SUMMER 2021 MAGAZINE
TORONTO’S POET LAUREATE Memorial of a Plague Year The Story Behind GRAFFITI ALLEY Celebrating BIPOC BUSINESS OWNERS Sizzling SUMMER RECIPES
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W hat ’s In s ide Poem by Toronto’s Poet Laureate...4
Me s s a g e fro m Th e B o a rd
Bag of Toronto...7 Celebrating BIPOC Business Owners...8 Love Letters to Queen West...10 Sandwich Boards of Queen West...12 ‘Tails’ by Iggy Joey...14 Streetscape Revitalization...16 CafeTO...18 High Praises...19 Discover Queen Street Tours...19 Graffiti Alley...20 Summer Recipes...22 Directory...24
‘Rejuvenation & Renewal’ is the theme of this edition. After a long year under the shadow of the pandemic, and now with the hope brought by the fastest and biggest vaccination campaign that Toronto and the world has ever seen, we are ready to emerge into the light. In this second issue of Queen West Magazine we’re highlighting some of the current and upcoming happenings in the rejuvenation and renewal theme, while continuing to celebrate different elements of what make Queen West one of the most iconic neighbourhoods of this city and country. This theme permeates these pages - from the poem by Toronto’s Poet Laureate A. Mortiz (pgs 4 & 5), to the diversity of initiatives Queen West has been collaborating on with others such as Bag of Toronto (pg 7), High Praises (pg 19), and the Queen Street Tours (pg 19). We also share how you can see rejuvenation and renewal on the streets through the Queen West Streetscape Revitalization project (pgs 16 & 17) and CafeTO program (pg 18), among others. We celebrate the stories of adversity and diversity of some incredible small businesses on Queen West (pgs 8 & 9), and take a deep dive into the story of the world renowned Graffiti Alley, which is always reinventing itself (pgs 20 & 21). Last but not least, we keep it light and summery with guest articles from a local top dog (pgs 14 & 15), summer dishes from the Queen West Resiliency Kit (pgs 22 & 23), and much more. Plus we’ve updated the convenient local business directory to our 300+ local businesses at the back (pgs 24-28). Despite the challenges that the past year has represented, Queen West is emerging stronger and ready to embrace the new normal and make it our own. #LongLiveQueenWest
Board of Directors Chair: Arthur Geringas Vice-Chair: Shamez Amlani Treasurer: Elana White Jebril Jalloh Ira Band Olga Novokchanova Gene Hughes Magazine Team & Credits Co-Editors: Meg Marshall & Jennifer Lay Printer: Moveable Inc. Graphic Design: Sonya William Contributing Writers: Grace Cameron, Tracey Coveart, Darren Leu, Nick Milum Contributing Illustrators: Maria Piñeros, Kara Pyle Photographers: Keri Anderson, Yvonne Bambrick, Richie Dos Santos, Ian Lawrence, Selina McCallum, JR Wideman Cover Photo Credit: Richie Dos Santos Back Cover Photo Credit: Keri Anderson Questions & comments, please contact: Queen Street West BIA www.queenstreetwest.ca queenstreetto@gmail.com
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You staggered from death to death. You dragged yourself from the silent window where an old face looked out and knocked with twig-like fingers at children trying to shout in through the crystal silence. “Grandma”— babushka, aljida, babcia, nani, dadi, abuelita, nana, bobe, bà, nagymama, nona, pẫṭṭi, giagiá, avó…the cries broke on all the walls and forbidden doors of well-meant homes of rest. How you longed to go in, to sit by them, hold them, each, in their dying! How you longed for death to be again as it should be: the dying one among us. And exactly here the marvel spoke: your eyes grew clear: you were holding them. In your shattered longing you grasped them. The dividing plague could not divide. We still were one. We still died with the dying, they lived with us. In yearning, in dreams, in truth, we hugged the fallen silent head. And then, worn out, scarred, from the crushing labor, the sweet duty of companioning our dead, we go back to daily things, our daily bread. And later, working, aching, we notice through our pain slowly we’re happy again. Broken, we find a silent bearing of the dead inside us, like a child newly conceived, like an immense and beneficent idea, gift of refreshment to the world. We just begin to glimpse it, a new health— we can’t yet trace it clearly, but the work inhabits us with passion at lone desks, or in companionable walks, in living rooms and discussion halls, labs, councils, factories. We work, we see another world. Our dead are with us now more wholly. With them within us we’re going now to know them face to face again as we did before, on the poor beloved earth.
E x act l y He re t h e Mar ve l Sp o ke Me m or i al o f a Pl ag u e Ye a r : March 2020 – March 2021 Poem by Al Moritz, Toronto’s Sixth Poet Laureate Poet Bio - from City of Toronto website: Al Moritz (A.F. Moritz) is Toronto’s sixth Poet Laureate. Described as a “master of metaphor,” Al Moritz has published 20 books of poetry and was the 2009 Griffin Poetry Prize winner for The Sentinel. His book The New Measures received the League of Canadian Poets’ 2013 Raymond Souster Award and was a finalist for the Governor General’s Award. His most recent work is the 2018 retrospective collection The Sparrow. He lives in Toronto and is the Blake C. Goldring Professor of the Arts and Society at Victoria College, University of Toronto. Illustration by Maria Piñeros maripineros.com Instagram: @mari_nomiddlename 4
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So we go forward through our home—Toronto! meeting place—and every tree and corner, every shop window that our grandmother knew, every neighbor who once loved to talk with her, who always stops us to retell the same tender story…each one’s a star now: a star of soft radiant memory. A star of light from the past for today, of light from the dead for life. I wish I could put my arm around your shoulders, could be beside you. Soon! For now, though, plague still stares between us. And yet we don’t have far to go to reach the utmost sobs of the splintering universe and with our hug bring them all back together, assemble them here for a parliament of loves. What’s beauty in sorrow for, what’s poetry for, if not to bring us near while we’re alone until our lips and hands touch? I can gather all because I listen. I can hear you, speak with you, hold you in my heart. You are more than the helpless universe. We reach and bring everything that has burst, broken, died, left us, fled from us, everything frozen in the space of death back into the loving quiet of a brook returning in late winter to the young life of purling water. It’s March!—winter kisses spring. We don’t have far to go—only from dusk to morning—to gather the fragments of disaster in music and tears. I see, hear, love the men and women all around me, I’m with them—I am here—I hug them in the body of my song.
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Artist credit: Kara Pyle | karapyle.com | Instagram: @kara_pyle
WORDS AND PHOTOS BY NICK MILUM
B a g of To ro n t o Being from a family with two parents who are small business owners, I saw the immediate effects of the pandemic on small businesses up close and personally. Beyond the health implications of the pandemic, small businesses were forced to close their doors without the appropriate supports in place to ease the economic burden of lockdowns. Many changes had to be made almost overnight as business owners adapted to the changing world – many doing so while taking care of their employees and generously donating to their communities.
“When I brought up the idea of a ‘Bag of Toronto’ as a way to support local and help Torontonians try products— both new and old favourites— during lockdown, we quickly mobilized to make this a reality. “
“We were both motivated to find a way to give back in support of local businesses and hyper-local charities.”
Bag of Toronto has received amazing feedback from our partner vendors and customers alike. We recently finished the latest ‘Mother’s Day’ version, which expanded the offerings to bags from seven different BIAs with incredible results!
My business partner Derek Liu works as a healthcare worker and he, on the other hand, saw the incredible generosity that flooded in from small businesses that wanted to donate to those on the front lines. We were both motivated to find a way to give back in support of local businesses and hyper-local charities. When I brought up the idea of a ‘Bag of Toronto’ as a way to support local and help Torontonians try products—both new and old favourites—during lockdown, we quickly mobilized to make this a reality. We began by contacting any businesses willing to hear us out in the Bloordale and Bloorcourt neighbourhoods, curating the first “Bag of Bloor” edition in May 2020. This prototype quickly snowballed into a much larger “Bag of Toronto” project after collaborating with local Business Improvement Areas (BIAs), including the Queen Street West BIA.
We are so honoured to have been able to create a spark of positivity during a time when things didn’t always look so bright. Look for our upcoming editions of the Bag of Queen West throughout 2021 and beyond.
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T H I S S E R I E S E D IT E D BY G R AC E C A M E R O N, E D ITO R A N D P U B L I S H E R O F JA M A I C A N E ATS M AG A Z I N E PHOTOS BY: SELINA MCCALLUM (@SHOTBYSELINA)
C elebr at in g B I P O C Bu s i n e s s O wner s Annie Cao Owner, Queens Fruit Market and Plants, 564 Queen St. W.
trying to get to know me. I thought he was a nice guy who worked hard at his job as a roofer, plus he was Chinese and we spoke the same language.
