#8904 - Dec-Jan 1989/90

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.
nsington Market
Cavalcade
of Lights
Business &
Community
Bid to Light
Up Kensington
this Year
A
meofyou
may know,
the City of Toronto
has something-each
December called the
"Cavalcade of Lights". Various
neighbourhood and community
associations undertake to put on
a grand display of festive lights.
All the participating groups
get listed on City Tourist office
promotional material, and tour
buses wend their way to the designated
areas for a look. All areas
participating in the Cavalcade are
supposed to tum on their lights at
the same time (on December I.)
This year, at the initiative of
the KMBA's new directors, an
attempt was made to have Kensington
p_articipatc in the official
Cavalcade. But time was too short
to get the complicated business
of applying for permits out of the
way.
ST. STEPHEN'S STEPS IN
So instead, the KMBA' s new
executive has come up with a
plan, with the cooperation of St.
Stephen's youth worker, Frank
Pimentel, to light Kensington up
a bit, on our own.
The way it works is this. If
you arc a merchant or resident in
the inner Market area (Augusta
A vc, Baldwin, Kensington, St.
Andrew) you can get strings of
Christmas lights by phoning
Frank Pimentel at St Stephen's,
at 925-2103. There are 150 extension
cords and 4500 feet of
lights (in twenty-five foot
lengths) available. All it takes is
a phonecall. Someone will bring
the lights around and help you
put them up.
Naturally if you wanttosupplement
the lights brought to you
that's even better. After the festive
season is over (early in the
new year), the St. Stephen's
people will come and collect the
light

News & Views
"Look there's a guylying on
the cement. It's -100 and he's
lying on the sidewalk. /le'sface
down .... and he's moaning."
You could walk by ....... but
instead, you lean over the body.
"Ah, can I help you? Let me
helpyouup. Givemeyourarm."
His swollen red fingers reach
for yours. You grasp him under
the armpit. You heave. His head
rolls over. One eye has totally
disappeared into the puffy redness
of a damaged eyelid. The
other is bloody. You try not to
look and heave even harder. He
wavers but he's standing, leaning
against the building.
His bare hand grasps your
mitten even tighter. Frightened,
you pull your hand away.
"ljustwantedtosaythanks,"
he says.
By P~igi T. Rockwell
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ife in Kensington is not
only exotic spice and unlimited
quantities of fresh
vegetables. It also
-._ 4 means meeting
some of the forgotten in this
"world-class" city.
Abraham sometimes sleeps
beside the fireball on Bellevue.
He tucks his hands into his jacket
and lies down on the stones with
his back to the sidewalk, his long
matted hair hiding his face. "If
it's mining or snowing" he says,
"I find a cozy comer to crawl
into ... under some stairs or in a
gamge. I usually stay in the
westend but I come down here to
see my buddies." His eyes are
smiling.
Then there's Gerry, a recoveredalcoholic,
whojogsamileto
get to Kensington, because he
likes the exercise, before going
to lunch at the Scott Mission.
Both these men start their day at
The Comer at203 Augusta Ave.
where they're sure of finding hot
coffee and a place to get warm .
"It's a spot to pass some time.
In the summer I'm on a park ,
bench and when it's cold I come
here," says Gerry.
They are dmwn to the area
by the Scott Mission's meals
which are served at lOam and
I lam every day with over 300
people coming to each sitting.
"You know," says George, "they
never make you eat the same
meal twice. It's a rule. There's
meat and vegetables and salad.
It's nice. But when I get my
cheque you won't find me eating
there. No. I want steak. Good
thick steak."
There's a rhythm to their
lives. The day starts at The Corner,
then there's lunch at the Scott
Mission, ,then on to St.
Christopher's House on Queen
for the afternoon.
"Some people like this," says
Gerry. ''They're happy to go
from place to place. But I'm not.
I want a half decent job."
A look at the people sitting
around the wooden tables at The
Comer tells me that Gerry's
wrong. Bent backs. Crumpled
clothes. Noone likes. this. These
are the unlucky in an unforgiving
world.
A man comes up to our table
and takes an old butt from the
ashtray.
They blame themselves.
"It's my own fault," says
Gerry, "I had a good job in the
government but I became an alcoholic
and I lost it. Now I can't
get a job because I can't give
references. I'm over 50 and I
can't do a young man's job;"
George has to wipe his eyes
and nose when he talks about his
Steven, a regular at the Scott Mission.
