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Forsythia Festival In The News Local Business News Spotlight On Sponsorship Uncategorized

Neighbourhood News April 2022

Hello Neighbours!

It’s here! After a two year hiatus, the Forsythia Festival is back in person, this Sunday, May 1!

The parade will start at 10:30am at the corner of Sumach and Wellesley, and the festival will run from 11am-3pm at Wellesley Park, which was cleaned last week by a dedicated group of Cabbagetown residents.

Wear yellow and come prepared for fun – we have a mechanical bull, a magician, a BBQ and a beer tent! Check out the full schedule of events.

Raffles tickets are for sale ahead of time (email info@cabbagetowner.com to purchase) and at the festival. 

Spotlight on Sponsorship

The Forsythia Festival would not be possible without our generous sponsors! Over the next few newsletters, we will spotlighting our 2022 Gold Sponsors.

Buds and Blossoms 

Buds and Blossoms has two licensed child care facilities, one of which is right in the heart of Cabbagetown, on Parliament Street.  Buds and Blossoms offers preschool, kindergarten, aftercare, summer camps and a diverse selection of classes for parents and children.  Program curriculum is mindfulness based and child-lead.  Children are engaged while learning something they want to learn and are having fun. The lovely educators and Buds and Blossoms are fun-loving and passionate about what they do! Follow Buds and Blossoms on Instagram at budsandblossoms.cabbagetown and check out their Facebook page.

 
Canadian Contemporary Dance Theatre

Founded in 1980 and located right on Parliament Street, the Canadian Contemporary Dance Theatre has introduced over 300,000 young people to dance through its Ontario Arts Access program, and won the Toronto Arts Foundation’s prestigious Arts for Youth Award for its development of young artists and young audiences. CCDT offers professional productions locally and abroad for all ages, next generation and established artist residencies, a continuity of development programs from age eight to professional, educational outreach, career guidance and community engagement initiatives for dance artists to explore and to showcase their craft. Follow them on Facebook and Instagram.

 

Jane’s Walk

Jane’s Walk is also back this year, running May 6-8th. This free, annual festival of community-led walking conversations was  inspired by Jane Jacobs—a journalist, author, theorist, activist, and proud Torontonian.

​ Jane’s Walk festivals take place in hundreds of cities around the world. Jane’s Walks encourage people to share stories about their neighbourhoods, discover unseen aspects of their communities, and use walking as a way to connect with their neighbours.

Check out the schedule here.

Community Clean Up

Thank you to the local residents who helped to clean up two major parks in Cabbagetown on April 23rd. Wellesley Park and Riverdale Park were both cleaned of garbage and have a fresh look just in time for spring.

 

NatureScape on Parliament Street

The Cabbagetown BIA has partnered with Councillor Wong-Tam to create a naturescape on Parliament Street, starting July 1st and running 10 weeks. You can read all about it here, and see some of the renderings.

Toronto’s New Tree

The City has announced that Toronto is getting an official tree, and you can vote for your choice. Voting is open until May 10th.

Mother’s Day Baskets from GreenThumbs

GreenThumbs is selling Mother’s Day Baskets as a fundraiser to support 3 local school children’s gardens. Click here to order.

Categories
Uncategorized

Neighbourhood News – March 2022

Hello Neighbours!

We have officially arrived in spring, and are only 5 weeks away from the 2022 Forsythia Festival!

Forsythia Festival 2013 Photo
Forsythia Festival (c) Eric Morse

This is the biggest yearly event the Cabbagetown Residents Association puts on and we are in need of volunteers. If you can spare some time on Sunday May 1st, please email Katie at tozer.katie@gmail.com.

We’ve got a packed newsletter this month – there is a lot happening around our neighbourhood. From construction on Wellesley, the BIA’s MapleLicious event to support for refugees, keep scrolling for more!

Techfugees

Local volunteers from Techfugees Canada are working with Romero House to respond to the urgent needs of refugee claimants and help families living in transitional housing find stable apartments faster. There are two ways you can help:

  1. Consider if you are able to host a refugee family in your home on an emergency basis. If you are in a position of having extra space in your home and would be willing to offer space to a refugee or refugee family, we would love to know and keep your name on a list of people we might call on when needed.  

