This week’s image: Even though the Cabbagetown Festival has been cancelled, organizers at Blair’s Run are still planning for an event next weekend. This photo is a nifty memory from 2019.
CABBAGETOWN NEIGHBOURHOOD
REVIEW
FEATURED LOCAL ARTIST
Betty White
Betty is a Cabbagetown artist who’s lived here since 1984. She’s our featured artist through August. Click on the image to enlarge it. Click here to visit Betty’s website.
Marionette, 23”x32”, collage of chalk pastel, water colour, pencil, on Mulberry bark paper“Produced during a moment of play in Tobermory during a summer holiday. The children and grandchildren were visiting. Puppets regularly appear in my work as a visual expression of childhood.”
LOCAL NEWS
Cabbagetown Short Film Festival
The Cabbagetown Short Film Festival arrives next week as an online event. Twelve films - lots of comedy and drama. Starting on Wednesday September 9 then Thursday September 10 and Friday September 11, you can dip into the program or watch all of them in one big binge. Buy your ticket now, $15 - and tell your friends as far away as St John’s or Vancouver to tune in as well. Click here for tickets and info about the films. This will be the 41st year for this remarkable event. Organizers are setting up an online “race”. It sounds really imaginative - once the details are cleared up, there’ll be more announcements on the website. Here’s the first step. Save the date - the race window will be longer so the start-up is still Friday September 11 and the end date is “to be determined”. Get your team organized.
Second, the routes are still being settled. It sounds as if negotiations with various parts of officialdom are also involved.
Third, team captains should contact Brenda Brown McNee. Let the committee know whether you can help. Volunteers are needed for social media, flyer deliveries and mapping the routes. Your ideas are welcome - more to come soon.
Click here for more info.
Congrats to Olyana and Mike
Little Stanislav arrived in the world in late July. Mom and baby are doing very well. Olyana, in fact, has returned to her baking career. She and Mike have reopened Tasso (540 Parliament) for one day each week. No word yet whether Stan likes natural or chocolate croissants. All our best to a lovely family.
Porchside Songs
Photo: Dahlia KatzOver the summer from mid-July to the end of August, the Musical Stage Company (478 Parliament) has presented Porchside Songs - intimate musical performances in front yards across Toronto. Congrats to Ruth Miller who organized an evening in front of her Wellesley Street home. Andrew Penner and Hailey Gillis performed their mini-concert. It was a remarkable event. Porchside Songs is only one of several imaginative programs launched by the Musical Stage Company. Click here to visit its website.
595 - 601 Parliament
Image: Keith Loffler McAlpine Architects The developer who owns this building has won approval for his plans at the City’s Committee of Adjustment. Cranberries is located here. He’ll be renovating the lower two floors and keeping the commercial and restaurant spaces on the main floor. Three extra floors will be added with eleven condo residences. There’s no info yet about his construction timetable.
Congrats Dixonlicious
Dixon Hall held its annual fundraiser online this year. The auction was a success. It raised over $32,000 to help fund food programs. To learn more about Dixon Hall’s programs, check out its website.
Distillery WiFi
The Distillery now offers neighbourhood WiFi throughout the District. Select “Distillery WiFi by Beanfield” and get one hour’s service. Free.
Cabbagetown Regent Park Museum Historical Tidbit
Image: St Bartholomew’s Church Picnic, 1930s CRPMuseumBy Sally Gibson
St Bartholomew’s Church – or St Bart’s – has served the Regent Park area since the 1870s. Unlike most churches which were started by wealthy benefactors, St Bart’s was founded by working-class Anglicans within its parish boundaries. They worked hard to raise the money and the building. In the 1930s during the dog days of summer, the Church hired private TTC streetcars to whisk, or clatter, its parishioners to annual church picnics. Here we see eager picnic-goers boarding the streetcars, many waiting politely but some youngsters pushing their way aboard. Traditionally, such picnics featured food (ice cream!), games, singing, and general frolicking. Perhaps some hymns were slipped into the festivities.
COMING EVENTS
Loose Woman, my odyssey from lost to found
Beth Kaplan’s new book will be launched on September 9 at her home (308 Sackville) from 4 to 6 pm. Beth says that “It’s the story of how a quasi-alcoholic Canadian actor came to spend four astonishing months in 1979 living and working among men with severe disabilities at a L’Arche community in Provence, and how the experience opened her heart and transformed her life.” Social distancing, a one-way flow of guests and other pandemic precautions will be observed. Print copies from Beth are $25, three or more for $20. Print books also available from Ben McNally Books, Chapter/Indigo and Amazon, e-book from Kobo, Kindle and Amazon. An audiobook read by the author will be available on Audible - all on and after September 9. Check her website for more info and for direct orders.
ZOOM lecture
Enoch Turner Schoolhouse presents James Thompson talking about VE Day and the aftermath. His lecture happens online on Tuesday September 15 at 6 pm. It’ll run for an hour and there’ll be time for a Q & A. Click here to register.
Community environment days
Photo: James Morrison-Collalto/CBC
This year’s Environment Day has been rescheduled. It’s a drive-through event with health and safety protocols. Our local Drop-Off Depot is 400 Commissioner Street and it happens on Sunday October 4 from 9 am to 1 pm. The City of Toronto organizes these days to receive hazardous waste and to recycle used clothing, household goods, books and more. To learn more about it, read the CBC’s story about the 2019 events. For more info and for the locations of the other Drop-Off Depots, go to the website.
