This
week’s image: lounging and lunching on the rooftop at the House on Parliament
CABBAGETOWN NEIGHBOURHOOD REVIEW
LOCAL NEWS
A
gift from Louisville Kentucky
Scott
Hunter was visiting Louisville for the Kentucky Derby when he was shot and
killed on May 2. His death has
created a painful void for his friends in Cabbagetown and Leslieville. In late July, students from Louisville’s
Westport Road Baptist Church visited Grinder Coffee and gave Scott’s friend and
business partner, Joelle Murphy, a painting in his memory. Members of Scott’s family and his
friends were there as well. “It
was just incredibly kind of them to do this” Joelle said. Inside Toronto has the full story.
Rooming
house reviews
The
City of Toronto has been holding formal reviews of its rooming house licence
for a Berkeley Street building owned by Peter Diakogeorgiou that’s at the
centre of a serious controversy.
On the one hand, area residents have regularly complained about fights,
trespassing, drinking and excessive noise. The police have visited it 27 times in the past year. MLS inspectors have been there three
times and found building and health violations. In 2012, fourteen special conditions were attached to the
rooming house licence and during the 2015 renewal, officials determined that
ten of them were neglected. On the
other hand, city officials fear that revoking the licence will simply put the
building outside their jurisdiction and the offenses will get worse. A resident fears that closing the place
will force him into another apartment at rents that he cannot afford – he now
pays $700 per month. A decision is
expected in September.
The
BIA’s police liaison report
As
mentioned last week, the Cabbagetown BIA is developing a project to inform
us about effective ways to work with the police to create
a safer community.
There
are several ways to contact the Police Service. Click here and scroll down to
read the tips.
When
any incident occurs, you are urged to report it. When police see a pattern, big or small, they allocate
resources to investigate and prevent problems.
If
you have ongoing problems, you should use the services of the Community
Relations Officers who can assist you with these issues.
Reduce
the risks around your property by using good design – the police have an online
pamphlet on Crime Prevention through Environmental Design.
Register
your bike – it’s free, quick and easy.
Click here.
Touring
school gardens
Green
Thumbs helps to build gardens for schools and their surrounding
communities. On Saturday, August 8,
you can tour three school gardens. The tours at Winchester Public School
(Winchester & Rose) and Rose Ave Public School (675 Ontario) happen from
10:30 am to noon and at Sprucecourt Public School (70 Spruce) from 10:30 am to
1 pm. There’ll be mid-morning
snacks, children’s activities, giveaways and prizes and live music. To start,
go directly to one of the schools or meet a group at the Sherbourne Station.
The
24th edition of the annual festival celebrating Regent Park
life. Sunday August 9, Regent
Park’s Big Park (Sackville & Dundas), free. There’s be dance competitions, children’s activities,
raffles, games and prizes, music by local talent, food stands and lots
more.
St
James Cemetery walking tour
Photo: Gilles Huot
The
cemetery was opened in 1844 as the final resting place for Toronto’s elites.
The names on many of its graves honour people who had a major impact on
Canada’s history and culture. Its
chapel has become a National Heritage Site. The tour – sponsored by the Cabbagetown Preservation
Association and Herirtage Toronto – will visit these and many other
highlights. Sunday, August 16,
1:30 pm, free.
CABBAGETOWN PERSONALITIES
Notable
Cabbagetown election candidates
These
two guys will bring a unique perspective to the federal election. Although they’re both running in
ridings outside Cabbagetown, both
live here.
Photo: Richard Lautens, Toronto Star
Noah
Richler, the author and literary organizer, has tossed his hat into the ring in
downtown Toronto-St Paul’s riding.
He’ll be the NDP candidate and will have lots to say about Canadian
cities, child care and precarious work.
In early July, Alex Boutilier profiled his candidacy in a Toronto Star
article.
Photo: Praxis Theatre
Tommy
Taylor
is the Green candidate running against Liberal (and former police chief) Bill
Blair in Scarborough Southwest.
