Have your say on public art for new Wabash Community Centre

Poster from the City of Toronto promoting the online and in-person public consultation for the new public art coming to the Wabash Community Recreation Centre.

Public art is coming to the Wabash Community Recreation Centre soon to be built at Sorauren Park, and you can have your say on the five finalists short-listed through a City of Toronto public art process.

You can read about the five proposals and leave your comments on a survey published by the City. The survey closes at end of the day on May 13. You can also learn more about the proposals in-person at a City-run pop-up in Sorauren Park on Saturday May 11 and Sunday May 12.

The new artwork will grace the main public lobby area planned for the new centre. You can see renderings for the new centre under the “Preferred Design” tab on the City’s project page.

“While no specific theme was provided to the shortlisted artists, they were encouraged to expand on the project’s vision of inclusion, community-building, and environmental stewardship,” says the City. “They were asked to consider the flow and continuity between the building and Sorauren Park, the town square, and the beadwork patio designs created by Terence Radford [which will form the pattern on the reconstituted town square]. They were also asked to create a community engagement plan detailing ways they would involve community members during the development and/or creation of their proposals, should they be successful. They were also encouraged to create a mentorship plan.”

The City’s survey includes detailed descriptions of each proposal from the artists. They are worth reading for the thought put into each design, and how the art connects with and reflects community.

The short-listed proposals and artists are:

  • A Part of the Whole – Shellie Zhang
  • Earth, Water and Sky – Michael Belmore
  • Hanging Garden – Jyhling Lee
  • Swarm and Flock – Lou Sheppard
  • The Spiral of our Relations – Alexandra Iorgu, Roark Andrade, Alan Colley

Sports Gear Swap, Gardening Day May 4

Saturday, May 4, will be a busy and fun day at the park, with two events, opportunities to volunteer, and a chance to get new sports gear (and recycle old gear) for you or the family.

The 3rd Annual Sorauren Spring Sports Gear Swap is your chance to drop off gently used bicycles and sports equipment and return to find gear you need.

The drop-off period runs from 9:30 to 11:30 am on the Sorauren Town Square. You can return to pick up gear any time after 10:30 am until 12:30 pm. (Rain date: May 5.)

In addition to bicycles, the Spring Swap accepts functional camping, baseball, soccer, tennis, football, hockey and ski gear. Not accepted: helmets, kayaks, canoes, paddles, life jackets. Please ensure items are clean and in good working order.

Left-over equipment will be donated to Kids with Incarcerated Parents Canada.

Later on, the annual Gardening Day takes place from 2 – 4 pm. Join our friends from the Yale Alumni and get your hands in the dirt by helping with light gardening duties around the Fieldhouse. Bring gloves and gardening gear. Volunteer captains will assist. All ages welcome!

Gardening Dan and the Spring Swap are brought to you by Friends of Sorauren Park, your community non-profit devoted to the enjoyment and completion of Sorauren Park. Contact us if you’d like to volunteer. For updates, follow @SoraurenPark on social media and subscribe to our newsletter.

Two volunteers shovel mulch from a large pile into buckets and a wheelbarrow for distribution to the gardens around Sorauren Park.

April 1 last day to register for kids’ sports

April 1 is the last day to register for Sorauren kids’ sports soccer and baseball. Register online at the City website by 11:59 pm (click on Sports under the Registered Programs tab).

Regular scheduled games begin Monday April 22. Schedules will be available in a week or so.

On Tuesday, April 2, Skills & Drill begin at the park at 5 pm, but they are not mandatory.

As of April 1, the following spots are still available:

  • 6-9 yrs T Ball (4) spots available
  • 4 -5 yrs  Soccer (20) spots available
  • 6 -7 yrs Soccer (5) spots available
  • 8 – 9 yrs Soccer (25) spots available
  • 10 -12 yrs Soccer (26) spots available

You must have a family number and client number for each participant to register.

Farmers’ Market moves for winter season

The Sorauren Farmers’ Market is moving to a new venue for the winter season, kicking off with an opening party Monday November 6 at the new indoor location, Henderson Brewing Company at 128A Sterling Road, north of Dundas.

The Market continues every Monday from 3 – 7 pm until December 18. Afterwards, the Market will run every second Monday at Henderson’s from January 8 to May 13. The Market returns outdoors at the Sorauren Park Town Square on Monday May 20, with its regular weekly schedule.

The Market is run by the non-profit Sorauren Farmers’ Market Association.

Thank you volunteers and sponsors!

Three cheers for our volunteers and sponsors! Thanks to them, the Friends of Sorauren Park provides free year-round park programming and community-building.

As a special thank-you, last week the Friends hosted an appreciation dinner for volunteers and sponsors featuring make-your-own pizzas fresh from the park’s pizza oven… itself a donation to the park from the Friends, sponsors and donors.

From annual events like outdoor movies, world dance lessons, radio-controlled toy car rally and the natural ice rink, to special events like festivals and live sports and arts telecasts, the Friends of Sorauren Park have animated the park since 2006. Founded that year as a community non-profit corporation, the Friends also promoted and successfully fundraised for the Sorauren Park Fieldhouse and Town Square, and have advocated for the Wabash Community Centre. We have supported our friends at the Sorauren Farmers Market and Sorauren Sports Association, helped to promote and support the Pumpkin Parade, and organized the annual Spring Swap of sports and recreation gear. And there’s more to come!

None of it would happen without our many volunteers, sponsors and donors. Thank you! See you at the park.

Community Centre final consultations

The City of Toronto is in the final phase of community engagement for the new Wabash Community Recreation Centre. This is your last chance to comment on the preferred design.