I am one of the lucky ones.
I appreciated this because when you work in a convenience store, there is no time to go out. We were open from 8 a.m. to midnight and sometimes until 2 a.m. (back then) because Queen is a night street where people like to hang out, so I could only meet people through the store.
I have a supportive husband, four sweet kids, amazing parents and a business where everybody knows our names. My father Li Cao came to Canada first as a refugee from Canton province, China. It was the late 1980s and I remember that I was in grade 2. It would be another eight years before I would see him again when my mother Ying Yee, my younger brother and I joined him in Toronto in 1996. We got the shop in 2003 – back then it was just a convenience store where we sold grocery items and candy along with fruits and a few plants. Our family also lived in the small apartment above the shop. In 2005 my husband (to be) Fay Zhu came in to buy lottery tickets. He didn’t win but kept coming every day to buy stuff. He would hang out for long periods and tried talking to me when there were few or no customers around. He talked about different topics,
Fay and I dated for six months and then got married. We had our son Casey in 2006, followed by another son Justin in 2007. We also have two daughters, Tiffany and Moon, the youngest. The shop is very much a family affair as all our memories are here. During my four pregnancies I worked, with my big belly, up to and including the days I gave birth. All the neighbours know the names of my kids, which creates a feeling of family. I love that. I also remember when Casey was about two or three and would ‘help’ us to close the shop at nights, grabbing and bringing in fruits and other items that were on display outside.
When Casey was born my parents were so happy and started to plan their retirement because they were getting old and wanted to take care of their grandson. I took over running the shop in 2007 and they moved to Markham. Fay and I, along with our two kids, followed soon after when a building across the road caught fire. It got us thinking that because the buildings on Queen Street are so close together, if one went up in flames, others might too. Plus, the apartment above the store was getting cramped for a family of four. We moved in with my parents until we got our own place, also in Markham. It was convenient because the boys stayed with their grandparents while I went to work at the shop with my brother and my husband did his roofing job…and also helped out at the store. Things got tough about 10 years ago when the Loblaws supermarket opened. It was a challenge meeting the rent and I thought about giving up. My husband persuaded me to hang in there because, after all, it was the place where our sons were born. Instead, he promised to work harder at his roofing job to earn extra money to make up the rent. In the meantime, we had to figure out how to remain in business. We decided to focus on flowers and plants along with a small number of items like fruits, candy, drinks and cigarettes. We now sell more than a hundred different plants, our business is stable and we’ve been able to remain open during COVID. A lot has changed over 20 years and many businesses have changed owners. The older ones who’ve remained are like aunts and uncles to us. We’re like a family who look out for each other. We call when we don’t see each other.
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I’m happy I didn’t give up because I enjoy working here every minute. #LONGLIVEQUEENWEST | QUEENSTREETWEST.CA
We also had discussions about Paul Bogle, my renowned ancestor and one of Jamaica’s national heroes. Bogle, a landowner and activist, famously led the Morant Bay rebellion in 1865, seeking justice for all Jamaicans. He was captured and hung later that year. My parents always told me that he was hung, not because of the sensationalized destruction of the Morant Bay courthouse, but because he was an educated man who dared to write to the Queen of England to protest the ill treatment of Black people on the island.
Jason Bogle Lawyer and owner, FAM (Food, Art, Music), 566 Queen St. W. My story started on the dance floor. My mother Yvonne loved to dance, and every time she touched the dance floor, she electrified it. My father Keith, a cook who worked on cruise ships traveling between the Caribbean islands, first spotted her at a party (where his brothers were the DJs) in Kingston, Jamaica, dancing the night away. He was mesmerized. Still, they didn’t meet until Yvonne, accompanied by Keith’s sisters, moved to Los Angeles in the early 1970s. By then Keith was living in LA and eagerly sought her out. They got married in April 1975 and then decided to move to Toronto where my brother Keith-Gregory was born in 1976. I came three years later, followed by my younger brother Geoffrey.
The legacy of Paul Bogle inspired me to embark on a law career. I was moved by his ability to influence a government due to his diction and education. When he spoke, he was powerful and impactful. That’s what got me into law. FAM (Food, Art, Music) is a labour of love. I wanted to create a space where the music, food and energy would reflect the community and the culture that inspired me. The food is a fusion of Caribbean flavours with other cuisines…Italian, Chinese, etc. For example, our fried chicken sandwich is made with (Jamaican) coco bread and chicken in BBQ jerk molasses. The seafood sandwich is infused with wasabi mayonnaise and served in warmed coco bread, and the jerk chicken linguini is a game changer due to the jerk seasoning. Music is prevalent in the restaurant because my mother loved to dance. She used to play recordings of her favourite band FAB
5 and would let the music wash over her. The restaurant also has strong images of people of colour, partially a result of the African history lessons I learned attending Saturday classes as a boy in Scarborough. And, as a welcoming space, the artwork also has Canadian influences to celebrate the community and country that has given me so much. While I’m the face of the restaurant, Richard Delprat works his magic in the kitchen. A creative chef, he has owned and managed several high profile restaurants and is well known in the Toronto Caribbean community. He also knew my mother, who passed away in 2019, and my father, who passed in 2017. FAM opened in February 2020, and then COVID hit. We went into lockdown in March and have been struggling to keep the lights on. This summer we have to make a go of it. I still practise law at Sack QC and Bogle Law. These days a lot of my time is taken up still seeking justice and representing those who need me the most. One example is the family of Regis Korchinski-Paquet (who fell to her death from a balcony while Toronto police officers were inside her home in May 2020). I genuinely believe in investments like these. It’s why I was moved to enter law and the community is so important to me, I have to use my time and energy to be influential and to be of consequence.
My mother worked at the old Bell Canada centre on Scarborough Road. Although we spoke patois (creole English) at home, she had an uncanny ability to mask her Jamaican accent at work. The diction of her Queen’s English was perfect. My father was the family cook, and so my mother never wanted for anything. He taught all three of his sons to cook so that we would be independent. Although my chosen profession is law, cooking has served me well. I put myself through Carlton University working at the underground Glengarry restaurant the Oasis as a short order cook. Now, of course, I own FAM (Food, Art, Music) at Queen and Bathurst. The pride I take in my Jamaican roots stems from my close relationship with my parents and the lessons they taught me. I remember my mother waking me up to watch Eyes on the Prize, a documentary series about the civil rights movement in America that aired in 1987. #LONGLIVEQUEENWEST | QUEENSTREETWEST.CA
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I L L U S T R A T I O N S B Y M A R I A P I Ñ E R O S MARIPINEROS.COM IG: @MARI_NOMIDDLENAME
Love Le tt e r s to Qu e e n We s t We love our ‘hood. And we know many others do too, so we reached out to everyday folks to share their “Love Letter to Queen West”. Many from the community shared their thoughts, feelings and sentiments about why they love this ‘hood so much! Here’s a selection of what we heard:
“Where to begin? From my early days frequenting Velvet Underground and Open Mics at Mitzi’s Sister to discovering Gloryhole Doughnuts and my new favourite music venue Drom Taberna, Queen West has always been home. I’ve spent many a summer day relishing in nostalgia at Black Market, thrifting with friends only to hit the patio at Java House for wine and a cost effective (yet tasty) meal. Taken Silks classes at City Dance Corps and spent many beautiful Tuesday nights crooning into the microphone for Drom Taberna’s Open Jam. Queen West is a beautiful place to be, and although gentrification still very much finds its footing, we hold our ground in this neighborhood and I hope we always will.” ~ Joy
“Even in the dead of winter, as my daily walks led me through your colourful storefronts, this city started to feel like home for the first time. I’ll do my part to fill you with life again this summer, the way you’ve done for me.” ~ Marissa
“Java House by morning sun ascends into patio lunch at Drom. Travel east for a tattoo at Blind Tiger then cocktails at The Shoe, dreaming of Gord. New shoes at Walking on a Cloud to dance in late night at The Rex and The Bovine. Queen West is LIFE!” ~ John
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“Queen West is such a vibrant unique community! Whether it is checking out a local retail store or grabbing a bite to eat at a local cafe, I always have a great time enjoying the neighbourhood.” ~ Caroline
“There are so many amazing vendors along Queen West that you need to walk it many times to discover them all! Love the restaurants and art shops!” ~ Norm
“Queen West is such a lively and dynamic neighbourhood! I love just taking a stroll along Queen West and hitting up my favourite local businesses and cafes.” ~ Mike
“The graffiti-backed alleyways of Queen Street West have slowly become a permanent fixture in my everyday peripheral. The people in this neighbourhood are now an extension of those painted bricks, decorating the sidewalks with an honest degeneracy as the gypsy horns begin to wail at Queen and Augusta and the music dances me home.” ~ Brad
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PHOTOS BY RICHIE DOS SANTOS (@RICH3DEE)
S a n dwich B o a rd s o f Qu e e n We s t The low-cost and ubiquitous street marketing we love, each with a unique touch. Stroll through Queen Street West with this visual sandwich board montage.
