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HIGHLIGHTS OF THE CRA AGM

The CRA Annual General Meeting was held on June , with 24 attendees, of which at least 18 were members in good standing, exceeding the quorum minimum of 15 for voting on official business.

The meeting covered off a review of CRA activities since the last AGM in June 2020, provided a financial overview of fiscal 2020 and completed it’s official business with unanimous approval. Here’s a link to the meeting minutes for further details.

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CRA BOARD CHANGES

At the AGM the following motions relating to changes in the board composition were unanimously carried:

Three new board members were elected to positions vacated during 2020/2021. We warmly welcome the following new members to our board:

Sam Lyon (City and CHCD Liaison)
Jeremy Neuringer (Saftey , security and joint Police Liaison)
Katie Tozer (Event Chair, 2021 Forsythia Festival)

A further motion was made to increase the size of the board of
directors from 9 to 12 directors and to give the Board delegated authority to nominate such other individuals as it deems appropriate to fill such spots, in its discretion.

The CRA has received a robust response to its recent call for new board members and is currently completing a review process to identify additional residents to join the board.

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CRA NEWSLETTER TAKES A SUMMER HIATUS

The CRA newsletter will be taking a bit of a summer break following this issue, and will return to your inboxes sometime in August.

We will continue to post any ‘breaking’ Cabbagetown news on the CRA Facebook page Twitter account.

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GTGK LAUNCHES SUMMER MATCHING PROGRAM

When COVID-19 shifted schools online, Green Thumbs Growing Kids (GTGK) TRIPLED the number of schools it reached. In addition to serving students in the home base of Regent Park ), they reached 9 NEW neighbourhoods, (including Riverside, Parkdale, Eglinton West and Lawrence Ave) PLUS 4 NEW cities (Richmond Hill, Mississauga, Scarborough, and Whitby).

Before the pandemic, their programs were in person and staff performed many of the necessary garden caretaking tasks alongside students. Now Staff are doing double duty running programming AND tending the gardens. But the budget has not adjusted to reflect this growth.

GTGK has launched a summer matching program to build much needed funds to help with the budget shortfall. Read more about how you can help.

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UPDATE ON GARDEN SUITES STUDY

The Garden Suites Study looks at expand housing options in Neighbourhoods as part of the Expanding Housing Options in Neighbourhoods (EHON) work program, endorsed by City Council in July 2020.

A Proposals Report, including draft Garden Suite regulations, is going to the June 28, 2021 Planning and Housing Committee meeting. The draft regulations contained in the Proposals Report will form the basis for ongoing consultation.

Additional information about the Garden + Suites study is available at www.toronto.ca/gardensuites

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SOME TORONTO BEACHES DEEMED UNSAFE FOR SWIMMING

Toronto is home to 11 supervised public beaches, eight of which are blue flag certified this year, meaning the city regularly conducts inspections of E. coli levels to see which ones are safe for swimming on any given day. Unfortunately, only two beaches have been given the green light for swimming in recent days: Woodbine Beach and Bluffer’s Beach Park. A report from Mira Miller at BlogTO.

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CITY NEWS UPDATES

CITY STAFF REPORT RECOMMENDS RENAMING DUNDAS STREET

In June 2020, City Council received a petition calling for Dundas Street to be renamed. The street is named after Scottish politician Henry Dundas, who scholars have concluded played an instrumental role in delaying the abolition of the Transatlantic Slave Trade, causing more than half a million more Black people to be enslaved in the British Empire.

Read the background to the city’s Recognition Review and Response to the Dundas Street Renaming Petition

A City of Toronto staff report which recommends a renaming of Dundas Street and other civic assets with the Dundas namehas now been scheduled to go before the Executive Committee on July 6. If approved, the report will then be reviewed by City Council at its July meeting.

The recommendation follows discovery sessions, extensive academic research and a review of over 400 global case studies, and furthers the City’s commitment to anti-Black racism, Indigenous truth and reconciliation, as well as building a more inclusive and equitable Toronto.

BIKE SHARE FREE RIDE WEDNESDAYS ARE BACK

Mayor Tory, Scott Collier Toronto Parking Authority (TPA) President, and Rhonda English, Chief Marketing Officer, CAA South Central Ontario (CAA SCO) recently announced the return of Free Ride Wednesdays during the month of July.

Thanks to the Bike Share Toronto / CAA SCO partnership, Bike Share Toronto riders will ride for free every Wednesday in July. Riders can take out a bike for up to 30 minutes, return the bike to any station, and take out another bike for an additional free 30-minute ride for a 24-hour period.

ParkPlayTO AND SUMMER IN THE 6IX RETURN WITH KIDS PROGRAMS

Mayor Tory has announced that ParksPlayTO and Summer in the 6IX will return this summer to engage Toronto youth, children and their families at parks and outdoor spaces across the City for a second summer.

Beginning Monday, July 5, ParksPlayTO will offer free drop-in and activity-based, recreation programming Monday to Friday at 74 locations.

Check ParksPlayTO and Summer in the 6IX for more information.

FREE SUNSCREEN RETURNS TO 75 WATERFRONT PARK LOCATIONS

The City of Toronto, the David Cornfield Melanoma Fund and the Douglas Wright Foundation are collaborating once again to provide free sunscreen through touchless dispensers at select park and trail locations along the Toronto waterfront. The dispensers are available at 75 locations in City parks along the waterfront, from Marie Curtis Park in the west to Bluffers Park in the east.

Since 2017, #BeSunSafe has offered sunscreen dispensers in select Toronto city parks, protecting close to 250,000 Torontonians.

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PANDEMIC/VACCINE UPDATES

As we all happily move into phase 2 reopening (with case counts remaining consistently low!), we will be closing off the pandemic/ vaccine news section, after nearly 15 months of coverage. We will roll any future related updates into the main newsletter content.

CRA 2021 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

The CRA AGM is scheduled for June 23 at 7.30 pm on Zoom. Invitations and links to the Zoom session have already been circulated to all CRA Newsletter recipients. If you still need the link, please email us at info@cabbagetowner.com.

Please note that only members of the association whose accounts are in good standing are permitted to vote on any resolutions that are brought to the floor. You can check your membership status by looking at the header of the newsletter email that you just received from us. Here’s the meeting agenda.

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JUNE 2021 SPRUCECOURT COUNCIL NEWS

From the Sprucecourt School Council: It’s hard to believe the 2020/2021 school year has come to an end. There is no doubt that this has been a challenging time for many. It has hopefully been made slightly easier by our amazing teachers and administrators – helping us all navigate online learning. A huge thank you to the staff at the school for helping to make a challenging time slightly easier. The 2021/2022 school year is set to start on Thursday, September 9th, 2021. We hope to see you in person at that time!