Homeless in
Kensington
old job as a house painter. "I'm
so stupid," he says. "I had a van
but I lost it and then I couldn't
work anymore."
Blaming the victim is
society's response to the homeless
says community worker
Robert Davis who has worked at
The Corner since 1987. He and
three others provide counselling,
coffee, soup and sandwiches. But
most importantly they give the
homeless a spot of their own for
a few hours every day.
The Comer is sponsored by
St. Stephen'sCommunity House
and is funded by private donationsandgovemmentgrants.
For
a long time The Comer, itself,
was homeless. It started out in a
storefront on College, moved to
the Scott Mission and now is
located on Augusta where the
infamous Tropical Paradise bar
used to be.
"There are 20,000 homeless
in Metro Toronto;" says Davis.
"As a society, we look for a rcason
and, just as battered women
were once told they were responsible
for their situation, the homeless
arc held responsible too."
Davis sees the issue as part
of the capitalist system. "When
we were more resource-based
there were more itinerant workers.
We arc now a service"oriented
economy. And we've lost
a lot of industrial jobs like at
Inglis and Molsons. These men
Kensington
Environmental
DIRT CHEAP COMPOST
Dreaming of Spring? Planning
your garden? Concerned
about the quality of the soil in
your city garden? Put your name
on the waiting list for a composter
from Metro, by calling 392-
5420. For $11.65 you can tum
your kitchen scraps into fertilizer,
and cut down on your garbage
too!
BLUE BOX ART
DRUM was invited to view
the final, full colour versions of
the Lord Lansdowne students'
recycling posters. We published
black and white versions of some
of these in the October/November
DRUM. We are currently
investigating ways of having the
posters displayed in a variety of
community locations. Suggestions?
Call us at the DRUM.
COMMERCIAL RECYCLING
Remember last issue we
suggested that Kensington
needed "Blue Buggies"? Oflr
councillor, Liz Amer, has proposed
that a pilot composting
programme be initiated in Kensington
and Chinatown where the
storage and disposal of organic
waste is becoming a bigger problem
all the time. Councillor Amer
has requested that the City and
Metro report to her on existing
waste reduction programmes and
how they could be useful in
implementing such a project.
AND NOW ••• BLUE BAGS
A letter from Marilyn
Chorley, City Councillor for
Ward 8 informs us that the City
Services Committee will meet
on March 3rd, at 11:45 am in
Committee Rm 4 at City Hall to
can'tworkatMacDonald's. And
anyway, how do you get a job if .
you have no where to live?"
Alcohol is used by many
street people to help forget. But
as Davis says, "which came first
the alcohol or the homelessness?
People use drugs as their only
response to powerlessness and
alienation."
Life on the street has many
risks. When someone comes into
money other homeless people
may beat them up to get it. There
are territorial fights with punk
gangs and even the police, it's
been said, have roughed up people
living on the street.
Since July, five men have
died in Grange Park. Within sight
of the marble-lobbied towers of
Bay and King, they lay exposed
and lonely. Death brought on by
too much cheap Chinese cooking
wine.
Every Kensington resident
has faced the puffy hand outdiscuss
a long overdue recycling
programme for people living in
apartment buidlings. (Up until
now, very few people in multiplexes
have received blue boxes.)
Each building would be
provided with durable blue bags
for tenants to hang in their kitchens,
storage bins lor each 11oor of
the building, and a central storage
container. The city would
pick up the rccyclables twice a
week. If this affects you, plan to
attend the meeting and share your
ideas. Call Maria Mandarino at
392-7030 and put your name on
the speakers' list.
LESS PLASTIC PLASTIC?
One market merchant at least
has switched to the use of "environmentally
friendly" plastic
bags - treated with cornstarch,
they decompose more readily
than other bags. Any other market
merchants interested, contact
Maggie at Desire, 360-6683
GLOBAL WARMING
The Federal Standing Committee
on Environment is examining
global warming from a
Canadian perspective, including
stretched on Spadina Ave. and
seen the bodies huddled against
buildings and every resident
makes his or her own decision
whether to walk by or not. If you
do want to stop to help someone
you sense is in need you should
talk to them first. Find out if they
want help. If it is an emergency
situation call the police or an
ambulance and then stay with
them.
