friends of dufferin grove park
Neighbourhood Archive 2005

Archives for the year:


posted January 15, 2005

Artscape is Now Accepting Applications from
Non-Profit Arts and Environmental
Community Organizations to
Become Tenants in the Green/Arts Barns

[ed: Artscape is located in the old TTC barns around Bathurst St. Clair.]

Artscape is pleased to announce the beginning of the tenanting process for the Green/Arts Barns Project and is now accepting applications for space from non-profit arts and environmental community organizations. The community organizations will provide energy, imagination and programming to the Green/Arts Barns Project, creating a dynamic that will transform the beautifully redesigned heritage buildings into a model for innovative creative redevelopment in North America. Affordable artist live/work and studio tenants will also contribute to this creative synergy and individual artist tenants will be selected during a later phase of the development.

Deadline for Submission: February 15, 2005 by 5:00 p.m.

Read more >>


Tours of St. Anne's Church

posted February 16, 2005
St. Anne's Church

Website: www.stannes.on.ca

An email from the friends of the Church:

Did you know that there is a National Historic Site in our neighbourhood?

St. Anne's Church at 270 Gladstone north of Dundas was named for its Group of Seven paintings and its Byzantine architecture.

Come for a tour on one of these times:

Saturday February 19 at 2:00pm
Sunday February 20 at 12:00 noon
Saturday February 26 at 2:00pm
Sunday February 27 at 2:00pm

No registration necessary. Children welcome. Donation requested of $5.00 a person. To book a group tour call Kim Malcolmson 416-534-0516

The Church also has artwork from the Group of Seven. Here are some photos of the spectacular artwork inside the church from their website:

For more about St. Anne's, visit their website.

Here's a recent snapshot of the church by dufferinpark.ca's photographer, Wallie Seto:


Slowfood-like Dinner, Wednesday February 23

posted February 10, 2005

Notice from Pamela of Slowfood Ontario -- A slowfood-like dinner in Toronto on Feb.23: www.savourflavour.com: events, Slow Food.

For information about the international slowfood movement, see www.slowfood.com.


Dufferin Grove Resident's Association AGM

March 30, 2005, 7:00pm, Dewson Street Jr. P.S., about the Dovercourt Square redevelopment
posted March 17, 2005

Read the Flyer >>

For more information about the Dovercourt Square redevelopment, Read more >>


Clay and Paper Theatre Calls for Support to Establish The Canadian Centre for Puppetry & Theatre Arts

posted February 9, 2005

The Friends of Dufferin Grove Park received the following letter from long-time park participants and supporters David Anderson and Andrea Dawber:

Dear Neighbours and Friends of Clay & Paper Theatre,

As many of you are aware, Clay & Paper Theatre is busting out of the Field House in Dufferin Grove Park. Also, as the NFB documentary film Citizen Z humourously pointed out last year, being a guest of the park is a tenuous situation. [...] Jumblies Theatre, Puppetmongers, Shadowland Theatre Inc., the Red Pepper Spectacle, Cardboard Heart and Zagadka Zoological Society wish to co-found The Canadian Centre for Puppetry & Theatre Arts with Clay & Paper Theatre. [more...]

Read more >>


posted May 3, 2005

Click here for the brochure,
and here for the vendor's list

Mondo Bazaar Spring - Gladstone Hotel

Saturday May 7 - 1214 Queen Street West
10:30 - 5:30 p.m.

Join your creative friends in the community as Mondo Bazaar returns with an array of eclectic designers, jewellers, artists and entrepreneurs. From hand made stationary to home accessories the Gladstone Ballroom will be transformed into a market filled with one of a kind creations and handpicked items from exotic lands. Sip a cocktail as you shop or relax with an aromatherapy massage. Surprises for moms in honour of Mother's Day weekend.

Admission is free and from 1:00 - 3:00 kids have their own arts and crafts area.

Invite along friends and family who enjoy supporting small business and local artists.

To see the list of the artisans (there are many) see the vendor's list. Read more>>

Info Gail Glatt - email: glattford@sympatico.ca


posted April 14, 2005

From our April Newsletter:

APRIL MUSIC AT OUR NEIGHBOURHOOD MUSIC CONSERVATORY

For the next two years, the Royal Conservatory of Music is a temporary guest in the neighbourhood (the school is doing renovations at their permanent building, which is next to the Royal Ontario Museum, at Bloor and University). So the music students are among us, at 90 Croatia Street (formerly Ursula Franklin Academy - it was Brockton School before that). Jeff Melanson, the Dean of the RCM Community School, says that the first Annual Community School Showcase will take place on Saturday, April 16, at 7:00 pm, at the RCM Concert hall at 90 Croatia Street (a block from the park, just north of the Dufferin Mall). Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for students/seniors. You can reserve tickets in advance through the Box Office: 416-408-2824 ext. 321, or purchase them at the door on the night of the concert.

