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APRIL 10 = CRA SPRING CLEAN-UP. PLEASE JOIN US

Calling all Cabbagetowners! 

Spring is in the air and it’s once again time to reclaim our parks and green spaces from that layer of winter garbage.  Every year the CRA organizes a community wide Spring cleanup and your help this year is more urgent than ever, as last year’s event was cancelled due to the onset of COVID-19. 

Please mark your calendars for Saturday April 10^th.  Volunteers should assemble at either the Wellesley Park splash pad or the top of the stairs at Riverdale Park West any time after 10:00 am. 

In accordance with Covid-19 protocols we encourage everyone to wear masks at all times and practice physical distancing throughout. The CRA will provide collection bags, rubber gloves, hand sanitizer and face masks, as needed.  This is a family event, open to all ages, and we encourage kids to attend to foster a message of community responsibility.  We also encourage the adult volunteers to assist in the areas beyond the park boundaries to really attack the accumulated trash at our fringes. 

Trash bags can be left alongside the city bins for collection by the Toronto Sanitation.  We look forward to your involvement on April 10^th!

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STANLEY’S VARIETY TAGGED WITH ANTI-ASIAN GRAFFITI

Rick Matthews from the Cabbagetown BIA reported on Wednesday that the Gou Family, who own and operate Stanley’s Variety (at Ontario and Gerrard), had their building tagged with anti-Asian Graffiti. As you would expect they were shaken up and saddened by the hatred directed towards them. 

The BIA delivered flowers from the community to the Gou Family  and planned to paint over the  graffiti on the north side of their store this week. 

The BIA thanked the Moss Park Community Officers from 51 Division who were quick to respond. Special thanks go to Staff Sargent Henry Dyck, who went over the same evening to start to paint over the hateful graffiti. 

 Racism is not welcome in our neighbourhood. The BIA and the CRA encourage residents to stop by Stanley’s Variety to say hello, show support for the Gou family’s small business and let them know that they are a vital and welcome part of our community.  

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HAVE YOU HEARD OF ‘DON’T MESS WITH THE DON’?

Don’t mess with the Don describes itself as a group of nature-loving granola munching Torontonians that spend a good deal of their free time enjoying the vast trail system that we are lucky to have in the middle of our great city.  To this end, they feel great pain when they come across abuse and disdain for the trails and ecosystem and have formed a group to advocate and address specific issues of unrelenting dumping of garbage and debris into the ravines.

Interested in learning more or helping out? Sign up for news updates.

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CABBAGETOWN RESIDENT BRINGS VACCINE TO INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES

“The pilot won’t let you on the plane if you’re not dressed for survival”: This Toronto doctor travelled to Northern Ontario to vaccinate people in fly-in Indigenous reserves. Article and photo care of Toronto Life.

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CRIME REPORT INFOGRAPHIC FROM 51 DIVISION

This handy infographic on how to report a crime arrived in our inbox just in time for this week’s newsletter. Thanks to Staff Sargent Henry Dyck at 51 Division for sending it in. 

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CABBAGETOWN PHOTO CORNER

Don’t forget, if you have a photo to share, email it to us along with a caption and/or some background info. info@cabbagetowner.com 

This week we have two more photos with caption from CRA board member Lise Flynn:

Spring has Sprung…and it’s Open Season for Park Snacks.
I scream, you scream, we all scream for Ice Cream & then some!
Tues- Sat: 10am-6pm, Sun. 10am-5pm.

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TORONTO SEEKS RESIDENTS INPUT ON GARDEN + SUITES INITIATIVE

The Garden + Suites project is one of several studies that the City of Toronto is leading through its Expanding Housing Options in Neighbourhoods initiative. A Garden Suite is a detached housing unit, usually located in the rear yard, and is separate, or detached from the main house. Garden Suites, like Laneway Suites, are generally smaller than the main house on the lot and are intended to function as a rental housing unit.

Find out more about this city housing initiative and share your thoughts in the residents survey on the idea of Garden + Suites.