"You should advocate for
them. Sometimes the )X) lice and
ambulance attendants feel they
shouldn't be helping someone
who's intoxicated," says Davis,
"or they say 'What if someone is
having a serious medical problem?'
and I say, 'this is a serious
medical problem!"' .
If the person is intoxicated
you might ask them if they'd like
to go to a detoxification centre,
I ike the oqc at 50 1 Queen. St. W.
Continued on page 9
policies to reduce Canada's contribution
to this environmental
problem. The Committee invites
organizations and individuals to
make written submissions on one
or more of the following topics:
1) policies/strategies for
reducing Canada's emissions of
greenhouse gases 2) new technologies
for reducing greenhouse
gas enissions; 3)new patterns of
development in energy usc,lorestry,
agriculture, industrial
growth, tmnsportation, etc. which
lessen the problem; and 4) the
phenomenon of global warming.
Submissions must be received
at the office of the Committee
Clerk by December 22,
1989. Here's the address: The
Clerk,
Standing Committee on
Environment, Room 630, Wellington
Bui I ding, Ottawa, Ontario
K1AOA6
tel. (613) 996-1559
fax (613) 996-1626
I
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.

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.
News & Views
Baldwin Mini-blaze
Raises Question
By David Perlman
happens, the fire
.ks it
truck that got stuck halfway
between Baldwin
and S t Andrew at around three
pm a few Saturdays ago wasn't
needed at the fire. Fortunately,
because that truck would never
have made it. Cars coming south
on Kensington couldn't get out
of the way of the fire truck because
of the ten recently installed
concrete bollards at KensingtOn
and Baldwin .
The fire itself was weird. At
around three in the afternoon
someone (one of four) in a car
travelling west on Baldwin just
past Kensington got out of the
car, poured some kind of flammable
liquid on the ground next
to a van belonging to the adjacent
store owner, and set the fluid
alight.
Oue tire of the van looked a
bit cooked and thedoorofthe van
was smoky, but the fire itself was
no big deal. Except for the scary
stupid-mindedness of the deed.
(A shopper from the Spadina
Road area gave the fire department
a description and the licence
number of the car.)
Much more scary was the
useless and stuck fire truck, nine
and a half bollards away from
where it might really have been
needed.
Above: they never promised us a rose garden! 15 feet off the south
side of the street would mean half the rose garden at number 13
gone.
Right: east from number 13 to Spadina. These hydro poles will
have to be relocated. Notice the cars lined up for the Parking
Garage.
ore
Spa dina
Parking
·By David Perlman
The Parking Authority of
the City of Toronto has
just released its longawaited
Kensington area study.
As we predicted early in the fall,
they have recommended expanding
theirS t. Andrew /Baldwin Garage
by 200 spaces (on condition
that the city widen St Andrew
Street by fifteen feet).
According to the schedule
presented to the Kensington Task
Force November 8, work would
commence in the summer of 1990
and would be completed in early
1991. The existing garage would ,
remain open or partially open _
right through the construction
period.
SUPPORT AND OPPOSITION
Among area merchants there
is strong support for any proposal
that brings needed new
customer parking into the area.
But there is some doubt as to
whether this project wi II do much
to help the Market. "As much
parking as they put on the Spadina
side gets gobbled up by Spadina"
says Bellevue lot expansion supporter
Martin Zimmerman of the
KMBA. .
People point out that the
thing that has made the St.
Andrew's lot less useful for the
Market is the fact that much of
the' parking in that lot is now used
by people whose destination is
Spadina/Dundas rather than Kensington
Market. This is supported
by the Parking Authority's own
statistics, which show, on a weekday,
that fully 60% of the people
using the lot are going somewhere
other than Kensington. Of
these, over 80% are heads:d to
Chinatown and Spadina A venue
itself.
With theparkingpressureof
large restaurants on Spadina, and·
with Metro Roads and the TTC
both determined to get rid of angle
parking on Spadina, the usefulness
of the St. Andrew Garage
for the Market will continue to
diminish, even with the expansion.
BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT
The biggestdisappointmenl
for people following this study
and waiting for the decision are
three: first, the Parking Authority
has once again rejected the
idea of doing anything to their
other area lot, on Bellevue south
of Nassau.