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W O R D S B Y I G G Y J O E Y, P H O T O S B Y R I C H I E D O S S A N T O S
‘ Ta i l s ’ o f th e B e s t Sp o t s i n Qu e en We st Well hello there darlings – it’s your local Fashion Icon and Lifestyle Enthusiast Iggy Joey! You may recognize me from social media, television, or even your most fashionable dreams. Either way, I’m thrilled to be here sharing some of my favourite spots on my favourite street! As a busy working dog model, I often frequent Queen Street West. More often than not it’s for a photoshoot – it’s no secret the area is filled with incredible graffiti and murals. Honestly everywhere you look is an Insta background! I just adore such hidden gems as the stages on Denison Ave! Perhaps you’ll remember me from my appearance on Much Music (299 Queen St West) - wait, is it okay to call it that, or does it have to be Bell Media? Anyway, a lesser known fact about yours truly is that both my first television appearance and my human’s first job in Toronto were right here! I have been on The Marilyn Dennis Show, Your Morning, and CP24 Breakfast which are all filmed on Queen Street West.
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Or maybe you’ll recognize me from a shopping trip! One of my favourite things to do on Queen Street West is shopping for fabric and accessories! Affordable Textiles (529-531 Queen St West) is my go-to. They have so many colourful fabrics! Whether I need something specific for an outfit or just some inspiration I can always count on them. Finally, I could never strut past Petview (322 Queen Street West) without a visit. The treats there are delicious and plentiful, plus they have all the essentials any pup needs. Bonus points for the latest in doggy fashion. If I’m going to be “seen” anywhere in Toronto, I’m going to be “seen on Queen West.” There are so many stores that give out doggie treats, and in my personal opinion it’s a very stylish neighbourhood. If you see me this summer, please say hello! Iggy Joey xoxo p.s. Shout outs out to my besties Hazel, Horton, and Anna!
@hazelmcsnorten @hortonmacsnorten
@iggyjoey
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W O R D S B Y P M A L A N D S C A P E A R C H I T E C T S LT D.
Q u e en S t re e t We s t Stre e t s c ap e Re v i t a l i z ati o n Ph a s e 2: Sp ad in a Ave nu e to Si m c o e Stre e t Springboarding from the Phase 1 efforts toward a more welcoming and compelling public realm, Phase 2 of the Queen Street West Streetscape Revitalization is in construction from summer into fall of 2021. As part of a larger City of Toronto initiative, the project will include a landmark sculpture, heritage interpretive features, custom site furniture, and a sidewalk mural.
Queen West’s eccentric identity of being “the same, but different” • Extending the Public Realm – create interventions that are engaging and encourage curiosity, lingering and interaction; physically expand the public realm where possible via sidewalk
Resilient and Flexible. The features would have a robustness and durability that would minimize ongoing maintenance, but also serve as artful engaging placemakers and landmarks along Queen Street West. The following features were developed as part of the project:
Background and Scope of Work In 2019, the City released a Request for Proposals (RFP) to solicit a landscape architectural team of consultants to lead the Phase 2 works from Spadina Avenue to Simcoe Street. PMA Landscape Architects was selected as the prime consultant, with a fulsome team of specialists including artists Scott Eunson and Jyhling Lee (of figureground studio), structural engineer Blackwell Engineers, and electrical consultant MJS Consultants. As part of a separate RFP, artists Catherine Tammaro and Mairi Brascoupé were selected to incorporate Indigenous placekeeping installations. The overall scope of work included the conceptual design through to construction documentation and construction management support of streetscape features. This design process included workshops and meetings with selected members of the Queen Street West Business Improvement Area’s Board of Management, as well as presentations to the Board – to review design proposals. The design process occurred from February of 2020 to March of 2021 with regular monthly to bi-monthly meetings.
Vision and Design Goals The project goals from the outset were about several key ambitions: • Placemaking – celebrating Queen Street West’s character with artistic and functional interventions, referencing cultural heritage • Site-Wide Public Art – continuing to support and implement public art by multiple local artists and celebrate 16
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Sculpture Oblique View by artist Jyhling Lee, figureground expansions and ‘bumpouts’ to maximize pedestrian flow and circulation • Highlight Neighbourhood Connections – enhance physical and visual connections both north-south and east-west beyond, to draw people to Queen Street West Through the facilitation process the vision and approach to the streetscape design were refined to the following Vision Statements:
Sculpture As a response to the Vision Statement of being able to ‘see and be seen’, artist Jyhling Lee developed a significant landmark sculpture that will reside at the northwest corner of Queen Street West and Soho Street, adjacent to the current MEC building.
All further design development and solutions would be measured against these vision statements and goals.
This artwork is a sculpture and an inhabitable environment that amplifies the energy and dynamism of this stretch of Queen Street West as a place to see and be seen. The artwork captures and kaleidoscopically reflects this everchanging environment both around and within its faceted mirror form. It is also a reference to the role of music, bands, and music venues which have defined the culture of this neighbourhood.
Design Features
Custom Seating
A collection of public art and custom furnishings were developed that would have one or all of these characterizing qualities: Eclectic, Surprising, Reflective,
PMA developed a series of custom flexible seating that would provide short perching, comfortable accessible seating and socializing in small groups. This ‘ribbon’
• Hear and be Heard • See and be Seen • Recognize the Past and Grow in the Present
Indigenous Sidewalk Mural Anishinaabe artist Mairi Brascoupé was selected to prepare the design for the sidewalk mural. The site is within the northern sidewalk stretch east of Soho Street, continuing the legacy of the popular sidewalk mural installations that has existed on Queen Street West for decades. Her work subject matter focuses on land and place, plants that are related to the territory, mapping of important waterways and other expressions of Indigenous placekeeping.
Custom Site Furniture Conceptual Rendering by PMA Landscape Architects (colour and layout not exactly as shown) of furnishings would reference some of the angular geometries from the sculpture but also instill some colour and functional seating in the wider sidewalk block from Spadina Avenue to Soho Street.
Tree Fences Artist Scott Eunson developed an updated and contextually appropriate design for the tree guards that draw inspiration and reference the heritage architecture cues of the store facades interpreting them into an abstracted cityscape that would wrap around the base of existing trees.
Bike Corral As part of the City and BIA’s support of cycling in the City, an expanded sidewalk close to the Soho Street intersection is going to form the base of a new bike corral composed of a series of 10 custom bike rings designed by artist Scott Eunson.
Clan Markers - Bronze Inlays Wyandot artist Catherine Tammaro was selected to design interpretive artful features that would reflect the continual presence of Indigenous Peoples on this land. She is working in consultation with community members, to design what she refers to as “Energetic Signatures” or “Clan Markers” which are culturally resonant signs of Indigenous Peoples’ kinship groups. The Markers will become “powerful connecting points for our beautiful reciprocity with the Natural World...” located rhythmically, close to Mother Earth, they reflect “sound songs” throughout. She will present symbols from each of the clans of the Wendat, the Haudenosaunee and the Anishinaabeg, and kinship markers for Cree and Métis Peoples. Catherine has said she is deeply honoured to be doing this sacred work.
The final result of Phase 2 is a curated collection of public art and custom furniture that seeks to continue Queen West’s legacy as a culturally rich, artful and engaging place to be, to accelerate growth in the area and contribute to much needed public realm respite and socializing.
Woodland Turtle – Bronze Test Cut; design by ©Tammaro 2021, fabrication by Scott Eunson Studio
Bike Corral by Scott Eunson Studio
Historical Lot Line Markers To continue and complete the heritage mapping started in the Phase 1 project, artist Scott Eunson has designed a series of bronze inlays that will be demonstrative of early colonial habitation taken from a map from 1827.