Local farmers markets
The best produce of the season is now arriving - corn, tomatoes, fruit and lots of green veggies. Cabbagetown Market (Riverdale Park, Winchester and Sumach) has attracted more vendors with good seasonal produce. It continues every Tuesday from 3 to 7 pm until October. The Underpass Park Farmers Market (29 Lower River Street) operates every Thursday afternoon from 4 to 7:30 pm.
Taste of Regent Park
Once again offering a free take-away meal once a week. Wednesdays from 6 to 7 pm in Regent Park (620 Dundas E).
CityView Drive-in
CityView Drive-In (20 Polson) is a new venue for concerts and movies. Check out the website for info and tickets.
IN THE MEDIA
Bob McNiven
Bob was a close friend for Duncan Fremlin and a mainstay in Whiskey Jack for forty years. He died in May from the effects of ALS. This will come as sad news for the band’s many fans who’ve enjoyed Bob’s performances over the years. Duncan has written a moving and personal obit for him in the Globe & Mail - click here.
Welcome Maxime Bernier
Photo: iPolitics/Matthew UsherwoodMr Bernier, leader of the People’s Party of Canada federal party, is planning to be a candidate in a Toronto riding in a forthcoming byelection. Two ridings are currently vacant - York Centre and Toronto Centre. The sitting MPs in both ridings have resigned. Even though this seems like an eccentric move, he’ll bring some sparks into the campaign. blogTO has a lively story about his prospects.
2020/2021 events at Canadian Stage
The official indoor productions at Canadian Stage (26 Berkeley) were cancelled at the start of the COVID-19 lockdowns. We’re now learning how the company will proceed over the next months with outdoor presentations, Zoom and virtual experiences. J Kelly Nestruck has done a preview of the plans in a Globe & Mail article - click here to read it.
BUSINESS NEWS
Daniel et Daniel open on Sundays
The Food Shop (248 Carlton) is reopening on Sundays beginning on Sunday September 13. Open from Monday to Saturday from 9 am to 6 pm and Sundays 9 am to 5 pm.
Cabbagetown Organics
On sale this week - back to school snacks. Juice, crackers, smoothies and babybel cheese. Open Monday to Thursday 10 am to 9 pm, Friday and Saturday 10 am to 8 pm and Sunday 10 am to 6 pm. 499 Parliament.
Children’s Book Bank
Starting September 8, the Book Bank (350 Berkeley) has new hours for their book distribution and literacy programs. For more information about booking a group, send an email.
Yes, Kendall is open
Kendall & Co (514 Parliament) is open and they are awesome! Simply email them or call (416) 363-9914 to set up your private appointment to shop their new collection of wool rugs, new vinyl floor mats, new wallpaper and new Canadian-made furniture. Open Tuesday to Saturday from noon to 5 pm. https://kendallandco.ca
RESTAURANT NEWS
Tasso is taking orders again
Olya and Mike are open and offering their delicious croissants. They’re using a handy system. Place your order online and pick it up on Saturday from 10 am to noon. Their website shows the items that are still available. It’s updated weekly. 540 Parliament.
Welcome back, Cranberries
Cranberries (601 Parliament) has reopened. Seating is socially distant and the side room where private parties usually happen is now open for regular business. Weekday hours are 4 to 9:30 pm. Weekend brunch from 9 am to 4 pm on Saturday and Sunday. The takeout menu with its $10 specials is still available from Monday to Friday, 11 am to 9 pm.
Fusilli’s street side patio
Fusilli (531 Queen E) is open outside - try their pesto chicken pizza with sun dried tomatoes.
This week at Peartree
This week’s specials at Peartree (507 Parliament) include black angus steak with sauteed mushroom and onion at $25.99, roasted breast of hunter chicken at $17.99 and salmon teriyaki stir fry for $17.99. Free delivery on orders over $30 - call (416) 962-8190.
Headscratchers Trivia
Every Tuesday at Stout Irish Pub (221 Carlton). Arrive by 7:15 pm for 7:30 startup. Reserve your space ahead of time - follow this link to book your table and to learn the new Stage Three rules.
Cyril’s soups and juices
On Saturday September 5, Cyril is responding to your requests and making his Mexican corn & chicken chowder. It’s a big recipe and he’ll only be able to offer one version - with meat, dairy, flour and heat. The ingredients include chicken, corn, black beans, red peppers, jalapeños, onions, half and half, cheese, lime, chilli peppers and quite a few spices, including cumin, coriander, paprika, chipotle and achiote, (three cups for $12 and four cups for $16.) His juice is beet, apple and ginger (two cups, $9.)He plans to skip Tuesdays for the summer and make one soup each week for Saturday. Email him to get all the details about each day’s menus.
CONTACT INFO
A comprehensive listing of our local food services is now available in our new Cabbagetown Directory.
The list includes bakeries, coffee shops, delis, restaurants and pubs. Each entry gives the name, address, phone number and a link to a Facebook page or website.
Click here to find your favourite.
