 A lot has happened with respect to our efforts to not only halt demolition of The Foundry buildings but preserve them as well. Due to the public engagement and advocacy of the residents of the St. Lawrence, Corktown, Distillery District and other communities across Ontario, we have made some advances but the challenge is not over. Following are details on the current status of our collaborative efforts to protect the Foundry and the impact we have had to date:
The AdjournmentAs agreed by all parties — the St. Lawrence Neighbourhood Association (SLNA), the City, and the Province — the February 26 has been adjourned (postponed) to give all parties more time to come to some kind of resolution. If they can’t reach a resolution, another court date will be set and the hearing will proceed. This is great news (for now) because the parties have also agreed that the Interim Order will remain in effect. In other words, the province can’t continue with the demolition while we are discussing resolution.In the meantime, the Province initiated a one-way “consultation” process which continues until March 4, with the province asking for community input. Please click here to write to the province today, letting them know this isn’t good enough. A regular two-way dialogue with the community must take place, something we have asked for since October. We must remember, the Province owns the land, and the Ministerial Zoning Order (MZO) allows them to bypass nearly all planning requirements set by the City. The Court ordered them to continue the pause on demolition because there is compelling evidence that they have not met their own standards under the Ontario Heritage Act and had breached heritage-related commitments in a subdivision agreement. The Province is attempting to fulfill those requirements now. Once they are finished, there is a risk we will no longer be able to stop them through the courts. So a mutually-agreed adjournment right now is a good outcome. What power do we have?
For more information (including background information on this attack on the preservation of heritage buildings in and around our neighbourhood) please visit friendsofthefoundry.ca or respectlocalplanning.com Download article Next SLNA Community Meeting - Feb. 24 The next SLNA Community Montly Meeting will include a presentation to honour Black History Month with guest speaker Rosemary Sadlier. Rosemary is an Order of Ontario recipient and the former president of the Ontario Black History Society. As an educator Rosemary has developed and contributed to African Canadian curriculum and was an appointed member of the College of Early Childhood Educators. As an author Rosemary has written 7 books on African Canadian history. Most recently Rosemary was appointed Equality Lead for the Americas and the Caribbean with the Royal Commonwealth Society. This neighbourhood is historically where Toronto began and where many Black Canadians and Black Americans made their mark in history (to name a few: Thornton and Lucie Blackburn who escaped slavery in the United States to establish themselves as community leaders and activists in Toronto and well known anti-slave activist and publisher Mary Ann Shadd...). We look forward to the highlights of those historic profiles during Rosemary's presentation on February 24th - see you there! SLNA February 24 Community Meeting Agenda: Meeting Begins at 7:00 p.m. on Zoom - see link below.
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 If you find you are always pleasantly learning new things about our historic St. Lawrence neighbourhood and enjoy the experience, or if you simply want to learn about the iconic places in the neighbourhood we call home, click on the link below to begin a self-guided online tour prepared by historians at the City of Toronto's Market Gallery (located in the St. Lawrence Market South Building):
