CABBAGETOWN NEIGHBOURHOOD REVIEW
OPEN HOUSES
Once
again, there’s a cluster of open houses at Wellesley near Parliament. For details, click here.
LOCAL NEWS
Hidden
gardens and private spaces
The
garden tour takes place on Sunday from 10 am to 3 pm. It’s a source of great enjoyment for a large contingent of
Cabbagetown gardeners who visit each other’s gardens and also spend
considerable effort fixing their own yards for the event. Master gardeners will be located at
various spots along the tour to answer your questions. On Sunday, last minute
tickets are available at the BIA Office (237 Carlton). Before Sunday, you can buy tickets
($15) at several local places – click here for more information.
Justin
Skinner has written a nice article in Inside Toronto about the tour. Click here to read it.
Water
pressure problems
For
several weeks, Cabbagetown residents have experienced noticeable drops in the
water pressure in their home services.
Andrew Darlington became the sparkplug for a phone campaign to the City
of Toronto’s 311 help line.
Initially, there was confusion at the City. At one point, a bureaucrat grumbled about the high volume of
calls. Now, however, our telephone
pressure seems to have inspired the City to check our water pressure. A notice was distributed on June 2 that
identifies the problem within a large area bounded by Carlton/College, Bloor,
Avenue Road and the Don Valley.
Apartment dwellers seem to be more severely affected. On Wednesday June 3, various valves
within the water system were adjusted.
If the problem persists at your home after this date, you’re asked to
call 311 and report the issue.
Thanks Andrew.
Celebrate
Brent Hawkes’ 65th birthday
Rev
Brent Hawkes has long been a community leader and a stalwart pastor at
Metropolitan Community Church. He
has earned our deep affection for his involvement on major issues of human
rights. For his birthday, his
friends are holding a fundraiser at the Daniels Spectrum (585 Dundas E) on
Wednesday June 10. It will be
hosted by Heather Bambrick.
Featured guests include Bob Rae and Kristyn Wong-Tam with performances
from Jackie Robinson, Thom Allison and the MCC Choir. Tickets are $200 – click here for details and to buy a
ticket.
Fit
Mama Moves
Fit
Mama Moves is a stretch and movement class for new mothers organized by Elena,
an experienced pilates instructor and yoga practitioner. The sessions are a
fun-filled way to keep you and your baby fit. She’s a new mom herself. Classes run weekly on Wednesdays from 2
to 3 pm from now until July 22 in the gym at St Luke’s United Church
(Sherbourne and Carlton). New moms are wanted to fill out the group. Bring your
baby (2 months to 18 months). A
six week session costs $78, contact fountainstudios@gmail.com
Corktown
in the media
Photo: Toronto Star, Rick Madonik
Along
with new condo developments and the impact of the Pan Am Games site, Corktown itself
has been undergoing a major change.
Lauren Pelley has written about the new businesses popping up in the
neighbourhood in the Toronto Star.
Read it here.
Community
yard sale
Saturday
June 6, 9 am to 3 pm. This is the
tenth annual yard sale at 85 Bleecker Street. Lots of goodies to be grabbed
up. As always, the sale promises
to be a great success for buyers and sellers.
Cabbagetown
tree tour
Sunday
June 6 from noon to 2 pm. James Steenberg will lead his second annual tree walk
through the neighbourhood and Rui Felix will talk about our role as private
citizens in the management of our urban forest. Meet at Sumach and Winchester.
Presented by Cabbagetown ReLeaf.
Congrats
Terry
Terry
Dineen has just published his first novel, Suicide Girls. It’s a mystery about a serial killer
who targets young women working as escorts. It’s available as an ebook on Amazon in Kindle at
$2.99. Congrats Terry. May there
be many more. Click here and buy a
copy!
Regent
Park sewing circle and bazaar
You’re
invited to join a sewing circle and to take part in the bazaar. There will be four sewing classes plus
a weekly bazaar with jewelry, traditional clothes, bags, food and a spa. The event is happening outside the
Daniels Spectrum on Regent Park Boulevard south of Dundas (the rain location is
indoors in the Artscape Lounge.)
Friday June 5, Friday June 12, Friday June 26 and Friday July 10. The
sewing classes are $10. The bazaar
fee is $5 each or $20 total. To
register, call Sureya at (647) 349-2244.
ROM
Walks
Three
local ROMwalks are scheduled for June.
On Sunday June 14 from 2 pm, the walk is in Cabbagetown south – the
meeting place is at Spruce and Parliament. On Wednesday June 17 from 6 pm, the walk goes through
Cabbagetown north – meet at Winchester and Parliament. On Wednesday June 24, the walk is in
The Distillery – meet at St Paul’s Basilica (Queen and Power). These are free
events and usually take about two hours.
For maps and details about other walks, click here.