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PARLIAMENT STREET FITNESS ADDS MORE FOR OUTDOORS

Under Ontario’s re-opening plan, outdoor fitness classes and personal training are now allowed. As a result, Parliament Street Fitness will now offer some outdoor HIIT/bootcamp, yoga and running classes starting on June 22 in Riverdale Park West or Sprucecourt School. Classes are free for current members. Non-members are more than welcome to join. Check out the PSF web site for more info (scroll down home page to schedule)

(Thanks to Doug Fisher at CNR for this news item)

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THE GREAT BIG CRUNCH – FROM GTGK

Have you heard of the Great Big Crunch? It’s a national movement and annual moment of anti-silence in which students, teachers, parents and others passionate about healthy food join the food movement, crunching into apples (or other crunchy fruit or vegetable) to make a big noise for healthy school food! Every year since 2008, Canadians have participated in the synchronized crunch, an original initiative of FoodShare Toronto, and now adopted by the national Coalition for Healthy School Food. Story from Heather Wilberforce at Green Thumbs, Growing Kids.

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NEW TRANSFORMATION FROM LANEWAY PROJECT

Located just south of Queen St E between Logan Ave and Morse St, this laneway is used by local kids to get to school, and provides service and parking access to neighbouring businesses and homes. It now features Toronto’s very first full-coverage laneway road mural along its entire 90m length.

This follows on from their project in Central Hospital Lane in Moss Park-Cabbagetown.

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LATEST UPDATES FROM LIVE GREEN NEWS

Here’s a link to the latest newsletter from LiveGreen Toronto. In this month’s issue they cover:

Celebrating Pollinator Week – June 21-27, Toronto’s annual basement flooding campaign, community approaches to waste reduction and Getting TO to Net Zero.

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FREE ICE CREAM AND DRINKS IN RIVERDALE PARK

Toronto residents who can show they have been vaccinated can get free ice cream and drinks from Kitchen Hub in honour of International Picnic Day.

Today, June 19, between 5 pm and 8 pm, the Kitchen Hub will host a picnic in Riverdale Park West and give away free drinks and soft-serve ice cream. The celebration is in partnership with Greenhouse, Station Cold Brew, and Sapsucker.

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DOWNTOWN SNOW CLEARING PLAN ALL SIGNED OFF

Last week City Council voted overwhelmingly to expand sidewalk snow clearing to every sidewalk in the city. New plows will be purchased through the existing capital budget, and the operating budget won’t be all that expensive after all, reports Dylan Reid from spacing.ca.

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NEWS FROM THE CITY:

ActiveTO – PORTIONS OF BAYVIEW TO BE FULLY CLOSED THIS WEEKEND

The City has announced the ActiveTO major weekend road closures that will be in place from Saturday, June 19 at 6 a.m. until Sunday, June 20 at 9 p.m., including the return of the full vehicle closure on part of Bayview Avenue.

ActiveTO road closures to vehicles will include:
• Lake Shore Boulevard East (eastbound lanes only), from Leslie Street to Woodbine Avenue
• Bayview Avenue (full closure), between Front Street East and Rosedale Valley Road, as well as River Street between Bayview Avenue and Spruce Street.

CITY ANNOUNCES NEW ParkFitTO PROGRAM

Last week the mayor announced the launch of ParkFitTO, a new pilot initiative offering residents outdoor fitness programming. With provincial restrictions still in place, the City of Toronto’s recreation centres will deliver fitness programs during the summer season at outdoor locations. With ParkFitTO, the City will offer outdoor drop-in fitness workouts as well as weekly outdoor group fitness and walking programs.

PERMIT PARKING ENFORCEMENT RESUMES

The City of Toronto reminds residents that routine enforcement of residential on-street permit parking resumes Monday, June 21 at 12:01 a.m. The City encourages residents who require residential on-street parking, and who do not have a valid on-street parking permit, to apply for a new permit as soon as possible.

ADDRESSING TAKEAWAY WASTE

Last Week Toronto City Council approved the Single-Use and Takeaway Items Reduction Strategy – Stage 1 report as the first stage of a Reduction Strategy to help reduce single-use and takeaway items in Toronto.

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VACCINATION AND TESTING NEWS:

mRNA NOW PREFERRED 2nd DOSE FOR AZ RECIPIENTS: NACI

The National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) is now recommending that people who received a first dose of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine receive a second dose of an mRNA vaccine, such as Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna.

CITY OPENS UP 90,000 NEW VACCINE APPOINTMENTS

The City will open 90,000 new vaccine appointments over the next two weeks to respond to continued unprecedented demand as eligibility for second vaccine doses opens further. 30,000 appointments at City-run immunization clinics for the week of June 21 are now open in the provincial booking system . On Monday, the remaining 60,000 appointments will open for the week of June 28.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE BOOKING A SUMMER TRIP

Rising vaccination rates and a gradual easing of international travel restrictions may be causing some Canadians to dream of that exotic summer vacation they had long since written off as a lost cause.

But with many restrictions still in place, challenges with accessing certain insurance, and the question of travelling with unvaccinated children, there are several things to consider before spending money on plane tickets in 2021. A report from Cameron French at CTV News.

FREE TEST KITS FROM CITY/BoT TO HELP SMBs WITH REOPENING

The City of Toronto has partnered with the Toronto Region Board of Trade to provide free COVID-19 rapid screening kits to small- and medium-sized businesses across Toronto.

This will be a webinar-style virtual event on the Zoom platform. All paid up members will be emailed the Zoom login credentials.

AGENDA

Welcome
Introduction
A year in review
Financials
Introduction to new board
Formal portion of meeting
Questions (to be taken by text chat function, or submitted to info@cabbagetowner.com prior to meeting)

Posted on June 2, 2021

The CRA is looking for a few Cabbagetown residents interested in joining its board of directors to contribute to and help grow our activities in the neighbourhood.

New members will be ratified following the CRA AGM on June 23, 2021.

For anyone that’s interested in joining us, here’s an overview of the activities, focus and composition of the Association :

The CRA was established in 1967 and is a purely volunteer-led organization.

We are one of several active residents’ associations across Cabbagetown, each representing different geographical areas of the neighbourhood. The CRA covers East Cabbagetown, bordered by St James Cemetery to the North, Parliament to the East, Gerrard to the South and the Don River to the West.

The CRA helps build community by:

Hosting annual events in the community
Promoting neighborhood safety and security
Representing community concerns with the city and police
Sharing local news and information with residents

EVENTS

FORSYTHIA FESTIVAL – MAY

The Forsythia Festival is held annually on the 1st Sunday of May at Wellesley Park and is free for all to attend.