St. Lawrence Self-Guided Tour  Community Support for Heritage Protection On February 14, residents of the St. Lawrence, Corktown (and possibly other communities) came out to walk around the Dominion Foundry heritage designated buildings on Eastern Ave. in the Canary District and to show their love of our neighbourhoods, our shared history, the preservation of our heritage architecture and inclusive development that provides real, diverse and needed housing while respecting our local planning priorities! To learn more about the history behind the St. Lawrence Neighbourhood Association's involvement in helping to pause this demolition, the next steps and how you can help, please click on the following link: https://www.respectlocalplanning.com/donate Thanks to all our political representatives who showed up to vocalize their on Feb. 14 especially our Councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam, leader of the Green Party Annamie Paul, and MPPs Suze Morrison and Chris Glover #friendsofthefoundry Next Important Step - CONSULTATION We need you to participate in the provincial government's recently announced consultation for the use of this "heritage" site. Please note the key issues with this consultation pointed out by the Friends of the Foundry in the comments below. We hope you can use their commentary as advice when submitting your feedback to the government. The Foundry Consultation Process: From the Friends of the Foundry The Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing announced that "new public consultation would be posted on the government's website." This has now appeared: a single web page with the title "Crown land for affordable housing on Eastern Avenue (Toronto)" two sentences of background information, and an email address. Words conspicuously absent from the page include"heritage", "building", "demolition", and the name of the site, "Dominion Wheel & Foundries Company". It is clear to us that the Ministry is trying to play "catch up" in the most minimal way possible: to "tick the boxes" on the things they didn't do before demolition, so that in court on February 26 they can say "we made a mistake, but all better now so there's no case." If we give feedback, they can say they received input from the community. If we don't, they can say the community's “stop demolition, start consultation" stance is insincere. This "consultation" looks like a one-way trip into a black hole. So, how to respond? We can resist by repeatedly asking for dialogue: showing an interest in the issue, but persistently asking them for clarification on how they will evaluate and use the input.Your task today, then, is to consider how you, as a citizen of Ontario, choose to respond to this call for consultation. Our suggestion:
Plus we'd love you to bcc us on your correspondence. Here is a link to their web page. Friends of the Foundry http://www.respectlocalplanning.com/ Download following article Next SLNA Meeting - Feb. 24 The next SLNA Community Montly Meeting will honour Black History Month with guest speaker Rosemary Sadlier. Rosemary is an Order of Ontario recipient and the former president of the Ontario Black History Society. As an educator Rosemary has developed and contributed to African Canadian curriculum and was an appointed member of the College of Early Childhood Educators. As an author Rosemary has written 7 books on African Canadian history. Most recently Rosemary was appointed Equality Lead for the Americas and the Caribbean with the Royal Commonwealth Society. This neighbourhood is historically where Toronto began and where many Black Canadians and Black Americans made their mark in history (to name a few: Thornton and Lucie Blackburn who escaped slavery in the United States to establish themselves as community leaders and activists in Toronto and well known anti-slave activist and publisher Mary Ann Shadd...). We look forward to the highlights of those historic profiles during Rosemary's presentation on February 24th - see you there! SLNA February 24 Community Meeting Agenda: Meeting Begins at 7:00 p.m. on Zoom - see link below.
Zoom Link (click to open) Or copy link below to your browser: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88163151751?pwd=Yk5OYUV0V0hpVU05VHVtZVFJQVB5dz09 Download the following article SLNA 2021 Annual General Meeting The SLNA will be hosting our next Annual General Meeting on Wednesday, March 24 at 7 p.m. on Zoom. Link will be provided in the coming weeks. MOTION FOR APPROVAL: That the SLNA appoint Hogg, Shain and Scheck as accountants to perform the financial review for fiscal 2021. Vacancy on the SLNA Board of DirectorsDue the expiry of the term of one of our Board Members there will be an opening on the SLNA Board of Directors. All SLNA building/condo/home association delegates are eligible to submit a nomination for this position. The election will take place during the March 24th SLNA Annual General