Second, in their proposal for
the expansion of the St. Andrew
lot, they're not willing to look at
anything other than the cheapest
possible solution. And third, they
haven't looked at the Garage in
terms of the other problems in the
neighbourhood -
parking for
people wanting to build housing
in the Market; walkupapartments
(like those at the new Larch Street
Garage south of Dundas?); and
new commercial space along
Baldwin between Kensington and
Spadina. ·
FOURTH IRRITANT
A fourth irritant is that the
routine patching of potholes at
the west end of St Andrew is
being withheld by Public Works,
penny-pinching while waiting to
get the widening approved (this
even though the worst potholes
are on the section of the street
which won't be widened).
ST ANDREW'S WIDE.NING
WON'T NECESSARILY HELP
At first the widening looks
like the only thing to do. When
the northside lane is full of cars
lined up to park, then there isn't
room for two lanes of traffic.
And St. Andrew is a two-way
street.
But if all the Parking Authority
wants is the cheapest way
(and the City doesn't seem to
have much say in what the Parking
Authority docs) we'll just
end up with two lanes of cars
lined up to get into the understaffed
expanded garage, and the
traffic as blocked as it was before.
DRUM offers space free
of charge for information
about community
events. Phone us with
details, or drop off a
press release:
72A Kensington Ave.,
2nd floor. 977-0192.
A Twelve Page DRUM Means More Space:
FOR ADVERTISING
We are able to offer, in this
second edition, more space
for advertising, a variety of
ads, and a better sponsorship
rate.
For an advertising rates sheet,
call977-0192
FOR YOUR SAY
We invite articles, photos,
cartoons, art, letters, and information.
Kensington content
gets priority. Send contributions
to: Kensington Market
Drum, 72A Kensington Ave.
Canada MST 2K 1.
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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.
Editorial
I · Talking Drum
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4
YES to Better Transit,
NO to Spadina Light Rapid Transit!
Detailed Community Recomrnendations to be Submitted to Metro in January
T
heTIC'stwomilliondollarSpadinaLRTenvironmental
report (EA Report) will be submitted to Metro by TIC
consultants and Metro staff by the end of January.
In February Metro must say yes or no to the proposed LRT,
and, if yes, must submit the EA Report to the Province's Ministry
of the Environment. Anyone with objections gets thirty
days to say so. Then Metro gets some six months to make modifications,
afler which objectors get another thirty days to say
whether they still object.
After that, the Minister of the Environment g~ts to decide
whether or not there should be a hearing. And there is no guarantee
that the Minister will call a hearing.
So, since there will be no further public meetings arranged
by the TIC before the EA report is submitted to Metro, there
may be only two further public opportunities to address the
politicians. First there is a Metro economic planning and development
committee meeting in late January or early February,
then a Metro Executive Committee meeting a week later.
SOME PREDICTABLE STUFF
The EA report will, if all goes as expected, recommend that
work start immediately on laying new streetcar tracks on
Spadina from King Street to College.
And that the Annex be given a $20-35 million buffer- an
underground loop for the LRT line at the Bloor-Spadina
station, to reduce the impact of the LRT on the $52,000 a year
neighbourhood.
But, the report will recommend that on our $11,000-
$17,000 a year section of Spadina, the angle parking be
eliminated, to reduce the impact of the neighbourhood on the
LRT.
It'll also recommend that the TIC abandon completely the
idea of curbs around the tracks to keep the cars off. And that will
be a small victory.
It won't however recomend the additional $1 to $2 million
to provide elevators from the fancy LRT terminus at Bloor­
Spadina to the subway lines there.
In fact the report will not make a single politically contentious
recommendation and so will be largely useless to Metro's
politicians in making their tough decision in February.
DRUM will publish in our January/February issue
comments and recommendations of the Spadina Transit
Consultative Committee (STCC). The last few community
survivors of the consultation with Metro must, as their last
responsibility as a committee of Metro Council, submit a report
on the TIC's "analysis of alternatives" - no later than the
middle of January.
The community's comments must go to Economic Development
and Planning Committee - the same committee that
will receive the LRT environmental report a couple of meetings ·
later. See DATES TO WATCH, page 11.
Urban Renewal: Part II?
Alan Schwam, longtime Kensington Residents' Association
president has submitted to City Council a TWENTY­
FOUR POINT PROGRAM for Kensington. The 24 point list
sets out areas of planning in which the community should
demand to be consulted. Mr Schwam hopes that the community
through the Task Force will get recognition of these consultation
groundrules by the City and Metro, and the Province.
