The Cabbagetowner
SEPTEMBER 2017
The monthly newsletter for members of the Cabbagetown Residents Association and subscribers to the newsletter. To unsubscribe, please email us at: info@cabbagetowner.com.
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Bonjour mes petits choux!
Ontario-grown cabbages are the size of bowling balls as we enter full end-of-summer bounty time. Children and teachers return to school this week and, while it's still summer, we start thinking about autumn ahead. The wading pools are drained but we have a great chance to celebrate in the great outdoors this coming weekend at the Cabbagetown Festival, sponsored by our friends at the Cabbagetown BIA. Besides the street festival over Sept. 9-10, there's arts and crafts at Riverdale Park West Sept. 8-10, Blair's Run to raise money for the Cabbagetown Youth Centre and the annual neighbourhood yard sales. Read more about these, and all else newsy, below.
This month's topics:
Get your free yard sale bags here!
After the warm reception we received last year, the Cabbagetown Residents Association is happy to once again give out bags to those Cabbagetown residents who are running yard sales during the Cabbagetown Festival, Sept. 9-10.
These green paper bags are fun and reusable, and remind people to join to support our association, which is committed to protecting and improving general quality of life, sustaining economic viability, promoting safety and security, raising awareness among community residents, and communicating key issues and concerns to various public organizations including City Council, Toronto Police and District School Boards.
As a reminder, CRA’s geographic boundaries are Gerrard Street to the south, Parliament street to the west, St. James Cemetery to the north and the Don Valley to the east. We also organize many events for the community throughout the year, including our signature Forsythia Festival, held the first Sunday of May.
This year, Nick and Hilary at Sage Real Estate (nickandhilary.com) have kindly sponsored us to help defray the cost of the bags.
If you are holding a yard sale within the CRA boundaries and want to make sure you get your Cabbagetowner bags, contact us at info@cabbagetowner.com or contact us through social media (follow us on facebook and @cabbagetowner on Twitter) and we’ll make sure your address is on one of our delivery routes. Our volunteers will be out bright and early on the morning of Sept. 9 to deliver the bags.
September: our events runneth over
As the previous story hints, this is indeed the busiest month in the Cabbagetown social calendar. In addition to the residents' mass yard sale, the Cabbagetown Festival, sponsored by the Cabbagetown BIA, runs Sat. Sept. 9 to Sunday Sept. 10. Parliament from Wellesley to Gerrard, and Carlton from Parliament to Ontario, is converted into a pedestrian mall with entertainment, street pubs, food, vendors and so much more, including lots of activities specifically for children. The most recent BIA newsletter has a complete listing of activities.
Then there's the Cabbagetown Arts and Crafts at Riverdale Park West, which runs from Sept. 8 to 10. Blair's Run, a fundraiser for Cabbagetown Youth Centre, hits the road with 8 a.m. registration on Sunday, Sept. 10 and a two-kilometre run/walk beginning at 9 a.m. South of us at the Daniels Spectrum is the Cabbagetown Short Film Festival, Sept. 6 to 10. As well, Riverdale Farm holds its Farm Festival over Sept. 9 and 10 from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m each day. More child-friendly fun is at the Necropolis Chapel with performances in the afternoons of Sept. 9-10 of a panto-style comedy, Peter Pan, the Ultimate Fly Boy.
And that's all on just one weekend.
Our friends at the Cabbagetown Preservation Association run their always-popular Tour of Homes the next weekend, on Sunday, September 17. Tickets are $35 and can be bought online via PayPal or at many of our local retailers, including The Epicure Shop, 473 Parliament Street, Fairway Market, 520 Parliament Street, Kendall & Co. Design & Decor, 514 Parliament Street, and Mi Casa, 238 Carlton Street.
Check out our events calendar for other happenings later in September, from Community Environment Day at Bridgepoint Health Centre to the Adoption Council of Ontario Funwalk, based at Riverside Park West.
