FREE PARKDALE Art + Design + Food Tours

Posted on September 15, 2014 by Parkdale Village BIA

Introducing:

FREE PARKDALE (QUEEN WEST) Art + Design + Food Tours
Please join us as we discover some of the spots along Queen Street West, that make Parkdale so notable.

Thursday September 25, 6:00 – 8:00PM

Walks are led by renowned art journalist and Art InSite founder Betty Ann Jordan

Click here for a detailed itinerary and to RSVP – Max. 50 participants

RSVP via Meetup.com or bajordan@sympatico.ca; LATE? Call cell 416-453-3120

Brought to you by the Parkdale Village Business Improvement Area (BIA) www.parkdalevillagebia.com

NEXT BIA-SPONSORED PARKDALE WALK 6:00 – 8:00 PM, Thurs. October 23, 2014 RSVP via Meetup.com (Toronto Arts + Culture Group) or Betty Ann Jordan, 416-979-5704; bajordan@sympatico.ca

Share your Parkdale love and vote for the Best of 2014!

Posted on September 4, 2014 by Parkdale Village BIA

It’s that time of year again, time to have your say in picking the top shopping spots, bars and restaurants throughout the City with NOW Magazine’s Best Of Toronto Reader’s Choice. Parkdale is full of great spots to shop, grab a bite or have drinks with friends and this year’s list of nominees prove that well. Take a few minutes to vote for your favourites and let the rest of Toronto know that Parkdale is the place to be!

Best Dance Club

Wrongbar

Best Florist

Coriander Girl

Best Green Store

Common Sort

Best Jewellery Store

Made you Look

Best Unisex Clothing Store

North Standard Trading Post

Best Vintage Furniture Store

Queen West Antique Centre

Best Bar

Cadillac Lounge

Best Beer Selection

The Rhino

Best Breakfast

Easy Restaurant

Best Caribbean Restaurant

Bacchus Roti

Best Cocktail Bar

Zeze Food and Drink

Best Cupcake

Yummy Stuff

Best Donut

Glory Hole Doughnuts

Best Mexican

Grand Electric

Best Mixologist

Esther Kang @ The Yukon

and

Steve McKeon @ Small Town Food Co

Best Patio

Cadillac Lounge

Best Prix Fixe

Local Kitchen

Best Restaurant

Restaurant Chantecler

and

Grand Electric

Best Roti

Bacchus Roti

and

Mother India

Best Taco

Grand Electric

Construction Notice

Posted on August 26, 2014 by Parkdale Village BIA

Construction to conduct general maintenance, repairs and road resurfacing along Queen Street West.

Expected Project Dates: August 25, 2014 – October 31, 2014, however the construction happening within the Parkdale BIA is expected to be finished by mid-September. Working Hours: Monday – Friday, 7am – 6pm, weather permitting
Location: Queen Street West, between Bathurst Street and Roncesvalles Avenue.

Scope of work: Cut repairs and associated road resurfacing.
Phase I construction to proceed west, along the north side of Queen Street West, to Roncesvalles Avenue.
Phase II construction to proceed east, along the south side from Roncesvalles to Bathurst.
Construction is scheduled to end at the end of October.

What to Expect:

Traffic delays, decreased street parking and noise are expected during construction;
The City will attempt to minimize obstruction of private driveways and sidewalks;
Sidewalk signage and storage containers must be removed during project.

For more information:

City Inspector: Alimul Chowdhury – (647) 269-0700
City Services and Information – 311
Contractor: Ross Spinello, Trisan Construction – (416) 410-3839
TTY – 416-397-0831
Ward 14 Councillor Gord Perks – 416-392-7919

The Lab Cab Festival entertains Parkdale for a second year!

Posted on July 31, 2014 by Parkdale Village BIA

This past weekend the Parkdale Village BIA sponsored the second Lab Cab Festival & Sidewalk Sale in Parkdale Village! Patrons enjoyed over 100 multi-arts performers at 80+ venues and it was a wonderful opportunity for visitors to meet business owners, shop locally and participate in free activities! A huge thanks to all our volunteers, the festival organizers, the artists and shop owners who took part. Also, thanks to the organizations and community partners that supported the event, the residents and visitors who came out to support Parkdale! Please enjoy some event photos online at Lab Cab & Parkdale BIA!