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CITY LINKS FOR VACCINE BOOKINGS – NOW 70 AND OVER

ActiveTO RETURNS, PLUS YONGE STREET CYCLE PILOT 

The City of Toronto Infrastructure and Environment Committee today approved a staff report on ActiveTO recommending the return of Major Weekend Road Closures as well as a complete street pilot project along a section of Yonge Street to support the local economy and CaféTO with an expansion of the temporary ActiveTO cycling network.

The report, which will now be considered by Toronto City Council starting on Wednesday, April 7 identifies key findings and outcomes from the 2020 ActiveTO program.

ActiveTO was introduced in May 2020 as a quick-start COVID-19 response program. It was designed to provide more space for people to practise physical distancing while outside, support the overall wellbeing of residents and to quickly connect and expand Toronto’s cycling network by installing safe, separated temporary bike routes that mirror major transit lines.

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THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN RED AND GREY ZONES IN ONTARIO

With Toronto entering a newly-modified form of the same colour zone under the provincial government’s reopening framework this past weekend, people are starting to lose track of what these colour levels even mean, reports Lauren O’Neil at BlogTO.

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HAD COVID? ONE DOSE OF VACCINE MAY BE ENOUGH 

Scientists at the National Advisory Committee on Immunization are reviewing research that suggests people who have been infected with COVID-19 can turbocharge their antibodies with just one dose of a vaccine, reports Hina Alam at the Canadian Press.

LOCAL/CITY NEWS

CRA NEWSLETTER MOVING TO BI-WEEKLY PUBLICATION

It was almost a year ago that we switched up to weekly publication of the CRA Newsletter to help Cabbagetown residents navigate the strange times we had all entered – and oh my, how strange they turned out to be!

Now the trials and tribulations of the last 12 months are slowly moving into the rear view mirror, it seems like a good time to move the Newsletter to biweekly from this issue onwards. 

If you have ideas on content that you would like to see more (or less) of, please share your thoughts with us at info@cabbagetowner.com.

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RACIST ABUSE REPORTED IN CABBAGETOWN

A local resident had informed us that their partner was the subject of a verbally abusive and racist attack in Cabbagetown this Thursday just before 1:30pm. 

A man followed her from a block west of Riverdale West Park on Winchester Street to Jet Fuel coffee on Parliament. He was carrying a racist anti-Asian/Chinese sign saying something to the effect of ‘Go Home’ on one side and “Asian girls stop taking pics of me…”  on the other to obscure his face for pictures. He was talking to her while following to try and make her stop and read his sign, she walked as quickly as possible to keep her distance.  

Two very helpful men and others stepped in at Jet Fuel and eventually forced the man to leave and the victim was escorted home.

The man in question was described as a white middle-aged male, balding, heavy framed, average height.  He had a yellow sign he was carrying with him.  He was wearing a Realtree sweatshirt and grey sweatpants.  If you have photos or information about this individual please contact the police.

The incident has been reported to Police at 51 Division.

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TWO LOCAL BAKERIES GET SHOUT OUT FROM BlogTO

Congratulations to Velvet Lane Cakes and Staij & Co. for making the shortlist of 15 bakeries in Toronto making beautiful cakes. 

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LIVE GREEN NEWS – MARCH EDITION

Find out what our friends at Live Green Toronto are focusing on this month in the latest issue of Live Green News.

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DON’T FORGET THE CLOCKS ‘SPRING’ FORWARD THIS WEEKEND

Yes it’s that time of year, when we lose an hour’s sleep on Sunday morning. Ever wanted to know a bit about the background to this  biannual time change? The Daily Hive provides some insights.

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CITY LAUNCHES POTHOLE REPAIR BLITZ THIS SATURDAY

The City of Toronto is launching its first pothole repair blitz on March 13 to repair as many potholes as possible on Toronto’s major roads, neighbourhood streets, and expressways.

City crews have performed proactive daily patrols throughout the winter months to help keep Toronto’s roads in a state of good repair. This Saturday marks the first weekend with favourable enough weather conditions for a pothole repair blitz – daytime temperatures are expected to be above zero with dry roads.