  2. Do you have an apartment that you are willing to rent to refugees? Do you know of others who do? Permanent housing for refugees is even better than emergency housing! If you are willing to be a landlord to recently arrived refugees get in touch. 

To learn more about both of these initiatives email toronto@techfugees.com.  

Techfugees Canada is a local chapter of the global social enterprise Techfugees, which is an impact-driven organization dedicated to nurturing a sustainable ecosystem of tech solutions to support the inclusion of displaced peoples.

Construction on Wellesley

The City has advised that Wellesley Street from Ontario Street to Sherbourne Street, starting on April 25th. Asphalt will be replaced, including on the existing bike lane and a new sidewalk installed. A concrete barrier will also be added to the bike lane.

BIA

MapleLicious

Thank you to our friends at the Cabbagetown BIA for holding the first ever MapleLicious Festival on April 3rd at 3pm.  Come enjoy maple syrup treats, live music, crepes, coffee and a photo booth, all taking place at the NE corner of Parliament and Carlton.

Maplelicious BIA

 

 

Calling all Youth for the Young Urban Forest Leader Program

Leaf Logo

Do you know a young person who is passionate about nature, community engagement, and stewardship?  They may be a perfect fit for the Young Urban Forest Leader (YUFL) Program provided by LEAF!  

LEAF is excited to announce that applications for the 2022 YUFL Program are now open! The YUFL Program is a free, in-person and online training opportunity designed to provide valuable skills in urban forestry and community engagement to 20 young Toronto people (ages 18 to 29) over four months (May through August). Through this program, participants will build connections in their communities, grow their confidence as a leader and network with industry leaders.  

The program also seeks to support Toronto youth from underrepresented groups within arboriculture and urban forestry including (but not limited to) women, non-binary people, Indigenous peoples, newcomers, 2SLGBTQ+ persons and racialized individuals. 

Applications will close on Thursday March 31st 2022 at 11:59pm.  

More details can be found online. 

Heather from Green Thumbs Growing Kids has a new blog post – check it out here.

TORONTO LOGO

The City of Toronto’s first Reconciliation Action Plan moves forward.

Earlier this month, the mayor announced the details of the City of Toronto’s first Reconciliation Action Plan. These recommendations will guide the City’s actions from 2022 to 2032 to advance truth, justice and reconciliation.

The Reconciliation Action Plan builds on the City’s existing commitments to Indigenous Peoples through 28 meaningful actions across five themes: actions to restore truth, actions to right relations and share power, actions for justice, actions to make financial reparations and actions for the Indigenous Affairs Office.

A key priority for the City will be addressing barriers and colonial practices embedded in its policies, processes and practices to better serve Indigenous residents in Toronto.

The Reconciliation Action Plan was developed over three years with input from First Nations, Inuit and Métis community members, organizations, Elders, Knowledge Carriers, youth, and Indigenous employees and allies in the Toronto Public Service. The Plan will be a living document, which will evolve, as needed, to incorporate directives from any future public inquiries or calls for government action from local Indigenous communities and organizations. The City will also continue to collaborate with Indigenous leaders and community members to fulfill the actions within the Plan, ensure transparency and accountability, and improve relationships with Indigenous Peoples.

Cabbagetown Artists

Doug Fisher has launched a new blog for Cabbagetown Artists, showcasing work from local artists. Click through and support a neighbourhood artist.

Janes Walk 2022

Jane’s Walk is Back!

Toronto’s favourite festival of free, community-led walking conversations returns this May, back in person!

Jane’s Walk creates space for Torontonians to celebrate their culture, share their passions, and dream of a more equitable city for all.

Visit the website to learn more.

 

Categories
Uncategorized

City and Local News – February 2022

Dear Cabbagetowners,

Happy February! Only 23 more days until spring!

This months newsletters focuses on a number of areas within our community – our food insecurity fundraiser, new local developments and ‘seed-y’ Saturdays.

We hope you enjoy this latest newsletter. As ever, if you have comments to share, feel free to email us at info@cabbagetowner.com.

Food Insecurity Fundraiser

Thank you Cabbagetown! Our Neighbours Helping Neighbours campaign has raised over $3500 for Dixon Hall.  Thank to everyone who has donated. These funds will go far to help our local community.