There’s usually a parade with marching band, a BBQ sponsored Steak and Chops, a beer garden sponsored by Stout Irish Pub, a magic show and dozens of activities for kids and families including bouncy castle, mechanical raccoon, face painting, photobooth, spring bike inspection, parachute game, craft station, flower crown station, and much more … the Toronto Fire Department even gives fire truck tours!

It takes over 100 volunteers to bring the Forsythia Festival to life each year and we’re grateful for the continued sponsorships from our Cabbagetown Business Community and residents.

2021 marked the 50th Anniversary of the Forsythia Festival and although we were not able to gather in person to mark this wonderful community milestone, the Festival still went ahead as a virtual event. In 2022 we expect it to come back roaring as an in-person even, as it has been traditionally.

PUMPKIN WALK – 1 NOVEMBER

The Pumpkin Walk happens every year on November 1. Residents bring their Halloween Pumpkins to Riverdale Park, for a magical evening of twinkling lights and neighbourhood fun. We collect donations for the local Food Bank and then the Pumpkins are recycled for us by the City.

HOLIDAY CARDS – CHRISTMAS

The Holiday Cards event is run in conjunction with local schools. Students create holiday themed art, which is judged by local Cabbagetown artists. The winning entries get special certificates and a pizza lunch for their class.

HOLIDAY LIGHTS – CHRISTMAS

The Holiday lights contest encourages everyone in the neighbourhood to decorate their front yards over the Christmas period (usually with lights!). Residents can enter their house (or anyone else’s) into the competition and everyone gets a chance to vote on their favourite. Winners get a plaque to commemorate their achievement and a call-out in our newsletter.

SPRING AND FALL CLEANUP – April and September

This is a community event that coincides with Earth Day each year, where we get together with neighbours to do a clean-up sweep across our local parks. In 2020 we decided to add a second clean-up in September, to coincide with World Clean up Day.

SAFETY AND SECURITY/POLICE LIAISON

The CRA maintains a close liaison with Toronto Police 51 Division through regular communications with our community policing representatives. We also participate in the Community Policing Liaison Committee which brings police and community representatives together several times a year to discuss crime and safety and security challenges and solutions.

CITY LIAISON

The CRA maintains regular communications with representatives at the councillors office for Ward 13 on all sorts of subjects of concern to our residents. These include new developments in and around the neighbourhood, traffic and crosswalk issues, local park amelioration, selection of bike share locations, etc.

COMMUNITY NEWSLETTER

The CRA has traditionally put out a monthly newsletter to its database of residents. When the pandemic started we upped the frequency and included a round-up of local, city and pandemic/vaccination news, which has proved to be popular with our members.

SOCIAL/ENVIRONMENTAL

In 2020, the CRA started to recruit new board members that can spare a few hours per month to help the association ramp-up its involvement in new initiatives, with a focus on social and environmental issues. This was kicked off in 2020 with a fundraiser for Dixon Hall, which raised over $13,000 for food insecurity in our neighbourhood.

We plan on continuing with these initiatives and our expectations are that anyone joining the board can provide a few hours per month focused on board activities and initiatives.

CRA BOARD OF DIRECTORS

The CRA is run by a volunteer board of up to 12 members of our community (currently we are approved for 10 by our membership, which can be adjusted at the AGM). Board members are involved in all aspects of the associations activities and decision making. Board responsibilities are split across three main areas:

Traditional board roles – President, VP, Secretary, Treasury, Communications etc.
CRA Events – Forsythia Festival, Pumpkin Walk, Clean-up days, etc.
Community focus – Safety and Security, Police liaison, City liaison, etc.

New board members join for an initial term of 2 years, which can be extended by 1 or 2 years.

If you’re interested in hearing more, please drop us a note to info@cabbagetowner.com

IMPORTANT BOARD AND AGM UPDATES FROM THE CRA

Hi All,

First up we have a couple of important Association announcements for you:

THE CRA 2021 AGM IS NOW SCHEDULED

The CRA AGM will happen on June 23 at 7.30 pm on Zoom. If you’re a paid up member of the CRA you’re eligible to attend. We will share the Zoom login details with all members by email in a few days. Here is a draft of the proposed meeting agenda.

ANNUAL CALL FOR NEW BOARD MEMBERS

The CRA is looking for up to three Cabbagetown residents interested in joining its board of directors, to contribute to and help grow our activities in the neighbourhood. New members will be voted onto the board following the AGM.

Here’s an overview of the current activities, focus and composition of the association for anyone that would like to join us.

Interested? Drop us a line to: info@cabbagetowner.com.

Know someone else who might be interested? Please ask them to contact us.

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CABBAGETOWN GETS ITS OWN TACO JOINT

A new taco outlet called Pastor Taco recently opened at 245 Gerrard Street, just West of Eclectisaurus. You can get chicken, pork or bean tacos in singles or four-ups, plus helado (vegan ice cream) and poletas (popsicles).

It was just featured in BlogTO’s round up of 10 new restaurants this week along with our new friends at LJS Khasos.

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THE CABBAGETOWN FARMERS MARKET IS BACK!

The Cabbagetown Farmers Market reopened for the 2021 season on June 1. Please make sure to go by and support all the vendors.

The market runs from June 1 thru October 12 every Tuesday afternoon from 3pm to 7pm – rain or shine. Location is NW corner of Riverdale Park West, Winchester and Sumach.

They’ve posted some simple rules to keep all of us safe while we’re there: Stay home if you don’t feel well. Use sanitizer and put on your mask before entering. Follow the one-way walking directions. Be courteous and stay two metres away from other people. Don’t eat in the Market area. It’s all common sense and we’re all used to these rules by now.

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HEART2 HEART INTRODUCES NEW PROGRAM TO COMBAT OPIOID POISONING

Heart2Heart on Carlton Street has launched a new free community program caller Peer Support Responder in direct response to the increase in opioid poisoning fatalities and people using drugs alone.

The program brings life saving training and protective equipment directly to frontline people who are most likely to encounter or witness opioid poisoning/overdose. Each responder trained by Heart2Heart will receive specialized training in overdose response and Naloxone administration.

Find out more and review a brief informational video at the Heart2Heart website.

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TORONTO PRIDE 40TH ANNIVERSARY – LET’S GET ‘PHYGITAL’

Planning a major event against a backdrop of gradually evolving public health restrictions and the ever-growing impatience among the public can’t be easy. Enter Pride’s “phygital” program, a series of art installations at Stackt Market, Harbourfront Centre, Woodbine Beach, LED screens around town and other locations that are giving Pride a real-life focal point in a way that isn’t about a massive crowd gathering. Now Toronto has curated a list of 20 essential virtual parties, podcasts, installations, screenings and more.

