This picture was taken about a year ago – Cabbagetown looks a bit similar this February, but maybe slightly less snow!
City of Toronto Parks and Rec registration
If you are looking forward to spring, a heads up that the city’s Parks and Rec program registration for East York is taking place on March 8.
Bill 23 Survey
The Federation of South Toronto Residents Association (FoRSTRA) is asking for feedback on Bill 23. They have endorsed a survey and are asking for feedback. The survey can be accessed here, and is open until February 28.
Gerrard Street East Project Update
The road reconstruction planned for Gerrard between Sherbourne and Parliament has been delayed until 2024.
Howland Theatre showing of Prodigal
Howland Theatreis premiering Prodigal at nearby Crow’s Theatre from February 21st – March 12th and they’re offering general admission tickets for $30, using the promo code LESLIEVILLE.
Young Urban Forest Leaders
LEAF is excited to announce that applications for the 2023 YUFL Program are now open! The YUFL Program is a free, online and in-person 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 (end-of-April to end-of-August). Through this program, participants will build connections across Toronto communities, grow their confidence as a leader and network with industry leaders.
FoSTRA (Federation of South Toronto Residents Association) is hosting a series of free education events on the theme of Housing for All. The first event is on January 26 from 6:30-8pm with Mark Richardson of HousingNowTO.com. More information is linked below, along with the registration details.
Winterlicious 2023 will run for two weeks, starting January 27, with delicious prix fixe lunch and dinner menus at more than 220 local restaurants. This year, menus are available at six price points; three-course prix fixe lunch menus are priced at $20, $27, $34, $41, $48 and $55, and dinners are priced at $25, $35, $45, $55, $65 and $75. Restaurants are accepting reservations for the prix fixe promotion. A list of participating restaurants is available here.
Declaration of Property Occupancy Status
The City is reminding all homeowners to submit a declaration of their property’s 2022 occupancy status by Thursday, February 2 to determine if the property is subject to the new Vacant Home Tax.
This picture was taken by board member Lise Flynn on the first snowfall of the season. Thanks to everyone who cleared their walkways and sidewalks!
Cabbagetown Residents Survey
Thank you to all who completed the recent CRA survey. The board is reviewing the feedback and we will send out a comprehensive review of the results in the next few weeks.
Bill 23
There has been a lot of chatter about Bill 23 and how that could affect city plans and initiatives. For a comprehensive review of potential impact, please review this City Briefing Note – Bill 23provided by the City.
The Federation of Urban Neighbourhoods has identified a number of concerns with Bill 23. This link summarizes the concerns well and provides resources where individuals can learn more, sign various petitions and contact politicians and policy makers.
Transportation Survey
The City of Toronto has partnered with the Ministry of Transportation Ontario to sponsor the Transportation Tomorrow Survey (TTS). The survey, which will be mailed to randomly selected Toronto residents, takes less than 15 minutes to complete, and the results will help plan improvements to transportation facilities for all road and transit users in Toronto and across the region. Residents should watch for a survey invitation in their mailboxes and visit the website to learn more.
Yonge Street Mission Toy Drive
The YSM new toy drive is happening again this year from December 12-16. Find more info here.
Cabbagetown BIA has a new Director
A big welcome to Matt Mohan who is the new executive director at the Cabbagetown BIA.
Childrens Book Bank Auction
The annual online auction for the Children’s Book Bank is on until November 29. This ‘Favourite Things’ online auction, is always a hit.
Calvacade of Lights
The Calvacade of Lights has returned to Nathan Phillips Square from November 26 to January 7th. For the full schedule of activities and events, click here.
Moss Park Hockey League
The Moss Park House League, for kids aged 4-16, is a FREE hockey league aimed at introducing youngsters to the game of ice hockey. All levels are welcomed from absolute beginners to experienced skaters.
Equipment is available for children who do not have equipment, eg. skates, pads, pants, jerseys, helmets.
Games are played on Saturdays at Moss Park Arena, Queen Street & Sherbourne Street, starting in November.
Registration is still Open, just come on down Saturday morning for skills evaluation, sign up HERE
What makes this league unique is that All Kids Play, there is no sitting on the bench. The game periods are 3:00 minutes long and change on a whistle, Line 1 play against the other team’s Line 1, Line 2 play against the other team’s Line 2 and Line 3 plays against the other team’s Line 3.
Thanks to resident Gina for sharing this great info!
