#8901 - Jul 1989

Digital Archiving Completed by the Ethnography Lab, A University of Toronto Anthropology Initiative
and Produced in Collaboration with David Perlman/Wholenote Media Inc between July-December 2015.
Kensington Market
PHOTO: ROBERT Mcl:-.TYRE
KARNIVAL'S ARGOS MAKE
OFFERINGS FOR SAFE PASSAGE
TO ASHBRIDGE'S BAY
The Kensington Carnival Arts Society crew set sail lor distant
Beaches as fearlessly as Jason's Argos set off to win the golden
fleece. Bus some of their Kensington followers were a bit more
doubtful. Greek tragedy directed by a mad Italian at sunset in the
Beaches? Walking from scene to scene? Interrupting the joggers'!
Competing with the Sonys? .... We need not to have feared. Sec
tviEDEA RIVETTIJ'.:G page 3.
KARNIVAL
COM-ING!!!
August 12 and 13 will
be quite an adventure
if events of the past
seven years are anything
to go by. Once
again, it's Kensington
Karnival Time!!!
MORNING MARKET MALL
Start Saturday in the market, around
1 Oam. Streets filled with shoppers
and browsers. Radios blaring from
open doors of vintage clothing
stores; fish glistening in trays of ice:
fruits and vegetables being poked
· and squeezed. Then, surprise, a
pedestrian mall on Kensington
A venue, and entertainment. The
side show before the main event.
PARADE 1:30pm
· ·see page 3
BALDWIN STREET
BLAZE SPARKS
RUMOURS
AND A CONCERT
see page 1

Digital Archiving Completed by the Ethnography Lab, A University of Toronto Anthropology Initiative
and Produced in Collaboration with David Perlman/Wholenote Media Inc between July-December 2015.
..1
RESIDENTS REJECT FIRE MARSHALL'S REPORT
A Kensington Market residents meeting
Thursday, July 20 requested the fire department
to reopen their investigation into
the two alarm blaze tthat· destroyed the
Baldwin Street studio/home of reggae
bandleader Steve Hall and IWW Toronto
secretary Joe Chang.
According to fire marshall
D.C.W.Browne, arson is not suspected.
The fire started at around lO.OOpm, Thursday
July 13, in a mildewed second floor
bathroom at175 Baldwin."Fire started in
second floor bathroom by careless disposal
of smokers materials" is Browne's
total comment as to cause.
Damage in the fire, which spread, through
the attic to 173 and 171 Baldwin as well, is
set at $20,000. "It wasn't a big fire" said
Jim Weingarden of the city's fire prevention
office. 'Td say it's unlikely that there
are other reasons." ·
RUMOURS FLY
Unlikely or not, rumours have been flying
among market people. Individuals living
at the burned out address had been publicly
'active in recent community efforts to bring
crack/cocaine traffic in the area under control.
And there is always talk of "eviction
fires" around here whenaffordableaccommodation
is lost. Adding fuel to the ru-
NOT A:LL QUIET
ON THE
WESTERN FRONT
Toronto Western Hospital wants to expand
its building by 270,000 square feet.
Back in March of this year, about 35 area
residents attended an information meeting
at the hospital to hear the hospital's plans.
A five to eight storey building would be put
on Nassau Street between Bathurst and
Leonard.
DRIVE-IN MEDICINE
The basis of the plan is a drive in clinic.
People would come for procedures done
the same day. The hospital would hope to
treat up to 500,000 patients a year this way
on the site.At the meeting the hospital's
consultants were asked a number ofquestions
that they could not answer-regarding
traffic flow, new parking, and additional
employment on site. The hospital
staff at the meeting emphasised that all
these ideas were in a very preliminary
stage. Community members were assured
that the hospital would not be allowed to
proceed without community involvement
in the planning. Community association
meetings have requested informal discussions
with the hospital now, rather than a
more confrontational approach once they
have their ideas set. People w~\nting progressreportscan
call the City's area planner
at 392-7339.
Notice to Residents
Katz '89 Inc., producers of the CTV series
Katts and Dog, have applied to do some
filming in and around Bellevue Square ori
July 30, one day after the concert.
They are among the few companies who
film Toronto as Toronto and, as can be
seen from the list of Karnival sponsors on
page 3, they're even. prepared .to. suppqit
the neighbourhood that their show:s· ]lcrb
lives in. · · · • · · •
Drum roll. Bravo. Milan,J.ori
Hello Drum, great paper.
