The Cabbagetowner
MARCH 2019
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! It is officially spring but hasn't felt like it too often yet. But the magnolia buds are starting to form and, in warmer corners where there aren't icy mounds left over from a snow-filled winter, tiny sprouts are poking up through the Cabbagetown ground. The co-chairs of the CRA Forsythia Festival always urge us to "Think Spring!" And so we shall. Consider supporting our May 5 Festival - you can sign up to volunteer or sponsor at info@cabbagetowner.com - and the upcoming cleanup of Wellesley Park on April 28. Read about cleanup safety tips and check out the news and views from our corner of Toronto.
This month's topics:
Join your neighbours to spring clean Wellesley Park
 Your residents' association supports a local cleanup as part of the citywide Clean Toronto Together, April 26 to 28.
Our event this year is on Sunday, April 28 from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Wellesley Park.
Last year's clean-up at Riverdale Park West drew more than two dozen volunteers, from children to seniors, who donated their time.
We will supply gloves, bags, and treats for volunteers who join in. Thanks to CRA volunteer Sherry Peters for leading the event.
Forsythia Festival May 5: seeking volunteers and sponsors
Our chief volunteers, co-chairs Carolyn Jarman, left, and Shawna Pereira, right, with Toronto Mayor John Tory at the 2018 Forsythia Festival.
Carolyn Jarman, co-chair of the Forsythia Festival on May 5 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Wellesley Park, reports that she has 45 volunteers lined up to help run this year's event.
"I have 51 more slots available! Chat with your neighbours and I can sign you up together! Sign up on your own and meet some of your neighbours!" Write to info@cabbagetowner.com to volunteer. Volunteer slots are one hour in length and cover a wide range of activities: set up, parade marshalling, facepainting, hanging doughnuts, and so much more.
Shawna Pereira, the co-chair who heads up sponsorship, reports that several of our previous gold level sponsors have already signed on to support Festival 2019: Cycle Solutions, Parliament Street News, Steak & Chops, Stout Irish Pub, and TD Bank. "The entire festival is free for all to attend: 100 per cent of the money raised through our local sponsors goes directly back into the running of the festival." If you have a business or offer a service in Cabbagetown, please consider supporting this fun and family friendly community event: you can reach us at info@cabbagetowner.com
Your Cabbagetowner also wants to let all our newsletter family know just how hard these two women work to put on the festival: It starts in January with all the permits and city regulations that need to be organized and continues as the equivalent of full-time jobs as the Festival gets closer. If you see either of them on Parliament Street, do stop and thank them! And offer to volunteer. And donate.
Read more about sponsorship levels and benefits for the 2019 Forsythia Festival
Wanted: new volunteer directors for our association
The Cabbagetown Residents Association is looking for new volunteer directors to sit on our board starting in June, when we will be holding our 2019 Annual General Meeting and electing new board directors. We need people who have a passion for the neighbourhood and who wish to contribute to the community.
We have particular need for people who like to help co-ordinate community events, bookkeeping or who have interest in liaising with the City of Toronto on issues both local and broad, but there’s always room to pursue other passions that are in residents’ best interests (social, economic or environmental).
If you or someone you know might be a good fit for the role, please contact us. The Nominating Committee will get in touch with each nominee and arrange to meet in person to discuss the role.
Read the by-laws governing the nomination process
Meet the current board of directors, led by president Marc Simmons
Spring cleanup safety tips
Des Ryan, a retired Toronto police officer and author of the Mike O'Shea Crime Fiction Series, is a CRA board director and our volunteer safety and security lead.
As you may know, the city won’t pick up what they consider to be harm reduction items on private property. Kicking them onto public property is not advisable.
So, what to do?
If they are on public property, call 3-1-1 and the city will arrange for removal.
Needles and syringes found on private property, however, are the responsibility of the home owner or property management to dispose of. What you will need to do is place the item(s) in an approved sharps container or in another type of container (plastic jug, water bottle, etc.) that cannot be punctured by the needle tips and seal it.
Clearly label the container “Needles” or “Syringes” and call 3-1-1 to arrange to have the Toxic Taxi drop by and pick up the container. Or, if you like, you can send them an email at http://www.toronto.ca/311/.
Read more about a safe spring cleanup from Des.
Cabbagetowner according to ... Jodi Thibodeau
 Jodi Thibodeau is the owner of JoLT390 Photography; he lives at Wellesley and Sackville, and runs his business in Cabbagetown, as well.
Best place in Cabbagetown for a bite to eat … I am torn, and it’s because of my passion for mushrooms! The Irv has a TO DIE FOR mushroom grilled cheese then F’Amelia and Salt and Tobacco have equally delicious Fungi pizza. Yum!
Cabbagetown needs … a vegan restaurant.
Favourite block … My Wellesley/ Sackville ‘hood is pretty awesome. It is chock full of lovely people who have become dear friends.
Best public space … Wellesley Park. My dog Dori voted for this one.
Read more about Jodi's favourite store, Cabbagetown pet peeve, and Cabbagetown's best-kept secret.
The lens on Cabbagetown
A new feature for The Cabbagetowner: We see so many great images of our neighbourhood shared on social media so, in each newsletter, we'll feature our favourite photo of the 'hood from the previous month. The March nod goes go Lisa de Jong, @lisadeeyoung on Twitter and Instagram. She writes: "Cabbagetown laneway house. I was trying to find an alley I hadn't been down in years but found this instead."
Cabbagetown in the news
Real Weddings profile features Cabbagetown cakemaker Velvet Lanes (Toronto Life, March 21)
Meet the collector: Regina Cheung, shop owner (Partial, March online issue)
Mosaic public art projects in Cabbagetown (Red Dress Productions)
In downtown Toronto, $1,100 a month gets you a toilet, a hotplate and 'crushing sadness' (Toronto Star, March 8)
Top 20 bars and cafes for board games in Toronto features Stout Irish Pub (Blog TO March 3)
Best hot dogs in Toronto features Fancy Franks (Blog TO, March 3)
Top 50 pizzas in Toronto features Salt and Tobacco (Blog TO, March 2)
Other business news
Gushi, which NOW Magazine proclaims makes the best Japanese fried chicken in Toronto, is opening up shop at the northwest corner of Parliament and Gerrard.
F'Amelia has opened the building west of the main restaurant as Amelia's Cottage; pizza will be available as well as more-casual menu items.
Saigon Pai has opened at 446 Parliament Street (where Silk Thai used to be).
Did you know…?
The Toronto Noise Coalition (TNC) has given the heads-up that the Report to the Economic and Community Development Committee from Municipal Licensing & Standards staff on the new noise bylaw will be published March 27. Residents then have one week, until April 3, to make their views known to the committee. Check back to the TNC website, which will post a copy of the report, and write to ecdc@toronto.ca to comment or register to depute at the April 3 meeting.
Beginning April 1, you can register to get a free tree from the Toronto Parks and Trees Foundation through their Tree For Me program. Last year, the program distributed 3,974 trees at events around the city, which are set up to teach people how to properly plant and care for their new tree.
Upcoming events
Sprucecourt Bingo for Science, Sprucecourt P.S. fundraiser, April 11, 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Cabbagetown Bunny Hop, sponsored by the Cabbagetown BIA, April 13, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. corner of Parliament and Carlton.
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