Friday 27 April 2012

Wow – this Blog is fun
For over four years, I’ve been churning out my most profound thoughts onto an innocent Cabbagetown audience through this Blog. My first edition went out over the world-wide web on April 11, 2007 and since then, 217 more have followed.
Google tells me that we’ve now reached 115,000 “page views”. Every week, we’re adding between 850 and 1100 more. If you’re reading this, you’re part of a big Blog army.
Last winter, Cabbagetown’s Newsletter was honoured with TABIA’s first communications Award.
The business community here has been amazingly tolerant of the rants, digressions and personal opinions that have been fired out under their banner at this Blog.
Our success has been based on Cabbagetown itself. We’re a very close community. What happens at the Forsythia Festival interests people in Cabbagetown South. Central Neighbourhood House has a 100th anniversary and it’s supported by people on Wellesley Street. All of us are cheering for The Daniels Corporation and TCHC as they revitalize Regent Park.
Over these past four years, deep change has reached Parliament, Carlton and Gerrard. New people – young people – have arrived with a lot of energy and very good business sense. At the same time, the older favourites have continued to give great service and to be the centre of the BIA.
As a result, it’s never been hard for me to write this weekly report because I’ve always had lively stories about interesting people.

So – here’s what’s happening this week

On Saturday night – Reaching Out Through Music
An amazing concert evening is happening on Saturday April 28 at St Simon’s Church (525 Bloor). The program includes Ron Davis, Daniela Nardi, Mary Lou Fallis with Peter Tiefenbach, the Gryphon Trio, Emma Meinrenken, Patricia Parr and Kathleen Penny. A fantastic silent auction starts at 6:45 pm and the concert begins at 7:30 pm. All of this is a benefit for Reaching Out Through Music, a community group providing music and social opportunities for children from St James Town. Reserve your tickets at (416) 923-8714 (ext 205) or jamierotm@hotmail.com. Students $10, seniors, $30, regular $40 and patrons $100. Complimentary refreshments. To find out more, click here: www.reachingoutthroughmusic.org

Welcome Kumon
A new learning centre has just opened at 543A Parliament just north of Winchester. It’s an after-school math and reading enrichment program that uses an individualized approach based on a child’s ability rather than age. Vasudha Chadha is the owner of the Cabbagetown Kumon – one of over 26,000 centres across 47 countries around the world. For more info about the Kumon programs, www.kumon.com. To talk to Vasudha, call her at (416) 939-2300. Open Mondays and Thursdays, 3 to 7 pm and Saturdays 9 to 11:30 am.

“On Time” by Eric Morse
Eric has taken hundreds of photos documenting Cabbagetown life over the past seven years. On Tuesday, Eric (with the help of his colleague Catherine Tammaro) is opening a show at the Parliament Street Library (269 Gerrard). Reception from 6 to 8 pm. The show starts on May 1 and runs to May 31.

MJG Gallery
The current "Spring" show is making way for next month's Scotiabank "Contact" photography exhibit "Wish You Were Here" It will feature work by Kelly Clipperton, Mark Gleberzon, Stev'nn Hall & Sandy Middleton. RSVP for the opening night receptions May 3rd & May 4th. 416.923.4031. 555 Parliament St.

The Forsythia Festival is a week away
It’s our annual celebration of Spring. Sunday May 6. The Festival starts at Riverdale Park at 10 am and a parade then marches one short block north to Wellesley Park. Games, food and lots of family events happen until 1:30 pm. It’s always a nifty way to meet your neighbours and enjoy the warm weather. 13 local businesses have donated gifts and 6 more made cash donations – our thanks to each one.