Residents who are driving or biking for essential travel on Saturday are advised to expect minor delays. The public is asked to be safe by respecting work zones and giving crews space while they make repairs.

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PLANS TO REVITALISE WATERFRONT AT BASE OF PARLIAMENT ST.

A swath of land along Toronto’s eastern waterfront previously abandoned by Sidewalk Labs will soon be getting an entirely new look.

Waterfront Toronto released their vision for the 12 acres of land on Wednesday as they announced the launch of an international competition to find a developer to undertake the project. Report by Laura Hanrahan at Toronto Urbanized.

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DRIVERS LICENCE RENEWAL EXTENSION REMAINS IN EFFECT

It’s been over a year since the province introduced an extension on renewing Ontario driver’s licences, and the extension remains in place.

Documents that expired on or after March 1, 2020 remain valid and legal, until further notice, including licence plate stickers, driver’s licences, Ontario photo cards and accessible parking permits.

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CABBAGETOWN PHOTO CORNER

This week we are starting a new segment, highlighting photos of Cabbagetown by Cabbagetown folk. If you have a photo to share, email it to us along with a caption and/or some background info. info@cabbagetowner.com 

We kick things off with two photos, accompanying captions and a backgrounder from CRA board member Lise Flynn:

“I miss visiting Riverdale Farm and can’t wait until we are re-united once again. Here’s a little bit of farm history for those that don’t know it. Between 1888 and 1974, this was the site of the Riverdale Zoo. The zoo began with the donation of deer by Toronto Alderman Daniel Lamb. In 1974 the zoo relocated to a much larger facility in Scarborough and became the Toronto Zoo. In 1978, Riverdale Farm opened on the west bank of the Don River adjacent to Riverdale Park. The main barn was first constructed in 1858 in Markham and moved to the present site and rebuilt in 1977. The farm specializes in pioneer breeds of farm animals that are hard to find on commercial farms.”

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PANDEMIC UPDATES

Just under 12 months ago we also started to include Coronavirus related news in the CRA Newsletter. Hopefully we are through the worst of it by now, so we have  decided to wind down our  dedicated pandemic updates section. Going forward we’ll fold any related items into the main newsletter.  

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LOCAL/CITY NEWS

OUR HOLIDAY LIGHTS WENT ON AND ON AND ON AND ON…!

With Spring now firmly on the horizon, we want to thank everyone for heeding our call to keep their holiday lights twinkling a little longer this challenging winter season and also thank you all for participating in the 2020 Holiday Lights Competition.  It was the most successful year for the competition to date, with an amazing 17 homes nominated across Cabbagetown and a record 2,300 votes cast, from all over the city, country and globe, as word spread enthusiastically!  We celebrate the broad exposure that it gives to our neighbourhood.  A special (and somewhat belated!) congratulations to the Slight family from Spruce St.  who were this year’s winners, garnering just over a third of the total vote.  We look forward to everyone’s participation in next year’s competition!

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LOCKDOWN RESTRICTIONS PUT IRV GASTRO PUB AT RISK 

Regan Irvine, the owner of Cabbagetown’s Irv Gastro Pub and part-owner of the bar Super Bargain released a public letter on Wednesday evening calling out Premier Ford, Mayor Tory, and Dr. Eileen de Villa for prohibiting dine-in, report by Tanya Mok at BlogTO.

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DIXON HALL WANTS TO HEAR YOUR VOICE

Dixon Hall’s Rooming House Project Team, has put together a community survey to better understand and define what is important for the Cabbagetown community. Your feedback will be important for helping Dixon Hall plan out future community services and offerings, while enhancing community culture and well-being. 

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LOCAL MPP SUPPORTS AMMENDMENT TO CANNABIS ACT 

MPP Suze Morrison wants to give cities more say on cannabis retail licensing through Bill 235 which amends the Cannabis Licensing Act. You can find out more on Suze Morrison’s web site.   

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CATALYTIC CONVERTOR THIEVES TARGETING CABBAGETOWN

A Cabbagetown resident posted on Life in Cabbagetown that her car’s catalytic converter and oxygen sensor had been cut out a few nights ago. Apparently it can be done very quickly and thieves often do more than one car to make it worthwhile, she reports. Our investigations show that these sorts of thefts are on the rise, unfortunately.