The complete festival includes over 70 individual events showcasing more than 130 2SLGBTQ+ artists, 14 party collectives, and seven community committee programs. The full month of programming will begin on June 1, concluding with two Festival Weekends on June 18-19-20 and June 25-26-27.

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WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT ONTARIO VACATION PLANNING

Travel between different Ontario regions has been off limits for quite some time now thanks to the stay-at-home order and lockdown restrictions. But as public health measures begin to ease, residents are likely wondering what will and won’t be allowed when it comes to travelling this summer.

Thanks to the provincewide nature of Ontario’s new reopening plan and improving vaccination rates, travelling between regions will be a possibility for residents over the next few months — just as long as COVID-19 indicators remain under control, reports Mira Miller at BlogTO.

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T.O. HISTORY MUSEUMS LAUNCHES VIRTUAL INDIGENOUS PROGRAMMING

Mayor John Tory launched Indigenous Peoples Month at Toronto History Museums. This month-long online celebration replaces the 2021 Indigenous Arts Festival, which cannot be held due to COVID-19. It includes tours, a culinary program, a shop experience that includes products from Indigenous artists and authors, and film and dance performances by emerging and established artists. Find out more in the City News Release.

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STRUGGLING WITH ALLERGIES? THERE’S A REASON FOR THAT THIS YEAR

Dr. Anne Ellis, an allergist and professor at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ont., says that she has heard from more patients than normal reporting worsening allergy symptoms.

“The pollen counts are much higher this year than they were this time last year,” Ellis said in a telephone interview on Tuesday. Report by Brooklyn Neustaeter at CTV News.

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LOCKDOWN RESTRICTIONS REMAIN IN PLACE – JUNE 2 to 14

Ontario’s stay-at-home order officially expired on Wednesday, June 2, but the province has clarified that very few things will actually change once the order is lifted.

In a news release issued Tuesday, the provincial government said all other public health and workplace measures will remain in place provincewide until Ontario enters Step One of the Roadmap to Reopen, which is currently scheduled for the week of June 14.

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BAY ST FROM FROM DUNDAS TO GERRARD TO CLOSE FOR SEWER REPAIRS

A portion of Bay Street will be closed for another month as crews continue to repair a sewer pipe that collapsed in May. It was initially supposed to take just a few days to repair but in a news release issued on Tuesday the city confirmed that the work is now expected to take approximately one month as the repair is particularly challenging due in part to the extensive network of underground utility infrastructure that must be carefully navigated.

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TORONTO IEC APPROVES SNOW CLEARING PLAN

The City of Toronto’s Infrastructure & Environment Committee today approved the proposed plan to expand sidewalk snow clearing to all neighbourhoods in the city starting this upcoming 2021-22 winter season. City Council will consider the report at its meeting of June 8 to 9.

If the plan is approved by Council, all homes in the city would receive winter snow clearing service on their sidewalks. This would mean that more than 103,000 households would be added to the program — 91 per cent of city sidewalks would receive mechanical sidewalk snow clearing and, due to sidewalk obstructions and narrow spaces, nine per cent would be manually cleared.

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VACCINE UPDATES:

NACI APPROVES MIX AND MATCH VACCINES

The National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) updated its guidance to recommend that the second shot of an mRNA vaccine, Moderna or Pfizer, can be the follow-up to the first dose of AstraZeneca. NACI says individuals that received the first dose of Pfizer or Moderna should be offered the same mRNA shot. If supply does not allow for that, the health committee says those who received the first shot of Pfizer could, then, get a second dose of Moderna or vice versa. Report by Michael Ranger and Lucas Casaletto at 680 News.

ONTARIO TO SPEED UP SECOND DOSE TIMING

Ontario is speeding up eligibility for second doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, and officials now expect the majority of those who want a vaccine will be fully immunized by the end of summer.

Increasing supply of vaccines and progress in administering first doses means the province is able to accelerate the timing between first and second shots, officials said at a briefing last Friday morning.

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE ROADMAP TO REOPENING

The Ontario government just announced a 3-step roadmap to reopening, with each phase gated by vaccination rate targets.

Health Minister Christine Elliott stated that the government is hoping to put all of Ontario into the first phase of the plan “around the week of June 14th”. It’s a little unclear, however, what our status will be between June 2 (end of stay at home order) and June 14. It seems we will be in a more restricted state than Phase One but no longer under an official stay at home order, but we might well as be!

Roadmap – Step One

Step One begins once 60 per cent of Ontario’s adults have at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and if public health indicators, such as hospitalizations, ICU occupancy and new admissions and case rates indicate the province can safely move to this step of the roadmap.

Roadmap – Step Two

We remain in Step One for at least 21 days. If at the end of those 21 days the province has vaccinated 70 per cent of adults with one dose and 20 per cent of adults with two doses and there are positive trends in public health and health system indicators, we move to Step Two.

Roadmap – Step Three

We remain in Step Two for at least 21 days. If at the end of those 21 days the province has vaccinated 70 to 80 per cent of adults with one dose and 25 per cent of adults with two doses and positive trends in public health and health system indicators continue, Ontario will move to Step Three.

The Government of Ontario has provided a complete and detailed view of what we can and can’t do at each of these stages, assuming these milestones are met.

If that’s all a bit detailed for you, here are some round-ups of the plans from local news outlets:

CTV News
BlogTO
CBC News

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NEW RESTAURANT LJS KHASOS OPENS AT PEARTREE LOCATION

Now open at 507 Parliament, LJS Khasos specializes in Italian and American dishes with a particular focus on pasta and pizza…two things you just can’t go wrong with!⁣

Opening a new restaurant is a big challenge at the best of times, let alone in the midst of a pandemic, so let’s give them a big Cabbagetown welcome with some takeout orders!
⁣(Thanks to Cabbagetown BIA for this content)

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OWNERS OF HERITAGE HOMES GET AN INSURANCE SURPRISE

In recent months, some residents of Toronto’s historic Cabbagetown neighbourhood have been told by their insurer that, for reasons not entirely clear to them, their home is no longer insurable. For Bruce Thomas, the change was inexplicable. The former physician’s house on Amelia Street is in the Cabbagetown Heritage Conservation District but has no specific heritage designation. Report by Shane Dingman at the Globe and Mail.

(Note: this article may not be accessible by all due to Globe & Mail paywall restrictions)

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FREE SEEDS FROM ‘FOOD UP FRONT’

Food Up Front, a Transition Toronto project, believes that growing local food is one way to mitigate the climate crisis by reducing food miles and our dependence on international agribusiness.

They deliver seeds to people at no cost around the GTA. They are currently taking orders and looking for volunteers to deliver them.

