Happy Father`s Day

If you are wondering what to get, or what to do to celebrate with Dad on Father’s Day, then Riverside Toronto has it all for you!!

Pick up a great Card for Dad at Keep Me Posted at 724 1/2 Queen E.keepmeposted card– check our their gift selection too – they share space with Empire by Bullet – so, if dad is a Brit or fan of the Monarchy, there is always something for him – like..this funky Union Jack Inspired Mugempiremug

For Dad- Fashionista’s – you have to visit Here & Now (Riverside’s  answer to Winners and Outlet Stores; here&nowDador see what Fab in-house designer Bergstrom’s Originals has with their new line of Men’s Shirts.bergstromdad

 

 

Maybe Dad is looking for something for the home or Garden.  macFAB Fabrics and Home has a great line of patio items (custom umbrella’s and outdoor patio wear), plus their home store is hopping with new and affordable items. macfabhome A visit for Riverside Home/Design items wouldn’t be complete without mentioning Kimberly Jackson’s Canadian made items.  If Vintage is what dad prefers – them, there is Studio Pazo or Phil’s.  And…if Dad is a traditionalist – you must visit the award winner Elber’s Antiques and Refinishing to see what Ron has in stock.  Ron has been in the hood for over 30 years, so, he surely knows a thing or 2 about antiques.

The tech Dad will find his latest apple gadgets at Carbon computing.  Great service, and selection…and no crazy Apple Store Line-ups.

 

For the Foodie dad – pick up a ready made gift basket from Olive & Olives – on sale now is  tasty aperitivos at Olive & Olivesolive

 

Don’t cook on Father’s Day.  Dad will love Prohibition Gastrohouse on his day.  Prohibtion  brunch – kids under 12 eat free.  Prohibition Hooch Hour – 4-7 & 10 to midnight
Sports on TV  and a special free gift for Dad – from all the kids at PGH!

  • Gastro-Fried Ice Cream, topped with Guinness-Infused
  • Crème Anglais. (Quantities limited)

 

prohibi

 

 

Whatever you do – we wish you and your Dad a Wonderful Father`s Day!!

 

 

Riverside Talks – All Welcome – Kick Off Meeting Tues June 25th 7pm; An Sibin Pub

RiversideTalksRiverside Talks is where local residents meet once a month to learn something new, find out what’s going on in the neighbourhood, and get to know each other. It’s the ideal opportunity to share their vision for change in a community setting of business owners, other residents and city officials. Riverside Talks will be held on the last Tuesday of every month at the An Sibin Pub, 709 Queen Street East.

 

The Agenda is as follows:

  • 7:00pm – 7:10pm – Introduction and “Meet your Neighbour”
  • 7:10pm – 7:20pm – Words from the Councillor’s Office
  • 7:20pm – 7:30pm – Updates from Riverside BIA
  • 7:30pm – 8:00pm – Open Discussion
  • 8:00pm – 9:00pm – Live and Learn

Meet Your Neighbour

Three people will get the chance to introduce themselves in front of everyone and have a few minutes to talk about their life in the neighbourhood and what they like most about the area.

Words from the Councillor’s Office

Councillor Paula Fletcher or a designated member of her staff will have the chance to talk about what they have planned for the neighbourhood or discuss any other matters involving the community.

Riverside BIA

The Riverside Business Improvement Area (BIA) extends from the DVP to Empire Ave along Queen Street. The Riverside BIA works to promote the Riverside as a distinctive shopping and dining area through streetscape improvements (public art, benches, street planters), events (Eats & Beats, Walk Fest, Light up the Riverside), and providing general maintenance, marketing and long term planning. They will be discussing what is upcoming in the Riverside, and how the residents can get involved.

Open Discussion

A Facebook page has been set up to submit topics for community discussion and items requiring a vote. During this time, we will try to go through as many topics possible starting from the top.

Live and Learn

The evening will end with an engaging session of live entertainment or informative seminar. Be it live music, stand up comedy, magic show, poetry reading or gardening 101, the goal of Live and Learn is to provide an interactive experience for the community.

 

Riverside Talks –  All Welcome – Kick-off Meeting Tuesday June 25th 7pm – An Sibin Pub (709 Queen E)

Questions – contact Riverside BIA Marketing Committee Member William Chan – (416) 464- 7760

 

 

Ride the City this summer!

Guest post by Gareth Davies of Cycle Toronto

Did you know June is Bike Month?

June - Bike Month

June – Bike Month

 

Even though Riverside currently lacks bike lanes along it’s beautiful stretch of Queen Street, it’s still a great place to enjoy to by bicycle.  From where I live in Cabbagetown it’s a 10 minute trip south on Sherbourne, then east across the beautiful Queen Street bridge over the Don Valley.  It’s not uncommon on a busy weekend to have a hard time finding an available Ring & Post right outside your destination in Riverside.  This happened to me last week at the Riverside Art Walk.

 

One of the draws for cyclists is how quickly you can travel in Toronto, especially east-west because it’s relatively flat.  Soon it could be even easier for people as far west as Bathurst to visit to Riverside by bike.  The City is looking at installing protected bicycle lanes on Richmond and Adelaide in the next 1-2 years, and Cycle Toronto will host a group ride to support this project on Saturday, June 6th at 12pm from St. James Park (Adelaide and Jarvis).

Group Bike Ride June 6

Group Bike Ride June 6

 

The Richmond-Adelaide bike plan covers protected lanes from Bathurst to Sherbourne for now, but could be connected in the future to Eastern Avenue, carrying leisurely cross-town cyclists eastward to Broadview and beyond.  It’s an exciting business prospect – Riverside is a great leisurely weekend bike destination.