Good Luck. Thank you. Ida
mours is the fact that Hall's band, Imagine,
was widely known to be away at the time,
playing at the Silver Dollar. Bruce Pierce,
assistant to ward 5 city councillor Elizabeth
Amer, agreed to pass on the community
request for a full investigation.
ACTING IN CONCERT
· Whatever the cause of the blaze, the Market
residents are rallied around the people
affected. The"NoGo Fo' Blow Bro' Concert"
in Beliexue Square Park from 11 a.m
to 6 p.m.on Saturday July 29 grew to
become a benefit for the Baldwin fire ..
"We play for other people's benefits all
the time," said Hall. "It will be a pleasure
to play for our own." Admission is free,
but donations are requested.
CONCERT PLANNED: KENSINGTON TAKES CHARGE
'I nity, have taken steps to win back our
str~~t Kensington has its share of drug
traffic should surprise.no-one. The Market
is so cosffiQpolitan and so encouraging of
diversitythatpushersandbuyerscanblend
right in with the crowd. But because of
superficial and irresponsible media coverage,
Kensington has in the last few months
been used like a film set for stories on
something that is ac.ity-wide problem.The
Toronto paper that twinkles, for example,
did a big feature on cocaine trafficking in
Kensington. The immediate result was that
the number of prospective drug buyers in
the area increased drastically. Perhaps coincidentally
the number of law-abiding
shoppers coming to Kensington declined.
If the media continues to get away with
painting Kensington as Toronto's drug·
Two Kensington Market issues are being
tackled at the same concert on Saturday,
July 29 at Bellevue Square Park.
Originally scheduled as a community
drug action awareness event "No Go Fo'
Blow Bro"', the concert has grown into a
direct fire relief benefit for the people at
171-5 Baldwin St.
. .
"NO GO FO' BLOW BRO"'
An alarming increase in Metro of crack/
cocaine use has not left Kensington unscathed.
Area residents, with support of
some members of the business commufortable
making Kensington their habit.
The hope is that the concert will send the
messagethat this is a strong vibrant community
with a lot to offer right now.
clined--'-in the knowledge that their registration
numbers may be wriuen down. Increased,
unpredictable, .highly visible
polieing at key locations has· sent wouldbe
buyers driving through without stop-
SHORT AND LONG TERM
. ping. In the long term, though, Kensing-
One effect, in the shortterm, of commumty ton alone·can do. no more about the probactivism
is that club and restaurant owners Jem of substance abuse. than any neighseem
to be making more of an effort to po- bourhood can. But for this e0mmunity the
lice their own esUiblisbmerits. Also the long journey towards public education
number of taxi and limo drivers willing to . and the reshaping of. attitudes is under
make drug runs into the maFket has de- way.
K . • t . . E . . . t J I
e.ftSJflg. 00 . flVJrOD.ffiefl a
DIRT CHEAP COMPOST
· Kensington area residents can get themselves a dirt cheap com poster that turns
leaves, grass clippings, egg shells, peels, etc. into nutrient-rich soil conditioner. And
all for only $11.65. Call Metro Public Works. at 392-5420, while. supplieslast.
BLUE BOX BLUES
Two difficulties with blue boxes are that not everyone gets· them, and people still
haven't figured out what can't go into them. People in apartment buildings, or with
night time garbage collection don't get blue boxes unless you phone 392-7742.In
terms of what should't go into them, we need some kind of Kensington poster or
flyer explaining the rules in few words, clear pictures, and many Janguages. Any
ideas?.Phone Drum at 977-0192. We'll publish your poster ideas in DRUM.
GARBAGE WOES
~ar;.~.1 · th~ their P[Ophec~ will_~e self- A task force work group is looking for places in the market area where there need to
hu I mgf'd ur~s t~ n~~~ c~~:ar~ome qe more containers for litter. And many merchants have expressed their.willingness
e~econ 1,.en ~ e an now tOp'1£ticipatein some
w at they re talkmg about.
WE SAY BUYER BEWARE
Speakers at: the concert planned to emphasize
that community action to win back our
· streets is taking several forms: posters in
the area warning drug buyers to beware;
regular meetings so that area residents learn
to recognize their neighbours; a petition,
signed by more than a thousand people,
presented to the police at a meeting of the
Kensington Task Force; community participation
in the city's task force on drug
abuse; and policing that is unpredictable
enough that drug buyers don't feel com-
PARKING GARAG.E
TO GET BIGGER?