The Beer Store redevelopment on Gerrard Street

There has been lot of information circulating in our neighbourhood about the The Beer Store re-development on Gerrard. The Cabbagetown South Residents Association has shared a statement about the redevelopment. They have also a developed a petition against the scale of the redevelopment.Beer Store on Gerrard Street in Toronto

Regent Park Redevelopment Phase 4 & 5

Regent Park 4 and 5

Earlier this month, two CRA Board Members attended a meeting about phases 4 & 5 of the Regent Park development plan.  Some key points include:

  • a new library on site, which would replace the current library at Parliament and Gerrard
  • buildings along Gerrard Street would be 5 to 8 stories high, with small retail units at street level
  • larger tower buildings would be located on the southern end of the site

Regent Park Phases 4 & 5 – Meeting with Cabbagetown Reps_Feb 2 2022 v3

Single Use and Takeaway Bylaw

In June 2021, Toronto City Council approved the Voluntary Measures Program as Stage 1 of the Reduction Strategy to help reduce single-use and takeaway items in Toronto.

The City of Toronto is preparing to move forward into Stage 2 of the Reduction Strategy by proposing mandatory measures that will restrict single-use and takeaway items through fees and/or require “ask-first/by-request” measures.

The City is looking for feedback by way of a survey for residents.

Seedy Saturdays are back!

Whether you are a seed, soil, plant or earth lover, Seedy Saturdays have something for everyone, including kids. Online events are starting soon, take a look at what’s available and register at http://seedysaturday.ca/toronto/.

Cabbagetown BIA

Our friends at the Cabbagetown BIA have released their latest newsletter – check it out!

 

 

Categories
Crime Prevention In The News Issues Local Interest Safety and Security Schools and Children

City/Local News Round-Up January 2022

Dear Cabbagetowners,

Happy New Year! We hope our first newsletter of 2022 finds you and your family happy, healthy and hopefully having dug out of the 55 cms of snow we received earlier this month.

As the city continues to deal with snow removal from the storm, we encourage everyone to do their part and shovel their sidewalks and walkways, and check on neighbours who may need assistance.

Winter sunset in Cabbagetown

We hope you enjoy this latest newsletter. As ever, if you have comments to share, feel free to email us at info@cabbagetowner.com.

 

 

 

In this issue:

  • Addressing Food Insecurity in our community
  • Winners of our 2021 Holiday Lights contest
  • The Wink at Winchester is up and running
  • Toronto’s 311 Mobile App
  • UrbanHensTO is looking for feedback
  • Crime Prevention Tips and Contacts
  • Cabbagetown BIA Update
Addressing Food Insecurity

Lack of food security continues to be a major source of concern in our community.  The local resident’s association, along with the Cabbagetown Preservation Association, are once again partnering with Dixon Hall in the Neighbours Helping Neighbours campaign. 

Holiday Lights contest winners

Congrats to our 2021 Holiday Lights winner!

First Place – Wellesley 2

Second Place – Sackville 2

Third Place – a tie between Sackville 1 and Amelia 1

Thanks to everyone who voted and to our winners, who received a one-year membership to the CRA and a $50 donation to their charity of choice!

Snowman and holiday lights on Wellesley street
First place – Wellesley 2
House on Sackville street decorated with holiday lights
Second Place – Sackville 2
White and coloured holiday lights on Amelia Street
Third Place – Amelia 1
White lights and lit up reindeer on Sackville Street
Third Place – Sackville 1

 

 

 
 
 
 
 
The Wink at Winchester is Up and Running!

The cold weather has made for perfect skating conditions for the second season of The Wink, our the community-built skating rink at Winchester Park! You can book your time at online. Children 6 and under must wear a CAS approved helmet, and anyone on the ice must wear skates. Be sure to follow The Wink via their Facebook page for updated hours of operation and rink conditions. There was also a cool shout out to The Wink is Toronto Life.

Last year The Wink ran a skate donation drive and collected around 50 pairs of used skates. Those skates have been tuned up and sharpened thanks to financial donations received from Royal St.George’s College Community and the Cabbagetown Residents Associaton. The Wink will be hosting a “Skate it Forward” event on Saturday February 5th at Winchester Park from 11am-3pm, or until they run out of skates! Kids and adults who could use a hand gaining access to skates are invited to come and find a pair to take home – for keeps! The Wink is not accepting anymore donations for skates this year.