Cabbagetown is looking spooky this week as we gear up for one of the busiest nights in our neighbourhood. Halloween is coming up on Monday, so keep an eye out for the little (and not so little) ones to be out and about looking for candy.
On Tuesday November 1, the Cabbagetown Residents Association will be holding our annual Pumpkin Walk from 5-9pm in Riverdale Park West. A long-standing and much loved tradition, the Cabbagetown Pumpkin Walk provides a magical evening of twinkling orange lights for all the family.
Bring your Halloween pumpkin and line it up with the rest along the walkways to be lit up with a tea light. We will also be collecting non-perishable foods to address food insecurity in the greater Cabbagetown community.
Cabbagetown Residents Survey
It’s been 9 years since our last resident’s survey. Given the challenges of the past couple of years, we feel that now is the perfect time to reach out and ask what you’re currently looking for from your Cabbagetown Residents Association.
Please use this link to complete the 2022 Cabbagetown Residents Association Survey. Survey results will be shared within one month of the survey close date.
Prizes will be awarded to the first 10 respondents. An email address is required to be eligible for a prize.
To see the results of the 2013 survey, please click here.
Municipal Election
A new Councillor and School Trustee were voted in during Monday’s municipal election. Chris Moise becomes the new Toronto Centre city councillor, Deborah Williams is the TDSB School Trustee and Kevin Morrison the TCDSB Trustee. Thank you to everyone who ran and voted. Full election results available at electionresults.toronto.ca
Gerrard Street Redevelopment
The City of Toronto has released an updated plan to the Gerrard Street redevelopment that is planned for Gerrard between Sherbourne and Parliament.
The Harm Reduction Community Care Project aims to create a safer community in the downtown East area through safe collection and disposal of discarded harm reduction supplies, including needles and other sharps. The project offers low barrier employment opportunities to folks with various lived experience and aims to challenge stigma and foster safety and inclusion in the downtown East community through engagement, responding to community requests for safe disposal, community trainings, and collecting feedback. In 2022, the team has collected over 45,000 items from streets and parks in the downtown East area, further illustrating the importance of these kinds of programs.
Please contact 1-866-224-9978 x 243 or communitycare@pasan.org for requests for clean-up of discarded harm reduction supplies. If folks are interested in speaking more about the project, I would be happy to set up a meeting time which could include training on safe disposal, as well as providing safe disposal bins if they would like. We can also arrange to have the bins picked up and replaced by our team if/when they fill up.
Summer has officially ended, and it was a great one. We enjoyed the Parkscape on Parliament (thank you Cabbagetown BIA) and ended the summer with the return of the Cabbagetown Arts and Crafts Festival, after a 2 year absence.
Municipal Election
Toronto’s municipal election is on Monday, October 24. Advance voting is October 7-14. A list of the Ward 13 candidates can be found here. Our friends at the Corktown Residents and Business Association are hosting a Ward 13 All-Candidates Meeting on September 27 at 6:30 at the Cooper Koo YMCA. You can find out more information and register here. If you can’t join in person, the CRBA are live-streaming the introduction and question period.
People, Power and the Park
People, Power, & the Park, a free four-day outdoor festival celebrating the history of Allan Gardens, is taking place this weekend! Starting Thursday, September 22 at 6:00 pm and ending on Sunday, September 25 at 4:00 pm.
The festival will include an archival exhibit by students, staff and community members from Toronto Metropolitan University, poetry readings, guided walking tours and performances. Including music from Lillian Allen & Band: Revving Up the Tea Party, Joaquín Hidalgo’s Caribbean Jazz Trio, and the Counterpoint Community Orchestra.
The poetry portion of the festival will take place on Saturday, September 24 at 6:00 pm, with an open mic session hosted by Lillian Allen and then readings with Clifton Joseph, January Roberts, Robert Priest and Charlie Petch.
Our friends at Dixon Hall have an Amazon Wishlist for school and music supplies, journals, health and wellness supplies, crafts items, tablets, and everything in between. If you want to help them out with a purchase, you can see their wishlist here.
Many Cabbagetowners are fans of Suppli, a reusable food delivery service. They have recently launched a food delivery service that includes some of our local favourites, such as Haldi, Shalom, Noushe, Gushi and Daniel et Daniel. Check it out here.
Nuit Blanche 2022
Nuit Blanche, Toronto’s all-night celebration of contemporary art, returns from 7 p.m. on October 1 to 7 a.m. on October 2. The long-awaited event is city-wide for the first time ever and will feature works by more than 150 artists. Explore exhibition areas in Etobicoke, North York, downtown and Scarborough. This is a great, family friendly event and a wonderful way to celebrate art in out city.