New, larger green bins roll out in September
Thanks to our neighbours from Cabbagetown South Residents’ Association for this information! Cabbagetown South (bordered by Carlton to the north, Parliament to the East, Shuter to the south and Sherbourne to the west) was a test neighbourhood for the city’s new, larger green bins, which proved to be difficult for some residences with limited storage or yard space.
Read about your options for organic waste disposal / new green bins.
Riverdale Park West bike share update
A message from Phil Frei, President, CRA:
We have received the letter, below, from the City of Toronto (from the late Councillor McConnell’s staff) about moving the Bike Share location.
In June, I attended a meeting at Riverdale Park West with city officials, who said they had concerns about snow removal with the bike station’s current location. An alternative location, at the southwest corner of the park, was proposed. I felt that the new location would address the snow clearing concerns of the city and still keep the Bike Share visibly in the park, a clear message from our early survey from this issue. The CRA has since learned there are significant concerns about the new location from our residents and good questions about why the existing location can’t be improved to deal with the snow clearing.
Given the concerns of our residents and unsatisfactory responses about improving the current location, we question the need for this Bike Share relocation. Please feel free to write Kelly Sather at the Ward 28 council office individually, but we would also like to hear from you so that we can have a co-ordinated response representing our membership. Write to us at info@cabbagetowner.com.
Letter from Kelly Sather / Pam McConnell's Consituency Office
Toronto Centre MPP Glen Murray resigns
Glen Murray, who served as MPP for Toronto Centre - the riding that covers Cabbagetown - gave notice at the end of July he would resign as an MPP and become the leader of the Pembina Institute, which is "working to solve today’s greatest energy challenges — reducing the harmful impacts of fossil fuels while supporting the transition to an energy system that is clean, safe and sustains a high quality of life."
Premier Kathleen Wynne said that, because there is a general provincial election scheduled for June 2018, there will be no by-election to fill Murray's seat. His constituency staff will remain in place to deal with resident issues and they can be contacted at:
120 Carlton St. Unit #318
Toronto, M5A 4K2
Phone: (416) 972-7683
Fax: (416) 972-7686
torontocentre@liberal.ola.org
Murray's departure from politics, and the earlier death this year of City of Toronto Ward 28 Councillor, Deputy Mayor Pam McConnell, means that at present our neighbourhood has active representation in only one level of government, with Federal MP Bill Morneau. This article from Metro News explains how the city plans to fill McConnell's seat: likely it will be officially declared vacant at the next fall council meeting, after which council will likely appoint an interim councillor rather than launch a by-election.
Cabbagetown in the news
CBC report on St. James Court home reconstruction dispute
Toronto Star report on St. James Court home reconstruction dispute
Fall/winter recreation program registration starts Sept. 13
Toronto has staggered registration dates for its recreation programs based on geography: Cabbagetown, and indeed the whole City of Toronto proper, starts registrations on Wednesday, Sept. 13.
The city has acknowledged that the often-criticized registration process needs improving and they are putting many new processes in place to try to make it easier and smoother. Note that even though Cabbagetowners don't register until Sept. 13, they can and should get their account numbers (both for the family and for each individual "client") in advance. Read all the instructions and details in this news release from the city.
Cabbagetown According To … Margaret McGann
Margaret McGann is a CRA volunteer for the Forsythia Festival and has sat on the nominating committee for new board directors.
Best place in Cabbagetown for a bite to eat: This is a hard choice as there are many great restaurants in Cabbagetown. Friends of mine from the Beaches, Riverdale, Leaside, East York and Etobicoke that I have introduced to Cranberries love it and keep coming back for the great food and wonderful staff.
Cabbagetown needs: more retail stores. While Cabbagetown has some wonderful shops I would like more to make our neighbourhood even more vibrant.
Favourite block: definitely the Wellesley Cottages. They are a pleasant surprise in the midst of the city.