The City Parking Authority is recommending
an expansion of the Baldwin/St. Andrew
parking garage. They're asking for
an additional 200 spaces (two to three
11oors on top of the existing building).
To prepare the way for this plan, St.
Andrew Street would be widened-by
adding one westbound lane from Spadina
to the garage entrance. The current City
preferred solution is to take fifteen feet off
the south side of the street. The other
alternative would be to take some sidewalK
off either side. When the Parking Authority
reports, the issue will be discussed by
the Kensington Task Force. (For dates of
Task Force Meetings, and agendas, contact
Merle MacDonald in the City Clerk's
office, 392-7022.)
kind of commercial recycling program, if it increases the number of garbage pickups
the City makes a week. At present there are only two. Information in both these
matters: contact M.J. Buell at the DRUM number-977-0192.
A FUN SUMMER 'IS A SAFE SUMMER
KIDS IN THE PARKS
A group of neighbourhood parents became
alarmed at a growing number of children
sent to the park alone or left in the park
unattended. Almost always they are too
young to be alone. (In some cases, these
children are not able to make themselves
understood, or are in thecareofachild who
is not much older than they are, without
I.D). So we made some enquiries. -
Let's say it's about 5:30 or 6:00 in the
afternoon. You and a friend have been
chatting in the park. Your children have
been playing together. The wading pool is
about to close and it's time for putting on
sandals, picking up towels and heading off
for shopping or supper. Suddenly you
become aware that one little child that has
been running with your children is stiH
there; alone- about five years old, still
wearing just a swimsuit or underpants,
without clothes or a towel. You look
around at the park which feels like a
lonelier place than it did half an hour ago.
You are looking at someone else's child,
' with lips that are just a little bit blue and
trembling.
"What's your name?" you say casually
to the child. Or "where's your mom and
dad?" Or you ask the other children if they
know who the child is, and where he or she
lives. You get four different answers. And
now the park is almost empty except for
you and your friend, your children, and
this other child who for any combination
of reasons cannot tell you (or does not
want to tell you) anything about themselves.
How do you feel about leaving the
park, not knowing what will become of
that little person?
EXTREME SITUATION
In a situation as extreme as this one, you
should not hesitate in sending someone to
a telephone to call the police (the child's
parents may already have called in looking
for their missing child). The police
number to call is 324-2222, unless. the
child is very young (like a toddler) or in
some kind of danger, in which case you
should call 911.
If you feel that a child is not really lost
but neglected or abused you can call the
Children's Aid Society. Their telephone
number is 924-4646 (924-5334 after
hours). They are not going to swoop down
on the child and carry him or her off to a
foster home. In most cases they are able to
work with the children in a'community to
find out where they belong, and get them
there. Even if the family is· being negligent,
a worker is always going to try to
help the family sort something out rather
than remove the child.
SEE WmsTLE PAGE 4
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Digital Archiving Completed by the Ethnography Lab, A University of Toronto Anthropology Initiative
and Produced in Collaboration with David Perlman/Wholenote Media Inc between July-December 2015.
'
This DRUM beats thanks to:
r;::----------,
IIAF !Augusta Fruit Market I
I 255 Augusta Avenue 593-9754 I
1 Fruit and Vegetables Fresh Daily 1
1 Groceries .1
r=---------,
lj-ALI ALTER NATIVES
I 30 St. Andrew Street, 593-6891 I
I Where Elvis Shops
I
1 Counter Culture I
h=-~-------1
IAsl Asylum
I 38 Kensington A venue I
I 595-7199
I
I Style Sanctuary of the Stars I
r.:---------1
,, nnlnatdwin Street Bakery I
I 191 Baldwin Street 598-3701 I
European Style Breads And
I Pastries Baked Fresh Daily I
L _________ l
II BF IBarraca das Frutas/ 1
,,1 Roszler Fruits I
I 186 Augusta Avenue 593-9709 I
Fruit And Vegetables
L _________ l
II CA I Casa Acoreana
I
1 235 Augusta A venue, 1
1 593-9717, Nuts~ Make The World!
I Go Around . ' I
ll c nl F;-m:; Bob's Country!