Woodland Turtle - Preliminary Mock-up by ©Tammaro 2021
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Cafe TO B r in g s Ou td o o r D i ni ng to t h e S t re e t s o f Qu e e n We s t Last year, Toronto City Council approved and launched the city-wide CafeTO program —a never-seen-before initiative in this city to support restaurants, bars and cafes by providing space for expanded outdoor dining areas on City sidewalks and curblanes, and in private outdoor lots. This program was popular and critically important to the survival of local bars, restaurants and cafes, and it also supported overall foot traffic and shopping at local retailers and other businesses. Photo credit: @queenmothercafe
CafeTO transformed the streetscape of Toronto’s mainstreets and Queen Street West was certainly no exception with over 25 participating establishments. As we usher in CafeTO 2.0 in 2021 with the re-opening of outdoor dining, we’ve asked local Queen West businesses to reflect on the importance of this economic recovery program:
Photo credit: Richie Dos Santos “The CafeTO program was very helpful to the Queen Mother Cafe during the summer months of 2020. The extra seating made up for some of the losses we incurred due to the limited capacity under which we had to operate. In addition, it gave us a more visible presence on the Queen St West frontage. My only complaint is that aesthetically the look was more of a construction zone than an inviting eating venue. If the patios could be made more attractive and appealing they would draw even greater business our way and become more of a win-win-win, for our patrons, for us, and for the city.” – Andre Rosenbaum, Owner, Queen Mother Cafe, 208 Queen St W, www.queenmothercafe.ca
Photo credit: @parkafoodco “CafeTO has been a blessing for us! As a restaurant without an outdoor patio, it gave us the opportunity to provide a much needed dining experience for our customers and helped to drive more traffic during the warmer months. We are grateful to the City of Toronto for executing the CafeTO program so quickly last year and we look forward to participating again in 2021!” – Eric Chao, Owner/Operator, Parka Food Co., 424 Queen St W, www.parkafoodco.com 18
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Photo credit: Ian Lawrence Photography
“Saku Sushi’s gross sales went down 50% when dine-in was prohibited. When CafeTO was introduced our sales went up by 130% and I was able to hire all my employees back! About a third of my employees depended on this work exclusively as there were no other jobs to be had at this time.” - Suyeon Choi, Operator, Saku Sushi, 478 Queen St W, www. sakutoronto.com “Last summer and fall, Toronto transformed into a city of patios, allowing people to safely enjoy the brief time we get outside. It was also a lifeline to so many in the hospitality industry. It allowed us to generate revenue and lean less heavily on subsidies, create jobs, and make it this far. Despite its hiccups, Toronto’s CafeTO initiative was a huge success and we all look forward to the months ahead when it comes back. This year, Torontonians need it more than ever to re-engage those “third places” that we miss so much. Not your home. Not your Job. Where you can be free.” - Shamez Amlani, Owner/Operator, Drom Taberna, 458 Queen St W, www.dromtaberna.com
WORDS BY DARREN LEU (@LOOKIELEU)
A positive phrase can go a long way. It can express our appreciation of one another, sharing support because we’re in this together. It can also be a phrase, when repeated to oneself, that lifts our spirit, motivates us, and reassures us of our own value.
High Praises is a project presented by the Queen Street West BIA and the City of Toronto. The project commissions local BIPOC artists to present positive messages installed along rooftops in the Queen Street West strip, between University Avenue and Bathurst Street.
The past year has been a challenge we share as a collective. Individually our hardships are unique, but as a society the cultural shift is undeniable. Efforts to heal require cohesive and collective efforts; public actions that recognize, celebrate, and support each of us individually and as a community.
Each message is a reflection of the community and its rich diversity, which engages visitors through dialogue to have a positive impact. The message installations at each rooftop will encourage foot traffic to the area.
High Praises artists include Tabban Soleimani, Rowell Soller, Curtia Wright and Red Urban Nation member artists, Nishina Loft, and Christopher Mitchell. Curated by Darren Christopher Projects, High Praises will be displayed in the summer of 2021 for up to eight weeks. More information can be found by visiting queenstreetwest.ca
D is cove r Q u e e n S tre e t To u r s Queen Street is one of the most vibrant and historic areas in Toronto – rich in culture, heritage, art, and hundreds of unique eateries, cafes, and shops. In celebration of this year’s Jane’s Walk, the Queen Street West BIA and the Riverside BIA (Queen E) teamed up to launch some incredible new tours. Now you can virtually sip, savour, explore, and enjoy blasts from the past through our Queen Street Tours, and then go check it out when it’s safe to do so. Here’s a sneak peek of the tours. Explore Toronto’s Queen Street to uncover hidden and not so hidden public art. This
Photo credit: @blazeworks/ Instagram
walk highlights ‘all local’ art by a variety of Canadian artists. Get to know the stories behind ‘Paint the City Black’ in Queen West’s world-famous Graffiti Alley and the iconic metal art atop the Queen Street Viaduct on Riverside’s Queen East, plus many more. Ever wondered what Toronto’s Queen Street looked like decades or even a century ago and what happened there? This walk explores the architecture and industry along Toronto’s Queen Street with stories from ‘then’ and ‘now’. You’ll get to know stories of iconic spots like Osgoode Hall and the Royal Canadian Bicycle Club, as well as hidden gems such as the 1930s Teck Theatre.
Photo credit: City of Toronto Archives
Did you know you can taste a huge variety of the world’s culinary cuisines right on Toronto’s Queen Street? Our Taste the World walk shares the stories behind ten different local businesses offering up cuisines from diverse backgrounds. Prepare to be hungry while getting to know these Queen Street eateries! P.s. Use this QR code to view the full tours and multimedia Google Map:
Photo credit: Il Ponte Cucina Italiana #LONGLIVEQUEENWEST | QUEENSTREETWEST.CA
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W O R D S B Y T R A C E Y C O V E A R T, P H O T O S B Y K E R I A N D E R S O N ( @ K E R I J E A N S )
Queen West’s Graffiti Alley: Canada’s most beloved street art galler y One of the most mesmerizing art galleries in the world is not a gallery at all, but an alleyway that has become famous around the globe for its eye-popping street art. Queen West’s iconic Graffiti Alley – a threeblock, one-kilometre continuous concrete canvas along Rush Lane from Spadina to Portland – is not only one of the city’s most celebrated and colourful attractions, but also the battleground where street artists scored their first major victory in Toronto. The ‘vandalism versus art’ debate has long been a hot button issue between business owners, politicians and talented aerosol artists looking for a legitimate outlet for their creativity. For years, they came to Graffiti Alley under the cover of darkness to paint. Their pieces were cultural treasures but, according to the law, if they were created with spray paint, they were considered
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graffiti vandalism, which remains illegal in this city as it is in most parts of the world. In 2005, the city enshrined its anti-graffiti laws in Chapter 485, which specified that: a) No person shall place or cause or permit graffiti vandalism to be placed on any property; and B) The owner or occupant of property shall maintain the property free of graffiti vandalism. Championing the municipal code, former Mayor Rob Ford went to extraordinary lengths to expunge graffiti, which had continued to proliferate in spite of its illegal status. His guarantee to remove defacement wherever it existed sparked one of the city’s most public conversations ever about the subject (and, ironically, made the mayor a favourite figure in street art across the city). His eradication campaign went so far as to encourage Torontonians to use a dedicated
Smartphone app to photograph and report graffiti in the city, leaving property owners to pay the clean-up bill. Several years before Ford became mayor, however, a movement to legitimize the graffiti art form had taken hold. In 2003, event organizer Janna Van Hoof started Style In Progress, a not-for-profit supporting all forms of hip hop, including graffiti art.
Artists are required to get permission from property owners to paint, and while commissioned and approved “aesthetically enhancing” art murals and street art are exempt from Toronto’s anti-graffiti vandalism bylaws, unauthorized graffiti tagging is still a criminal offence.
Angry that the city was determining what art was and wasn’t, she made it her mission to bring Toronto’s “creative youth” out of the dark. After organizing the artists and helping them to get permission from supportive property owners, she staged the first annual Style in Progress, a 24-hour legal graffiti event that continued to celebrate hip-hop culture for the next five years. At the inaugural event, 50 artists turned the walls around Queen West’s Drake Hotel into an open-air art gallery, leaving their distinctive mark on donated spaces and forever changing public perception. Inspired by Van Hoof’s success and determined to protect its much-lauded Graffiti Alley – a hotbed for unsanctioned but culturally significant street art – the Queen Street West Business Improvement Area took up the fight. In 2011, in the midst of Ford’s street art witch hunt, the BIA won its bid to have Graffiti Alley designated as an area of municipal significance, exempting owners from receiving notices of violation for graffiti vandalism on their property.
That struggle gave birth to StreetARToronto (StART), a city-sanctioned program that provides funding and approval for public murals and other forms of street art, including graffiti art. The program, which looks to Graffiti Alley as an acclaimed example, aims to reduce graffiti vandalism by providing wall space for creative murals and street art that engages the community and makes a positive impact on the city.