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IN MEMORIAM – GERRY GRAVES

From the Cabbagetown BIA:

It’s with a heavy heart that we share the news that Gerry Graves of RE:Print on Parliament St. passed away on February 16th. His obituary appeared on the Globe and Mail last weekend.

Gerry was a lifelong entrepreneur. He founded two companies, Re:Action Marketing Services in 1977 and Re:Print Copy and Printing in 1978, both of which have served a wide range of clients here in North America and in Europe over the past 40 years.

Beyond being a businessman, Gerry was a great supporter of our community, his friends, and his family and he truly enjoyed helping others. He sat on the boards of the BIA and the Cabbagetown Youth Centre, while also contributing to a number of other community causes; Re:Print has been a long-time sponsor of Blair’s Run.

He was a kind, sincere, and generous man.

Please take a moment to leave a message here. Those who wish to remember Gerry with a memorial donation are asked to consider the Trauma and Neurosurgery Program Patient Comfort Fund at the St. Michael’s Hospital Foundation.

Our sincere condolences to his family, friends and the entire Re:Print family.

Gerry will truly be missed, but never forgotten.

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TORONTO SPEED CAMERAS ARE ON THE MOVE AGAIN 

The City of Toronto’s 50 Automated Speed Enforcement (ASE) devices will begin rotating to the third round of locations in May to reduce speeding at more areas with safety concerns. New locations in our neighbourhood are:

• Homewood Avenue, near Maitland Place
• Parliament Street, north of Oak Street 

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LEARN HOW TO COMPOST – ON-LINE!

Local Charity Green Thumbs is running a FREE virtual workshop on March 15 covering why and how to bring your soils to life indoors and out. Explaining how healthy compost helps our planet in three ways for a WIN WIN WIN.

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CABBAGETOWN SOUTH – SPRING NEWSLETTER

Our counterparts in the Cabbagetown South Resident’s Association just issued their Spring 2021 Newsletter for everyone to enjoy.

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CITY TO REVIEW NATURAL GARDEN PERMITTING REQUIREMENTS

Do you think residents in Toronto should be able to grow a natural garden without applying for a permit? Share your point of view by March 31.

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BEWARE – RACCOON BITES ARE ON THE RISE IN T.O.

City officials are warning residents to avoid contact with raccoons after an uptick in reported raccoon-related injuries.

Between January 2020 and February 2021, Toronto Public Health saw a 62 per cent increase in reports of people bitten or scratched by raccoons compared to the two-year average between the years 2018 and 2019, reports CBC News.

Read the City news release about the issue

More about dealing with City wildlife from the City of Toronto. 

PANDEMIC UPDATES

TORONTO MOVES TO GREY ZONE ON MONDAY

Toronto and Peel Region will move into the grey zone of the province’s COVID-19 reopening framework Monday, lifting the stay-at-home order and allowing some businesses to open their doors for the first time since last November, reports Sean Davidson at CTV News.

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MAJOR UPDATE IN VACCINE ROLL-OUT TIMING

An update on Ontario’s vaccination timeline has been released showing details on who can expect a vaccine as part of Phase 2, including, but not limited to, secondary and elementary school staff, seniors 60 and up and COVID hotspots, reports Lucas Casaletto at 680 News. 

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WHY CANADA IS DELAYING THE SECOND DOSE OF VACCINES 

Experts say efficacy of 1st COVID-19 vaccine dose is a ‘game changer,’ but critics call delay an ‘experiment, reports Adam Miller at CBC News.

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PHARMACIES WILL SOON ADMINISTER COVID-19 VACCINES

Ontario pharmacists will soon be able to administer the COVID-19 vaccine after the Ford government signed an agreement to harness the reach of 4,600 pharmacies across the province, reports Colin D’Mello at CTV News.