Visit their website to find out more about them and complete the relevant forms to either volunteer and/or order seeds. Orders can be made up to May 31.

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ActiveTO BAYVIEW AVE. PHASE 2 ENHANCEMENTS – SPRING 2021

In 2020, temporary cycle tracks and a multi-use trail were installed on Bayview Avenue/River Street between Gerrard Street and Rosedale Valley Road to provide more direct and accessible access to the Don Trails, Evergreen Brickworks and Rosedale Valley Road Trail.

In 2021, the City is set to begin construction of Phase 2 Lower Don Trail Improvements including trail widening and surface improvements between Riverdale Park and Queen Street. This will result in temporary closure of the Lower Down Trail from Pottery Road to Corktown Commons.

To reduce the impact of this closure, the city will enhance the temporary multi-use trail on Bayview Avenue between River Street and Mill Street to provide a safe, direct, and comfortable detour route. Bayview Avenue in this section will be converted to one-way southbound to accommodate a multi-use trail on the east side of the street.

You can find out more about these improvement in the City’s ActiveTO Bayview Avenue Phase 2 brochure.

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CPA ANNOUNCES VIRTUAL AGM AND HISTORICAL TALK

The Cabbagetown Preservation Association’s annual meeting is scheduled for Monday May 31 at 7 pm. The business meeting will be followed by two special events. First, a Cabbagetown home will receive the Peggy Kurtin Award for Excellence in Restoration. Then Gilles Huot will present Cabbagetown through Time, a 30-minute talk with photos and maps. Visit the CPA about us page for more info.

(Thanks to Doug Fisher at the Cabbagetown neighbourhood review for this content)

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CITY REPORT ON SINGLE USE/TAKEAWAY ITEM REDUCTION STRATEGY

This week Toronto released the Single-Use and Takeaway Items Reduction Strategy – Stage 1 staff report that will be considered by the Infrastructure and Environment Committee on Tuesday, May 25, 2021.

Plans to present a more comprehensive Reduction Strategy to City Council in 2020 were delayed as the City focused its efforts on the emergency response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The City is not recommending mandatory measures such as fees, bans or bylaws at this time. Instead, the report recommends a Voluntary Measures Program (VMP) as the first stage of a Reduction Strategy to help reduce single-use and takeaway items.

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10 WAYS TO UP YOUR GARDENING GAME THIS SPRING/SUMMER

Growing things in your backyard garden or on your condo balcony may end up being one of the few guaranteed pleasures during a long 2021 pandemic summer. For both long-time gardeners and new Covid-era hobbyists, D’Loraine Miranda at Toronto Life has curated a fun list of insider tips, cool new gizmos and and shops devoted to backyard/balcony gardens this summer.

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TPL SETS WORLD RECORD WITH 8 MILLION DIGITAL DOWNLOADS

Shawn Mitchell with Toronto Public Library’s Membership Services said the online library set a new record of 8 million digital downloads of e-books and audiobooks in 2020, making TPL the largest consumer of e-content in the world, for the 8th year in a row system,” Mitchell said. Report from Pat Foran, CTV News.

Want to add to the numbers? Here’s where you can sign up for a digital access card.

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AND IN WINTER NEWS…..

For a city that should be extremely well-equipped to deal with snow and ice, Toronto’s sidewalks can be a hazard for residents come winter time. But, all that is changing this year, with a new plan to tackle winter precipitation across Toronto that will include hitting every sidewalk in every neighbourhood, reports Mira Miller at BlogTO.

Read the news release from the City.

IMPORTANT: In her latest newsletter, Councillor Wong-Tam stated:
“I encourage you to write in your support for the trial project results and to call upon City Council to permanently expand sidewalk snow clearing for the entire downtown this year and to make sure that it is fully funded in future budgets going forward.”. Such communications should be directed to the Secretariat Contact Matthew Green, at: iec@toronto.ca, cc kristyn@kristynwongtam.ca.

You could also include all other IEC members:

Jennifer McKelvie (Chair) councillor_mckelvie@toronto.ca
James Pasternak (Vice Chair) councillor_pasternak@toronto.ca
Mike Colle councillor_colle8@toronto.ca
Mike Layton councillor_perruzza@toronto.ca
Denzil Minnan-Wong councillor_minnan-wong@toronto.ca
Anthony Perruzza councillor_perruzza@toronto.ca

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VACCINE UPDATES:

Ontario Proceeding With 2nd Dose of Astra Zeneca in May/June

The Ontario government, in consultation with the Chief Medical Officer of Health and other public health experts, is proceeding with second dose administration of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, beginning with those who received their first dose of the vaccine between March 10 and March 19, 2021. Read full details in the Provincial News Release.

Canada Ordered Over 400 Million Vaccines. What’s The Status?

Six months into vaccination campaign, some companies have delivered while others are a work in progress, reports John Paul Tasker at CBC News.

How Do You Know Your Covid-19 Vaccine is Working?

Whether you feel crappy afterwards, or feel nothing at all, the shot is working to protect you from the virus, reports Nick Beare at the National Post.

Why Some People May Stay Home After COVID Ends

With warm weather approaching and the promise of a “one-dose summer” on the horizon, many Canadians are eager for life to get back to pre-pandemic “normal.” But not all Canadians are happy to see the end of lockdown life brought about by COVID-19, reports Brooke Taylor at CTV News.

50TH ANNUAL FORSYTHIS FESTIVAL – STAY AT HOME CELEBRATION

We would like to think that if Tony Brady, founder of the Forsythia Festival and the man who started it all, could have seen the streets of Cabbagetown lined with yellow ribbons, chalk drawing of flowers and animals, messages of kindness written on the sidewalks, kites flying in the park and doughnuts dangling from neighbourhood trees this past Sunday May 2nd, he would have been vey proud.

As the provincial “Stay at Home” order dragged on from January-February, February-March, it was clear that we would not be able to hold the Forsythia Festival in person this year. As organizers of an in-person children’s festival, where people are meant to gather together and celebrate the arrival of Spring to the neighbourhood we needed to think outside the box and figure a way to bring some much-needed Spring spirit to Cabbagetown and bring the festival right to the doors of residents for families to celebrate. Thus the Forsythia Festival “Experience Bag” came to into being.

Instead of setting up tents and tables, we set up a Shopify Store. Instead of ordering supplies for crafts, flower crowns and face painting, we assembled bags with DYI Dangling Doughnut Kits, DYI Kite Kit, a window craft kit and yellow sidewalk chalk. We couldn’t offer you a burger or sausage from Mark at Steak and Chops or a beer from Stout, so instead our sponsors gave us discounts and coupons to include in the bags. We almost had a parade! The Heavy Weight Brass Band was booked…but we really didn’t want to risk a ticket, so instead we gave traditional yellow “twizzlers”, yellow ribbon and a window sticker to decorate your home. No raffle this year….but we did have “Golden Ticket” bags….where a few of neighbours were lucky enough to win an amazing prize donated by some of our local businesses.