Kendall and the Farm
Kendall and Co (227 Carlton) has a special line of home accents and gifts inspired by Riverdale Farm. A portion of the sale proceeds will go to the Farm. They also have a special sale for this weekend – save 10% on their entire stock of fair trade, handmade New Zealand wool rugs. For more info, www.kendallandco.ca/fyi/retail/riverdale-farm-collection

Solar power at CCDT
About twenty people gathered last Saturday afternoon to hear several experts comment on the possibilities of solar power in Cabbagetown. The centre piece of the discussion was the solar roof at Canadian Contemporary Dance Theatre. The event was organized by TABIA who were attracted here by the dance theatre’s innovations. Everything started off on a sunny note with coffee from Starbucks (492 Parliament) and cookies from Mylk Uncookies (253 Gerrard).

Wearable works of art by Dean Davidson
Dean Davidson’s wearable art is modern, striking and feminine. He relies on architectural design elements. His current collection at Labour of Love (242 Carlton) mixes textures and plays with different shapes and colours. Find out more at www.thelabouroflove.ca

Congrat’s Mylk Uncookies
Toni and Elaine were very nicely reviewed in a blog last September. I’ve just found this article. Although it’s now a few months old, the review is still worth quoting: “What a unique place … clean and simple but not pretentious. I ordered up an Americano which was bang-on delicious. … The service here was excellent and I’d happily return”. That was from Matthew Rahn at Espresso CoffeeLife, a Toronto blog about coffee experiences in the city (http://www.espressocoffeelife.com/) 253 Gerrard.

The courtyard room is still available
There’s a charming courtyard space at Weenen General Contracting (Carlton) that’s available for rent. It’s comfortable and impressive with built-in shelves, air conditioning, gas fireplace, carpeting and bright window light. The entrance is from the courtyard garden. 300 square feet, $1,000/month including utilities. Contact Diana Menzies at (416) 424-4900 and dmenzies@trebnet.com

Peanut butter at Epicure
Manhattan’s Peanut Butter & Co has made it to the big time here in our own Epicure Shop (473 Parliament). They produce seven varieties of peanut butter – all really yummy. Seinfeld has endorsed them. And Patty has them all – at $4.99 a jar.

Save this date – Garden Tour
Sunday June 3, 10 am to 3 pm. The annual tour of Hidden Gardens & Private Spaces takes place across Cabbagetown. This is a very popular event and it sells out every year. Tickets ($15) are available locally at Mi Casa (238 Carlton), Kendall & Co (227 Carlton) and Fairway Garden Centre (520 Parliament).

Luminato along Parliament Street
Luminato is Toronto’s annual celebration of the arts and this year, they’re coming here with an installation along Parliament Street. We’ll see a dozen pieces from Dan Bergeron. All of them are his response to the abundance of condo development in the city and especially to the revitalization of Regent Park. Watch for this in June. Image from www.luminato.com

Cabbagetown in Iceland
Our Tees have gone north. Ruth (in our Tee) and Kevin along with Bernie and Ruth had a quick and highly enjoyable trip to Iceland recently. They say that it’s an amazing place and they’ll be back there again. Their photo was taken on the Reykjanes Peninsula near Reykjavik in the southwest part of the country. Another spot on the globe where the C’town Tee has been proudly worn.


That’s it. Thanks!

Friday 20 April 2012

Tonight at The Wicks
Our friend Benoit is hosting his farewell party tonight at The Ben Wicks (424 Parliament). Tomorrow - hangovers permitting – he’s en route to Quebec City and a role in an opera. Jeff Barnes and the Irish Rogues start playing after 8:30 pm.

Tomorrow at the CCDT
The Canadian Contemporary Dance Theatre (509 Parliament) are holding a seminar about their solar roof panels. It’s co-sponsored by TABIA and it focuses on the ways that solar energy can be used in your home and business. This is a great opportunity to explore the dance theatre and to see their unique rooftop solar panels. Free admission. Saturday from 4:30 to 6 pm, refreshments.