Photos courtesy of Parkdale Village BIA, Lab Cab Festival and Jeremy Mimnagh.

Restaurant Study Update – Settlement Offer

Posted on July 3, 2014 by Parkdale Village BIA

On July 8, 2014 City Council will be considering the recent settlement offer received from the Ontario Restaurant, Hotel and Motel Association (“ORHMA”) in respect of their appeals to the Ontario Municipal Board of By-laws 1049-2013 and 1050-2013, enacted by City Council on July 19, 2013. This is following a mediation which took place between parties in late June 2014 regarding the Queen Street West Restaurant Study between Roncesvalles Avenue and Dufferin Street.

If the settlement is rejected by City Council, which the City Solicitor and the Chief Planner recommend, and a compromise cannot be reached, a 5 day hearing may be scheduled to begin on August 11, 2014.

For more information about the City Council meeting on July 8th, 2014, please click here.

Parkdale gets ready for another Lab Cab Festival – July 26 & 27!

Posted on June 17, 2014 by Parkdale Village BIA

The Parkdale Village BIA is delighted for the return of the Lab Cab Festival and Sidewalk Sale on July 26 & 27, 2014.

Lab Cab is an annual, two-day multi-arts festival which includes over 100 shows in 75 venues along Queen Street West. It is a free family event offering a sidewalk sale, music, dance, theatre, film, poetry, kids’ stuff, visual art and comedy performed in restaurants, bars, community centres, boutiques, cafés, parks, library, parking lots, hair salons, flower shops, clothing stores, convenience stores, antique stores and more. Acts range from 2 to 40 minutes, and are performed by seasoned and amateur artists from 2:00pm-8:00pm throughout the weekend along Queen Street West, starting at Dufferin & ending at Roncesvalles.

Founded in 2001, the mandate of Lab Cab (short for “Laboratory Cabaret”) is to provide a home for local artists of various disciplines to experiment with new work in a fun and risk-free environment. The first Lab Cab Festival premiered in the fall of 2006 with over 50 arts groups filling every nook and cranny of the Factory Theatre at Adelaide and Bathurst.

The Parkdale Village BIA is excited to host Lab Cab for another year as the festival flourishes throughout our neighbourhood, check out last years photos, click here.

And the best part? It’s FREE.

Photo Courtesy of Lab Cab Festival

Stay tuned to http://www.labcab.ca/ for line-up and schedule updates!

To volunteer for the festival email us at director@parkdalevillagebia.com or contact click http://www.labcab.ca/site/support/volunteer/.

Scotiabank CONTACT Photo Festival Launch!

Posted on May 7, 2014 by Parkdale Village BIA

This past weekend marked the city wide launch of the Scotiabank CONTACT Photography Festival. This years programming saw an exciting addition as local photographers Hitoshi & Vincent from Hello Foto joined as curators and spent the winter season working with Parkdale Collegiate Institute students on the principles of photography and how to interpret the theme “Identity”.

We invite you to visit all 9 venues as well as the additional curated shows in Parkdale Village at General Hardware Gallery, Gallery 1313 and Goodfellas Gallery.

See below for more details about participating venues: Queen West Antique Centre, Food & Liquor, This Little Piggy, Common Sort, Leesa Berry Haircutting, The Well of Alternative Medicine, The Parkdale Drink, The Public Butter & Rustic Cosmo Cafe.

The exhibit runs May 1-31, 2014. We thank the participating businesses, Hello Foto, CONTACT organizers and the teachers and students of Parkdale Collegiate Institute.

PCI Students view their work on opening night!

Spring into Parkdale Festival has sprung!