An important part of the Festival is that it is free for all to participate. Although we sold “Experience Bags” we didn’t want a single family to be left out due to cost and many people generously purchased bags to donate.

In the end, our numbers looked like this:

260 Experience Bags sold
Of those 260 bags, 81 were purchased for donations!
180 empty bags were purchased by local businesses to sell or give away with purchase.

As organizers, we have yet again been blown away by the spirit and generosity of our neighbourhood and local businesses.

A huge thank you goes out to all of our wonderful local businesses who proactively stepped with additional goodies up to help make the festival “Experience Bags” extra special, including “Golden Ticket” prizes and all sorts of coupons and gift cards that could be included in all of the bags.

A big shout out to:

Steak and Chops
Stout Irish Pub
F’Amelia
Epicure
Spruce
Salt and Tobacco
Wonderkind.ca
Buds and Blossoms
NoFrills

As well as to our generous cash sponsors:

TD Canada Trust
Royal Bank Private Wealth Management
York Search Group

Thanks also to Peter Lovering at Parliament Street News and Doug Fisher at Cabbagetown Neighbourhood Review for all the coverage and articles about the Festival.

And last, but by no mean least, many, many thanks from all of us on the CRA board to the huge effort put into this year’s Festival by its organizers: Shawna Pereira, Carolyn Jarmon, Katie Tozer and Trish Finkelstein.

This was truly a 50th Anniversary Festival like no other!

Wishing you an amazing Spring season and remember to mark your calendars for the 51st Annual Cabbagetown Forsythia Festival, May 1, 2022

#thinkspring2022

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CRIME ALERT – YOUNG GOAT STOLEN FROM RIVERDALE FARM

The Toronto Police Service is requesting the public’s assistance with a break and enter investigation where a goat was stolen.

On Thursday, May 6, 2021, officers responded to a call for a break and enter at the Riverdale Farm, 201 Winchester Street.

Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 416-808-5104, Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-TIPS (8477), online at www.222tips.com, online on their Facebook Leave a Tip page, or text TOR and your message to CRIMES (274637).

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CPA 2021 PLANT SWAP CANCELLED DUE TO LOCKDOWN

In our last newsletter we announced that the Cabbagetown Preservation Association would be running another plant swap this year, as they did in 2020, because they again can’t run the garden tour. Sadly, due to the ongoing Stay-at-Home order, which ends (hopefully) on the May 20, the plant swap has had to be shelved too. We are all hoping that one day soon this darned pandemic will stop interfering with all the great events that go on in our community.

IN MORE POSITIVE NEWS – THE CPA IS NOW ON INSTAGRAM!

That’s, right the venerable Cabbagetown Preservation Association, which has been around for nearly 40 years, is now on Instagram! You can check out all their wonderful and informative posts: @cabbagetownpa. As you can imagine, there are lots of pictures of houses!

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SAFETY & SECURITY ALERT FROM NEXTDOOR

Nextdoor is a social platform that connects neighbors based on their location. The platform allows neighbors within the same geographical area to share information and communicate. It came to Cabbagetown/St James Town earlier this year.

In a post last week a member mentioned people going door to door wearing reflective vests that say “community safety”. They are implying that they are from the city doing the rounds response to reports of packages being stolen and other security issues. It seems they are either trying to sell security systems (or find out what security people have in place for future nefarious activities). Either way, we suggest residents be aware and don’t engage with them.

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FUNDRAISER FOR LOCAL COMMUNITY MUSIC SCHOOL

For the past 43 years, Dixon Hall Music School has been a warm, accessible, and welcoming place for more than 6,500 children and youth in Regent Park and surrounding neighbourhoods. It has been a space for students to learn and craft their music skills, but more than that, it’s been a place for them to feel at home.

Dixon Hall’s annual Music for Life gala sustains the operations of the music school, but it had to be cancelled last November due to COVID-19. This year, they have two generous donors who have helped to kick-start our campaign through a pool of matching funds.

Find out more about this important community fundraiser and please give generously, if you are able.

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NEW MIDDLE EASTERN FOOD SPOT OPENS ON GERRARD

A new Middle Eastern restaurant/brunch spot/coffee shop/kitchen called ‘Fattoush’ has opened up very recently at 253 Gerrard Street.

They describe themselves as an online catering company that focuses on Middle Eastern Breakfast Feasts. They believe in offering their customers a healthier breakfast option that is locally sourced and beloved in the Middle East.

It’s got to be hard opening a place like this in a lockdown, so please give them the support they need from our community.

Open daily 8am to 6pm (8am to 8pm Fridays and Saturdays)

(Editor’s Note: We picked up dinner from Fattoush the day it opened. Really excellent spread including the best falafel we have ever eaten! Super friendly service too.)

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CafeTO CURB LANE INSTALLATIONS BEGINNING MAY 8

Here’s some good news for our local restaurants and all the neighbourhood foodies who have continued to support them throughout the pandemic.

Mayor John Tory announced Wednesday that the installation of curb lane patios — introduced through the city’s CaféTO program — is set to begin on Saturday, May 8, in an effort to avoid delays for participating restaurants when outdoor dining is once again permitted, reports Mira Miller at BlogTO.

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GARDEN SUITES PROJECT MOVES TO PUBLIC CONSULTATION PHASE

A “Garden Suite” is a second, generally smaller, house built in the backyard of a detached, semi-detached, or townhouse property.

In April, 2021 the City released a survey to explore your opinions and concerns about new backyard houses in your neighbourhood.

As the next step in the consultation process, City Planning will be hosting a series of virtual community consultation meetings where residents can learn more, ask questions, and share comments about Garden Suites. Three sessions have been arranged to provide additional date/time options but the same content will be reviewed at each meeting.

The meetings will be Online and phone-in only. To join pre-registration is required (scroll to Page 6 for the meeting titled ‘Garden + Suites Study Community Meeting’).

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ActiveTO CLOSES LOCAL ROADS FOR PEDESTRIANS, CYCLISTS

The following closures will be in place beginning Saturday, May 8 at 6 a.m. until Sunday, May 9 at 9 p.m.:
• Bayview Avenue, between Front Street East and Rosedale Valley Road, as well as River Street between Bayview Avenue and Spruce Street.