The twenty-four points will be distributed in draft form to
the community early in the New Year, with an invitation to
comment and make suggestions. Even in this rough draft form
the points merit discussion and community input. Imagine the
power some such program might give if for example rumours
are true that George Brown College has decided to put its
Kensington Campus up for sale and redevelopment.
!

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.
News & Views
I Letters to Drum I Fisher Resigiling?
Letters may be posted or hand delivered to Kensington Market DRUM, Letters, 72A Kensington Ave., Toronto M5T 2K1. Or you can fax your letter (but you
have to phoning ahead) to 599-37862. Letters will be published in full where space permits. Letters edtted for length will be noted.
Deadly Spirit
Dear Drum,
Not surprising to read in the
Toronto Star recently about the
deaths ofhomclcss Canadians in
and around the market area. Metro
council two years ago banned the
sale of bi ttcrs from corner stores,
putting them into LCBO's.
However, by some oversight
this thinking was not applied to
the sale of Chinese rice cooking
wine which you can buy at grocery
stores throughout Toronto,
but particularly in Toronto's
Chinatowns. This stuff is 30%
alcohol, twenty six ounces for
$1.99. So far this has led to the
deaths of four people in our area
in the last year.
We arc saddened to sec that
store owners arc not taking the
initiative not to sell cooking wine
to people who want to cook themselves
not food.
While distributing Drum to
University Settlement House I
met and talked with someone who
had recently lost two friends to
this bitter rice wine poisoning.
He was drinking the same stuff,
and told me to mind my own
business- that he was 55 years
old and had the right to drink
himself to death. This is true, but
should we be making the weapon
of destruction so easily and
cheaply available?
If you opposed the unregu­
Iatyd sale of bHte.r:s, yqt,J,~should
look for controls on rice wine
sales, forthesamercasons. Write
your local councillors and the
LCBO.
PCBs?
Chris Melo,
Market resident
Dear Drum,,
Last week, (December 6 or
7) we had a power outage on
Kensington Avenue. Two actually,
one right after the other.
About four hours in all. People
living on St Andrew Street say
the hydro wires in the intersection
were shooting names. My
question is, what's in the little
tanks at the tops of hydro poles in
that intersection and elsewhere
in the Market? Some say PCBs.
Thor Raxlen
Kensington A venue
Above: When we suggested, two issues ago, that the hollards he
replaced with something utilitarian like bicycle racks, this wasn't
exactly what we had in mind ... .However, at its Nov. 8 meeting, the
Kensington Market Area Task Force passed unanimously a
resolution requesting the City's Commissioner of Public Works to
explain the process whereby the hollards can he removed.
Below: What's in those things~ anyway?
Continued from page l
expenses of relocating· ther own
equipment as any landlord would.
The financial statement was
then disclosed to the members:
the association seems to have in
excess of 60,000 dollars. Enough
money to start a healthy business
improvement area, suggested
some members.
GUS'S GATES
At the same time there was
some intense lobbying by Gus
Fisher to have the committee
accept a motion that the merchantinvesttheirmoney
in building
gates at the entrances of the
. Market as a form of advertisement
that would be permanent.
He stated that the permit is already
accepted by City Hall.
Except that now the width of
Augusta and St Andrew St. may
change.
Item 2: Zoltan Fekete gave a
review ofthe Spadina LRT to the
merchants as the representative
of the KMBA to ths STCC
(Spadina Transit Consultative
Committee). He firmly stated that
the only form of rapid transit for
Spadina should be a street car.
He also stressed that the KMBA
should think _of preparing themselves
for a battle with Metro at
the Ontario Municipal Board
(OMB) over the rapid transit issue
by the time the Minister of
Municipal Affairs receives the
en viromental asessmentreview.
Item 3 was a presentation of
plans to light up the market in
conjunction with the citywide
cavalcade that takes place from
Dec I throu11:h to the new vearthere
is a plan in the works to
have youth from St Stephens set
up lighting and maintain it for the
duration of the festival. Frank
Pimentel of St Stephens asked
for funding for the lighting idea
and for support for the Kensington
Carnival towards their second
annual festival oflights. Both
these matters were left undecided
at the Nov 21 meeting. But this
request led to the first meeting of ·
the new executive
Item 4 on the agenda, Other
Business and Discussion, was left
out, and the meeting got down to
the serious business of Item 5,
the nomination, and election, of a
new executive committee. Five
people were nominated- Martin
Zimmerman Zoltan Fekete,
Bert Rebelo, Oswald Pavao, and
Jason Pearson. Since they were
unopposed they were elected by
acclamation.