“StART aims to reduce graffiti vandalism by providing wall space for creative murals and street art that engages the community and makes a positive impact on the city. Since the BIA’s watershed victory, the popularity of Graffiti Alley has exploded, and it is now widely regarded as one of the best street art destinations in the world. The appropriately grimy back-alley welcomes a steady stream of tourists, international students, professional photographers and Instagrammers snapping selfies in front of brick works
Graffiti Alley hosts pieces by some of the world’s most celebrated aerosol artists, including Toronto’s Elicser Elliot, Skam, Spud, Poser, DeadBoy and Duro the Third, the self-professed King of Instagram Murals who has been commissioned to create works for corporate giants including Google, Hilroy and the MGM Grand Las Vegas. Even Canadian comedian Rick Mercer has fallen under the spell of Graffiti Alley, recording many of his tilted camera rants while walking this vibrant and instantly recognizable stretch of Rush Lane. While the vandalism versus art debate continues, Queen West’s illustrious alleyway has given graffiti some serious street cred for its ability to beautify neighbourhoods, engage residents and serve as a living museum that encapsulates the diversity and vibrancy of a city. There is no question that street art lends character to a community and Graffiti Alley is a glorious case in point. It’s hard to imagine Queen West without it and this gives street artists around the world hope as they continue to “inspire neighbourhoods, one wall at a time”.
#LONGLIVEQUEENWEST | QUEENSTREETWEST.CA
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PHOTOS BY JR WIDEMAN
Sizzling Summer Recipes from ‘Queen West Resiliency Gardens & Recipe Kits’ Over the pandemic, in June of 2020, the Queen Street West BIA did some creative thinking and wanted to do its part to help our community. Queen West is known for a great foodie scene as part of its culture. We thought it would be amazing to provide some households with starter grow kits (aka Resilience Gardens) to be able to grow their own food at home. In addition, we would provide a recipe book with recipes from some of our wonderful chefs. This project was made possible by the City of Toronto BIA Innovation Fund. Get ready to enjoy this diversity of sizzling summer recipes! Find all the Recipe Kits: www.queenstreettoronto.com/queen-west-resiliency-gardens-recipe-kits.html
Lime Fresh Roasted Corn Summer Salad Ingredients: - 5-6 Cobs Fresh Corn on the Cob - 20 oz Can Black Beans, drained and rinse - 1 Cucumber, peeled and diced - 2 Medium Tomatoes diced - 1 Small Red Onion diced - 1 Jalapeno, seeded and diced very small - 1 Lime Squeezed - 1 tsp Sea Salt - 2 Avocados diced - 1/2 cup Cilantro Sprigs - Queso Fresco Crumble (Optional)
Mi Taco Taqueria “We opened our doors on Oct 3, 2015 and our goal was to serve great Tacos, Burritos and Bowls to our community. We strive to always engage and appreciate each customer that visits our restaurant. Over the years we have built a community where customers come in just to say hello or to grab a glass of water; we are family.”
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Instructions: 1. Roast Corn to your liking and cut corn off the cob and into a bowl. 2. While corn is roasting, prepare all ingredients and chill everything (except the salt) 3. Mix together all chilled ingredients and mix gently 4. Top with Queso Fresco Crumble (optional) 5. Enjoy!
Sri Lankan Curried Red Lentils Ingredients: - 1.5 teaspoon of coconut oil - 1 cup of red split lentils (Masoor dhal) - 1 teaspoon of mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon of cumin seeds - 4 curry leaves broken up - 1 medium sliced onion - 1 teaspoon of turmeric powder - 2 garlic glove sliced in half - 2 green chilies sliced (to taste) - 2 cups boiling water - 2 tablespoons of thick coconut milk salt to taste
Saffron Spice Kitchen Owners Johnny & Priya Phinehas opened Saffron Spice Kitchen to share their love for Sri Lankan cuisine with Toronto. They’re known for their Kothu Roti which is always made to order, spicy and sizzling off the grill!
Instructions: 1. Heat the oil in a pan on high heat, once hot add the mustard and cumin seeds 2. When seeds start to jump around, add sliced onions and torn up curry leaves 3. Once onions turn translucent, turn heat to medium 4. Add in the red split lentils and stir around to absorb the heat evenly. At this time lentils should have a nice shine to them 5. Turn the heat to high and add in 2-3 cups of boiling water 6. Add in the turmeric powder, salt, garlic and green chilies 7. Leave to cook on high heat for 10 minutes 8. Once the lentils have cooked and the curry has thicken, turn the heat to medium and gently add coconut milk 9. Let the coconut milk boil with the lentils for a minute 10. Turn off the heat and serve hot with basmati rice, roti or bread ** optional, you could add fresh cilantro or spinach for some added colour. Enjoy!
Satay Steak Ingredients: - Your choice of steak (we use New York Strip and Top Sirloin) (1 lb) - Coriander seeds (1 tsp) - Anise seeds (1 tsp) - Cumin seeds (1 tsp) - Dry chilies (2 pc) - Salt (1/2 tsp) - Black pepper (1 tsp) - Palm sugar (1 tsp) - Ground turmeric (1/2 tsp) Equipment: blender or mortar and pestle
Basil Box Build your own box concept inspired by the bustling street markets of Thailand and Vietnam. Everything on our menu is gluten-friendly and the majority is veganfriendly as well.
Instructions: 1. Preheat pan under medium heat 2. Add to pan: coriander seeds, anise seeds, cumin seeds, dry chilies. Roast and stir until fragrant (around 3-5 minutes) 3. Transfer the pan contents to a blender or mortar and pestle. Add salt, black pepper, palm sugar, ground turmeric. Blend or grind into fine powder. 4. Rub the seasoning on all sides of steak and let marinade for at least 2 hours to overnight 5. Cook to desired level, plate with garnishes and enjoy!
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Q U E E N ST R E E T W E ST
D I R E C TO RY
Updated early June 2021.
Arts, Entertainment & Live Music Bar Karma 512 Queen St W w. barkarma.ca Bell Media CTV GlobeMedia 275 Queen St W p. 416.384.8000 w. bellmedia.ca Bovine Sex Club 542 Queen St W p. 416.504.4239 w. bovinesexclub.com Cameron House 408 Queen St W p. 416.703.0811 w. thecameron.com Campbell House 160 Queen St W p. 416.597.0227 w. campbellhousemuseum.ca Core Recording Studio 239 Queen St W p. 416.595.6164 Cosmos Records 607a Queen St W p. 416.603.0254 w. cosmosrecords.ca Denizen Publishing Co 492 Queen St W denizenpublisher@gmail. com (416) 852-8538 Kops Records 395 Queen St W p. 647.347.0095 w. kopsrecords.ca HeartKing Records 492 Queen St W heartkingrecords@gmail. com (416) 852-8538 www.heartkingrecords.com 24