You can sign up for an online consultation on July 5 at 6:30 pm, take an online survey before midnight July 9, or attend pop-up events in the park (no schedule available). Comments are invited on both the interior layout and features, and the exterior landscaping that integrates with the park.

The City has posted new renderings of the exterior, interior and rooftop terraces on its Wabash Community Recreation Centre web page under Preferred Design.

Here’s a timeline of the project to date (not counting community advocacy by Friends of Sorauren Park, predecessor groups, Roncesvalles Macdonell Residents’ Association and many others that began in the 1990s):

  • Summer 2018: Public Meeting to introduce the project
  • December 2019: Design team hired
  • Summer 2020 to Summer 2023: Community engagement and design development
    • Summer 2020 to Summer 2021: Community Engagement Phase A, Building a Vision
    • Fall 2021 to Fall 2022: Community Engagement Phase B, Exploring Design Options
    • Spring- to Summer 2023: Community Engagement Phase C, Setting the Direction (current phase)
  • 2023 to 2024: Detailed design
  • 2024: Hire a construction team
  • 2024 to 2027: Construction

Subscribe to the Friends of Sorauren Park newsletter or follow @SoraurenPark on Instagram, FB and Twitter for updates.

Sorauren Pumpkin Parade returns Nov. 1

Photo of a long line of jack-o-lanterns lighting up Sorauren Avenue Park

The world-famous Sorauren Pumpkin Parade returns to Sorauren Park November 1, the day after Halloween.

With more than 1,500 pumpkins on display in some years, the Parade is a neighbourhood and even regional highlight of the season. From witches and cats, to politicians and world events, the artful jack-o-lanterns represent the spirit of Halloween and also the spirit of the times.

Add your pumpkin to the parade. It starts at 6 pm, with the busiest times after dinner. There is no competition… but will your pumpkin get noticed? And what will be the dominant theme this year?

Place your pumpkins along the inside edge of the path around the park. Please light your pumpkins with wax candles and not battery-powered lights or tin-bottomed tea lights that contaminate the eventual compost. Your candle-lit pumpkins make the parade come alive.

Walk or take transit to the park. The streets are narrow and busy and there is no parking at the park. The 505 Dundas and 506 College streetcars stop at the top of Sorauren, a three-minute walk from the park. The 47 Lansdowne bus stops at Rideau St., also a short walk away. Be safe.

Enviro Days returns to Sorauren April 27

After a few years at other locations, the City of Toronto’s Community Environment Day event returns to Sorauren Park on Saturday, April 27, from 10 am to 2 pm.

City trucks accepting goods for reuse, recycling and safe disposal will line up along the north side of Wabash Avenue beside the park. (There may be traffic restrictions on Wabash.) Free compost will be available while supplies last; limit two bags per household. You can also purchase kitchen organic containers.

This is a great opportunity to safely dispose of old electronics and household hazardous waste such as paint and batteries. You can also donate the following items for reuse:

  • Sporting goods
  • Books (excluding textbooks)
  • Cameras, CDs, DVDs and Blu-rays
  • Dress-up clothing and costume jewelry
  • Clothing, footwear, accessories, linens, etc.
  • Small household items
  • Musical instruments, board games
  • Eyeglasses, walking aids, hearing aids, etc.
  • Non-perishable food for donation

The next Community Environment Day in our ward takes place September 15 at Sir Casimir Gzowski Park on Lake Shore Boulevard.

Solar Eclipse Viewing Party April 8

It’s the cosmic event of the year! Come view the solar eclipse with the community at Sorauren Park on eclipse day, Monday, April 8 from 2 – 4 pm. (Reminder, it’s a PA day for schools.)

The Sorauren Stargazers and the Friends of Sorauren Park are hosting a viewing party on the Town Square. We’ll have a limited number of ISO-certified eclipse glasses, which must be worn to safely view the eclipse directly. Bring your own if you have them. Libraries may have supplies.

To celebrate, we’ll be serving fresh-baked Eclipse Cookies from the bake oven, and Sorauren Solar Mocktails, while supplies last. There’ll be kids’ kosmic kraft activities, and a fire pit for warming up. We’ll also have an eclipse projection stand to view the eclipse safely on a white board, and education displays.

Toronto is just outside the zone of total eclipse, but will experience a 99% partial eclipse as the moon slides slowly over the face of the sun in a grand orbital dance. April weather is iffy, so follow @SoraurenPark on Instagram, Facebook and X for updates, or visit this site. (If it’s cloudy but not raining, we’ll still party on.) Also sign up for the Sorauren Park newsletter for park news and events.

Big thanks to our sponsors Laneway Custom Build, Scooter Girl Toys, The Mercantile, Chander Chaddah, Sutton Group Associates and Phila Optical for supporting the activities. Clear skies!

PS: Remember to come to the RC Toy Car Derby on March 30 at the ball diamond!

Sorauren RC Toy Car Derby March 30 – new date!

Radio-controlled toy cars line up at the starting line on the dirt track of the baseball diamond.
Start your (electric) engines! (Photo by Clinton Langevin)

UPDATE: Due to the battery-draining cold and the snow, the Derby has been rescheduled from March 23 to March 30. Updated details below.

The race event of the year is set for Saturday, March 30, when the third-annual Radio-Controlled Toy Car Derby returns to Sorauren Park! (Check out this video clip.)

The race uses the rink boards on the baseball diamond as the thrilling course, before the boards are taken down for the season. Jumps and obstacles add to the excitement.

Races begin at 10 am sharp on March 30, with registration beginning at 9:30. Entry is free, but donations to support Friends of Sorauren Park and free park programming are welcome.

Thanks to sponsors Scooter Girl Toys and Laneway Custom Build. All participants will be entered into a raffle draw for a chance to win an awesome toy courtesy of Scooter Girl!