A million thanks to Trish Finkelstein for her organization, and the generous contributions made by Mark Michelin at Steak & Chops, Bill Renieri at Home Hardware, Carolyn Jarman and Family, the Royal St.Georges’ Community, Just Hockey Source for Sports, the Cabbagetown Residents Association and the many neighbourhood volunteers who make building, running and maintaining the rink possible.  

Outdoor ice rink

 

 

 

 

 

Toronto’s 311 Mobile App

See a pothole? Want to report that pothole and then track the City’s response? The new 311 mobile app will allow you to do just that and much more.

 

UrbanHensTO is looking for feedback

What came first: the chicken or the egg? And while you’re thinking about that, take a few minutes to also let the #CityofTO know what you think about #Toronto’s #UrbanHensTO program. Take the survey by Feb 11, available at toronto.ca/UrbanHensTO.

 

 

 

 
Crime Prevention Tips and Tricks

Earlier this month at the Community Police Liaison Committee meeting, Sergeant Henry Dyck shared a great presentation on crime prevention. Our Neighbourhood Community Officers contacts are below:

MossPark@torontopolice.on.ca                                                                                      St.Jamestown@torontopolice.on.ca  (includes Cabbagetown)                                                   RegentPark@torontopolice.on.ca

Cabbagetown BIA update

Our local BIA recently held a community consultation about the Cabbagetown StreetScape Master Plan. To view a recording of the meeting, and see the plan, click here.

Categories
Issues Local Interest

Food Insecurity Fundraiser 2022

Posted on January 22, 2022

 

A Message From Your Cabbagetown Associations

 

Dear Neighbour,

Last winter we launched a fundraiser and the Cabbagetown community stepped up BIG TIME! Together we raised over $13,000 to help Dixon Hall tackle neighbourhood food insecurity.

One year later, the issue remains very much front and centre. In response, the Residents’ Associations across Cabbagetown, along with the Cabbagetown Preservation Association, are re-launching this  fundraising initiative.

The Neighbours Helping Neighbours campaign asks our generous and caring community to help us raise much needed funds.

Dixon Hall, is a neighbourhood services provider located in the heart of Cabbagetown. They manage most of our local rooming houses and have done much to improve the lives of tenants. They also serve clients in supported housing across St. Jamestown, Regent Park and other areas in the Downtown East.

By directing donations to the Dixon Hall fundraising platform we can ensure all the monies raised get used for front line support services, plus tax receipts can be issued for donations of $10 and over. 

 

DONATE TO ‘NEIGHBOURS HELPING NEIGHBOURS’

Please select “Food Insecurity” in the ‘Donation Designation’ field and add “2022 Fundraiser” in the Tribute box, to ensure your donation is directed to this cause. 

 

Thank you for your support. Together we can ensure that all members of our community have regular access to healthy, nutritious food.

Sincerely,

Victoria Hadden – Chair AARG
Dee Lewis – President WPRA
Karen Marren – President CSRA
Gale Moore – Chair CPA
Sean O’Donovan – Acting Chair CRA

Categories
In The News Local Business News Local Interest Schools and Children

City/Local News Round-Up – Dec. 11

 

Hello All, 

Seasons greetings from the CRA team. We hope you all have a wonderful holiday season and a very Happy New Year.

Your friends at the CRA

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CRA HOLIDAY CARD CONTEST – WINNERS ANNOUNCED 

Holiday card contest winnersWell, the ever popular CRA holiday card contest has wrapped up for another year and the results are in for everyone to enjoy.

Thanks to all the children at both Winchester and Sprucecourt Schools for participating so enthusiastically as well as to our organizers and, of course, to our dedicated and diligent judges.

Each of the winning entries has been made into holiday cards, which will be printed and distributed to CRA member households within the CRA boundary (Gerrard, Parliament, St. James Cemetery and the Don River).

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CABBAGETOWN HOLIDAY LIGHTS COMPETITION 

Yes, it’s back for 2021 and we’re ready to receive your photos for posting to the voting portal, so we encourage you all to light up your front gardens to bring some extra festive cheer to Cabbagetown.

Find out all you need to know about how to enter and win!

Just want to vote? Here’s the link to the voting portal.

