www.dominiononqueen.com
El
Catrin, 18 Tank House Lane, Distillery, (416) 203-2121, www.elcatrin.ca/home
The
Flying Beaver, 488 Parliament St, (647) 347-6567, www.pubaret.com
House
on Parliament, 454 Parliament St, (416) 925-4074,
www.facebook.com/pages/House-on-Parliament
The
Irv, 195 Carlton Street, (647) 350-4787, http://www.theirvpub.ca/
The
Local GEST, 424 Parliament St, (416) 961-9425, http://www.thelocalgest.com/
Merryberry,
559 Parliament, www.merryberry.ca
Mill
Street Beer Hall, 21 Tank House Ln, Distillery, (416) 681-0338,
http://toronto.millstreetbrewpub.ca/
Murgatroid,
568 Parliament, (416) 323-9381, https://www.facebook.com/MurgatroidTO
Odin,
514 King W, (647) 350-6346, https://www.facebook.com/odinhus
Paintbox
Bistro, 555 Dundas St E, (647) 748-0555, www.paintboxbistro.ca
Soulpepper,
Young Centre, 50 Tank House Lane, Distillery, (416) 866-8666,
http://soulpepper.ca/performances/music_at_soulpepper.aspx
Stirling
Room, 16 Trinity, Distillery District, www.stirlingroom.com
Stout
Irish Pub, 221 Carlton St, (647) 344-7676, www.stoutirishpub.ca
Tappo
Wine Bar & Restaurant, 2 Trinity Street, Distillery, (647) 430-1111,
www.tappo.ca
Under
the Table, 568 Parliament St, (647) 351-1533,
https://www.facebook.com/underthetabletoronto
White
Elephant, 366 Queen E. (416) 364-9999, www.whiteelephant366.com
If there's a cover charge or tickets are sold, the prices
are listed. Otherwise, the event is free.
Please note:
Two of our regular Clubs are currently closed. The Flying Beaver is being renovated
after a fire in late February. The
Dominion on Queen has been closed since the summer of 2014 for renovations.
THURSDAY MAY 14
The
Irv
7pm,
Geoff Willingham
The
Local GEST
9
pm, Open Mic with Porter
Mill
St Brew Pub
7
pm, Tap That Cask with live acoustic music
Under
The Table
9
pm, Karaoke
White
Elephant
Open
mic
FRIDAY MAY 15
Mill
Street Beer Hall
8
pm, Vinyl Nights with DJ Humble Mike of the Record Collective
Odin
8
pm, Grand opening party with two DJs
Stirling
Room
Theatrical
Friday with resident DJ Rod Bravo, reserve on the guest list. $20
Under
The Table
9
pm, Karaoke
White
Elephant
7
to 10 pm, Scott B Sympathy
SATURDAY MAY 16
Mill
Street Beer Hall
8
pm, Vinyl Nights with DJ Humble Mike of the Record Collective
Soulpepper
Cabaret
8:30
pm, Autorickshaw, Under the Hood, $20 and $25
Stirling
Room
Stirling
Saturday. Reserve on the guest
list. $20
SUNDAY MAY 17
Alice’s
Place
4
pm, Karaoke with Vee
Local
GEST
4:30
pm, Sunday afternoon jazz with the Sherie Marshall Trio
Mill
Street Beer Hall
1
pm, Jazz brunch with Tyler Yarema
MONDAY MAY 18
Stout
Irish Pub
7:30
pm, Headscratchers trivia
TUESDAY MAY 19
Paintbox
Bistro
8
pm, Wild Women (Don’t Get the Blues), $22/advance and $25/door
Stout
Irish Pub
7:30
pm, Headscratchers trivia
WEDNESDAY MAY 20
Alice’s
Place
9
pm, Karaoke
The
Local GEST
7:30
pm, Trivia night with Jill
Paintbox
Bistro
7:30
pm, Corktown Ukelele Jam
THURSDAY MAY 21
The
Irv
7pm,
Geoff Willingham
The
Local GEST
9
pm, Open mic with Porter
Mill
St Brew Pub
7
pm, Tap That Cask with live acoustic music by Don Campbell
White
Elephant
8
pm, Open mic night
FRIDAY MAY 22
Mill
Street Beer Hall
8
pm, Vinyl nights with DJ Humble Mike of the Record Collective
Stirling
Room
Theatrical
Friday with resident DJ Rod Bravo, reserve on the guest list. $20
White
Elephant
7
pm, Matthew Kane
SATURDAY MAY 23
Mill
Street Beer Hall
8
pm, Vinyl Nights with DJ Humble Mike of the Record Collective
Soulpepper
Cabaret
8:30
pm, Broadsway with Heather Bambrick, Diane Leah & Julie Michaels, $20 and
$25.
Stirling
Room
Resident
DJ Rod Bravo, reserve on the guest list
SUNDAY MAY 24
Alice’s
Place
9
pm, Karaoke with Vee
Local
GEST
4:30
pm, Sunday afternoon jazz with Melissa Lauren (vocals), Dave Restivo (piano)
and Tyler Emond (bass)
Mill
Street Beer Hall
1
pm, Jazz brunch with Tyler Yarema