Posted on May 7, 2014 by Parkdale Village BIA

Last weekend Spring made a brief appearance in Parkdale Village for the 2nd Annual Spring into Parkdale Sidewalk Sale and Festival on April 26, 2014. We would like to thank all the businesses and community partners who participated and the many residents and visitors that strolled our neighbourhood!

With so many participants we are well underway in growing this event and hopefully becoming a must visit in the years to come – thank you volunteers and BIA members! Please see below for a snapshot of the weekend, more photos can be viewed on Facebook. Some photo credits: Hitoshi Murakami

itoshi M

Spring Into Parkdale This Weekend – Dogs, Neighbours, Smoothies & Art!

Posted on April 22, 2014 by Parkdale Village BIA

Can you believe we are less than a week away from our 2nd Annual Spring into Parkdale Sidewalk Sale & Festival on Saturday April 26th 10am-6pm!

Even a little rain won’t stop the many shops and organizations participating this year, and with the help of residents and visitors the show will go on!

Follow up on Twitter at #SpringIntoParkdale all weekend as we announce even more surprises and help you re-explore, re-discover and support local shopping & free attractions along Queen St W from Dufferin to Roncesvalles!

Puppy Love: Swing by Not My Dog for some awesome photography and handmade clothing at 1510 Queen St W.‪

Smooth: Enjoy 23 degree coffee, Vega smoothies and much more at JR’s Natural Health & Bulk @ 1382 Queen St W @ Cowan Ave.

Stars: Join Bell Media CTV Toronto for a TV series called Local Calls & step into their video phone booth @ Cowan Ave!

Freeze: Become a part of a new artistic project at Skeir Gallery. Pose for a photo & share your silhouette for this community project @ 1537 Queen St W @ Callender

West: Visit Queen & Dufferin for face painting, product demos and gift bags @ West End Food Coop!

Neighbours: Join the Parkdale Residents Association at Elm Grove, meet your neighbours, become a member and get involved in your community!

Click below for more info on activities & entertainment:

Cupcakes, Balloons, Bikes & Surprises

Birthday, Sliders, Drums, Chalk & Alumni!

Cheese, Exploration, Sistema, Horses & Rock!

Pride, Treasure, Superman & Eagles!

Art Market, Spa Deals, Portraits & Tours!

Spring Into Parkdale Festival – Cupcakes, Balloons, Bikes & Surprises!

Posted on April 16, 2014 by Parkdale Village BIA

With just over 1 week to go, we just can’t keep up with all the wonderful activities and promotions taking place during our 2nd Annual Spring into Parkdale Sidewalk Sale & Festival on Saturday April 26th 10am-6pm!

To continue our weekly countdown we’re announcing even more attractions! We hope you’ll be enticed to re-explore, re-discover and support over 50 participating partners & shops. As you stroll the strip, be sure to stop by Triller Avenue, Sorauren Avenue, Cowan Avenue & Dufferin Street for free attractions.

Get Well: Get ready for a HUGE Inventory Sale at The Well of Alternative Medicine with over 40% off goods @ 1344 Queen St W @ Brock!

Pan Am: Meet the Pan Am Mascot Pachi @ Cowan Ave & Dufferin St and learn about the Pan Am/Parapan Am Game coming to Parkdale in 2015!

Cupcakes2Go: Check out a special promotion with Yummy Stuff Bakery & Car2Go, visit them at Triller Ave for details on free cupcakes, plus decorate your own!!!

Surprises: Visit Ze Ze Food & Drink for lots of
delicious surprises and deals @ 1704 Queen St W @ Roncesvalles.

Balloons: Join Parkdale High Park MP Peggy Nash and MPP Cheri DiNovo at Cowan Ave and stock up on balloons!

Bikes: Bike on over to Sorauren Ave and meet the team behind Cycle Toronto, learn about Cycling and Safety in Toronto!

Click below for more info on activities & entertainment:

Birthday, Sliders, Drums, Chalk & Alumni!

Cheese, Exploration, Sistema, Horses & Rock!

Pride, Treasure, Superman & Eagles!

Art Market, Spa Deals, Portraits & Tours!