Meeting. The Board vacancy is for a 3-year term of service. Board Member Responsibilities In addition to managing the affairs of the Association, SLNA Directors are required to attend the SLNA monthly Community Meeting which takes place ten times per year. Board members are also expected to participate in the monthly SLNA Board meeting which is held the second Wednesday of each month from 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. DOWNLOAD NOMINATION FORM (NOTE: deadline for submission of nominations is March 17, 2021 ) Download the following article Major Changes: The Esplanade & Mill Streets FROM THE CITY OF TORONTO: The Esplanade and Mill Street are two important streets in the east part of downtown Toronto. They connect people to iconic destinations like the St. Lawrence Market and Distillery District, as well as parks such as Corktown Common, and David Crombie Park. Parliament Square Park is vital pedestrian connection between the two streets. Today, walking, cycling and transit make up nearly three-quarters of the trips in the St. Lawrence and Distillery District neighbourhood, yet there have been more than 340 collisions on this corridor in the last five years, 10 per cent involving people walking or cycling, and one per cent leading to serious injury or death. The Esplanade is also being used as a bypass to Front Street and Lower Jarvis Street. This non-local traffic leads to congestion, pollution and noise, and delays to TTC service. The City of Toronto is recommending changes to the way people move through and experience The Esplanade and Mill Street. These recommendations are based on Toronto City Council-approved policies and plans and data analysis. They are also informed by input from local stakeholders, including community groups, businesses, institutions and property owners along the corridor. The project’s goals are to:
View the video Participate in the Consultation Community residents, businesses and organizations are invited to a public consultation event on February 25th, 2021. The consultation will be an opportunity to learn about the proposed changes, ask questions and provide comments. Sign up for the Consultation Saving Canada's First Parliament Site Did you know some of the most historically significant buildings and sites in Ontario are located in and around Front St. in our St. Lawrence and Corktown neighbourhoods? So many buildings have already been destroyed over the decades. What we have left of Canada's First Parliament Site here in our neighbourhood needs to be protected from recent announcements indicating that the province may be taking over the land for varioius developments including transportation (Ontario Line). The following article by Rollo Myers (former manager of the Architectural Conservancy of Ontario) is a must read on the significance of this heritage site. Click to read article or copy this URL to your browser: http://spacing.ca/toronto/2021/02/08/op-ed-why-we-have-to-save-the-first-parliament-site/  For more information (including background information on this attack on the preservation of heritage buildings in and around our neighbourhood) please visit friendsofthefoundry.ca or respectlocalplanning.com Download poster Next SLNA Meeting - Feb. 24 Download article The next SLNA Community Montly Meeting will honour Black History Month with guest speaker Rosemary Sadlier. Rosemary is an Order of Ontario recipient and the former president of the Ontario Black History Society. As an educator Rosemary has developed and contributed to African Canadian curriculum and was an appointed member of the College of Early Childhood Educators. As an author Rosemary has written 7 books on African Canadian history. Most recently Rosemary was appointed Equality Lead for the Americas and the Caribbean with the Royal Commonwealth Society. This neighbourhood is historically where Toronto began and where many Black Canadians and Black Americans made their mark in history (to name a few: Thornton and Lucie Blackburn who escaped slavery in the United States to establish themselves as community leaders and activists in Toronto and well known anti-slave activist and publisher Mary Ann Shadd...). We look forward to the highlights of those historic profiles during Rosemary's presentation on February 24th - see you there! SLNA February 24 Community Meeting Agenda: Meeting Begins at 7:00 p.m. on Zoom - see link below.