Tomorrow at The Cobourg
It’s one of our favourite annual events – The Cobourg Sings. Everyone’s invited to warble out their tunes and the proceeds from the cover charge are donated to UforChange, an arts-based agency working with kids in St James Town. Saturday April 21 from 8 pm at The Cobourg, 533 Parliament

Next Wednesday at JAMcafe
Loire Valley wines will be featured in JAM’s latest wine tasting evening, Wednesday April 25th at 6:30 pm. Chef Av Atikian is hosting the evening and he’s prepared hors d’oeuvres to match each selection. $30/ea. Reservations are a very good idea since these tastings often are a sell-out. (416) 921-1255. For more details, click here: http://www.jamcafe.net/. 195 Carlton

Welcome to Face Furniture Eyewear
What’s happening behind the brown paper at 464 Parliament? It’s a new optical store, opening next week. Al Cao, an optician with 8-years experience, and Tewfik Sherif, an optical technician who has 28-years experience, will be there to serve you. They will be featuring high-end and good quality glasses and service.

A reminder about TDT renovations
Work on renovations at the Winchester Street Theatre that will affect the neighbourhood will start on Monday. These include foundation work, brick repairs, work on the slate roof, reinforcing the stained glass windows and replacing the sash windows. The sidewalks around the building on Winchester and Metcalf will be closed. For more information, call Karen at (647) 439-3741.

Next weekend - Reaching Out Through Music
An amazing concert evening is happening on Saturday April 28 at St Simon’s Church (525 Bloor) to benefit Reaching Out Through Music. It’s a community group providing music and social opportunities for children from St James Town. The program includes Ron Davis, Daniela Nardi, Mary Lou Fallis with Peter Tiefenbach, the Gryphon Trio, Emma Meinrenken, Patricia Parr and Kathleen Penny. There’ll be a fantastic silent auction starting at 6:45 pm and the concert happens at 7:30 pm. Reserve your tickets at (416) 923-8714 (ext 205) or jamierotm@hotmail.com. Students $10, seniors, $30, regular $40 and patrons $100. Complimentary refreshments. To find out more, click here: http://www.reachingoutthroughmusic.org/

Workshops at Labour of Love
On Wednesday May 2 at 6 pm and Wednesday May 9 at 6 pm. $20 per workshop – it covers all materials and a snack. Sign up at the store, 242 Carlton. For more details, http://www.thelabouroflove.ca/

Cheddar cheese at Epicure
Patty buys her cheddars from Maple Dale Cheese, an independent family-run operation that’s located just north of Belleville. This week, The Epicure Shop (479 Parliament) has three varieties for you – the 4-year old cheddar is on special and the 5-year old and 7-year olds are back in stock.

Spring time continues at MJG Gallery
Mark’s current show is called “Spring”. He’s showing the work of 24 artists based on this theme. This week’s featured artwork is “Spring Loaded” by Rob Croxford. Drop in from Wednesday to Sunday, 11 to 6 pm. 555 Parliament.

Cabbagetown’s history in film
On Sunday May 6 at 8 pm, the Hugh Garner Housing Co-op is showing the historic film, “Bleecker Street” about the blockbusting tactics that changed our neighbourhood forever and created St James Town. The evening’s special guest is John Sewell whose leadership helped to control these developments. Party Room – 8th Floor, 550 Ontario

Eric Morse exhibition
Eric and Catherine are two of our favourite local artists. He’s taken hundreds of our photos, documenting Cabbagetown life over the past seven years. Catherine designed the LED lights in the “C” symbol that we used for several years on our lamp posts. They’ve organized a show of Eric’s photographs at the Parliament Street Library (269 Gerrard). The show starts on May 1 and runs to May 31.

Congratulations
Kendall & Co are regular contributors to our Newsletter. We’re amazed at their speedy and extraordinary transformation of their new building at 227 Carlton. It was a very wrenching experience for everyone – they had to clear out their Winchester store, clean up and design Carlton Street and then move all of their stuff. They made it all look effortless.

Friday 13 April 2012

Solar power
The Canadian Contemporary Dance Theatre has over ninety solar panels on its roof – and the sale of this electricity funds dance scholarships for kids from Regent Park. You can learn more about their project. On Saturday April 21 from 4:30 to 6 pm, CCDT and TABIA will host a seminar on solar energy possibilities. You’ll meet people from the industry who can explain their equipment and from CCDT who will tell you how it benefits their Theatre. Refreshments to start (from Mylk Uncookies) as well as a chance to enjoy a cocktail afterward at The Cobourg.