Jeff says: "Unlike our world music and jazz concerts, this concert is being presented entirely by students. The concert is special because it involves just under 200 students and it’s a fundraising concert that will support student bursaries and programs of The RCM Community School. The programs supported by this concert are directed to students for whom financial circumstance is a barrier to participation in music education."

The concert will feature Jazz Choir, Ghanaian Drumming, Suzuki Cello Group, Guitar Ensemble, Chamber Orchestra, Celtic Fiddle Class, Clarinet Quintet, Piano Duo, Trumpet Trios, World Music Chorus, Recorder Duo, Junior Choir, and Vox Continental Choir, piano, voice, violin, and harp soloists, and an art exhibit of works by our young students. The Latin Jazz Ensemble will play during intermission. That is some line-up! And then there are also frequent free recitals at the school all the time. In April, for example, there are recitals at five p.m. every Thursday. If your schedule has a bit of flexibility, you can start your farmers’ market shopping at the park at 4, park your groceries in the rink clubhouse lock-up, slip in to a fourth-year French horn recital across the street, and come back to finish your shopping - heartened by a young music-maker.

If there’s an unseasonably warm spell in May, we’ll do a special Friday Night Supper at the park to raise a bit of money for music school tuition. Katie, a piano student from the Conservatory who sometimes came to the winter rink suppers, told us that the music students really like this neighbourhood. We like them back.

For more information about the free recitals (on every weekday except Tuesday, and also on some Saturdays), you can go to the park web site at www.dufferinpark.ca and click on "neighborhood." [ed. This page!] You’ll find other arts announcements there too, either about events in this neighbourhood, or about performances put on elsewhere in the city by some of the many actors, musicians and dancers who live around here.


posted May18, 2005

Neighbourhood YARD SALE Saturday May 28 2005

Household goods, furniture, clothing, jewellery, toys &, books
Tea room, Burgers/hot dogs from the BBQ

ARTIST'S CORNER

featuring artists from
L'Arche Daybreak Craft Studio
Fred Victor Centre Camera Club
Inspirations Studio and more

Saturday May 28, 2005
10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

at St. Anne's Church
270 Gladstone Avenue
1 street east of Dufferin, just north of Dundas St.

Website: www.stannes.on.ca


Dovercourt P.S. Annual Spring Fling Fair Saturday May 28 2005

posted May 23, 2005

Dovercourt is having our Annual Spring Fling Fair on Saturday May 28th. (Our address is 228 Bartlett Ave, southeast of Dufferin and Dupont).

The yard sale tables will be open for business at 10am with the rest of the activities and entertainment and BBQ starting at 11am.

Table rentals are $10 and are available through Michelle at 416-516- 4736 or call the school at 416-393-9220.

We invite people to sell crafts, offer information on their business or bring their yardsale to our yard.

There will be a huge BBQ of hamburgers and hotdogs with homemade goodies, popcorn, candy floss, drinks and freezies.

We have dance troupes coming to entertain, plus storytellers, a puppet show, loads of fun activities and races. We even will have a huge bouncing ride to play in.

We are selling raffle tickets with all the prizes donated by local businesses with the winners taking away their prizes at the end of the day.

Tickets can be purchased ahead at the school office or through our students and parents.

Some of the numerous prizes are a two person Harbourtour cruise aboard the Empire Sandy ship. Many gift certificates to a variety of local restaurants. An awesome kids bike in hot yellow with a helmet and bike lock, compliments of Walmart. $100 in Zellers coupons. Two $100 Walmart gift certificates. Two gorgeous Black leather and wool adult jackets. A portable CD player. The list goes on and on.

This Fair is Dovercourt's main fundraising activity. It assists with literacy and enrichment programs for the students and we welcome any and all support from our community with this endeavour.