Zoom Link (click to open) Or copy link below to your browser: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88163151751?pwd=Yk5OYUV0V0hpVU05VHVtZVFJQVB5dz09 St. Lawrence Market Online Ordering and Delivery Download the following article Toronto residents can now enjoy products from the St. Lawrence Market delivered directly to their homes. St. Lawrence Market has partnered with Toronto-based online ordering and delivery service Inabuggy to offer customers additional ways to shop with the small business merchants of the Market. The partnership offers consumers access to the freshness and variety of produce, meats, fish, grains and bulk foods, baked goods, dairy products and specialty items that the Market is known for, in as little as one-hour delivery for residents who live within five kilometres of the Market. Customers can conveniently shop from Market merchants, including more than 25 specialty merchants, all in one place through https://www.inabuggy.com/ and the Inabuggy app in minutes. Inabuggy’s personal shoppers will handpick and pack orders to ensure the quality and freshness of the St. Lawrence Market are delivered. The Inabuggy partnership enables St. Lawrence Market to meet the shifting purchasing habits of customers and the increased demand for home delivery. As the City continues to work through the challenges of the COVID-19 health emergency, the Market is eager to offer this additional service that will allow customers to get the food that they need while staying at home more. The service also allows customers to support the small businesses of the Market during this challenging time. Delivery is available Tuesday to Friday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. throughout downtown Toronto. Online prices are the same as in store and customers can shop with no minimum order size at up to 10 vendors per order with a pick, pack and delivery fee of $19.99 for the first five vendors, and an additional fee of $2.99 for each additional vendor. Further information about the Inabuggy partnership can be found at http://www.stlawrencemarket.com and the list of participating merchants and their products are online at https://www.inabuggy.com/ St. Lawrence Market is a renowned international food market featuring 120 merchants, vendors and farmers, offering fresh produce, meats and specialty items. Serving Toronto residents and international visitors since 1803, the market is regularly recognized as one of Toronto's most popular destinations and was ranked the number one food market in the world by National Geographic. The St. Lawrence Market Complex consists of St. Lawrence Hall, the South Market and the North Market – the latter now in its temporary home at 125 The Esplanade. Toronto is home to more than 2.9 million people whose diversity and experiences make this great city Canada’s leading economic engine and one of the world’s most diverse and livable cities. As the fourth largest city in North America, Toronto is a global leader in technology, finance, film, music, culture and innovation, and consistently places at the top of international rankings due to investments championed by its government, residents and businesses. For more information visit www.toronto.ca or follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/CityofToronto, on Instagram at www.instagram.com/cityofto or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/cityofto. Saving Canada's First Parliament Site Did you know some of the most historically significant buildings and sites in Ontario are located in and around Front St. in our St. Lawrence and Corktown neighbourhoods? So many buildings have already been destroyed over the decades. What we have left of Canada's First Parliament Site here in our neighbourhood needs to be protected from recent announcements indicating that the province may be taking over the land for varioius developments including transportation (Ontario Line). The following article by Rollo Myers (former manager of the Architectural Conservancy of Ontario) is a must read on the significance of this heritage site. Click to read article or copy this URL to your browser: http://spacing.ca/toronto/2021/02/08/op-ed-why-we-have-to-save-the-first-parliament-site/  By Sharon McMillan, SLNA VP Marketing
As countries around the world celebrate Black History Month right now, we have the distinction of welcoming to our upcoming SLNA meeting, the woman who took the lead in pushing for a Black History Month commemoration here in Canada. We are pleased to be welcoming Order of Ontario recipient and Past President of the Ontario Black History Society, Rosemary Sadlier as our featured speaker at the Monthly SLNA Community Meeting on Wednesday, February 24 at 7:00 p.m. on Zoom. As an educator Rosemary has developed and contributed to African Canadian curriculum and was an appointed member of the College of Early Childhood Educators. As an author Rosemary has written 7 books on African Canadian history. Most recently Rosemary was appointed Equality Lead for the Americas and the Caribbean with the Royal Commonwealth Society. This neighbourhood is historically where Toronto began and where many Black Canadians and Black Americans made their mark in history (to name a few: Thornton and Lucie Blackburn who escaped slavery in the United States to establish themselves as community leaders and activists in Toronto and well known anti-slave activist and publisher Mary Ann Shadd...). We look forward to the highlights of those historic profiles during Rosemary's presentation on February 24th - see you there! For more information contact us.  