Cabbagetown
Cycling Club
The
Pan Am torch relay
Photo: Pan Am/Parapan American Games
Last
Sunday, the Pan Am torch began its nation-wide relay. After landing in a float plane on Lake Ontario and being
welcomed to Toronto in a canoe, the torch travelled from Harbourfront to The
Distillery. Canada’s astronaut
Chris Hadfield carried it into The Distillery where a ceremonial flame was
lit. Despite a persistent
downpour, the event was carried off smoothly.
Splash
pad controversy
Photo: Insider Toronto, Justin Skinner
The
new splash pad in Wellesley Park would seem at a casual glance to be a good
thing. It’s replacing a wading
pool that needed either extensive repair or removal. One feature in the new splash pad is a shade area covered in
a blue tarp and that has provoked local controversy. Justin Skinner has written about it in Inside Toronto – you
can read his story here.
Cabbagetown
Residents Association annual meeting
Save
the date – 7 pm, Wednesday June 17, Stout Irish Pub (221 Carlton). The CRA is just finishing a busy year
with successes at the forsythia Festival and an informative online website
that’s full of good tips for local homeowners. The meeting will hear reports about its program and then
elect new directors to the Board.
Another
victory for Lynn
In
mid-May, Lynn Walker took part in the New York City Gran Fondo cycling race –
100 miles with 8000 feet of climbing.
She came in first in her age category – congrats, Lynn. She also walked through Manhattan
wearing her Cabbagetown tee and she’s sent us this fine souvenir photo.
ON STAGE
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 June 6, Denzal Sinclaire presents “Look what
they’ve done to my song”. Tickets
are $25 general and $20 students – click here. Soulpepper at the Young Centre (50 Tank House Lane, Distillery)
Stitch
Presented
by Native Earth Performing Arts at the Aki Studio theatre (Daniels DSpectrum,
585 Dunbdas E), June 3 to 12.
Cliff cardinal’s play tells the story of Kylie Grandview, a single mom
and one of the nameless faces that blip across the screen in internet
pornography. Her tragic
self-destructive decisions result in the loss of her child. Click here for more details and for
ticket purchases.
Mitchell
Cohen’s Journey
In
his day job, Mitch Cohen builds buildings, revitalizes Regent Park and plays a
big part in creating Toronto’s future with his leadership role at the Daniels
Corporation. He’s also a composer
and musician. In fact, he’s written a musical about the transformation of
Regent Park - The Journey, A Living History of the Regent Park
Revitalization. It documents the
community’s history through the lives of its residents and its dazzling cast
includes local residents and peformers along with Jackie Richardson, Thompson
Egbo-Egbo and Jeremiah Sparks. He wrote its first song on the day when the
demolition crews started to knock down the first building. 8 pm, June 20 at the Daniels
Spectrum (585 Dundas E). Tickets
are $25. Click here to read more
and to buy your tickets.
SHOPPING NEWS
Regent
Park Farmer’s Market
The
market will start up on Wednesday afternoon June 10. It’s being transformed into “The Taste of Regent Park” and
it will be located in The Big Park.
Details will come soon – check the Facebook page regularly.
Congrats
Kim
Kim
at Spruce on Parliament (455 Parliament)
is celebrating her store’s second anniversary. Starting on Sunday June 7
from 10 am to 5 pm, she’s having a Warehouse Sale. During the following week, she’ll have surprise pop-up sales
and she’s inviting everyone to drop by and check it out. Her store was one of the first in this
block along Parliament to be renovated and improved. It was a welcome sign of new, vigorous retailing in this
area. The photos show her store before and after the reno.
Kendall’s
contest
Your
ticket to this weekend’s garden tour could be a winner! Visit Kendall & Co (514 Parliament)
to be eligible to win an outdoor carpet ($79 value). Ticket holders will also enjoy a 10% discount on their
purchases. From now through
Sunday, there’s a clearance sale with 50% savings on outdoor rugs – details are
online here. Special extended
store hours this weekend – open Sunday from 10 am to 4 pm.
Distillery
Sunday market
The
Distillery District’s Sunday market opens for the season on Sunday June 7 from
noon to 5 pm. Arts, crafts and
food are the featured focus – all coming from within 100 miles of The
Distillery. There’s a list of vendors and other details online.
RESTAURANT NEWS
Archie
Alleyne book signing
Archie
Alleyne has written his autobiography, Colour Me Jazz. The official book launch takes place at
the Paintbox Bistro (535 Dundas E) on Sunday June 14 from 2 to 4 pm and the
proceeds from all the book sales will go to the Archie Alleyne
Scholarship.
Online
reviews
There’s
been a batch of online reviews about local establishments. Here’s a quick rundown:
NOW
Magazine lists Odin Café & Bar (514 King E) as a top patio to visit,
noting its exceptional design sense.