June and July have been busy months in Cabbagetown! The CRA held our Annual General Meeting, the Farmers Market started up again and we have a park on Parliament Street!
CRA Annual General Meeting
The Cabbagetown Residents Association held our Annual General Meeting on Monday, June 20 via Zoom. You can view the presentation and the minutes here. Newly elected MPP Kristyn Wong-Tam was in attendance and shared plans for the Cabbagetown Parkscape, which has now been installed on Parliament Street.
Cabbagetown Parkscape
The Cabbagetown BIA has arranged for a very neat parkscape installation on Parliament Street, between Winchester and Carlton. The park will be there until September 11th, and is already a hit with the kids! There will also be live music happening most Wednesdays and Sundays throughout the summer in the parkscape. There will also be pop-up markets all summer from local Cabbagetown BIA businesses. Thank you to the Cabbagetown BIAfor organizing!
Farmers Market
The market is back! Located in Riverdale Park West, every Tuesday from 3-7pm. Come for the veggies and cheese, and enjoy this great local resource.
Keep Cool in a Pool
The City of Toronto has announced that outdoor pools are now open, just in time for summer. Fifty-four outdoor pools and 85 wading pools are open daily until Labour Day. More than 90 splash and spray pads have been open since the Victoria Day weekend for fun and heat relief and will remain open until Sunday, September 18. During summer, approximately 1,000 lifeguards supervise beaches, as well as outdoor and indoor pools, and 300 staff supervise wading pools. Check it out at www.toronto.ca/swim.
New Restaurants
There are a couple of new places to eat in Cabbagetown. L’Avenue Restaurant has just opened at the corner of Parliament and Amelia Street. And the Golden Pigeon Beer Hall (where the Tilted Dog used to be) looks like it is gearing up to open soon.
Gerrard Street East Project
The City of Toronto is proposing changes on Gerrard Street East between Sherbourne Street and Parliament Street. The City is also exploring changes to Gerrard Street East between Parliament Street and Blackburn Street, as part of the on-going redevelopment of Regent Park. You can read more about it here.
Reminder – Wellesley Park
We’ve had a request to remind dog owners that Wellesley Park is not an off-leash park. Homeowners in the area have noticed an increase in dogs running off leash in the park. Owners who want to have their dogs off leash can head to Riverdale Park West, south of the farm.
Outdoor Movies in Corktown Commons
Toronto Outdoor Picture Show is bringing movies to Corktown Commons every Thursday is July. Bring a chair and popcorn!
CPA Walk
The Cabbagetown Preservation Association is planning on another historical on Sunday July 17, 10 am. Just join the group at the Cabbagetown People directory board just inside the gates at Riverdale Park (Sumach and Winchester). It’s free!
Reminder to get out and VOTE this Thursday, June 2nd. Cabbagetown’s Doug Fisher sat down with three local candidates for interviews – check them out here. To find your voting location, go to Elections Ontario.
Photo Courtesy of Ruth Wagner
Hidden Gardens and Private Spaces Tour
Cabbagetown’s Hidden Gardens and Private Spaces tour is back again this Sunday, June 5th, organized by the Cabbagetown Preservation Association. Visit their website to purchase tickets online, and for more information.
Cabbagetown Farmers Market
Just two weeks until our local farmers market starts up again on Tuesday June 14th. The market will run every Tuesday from 3pm–7pm, until October 25th. The market is looking for volunteers – more info is available on their Facebook page.
Green Thumbs has a lovely update on what is growing in the children’s gardens at Winchester, Sprucecourt and Rose Avenue schools.
Festival on the Green is happening on June 18th from 10am-2pm, at the Church of St.Peter and St Simon the Apostle. There is a full line up of live music, food, vendors selling a variety of products from clothing, home décor products, jewelry, crafts, note cards, artwork and artwork. Lots of activities for kids too!
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 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.
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 FacebookandInstagram.
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.
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.
We have officially arrived in spring, and are only 5 weeks away from the 2022 Forsythia Festival!
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:
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.
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.
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.
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.
Calling all Youth for the Young Urban Forest Leader Program
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.
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.
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.
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 Neighbourscampaign 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 statementabout the redevelopment. They have also a developed a petition against the scale of the redevelopment.
Regent Park Redevelopment Phase 4 & 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
In June 2021, Toronto City Council approved the Voluntary Measures Program as Stage 1 of theReduction 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!