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MAP SHOWING DIFFERENT RESTRICTION LEVELS ACROSS ONTARIO

The most recent colour coded framework helps Ontarians navigate the rules, restrictions, and zones for every region throughout the province based on how they are faring with the virus. This handy interactive map visually helps you understand the designation for each region.  

CITY/LOCAL NEWS

CSRA PRESENTATION ON HOW TO RESEARCH HISTORIC HOMES

This Sunday, Cabbagetown South Residents Association is running a free virtual presentation on everything you need to know about researching your home’s history. 

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SPRUCECOURT SCHOOL COUNCIL NEWS

This just in from our friends at Sprucecourt School. 

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WELCOMING NEW SHELTERS INTO COMMUNITIES

We received this email from the Shelter, Support & Housing Administration. The City is inviting local residents to share their perspectives about its community engagement process – what works well, and what can be improved. 

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SIGN THE PETITION TO SAVE 127 STRACHAN AVENUE

A concerned citizen reached out to us this week to ask for support of a petition started by the Architectural Conservancy of Ontario’s Toronto Branch to save 127 Strachan Avenue from demolition. Yes, it’s not exactly in Cabbagetown but who best to help save an historic building than us Cabbagetowners!

Here’s some more depth on the story from BlogTO.

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LOCALICIOUS AT 75 T.O. RESTAURANTS – ON NOW THRU MAR. 7.

A network of restaurants across Canada including 75 in Toronto are doing reasonably priced prix fixe menus next week in an effort to raise money for charity and support local, reports Amy Carlberg at BlogTO.

Cabbagetown restaurant Haldi is on the list too!

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22 THINGS TO DO AROUND THE HOME/ CITY THIS MARCH

To help pass the final few weeks of chilly weather, here’s a list of virtual events to socially-distanced outings, to amazing stuff you can do at home. A round-up from Curiocity.  

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TORONTO RAMPS UP AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROGRAM

The City of Toronto has drafted a report recommending the creation of 971 affordable units across 15 new developments, which will be sent to City Council for approval, reports Laura Hanrahan at Daily Hive/ Urbanized. 

Read the City News Release.

Proposed locations include 130 River Street (at Dundas St E) and 393 Dundas St E. (at Ontario).

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WHAT TO WATCH IN MARCH

NOW Toronto provides a round up on new stuff to watch on Crave, Amazon Prime and Netflix in March. 

PANDEMIC UPDATES

LATEST VACCINATION SCHEDULE FROM RET. GEN. RICK HILLIER

An online portal for booking appointments for COVID-19 vaccines in Ontario is set to launch on March 15, the head of the province’s immunization task force said Wednesday, but it will likely be months longer before many people are able to get a reservation.

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LOSS OF TASTE AND SMELL CAN LAST FOR MONTHS AND MONTHS

A preliminary study involving 813 Quebec health-care workers who tested positive for COVID-19 has shown that people with the coronavirus could lose their sense of smell and taste for up to five months, reports Tom Yun at CTV News. 

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COVID-19 POSITIVITY RATE DOWN 18-FOLD IN LTC HOMES

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ALL IN-PERSON EVENTS CANCELLED UP TO CANADA DAY

Toronto residents who were hoping to see most public health restrictions lifted and a return to some version of normal by the summer will be disappointed to learn that the city has officially cancelled all in-person, city-run and city-approved events until at least July 1, reports Mira Miller at BlogTO.

Read the City News Release.

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GOT ZOOM FATIGUE? SCIENCE HAS A REASON FOR THAT

An influx of virtual meetings might not be the only factor causing “Zoom fatigue” in potentially millions of people during the pandemic. The very design of video-conferencing apps could be wiping you out too, according to a group of U.S. researchers, reports Jonathan Forani at CTV News.

CITY /LOCAL NEWS

CONCERNS ABOUT POT STORE ON WELLESLEY REJECTED BY AGCO

The CRA received an approval notice this week, regarding the contested Cannabis Retail Store application at 307 Wellesley Street East. It states:

“After carefully considering all of the available information, the Registrar has determined that issuance of the cannabis Retail Store Authorization for the above noted premises is not contrary to the public interest.”

