June 2025 News

Here's what's coming up this month:

  • O Canada! Taste of Canary: Celebrate Canada day on the Promenade on June 28
  • Attention older adults! We're starting up a gentle exercise class for seniors
  • Herb & Veggie Gardens are spreading in the neighbourhood; read about how it's done
  • Participatory Budgeting: What would you do with $750,000? 
  • Metrolinx Community Open House a.k.a. Dude, Where's My Bridge?
  • Take a Walk in Corktown Common, summer edition

O Canada! Taste of Canary

Saturday June 28, 12-3pm

Come on out for a stroll on Saturday afternoon June 28, Canada Day weekend 🇨🇦 🇨🇦 🇨🇦

Our beloved local businesses are putting on our first (of many we hope) "Taste of Canary" event! Each offer varies but you're sure to get freebies, discounts, coupons, and cool surprises — all to celebrate our love of Canada 🇨🇦 and of our community.

Participating businesses (so far) include:

  • Bar Burrito
  • Dark Horse
  • Expedia Cruises
  • Fuel+
  • Marché Leos
  • Regions
  • Rock On Climbing
  • Souk Tabule
  • Sukho Thai
  • YMCA

....and more to come ❤️🤍❤️🤍❤️

See you there!

Are you on Facebook? Please share this event with neighbours

If you're a business who wants to participate, email [email protected]


Free Gentle Exercise Classes for Older Adults

Are you an older adult, interested in a FREE exercise class just for you and other folks your age? We've got you!

Beginning the week of July 21: Free exercise classes for seniors at a location within the Distillery / Canary District neighbourhood

Classes involve a gentle, full-body routine combining aerobic movement, stretching, strength training, balance. Each class has seated and standing segments — and plenty of fun. Participants use small weights and therapy bands.

Space will be limited, so please sign up now to ensure your spot! Sign up by filling out this form here or by emailing [email protected].


We're Hunting for Treasure(r)

The CDNA is urgently looking for a volunteer willing to serve as our Treasurer. This is an extremely important position: an organization cannot run without somebody keeping the books in good shape and advising the group on financial matters.
 
The work is a couple of hours a month plus attendance at a once-a-month Board meeting. If you know someone who lives in the area, would like to do community work, is diligent and detail-oriented, and can keep a set of books, please reply to this newsletter, or email [email protected].

Herb & Veggie Gardens in Canary

Food brings people together. So does growing it.

Canary District volunteers have been growing food in the neighbourhood for a few years now, and they'd like to encourage you to join the fun. They've gone public with their methods!

  • One building has a volunteer-run program growing herbs and vegetables 
  • Another building has staff handling the basic care of the landscaping, with special workshops hosted by Evergreen Brickworks on growing and harvesting food for residents.

What might your building do? Click here to learn more.


What Would YOU Do With $750,000?

Toronto Centre Projects wants to know

If you live north of Mill Street*, there's still time to vote on (or submit) ideas for improving our neighbourhood! The Toronto Centre Projects program, initiated by our Councillor Chris Moise, is still accepting ideas for our area up until June 30.

  1. Have a look at the ideas already submitted, and follow and comment on the ones you like
  2. Submit your own ideas

Deadline is June 30, so less than 2 weeks left to submit. Get in there and show the City we care!

*Note to folks living south of Mill Street (eg Maple House): Councillor Moise is not, strictly speaking, your Councillor, however your ideas are important to us! Email them to [email protected] and we'll make sure they get submitted by a neighbour on the "right" side of Mill.


Metrolinx Community Open House

Monday June 23 from 5:30-8:00pm
Young Centre for the Performing Arts 
(50 Tank House Lane)

In-person open house about upcoming Ontario Line construction in the Don Yard

This could be a great time to find out more about their plans re construction as well as getting a pedestrian/cycling bridge across the Don River between Canary District and the future transit station.

About the bridge: this was in the original plans for the project, but has disappeared from Metrolinx's materials. The first time we asked about it they suggested we just walk up to Queen Street and take that bridge. Not acceptable. Further responses (after we got the Councillor and our MPP involved) are vaguely reassuring, but we can't help but notice the bridge is still absent from renderings, including the one above, where we've replaced its absence with Ashton Kutcher.

We've been lobbying for clarity on this issue ever since. Can't help but feel having community members come and ask about these things would be a good thing, yes?

Click here for details or, if you'd like to go direct to the registration page, click here.


Take a Walk in Corktown Common: Summer Edition

Saturday July 26, 10-11am

Our Corktown Common is much, much more than "just" a park. Come along on our quarterly walk and learn about flood protection, native plants and pollinators, and our rich industrial history while viewing the summer's bumper crop of trees, bushes, and blossoms.

  • FREE

  • Approximately 1 hour

  • Mostly paved paths

  • Some slopes

Click here to RSVP!


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Latest posts

Finally! The warm weather's here! Here are some things to plan for:

  • Repair Café at the Yard Sale: Repair Café will be among the 50+ tables filled with local treasures on May 30 on the Promenade from 11-3pm
  • Doors Open in Canary District: On May 23 we can get a tour of that beautiful Anishnawbe Health Toronto building on Cherry Street
  • Failing the Density Test: Proposal for 50+ storey towers at 1 Sumach greenlit by City staff; there's still time to object
  • Lassonde Art Trail Launch: The 4km trail of plein-air installations launches its initial phase June 4

As the weather finally warms up (just ignore today's temperature) here are some things to plan for:

  • Clean Canary Together: It's time again for our twice-yearly neighbourhood cleanup 
  • Vaccine Clinic May 4: The force will be with you if you spend Star Wars Day getting your next COVID Vaccine re-up!
  • Jane's Walk: Once again two of our residents will lead a tour of the neighbourhood looking through accessibility-coloured glasses 
  • Canary District Yard Sale Returns: Time to clean out that locker! Our yard sale returns on Saturday May 30

2026 is off to a great start! Here are some reasons why:

  • 2025 Annual Report: We flex our 2025 accomplishments and welcome a new Board member
  • Lost Craft Brewery: Finally the beer is flowing in Canary District again!
  • The Urban Prairie Trail Project: An ambitious attempt to whack the invasive weeds right out of our prairie
  • PollinateTO Grant: Widening the Butterfly Corridor, one in-ground planter at a time
  • Development Committee: Keeping tabs on major development projects in and around Canary District

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