Best public space: Riverdale Farm. Where else in Toronto can we enjoy welcoming spring with the birth of baby lambs, piglets and chickens?
Favourite store: London Calling on Carlton for their English chocolate bars and toffee.
Check out Margaret's pet peeve, best-kept Cabbagetown secret and why you should be involved in the CRA.
Cabbagetown according to … Radek Zajkowski
Meet Radek Zajkowski, who volunteers as webmaster for the Cabbagetown Residents Association. He lives on Wellesley Street with his family.
Best place in Cabbagetown for a bite to eat:
F’Amelia, close to home, great for a romantic date. Discovered some nice vintages there.
Cabbagetown needs:
Bike-friendly access to Bayview via Wellesley Park.
Favourite blocks:
Sackville from Wellesley to Dundas. I often use it to bike down to the lake, it connects us to Regent Park Acquatic centre, Riverdale Farm, bike paths, among many other destinations.
Best public space:
Riverdale Farm. It’s amazing to have such space nearby to take kids to and it is located right next to one of the best tobogganing hills in the city.
Favourite store:
St. James Town Steak & Chops. It’s like having a mini St. Lawrence market down the street.
Check out Radek's pet peeve, best-kept Cabbagetown secret and why you should be involved in the CRA.
Business news
We welcome back Kibo Sushi House to Parliament Street, which closed for many months after a fire in the building. A reviewer with website Torontonicity recently dropped by and has this report.
Fancy Franks, which already has three outlets in Toronto in Bloorcourt, Kensington and Queen West, is set to open another branch on Parliament Street. As of the publishing of this newsletter, they're posting sneak-peek interior photos on social media but the doors (so far) have not yet opened for business.
In the same block as Fancy Franks is Parliament Street Fitness, whose window signs state it is "coming soon!" Instagrammers can follow the gym's progress @parliamentstreetfitness.
While we don't have details yet, there's been much excitement generated by a sign in a window on Parliament Street, east side, just north of Gerrard, promising "M.W.M. Fish Co." will open in Fall 2017, "specializing in oysters."
Royal LePage has also opened up a large new office on Parliament, just south of Jet Fuel Coffee.
And the Cabbagetowner has learned that popular restaurant MerryBerry, on Parliament north of Winchester, will be closing by the end of 2017. Says chef Cyril Picard, the inventive owner who also runs cooking classes and recently launched Merryboxes dinner kits: "I will close MerryBerry before the end of the year. I think I need a real break."
Crime alerts
Toronto police issued a public alert after a woman was sexually assaulted overnight July 30 in a wooded area near St. James Cemetery.
On August 25, police released a photo of a man wanted in relation to a reported sexual assault of a woman that took place on August 18 around 8:40 p.m. at Carlton and Parliament Streets.
Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 416-808-7474, Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-TIPS (8477), online at www.222tips.com, or text TOR and your message to CRIMES (274637). Download the free Crime Stoppers Mobile App on iTunes, Google Play or Blackberry App World.
Police also sought assistance in finding a missing 14-year-old boy, Jayden LaRose, on August 30, last seen at Sherbourne and Wellesley streets. He was reported found on Sept. 1.
Police report a shooting overnight on Sept. 4 in Regent Park, at the corner Gerrard and Sumach, with one man in hospital with life-threatening wounds. Read the Toronto Star story. As of publication of this newsletter, no new details have been released.
Throwback Thursdays
Our intrepid archival explorer, Eric Morse, continues his look at stories from the 7 News, a community paper about events in then-ward-7. And if you want to see some of Eric's own photographic work, check out his exhibition, A Singular Eye at Cabbagetown, at the Local Gest, opening Sept. 7.
September 1977
Late August 1977
Early August 1977
Safety and security tips
Volunteer board director and retired police officer Des Ryan comes up with some old reminders, and new thoughts, on keeping your bicycle from being stolen: How about locking your bike to something big and awkward, like a ladder?
Thwarting bike theft
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