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DIXON HALL LOOKING FOR MOW VOLUNTEERS

Dixon Hall logoThis just in from Dixon Hall:

We thank all out volunteers for helping out with our Meals on Wheels (MOW) program in the past. With their help, we have been able to continue to bring comfort to those experiencing food insecurity and isolation during such challenging times.  
Due to the pandemic and its continued restrictions, we are currently experiencing a shortage of volunteers for this upcoming holiday season. We are asking for your help once again. 
 
If you are able to offer your time with the MOW program this year, and help deliver essential meals to seniors and people with disabilities in the community, please complete this volunteer registration form. 

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HELP OUR LOCAL ENVIRONMENTAL CHAMPIONS GROW

suppli logoAs a signed up user, I received a message from Julianna at Suppli, a Cabbagetown organization who believes that together we can make single-use takeout containers a thing of the past:

As the giving season is upon us we want to thank you for being a part of this journey and ask for your help! Together with you and others from our amazing community, we’ve saved over 17,000 (and counting!) single-use containers from landfills and generated tens of thousands in additional revenue for east-end restaurants. Wild!

We’re trying to get the word out about Suppli and figured we’d start by asking our existing community members to refer a friend! 

Already a user? Please spread the word. Not a user? Sign up now and if you indicate you were referred by a friend (at the CRA!), they’ll donate $1 to Second Harvest.

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TORONTO NYE FIREWORKS GO BIG FOR 2021/22

fireworksToronto’s New Year’s Eve fireworks display is returning to the sky for the first time since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic but it is going to look a little different as the city works to limit crowds.

Mayor John Tory announced on Wednesday that there will be a “10-minute, high-altitude fireworks display” to ring in 2022, reports Chris Fox at CP24/CTV News.

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REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE THIS HOLIDAY SEASON

TORONTO LOGOThe City of Toronto encourages residents to “recycle right” and reduce the amount of waste that they generate during the holidays.

Every year, the City manages more than 900,000 tonnes (two billion pounds) of waste. This requires money, energy and resources, and takes up valuable landfill space. The holiday season in particular can create a large amount of waste. The most effective way to reduce the amount of waste that ends up in landfill is to practice the 3Rs – reduce, reuse and recycle right. Small changes can make a big impact.

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TORONTO KIDS VACCINE DAY THIS SUNDAY

team toronto kids logoTeam Toronto and Toronto Kids Vaccine Day partners are ready for action! The team will be welcoming nearly two thousand of the city’s youngest public-health superheroes to Scotiabank Arena to get their COVID-19 vaccine surrounded kid-friendly activities, entertainment, ticket and toy giveaways and special Toronto mascot and PAW Patrol visitors.

Toronto Kids Vaccine Day is taking place this Sunday, December 12 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Appointments are needed and some appointments are still available by calling the provincial vaccine booking line at 1-833-943-3900 or through the Province of Ontario’s How to book a COVID-19 vaccine appointment. 

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LATEST NEWSLETTER FROM GTGK

Heather over at Green Thumbs Growing Kids asked us to share their latest newsletter highlighting efforts to provide environmental stewardship through hands-on garden and food education for urban children and their communities. 

 

 

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LIVE GREEN NEWS – DEC. 2021

Live green news logoAnd here’s a bumper year-end round-up from our friends over at Live Green Toronto.

 

 

 

Categories
Local Interest Schools and Children

Final Results – CRA 2021 Holiday Card Contest

Posted on December 11, 2021

 

We’re so happy to welcome Winchester School back to the Holiday Card Contest after a brief hiatus, re-joining Sprucecourt for a bit of festive fun for the kids.

After much deliberation, the judges have selected a primary and junior winner from each school along with 2 runners-up. All 8 artists will receive a CRA ribbon. Each of the winners’ classes will get a Pizza Party Prize from the CRA too!

For Sprucecourt:

The Winners are:

  • Sanika in Grade 3
  • Sara in Grade 8

Runners up are: Beatrix in Grade 3 and Raisha in Grade 7

For Winchester :

The Winners are:

  • Louisa in Grade 3
  • Jaxen, Amari, Leo & Ella in Grade 7

Runners up are: Alyssa in Grade 3 and Evan in Grade 4

Holiday Card contest winning card
Sanika’s winning entry

All the winning artwork will be framed and put on display over the holidays at Epicure on Parliament Street.