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SJTCA SEEKS VOLUNTEER TREASURER TO JOIN BOARD

St. James Town Community Arts (formerly Reaching Out Through Music), a small charitable organization based in St. James Town, is looking for a Volunteer Treasurer to join its board. A financial background is essential (CPA preferred). Here’s the job description.

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DIXON HALL URGENTLY SEEKING VOLUNTEERS

Dixon Hall urgently needs weekday volunteers for its Meals on Wheels program (runners and drivers) to deliver meals to its homebound Seniors. This follows an 80% reduction in volunteers and a 30% increase in demand for services due to the pandemic. If you can help please email them at volunteer@dixonhall.org.  

(Full COVID safety protocols are in place for all volunteers.)

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LOCAL FURNITURE SUPPLIERS GET THE NOD

Congratulations to Parliament Street Furniture and Eclectisaurus (on Gerrard) for being included in Narcity’s recent round-up of 7 Toronto furniture stores that sell trendy home pieces at affordable prices. 

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YOUR VERY OWN CABBAGETOWN NEWS SOURCES

We’ve heard from a few people recently that they didn’t know about some of the very useful local news sources in our neighbourhood. So here’s a list, for anyone that might be missing out:
Cabbagetown Neighbourhood Review – Doug Fisher’s excellent weekly email/blog about news and events in the area
Cabbagetown BIA newsletter – Our local Business Improvement Area newsletter
Parliament St. News – Local news and events around Parliament Street

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RYERSON MBA STUDENT IDENTIFIES SHELTER CLUSTERING

Brandon Arkinson has used the city’s ‘open data initiative portal’ to  identify a clustering of homeless shelters in 3 main areas – the Downtown Core and two locations in Scarborough. His analysis shows that 26 neighbourhoods are shouldering 98% of the city’s shelter capacity while 107 neighbourhoods maintain no capacity whatsoever. Many of these 26 neighbourhoods have high levels of COVID-19 and poverty. Check out Brandon’s interactive neighbourhood-by-neighbourhood map.

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IS COMFORT FOOD KEEPING TORONTO RESTAURANTS AFLOAT?

Comfort food is back in a big way, but the chicken sandwich revolution is forcing restaurants to rethink more than the menu, reports Kelsey Adams at NOW Toronto.

PANDEMIC UPDATES

GOOD NEWS FOR 14.5 MILLION CANADIANS!

The federal government has released an updated COVID-19 vaccination timeline, showing that at least 14.5 million Canadians will be immunized by the end of June with the approved Pfizer-BioNtech and Moderna shots. Report by Rachel Aiello at CTV News.

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WHO’S NEXT IN LINE FOR THE COVID-19 VACCINE?

Ahead of the anticipated arrival of more COVID-19 vaccine doses in the coming weeks, the province has now confirmed who will be prioritized next for its vaccination program, reports Codi Wilson at CP24/CTV News.

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PREPARING FOR THE VACCINE – CONSIDER AVOIDING PAINKILLERS

Medical professional don’t recommend taking pills like Tylenol and Advil near time of vaccination, saying some common painkillers could blunt the effect of the vaccine, reports Amina Zafar at CBC News.

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LOCAL SCIENTIST THAT DISCOVERED mRNA LOOKS TO FUTURE

“It’s likely we’ll see another pandemic in the next 20 years”: The Toronto scientist who invented the Covid vaccine technology says we need to prepare for the next virus. Interview by Courtney Shea at Toronto Life.

CITY/LOCAL NEWS:

A NOTE FROM THE EDITOR

Local news stories were a bit light this week! Please remember, if there are things you think your fellow Cabbagetowners should be hearing about, feel free to email us at info@cabbagetowner.com.

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LOCAL BUSINESS OFFERS VIRTUAL BABYSITTING CLASSES FOR KIDS

A couple of weeks back we shared a link to a company (in Nepean it turns out!) offering virtual babysitting programs for kids, completely overlooking the fact that we have a local Cabbagetown business that does this too! 

