This week’s image: an electrical fire burned in the top floor of this building at Wellesley and Parliament on Monday April 12. It was extinguished quickly.
CABBAGETOWN NEIGHBOURHOOD
REVIEW
FEATURED LOCAL ARTIST
David Arathoon
David Arathoon is a successful professional painter who lives in Cabbagetown. He has a website, public Facebook and Instagram pages which include contact details.
Smoke on the water (a series)
12" x 12" x 2" , oil on wood, and mostly with bits of metallic gold leaf.
"My paintings in the series, ‘Smoke on the Water’, have happened because I’m intrigued by reflections and refracted light. They’ve been a great exercise for me, especially with the Don River so close.”
A PERSONAL VIEW
LOCAL NEWS
Book a vaccination appointment
Crash bang along Wellesley
Three guys were racing through Cabbagetown at high speed at midnight on Monday. When their car reached Sumach and Wellesley, they were unable to complete the turn. They crashed into a fence, wrecked a low stone wall and bent over a real estate sign. They then backed up and drove off - leaving behind a licence plate! The car was leaking fluids so badly that they abandoned it on Alpha Avenue. Police later reported that the car did not match the rear licence plate.
Provincial plans for the First Parliament site
Suddenly, plans are emerging for the construction of five high-rise buildings as well as a subway station at the First Parliament site (Front and Parliament). The Ontario government has once again intervened in Toronto’s planning process with this announcement. Councillor Kristyn Won-Tam has reacted with surprise. She’s organized a virtual Town Hall meeting about the site from 6 to 8 pm on Thursday April 15 - click here to get the link.
Phantom Siblings
Carolyn Taylor-Watts has written her fifth book and second novel. Phantom Siblings is a story about a mother’s sick fantasies and a protagonist filled with self-doubt. Check her website for more info and for ordering. Available at Amazon for $21.38 and on Kindle $8.69.
Get your rain barrel
Once again, the Cabbagetown South Residents are selling rain barrels for your garden. They’re a terrific convenience and they’re a terrific way for the Association to raise some money. Proceeds will go to local service groups and to the youth anti-graffiti brigade. To get more info and to order your barrel, shop online, $55.
Hassle free gardens
Here’s another good idea from Cabbagetown South. The Association is working with Plantables to bring you a hassle-free way to start your garden. It’s easy - go to Plantables website and order your choice of plants, $4/plant. They’ll bring them along until the seedlings are ready to go into the ground and they’ll deliver them to you. When you order, enter the code cabbagetownsouth and 10% of the proceeds will go to the Association.
Volunteers are needed to help with the Farmers’ Market operations throughout the summer. If you’re interested, send an email to Katya, the market’s administrator.
Cabbagetown Farmers’ Market
Cabbagetown cares
Last Thursday, Pho-U (398 Parliament) supplied Vietnamese subs and wraps. This week, Epicure (473 Parliament) is providing lunch. The program supports about 100 people each week in Allan Gardens. Both the lunch guests and the restaurants benefit. Originally, it was intended to run four weeks in February - private donations have extended it to April 29. It’s organized by the Cabbagetown BIA (237 Carlton) along with St Luke’s United Church and Dixon Hall.
The Spring Art Walk
Karen Walker’s Dove (200A Carlton) is one of the BIA’s new window art pieces in businesses along Parliament and Carlton. She says it’s “a digital design that creates the sensation of movement through optical illusion. The dove is an international symbol of hope. Blue is the colour of hope. Spring is a time of hope, rebirth, growth, and renewal. During this difficult, trying time of the pandemic, we hold on to hope. A time of healing is on the horizon.” Check out all the featured artists - click here.
New worries about the Foundry
This jack hammer was seen at the Foundry site (153 - 185 Eastern Ave) on Tuesday along with a group of workers. Concern was rising that the demolition might begin again soon. Councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam later reported that the demolition company replaced the jack hammer with a bucket and provided an explanation that satisfied the City’s heritage staff. (Photo: Friends of the Foundry).
Foundry progress report
By Thursday April 15, 23,200 people had signed the petition to stop the Foundry demolition and $31,900 had been donated. The donations cover the cost of court actions so far but they’re far from enough to pay for any future actions. The links for the petition and online donations are here.
Cabbagetown Regent Park Museum Historical Tidbit
The William Davies Company established the first major grocery store chain in Canada. By 1900, the company had become the largest pork-packing operation in the British Empire, with half a million hogs processed annually at its huge factory at Front and the Don River … thus lending the nickname Hogtown to Toronto. Moving into retail was a logical next step. The Davies Company store came to Cabbagetown in the late 1890s when it set up at 485 Parliament Street where Home Hardware is now located. Meat was, of course, a major attraction. But there were others, as this photograph of a Toronto Davies store indicates. Of note were special company brands in the days long before branding became a commercial obsession. Spicy Davies Masala coffee. Soothing Davies tea. Sweet Davies relish. For more Cabbagetown history, photos and videos visit the CRPM Facebook page. (Photo: William Davies Store, ca 1910 CTA 1244-337a).