Holiday Card contest winning card
Sara’s Winning Entry

ORGANIZERS

Many thanks to CRA Member Lindsay Matheson, and CRA Board Members Lise Flynn and Katie Tozer for managing this years competition. And thanks, of course, to our three invaluable judges, Betty White, Cynthia Eldridge and Sarah Birnie , for working so diligently to select the winners.

Holiday Card contest winning card
Louisa’s winning entry

JUDGES

Betty White is a professional artist and art teacher. She taught art to children for 28 years and continues to teach children in her Cabbagetown home since retirement.

Cynthia Eldridge is an art history major who uses design thinking to work with global thought leaders to address critical public health challenges.  She believes whole heartedly that a picture is worth a thousand words.

Sarah Birnie is an Interior Designer living in Cabbagetown with her husband, 2 girls and golden retriever. She believes all of us benefit from finding our own creative outlet!

Holiday Card contest winning card
Jaxen, Amari, Leo and Ella’s winning entry

Each of the winning entries has been made into holiday cards, which will be printed and distributed to CRA member households within the CRA boundary (Gerrard, Parliament, St. James Cemetery and the Don River).

 

Categories
Film Shoots Local Interest

City/Local News Round-up – November 20

 
 
NEWS FROM THE CRA CREW

 

Pumpkin Walk a Success

Thanks to the CRA volunteers for organizing it and to all of you that came out to enjoy the Pumpkin Walk  on 1st November. It was great to see so many neighbours and friends out there, enjoying the spectacle.

 

 2021 Holiday Lights Competition

Yes, it’s back for 2021! We encourage you all to light up your front gardens to bring some extra festive cheer to Cabbagetown. Find out all you need to know about how to enter and win!

 

2021 Holiday Cards Competition

This festive favourite is back too and we’re delighted to welcome Winchester School back to the competition after a short hiatus. So kids, get your creative juices flowing and see what you can come up with!

_____________________________________ 

 

SINKING SHIP PRODUCTIONS GIVES BACK – BIG!

Film CameraAs you probably know, Sinking Ship Productions is currently filming a series called Jubilee in Cabbagetown, mostly located around the Coop at the corner of Winchester and Metcalfe. As a gesture of thanks to our community for the disruption filming can cause, they have already made several donations to local concerns, including a $2,500 donation to Sprucecourt School for their food program.

Over the last few weeks the CRA has been in discussions with the Location Manager, Dason Johnson, to see what more they could do to ‘give back’ to the community. We are delighted to announce that they have well and truly stepped-up to this by committing an additional $15,000 to be shared across several local organizations. 

The CRA, in consultation with various local parties has identified the following organizations as recipients of these funds, with a heavy emphasis on helping address food insecurity in the neighbourhood:

Winchester School food program: $2,500 
Dixon Hall: $5,000
Building Roots: $1,500
Cabbagetown Youth Club/Kiwanis: $4,500
St Luke’s Church: $500
Riverdale Farm: $500
Children’s Book Bank: $500

On behalf of the community, we would like to thank Dason and the Production team at Sinking Ship for this extremely generous donation.

About Jubilee

Jubilee is produced  in partnership with Apple TV+ and The Jane Goodall Institute. It follows Jane, a precocious 10 year old inspired by her namesake Jane Goodall to protect the environment, endangered species and ultimately those around her. Each episode centers around Jane embarking on an adventure with different endangered species from Giant Bats to Polar Bears, Blue Whales and Rhinos!

Jane uses her fertile imagination to see these animals in the real world and together with her best friend, David, and her stuffed animal chimpanzee come to life, Greybeard – inspired by the first chimp who befriended Jane Goodall at Gombe – they embark on adventures in and around their neighborhood. During these adventures they learn important lessons about threats to at risk animals and about the ways humans can help. They also discover ways to conserve local species and environments through their interactions with their neighbours. Each episode ends with a lesson being imparted that echoes the theme of the series; “Every individual matters. Every individual has a role to play. Every individual makes a difference.” The ultimate aim in creating this show is to offer hope, inspiration and a way forward for children, parents and everyone else in the fight to combat climate change, environmental destruction and species extinctions.

 

 

Categories
Local Interest

CRA 2021 HOLIDAY LIGHTS COMPETITION

Posted on November 14, 2021

 

It’s the most wonderful time of the year: which means the annual Cabbagetown Holiday Lights contest is back for the SEVENTH year running!