Heart to Heart First Aid CPR Services has been located at  216 Carlton St. for the last 22 years and provides courses in Red Cross Home Alone, Babysitting, First Aid, BLS, First Responder, Instructor Courses, Emergency Medical Responder and Psychological First Aid.

They are now offering virtual babysitting courses and Cabbagetown residents can get an introductory 50% off using promo code CTYOUTH. 

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ANNEMIE PAUL LINES UP 2ND RUN FOR TORONTO CENTRE

The Green Party leader plans to announce her candidacy for the nomination there Thursday ahead of a possible federal election, setting her up for a rematch, reports Christopher Reynolds at the Canadian Press.

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ROOMING HOUSE PROJECT UPDATE FROM DIXON HALL

The CRA received this message from Dixon Hall, providing a bit of an update on the Rooming House Project at 502-508 Parliament. 

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LIVE GREEN TORONTO HOSTS FREE VIRTUAL COOKING EVENT

Learn how to make a delicious and sustainable seafood chowder at home in this first interactive episode of the new Live Green @ Home Workshop Series.

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DONATION DAY AT THE BOOK BANK

The Children’s Book Bank (350 Berkeley at Gerrard) is holding a book donation day on Saturday February 13 from 11 am to 2:30 pm.  Bags and boxes can be left on the wooden pallet inside the gated driveway.

(Thanks to Doug Fisher at CNR for this piece)

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A BIT OF VACCINE FUN FROM BRITAIN’S NHS

Elton John and Michael Caine have joined forces in a new ad encouraging the public to get Covid-19 vaccinations. Released on Wednesday, the ad shows the British showbiz icons competing for a starring role in a promo video for the jab. 

PANDEMIC UPDATES:

DOUBLE MASKING APPEARS TO BE TWICE AS EFFECTIVE 

U.S. government researchers have found that two masks are better than one in slowing coronavirus spread, but health officials stopped short of recommending that everyone double up.

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CANADIAN VACCINE DELIVERIES EXPANDING NEXT WEEK

A month-long slowdown in Canada’s COVID-19 vaccine deliveries should end next week, with the single biggest shipment of vaccines from Pfizer and BioNTech to date and almost two million doses expected in the next month, reports Mia Rabson at CTV News.

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P.E.C. SAYS VISITORS NOT WELCOME AS LOCKDOWN EASES

The health unit for the popular Prince Edward County wine region is serving notice it wants most tourists to stay away when the area reopens for business as stay-at-home orders get lifted, reports Rob Ferguson at the Toronto Star.

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CITY READIES 9 MASS IMMUNIZATION CLINICS 

Mayor Tory has announced the locations of nine City-operated COVID-19 immunization clinics. The City’s Immunization Task Force is working to ensure all nine City-operated clinics will be ready to open once the Province of Ontario provides direction, and vaccine supply is secured by the Government of Canada.

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COVID-19 VARIANTS IN CANADA – ONTARIO LEADS THE PACK

The highest concentration of COVID-19 variant cases reside in Ontario and this week, the first known case of the Brazil variant in Canada landed in Toronto, reports Bianca Bharti at the National Post.

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MASKS IMPACT BRAIN’S ABILITY TO RECOGNIZE FACES

Remembering to grab your mask before walking out the door may be getting easier, but recognizing your neighbour, co-worker or third cousin when they’re wearing one can still be a bit of a challenge, reports Carly Thomas at CBC News.

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DOCTORS COIN TERM FOR PANDEMIC LINKED ANXIETY

Severe anxiety linked back to the COVID-19 pandemic now has a name: “coronaphobia”, reports Ross Andersen at CTV News.

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COVID-19 VARIANTS – YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED

At least two of three variants of concern are spreading in Canada, in some cases with no known link to travel. Here’s a look at some of the most common questions Canadians have about the variants.

CITY/LOCAL NEWS

NATURAL ICE RINK OPENS IN WINCHESTER PARK

Congratulations to the community volunteers who came together to build Cabbagetown’s first natural ice rink, which officially opened on February 1.