WARD COUNCILLORS
But then the meeting ground
to a halt, because the outgoing
president, Gus Fisher wanted to
proceed immediate) y to the election
of ten "ward councillors"­
area representatives for each
block in the market.
Fisher had with him the
names of the ten people he wanted
to see in the ward councillor's
positions. But after brief discussion
the new executive decided
to defer the question of electing
"councillors" or "area reps" as
some preferred to call them until
a new meeting in the New Year.
CONFUSING END NOTE
The meeting ended on a note
of some confusion when Gus
Fisher attempted to have the
meeting move a motion of support
for the proposed St.
Andrcw'sParkingGaragecxpansion.
Zoltan Fekete, who has an
interest in property right next to
the Garage, opposed the motion.
Since that meeting the new
executive has moved swiftly .in
supporting the Karnival December
21 Parade and the lights program.
They've discovered that
Gus Fisher and the previous executive
still control disbursement
of the Association's funds. And
they've responded by getting the
written support of a clear majority
of the previous "ward councillors"
for the new executive.
The old guard aren't letting
go of the account just yet. Fisher
insists that the election of November
21 isn't complete until
the 10 new ward concillors have
been elected.
The new executive doesn't
disagree- thev'd like to ca11 a
meeting for January. But Gus
stands firm. He has the right to
call the meeting, he says, and it
will be in March or April, when
people get back from their vacations.
The five people acclaimed
at the November 21 meeting are
KMBA' S acknowledged interim
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Digital Archiving Completed by the Ethnography Lab, A University of Toronto Anthropology Initiative
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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.
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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.
Community/ Arts
Manique'
Holiday
Spree Tree
Can You Spot the
Hidden Treasures?
Kensington Market is chock full of original and
affordable gifts and holiday party clothes that
are sure to please, from the purely traditional
to the perfectly improbable.
DRUM'srovingshoppingenthusiast,
Maniquc, spent several hours
visiting friends and getting dizzy
with ideas for Christmas gifts.
Here are just a few of the items
she spotted. Obviously this is
just a sampling of what a dis- .
cerning shopper might
find. Sec if you can spot
the treasures on
Maniqucs's
Holiday Spree
Tree.
Full of that ol' party season UZZMATTAZZ? How about sexy sheer stay-up stockings with
lycra for on~ $6.00? (Legs not included). Or warm and shapely cotton/lycra tights? Festive
clothes, and jewelry too. The name says it all.
Take a trip to TIMBUKTU- a dress $75; an unforgettable bag to take along for $45;
a leather hat $75; a fringed leather pouch for $20, or same home-made straWberry incense
for a delightful $2.
doss rags at JAGGS: don't let the apparent affluence of their friend~-faced man-
. nequin alarm you. How about scarves from $7 to $20, gloves $5 (and an enticing
variety of items eye-catchingly disp~ed inside)
One-of-a kind atthe PINEAPPLE ROOM: cocktail shakers for tasteful tipplers
from $15 to $17, or their gloves from $3 to $5.
Something for everyone at ALTERNATIVES: a silk pouch from Nepal
$30; Nepal Hat $24; Indian hooded sweatshirt (batik) $7 5; Guatamalan
vest $35; a Thai horse $35; children's Guatamalan lops $10; wallets
$5; mini gloves $5; the famous Devil Sticks (or Fiddling Sticks, or
Juggling Sticks) $25; & for oreal bargain, tiny worry people $2.
At the KENSINGTON OUTPOST get someone you love a
friend for life- beautiful wooden cats from Bali from S 16-$50.
Also admired but not shown here, carved wooden clothes
hangers for S 10.
COUUGE MY LOVE -there are plenty of
small things here sure to bring big smiles: a
wooden massager for SB; a chain mesh bag for
$60; a small Thai horse fro $48; pretty cloi-
-.;;:=: .c_ sane boxes for just $7; a metal collar that
seems to say "you're all heart" $15;
Indian bells SB; and just for fun,
an incense teepee S 10.
