History + Community
-
The Clay Room
On a brisk Saturday afternoon, with the intention of trying something new, my friend and I entered a muted green shop at 279 Danforth Ave. The air was heavy with chalky dust and paint fumes, and buzzed with all sorts of lowered, concentrated voices. Its sage walls were lined with shelves of white, blank ceramics, in various shapes and sizes. Despite its four tables being nearly full, we were immediately greeted by a staff member with a warm smile. She patiently and plainly described how the business works: you choose a ceramic from the wall—each of which have their own price and studio fee, pick out your paint colours, give…
-
Montcrest School: Where Learning and Community Meet
As I walk down Broadview Avenue on a chilly November Tuesday, I’m looking for my destination: Montcrest School. I’m surprised when I find a collection of houses brought together to make up the Montcrest school campus. I enter into the main lobby and I’m immediately struck by the familiar hustle and bustle of your average school day. I’m a few minutes early for my appointment, so I sit in a comfortable leather chair placed next to a banner displaying the many generous donors of the school’s community. As I sit, students, staff, and parents alike come through the lobby, each one giving a welcoming smile. On a grey day like…
-
Behind The Scenes: Greek Community at “Humans of the Danforth”
If you ask anyone, anything before 2020 was unreal, considering all that we have come through as a global community. But now it seems we are watching the sunset of those uncertain and discouraging times. Communities emerged stronger, bonds between people changed drastically, and even our perception of who we are was questioned; we were all wondering how and what can be done for others in need. Last year, when everything was reopening, East End Arts, in partnership with Greektown on the Danforth BIA*, contacted Henry Vanderspek, a local photographer, to develop a project called Humans of the Danforth which aimed to explore the stories, and humans, behind businesses on…
-
Green Merchant Cannabis Boutique: Cultivating a Sense of Community Through Cannabis
Ever since the overdue legalization of cannabis in Canada, cannabis dispensaries have become a ubiquitous and unignorable aspect of every neighbourhood in Toronto. Although each area of the city varies in its quirks, a commonality between them is their abundance of dispensaries. Not even the Danforth community—in all its unique and eclectic glory—is exempt from the influx of dispensaries Toronto is experiencing. If you’re walking along the Danforth, it’s almost a guarantee that you’ll come across at least one, if not multiple. With such a plenitude of dispensaries, it’s easy to assume that they’re all monotonous businesses that only sell cannabis. However, Green Merchant Cannabis Boutique, located at 294 Danforth…
-
Find Your Community: East End Arts
I grew up in India where playing an active role in your community was extremely important. The neighbours knew each other and celebrated festivals together. Whenever my mother ran out of an important ingredient while cooking, she would give me the sacred responsibility of asking my neighbour to lend us some. For me, community was something you could rely on. After moving to Toronto for further education in 2021, I experienced a serious culture shock. For the first time, I was without a community. I felt as if my own skin was missing from my body and the task of building a community from scratch seemed vital. I attended different…
-
Top 7 Toronto Thrifting Tips & Tricks
Thrifting is trendy, affordable, and most importantly, sustainable. Shopping second-hand curbs fast fashion, keeping lightly loved clothes out of landfills, and giving them a second life! I’ve been thrifting for almost a decade and still bump into people who stick their nose up to the idea. But I’m convinced thrift shopping is like going on the ultimate treasure hunt. I remember when it started… On our day off as summer camp counsellors, six of us crammed into a minivan and drove to my first thrift store: Talize. I was in shock. We found shoes to share, matching sports jerseys, décor for the cabin. I felt like my third eye was…
-
A Day on the Danforth. Local Shopping at Local Businesses
The model has changed. The shopping model, that is. And no, I do not mean the blank staring, ever-looming and bow-legged mannequins that haunt most retail stores (perhaps donning an interestingly fake-looking wig like H&M). I am referring to the trend towards big box shopping. We all take part in it, with the exception of perhaps the most ecologically minded, low stress, and free-time-to-spare citizens of the world. Indeed, the lure of one stop shopping and sweat shop prices have all attracted us at some point. With each ribbon cutting at each new location taking up more and more of the consumer market, the negative impact this can have on…
-
4 Cafés to Visit on the Danforth
The Danforth—primarily known as Greektown—has a lot to offer in terms of restaurants, cute little bookstores, vintage shops and local cafes that people visit every day. What’s better than a cup of coffee to start your day? Here are 4 cafés that are a must visit, the next time you find yourself on the Danforth. Tsaa Tea Shop Located at 412 Danforth Ave is Tsaa Tea shop. Although this café specializes in tea, it also offers a wide variety of café drinks, from coffee to bubble tea. Filipino-owned, they also have a separate menu for just Filipino desserts from Halo Halo to Turron! The interior is small and cozy, decorated…
-
Loukoumades on the Danforth: Greece’s Oldest and Most Delicious Dessert
When I was younger, the Danforth was Toronto. As a twelve-year-old growing up in Northern Ontario, I didn’t know anything about the city. All I knew was that my childhood best friend, Hannah, lived in Greektown. Every once in a while, I would take a Greyhound bus to the city to visit her. The trip was very stressful for me—the bus station at Bay and Dundas was always packed and disorienting, and the subway map was anything but straightforward. But when I arrived at the Danforth, everything became familiar and comforting. I loved Hannah’s house, which was a tall and skinny building with lots of windows. As a kid who…
-
Pink is Back on the Danforth
In February of 2020, life in Toronto was business as usual. Natalie Borch, founder of The Pink Studio in Toronto, was teaching a variety of classes at her studio: dance, yoga, barre, and pilates. On March 17, 2020, Premier Doug Ford issued a state of emergency, and by April 1, 2020, the Government of Ontario sent the entire province into lockdown, plunging businesses into an indefinite closure that would have profound ramifications for the fitness industry. In what would end up being one of the world’s longest lockdowns, the industry would suffer immensely, and for businesses to survive, they would need to innovate quickly, which is exactly what Natalie and…