Hope we see you there!
Lesley Snyder
Chair of Dovercourt P.S. School Council


posted June 1, 2005

Please join us for the

DEWSON SCHOOL FESTIVAL

Thursday June 9, 2:30 - 7:00
65 Concord Ave
Inflatable rides        Games and Prizes        Karaoke
Art Attack        Rummage Sale        Face and Nail Painting
Cake Walk        Multicultural Dinner        Bake Sale
Steel Band Performance        BBQ        Café with live music

The festival is our main fundraiser of the year.
A great family outing for a good cause.
We hope to see you there.


posted August 19, 2005

Our neighbour and park friend Laura Repo is playing at Wards Island Sunday August 28.


posted November 2, 2005

MONTHLY DIG IN MEETING Wed. NOV. 2, 2005

Meet at Caldense Bakery 7:00 - 8:30. See flyer >>

Caldense Bakery, 335 Symington Avenue North of Dupont, east side of Symington (same plaza as Beer Store)

Agenda Suggestions:

Overview of Dig In
Introductions

Committee Reports:
Dig In Spring Festival
Tile Project
Green Here Campaign
Bike Path Committee Community Out Reach
Walk Here Project
Environmental Committee
Development Committee Galleria Mall/The Standard, Wallace Street And Other Tom Development
Digital Community - Web Site/email list Development

Other Committee Reports

Brainstorming Initiatives/Projects
Setting Goals and Priorities
Strategies for fundraising
Outreach flyers distribution

www.digin.ca


posted November 2, 2005


MacGregor Park Parade, October, 2005


posted September 14, 2005

From our Concord Avenue neighbours:

Concord Avenue is celebrating its 3rd annual Car-Free Day street party this Sunday, September 18 on Concord Ave from Bloor to Dewson.

The day starts at 9:00 a.m. at 182 Concord Ave. where kids can come to decorate themselves and their bikes for a kick-off bike parade at 10:00 a.m. The rest of the day will be filled with face-painting, music, performances, magic, street hockey and badminton, kiddie pools, tie-dying and more.

A potluck dinner will be set-up at 6:00 in front of the church near Bloor and the evening will end with an 8:00 p.m. screening of the documentary "The End of Suburbia" on the wall of Long and McQuade.


posted Sepetember 6, 2005, from the September Newsletter
Saturday September 10, Annual neighborhood street fair:

For quite few years, this street fair has been organized by Liz Martin. She writes: “Getting things in order for the fall? Don't forget the GIANT LAWN SALE. If you're interested, just set yourself up on a tarp or blanket around 9:30 am. Clean out your basement and see what your neighbours have to sell!”

The street fair has the same excellent format as always: 9.30 a.m. lawn sale along Havelock on the park grass (south of the school); early afternoon (check the park phone message for exact times, 416 392-0913) games (egg race, sack race, etc.) near the baseball diamond; 6.30 p.m., potluck dinner by the pizza oven (pizza-making for the kids), followed by the Cake Walk and some dancing. For the past three years there was square dancing on the street, organized and sometimes paid for by David Craig, but getting the street closed is always tricky. So this year, part-time park staff Eroca Nicols will put on her other hat (she is a dancer) and will lead line dances, salsa, and anything else that’s fun for groups, on the rink pad after the cake walk. Eroca is consulting with long-time park friend Vivienne Smetana about the line dances. It turns out that Vivienne choreographs and teaches line dancing all over the world, including Texas and Russia.

From the organizers:

Hi folks:

It's time to clean out your basements for the annual Street Fair lawn sale on Havelock street. Join your neighbours for a potluck dinner in the park, and celebrate the changing of the seasons!

17th Annual
Dufferin Grove Neighbourhood
STREET FAIR

on Havelock St. and Dufferin Grove Park

SAT. SEPT 10

10 am: Fantastic Lawn Sale - Clean out the basement and browse for bargains, east side of the park on Havelock.

12 pm: Hot Dog Lunch, courtesy Councillor Giambrone, around 157 Havelock St.

4:30 Games for Kids in the park, SE corner (to be confirmed)

6:30: POTLUCK DINNER in the park, + $2 pizza making for the kids; all near the Bake Oven Bring plates, cutlery, extra pizze toppings, and something delicious

...

7:15 - CAKEWALK: Celebrate your culinery creativity and bake an original cake for your contribution to the potluck!

Special Event: After-Dinner Dancing on the tennis courts.

See you there!


posted Sepetember 6, 2005, from the September Newsletter
Dufferin Grove Park Friday Night Supper in honour of MacGregor Park Friends, Friday September 23, 6 p.m.
By the bake ovens at Dufferin Grove Park

This Sept.23 Friday Night Supper is in honour of our new park friends at MacGregor Park (Lansdowne and College just north of West Toronto Secondary School see map).  Artist Kristen Fahrig has received an “artist-in-residence” grant from the Toronto Arts Council, to do projects at that park for a whole year. Friends of Dufferin Grove Park sponsored her application, as did Parks and Recreation supervisor Tino DeCastro.  MacGregor Park is the third park in this area that’s developing friends to help look after it. (Dovercourt Park is also very lively now, with the five-year involvement of Andrea Dawber and many others in that neighborhood.)