The St. Lawrence Neighbourhood Association announced on our social media platforms yesterday that the Association won a temporary injunction to stay the demolition of the heritage designated Dominion Foundry Buildings on Eastern Ave., until the end of February pending the court's decision at that time. From the Toronto Star: "The ruling will buy the City of Toronto time to convene next week to authorize its solicitor to attempt to stop the Province from tearing down the foundry permanently. “Had it not been for the swift action of this group [St. Lawrence Neighbourhood Association], there is every chance that these buildings would have been destroyed before legal proceedings were brought to identify the issues that will be decided in this application,” Corbett wrote in his decision. Next Steps: Here are some things you can do right now to help! 1. Use the Friends of the Foundry letter template to write to Premier Ford. Let him know this is unacceptable! Email the Premier 2. Legal work is expensive... consider giving $5 or more to help us cover our costs. Donate and share our fundraising campaign Here are some things you can do every day to help! Digital Activism Post pictures and videos on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram. If you live in a neighbouring building take and post pictures from your balcony. Hashtag your posts #SaveTheFoundry and #StopDemolition, and tag us in as well. Twitter @FoundryFriends Instagram @FriendsoftheFoundry Facebook Friends of the Foundry SLNA Comments on MZO and Planning Act Changes In a recent letter to Premier Ford, the SLNA expressed disagreement with certain changes to the planning Act and the expansion of Ministerial powers arising out of Bill 197, the COVID-19 Economic Recovery Act, 2020. Please click here to view SLNA's letter outlining our specific concerns.  Free Presto Card Distribution The St. Lawrence branch of Toronto Public Library is very pleased to participate in an initiative to distribute PRESTO cards to those who need it. Anyone may come to a Toronto Public Library branch to get a card. Please distribute the information widely to your contacts. The card is free, but has no funds loaded on it. Here is a link to Toronto's Fair Pass Transit Discount Program. https://www.toronto.ca/community-people/employment-social-support/support-for-people-in-financial-need/assistance-through-ontario-works/transit-discount/ If your agency or organization would like 20 or more cards to distribute, please contact me directly. Dulce Gomes Branch Head St. Lawrence Branch - 171 Front St. East Toronto Public Library  Let's Get "Moving in the Park" February 1-7th (Monday- Friday) Physical exercise for one household at a time. Local arts organization Jamii is inviting you and/or your household to join one of the upcoming organized 25-min movement-based sessions in the park, encouraging neighbours of all ages to keep physically fit as well as creatively active during the lockdown. Jamii has arranged to have professional artists/dancers guiding participants through a series of creative movements designed to insert some gentle but fun activity into your day. . WHEN: You choose! You can pick from the available pre-scheduled 25-minute times slots by clicking the following link: https://calendly.com/jamiiesplanade/movinginthepark?month=2021-02 Toronto Budget Town Hall - Invitation When: February 9, 2021 Time: 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Where: Registrants will receive a link to the event The City of Toronto has launched their 2021 Budgets and we want to hear from you! When COVID-19 hit, the pre-existing cracks in our social safety net were laid wide open. We face a considerable fiscal deficit, and without further financial support from our Provincial and Federal governments, the Mayor and City Council will be facing impossible choices. We cannot afford service cuts to already underfunded and chronically overlooked programs. This autumn, Councillor Wong-Tam hosted Making Cents, a speaker series exploring and investigating the issues that matter most to you. We heard from advocates and community leaders about community safety, what it means to have a healthy neighbourhood, housing, homelessness, and next steps navigating a post-COVID world. On February 9, 2021, the SLNA is invited to our cumulative Toronto Centre Budget Town Hall. Councillor Wong-Tam along with special guest Anthony Ng will review issues that impact our communities, and breakdown Toronto’s 2021 budget. You will have the opportunity to ask questions and make your priorities known. This year my office has partnered with Ethelo, a Canadian organization that created a survey and participatory budget tool where you can experiment with your own tax dollars and design your own ideal municipal budget. This fast-paced virtual Town Hall event is free and will outline how you can get involved in the City’s budget process. RSVP and learn more here. Explore Ethelo’s Citizen Budget tool and start making your own ideal budget! Zero Waste High-Rise DEADLINE EXTENDED! Waste Reduction Micro-grant Applications Open Until Feb 15 The Toronto Environmental Alliance (TEA)'s Zero Waste High-Rise Project is supporting multi-residential buildings to reduce waste. Join a community of residents and staff from buildings across Toronto, and participate in a free online program with guides and tools to walk you through implementing a zero waste action plan for your building. Sign up here to join the Zero Waste High-Rise Project! [https://www.torontoenvironment.org/highrise_join] Until February 15th, TEA is offering micro-grants of up to $500 to help Toronto multi-residential buildings take action to reduce waste in winter 2021. Review the micro-grant details and complete an application form on TEA's website here [https://www.torontoenvironment.org/microgrant_application].  For your convenience the article below regarding the Foundry Demolition UPDATE has been converted to a PDF for easy printing and posting in condos/buildings/associations.
