Repairs at The Wicks
Robert, in his passion for perfection at the Ben Wicks (424 Parliament), is upgrading his patio, his windows and the railings around the upstairs walkway. The Wicks will still be open during this construction period. There will be special portable banquettes for the patio so you can still enjoy a cool drink outside each evening. As you can see, John has stepped out for a beer and a smoke while Aldo carries on with the patio work. The Wicks will be daily open from 3 pm as usual through this time.

Star Nails
Sunh at Star Nails (442 Parliament) has announced to us that his daughter, Phan, is now in charge at Star Nails. He seems very proud of her as well he should be. Phan is just back from her studies at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg (where she fell in love with the city.) She reminds us that it’s time now to break out of our “winter feet” with a rejuvenating pedicure. Every week, Star Nails has fabulous new colours that are right on trend for the summer.

Boot camp at Kendall
Kendall & Co Design and Décor (438 Parliament) have amazing wares on sale and they know how to have fun presenting them. This week’s display is a great example – crackled porcelain work boots. Eric, the architectural designer, is modeling them for us here. They can be a whimsical door stop, an umbrella stand and an outdoor flower planter. Drop in, buy a pair and get a ticket for the June 6 Garden Tour while you’re at it.

Double Take’s 10th anniversary
Double Take are celebrating their 10th birthday in Cabbagetown on Saturday June 5 from noon to 4 pm at 310 Gerrard. It’ll be a family friendly event with great music, entertainment and children’s activities.
To top off the day, they’re having a Designer Dare Fashion Show – pick out some items from Double Take and fashion them into a new outfit for any occasion. The judging will happen at Double Take’s 10th party under the eye of fashion designer and stylist Zanesha Gowrali.
There’s an application form for the Fashion contest (which you can collect at the store – or call the BIA at 416-921-0857) and a $10 fee. When you register, you’ll get a $25 gift certificate so you can shop for your items at Double Take.

Cooking with Elie
On Monday, it’s week five in the cooking series at Provence Delices (12 Amelia), this week highlighting charcuterie techniques. Classes start at 6:30 pm and go to 9. This is a hands-on experience where you will learn and then practice a technique. Then, best of all, you sit down and eat the results. (416) 924-9901

Big Mamma’s Boy
Brunch season has started on Sundays from 11 am to 3 pm. And Michael, the chef, is shopping at the Riverdale Farmers’ Market for his ingredients. He’s already had fresh asparagus and fiddleheads. Strawberries will be in soon. Small wonder that they’re getting good crowds for dinner every day. 554 Parliament

Nest Redux at Toronto Dance Theatre
Christopher House and ten TDT dancers are revisiting his seminal work, Nest, over this weekend and next week. Friday May 21 and Saturday May 22 at 8 pm, Sunday May 23 at 2 pm. May 26 to 29 at 8 pm. 80 Winchester Street, (416) 967-1365. http://www.tdt.org/

Construction notes
Three projects near the corner at Carlton and Parliament have provoked some interest in Cabbagetown. Here’s the latest on each of them.
At 499 Parliament (above Cabbagetown Organics), the owner is adding a third floor for the apartment spaces in the building.
At 488 Parliament, the Paradise Restaurant has closed. There’s a new project now underway to open a family-style restaurant in place of the old bar. We can also expect some changes to the exterior facing Parliament and a clean-up around the back deck.
The new bank is the big project in this area at the corner. George Foulides, the building owner, tells us that the majority of the work is now being done inside and that a summer date for opening the TD Bank is firming up. You can easily see through the front windows that interior furnishings and counters are now being set in place.

Doors Open at Hugh Garner
The annual Doors Open event is a big deal across Ontario and here in Cabbagetown, Hugh Garner Co-op is being featured for its innovative green roof. Trees, shrubs and planting beds are spread across the 8000 square foot roof. It contains a storm water retention system for watering the plants. For a quick video presentation about the garden, click here: http://www.hughgarner.com/greenroof/greenroof_movie.mov Doors Open happens on Saturday May 29 and Sunday May 30 from 10 am to 5 pm daily.

Coming events
Don Vale Cabbagetown Residents Association annual meeting. Special guest speaker is Amanda Gomm from LEAF who will discuss our urban forest and ways to enhance it. Wednesday May 26, 7 pm, Riverdale Farm.
Winchester School Annual Family Fun Fair. Games, prizes, face painting, dunk tank, jumping castle, silent auction and more. To donate items for the garage sale and silent auction, please call Gwen at (416) 368-0129 or Pam at (416) 944-9944. 15 Prospect Street, Saturday May 26, 11 am to 3 pm.
Cabbagetown Preservation Association annual meeting. Learn more about the new Regent Park. Presentation Centre, 500 Dundas St E, Monday May 31, 7 pm.

Democracy is alive and well
On Thursday, a group from Ontario Coalition against Poverty protested the elimination of special diet allowances from support payments made to low income people. They marched along Parliament from Gerrard to Winchester and staged their protest in front of Glen Murray’s office. These are the same guys who tried to warm up their event by gluing posters onto every hydro pole in the area for a couple of weeks ahead of time. Unfortunately, they’ve forgotten that the very people they’re trying to impress are more likely to get annoyed by this relentless postering.