Mister Wolf 567 Queen St W p. 647.633.9653 w. mrwolftoronto.com Orange Lounge 567 Queen St W, Suite 300 p. 416.504.8084 w. theorangelounge.com Project Art Toronto 230 Queen St W, 2nd floor w. projectarttoronto.com Psychic Chakra Healing Zone 245 Queen St W, 2nd floor p. 416.669.9369 w. psychicchakrahealingzone.com Steve’s Music Store 415 Queen St W p. 416.593.8888 w. stevesmusic.com Telejet Music Studio 492 Queen St W p. 416.852.8538 w.telejet.ca The Rex Hotel Jazz & Blues Bar 194 Queen St W p. 416.598.2475 w. therex.ca Velvet Underground 508 Queen St W p. 647.351.9001 w. thevelvet.ca
Cafe & Bakery Bagels on Fire 426 Queen St W, Ground floor p. 647.343.8484 Bubble Lee 469 Queen St W p. 647.671.5367 w. bubbleleecanada.com -
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Bubblelicious 514 Queen St W p. 647.451.5353 w. bubblelicious-bubble-tea-store.business.site Chatime 461 Queen St W p. 416.551.9808 w. chatime.com CoCo Fresh Tea & Juice 352 Queen St W p. 416.977.9090 w. cocofreshtea.ca Daily Press Juicery 200 Queen St W p. 647.351.0800 w. dailypressjuicery.ca Early Bird 613 Queen St W p. 416.844.1370 w. early-bird.ca HotBlack Coffee 245 Queen St W p. 416.840.6141 w. hotblack-coffee.com Java House 537 Queen St W p. 416.504.3025 w. javahousetoronto.com Kekou 394 Queen St W p. 416.516.0637 w. kekou.ca Marvelous by Fred 224 Queen St W p. 647.812.5982 w. marvelousbyfredtoronto-order.ca Second Cup 307 Queen St W p. 416.598.5641 w. secondcup.com Starbucks 180 Queen St W, Unit 102.3A p. 416.595.9438 w. starbucks.com Starbucks 250 Queen St W p. 416.595.5868 w. starbucks.com Tealand 231 Queen St W p. 647.748.6866
Fashion & Accessories Adidas 389 Queen St W p. 416.915.5536 w. shopadidas.ca Affordable Textiles 531 Queen St W p. 416.504.4117 Aldo 349 Queen St W p. 416.380.9882 w. aldoshoes.com Arc’teryx 339 Queen St W p. 416.204.1118 w. arcteryx.com Aritzia 280 Queen St W p. 416.977.9919 w. aritzia.com Arton Beads 523 Queen St W p. 416.504.1168 w. artonbeads.net Asics 364 Queen St W p. 416.204.1373 w. asics.com Black Market Vintage 347 Queen St W, 2nd floor p. 416.599.5858 w. blackmarkettoronto.com Bling Bling and Ken Inc. 448 Queen St W p. 416.365.0880 w. blingblingonqueen.ca Bluboho 350 Queen St W p. 647.347.8743 w. bluboho.com Borderline Plus 425 Queen St W, Unit 116 p. 416.408.1780 w. borderlineplus.com Brandy Melville 324 Queen St W p. 647.351.2611 w. brandymelville.ca -
Brosche Bridal 575 Queen St W, 2nd floor p. 647.873.8811 w. broschebridal.com Camouflage 418 Queen St W p. 647.250.1500 w. camouflage.ca Chu Shing Textiles 440 Queen St W p. 416.504.9069 Clearly 317 Queen St W p. 416.205.9539 w. clearly.ca Club Monaco 403 Queen St W p. 416.979.5633 w. clubmonaco.com Compound Studio 505 Queen St W w. compoundstudio.co Digitime Custom Tees 514 Queen St W w. digitime.ca Downtown Fabrics 436 Queen St W p. 416.361.3004 Dr. Martens (Neon) 391 Queen St W p. 416.585.9595 w. drmartens.com DU/ER 491 Queen St W p. 647.794.1341 w. duer.ca/pages/toronto Due West 431 Queen St W p. 416.593.6267 w. duewest.ca Eurofab 432 Queen St W p. 416.504.2866 w. eurofab.ca Fjallraven 356 Queen St W p. 647.340.0197 w. fjallraven.ca Footlocker 337 Queen St W p. 416.979.2185 w. footlocker.ca
Freshly Baked Tees 557 Queen St W p. 647.345.6956 w. freshlybakedtees.com Furs by Nikolas 449 Queen St W p. 416.504.8900 Get Fresh 498 Queen St W p. 416.848.1159 w. getfreshcompany.com Get Me Fly 161 John St p. 416.800.8476 Get Outside 437 Queen St W p. 416.593.5598 w. getoutsideshoes.com Groovy 323 Queen St W p. 416.595.1059 w. groovyshoes.ca H&M 427 Queen St W p. 416.593.0167 w. www.hm.com Hi Beads 543 Queen St W p. 416.203.1688 Icebreaker 278B Queen St W p. 416.596.9050 w. icebreaker.com/en-ca/ home Joe Fresh 589 Queen St W p. 416.361.6342 w. joefresh.com Kingpin’s Hideaway 71 Duncan St, 3rd floor p. 647.466.2945 w. kingpinchic.com Little Burgundy 351 Queen St W p. 416.593.4794 w. littleburgundyshoes.com Lululemon Athletica 318 Queen St W p. 416.703.1399 w. lululemon.com -
Mama Loves You 541 Queen St W p. 416.603.4747 w. mamalovesyouvintage. com MEC 300 Queen St W p. 416.340.2667 w. mec.ca/en/stores/toronto MINISO 219 Queen St W w. miniso.ca Neon Clothing 409 Queen St W p. 416.901.1221 w. shopneon.com Nobis 360 Queen St W p. 416.293.3899 w. nobis.ca OD Toronto 273 Queen St W p. 647.350.6386 w. odtoshop.com Ollie Quinn 387 Queen St W p. 647.346.0387 w. olliequinn.com Optical Thirty8 623 Queen St W p. 416.603.0388 w. opticalthirty8.com Original 515 Queen St W p. 416.603.9400 w. originaltoronto.com Paranoid Print Co. 609 Queen St W, Lower Level p. 647.291.7493 w. weareparanoid.com Pink Martini 309 Queen St W p. 416.593.0491 w. pink-martini-queen-street. business.site Reigning Champ 383 Queen St W p. 647.348.5622 w. reigningchamp.com Roma Rush 504 Queen St W p. 416.603.7874 w. romarush.com
RYU 361 Queen St W p. 416.597.1540 w. ryu.com Scarpino Shoes 311 Queen St W p. 416.340.7349 Shanti Baba 546 Queen St W p. 416.504.5034 w. shantibaba.ca So Hip It Hurts 323 Queen St W p. 416.971.6901 w. sohip.ca Specs & Specs Optical 292 Queen St W p. 416.979.3937 w. specsandspecsoptical.com SVP Sports 468 Queen St W p. 647.351.7402 w. svpsports.ca Te Koop 421 Queen St W p. 416.348.9485 w. te-koop.ca The Attic by Lululemon 318 Queen St W w. 318queen.com The Dot 559 Queen St W w. thedotboutique.com The Great Canadian Sox Shop 286 Queen St W p. 416.260.0119 w. greatsox.com
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Throwback Vault 550 Queen St W p. 416.364.8284 w. throwbackvault.com -
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Fashion & Accessories cont’d Tribal Rhythm 248 Queen St W p. 416.595.5817 w. tribalrhythmvintage.com Trillium Button 451 Queen St W p. 416.504.6611 Urban Outfitters 481 Queen St W p. 416.203.8633 w. urbanoutfitters.com Walking On A Cloud 593 Queen St W, Unit 2 p. 416.901.3848 w. walkingonacloud.ca Winners 585 Queen St W, 3rd floor p. 416.203.1694 w. winners.ca Zara 341 Queen St W p. 647.288.0545 w. zara.com
Financial BMO 591 Queen St W p. 416.703.3812 w. bmo.com CIBC 205 Queen St W p. 416.861.3735 w. cibc.com CIBC 378 Queen St W p. 416.980.6911 w. cibc.com H&R Block 428 Queen St W p. 1.800.472.5625 w. hrblock.ca Mackenzie Investments 180 Queen St W p. 1.800.387.0614 w. mackenzieinvestments. com 26
Media Bank ATM 411 Queen St W p. 416.435.8191 w. mediabankatm.com RBC Royal Bank of Canada 570 Queen St W p. 416.956.1353 w. rbcroyalbank.com Scotiabank 222 Queen St W p. 416.866.6591 w. scotiabank.com TD Canada Trust 443 Queen St W p. 416.982.2535 w. tdcanadatrust.com
Grocery & Variety Express To Go Convenience 198 Queen St W p. 647.846.7440 Gardenview Grocery 252 Queen St W p. 416.593-2560 LCBO 272 Queen St W p. 416.598.9837 w. lcbo.com LCBO 619 Queen St W p. 416.363.6604 w. lcbo.com Loblaws 585 Queen St W, 2nd floor p. 416.703.3419 w. loblaws.ca Qi Natural Food 506 Queen St W p. 416.539.0459 w. qinaturalfood.com Queens Fruit Market 564 Queen St W p. 416.203.8168 w. queens-fruit-marketplants.business.site The Healthy Butcher 565 Queen St W p. 416.703.2164 w. thehealthybutcher.com -
