December 22

 This week’s image:  another beautiful holiday decoration.

CABBAGETOWN NEIGHBOURHOOD 

REVIEW

FEATURED LOCAL ARTIST

Joanne Pettigrew

Joanne Pettigrew is a graphic designer and artist, and a long-time resident of the Cabbagetown neighbourhood. She’s currently teaching at the School of Design at George Brown College.

Urban Landscapes,  Drawings by Joanne Pettigrew

“For some reason the beauty of the urban landscape becomes clearer to me at night. Maybe because there are fewer distractions, or perhaps because the darkness creates a greater intimacy.  Formally, these drawings are about my fascination with the effect of light on our perception of colour…”

Exchange Lane

Oil pastel and guache on paper 25” x 17.5”, 2018

SPECIAL EVENTS 

Christmas lights contest

The competition in this year’s Christmas lights contest will be tougher - people started early and really got into the spirit. Nominate your neighbours (or yourself!). The contest continues to Saturday December 26. Everyone is welcome to vote. Check the Cabbagetown Residents Association website for photos of the nominees and all the voting details.

Deck the Holidays

The lights in the garden boxes beside the TD Bank (Carlton and Parliament) are part of the Cabbagetown BIA’s contribution to street decorations along Parliament.

Storefronts

Local businesses do a spectacular job with their seasonal front windows. This week’s feature is Labour of Love (223 Carlton).

WHAT'S OPEN & WHAT'S CLOSED

Rick at the Cabbagetown BIA has posted a handy list of the stores and services affected by provincial lockdown regulations.  These rules continue until January 23. For more info and updates, go to the BIA’s business directory on its website.  

Open

Groceries, variety stores, liquor and beer stores, pharmacies, laundromats and dry cleaners and veterinarians (for animal health services).  

Curbside pickup only

All restaurants and bars (pickups and delivery only), cannabis stores, hardware, pet supplies, computer sales and repairs, and clothing stores.

Fully closed

Gyms, nail and hair salons and real estate open houses.

NEWS 

Help needed - announcement

Ron has lost a hearing aid somewhere on the sidewalk along  Parliament Street.  He’s unsure where exactly - he went to Absolute Bakery, Cranberries and all the way south to No Frills. If you see or find it, please call him at (416) 300-7093.  

City of Toronto skating rinks

Riverdale Park East, Regent Park and Sherbourne Common are now open from 10 am to 10 pm daily. Outdoor rinks are still open with a 25-person limit.   Change rooms and lockers are closed.  You can make a reservation and confirm that the rinks are open at the City’s website.  

Cyril’s soups

Cyril is taking a break over the Christmas and New Year period.  He’s finished with his special order system.  When he starts up again in January, he’ll let us know.

Tilted Dog

Congrats to Sean and Tiffany.  Their Christmas pies have sold out!  

Cabbagetown Regent Park Museum Historical Tidbit

Image:  Gendron Manufacturing, ca. 1895 

by Sally Gibson

Preparing for Christmas 1895, French-speaking elves worked long hours down at the Gendron Manufacturing Company at 411 Richmond Street E. (The building still stands.) Bicycles. Doll carriages. Rocking horses. Express wagons.  Père Noȅl had a big order that needed to be completed by December 24 . Fortunately, many Franco-Canadian elves lived in the nearby French Quarter. On Christmas Eve, work done, they would bundle over to mass at Toronto’s first French Roman-Catholic church, Église du Sacré-Coeur, at 436 King Street East. In 1887, the French community had been able to purchase and convert a former 1870 Presbyterian church on that site. The Sacré-Coeur parish church moved to its present, purpose-built church and community centre at Carlton and Sherbourne in the late 1930s. Joyeuses fêtes 2020. May this be the last holiday season requiring separation and masks!

IN THE MEDIA

Regent Park School of Music

The School held its first-ever virtual recital of its annual Winter program on Friday.  This CBC News report describes the concert and the School’s program.  Click here to read it. (Photo:  Regent Park School of Music)   

Christmas in the Distillery

Frank Gunn captured this gorgeous image from the Distillery on Saturday December 12.  (Photo:  Frank Gunn, Canadian Press)

UPDATES - CHRISTMAS DINNERS & HOURS

Cranberries (601 Parliament) 

This is Cabbagetown’s original crowd-pleasing Christmas dinner. $30 per person. Butternut squash soup or organic mixed green salad. Roast turkey with mashed potatoes, veggies, stuffing, gravy and cranberry sauce. Apple crumble for dessert. To order, call (416) 925-6330 before December 23. Closed December 24, open from 5 to 9 pm on December 25 for pick-ups (no deliveries) and closed again on December 26.

F’Amelia (12 Amelia) - order deadline extended

Dinner for four including a bottle of red or white wine. Two options. Option 1 is a traditional turkey dinner and dessert. Option 2 features braised beef and dessert. Served cold, cooked and ready to reheat. Each option, $250 - serves four people. Order by December 22 for pickup on December 23 - phone (416) 323-0666. Closing from December 24 to 27.

Chew Chew Diner (186 Carlton)

A traditional meal with roast turkey, stuffing, mashed potato, gravy, cranberry sauce and fresh veggies.  $14.99 - add split pea soup for $4 and pumpkin pie for $4.  Pre-order at (416) 924-7589.  Pick-up at the restaurant or delivery with Uber Eats and Door Dash.  

Daniel et Daniel (248 Carlton)

D & D has reached its capacity for Christmas orders. The Food Shop is closed from December 25 to 28 and open again from December 29 to 31 - regular hours, 9 am to 6 pm.  Other food items are available in the Shop and online.     

DOVA (229 Carlton)

Christmas hours - closed from December 24 to 26.    

House on Parliament (454 Parliament)

Pick up your turkey dinner orders on December 24.  Closed December 25 and 26 - open again on December 27 with the regular menu plus the yummy roast beef dinner!

The Irv (195 Carlton)

Closed until December 27.  Pickups only for the Christmas dinner on  Thursday December 24 and Friday December 25, from 1 to 3 pm. 

Noushe  (200 Carlton)

Orders for the four course feast are now closed.  Deliveries on December 23 or 24.  Special house selections of wine also available.  Details and order info online here.  Closed December 25, 26 and January 1.  

BAKERIES & FOOD SHOPS

Absolute Bakery (589 Parliament)

Open daily for regular hours 6 am to 8:30 pm except December 24 and 25, open from 7 am to 5 pm.

Cabbagetown Organics (499 Parliament)

Shorter hours on Christmas Eve and Boxing Day - 10 am to 6 pm. Closed on Christmas. Regular hours from December 27, 10 am to 9 pm.

Le Beau Croissanterie (665 Dundas E)

Order pickups and limited selections on December 23 and 24.  Closed from December 25 to January 8.

Roselle (362 King E)

Holiday orders are now closed.  The bakery is open to noon on December 24, reopening at 11 am on December 30.

St Jamestown Steak & Chops (516 Parliament)

Open until 2 pm on Thursday December 24.  Reopening on December 28.

Staij & Co (552 Parliament)

Their order book is full and they can’t handle any new Christmas business now.  Pickups and deliveries will happen until New Year’s.  After that, they plan to close for two weeks.  Best wishes to everyone and thanks for the support.

Velvet Lane (194A Carlton)

The bakery is fully booked now for Christmas Eve and can’t accept new orders.  Open to 5 pm on December 24 and closed until January 6.

CONTACT INFO

COVID regulations for retail stores

There’s a business directory on the Cabbagetown BIA website with the COVID details listed beside each store’s info. 

Food services

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.