I Butcher
I
1 191 1/2 Baldwin Street I
I Choice! Beef Goat Lamb 1
rr;---------
1 CCI Caribbean Corner I
I 67 Kensington Ave. 593-000S I
I Fresh Tropical Foods
I
1 Select Imported Groceries 1
~-r.-- ----- --1
I CF I Castle Fruit
I 80 Kensington Avenue I
I 593-9262
I
I Market's Best Produce I
1----~-----l
1 rn:=heckerboard Gallery 1
I 204A BaldwiJ!, Str~c t 979-7254 I
Market Artist
I Market Atelier 12-6 pm. I
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Digital Archiving Completed by the Ethnography Lab, A University of Toronto Anthropology Initiative
and Produced in Collaboration with David Perlman/Wholenote Media Inc between July-December 2015.
JOIN THE
PARADE!!
Everyone loves a parade, they say, wooever
they are. Especially when you get a
choiceoverwhetheryou wantto watch the.
parade or join right in. It's that kind of
opportunity that makes the Kensington
Kamival a true community event.
The parade is Saturday, August 12 only.
It leaves from 26A Oxford Street at
1:30p.m., and winds its way through the .
bustling Saturday market to a Five Star
Parades Band beat.
BE PART OF THE FUN
You can join in all the fun! Kensington
Kamival is looking forparaders to dress up
as creatures, spirits and things of the Market.
Also for volunteers to build these
festive costumes. They're also looking for
jugglers, clowns, and other class acts to
swell the throng and enrich the heady
Kensington mix.
PHONE 967-6253
If you would like to join in or help out in
any way, please call Sandra Whitely at
967-6253 between August 1_ and 5.
Richard Pochinko
The Kensington Carnival Arts Society
dedicates the 1989 Kensington Karnival
to the memory of Richard Pochinko,
one of its founders and guiding
spirits.
"Sometimes I look at the stars in the
sky,and I think, if they are the souls of
those who have gone, Richard must be
one of the brightest." Ida Carnevali
EVENTS
Festivities continue at the Square with activities,
contests and entertainments for
young and old alike-bike and banner decorating
contests, story-telling, face-painting,
magic shows, puppetry, and of course,
the ever-popular Circus Bizarro, with its
talking tigers and singing hats ... and much
more, probably. But with Karnival nothing
is for sure.
KABARET
One thing definite, this year marks the premiere
of the Kensington Chickencoop
Kabaret. It should be an .entertainment
highlight, along with a two hour concert
Sunday night by the Five Star Parades Orchestra,
and a play "Harvest of Whirlwinds"
by Teatro Sin Fronteras.
To~onto professionals, bands and other
performers from the Kensington community,
a talent contest. And the Kensington
beer garden will be back. What more could
you ask?
FAMILY
So get your families, your picnic lunches
and your joie de vivre, and come on down
to the Market on August 12 and 13 for a
summer weekend you'll never forget. We
may not be able to tell you exactly what's
going to occur, or when it will, but we qm
definitely tell you, as can anyone whq's
ever seen a previous Karnival, that you'll
have a wonderful time regardless.
FIVE STAR PARADES BAND
One thirty. Listen. You hear drums. Look up, you see them high above the crowd on
Baldwin--giant puppets and stilt walkers approaching you, surrounded by mimes,
jugglers, clowns, gryphons, satyrs, and various members of the Kensington chicken
coop .... All cavorting to the beat of John Millard's Five Star Parades Band. The seventh
annual Kensington Karnival is under way.
CREATIVE. CHAOTIC. UNPREDICTABLE.
The parade, gathering followers all the way, ends up at Bellevue Square, off
Augusta. There the chicken crows. After that, the three things you can be sure of
are creativity, chaotic fun, and surprise. The outdoor spectacular nature of the
Karnival is in the best tradition of the street theatre festivals seen in the market areas
of old cities and towns in Italy, France and Portugal.
"In Italy they had public squares where people met for business, met for politics,
or came to see the comedia performed," says Kamival founder, Ida Carnevali. "It
came from the Roman forum, and to meet, there were no permits. They were lucky.
In Italy there are no performances inside in the summer. In every village and town,
there are festivals in the street. You bring your own chair."
KCAS MEDEA
RIVETTING
Like many an innocent strolling the far
western end of the Beaches at sundown
July 12-16, we found ourselves transfixed­
- in a · world of myths and royals, raging
bulls and fire eaters. Along with cyclists
and evening walkers we were dmwn around
the bay by the fires, fifes and drums, and
stayed enchanted at the far tip of Ashbridges
Bay until long after dark.
Conceived and directed by Ida Carnevali,
this production of MEDEA tells the
classical story of Jason's quest, his betrayed
promise to Medea and her horrific
revenge.