Since you can’t come to the Festival this year, the organizers are bringing it to you. They’ve designed limited edition special “Experience Bags” with a unique artist design. Inside each bag there’s a DYI dangling doughnut kit, DYI kite kit, DYI window craft, yellow chalk, anniversary window sticker, yellow ribbon to hang on your door, four forsythia themed cake pops from Velvet Lane Cakes and two traditional parade twizzles. You can also buy a limited edition yellow Festival Tee shirt. To manage all of this, the Festival team have set up their own Shopify store - to see each item and to place your order, click here.
By Sally Gibson
COMING EVENTS
The Forsythia Festival
Soulpepper’s Alice in Wonderland
Soulpepper and Bad Hats Theatre present a family film musical from Saturday April 3 to Sunday April 18. Jump down the rabbit hole and join Alice, the Red Queen and the Cheshire Cat in Wonderland. For tickets, click here. $20 per household.
St James Town West Park
The City of Toronto is upgrading the park (Bleecker and Howard). So far, early planning and consultations have generated concept design options. A public online meeting is scheduled for Tuesday April 20 from 6:30 to 8 pm. The plans will be shared along with an update on work in progress and the community will have a chance to ask questions and to react. Click here for more info and registration.
Speakers Corner with David Crombie
Enoch Turner Schoolhouse is hosting a series of Speaker’s Corner Zoom sessions with David Crombie. The second session at 7 pm on April 21 deals with the pandemic and education with guests Annie Kidder and Dr. Prachi Srivastava. Register online here.
NDP nomination meeting
The Toronto Centre NDP is holding its nomination meeting as a possible federal election looms on the Spring horizon. They’ll select their candidate for this campaign. Brian Chang has run here twice before and he’s putting his name forward again. It’s a Zoom meeting at 7 pm on Wednesday April 21 - click here for more info and to register.
IN THE MEDIA
Keiren Alam has organized people of colour and people who identify as women, trans and non-binary identities into a cycling group. They’re working to make Toronto’s cycling community more welcoming to under-reprsented groups. Andrea Yu has described her successes in this Toronto Star article. (Photo: BIKEPOC).
BIKEPOC
The First Parliament site
Donovan Vincent wrote about the surprise announcement from Doug Ford’s government about high-rise towers on the First Parliament site (Front and Parliament) in the Toronto Star. Nick Westoll at Global News also has a comprehensive write-up. Both stories give lots of background and comments from provincial and municipal officials. (Image: Ontario Ministry of Transportation)
Enoch Turner Schoolhouse
Doug Taylor has written a short history of the Schoolhouse for blogTO. There's a series of photos depicting its decline and restoration. Click here to read it. (Photo: Ontario Heritage Trust)
FOR YOUR KIDS
The Walk-up Window at the Book Bank (350 Berkelely at Gerrard) will be open during Spring break on Saturday April 17 from 10 am to 3 pm. After that, curbside book pickups will be available. Due to the renewed lockdown rules, the store itself will not be opened. The next book drop-off day happens on Saturday April 24 from 11 am to 2:30 pm - leave your boxes and bags on the pallets next to the gates. Click here for the Facebook page with lots of programming announcements. /
Brisket, ribs, burgers, hot dogs and more - on Saturday from 1 to 8 pm and Sunday from 1 to 5 pm. Details online - click here. Pick-up service. Add on a cold beer. 195 Carlton.
Children’s Book Bank
RESTAURANT NEWS - WEEKEND SPECIALS
Patio bbq at The Irv
F’Amelia
On Saturday and Sunday, enjoy braised brisket in a red wine reduction, mista pan grilled vegetables, crispy potato and house made focaccia. $45 for two and $85 for four servings. Check out the website for the F’Amelia shop, for a selection of fine wines and for the regular menu. Take-out service. (416) 323-0666. 12 Amelia.
Paintbox
Paintbox (555 Dundas E) now has Eritrean and Ethiopian cuisine and vegan breakfast specials. The website lists menu details and order info. Available every Saturday from 11 am to 4 pm.
House on Parliament
Every Sunday, grab a great brunch from the weekend menu. Noon to 3 pm. On Sundays from 5 pm, order the HoP’s legendary roast beef dinner. Curbside pick-up. Call [416] 925-4074 or come to the front window.
Stout Irish Pub
Stout (221 Carlton) has a double boned grilled pork chop with mac ’n cheese, grilled corn on the cob and a house salad on special for the weekend. $70 for two, $36 for one. Available from Friday April 16 to Sunday April 18. Please order 24 hours in advance. Pickups after 4 pm. Call (647) 344-7676 or email Madeleine.
Cyril’s soup
Cyril hasn’t done this favourite soup since last July so he’s bringing it back. Corn and jalapeno chowder filled with corn, potatoes, onions, carrots, celery and red peppers, mildly spiced with jalapeños and made creamy with the addition of dairy - half and half but rest assured you can still ask for coconut milk if you'd prefer. 3 to 9 cups at $3/cup and 10 or more cups at $2.50. He wants to believe that summer is already here, that we are back to normal and that we are sitting on the deck with friends, enjoying a refreshing drink of watermelon, strawberry and lemon (vodka optional). 2 cups for $9. Order by email to him.
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.
Food services