#LONGLIVEQUEENWEST | QUEENSTREETWEST.CA
Wine Rack 242 Queen St W p. 416.588.3064 w. winerack.com Wine Rack 560 Queen St W p. 416.504.3647 w. winerack.com Winston’s Grocery 430 Queen St W p. 416.703.0415
Healthcare & Wellness Acupuncture Healing Center 425 Queen St W, Unit 203 p. 416.408.1237 w. tracyacupuncture.com Comfort Nails 561 Queen St W w. comfortnails.ca Core Yoga & Pilates Studio 553 Queen St W, 4th floor p. 416.545.7743 w. corestudio.ca For Health’s Sake 465 Queen St W, 2nd floor p. 416.551.7100 w. forhealthssake.ca Harmony Massage and Wellness 350 Queen St W, 2nd floor p. 416.837.7730 w. harmonymassageandwellness.ca Herbie’s Herbs 556 Queen St W p. 416.504.5755 w. herbies-herbs.com Hridaya Yoga 346A Queen St W p. 416.578.8503 w. hridayayogaoftheheart. com Institute of Traditional Medicine 553 Queen St W, 3rd floor w. itmworld.org -
New You Spa 248 Queen St W p. 416.205.1119 w. newyouspas.com QSMC - Chiropractic Clinic 455 Queen St W p. 416.869.3627 Ext. 4 w. drkenmueller.com Queen Spadina Medical Centre 455 Queen St W p. 416.869.3627 w. qsmc.ca Saje Natural Wellness 399 Queen St W p. 416.340.7494 w. saje.com/ca/home Shoppers Drug Mart 260 Queen St W p. 416.979.3903 w. shoppersdrugmart.ca Shoppers Drug Mart 524 Queen St W p. 416.703.0228 w. shoppersdrugmart.ca Well.ca Pharmacy 449 Queen St W p. 416.593.9711 w. well.ca
Hotel The Beverly Hotel 335 Queen St W p. 416.493.2786 w. beverleyhotels.com/toronto The Rex Hotel Jazz & Blues Bar 194 Queen St W p. 416.598.2475 w. therex.ca
House & Home CB2 651 Queen St W p. 416.366.2828 w. cb2.com -
Kare 553 Queen St W p. 416.504.8742 w. kare-design.com
Professional Services Park Avenue Cleaners 544 Queen St. W Queen Dry Cleaners 157 John St p. 416.593.9858 Third Floor Tailors 575 Queen St W w. 3rdfloortailors.com Eric K. Gillespie Professional Corporation 160 John St, Suite 300 p. 416.703.4047 w. gillespielaw.ca Klippensteins, Barristers & Solicitors 160 John St, Suite 300 p. 416.598.0288 w. klippensteins.ca A Nerds World 164 Spadina Ave p. 647.340.2020 w. anerdsworld.com Art and Mechanical 183 Bathurst St, Suite 200 p. 416.583.5868 w. artandmechanical.com Cubert 316 Queen St. W p. 1.855.282.3780 w.cubert.co Digi Print & Copy 177 Spadina Ave p. 416.203.1669 w. digiprint.ca George Fischer Photography 474 Queen St W, 2nd floor p. 416.578.1725 w. georgefischerphotography. com Jenni Byrne & Associates 337 Queen St. W p. 1.855.596.1116 w.jennibyrne.com -
Mindpress Inc. 243 Queen St W, 2nd floor p. 416.840-6463 w. mindpress.ca ViewFin Media Group 298 Queen St W, 3rd floor p. 416.546.0452 David Smith, The Headhunter 567 Queen St W, Unit 200 p. 416.500.4380 w. davidsmiththeheadhunter.com Grey House Publishing Canada 411 Queen St W, 3rd floor p. 416.644.6479 w. greyhouse.ca/index.htm Redwood e-Learning 298 Queen St W, Suite 200 p. 416.598.1200 w. redwoodelearning.com Retreaver 163 Spadina Ave, 2nd floor p. 1.888.276.1902 w. retreaver.com Revolver Films 510 Queen St W, 3rd floor p. 416.901.8400 w. revolverfilms.com RYPL 621 Queen St W p. 416.304.9200 w. rypl.com Torpa Consulting 350 Queen St W p. 647.313.2745 w. torpa.ca U31 183 Bathurst St, Suite 201 p. 416.597.1576 w. u31.co Burroughes Building 639 Queen St W p. 416.360.5757 w. theburroughes.com Property Management 423 Queen St W, Suite 216 p. 416.451.9499 w. propertymanagementto. com -
Telejet music Studio 492 Queen St West p. 647.852.8538 w. telejet.ca The Tridel Store: Alexandra Park SQ 519 Queen St W p. 416-661-1949 w. tridel.com/sq/community-master-plan Century 21 Atria Realty Inc. 501 Queen St W, Unit 200 p. 416.203.8838 w. century21.ca/atriarealty Minto Communities GTA Presentation Centre 534 Queen St W p. 647.255.5157 w. minto.com/gta/newhomes-condos/projects/ Queen-St-Presentation-Centre~1326.html Juno College of Technology 483 Queen St W, 2nd & 3rd floor p. 416.546.8954 w. junocollege.com Miami Ad School Toronto 639 Queen St W, Unit 300 p. 647.972.9129 w. miamiadschool.ca Kids And Company 308 Queen St W, 3rd floor p. 416.595.5537 w. kidsandcompany.com
Restaurants & Bars 416 Snack Bar 181 Bathurst St p. 416.364.9320 w. 416snackbar.com A&W 372 Queen St W p. 647.348.2600 w. aw.ca Aji Sai Japanese Restaurant 467 Queen St W p. 416.603.3366 w. ajisai.ca Allwyn’s Bakery 404 Queen St W p. 416.603.3333
Alo Restaurant 163 Spadina Ave, 3rd floor p. 416.260.2222 w. alorestaurant.com Aloette Restaurant 163 Spadina Ave, Ground floor p. 416.260.3444 w. aloetterestaurant.com Azkadenya Restaurant 235 Queen St W p. 416.260.5555 w. azkadenya.ca Banh Mi Boys 392 Queen St W p. 416.363.0588 w. banhmiboys.com Barchef 472 Queen St W p. 416.868.4800 w. barcheftoronto.com Basil Box 441 Queen St W p. 416.979.8000 w. thebasilbox.com Black Bull Tavern 298 Queen St W p. 416.593.2766 Buono 354 Queen St W p. 416.205.1001 w. buonotoronto.ca Burger Factory 576 Queen St W p. 416.901.3130 w. myburgerfactory.com Burger’s Priest 463 Queen St W p. 647.748.8108 w. theburgerspriest.com Chipotle Mexican Grill 319 Queen St W p. 416.598.9194 w. chipotle.ca -
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Restaurants & Bars cont’d Daisy 563 Queen St W p. 416.901.4991 w. daisytoronto.com DeMen Bistro 500 Queen St W p. 416.364.2888 w. demenbistro.com Domino’s Pizza 410 Queen St W p. 416.504.3030 w. dominos.ca Drom Taberna 458 Queen St W p. 647.748.2099 w. dromtaberna.com Eat BKK 580 Queen St W p. 416.862.8424 w. eatbkk.ca FAM Food Art Music 566 Queen St W p. 416.546.4606 w. famfoodartmusic.com Fancy Franks 453 Queen St W p. 416.901.8166 w. fancyfranks.com Ginger 212 Queen St W p. 416.977.8778 w. gingerone.ca Gong Cha 390 Queen St W w. gong-cha.ca Hakata Shoryuken Ramen 225 Queen St W p. 416.519.8940 w. hakatashoryuken.com Holy Cow Japanese Steakhouse 254 Queen St W p. 416.792.8269 w. holycowsteakhouse.com Horseshoe Tavern 370 Queen St W p. 416.598.4226 w. horseshoetavern.com -
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Ikkousha Ramen 249 Queen St W p. 416.901.2249 w. ikkousha.ca Ikkousha Ramen Chicken 257 Queen St W p. 416.979.0257 w. ikkousha.ca/ikkousharamenchicken Isabella’s Mochi Donut Boutique 4 St. Patrick St p. 416.340.050 w. isabellalovesmochi.com Kinton Ramen 402 Queen St W p. 647.350.8666 w. kintonramen.com Korean Grill House 214 Queen St W p. 416.263.9850 w. koreangrillhouse.com La Palette 492 Queen St W p. 416.603.4900 w. lapalette.ca Little India 255 Queen St W p. 416.205.9836 w. littleindia.ca Mabu Sizzle 465 Queen St W w. mabusizzle.com Makan Restaurant 265 Queen St W p. 416.593.1118 w. makan.to McDonalds 160 Spadina Ave p. 416.703.7401 w. mcdonalds.ca Me Va Me Kitchen Express 240 Queen St W p. 416.598.4242 w. mevamekitchenexpress.ca Mi Taco Taqueria 247 Queen St W p. 647.352.8226 w. mitacotaqueria.com Misty Restaurant & Bar 490 Queen St. W p. 416.203.6999 -