MacGregor Park was one of the first “playground parks” in Toronto, established in the 1920’s for the children of the workers in the industries that sprang up along the railway tracks. Up until about ten years ago the park was very busy, but more recently it became a bit of an orphan. Park neighbour Anna Galati worked with Parks and Recreation staff to put better programs in for the summer, and the children started coming back. (and Anna helped us at our park for the last two weeks of August).

Kristen Fahrig will run a fall kids’ art club in MacGregor Park’s solid old field house, making big papier mache masks to prepare for an October festival there.  The art club starts Saturday Sept.10, from 2 to 5 p.m. For more information, contact Anna Galati at 416 535-9032.


posted February 22, 2006

Gala event for tutoring program

The folks at the WWCC (neighbours at Bloor by Gladstone) sent us this notice:

The Working Women Community Centre (WWCC) invites you to our 3rd annual Gala Dinner in support of the children's tutoring program On Your Mark

SATURDAY, APRIL 1 2006
7:30 P.M.
OASIS CATERING AND CONVENTION CENTRE
1036 LAKESHORE ROAD EAST (AT KIPLING)
$60.00 PER PERSON
FOR TICKETS OR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CALL:
(416) 532-2824

See the brochure >>


posted July 5, 2005
Dufferin Park Residents Association now has its own website

Dufferin Park Residents Association now has its own website (including material on the Dovercourt Square Development) at www.thedgra.org


posted June 21, 2005
Outdoor Noise (Amplified Music) Concerns Neighbours

We have collected some emails on the subject of noise pollution. Read more >>


posted April 14, 2005
Dovercourt Square Development

John Sewell proposes discussions with Dovercourt Square developers to achieve consensus. Proposal raised at Dufferin Grove Residents' Association Annual General Meeting March 30, 2005. Read more>>


posted May 24, 2005
Royal Conservatory Opens Up to Neighbourhood

For the next two years, the Royal Conservatory of Music is a temporary guest in the neighbourhood (the school is doing renovations at their permanent building, which is next to the Royal Ontario Museum, at Bloor and University). So the music students are among us, at 90 Croatia Street (formerly Ursula Franklin Academy - it was Brockton School before that).

In April and May there are frequent free recitals at the school frequently. For example, there are recitals at five p.m. every Thursday. If your schedule has a bit of flexibility, you can start your farmers’ market shopping at the park at 4, park your groceries in the rink clubhouse lock-up, slip in to a fourth-year French horn recital across the street, and come back to finish your shopping - heartened by a young music-maker.

The Royal Conservatory of Music (RCM)

The RCM Community School

Temporarily at 90 Croatia Street near the Dufferin Grove Park [map]. The Community School is temporarily located in our neighbourhood (2005-2006), while the RCM Telus centre for performance and learning is constructed at 273 Bloor street West [map]. This gives our neighbourhood rare access to local concerts and events.

For more information about the free recitals (on every weekday except Tuesday, and also on some Saturdays), you can go to the RCM web site: Concerts & Events and Student Recitals


Dovercourt Square Re-Development goes to the OMB

Is it time to revive the Dufferin Grove Neighbourhood Residents Association?
see Dovercourt Square Re-development
posted September 19, 2004

Andrew Munger writes:

As many of you know, there is a proposal for a 17 story high rise building for our community. The building, along with nineteen townhomes would be added to the three existing high rise towers at the Dover Square complex (south of Bloor between Dovercourt and Rusholme), eliminating most of the gardens and green space currently enjoyed by the Dover Square tenants. Read more >>


Samba School Open to the Public

Sundays at The Royal Conservatory of Music's World Music Centre nearby (90 Croatia St.)
see Local Artists and Performers
posted September 9, 2004
  • 1:00-2:30 Iniciantes (beginner music lesson, Pay what you can drop-in workshop)
  • 2:30-3:30 Aula de Samba (Samba dance lesson, Pay what you can drop-in workshop)
  • 3:00-5:30 Ensiaro da Bateria (Bateria rehearsal, Open to the public for inspiration/entertainment, participated in by regular members of Escola de Samba de Toronto)

Read more >>