DOWNLOAD THIS ARTICLE In response to the call for action issued by the SLNA last week, and articulated in the media by our Past President and Development Chair, Suzanne Kavanagh, the provincial government announced on Friday that they would be pausing the demolition of the Foundry heritage buildings on Eastern Ave. until Wednesday, January 27. This is a step in the right direction and has happened because in less than a week over 19,000 concerned individuals signed the petition to stop this heritage building demolition and almost $13,000 has been raised to support the legal defence fund for this cause. We thank everyone who has given their support to date. Our Councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam is leading this advocacy work at the City and Mayor Tory has acknowledged the importance of halting this heritage building demolition. To succeed in this effort we need to increase the number of signatures on our petition and the Friends of the Foundry legal fund. The SLNA is a founding member of the Friends of the Foundry. Next Steps - This is an Ontario Problem The powers being used by the provincial government to demolish these designated heritage buildings in our area can be used anywhere in Ontario. We encourage you to share our petition and our funding links with your friends and family across the province. What we achieve here in our area of Toronto could help other areas of the province where conservation areas and heritage sites may be targeted by the provincial government utilizing these new overriding zoning powers. We urgently need our supporters to:
SLNA Position One of the SLNA’s key strategic mandates is to advocate for responsible development and preservation of heritage. In this context the SLNA Board, on behalf of its membership, objects most strongly to the demolition of the nearby Dominion Wheel and Foundries buildings ('The Foundry') on Eastern Avenue in the West Don Lands. This has been a municipally listed Heritage site since 2004. SLNA Community Meeting The next SLNA Community Meeting will take place on January 27, 7 p.m. on Zoom (see connection information below). Agenda:
Date and ime: Jan. 27, 2021 07:00 PM Join Zoom Meeting Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88163151751?pwd=Yk5OYUV0V0hpVU05VHVtZVFJQVB5dz09 Connect by phone 647-374-4685 647-558-0588 Meeting ID: 881 6315 1751 Passcode: 615786 Stop the Demolition of The Foundry  RE: The Demolition of the Dominion Wheel & Foundries Buildings MEDIA RELEASE The St. Lawrence Neighbourhood Association (SLNA) represents the interests of over 30,000people who live in the St. Lawrence neighbourhood. The Association is also a member of theWest Don Lands Committee and an immediate neighbour to Corktown and the Distillery District. It is proud to be a founding sponsor of Friends of the Foundry. One of SLNA’s key strategic mandates is to advocate for responsible development and preservation of heritage. In this context the SLNA Board, on behalf of its membership, objects most strongly to the demolition of the Dominion Wheel and Foundries building(s) on Eastern Avenue in the West Don Lands. This has been a municipally listed Heritage site since 2004. The redevelopment of this site, under an October 2020 MZO issued by the provincial government (which permits a 40 story tower), is completely out of context for the West Don Lands and has been implemented by the Province with no consultation and completely without transparency. SLNA has written to Premier Ford and to ministers Clark and MacLeod calling on them to halt the current demolition process immediately, and commence a proper end-to-end planning process in its place. The community deserves a more inclusive and more respectful alternative. Contact Information: St. Lawrence Neighbourhood Association - slna@slna.ca January 15, 2021 What Can You Do To Help Stop this Demolition? Take action and share this message through your networks 1. Check out the Friends of the Foundry Facebook page Like it and watch for updates 2. Sign the Friends of the Foundry petition to stop the demolition 3. Send a short email with the heading “Save the Dominion Foundry” to:
4. Follow the Friends of the Foundry on Twitter and Instagram