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Mucho Burrito 263 Queen St W p. 416.335.4533 w. muchoburrito.com My Roti Place 406 Queen St W p. 416.366.5554 w. myrotiplace.com New York Subs and Sandwiches 520 Queen St W p. 416.703.4496 w. newyorksubsburritos.com Niuda Hand-Pulled Noodles 204 Queen St W p. 416.599.6666 w. niudanoodles.com Oh My Gyro 155 John St p. 416.901.6473 w. ohmygyro.ca Osmow’s 611 Queen St W p. 647.748.4878 w. mrosmow.com Parka Food Co. 424 Queen St W p. 416.603.3363 w. parkafoodco.com Pat’s Homestyle Jamaican Restaurant 558 Queen St W p. 416.304.0767 Peter Pan Bistro 373 Queen St W p. 416.792.3838 w. peterpanbistro.ca Pizza Pizza 228 Queen St W p. 416.967.1111 w. pizzapizza.ca Pizzeria Du 536 Queen St W p. 647.655.7451 w. pizzeriadu.ca Planta Queen Restaurant 180 Queen St W w. plantarestaurants.com/ location/planta-queen Pokito 420 Queen St W p. 416.792.8808 w. pokito.ca
Popeyes Louisiana Chicken 400 Queen St W p. 647.351.2222 w. popeyeschicken.ca Queen Mother Café 208 Queen St W p. 416.598.4719 w. queenmothercafe.ca Raku 456 Queen St W p. 416.546.9325 w. rakunyc.com Ramen Isshin 609 Queen St W p. 647.368.4013 w. ramenisshin.com Real Fruit Bubble Tea 223 Queen St W p. 1.888.896.1829 w. realfruitbubbletea.com Roti Mahal Indian Cuisine 554 Queen St W p. 416.546.9404 w. rotimahal.org Rudy Restaurant 69 Duncan St p. 416.351.0739 w. rudyresto.com Saffron Spice Kitchen 459 Queen St W p. 416.203.0222 w. saffronspicekitchen.com Saku Sushi 478 Queen St W p. 416.368.7258 w. sakutoronto.com Salad King 224A Queen St. W p. 289.329.9923 w.saladking.com Scarlett Bar 571 Queen St W p. 416.901.1097 Subway 267 Queen St W p. 416.850.9892 w. subway.ca Subway 385 Queen St W p. 416.850.9893 w. subway.ca -
Sushi Time 325 Queen St W p. 416.977.2222 w. sushitimerestaurant.ca The Dime 538 Queen St W p. 416.200.6441 w. warehousegroup.ca/thedime-on The Friar Pub 160 John St, Ground floor p. 416.340.9459 w. firkinpubs.com/thefriarandfirkin The Rivoli 332 Queen St W p. 416.596.1908 w. rivoli.ca Tiki Bar 542 Queen St W p. 416.504.4239 w. tikibartoronto.com To-ne Sushi 414 Queen St W p. 416.866.8200 w. tonesushi.com Touhenboku Ramen 261 Queen St W p. 416.596.8080 w. touhenboku.ca Warehouse 232 Queen St W p. 647.344.7326 w. warehousegroup.ca/el-furniture-warehouse-queen-st
Salon, Barber & Beauty Kiehl’s 407 Queen St W p. 416.977.3588 w. kiehls.ca Lush 312 Queen St W p. 416.599.5874 w. lush.ca MAC Cosmetics 368 Queen St W p. 416.260.1145 w. maccosmetics.ca
Amazing Nails & Spa 162 Spadina Ave p. 416.867.8866 w. amazingnails.ca ANU Beauty Spa 259 Queen St W, 2nd floor p. 647.761.4139 Cadmen Barber Shop 240 Queen St W, 2nd floor p. 647.348.6400 w. cadmen.ca Cameron House Barbers 408 Queen St W, Unit B p. 416.361.0777 w. cameronhousebarbers. com Civello 269 Queen St W p. 416.977.7755 w. civello.com Denizen 486 Queen St W p. 416.504.2573 w. thedenizen.ca EM Beauty Bar 319 Queen St W, 2nd floor p. 416.551.9984 Empire Barber Shop 423 Queen St. W, Unit 105 p. 647.348.9393 w. empirebarber.com Essential Beauty Bar 225 Queen St W, 2nd floor p. 416.599.3988 w. essentialbeautybar.com Groomed Society 165 Bathurst St p. 416.705.9458 w. thegroomedsociety.com Image Make Over Salon 426 Queen St W, 2nd floor p. 416.703.0240 w. imagemakeovertoronto. com Imperium Barber Shop 423 Queen St W, Suite 105 p. 647.348.9393 w. imperiumbarber.com -
June Croken Hair 313 Queen St W, Suite 201 p. 416.721.7089 w. junecroken.com Loft Nail Studio 250 Queen St W p. 416.597.8686 w. loftnailstudio.com Manstop 71 Duncan St, 2nd floor p. 647.780.1111 w. manstop.ca MYNC 282 Queen St W p. 647.350.6962 w. myncbeauty.com Nails Queen 422 Queen St W p. 647.351.5168 w. nailsqueentoronto.ca New Look Hair 164 Spadina Ave p. 416.603.7778 Organic Nail Bar (Blue Jays location) 438 Queen St W p. 416.519.5152 w. organicnailbar.ca Organic Nail Bar (Queen location) 496 Queen St W p. 647.352.3888 w. organicnailbar.ca Structure Salon and Spa 173 Spadina Ave p. 416.599.1818 Sweet Mango Esthetics 240 Queen St W, 3rd floor p. 647.880.9566 w. sweetmangobeauty.com T & A Nails and Spa 319 Queen St W, 2nd floor p. 647.317.9688 w. tandtnailsspa.business.site The Cabinet Salon 577 Queen St W, 2nd Floor p. 647.344.3132 w. thecabinetsalon.com Toni & Guy Hairdressing Salon 204 Queen St W p. 416.593.0168 w. toniguy.com
Ultimate Fades 555 Queen St W p. 647.345.3233 w. ultimatefades.com Ye Perfect Nails & Spa 159 John St p. 416.596.8088
Specialty Retail Abraham’s Trading Inc. 635 Queen St W p. 416.504.6210 Bell 316 Queen St W p. 416.977.6969 w. bell.ca Casper 342 Queen St W p. 647.660.0700 w. casper.com/ca/en Cell Tech 166 Spadina Ave p. 647.994.8710 w. celltech.business.site Change Lingerie 315 Queen St W p. 416.997.7667 w. change.com Fido 290 Queen St W p. 416.849.1855 w. fido.ca Freedom Mobile 423 Queen St W w. freedommobile.ca L&M 434 Queen St W p. 416.504.8666 -
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Specialty Retail cont’d Love Shop 439 Queen St W, Unit 2 p. 416.979.5683 w. loveshop.ca Neveren’s Sewing Supplies 451 Queen St W p. 416.504.6611 w. neverensewingsupply.com Nikolaou Restaurant Equipment 629 Queen St W p. 416.504.6411 w. nikrest.ca Off the Wall Art and Framing 450 Queen St W p. 416.947.1661 w. offthewallarttoronto.com Old Times Antiques 607B Queen St W p. 416.203.9856 Outer Layer Cards & Gifts 577 Queen St W p. 416.869.9889 w. outerlayer.com PC Shop Computer 561 Queen St W p. 647.748.0071 w. pcshopcomputer.ca Petview 322 Queen St W p. 416.738.8439 w. petview.ca Seduction 493 Queen St W p. 416.996.6969 Ext. 2 w. seduction.ca Stag Shop 271 Queen St W p. 647.729.5295 w. stagshop.com Trek Bicycle 625 Queen St W p. 416.501.6138 w. trekbikes.com/ca/en_CA/
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Tattoos & Piercings Adrenaline Toronto 239 Queen St W p. 416.913.8805 w. adrenalinetoronto.com Exotix Studios 163 Spadina Ave, 2nd floor p. 416.259.9361 w. exotixstudios.com FY INK 522 Queen St W p. 416.792.5670 w. fyinktattoos.com Inkbox Tattoo 379 Queen St W w. inkbox.com/queen-st New Tribe 232A Queen St W, 2nd floor p. 416.977.2786 w. newtribe.ca The Blind Tiger Tattoo 247 Queen St W, 2nd floor p. 416.312.2957 w. theblindtigertattoo.com
Textile & Garment Supplies Leo’s Textiles 473 Queen St W p. 416.504.6060 w. leostextiles.com Mokuba 575 Queen St W, Ground floor p. 416.504-5358 w. mokubacanada.com Queen Textiles 444 Queen St W p. 416.504.0108 The Beadery 516 Queen St W p. 416.703.4668 w. thebeadery.ca -
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The Fashion District Lifestyle Boutique 553 Queen St W p. 647.430.7433 w. thefashiondistrict.ca The Wool House 454 Queen St W p. 416.703.8679 w. thewoolhousetoronto.com
Government & Community Services The Agency for Co-operative Housing 160 John St, Suite 402 p. 416.598.4464 w.agency.coop Campbell House 160 Queen St. W p. 416.597.0227 w.campbellhousemuseum.ca Court Martial Appeal 180 Queen St. W Federal Court 180 Queen St. W p. 1.800.663.2096 Federal Court of Appeal 180 Queen St. W Tax Court 180 Queen St. W p. 416.973.9181
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