Eclectisaurus and the Absolutely Vintage Sale
The Absolutely Vintage Sale features men’s and women’s clothing from the 1890s to the 1970s, all carefully collected from Ontario estates. Plus antique jewellery, accessories, textiles and ephemera. Leslie from Eclectisaurus (249 Gerrard) is joining with Gadabout and Angela McCool at Maple Cottage, 62 Laing Street (off Queen, east of Leslie) on Saturday April 14 from 10 am to 5 pm.

Trish Kerr & The Divas
Cabbagetown Festival favourites, Trish Kerr & The Divas are returning here. They’re at the Winchester Kitchen & Bar tonight from 9 pm. Tonight is also time for Keith’s Kitchen Party – a pitcher of Keith’s with a pound of mussels, only $18. Tomorrow night’s All Funk Saturday features The Good Foots with Carrie Chessnut and on Sunday, Beau’s Brewery presents Open Mic with Porter from 9 pm.

Au revoir, Benoit
Those of us who enjoy an adult beverage at The Ben Wicks (424 Parliament) are saddened to know that Benoit is leaving. He’s going home to Quebec City and a stint in the opera (his first love!). On Friday April 20 from 8:30 pm, we can bid him Bonne Chance in his new adventure. Entertainment by Jeff Barnes & The Irish Rogues. Complimentary appetizers.

The Cobourg Sings
On Saturday April 21 from 8 pm onward, The Cobourg (533 Parliament) is holding its annual evening full of song. Bring your pipes and show the world what you’ve got. Donations from the evening will be given to UForChange to support their work with youth from St James Town.

Well done, Kendall & Co
It’s a lot of work but these folks make it look easy. They’ve moved from their Winchester location to their new store at 227 Carlton. Gone is the old interior and the grungy exterior – now , they tell us, it’s inspired by French macaroons. As an opening special, they have fair trade, handmade, New Zealand wool rugs on sale at 10% off. As Eartha Kitt said, “C’est si bon”.

Wines from the Loire Valley
JAMcafe (195 Carlton) is hosting a tasting of six Loire Valley wines on Wednesday April 25 at 6:30 pm. As always, chef Av Atikian will guide the tasting and provide hors d’oeuvres that match each wine. Reservations are recommended – (416) 921-1255. $30. For more details, check the website at http://www.jamcafe.net/

Ellen Murphy visits Labour of Love
Ellen Murphy makes one-of-a-kind blank books from recycled materials. They’re hand stitched and hand bound. Her latest creation is a miniature blank journal made with recycled paper and reclaimed fabric. She’ll be hosting a workshop at Labour of Love (242 Carlton) on Wednesday May 2 to show us how to make these elegant little booklets. For more details, visit http://www.thelabouroflove.ca/

Chandra’s samosas at Epicure
Chandra’s samosas are popular favourites at the Riverdale Farmer’s Market. She’s now offering them at The Epicure Shop (479 Parliament) as well. You can get them with spicy cilantro sauce or sweeter tamarind sauce. Patty also has homemade shepherd’s pie – two servings for $5.

Save this date – Reaching Out Through Music
An amazing concert evening is happening on Saturday April 28 at St Simon’s Church (525 Bloor) to benefit Reaching Out Through Music. It’s a community group providing music and social opportunities for children from St James Town. The program includes Ron Davis, Daniela Nardi, Mary Lou Fallis with Peter Tiefenbach, the Gryphon Trio, Emma Meinrenken, Patricia Parr and Kathleen Penny. There’ll be a fantastic silent auction starting at 6:45 pm and the concert happens at 7:30 pm. Reserve your tickets at (416) 923-8714 (ext 205) or jamierotm@hotmail.com. Students $10, seniors, $30, regular $40 and patrons $100. Complimentary refreshments. To find out more, click here: http://www.reachingoutthroughmusic.org/

Well done, Mark
Over 150 people visited MJG Gallery (555 Parliament) on Thursday night to view the new show. “Spring” is a collection of works by twenty artists and the show got raves from the people who came to the reception. It runs until Sunday Aril 29. The gallery is open Wednesday to Sunday from 11 am to 6 pm.

