Cabbagetown People

OUR STORY

History comes alive in Cabbagetown, not only through its beautiful heritage homes but also through the lives of many remarkable people who actually called the area home: artists, writers, dancers, politicians, scientists, actors, etc.

A small group of volunteers — under program founder Sheila Schirmer — came together in 2001 and undertook to research and tell these stories. The Cabbagetown People program was born.

CABBAGETOWN PEOPLE COMMITTEE
  • Christopher Dew
  • Gilles Huot
  • Margaret Rutledge
  • Sheila Schirmer (Founder, Honorary Member)
PROJECTS
CABBAGETOWN PEOPLE WEBSITE

The Cabbagetown People website is at the heart of the program. It contains close to 100 biographies and general information on remarkable Cabbagetowners (or people laid to rest in one of our heritage cemeteries) who left their mark on the area, the city and the country: Jack Layton, Walter Huston, Al Purdy, C.W. Jefferys, Betty Oliphant, Richard Bradshaw, and many more. Check the site often as we continue to add to it.

PLAQUES

The 50+ blue oval plaques installed throughout Cabbagetown are likely the most visible aspect of the program. They mark the place where many remarkable Cabbagetowners lived. The plaques are affixed to houses, to fences or to posts in front gardens.

ORIENTATION DIRECTORY

Checkout the program’s Orientation Directory in Riverdale Park West, just inside the gates to Riverdale Park situated at Sumach and Winchester streets. Offering an informative overview of the Cabbagetown People program, the directory serves as a heritage resource and educational complement to the program’s other material.

BROCHURE

A Cabbagetown People brochure lists the people featured in our plaque program. The brochure is a reference tool and can also be used to design a self-guided tour of Cabbagetown. A map of the area appears on the brochure. The brochure is available at various locations in Cabbagetown and is also distributed at CPA public events. A digital version is here.

PROGRAM FOR SCHOOLS

The Cabbagetown People program supports the Ontario school curriculum in Canadian history, social studies, Canadian geography, English or French languages, etc. It also can enhance teaching on values, ethics, culture, society, humanitarianism, leadership, volunteerism, life skills, oral and written communications, presentation skills, etc.

The Cabbagetown People website provides testimonials from teachers and some “masterpieces” created by students using the program. If interested, contact the Cabbagetown People team.

WALKING TOURS

The Cabbagetown People program offers free walking tours to local schools. Tours are adapted to the grade level and can be tailored to the specific needs of a class with prior arrangement between the teacher and the Cabbagetown People team. Free walking tours can also be provided to local community groups or agencies (e.g. seniors groups).

Private tours can also be provided at a cost of $10 per person or of a maximum of $100 for a group of up to 15 people. Contact the Cabbagetown People team.

PUBLICATIONS

Adversity, Resilience, Prosperity: TheOdyssey of a Canadian Inner City Neighbourhood. Cabbagetown 1941-2011 • The Cabbagetown People team researched social changes in Cabbagetown — one of the most colourful and disparate places in the city of Toronto — over the 70 years between the 1940s and the present. Employing data, charts and graphs, and enriched by images from the past and present. The book is available at public meetings hosted by the CPA and at our booth at local festivals. Please contact us if you need one more immediately.

Cabbagetown People: Les Gens de Cabbagetown. Video in English and French. There is also a booklet in French published in 2010.

 

Photo credit: J.W. Weston Butcher Shop in 1896, NW corner Parliament and Carlton. (Toronto Public Library TEC 438.6)