August 28, 2017

WaBASH Fall Festival Sept. 23

Bring your family, friends and neighbours to the party in the park! The bash on Wabash!

The Friends of Sorauren Park and its partners present The WaBASH Fall Festival, Saturday, Sept. 23 from 4 – 10 p.m. at the park, 50 Wabash Avenue.

Great live music
Delicious food from local vendors including pizza from the park’s new community bake oven
Fun-filled Kids Zone including story telling with great local authors
Pup Show for dogs and their owners
Outdoor movies featuring classic Canadian shorts and the Oscar-nominated Fly Away Home… the final outdoor movies of the year.

Visit our WaBASH event web page for full event programming and updates. Follow SoraurenPark on social media, and subscribe to our newsletter. Contact us to Volunteer or Sponsor.

Big thanks to Meridian Credit Union, our Presenting Sponsor, and all our amazing sponsors who support the park and make these events possible.

Beautiful new drinking fountain thanks to donations

The new drinking fountain and water bottle filling station thanks to the FitzGerald family and friends

Thirsty? Check out the new water fountain and water bottle filling station by the Sorauren Fieldhouse. Thanks to the FitzGerald family and friends, who raised $20,000 in donations in honour of Owen FitzGerald. It’s a wonderful addition to the park and a memorial the whole community can enjoy for many years to come.

The concrete pad poured for the fountain was specially designed to also accommodate the new bake oven, to be constructed this summer… watch for notices.

Thanks also to Toronto Parks and Trees Foundation and Parks, Forestry and Recreation for making this legacy a reality.

February 17, 2017

City Council votes YES to Wabash Community Centre

Birds-eye view drawing of the old brick linseed oil mill building, re-imagined as the Wabash Community Centre

2009 concept plan for Wabash Community Centre by Oleson Worland_Taylor Smyth architects, in joint venture. The plan would use the footprint and exterior of the old linseed oil mill

Toronto City Council has voted to start work this year on the Wabash Community Centre at Sorauren Park.

Work will begin with a modest $50,000 budgeted for pre-engineering. That will be followed by design in 2018 and 2019, with shovels in the ground planned for 2020, towards a 2022 or 2023 opening. Total project budget is $32.4 million.

“After 17 years on the books and many years of community advocacy before that, this is wonderful news,” said Joël Campbell, chair of the all-volunteer Friends of Sorauren Park. “This is a milestone.”

The Friends of Sorauren Park recently concluded its “Unlock the Community Centre” awareness campaign, the latest in a long series of actions to advocate for the centre.

The project is included in Parks, Forestry and Recreation’s capital budget and plan, which City Council approved Wednesday, February 15, 2017, as part of the overall City budget.

The most recent plans for the community centre, prepared as part of a 2009 feasibility study, would convert the abandoned Canada Linseed Oil Mills building next to the park into a 40,000 sq. ft. community hub with a gym (shown above), multipurpose rooms, studios and fitness rooms, youth space, kitchen and third-floor event space with a rooftop terrace.

Friends of Sorauren Park would like to thank Councillor Gord Perks, along with previous Ward 14 councillors Sylvia Watson and Chris Korwin-Kuczynski, who all moved the project along at various stages at City Council.

Most of all, thanks to the community, which has advocated ceaselessly for the community centre since the early 1990s. Never stop believing.

Illustration showing a gym and hallways with light streaming from the top

Artist’s rendering of gym and first floor of community centre

July 26, 2017

Jungle Book next outdoor movie August 26

The Jungle Book plays Aug. 26 at Sorauren Park

Join Mowgli, Baloo and the jungle crew at the next Sorauren Park Outdoor Movie, when we screen The Jungle Book 2016 live action edition, rated PG.

The film starts at 8:30 p.m. on the Sorauren Town Square. Our concession stand will have fresh-popped popcorn, drinks and Sorauren Park t-shirts for sale. All proceeds support the non-profit Friends of Sorauren Park.

And bring your smartphone to play Sorauren Screen Play, the fun new outdoor quiz game inspired by the indoor version at a popular cinema near you. Beat the clock and answer correctly to win Sorauren Park swag.

Thanks again to our sponsors (and your donations) for making the free outdoor movie series possible.

July 8, 2017

Guardians of the Galaxy July 22 on Sorauren screen

The second outdoor movie of the season features the swashbuckling raccoon and other heroes (human, couple of aliens, a wonderful tree-being) from the 2014 summer hit, Guardians of the Galaxy.

If you loved it the first time, you’ll love it more with friends at the park. If you haven’t seen it, now’s your chance. If you’re unsure about sci-fi comic book adventures, this is the one to check out. Great soundtrack. Funny. PG.

The movie plays on the big screen at the Sorauren Town Square on Saturday, July 22 starting at 9:00. It’s free, with popcorn and park t-shirts for sale, and donations always accepted.

Thanks again to our sponsors for making the Sorauren Outdoor Movie season possible.

July 6, 2017

Volunteers needed July 22-23 to finish outdoor oven

The Friends of Sorauren Park are calling for community volunteers to help finish the park’s new bake oven, with a community build scheduled for Saturday, July 22 and Sunday July 23.

There’s a special need for a mason or folks with masonry skills, as well as folks with carpentry and roofing skills. But anyone handy with tools and willing to help out is invited to put their stamp on the oven. We’ll have a contractor on hand to supervise.

The oven’s specialized core has been completed by a professional. Now we need to build the housing and roof to surround the core and give the oven its final look.

The final build is made possible thanks to a generous donation by Zinc Developments, developers of the 35 Wabash Avenue condo across the street from the park. Zinc’s donation purchases all the supplies to finish the oven. Thanks Zinc!

Use our volunteer form to sign up and receive details.