ActiveTO routes will be closed to vehicles and open to people on bikes, as well as to pedestrians. Residents planning to use ActiveTO routes or to visit High Park should do so only with members of their own household and are asked to access them by bike or on foot because nearby parking is limited and there is no onsite parking available.

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VACCINATION UPDATES:

NEW ORDER TO CLOSE ALL EDUCATION SETTINGS TO IN- PERSON LEARNING

Toronto has issued a new section 22 order to ensure all education settings are closed to in-person learning in order to curb the spread of COVID-19. The order, which was released on Thursday evening, will go into effect on May 10. Report by Katherine DeClerq at CTV News.

CITY PARTNERS WITH VACCINEHUNTERS.CA TO HELP FIND APPOINTMENTS

The City of Toronto announced today that it is partnering with Vaccine Hunters Canada to assist Toronto residents in identifying available next-day appointments at City-run immunization clinics. At the end of each day, the City will provide Vaccine Hunters Canada with clinic appointment availability for the next day. Read the City news release.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT EACH AUTHORIZED VACCINE

Canada is expecting to receive more than two million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines each week through June, and an additional one million doses from Moderna next week. With four COVID-19 vaccines now authorized for use in Canada, who will become eligible to receive which vaccines and where can they get it? Report by Stephanie Liu at CTV News.ca.

50TH ANNUAL FORSYTHIA FESTIVAL UPDATE

We’ve got SOOO MUCH Forsythia Festival news to share! First up though, big shout our to our tireless organizers, Carolyn Jarman, Katie Tozer and Shawna Pereira, who are pulling out all the stops to ensure that the 50th anniversary of the festival is one to remember – despite everything that’s going on!

Our Festival ‘Experience Bags’ are a HUGE hit and the orders just keep coming in! Order yours now, before it’s too late at the Cabbagetown Forsythia Festival Shopify store.
A big hurrah for our local retailers that have stepped up with loads of coupons, gift cards and more.
There’s a fun secret ‘yellow stone’ project for kids going on in Wellesley Park.
The Great “Think Spring” House decorating Challenge is starting – this weekend!

Hop on over to our dedicated update page to get the fully skinny on everything ‘Forsythia Festival’.

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CPA 2021 PLANT SWAP PLANNED FOR MAY 16

In 2020 the Cabbagetown Preservation Association couldn’t run the garden tour so they launched a Cabbagetown plant swap. Sadly they can’t do the garden tour this year either, so they are pleased to announce a 2nd Annual Neighbourhood Plant Swap. It’s a safe and sustainable way to celebrate spring and streetscapes and gardens of Cabbagetown.

Mark your calendars and start thinking of anything you need to split, cut or remove from your garden this spring. Houseplant cuttings are also welcome.

Please be sure to provide plant names and care instructions with your contributions. Social distancing and masks required.

Date: Sunday, May 16, Time: 10:00 am – 2:00 pm
Locations: 89 Winchester & Winchester Park

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A DOUBLE HELPING OF NEWS FROM GREEN THUMBS

Green Thumbs Growing Kids (GTGK) runs programs in our local school gardens that provide kids of all ages and all backgrounds with a variety of settings such as native/ naturalized plantings, meadow ecosystems, native tree species in their own mini-nurseries, and small-scale agriculture, including production of kid-friendly small fruits and vegetables, aerobic/thermal and worm composting.

This week Heather Wilberforce from GTGK shared two news items with us:

Their latest blog, entitled “A Special Garden Sign.”

Details of a special Mother’s Day garden themed gift basket that GTGK has created in celebration of all Mother’s.

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THERE’S STILL SPACE AT CABBAGETOWN FARMERS MARKET

The organisers of the ever popular Cabbagetown Farmers Market are ramping up for the season in Riverdale Park (Winchester and Sumach) and spaces are still available. If you’re interested just send an email to Katya, the market’s administrator at: katya@riverdaleurbanfarming.ca

Deadline: Friday, April 30th.

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LOCAL ARCHITECT’S HOME FEATURED IN THE GLOBE & MAIL

Trevor Wallace’s recent renovation took three months to execute but was in the offing for a full four years, reports Matthew Hague at the Globe and Mail.

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DON’T MESS WITH THE DON – LATEST NEWSLETTER

Don’t Mess with the Don was formed to advocate and address specific issues of unrelenting dumping of garbage and debris into the ravines of the Don.

We just received their April Newsletter to share with you all.

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SHERBOURNE HEALTH SEEKS BOARD DIRECTORS

We received an email from Cabbagetown resident Marcia Max Vesterfelt Kim:
Dear Neighbours – if you are seeking an opportunity to help those living in and near our community – please check out this posting with Sherbourne Health. It’s a great opportunity to work with an organization committed to helping people who may have been under-served by conventional health care.

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THINKING ABOUT HARDSCAPING YOUR FRONT YARD? THINK AGAIN

Wallace Immen from the Cabbagetown Heritage Conservation District Committee shared a recent inquiry from a local resident:

“Question: Do residents need a permit or other permission to pave over their front lawn/garden area (even if it is not to create a parking space, for which my understating is a permit would definitely be required)?”

The heritage advisory committee responded to the question quite comprehensively.

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LIVE GREEN NEWS – APRIL 2021

Our friends at Live Green Toronto have issued an Earth Week Special Newsletter in recognition of Earth Day on Thursday April 22.

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HIGH PARK OPEN FOR CHERRY BLOSSOM – BUT THERE’S A CATCH

Toronto mayor John Tory has announced that the cherry blossoms in High Park in 2021 will, unlike 2020, remain open to the public throughout the blooming season — but there’s a catch, reports Mira Millerat BlogTO.

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CITY TO OFFER MORE VIRTUAL RECREATION PROGRAMS THIS SPRING

Toronto will continue to offer virtual recreation programs following what officials called a successful spring break series. The programs are expected to be delivered weekly beginning May 3 and are meant to provide live and interactive activities for children, youth and older adults. There are about 1,000 spaces available. Report by Katherine deClerq at CTV News.

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THOUGHTS ON GARDEN SUITES? THE CITY WANTS TO HEAR THEM

The Garden Suites Study is one of several studies that the City Planning Division is leading to expand housing options in Neighbourhoods.

The public consultation process is currently underway with the Garden + Suites Survey. As a next step, City Planning is hosting virtual community consultation meetings where residents can learn more, ask questions, and share comments about Garden Suites.

Meeting Details:

Date: Tuesday, May 11, 2021 – Time: 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm
Date: Tuesday, May 12, 2021 – Time: 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Date: Tuesday, May 13, 2021 – Time: 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm

The meetings will be Online and phone-in only. To join pre-registration is required.

Additional information about the Garden + Suites study is available at the study website.