First Parliament Site Meeting From the City of Toronto: Please join the online virtual meeting for an update on the First Parliament Site Master Plan on January 21, 2021 from 7 to 9 p.m. The meeting will share the concepts for a long-range Vision for First Parliament, guiding development principles and a demonstration plan. At the meeting, an illustrated presentation will be given followed by a live question and answer period. Written comments are welcome and can be provided online between January 21 and February 1. You can register here and a link to the consultation meeting will be shared three days prior to the event, along with instructions to help you connect. SLNA Waste Reduction Group Update The SLNA-Waste Reduction Group is asking for your HELP! Name your favourite local repair shops for shoes, bikes, clothing, jewellery, computer, home, and more. The Old Town BIA is supporting this SLNA-WRG initiative in a planned February promotion in support of local small businesses. Get ready for a February Fix-it! Send your suggestions to the reduce@slna.ca before January 25. Jamii Year in Review  From Isorine Marc, Executive Director, Jamii
Click to View Year in Review It is with great pleasure that I share with the SLNA, Jamii¹s 2020 Year-In-Review and I would like to thank this Association for your continued support of our growing local arts organization. The support of the SLNA has been especially meaningful this year as that support helped us to feature local artists in our programming which contributed to enhancing a sense of social cohesion, community and togetherness during an isolating time for so many residents in our neighbourhood. During 2020 - the year the pandemic hit our society - Jamii organized 101 workshops with 166 participants and we produced 34 public events, with 91 artists and we counted 2300 audience members. However, beyond numbers, it is what we have shared with the Jamii family (artists, participants, audience and everyone connected to the programming) that matters the most. While memories are intangible, they last for a lifetime. In the Year-In-Review, you can see how the SLNA has specifically supported our Kisanii Hub Performances (featuring local artists) as well as our LAINI initiative (online workshops during the pandemic for young women from the community). The Community Arts Award we received from the Toronto Arts Foundation was definitely one of the highlights of 2020: it symbolizes an appreciation for the work we have accomplished these past 10 years. Next year is our 10th Anniversary celebration year: 2011-2021. This will be an exciting year and we look forward to continuing to partner with SLNA for the benefit of the residents in this diverse and thriving neighbourhood. I thank you in advance for sharing this review with the SLNA network.  The HotHouse Restaurant at 35 Church St. has put together a celebration menu designed to be picked up hot on New Years Eve, or chilled and ready to re-heat for dinner New Years Day. There will also be low-prep breakfast options on offer to help get your New Years Day started! Click here for their New Year's Food menu. And of course, it wouldn't be New Year's without some drinks. Click here to see their New Year's Drinks menu!  Café Nicole (located in the Novotel Hotel at 45 The Esplanade) wants to thank everyone for their support through 2020. For New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day, Café Nicole is offering a Festive Dinner and Brunch to help everyone to Welcome 2021 from the comfort of their living room. On December 31st, pick up a 3 Course Dinner which includes Sparkling Wine and Party Favours to Kiss 2020 Goodbye! This offer will be available for Pick up from 6pm-9pm on New Year’s Eve. For New Year’s Day, Enjoy Brunch with a Build Your Own Cocktail to start the new year off right! Brunch will be available for pick up on New Year’s Day from 11am until 2pm. All of our New Year’s Offerings are available at www.cafenicole.ca or through Ritual, Skip the Dishes and Uber Eats. Keep an eye out for Cafe Nicole's Super Bowl Special and their Valentine’s Weekend in February! Best Wishes for 2021 from Café Nicole!   By Bruce Bell, Local Historian One of my favourite Christmas stories of days past is the one about George William Allan, the son of one of the wealthiest families in Ontario who decided it was time to do something to help the children who lived on the mean streets of Toronto.  