 

For those curious about what else Toronto is thinking about for bike infrastructure, you can take a free guided bike tour next weekend, on Saturday, June 15th between 12-3pm, stopping at real-time bike projects in Toronto.  The tours leave from Allan Gardens (Sherbourne/Carlton) and finish an hour later at Sugar Beach (Queens Quay).  The Event is hosted by local Cycle Toronto groups between Downtown and the Don Valley in Wards 27 and 28.  Check out the full Toronto Bike Month calendar for other fun events to get you cycling the city this summer, including some around Riverside.

 

The Riverside BIA has been supportive of efforts to expand BIXI and build uni-directional separated lanes on Richmond-Adelaide.  Cycle Toronto is grateful that the BIA recognizes the economic and community value of improving cycling infrastructure in Toronto.

 

We invite everyone to join us, by cycling Riverside and the city this summer!

 

Cycle Toronto

Cycle Toronto

 

 

Many Thanks to Gareth Davies of Cycle Toronto for joining the Riverside BIA at the Booth during the Riverdale Art Walk on June 1 and 2nd, and for this Guest Blog Post

Eats & Beats + the Riverdale Art Walk = Riverside’s Art Tour

June 1st @ 1PM & 3PM, starting at the Riverside BIA Booth in Jimmie Simpson Park

Discover the artistic side of Riverside as we stroll along Queen St. East and meet Riverdale Art Walk artists displayed outside of the park, as well as community photo exhibits of the people and places of Riverside.

Join us for an amazing art experience as you walk around the Riverside community and get in touch with local artists as you walk;  you not only will witness captivating expressions of creativity, but also have the opportunity to get to know the community through community exhibitions and professional artists.

Showcasing RAW artists

Photo by Moshe Mikanovsky

Photo by Moshe Mikanovsky

In its 15th year, this two-day fine art exhibition which showcases established and emerging artists. There is a rich array of mediums being exhibited from paintings, photography, mixed media, printmaking, drawing to sculpture.

Community Exhibitions Profiled

Hand out

As part of the Art Tour, visit the Woodgreen Photo Exhibition “Hand Out.” Hand Out” is a captivating visual display of photographs taken by our community that is homeless, or has experienced living on the streets. The open hand symbolism includes attributes such as: Balance, Choice, and Justice. Depictions of an open right hand is an image that is recognized and used as a sign of protection, faith, family, blessings, power and strength in many different cultures. In this exhibition, our community photographer’s will share the objects that they hold dear to their hearts. Objects that give them faith, hope and joy.

Photo by Annie Sakkab

Photo by Annie Sakkab

A Life Reclaimed is an exhibition by Annie Sakkab on the women who have used Nellie’s Shelter for Women and Children and a part of Nellie’s 40th Anniversary Open House. A photo exhibition involving women from the shelter, “A Life Reclaimed” strives to shed light on the hidden truth of gender-based violence that affects 1 in 2 women in every society, across every class and race, at every stage of life from infancy to old age. Freezing moments of sadness and hope, it echoes the deep sense of abandonment and isolation of women forced into exile from their homes, while capturing their extraordinary resilience and the rebirth of their identity and empowerment. Women’s shelters like Nellie’s are vital harbors on this journey back to emotional and physical security.

Annie Sakkab is a documentary photographer who lives in Toronto. Born in Jordan, she has worked and resided in London, Rome, Dubai and Amman. Her documentary practice investigates socio-cultural issues and questions of identity, and seeks to raise awareness on experiences of exile, uprooting, and displacement among marginalized groups. An honors graduate in Fine Art and Graphic Design, Sakkab’s photographs have been exhibited in Canada as well as abroad. Her work Non-spaces (1993) is part of the collection of the National Gallery in Amman, Jordan. Her recent series, Projections – Ghosts of Dubai’s Boom (2010), was exhibited in a featured group exhibition in the 2013 Scotiabank Contact Photography Festival in Toronto, Ontario.For more information about the exhibit or to know more about Annie Sakkab visit www.anniesakkab.com

15th Annual Riverdale Art Walk + Eats & Beats!!

Riverdale_Artwalk_RGB

Riverside is the place to be on this First Weekend of June, with the dynamic duo of Eats & Beats in Riverside StreetFEST and The Riverdale Art Walk

 

Photo by Moshe Mikanovsky

Photo by Moshe Mikanovsky

Love ART? This is your opportunity to experience the work of a wide variety of established and emerging artists – all in one area, all exhibiting over two great days. It is a dynamic and fun event that gives thousands of visitors the opportunity to discover the “next great Canadian artist” or simply that one artist that connects with you.

In its 15th year, this first outdoor art show of Toronto’s season, is a two-day public fine art exhibition which showcases 125+ established and emerging artists. There is a rich array of mediums being exhibited from paintings, photography, mixed media, printmaking, drawing to sculpture. Artists booths are located in Jimmie Simpson Park, along Queen Street East and Booth Avenue in Toronto’s flourishing art district.

While you wander around in the general Eats & Beats festivities you can also see work in galleries and shops along Queen Street East in Riverside and Leslieville, including the Hangman Art Gallery. There will also be a free art walk tour to some of these artists in the Riverside Art Tour at 1:00pm and 3:00pm.

You can also get a sneak peak of some of the artists exhibiting through the RAW catalogue available in the Hangman Gallery on 756 Queen Street East. Check the website for more details