The review finishes with good things to say about the coffee and the
craft beers on tap.
It’s
no surprise that the Mill Street Brew Pub and El Catrin (both in The Distillery)
are among the Top 20 summer patio experiences in Toronto in buzz.cruel
F’Amelia (12 Amelia) is listed on
blogTO’s summary of the top 12 regional Italian restaurants and gets praised
for its treatment of northern Italian cuisine.
Cocktails
at Extended F’Amelia
Extended
F’Amelia (12 Amelia) is the smaller area next to the main restaurant. On Thursday night, you can enjoy
half-price cocktails while sitting outside on its patio.
The
mac ‘n cheese Fest
Yup
– the venerable comfort food has risen to a Festival-worthy status. Our very own 420 Smokehouse (420
Parliament) has been invited to bring an entry. It happens this weekend, June 5 to 7, at the Liberty Market
(171 Liberty Street). Over twenty
restaurants are competing for the $5000 “Best of Fest” prize and it’s expected
to draw over 20,000 visitors. Our support is needed - get down there, enjoy the
gooey goodies and cast your vote for Virginia and Sasha. Check out the details
on the Festival’s website.
Jeff
Barnes and Noah Zacharin
It’s
time again for Jeff and Noah to make an appearance at the Local GEST (424 Parliament). Their show starts at 8 pm on Thursday
June 4.
And
don’t forget to visit The Local GEST’s market on Saturday from noon to 4
pm. The produce comes from its
farm lot north of Toronto and is fresh on the day of the sale.
Alice’s
karaoke
Every
week for the past couple of years, Alice’s Place (554 Parliament) presents two
karaoke nights and they’re still going strong. Drop by on Wednesdays and Sundays – singing starts at 9 pm.
Beermaster’s
dinner at The Irv
Mill
Street Brewery and The Irv (195 Carlton) have teamed up to present a
three-course extravaganza on Monday June 15. There’ll be gift bags, hors d’oeuvres and a three-course
dinner plus four Mill Street brews to match the meal. To book your tickets, call (647) 350-4787 or email regan@theirvpub.ca. $60 per person.
CLUBS & PUBS – DAILY LISTINGS
THURSDAY JUNE 14 TO SUNDAY JUNE 14
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.
THURSDAY JUNE 4
The
Irv
7pm,
Geoff Willingham
The
Local GEST
8
pm, Jeff Barnes and Noah Zacharin
Mill
St Brew Pub
7
pm, Tap That Cask with live acoustic music by Jeff Eager
Mill
Street Beer Hall
4th
anniversary party
White
Elephant
8
pm, Open mic night
FRIDAY JUNE 5
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, Ryan Carr
SATURDAY JUNE 6
Mill
Street Beer Hall
8
pm, Vinyl Nights with DJ Humble Mike of the Record Collective
Soulpepper
Cabaret
8:30
pm, Denzal Sinclaire, Look what they`ve done to my song, $20 and $25.
Stirling
Room
Resident
DJ Rod Bravo, reserve on the guest list
White
Elephant
7
pm, Linda Carone (vocals) with Reg Schwager (guitar)
SUNDAY JUNE 7
Alice’s
Place
9
pm, Karaoke with Vee
Local
GEST
4:30
pm, Sunday afternoon jazz with the Steve Koven Trio with Steve Koven (piano),
Anthony Michelli (drums) and Rob Clutton (bass)
Mill
Street Beer Hall
1
pm, Jazz brunch with Tyler Yarema
MONDAY JUNE 8
Stout
Irish Pub
7:30
pm, Headscratchers trivia
TUESDAY JUNE 9
Stout
Irish Pub
7:30
pm, Headscratchers trivia
WEDNESDAY JUNE 10
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 JUNE 11
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 Mirian Kay
Under
The Table
9
pm, Karaoke
White
Elephant
Open
mic
FRIDAY JUNE 12
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
to 10 pm, D’Arcy Good
SATURDAY JUNE 13
Mill
Street Beer Hall
8
pm, Vinyl Nights with DJ Humble Mike of the Record Collective
Soulpepper
Cabaret
8:30
pm, Tom Allen & Joey Wright with Joe Phillips (bass), Lori Gemmell (harp), John
Jowett (trombone) & Pete Gemmell (sax), $20 and $25
Stirling
Room
Stirling
Saturday. Reserve on the guest
list. $20
SUNDAY JUNE 14
Alice’s
Place
4
pm, Karaoke with Vee
Local
GEST
4:30
pm, Sunday afternoon jazz with Beverley Taft (vocals). Nathan Hiltz (guitar)
& Artie Roth (bass)
Mill
Street Beer Hall
1
pm, Jazz brunch with Tyler Yarema
Paintbox
2
to 5 pm, Archie Alleyne book launch