The Bunny was a big hit
Last Saturday, The Easter Bunny toured Parliament Street as the guest of our BIA. Kids along the street got a big hello and chocolate eggs. The Bunny reports that Cabbagetown gave him a very warm welcome and he’s looking forward to another visit next year.

Congrat’s to Jim Heineman
Cabbagetown’s Jim Heineman and his Dream Band have been nominated in the Independent Music Awards jazz category for his song, “RH Positive”. He’s featured in a video Q & A on the IMA’s website at http://www.independentmusicawards.com/ where he talks about his music and the women who contribute to this song. Jim is well known here for his work at the Cabbagetown Community Arts Centre and his regular appearances at the Cabbagetown Festival.

Don Vale Residents’ survey
The Association has put together a survey for parents whose children were born in 2008. These children will be eligible to start Junior Kindergarten in 2012. There have been changes at Winchester Public School and Sprucecourt Public School and so parents of 2008 cohort children have lots of questions. Please complete the survey. The results will be posted on the Association website. The survey can be found at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/5V8HCDG

Construction at the Winchester Street Theatre
Staff at the Winchester Street Theatre have announced construction projects that will affect the neighbourhood. These include foundation work, brick repairs, work on the slate roof, reinforcing the stained glass windows and replacing the sash windows. As a result, the sidewalks around the building on Winchester and Metcalf will be closed. The work will start on April 23. For more information, call Karen at (647) 439-3741.

Eric Morse and Catherine Tammaro
Eric and Catherine are two of our favourite local artists. He’s taken hundreds of our photos, documenting Cabbagetown life over the past seven years. Catherine designed the LED lights in the “C” symbol that we used for several years on our lamp posts. They’ve organized a show of Eric's photographs at the Parliament Street Library (269 Gerrard). The show starts on May 1 and runs to May 31.

Thursday 5 April 2012

The Easter Bunny at Stout
Saturday is another fun family day at Stout (221 Carlton). Erin has invited the Bunny to drop in from noon to 2 pm to visit all the kids who’ll be there. There’ll be an Easter egg hunt, a colouring contest, and face painting. Brunch is served and doors open at 11 am. This event is open for reservations only – please call 647-344-6767

Easter dinner from St Jamestown
Mark has plenty of ham, turkeys, lamb and other Easter specialties on hand for your big family events. He also has his new line of Bird Friendly coffee and Ace Bakery hot cross buns. Open on Saturday. Closed Good Friday and Easter Sunday. 516 Parliament.

Easter at Epicure

The Epicure Shop (479 Parliament) has pastries and dessert for your big dinners – hot cross buns, Easter cupcakes, shortbreads, gingerbread, and Chocolates by Clare. Patty also has her usual good supply of pates and cheese from Quebec.

Easter Sunday at Cranberries
On Sunday, Cranberries (601 Parliament) will be hosting another of their special dinners. These are popular (and often sold-out) events. The food makes the evening very worthwhile. Dinner features a three course prix fixe at $24.99. Starters include caramelized butternut squash soup or organic green salad. Two choices for your main course: maple glaze ham or baked lamb shank. Dessert is apple pie with French vanilla ice cream. (416) 925-6330.

Flowers make Easter day complete
We’ve a wonderful variety of plants and flowers for Easter. Simmons (540 Parliament) has lots of seasonal blooms – tulips, freesia, iris, pussy willows and more. At Fairway Market (520 Parliament), Jamestown Milk (592 Parliament), Parliament Smokes (609 Parliament) and Mini Mart (460 Parliament) you can buy cut flowers and potted plants of all sorts – all in a nearby, convenient location.