Adapted from Euripede's Medea and
Ovid's Metamorphoses, Andrew Keirn's
script combined respect for the source and
the tragedy with a judiciously funny, finely
· honed wit. The danger in a more conventional
setting would be that the audience
could take refuge from the tragedy behind
the wit, and actors work too hard at perfecting
moments.
No such danger here. The audience
moves, anticipates the lines, tries to guess
where the next scene will be -- to have a
better view of the next inevitable horror.
Carnevali's cast, superbly, keeps up with·
the play.
The audience begins its voyage- blanket
in hand - with Jason, played by Arturo
Fresolone, and the Argonauts on the beach.
Lit by bonfires, Jason's father tells his son
that he must go across the Aegean to retrieve
the Golden Fleece. As the sun sets in
the background, the five actors cut a beautiful
profile standing in the lake with the
sail flapping in the breeze. And so begins
the tragedy.
The highlight is when nature and actors
conspire to produce a truly memorable
scene. Under the light of a full moon the
audience happens upon . a burning sun,
guards and an impressive King Aeetes on
stilts. The King, played by the tall Andrew
Keirn, dominates the scene. His face covered
with jewels and mesh, he looks ljJ

Digital Archiving Completed by the Ethnography Lab, A University of Toronto Anthropology Initiative
and Produced in Collaboration with David Perlman/Wholenote Media Inc between July-December 2015.
Cool and Safe!
Families who use the wading pool and
park are asked to be mindful of a few
regulations, which will help everyone to
have a safe and fun time.
1. No disposable (paper) diapers
in the pool. Children who are in diapers
should wear a close fitting pair of cotton
pants (like training pants) and if possible,
plastic pants on top.
2. Everyone must wear a swimsuit
or shorts.
3. Don'tdrinkthewater! Ithasbeen
treated.
4. No running on the concrete _area
around the pool. /
5. Ifyouareplayingasplashygame,
please be careful about who gets splashed.
6. Please do not put any of the following
things in the pool: food, kleenex,
dogs, shoes, bikes, sandy toys, rocks etc.
7. Everyone should wear shoes or
sandles everywhere else in the park. Bare
feet are not safe!
UNCLASSI_FIEDS
FOR SALE: lovely baby carriage (Gen- world! (Weather permitting)
dron) with hood, safe crib (white) with ·. INFANT MASSAGE WORKSHOP:
mattress both in great condition. Three I 1(2 hour sessions, book, massage
533-9950 · oil,August8, IO,and 13.InstructorChefyl
FOR SALE: VW 'Sunbug' Beetle (74): Brenman BS CMT. Limited spaces
. as is. Phone 596-8991, Chris. Bug lovers available. A special opportunity!
only. 977-0192
KIDS HELP PHONE 1-800-668-6868: a FOR RENT: Apartment. Big, two bednational
toll-free telephone counselling room. Heart of the market. Washer and
information and referral service to troub- dryer included. Air-conditioned. Conled
and disturbed children of all ages. tact Ton:[ 593-2784 or 593-2781.
SUNGLASSES: Cat Enterprises. 235 . KF EDITORIAL: 977-0192. Research,
Augusta A venue, on the comer of Bald- writing, editing. Letters, rhetoric, rewin
Street. Shades for the whole wide ports. By appointment.
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CAN'T I GO BY MYSELF?
Long summer days and evenings mean lots of time in -the park for city
children and sometimes it just isn't possible for parents or babysitters
to take them. The issue of whether your child is ready to be allowed
to go without you is a tricky one.
Legally there is no minimum age. But it is against the law for any
person responsible for a child who is under 16 years of age to leave
them on their own without making reasonable provision for care and
supervision. · Parents have to make decisions based upon their own
child's maturity and physical development. Age doesn't mean very
much because children mature and grow at highly individual rates.
~ The Children's Aid Society of Metropolitan Toronto does advise,
E however, that no child who is under school age should be out alone.
~ For other children, they shouldn't be out in the community, regardless
_ of how well you think you know everyone, until:
~ they understand the concept of time,
m • they know their full name, address, and to whom they may give
::5 that information, ·
S • they understand the concepts of personal safety and where or from
C, whom they can get help in an emergency.
-~ Finally, children should always be in the company of at least one
c other child. And children who are just learning to take care of
~ themselves should not be given the added responsibility of caring for
4 younger brothers or sisters.
NOTHING TO DO?
Parks and Recreation offer a programme
for children between the ages of 3 and 13
in Bellevue Squiire Park from I 0:30am to
5:30pm. During these times, from Mon­