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CABBAGETOWN PHOTO CORNER

As we’re still barreling towards the 50th annual Forsythia Festival, we thought our delightful local Forsythia bushes deserved one more kick at the can. This time, delightfully dusted with the recent April 21 snow!

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VACCINE UPDATES

TWO LOCAL POP-UP CLINICS NOW OPEN

Two pop-up clinics have opened to serve the hotspot population in the M4X post code. They are located at St. James Town Wellesley Community Centre (WCC) and Regent Park 40 Oaks (Fred Victor). You can book appointments now at these clinic. The web site outlines eligibility criteria.

You can also visit vaccineTO.ca to check for appointments at other clinics.

AN UPDATE FROM COUNCILLOR WONG TAM

Councillor Wong Tam has also shared a useful pharmacy vaccine tracker. Visit her website to find your closest pharmacy to book your appointment.

BLOOD CLOT RISKS LOW VS. OTHER MEDICINES, TRAVEL, SMOKING

“Blood clots are more common with just day-to-day living than they are with any of the vaccines, including AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson said Linda Dresser, an infectious diseases expert and assistant professor at the University of Toronto.” Report by Saba Aziz at Global News.

The Forsythia Festival “Experience Bags” are a HUGE hit in the neighbourhood. We have close to 200 bags sold and the orders keep coming in!

Everything you need to celebrate the Forsythia Festival at home can be found in the bag including: Dangling Doughnut DYI Kit, DYI Kite Kit, DYI Window Craft, yellow ribbon to decorate your door, anniversary window sticker, traditional yellow “twizzlers”, yellow chalk for side walk art and four Forsythia themed cake pops from Velvet Lane Cakes

Bag Additions From Our Local Retailers

The generosity of our local businesses never ceases to amaze! Additional adds to the “Experience Bags” include:

Coupon for 20% off your next order from Mark at Steak and Chops
$10 Gift Card from from F’Amelia
$5 Gift Card from Erin at Stout
Buy one coffee, get one free from Patti at Epicure
10% off Summer Camp from Buds and Blossoms

We’ve also received a number of prize donations:

Gift Basket from Patti at Epicure
Gift Basket from Kim at Spruce
Gift set from Shawna at Wonderkind
2x $50 Gift cards and t-shirts from Sean at Salt n’ Tobacco

Cycle Solutions and Menagerie are also doing a special Forsythia “Gift with Purchase” while supplies last.

The “Secrete Yellow Stone” project at Wellesley Park

Last week we challenged neighbourhood kids to get creative and leave their mark in the park.

They were asked to find and paint some stones yellow, leave a positive message or some pretty art work on the stones then hide their “Secrete Stone” for others to discover in Wellesley Park.

We had some pretty amazing stones painted so keep your eyes open next time you stroll through Wellesley Park!

This is an ongoing project, so parents…get your kids out there hunting for stones to paint and hide.

The Great “Think Spring” House decorating Challenge

Starting this weekend, we are asking the neighbourhood to get their homes ready for Spring by decorating the outside with the colour YELLOW!

Anything goes, the bolder the better.

Prizes will be awarded so let’s get out there and bring some Spring spirit to Cabbagetown!

Start planning your Forsythia Festival Feast now!

Sunday May, 2nd is the 50th Anniversary of the Forsythia Festival.

In normal times, we would be gathered together in Wellesley Park eating hamburgers from Steak and Chops and sharing a beverage at the beer garden sponsored by Stout.

This year, we are asking the neighbourhood to ORDER IN!

Do your own grilling and pick up burgers from Steak and Chops, order a big batch of wings and beer from Stout! Pasta and wine from Famelia! Pizza and beer from Salt and Tobacco? Drink kit from The House on Parliament? Daniel et Daniel prepared meal? Something spicy from Haldi or The Butter Chicken Factory? Sushi or Ramen from Kibo Sushi, Tokyo Ramen or Kingyo? Dessert from Absolute Bakery, Velvet Lane Cakes, Staj+Co!

With so many options to choose from in Cabbagetown there’s something for everyone!

The Forsythia Festival is the PERFECT reason to support our local businesses and celebrate all that is Cabbagetown.

Please share your photos and don’t forget to use our hashtags:

#Thinkspring2021
#Forsythiabig50

Posted on April 21, 2021

In short, the answer is ‘not very likely’.

We received this update from the Cabbagetown Heritage Conservation District Committee, in response to a question from a local resident, which asked:

“Do residents need a permit or other permission to pave over their front lawn/garden area (even if it is not to create a parking space, for which my understating is a permit would definitely be required)?”

Their response was:

It’s not just an issue in heritage districts. Paving over front yards is something that is being strongly discouraged for a number of reasons:

Zoning requires a percentage of the front yard to be soft landscaping. Any alterations to the existing front yard landscaping would need to be submitted to the city for a zoning review, and if variances are identified ( they would be in that case) then the project would have to go to Committee of Adjustment (CofA).

Paving the entire yard would likely be denied at CofA. It is also environmentally harmful increasing runoff and potentially choking off tree roots.

Part of the front yard probably belongs to the City, since the front property line is not typically at the sidewalk. The home owner should check their property survey for the location of the front property line. The section of the front that belongs to the City falls under the jurisdiction of Transportation Services, Right of Way Management. To do any work on City property – i.e. new fence, new walkway, paving, retaining walls, etc. – let alone parking – you need an encroachment agreement from Transportation;
The part of the front yard between the front wall of the house and the front property line belongs to the home owner BUT it falls under the jurisdiction of the Zoning Bylaw and the Building Department. Under the Zoning Bylaw you have to maintain a certain % of the front yard for “soft” landscaping – so you cannot pave it over. The intent of the soft landscaping is to allow storm water runoff to percolate into the ground on your own property, and not on the neighboring property or onto the sidewalk, etc. ;
If there are trees on either the private or city-owned portions of the front yard (or in adjacent yards), then Urban Forestry has jurisdiction of what happens to the ground / landscaping around the tree – the bigger the tree, the more area is involved; and
Since the property is in an HCD, Heritage also has a say in what happens in both the private and City-owned portions of the front yard, re. landscaping, fencing, etc.

In addition: new front yard parking pads are no longer being allowed by the city– if you have a driveway that goes through your front yard to a legal parking space behind the front wall of your house (could be in a side or rear garage or carport), you can park in the driveway in front of the house. Otherwise, you are not allowed to park in the front yard – either on your own property, or on the City’s right of way.

It is extremely unlikely paving would be permitted.

If it is private property Bylaw 569-2012, 10.5.50.10 Landscaping would apply.

If it is the City ROW, a walkway that is no more than 1.5m is permitted. Bylaw 743-31 explains this. (Select section 31 in the contents).