As legend has it, on Christmas Eve 1870 George went for a walk along Front Street from his home on the north east corner of Front and Frederick streets, heading towards the St. Lawrence Market where along the way he encountered children huddled in doorways trying to escape the cold. After living a life of privilege, on that Christmas Eve George was determined to do something to help the homeless youth of Toronto whose numbers were growing. That night, George decided to donate his townhouse on Frederick Street to become the Newsboys' Home where young boys were given newspapers to sell on the streets and at night a place to eat and sleep - such a concept was radical idea for those times. Many rich and wealthy people in 19th century Toronto and the rest of the British Empire didn’t think that the lower classes and especially children should be educated or even looked after by government as they might grow up and take over society, leaving the privileged classes throneless. Within a year, Allan's Newsboys' Home had become a place of refuge for up to 20 young orphaned boys, most of whom had never known a hot meal or warm bed. Not nearly enough room for all the homeless children of Toronto, but it was a start. In a mere 50 years, Toronto had grown from an quaint agricultural town of 10,000 people in 1834, to becoming a vast polluting industrial city of a quarter million. Children, however, were looked upon like animals today, some we love and some we eat. George Allan felt differently and in taking the actions he took to create the Newsboys' Home doing he led the way for another remarkable man to leave his mark on Toronto’s history. In 1874, a 10-year old boy named John Joseph Kelso arrived in Toronto with his family poor and starving escaping the unimaginable poverty back in Ireland.  The following year, John Joseph, JJ as he became known, at age 11 skipped school and got a job at James Bain's bookstore on King Street East just around the corner from the Newsboys Home.
As JJ became older, he was often sickened at the sight of young shoeless boys not fortunate to live at the Newsboys' Home forced as he would famously say to “demean themselves and give the money to their parents or unscrupulous elders to buy liquor”. As time went on, JJ Kelso went to college, became a bright student and eventually got himself a job as a newspaper reporter at the Globe and through his writings lifted the lid of the gruesome world of Toronto street children. Kelso once a poor destitute street child would then go on to found the Children's Aid Society of Toronto in 1891, giving hope at last to the most vulnerable amongst us. But it didn’t end there; previously Kelso established the Toronto Humane Society in 1887 and the Fresh Air Fund in 1888 providing excursions to the Toronto Island for poor women and children. In 1911, Kelso become one of the founders of the still thriving Central Neighbourhood House built to bridge the gap between rich and poor by having workers live communally in urban slums with those they wanted to help. George Allan and JJ Kelso, two extraordinary men from extremely different backgrounds would transform Toronto making it a safer place for children and eventually leadign to the establishment of Children Aid Societies the world over. After his death in 1901, and as a tribute to the memory of George William Allan who was also the mayor of Toronto in 1855, the city changed the name of the Horticultural Gardens to ‘Allan Gardens’. The gardens maintain that name today. After leading a life dedicated to helping the poor and destitute of Toronto, JJ Kelso died on September 30, 1935. And to think it all began with a walk along Front Street on a snowy Christmas Eve in 1870. Holiday Inn Express Contest The Holiday Inn Express at the north end of our neighbourhood at 111 Lombard St. is extending their Staycation Contest to January 3rd - see details below: We know a lot people could use a romantic getaway right now so we've extended our Romantic Getaway Contest entry deadline to January 3rd! To enter, like our post (on Twitter @hiexpresstorontodowntown) and @ tag who you want to join you for an overnight stay for two with us including dinner from Hothouse Restaurant delivered to your room, a movie of your choice, and breakfast to go. Winner will be announced on January 4th. Conditions apply. (The Staycation Package can be booked separately starting at $189 at https://bit.ly/3gRmTmr.) #holidaygiveaway #win #contest #romanticgetaways #hietorontodowntown #entertowin #giveaway Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! from the SLNA Board of Directors |
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