In what has become a popular annual tradition, every December Cabbagetowners get to see our neighbourhood’s houses in all their illuminated glory.

You can enter your own home or nominate one of your neighbours. There are three ways you can enter:

1. Post a photo to Twitter with the hashtag #cabbagetownlights;

2. Post a photo to our Facebook page timeline with the hashtag #cabbagetownlights;

3. Simply email us your photo to info@cabbagetowner.com 

Please include the address of the home in the photo so we can include the street name on the voting website and know how to contact the residents if their house wins.

Photos can be submitted anytime between Wednesday December 1st and Sunday December 26.

By submitting your photo, you consent to your photo being reproduced on a voting website that will contain all of the submissions. Photos will be identified by the house’s street only and no names or other personal identifying details will be published. 

This year the three photo submissions that have the most votes by the end of the day on December 26 will each win:

  • A lawn sign marking their achievement.
  • A one-year membership to CRA
  • PLUS – A $50 donation to their charity of choice c/o the CRA 

and bragging rights, of course! 

NOTE: For the purpose of determining resident winners, when the same house is photographed more than once, total votes will be counted. Only one vote will be allowed per IP address; however, you can switch your vote anytime up until the deadline.

Categories
In The News Local Business News Local Interest

City/Local News Round-up – Oct 9 – 22

 
QUICK NEWSLETTER UPDATE

Hello Valued Readers,

You probably noticed that we’ve made various changes the cadence of the CRA newsletter over the last year or so, in response to the cataclysmic events we’ve all been working through together. Moving the newsletter from monthly to weekly throughout 2020 and into mid 2021, then back to bi-weekly a few months ago. As things continue to settle down (hopefully) we’ve decided to move back to our normal monthly publication from this issue onwards.

Thank you for supporting the CRA and for subscribing to and reading the newsletter so consistently. As ever, if there is anything you would like to see us cover, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us by email at: info@cabbagetowner.com.

 

CABBAGETOWN CRIME ALERT

(Thanks to Doug Fisher at Cabbagetown Neighbourhood Review for this article)

A crew is going door-to-door through the neighbourhood offering to restore patios – and possibly do other projects as well.  They’re rip-off artists.  Stephen Armstrong from Wellesley and Sumach has sent us a caution about them. His wife was intimidated and his neighbours were cheated out of $3,000.  It’s an old scam.  

 

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FINAL REMINDER  FOR THE ANNUAL PUMPKIN WALK

Pumpkin Walk Poster Cabbagetown’s beloved Pumpkin Walk will once again be happening in Riverdale Park West (Sumach and Winchester entrance), on November 1 from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.

We invite all Cabbagetown Residents to ring their Pumpkins over and, of course, feel free to dress up appropriately for the occasion!

As we have done in previous years, we’ll also be hosting a food drive,  this year it’s for local service provider Dixon Hall , so please bring some non-perishable foods to donate as well.

All the Pumpkins will be recycled by the City of Toronto.

 

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FINAL FEW POOP SIGNS LEFT (NO, REALLY!)

No poop signs

Been meaning to email us to get your very own scoop your poop sign but haven’t quite get round to it yet? Well, we have a dozen or so left from our initial print run – so it’s now or never. 

We created these free lawn signs to provide a gentle reminder to dog owners that perhaps forget to stoop and scoop their lovable pooches poop.

If you’d like one to display in your front garden please email us at info@cabbagetowner.com, indicating your preference for design A or B.

 

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CafeTO SET TO BECOME PERMANENT

They’ve become popular fixtures during the pandemic: those expanded patios dotting sidewalks and curb lanes, spilling into city streets. They’re all part of the city’s CaféTO program — initially expected to be a temporary help to the city’s struggling restaurants. Now business owners and city residents say they’re thrilled these outdoor spaces could become a permanent part of the city — though they do have a few suggestions for improvements. Update from the Toronto Star.

 

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FILM PRODUCTION SCHEDULE UPDATE

Film CameraFilm production continues at the Coop on the corner of Winchester and Metcalfe next week (see below). For those of you that don’t know, Jubilee is an education series about a young girl whose idol is Jane Goodall. From the series web site:
“Jubilee follows Jane Garcia, a 10-year-old girl with an active imagination. Through pretend play, Jane and her trusty teammates work to protect an endangered animal in each mission-driven episode because, according to her idol: “Only if we understand, will we care. Only if we care, will we help. Only if we help, can they be saved.”