Taylor was arrested and thrown into the detention centre in June 2010
during the G20 protests. Blair has
subsequently refused to answer his questions about that detention. Taylor has written an acclaimed play
about his experience – You Should Have Stayed Home. Now he hopes to face Blair in debates and make him ‘fess
up. Jonathan Goldsbie has the
details in his August 5 NOW Magazine story.
Professor
Danny Marks
Our
pal, Danny Marks, is taking an academic turn. From September 24 to October 29, he’ll be teaching a course
at the Royal Conservatory on the Passion of the Guitar. Who better than Danny to do this? Anyone who’s watched his shows can
attest to his love and skill with his instrument. The course goes from 7 to 8:30 pm for six weeks. $225. The Royal Conservatory website has details and registration
info.
A
gold medal for Arthur Biyarslanov
Photo: Toronto Star
Arthur
came to St James Town in 2005 with his family when they fled the civil war in
Chechnya. With his older brother’s
encouragement, he started boxing and trained at North York’s Atlas Gym with
Adrian Teodorescu. In late July,
he won the gold medal in light-welterweight boxing against Cuba’s Yasnier
Toledo – the first Canadian male to score a Pan Am boxing gold medal since
1975. Toledo, his opponent, is one
of the world’s top-ranked boxers and Arthur’s victory is sweet prediction of more success for him in the 2016
Olympics.
PARAPAN AM GAMES
The
Games
1600
athletes from 28 countries will compete in 15 sports during the ParaPan Am
program – a record number, up from 1300 in 2011. In each sport, the athletes will be competing for qualifying
spots to the 2016 Paralympics in Rio.
The opening ceremonies happen on Friday August 7 and the Games close on
Saturday August 15.
Event
info
For a description of each sport and its rules, click here.
Schedule
info – both the overall general listings and the daily listings – can be found
here.
PANAMANIA
The
Young Centre (50 Tank House Ln, Distillery) is one of the performance centres
for Panamania. Ticket info and
program details online here.
Obeah
Opera
Onstage
to August 8. An all-female cast tells the story of the Salem witch trials from
the perspective of enslaved African women. An a capella theatrical epic. Sorry – tickets for the final performances are all sold.
PUSH! Real Athletes. Real Stories. Real Theatre.
This
winning production traces the history of Paralympic competition from 1944,
weaving the stories of each athlete to show the diversity of world-class
athletes with disabilities. Monday
August 10 to Friday August 14 – the shows on August 10 and 11 are sold
out. Matinee at 2:30 pm on
Wednesday and evening shows at 7:30 pm.
REGULAR SUMMER EVENTS
Distillery
Music City Summer Series
Kaia
Kater will perform Appalachian and Canadian traditional music on the
Distillery`s Trinity Stage on Wednesday August 12 from 6 to 8 pm. Free concert.
Under
the Stars outdoor movies
Wednesday
from 7:30 pm. Free screenings in
Regent Park (620 Dundas E), following “Taste of Regent Park”. On Wednesday August 12, it’s Bollywood
movie night. Popcorn and refreshments will be available during the movies. If it rains, everything moves inside
the Daniels Spectrum (585 Dundas E) in the Artscape Lounge.
Outdoor
markets
Cabbagetown
Farmer’s Market – Tuesdays from 3 to 7 pm, Riverdale Park (Sumach and
Winchester). The Market has a very good website and a chatty Facebook page – check them out to see which
vendors will be coming to the Market each week.
Taste
of Regent Park – Wednesdays from 5:30 to 8:30 pm, Regent Park (620 Dundas
E). The event includes farmers booths,
local food tastings and associated music.
Outdoor movies follow the market. There are lots of notes about events
and food on Facebook.
From
farm to fork – Saturday from noon to 4 pm, The Local GEST (424 Parliament). The pub has a farm plot north of the
city and uses its produce for its kitchen. Farm fresh veggies are sold every week outside the pub (and
every Tuesday at the Cabbagetown Farmers Market.)