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CABBAGETOWN SHORT FILM FESTIVAL

The Cabbagetown Short Film Festival will be screening a Valentine’s special, featuring twelve romantic short films. It runs from February 14-20 and tickets costs just $10. Once you start viewing you can see each film at your leisure over three days.

Credit to Doug Fisher at CNR for this content.   

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ST LAWRENCE MARKET LAUNCHES ONLINE ORDERING

St. Lawrence Market has partnered with online ordering service Inabuggy to offer customers access to the freshness and variety of produce, meats, fish, grains and bulk foods, baked goods, dairy products and specialty items that the Market is known for, in as little as one-hour delivery for residents who live within five kilometres of the Market.

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LIVE GREEN NEWS – FEBRUARY 2020

Here’s the latest from our friends at Live Green Toronto.

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G&M HOME OF THE WEEK – 333 WELLESLEY STREET EAST 

Renovated from head to toe, inside and out, 333 Wellesley St E. is featured as the Globe and Mail’s home of the week.

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NEW DOCTORS CLINIC OPENS IN CABBAGETOWN

Three family doctors have opened a new practice at 595 Parliament street and they are open for new patient registration. 

Credit to Doug Fisher at CNR for this content.

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BIGGER BETTER PATIO DINING TO ROLL OUT IN MAY

The city is set to roll out a bigger, better version of CafeTO, the municipal program that allows for expanded patios on sidewalks and streets during the pandemic, reports Natalie Johnson at CTV News.

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YONGE STREET STRETCH TO GET MAJOR MAKEOVER

Toronto’s iconic Yonge Street is officially getting a makeover through the downtown core thanks to a 21-5 city council vote in favour of YongeTOmorrow; an ambitious plan that will restrict vehicular traffic along parts of the major street for more pedestrian, cyclist, event and green space. Report by Lauren O’Neil at BlogTO.

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COUNCIL APPROVES MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS REPONSE PILOT

City Council has approved the framework for a multi-year pilot project that will see the creation of a mobile crisis assistance intervention service in multiple parts of the city. Toronto Centre included in pilot locations.

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CITY/YWCA OPENS AFFORDABLE HOUSING – CHURCH & CARLTON

This week Mayor Tory officially opened an affordable and permanent supportive rental housing building that includes 120 apartments for women at 389 Church St. The self-contained apartments will create a safe, inclusive and supportive community for women, gender diverse people, and youth and seniors who have experienced or who are at risk of experiencing homelessness.

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A longtime Toronto resident and avid biker has created a New TTC style map to showcase the ever-expanding bike network in and around the city, reports Olivia Little at BlogTO.

PANDEMIC UPDATES:

PROVINCIAL GOVT. CONSIDERS CANCELLING MARCH BREAK

The Ford government is considering the possibility of cancelling March Break for Ontario students amid concerns about new COVID-19 variants that are already circulating in the community, reports Chris Fox at CP24.

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IMPACTS OF VACCINE DELIVERY ISSUES CONTINUE

After weeks of dose shortages, the federal government says it will still be a few weeks before Canada’s Pfizer deliveries fully ramp up to pre-interruption levels, while Moderna’s next shipment has yet to be confirmed.  A report by Rachel Aiello at CTV News.

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COUNCIL EXTENDS CITY MASK BYLAWS 

City Council has approved the extension of the City of Toronto’s temporary mask bylaws until the end of City Council’s June 8 and 9, 2021 meeting. The Mandatory Mask By-law was set to expire this week.

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COVID19 POSITIVITY RATE TRENDS DOWNWARDS

Ontario reported its lowest COVID-19 positivity rate in months, reports Phil Sekouras at CTV News. 

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A BRIEF LOOK AT THE 7 VACCINES CANADA HAS ORDERED

Between July 24 and Oct. 22, Canada signed deals to pre-order seven COVID-19 vaccines. Here’s a brief look at what we know about those vaccines, listed by manufacturer. Report by Mia Rabson at the Canadian Press.

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BRITAIN TO TEST MIXING AND MATCHING VACCINES

British scientists are starting a study Thursday to find out if it’s OK to mix and match COVID-19 vaccines, reports Maria Cheng at the Associated Press.