The production is creating a bit of disruption in the neighbourhood, as usual, but it’s good to see that it’s squarely aimed at developing strong educational content for kids.

The CRA is in talks with the production company to see if we can get further donations for local charities/concerns, to serve as compensation to local residents for the inconvenience caused. 

Filming Location(s) & Times: 77 WINCHESTER ST
FILMING – Start Date Time: Oct-25 07:00, To: Oct-28 23:00
PREP – Start Date Time: Oct-25 07:00, To: Oct-25 23:00
WEATHER, Start Date Time: Oct-29 07:00, To: Oct-29 23:00

 

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QR CODE BASED VACCINE CERTIFICATE LAUNCHED AHEAD OF SCHEDULE

QR Code and phoneThe Ontario government has now made the enhanced vaccine certificate with official QR code (and the free, made-in Ontario verification app, Verify Ontario), available for download. Together, these tools will make it easier, more secure and convenient for individuals to provide proof of vaccination where required to do so, and for businesses and organizations to verify vaccine certificates while protecting people’s privacy.

 

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NEW TRAVEL VACCINE PASSPORT UNVEILED

PLANE SILHOUETTECanada’s new proof of vaccination program for domestic and international travel has been unveiled and it is very similar to what some provinces are already using. The new pan-Canadian vaccine passport will be issued through the provinces and territories, as they have access to the immunization records.

The federal government says it has been working closely with the provinces and territories for some time on how to ensure the system is as easy to access as possible. Update by Clair Fenton from City News.

 

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CANADA NO LONGER ADVISING AGAINST NON- ESSENTIAL TRAVEL

The Canadian government has quietly lifted its advisory against non-essential international travel, marking the first time since March 2020 that the notice has been lifted.  

A travel notice on the Government of Canada website had been advising travelers against all non-essential international travel, but is now replaced with a notice urging all travelers to be fully vaccinated before a trip, reports Ben Cousins at CTV News.

 

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CITY NEWS UPDATES

 

TORONTO SIGN

 
 
CITY PREPARES TO LIFT CAPACITY LIMITS  

Yesterday, the Province announced a plan to safely reopen and manage COVID long term and provided details about the provincial plan to gradually lift COVID-19 safety measures:  The City of Toronto welcomes the reopening plan and is prepared to support reopening activities, including the lifting of COVID-19 capacity limits in a number of settings as of next Monday, October 25.

 

TORONTO PREPARES FOR 5-11 YEAR OLD VACCINES, ONCE APPROVED

Team Toronto continues to prepare for the vaccination of five to 11 year-old children in Toronto as soon as the vaccines are approved for use by Health Canada, and guidance is received by the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) and the Province of Ontario. Partners from across the City have come together to develop a multi-pronged strategy to reach the more than 200,000 Toronto children, along with education and engagement opportunities with their parents and guardians in the coming weeks.

 

TPH LAUNCHES ANNUAL FLU VACCINE CAMPAIGN

Toronto Public Health (TPH) is kicking off the City of Toronto’s annual flu vaccination campaign this week by bringing vaccine to those who are at increased risk of serious illness. Starting this week, TPH is collaborating with Inner City Health Associates (ICHA) to start offering the flu vaccination to homeless and under-housed individuals in shelters and drop-in settings to protect some of our city’s most vulnerable residents.

 

LIVE GREEN TORONTO COOKING DEMO FOR GARLIC WEEK

Live Green Toronto is excited to present the 11th episode in the LiveGreen@Home Workshop Series in collaboration with Nepali Momo and Ontario Garlic Week.

 

NEW BIKEWAY FOR CANARY, DISTILLERY, ST. LAWRENCE AREA

Planned construction of a new, permanent two-way cycle track along The Esplanade and Mill Street in Toronto officially began on Sunday, October 17.

The new bikeway will help improve overall road safety for the surrounding communities, support transit use, and grow Toronto’s cycling network in three of the city’s heritage neighbourhoods (Canary and Distillery Districts and St. Lawrence Market area).

 

 

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