Summer
concerts at Little Trinity
Common
Deer appear at the summer concert series on Thursday August 6 at 7 pm in Little
Trinity Park (King and Trinity).
On Thursday August 20, the series finishes with the Conor Hall Trio. The
concerts are free. Bring a lawn
chair or a blanket and enjoy a charming musical experience.
SHOPPING NEWS
Café
Olya advance orders
The
holidays are over and the café is opening again on Friday August 7 at 8
am. You can now order in advance
and pick up your goodies on your designated date between 8 am and noon. Some minimums may apply. Short notices may be possible but a
48-hour advance notice is better.
Please prepay your order.
Call (416) 833-4248 or email cafeolya@gmail.com. Drop in personally – Café Olya, 540
Parliament.
Labour
of Love
Regina
is on the move. She’s closing her
current store (242 Carlton) and scooting right across the street to the former
Me To We Store (223 Carlton).
She’ll give us all the details soon. It’s a good situation for all of us. Regina will be able to continue with
the goodwill that she’s built up over her five years in Cabbagetown. Plus the retail strip along Carlton
will enjoy another healthy store on its south side.
Now
or never sale at Kendall
Kendall
& Co (514 Parliament) is bringing in some exciting new arrivals soon and
the store has to be emptied out to make room. Save up to 60% off everything now! Ask the staff about final markdowns on rugs, mirrors,
upholstered furniture, tables, cabinets and lighting. Shop now – the best deals
are in the store. Store hours –
Monday to Friday, 10 am to 6 pm, Saturday. 11 am to 5 pm.
RESTAURANT NEWS
Golf
with the HOP
Monday
August 17. It’s the first
tournament at the HOP’s new destination, Westview Golf Club in Aurora. A jam-packed day with lunch at the
club, guaranteed good fun with your golfing pals, a cart, lots of prizes and
dinner at the HOP. You’ll get a
bus ride from the House on Parliament (454 Parliament) and back again. Reserve your spot at (416) 925-4074 or,
better yet, drop in to the pub. $130 pp.
Congrats
Under The Table
The
restaurant closed early on Wednesday – a brand new granddaughter arrived and
everybody rushed to the hospital to have a look and enjoy her company. This happened just a few days after
Malcolm Brogdon from the USA Pan Am basketball team dropped in for dinner. Altogether, a good time for Kim and
Betty. 568 Parliament.
More cooking classes at Merryberry
Souffles,
both savoury and sweet, are scheduled for Tuesday August 11 from 6 pm. Cyril wants to show you how easily you
can whip up these cloud-like concoctions.
If
there’s enough interest, an additional soufflé session will be held on Tuesday
August 18 at 6 pm.
Sous-vide
is the second topic. It’s back
again, thanks to popular demand. Monday
August 10 at 6 pm.
To
reserve your spot, drop in to Merryberry (559 Parliament). You can also call him at (647)
348-0411. $45.
Acoustic
music at The Irv
Congrats
GEST
Photo: Getting everything started, two years ago
It`s
been two years since Tiffany, Gary, Erique and Sean opened their pub (424
Parliament). They`ve established
themselves in the community with early morning Gold Medal hockey broadcasts,
fundraising evenings, Noah, Zach and Porter, lots of jazz, great farm fresh
food, and always a warm welcome.
Here`s a toast to many, many more anniversaries!
Ukes
at the Paintbox
The
Corktown Ukulele Jam happens every Wednesday at 7:30 pm at the Paintbox (555
Dundas E). Everyone welcome. And don`t miss the Alphabot Send Off
Show on Saturday August 8 from 7 pm, $6 at the door.
Congrats
Young Thailand
AccessTO
is a new website that’s listing locations across Toronto that have accessible
facilities. Its description of
Young Thailand (446 Parliament) also includes an enthusiastic endorsement of
its food and staff.