Changes at the Winchester Kitchen & Bar
There’s a new format and new events happening at the Winchester Kitchen & Bar (51A Winchester). They’re now open seven days a week to 1 am. Every Sunday evening, Beau’s Brewery presents Open Mic with Porter at 9:30 pm. Tuesdays are cult movie nights – dress up for extra fun! Wednesdays are devoted to Smart Ass Trivia from 7:30 to 9:30 pm. There’ll be jazz with the Ron Davis Trio on Thursdays, Keith’s kitchen party on Fridays (a pint of Keith’s and a pound of mussels for only $18) and the popular All-Funk Saturdays will continue every week. Click on this link to see the specific details: http://www.winchesterkitchen.com/calendar/month.php

Spring at MJG Gallery
The Gallery’s new show, Spring, has launched. It runs from April 4 to 30th and it features works from over 20 artists. There’s a wine reception on April 12 from 7 to 11 pm. Please RSVP by April 10 to markaloo@yahoo.com Gallery hours are 11 to 6 pm. 555 Parliament

Who says that moving is easy?
Kevin is hard at work in Kendall’s new location at 227 Carlton and he’s just part of a very energetic crew. The interior has been painted, there’s new lighting, the shelves are installed and filled and the rugs are on the floor. The store has come a long way from the days when it was home to a gazillion different ancient bathtubs. We’re neighbours and really happy to have them in our area. We'll tell you when the grand opening is scheduled - no news yet.

Labour of Love
Regina has announced that she has lots of new jewellery and great gift ideas to share with you. Come by and she’ll give you a tour. If you can't make it, check out Facebook and "Like" Labour Of Love (Cabbagetown) – you’ll get first dibs on new products, coming events and in store promos. Closed on Good Friday. Open Saturday 10am - 8pm. Sunday 12pm - 5pm and Monday 11am - 8pm. 242 Carlton

Singing competition
The Cabbagetown Classical Youth Choir is sponsoring a competition for young singers between the ages of 11 and 20. First prize is $500, second $250 and third $125. Several bursaries of $120 will also be available. Contestants should prepare two contrasting songs or arias. Preliminary auditions begin on June 24 at 5 pm at 74 Pembroke. For more info, call Daniel Eby at (647) 701-5033 or email maestro_enterprises@yahoo.ca

615 Parliament
This vacant lot at Parliament and Wellesley enjoys a colourful history. For the longest time, it was a workable rooming house. Then, somehow, it slipped and by the summer of 2007, it had become a crack house and the centre of a lot of questionable activity. The City closed it down but in the Fall of 2007, it burned to the ground. Firemen on the scene that night remarked that it was rare to see the neighbours cheering for a fire. Its owners now propose to build a three-storey medical building there with a ground floor pharmacy. You can see the report by the planning department at http://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2012/te/bgrd/backgroundfile-45464.pdf

Save these dates

Solar power
TABIA and the Canadian Contemporary Dance Theatre (509 Parliament) are co-hosting a seminar on solar power and its potential for your home and your business. It’s open to everyone. The dance theatre has 96 solar panels on its roof and the income that they earn pays for a scholarship program for young dancers. Enjoy a tour, learn about the possibilities and ask questions to experts and to people who are already involved. Coffee and cookies. Save the date – Saturday April 21 from 4:30 to 6 pm.

Momentum 2012
Dancers from all three years of the Professional Training Program perform works by acclaimed choreographers Jennifer Dallas, Christopher House, Louise Laberge-Cote, Sharon B Moore, Jean-Pierre Perreault and Darryl Tracy. On May 9 at 7:30 pm, it’s a gala performance and fundraiser - $60. The other dates are May 3 to 5 and May 10 to 12 at 8pm, tickets at $19 and $15. School of Toronto Dance Theatre, 80 Winchester. Tickets at (416) 967-6887 and at http://schooloftdt.org/momentum_2012.