CLUBS & PUBS – DAILY LISTINGS
THURSDAY AUGUST 6 TO SUNDAY AUGUST 16
Contact
info
Alice’s
Place, 554 Parliament St, (647) 931-9088, https://www.facebook.com/alicesplacetoronto
Cranberries,
601 Parliament St, (416) 925-6330
El
Catrin, 18 Tank House Lane, Distillery, (416) 203-2121, www.elcatrin.ca/home
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/
Little
Trinity Summer Concerts, Little Trinity Park, 425 King at Trinity
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
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 AUGUST 6
The
Irv
7pm,
Geoff Willingham
Little
Trinity Concert Series
7
pm, Common Deer
The
Local GEST
8
pm, Jeff Barnes and Noah Zacharin
Mill
St Brew Pub
7
pm, Tap That Cask with live acoustic music
Under
The Table
9
pm, Karaoke
FRIDAY AUGUST 7
Mill
Street Beer Hall
8
pm, Vinyl Nights with DJ Humble Mike of the Record Collective
Mill
Street Brew Pub
6:30
pm, Beer school, $25
Stirling
Room
Theatrical
Friday with resident DJ Rod Bravo, reserve on the guest list. $20
White
Elephant
7
to 10 pm, Brendt Thomas Diabo
SATURDAY AUGUST 8
The
Local GEST
Noon
to 4 pm, Fresh veggies on sale at Farm to Fork
Mill
Street Beer Hall
8
pm, Vinyl Nights with DJ Humble Mike of the Record Collective
Paintbox
7
pm, Alphabot`s East Coast Tour send-off show, $6
Stirling
Room
Stirling
Saturday. Reserve on the guest list. $20
White
Elephant
7
to 10 pm, Linda Carone (vocals) with Richard Whiteman (piano), Vintage jazz and
blues
SUNDAY AUGUST 9
Alice’s
Place
4
pm, Karaoke with Vee
Local
GEST
4:30
pm, Sunday afternoon jazz with the Beverly Taft Trio
MONDAY AUGUST 10
Merryberry
6
pm, Sous-vide cooking class, $45
Stout
Irish Pub
7:30
pm, Headscratchers trivia
TUESDAY AUGUST 11
Merryberry
6
pm, Souffles cooking class, $45
Stout
Irish Pub
7:30
pm, Headscratchers trivia
WEDNESDAY AUGUST 12
Alice’s
Place
9
pm, Karaoke
Distillery
– Trinity Stage
6
to 8 pm, Music City Summer Series, Kaia Kater
The
Local GEST
7:30
pm, Smart Ass Trivia
Paintbox
Bistro
7:30
pm, Corktown Ukelele Jam
Regent
Park, The Big Park
7:30
pm, outdoor movies with Bollywood movie night and Bollywood pre-show.
THURSDAY AUGUST 13
The
Irv
7pm,
Geoff Willingham
The
Local GEST
8
pm, Open mic with Porter
Mill
St Brew Pub
7
pm, Tap That Cask with live acoustic music
FRIDAY AUGUST 14
Mill
Street Beer Hall
8
pm, Vinyl nights with DJ Humble Mike of the Record Collective
Mill
Street Brew Pub
6:30
pm, Beer School. $25
Stirling
Room
Theatrical
Friday reserve on the guest list.
$20
White
Elephant
7
to 10 pm, Scott B Sympathy
SATURDAY AUGUST 15
The
Local GEST
Noon
to 4 pm, Fresh veggies on sale at Farm to Fork
Mill
Street Beer Hall
8
pm, Vinyl Nights with DJ Humble Mike of the Record Collective
Stirling
Room
Stirling
Saturdays, reserve on the guest list
SUNDAY AUGUST 16
Alice’s
Place
9
pm, Karaoke with Vee
Local
GEST
4:30
pm, Sunday afternoon jazz with the Ken Taylor Trio