Best Buy at
BLACK
MARKET­
Hats Galore for just $9.95.
COUUGE MY LOVE
- magnificent masks from
$12-$40. Not your average cos-~
lume party item!
EXILE jacket foryou or your shining star-$45
DANCING DAYS- white metal bracelets $8.00, rings
from S 10 to $20, and a delightful array of interesting party
clothes and accessories. Entire stock on sale!
EXPOSE yourself to a leather jacket. Or unique~ crafted jewelry
from $5 to $30. Big beautiful beads, bells, and bracelets.
Make a big splash
with an embroidered
jacket $90
or a lux jacket
$65 from NOISE.
Trousers $50, scarf $45.
GET DRESSED and gel noticed in a festive dress and a
terrific vintage coat. (Manique lost track of the price of these
items, but says you can count on the proprietors of this establishment
for quat!ty, attention, and a fair price.)
At ASYLUM check out the Air Wair from London- boots and ·
shoes for travelhn' feet. $64, $73, and S 120.
8

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.
Issues
''Of the 20-25 residents I spoke to,
all but one were for women's choice''
By Kristina M. Saier
"I think it's astounding of the
government to have any say, to
interfere in this matter," said Lee
who lives in the Kensington area.
She was referring to the federal
government's proposed abortion
legislation which makes ita criminal
offense for a healthy woman
to obtain an abortion. A woman
or her doctor, if convicted under
Sections 287 and 288 of the
Criminal Code, would face imprisonmcntfor
a minimum twoyear
term.
"If a woman wants to get an
abortion, it's her choice," said
Shawna McGregor.
The Tory government has
different ideas. Besides the threat
of criminal sanctions, women will
be dcni"cd the right to decide for
themselves whether to have an ­
abortion. The decision-making
power will be in the hands of
doctors, courts, and politicians.
The legislation will allow
legal abortions only if a physician
agrees that a woman's physical
or mental health is "likely to
bethreatcned"bycarryingapreg- .
nancy to term. Women and doctors
will both be compelled to lie
to bypass the proposed law.
A third party could easily
lay charges citing non-health reasonsfortheabortion.
A woman's
right to privacy with her physician
is under attack as well as the
professional competence of her
doctor.
The Morgentaler decision
struck down the old abortion law,
making it possible for a woman
to legally obtain an abortion. The
Supreme Court stated that a
woman has the right to control
her body in the interest of "security
of the person".
The government is now seeking
to sabotage the Supreme
Court ruling by criminalizing
abortion and by criminal sanction,
which will force woman to
bear unwanted children.
"We are going back to the
Dark Age of jumping off coffee
tables. You will have doctors
doing business on the side and
abortion will not be safe," Randall,
a local residcn_t said. "We
will see an increase of abused
children ... Men are going to have
to change their attitudes. Many
of them think it's a woman's
problem."
"It's a woman:S.Choice," said
Fran Hollywood of College
Strcct."She may be a victim of
rape or incest, or incapable of
raising a child. Some women
can't even c.;are for themselves
due to the cost of living. I came
from a poor family. My mother
had children. She had no choice.
It was difficult. The support system
is not there to bring up children."
"Rich women can go where
(abortion is) legal and get
onc ... Thereshould be funds available
for independent clinics because
going to boards you can get
turned down and then go to a
back-alley abortionist."
Kensington residents expressed
strong support for abortion
clinics. "Women should have
their own clinics ..... without
family interference, government
interference and interference
from any religious institution,"
said Lee. Abortion "should be
accessible everywhere ... .It is
immoral to put women in jail,"
Shawna said.
Putting abortion under the
criminal code just reinforces the
govcrnmenspoket' slack of commitment
to woman's health and
safety. The best approach would
be to make abortion safe and
accessible throughout Canada. A
woman's right to choose will
never beco111e rcafity unless
women in P.E.I, in B.C., in Quebec,
in all areas across the country
have free and equal access to
all facets of our own reproductive
health care including abortion,
midwifery and birth control
information. The proposed law
will be a giant step backward in
terms of women's reproductive
autonomy.
State interest in the fetus is a
dangerous precedent-for abortion
services, for state intervention
in pregnancy and childbirth.
There must be no new law. The
government can usc the Canada
· Health Act to force reluctant provinces
to provide access to abortion,
as it did in extra-billing.
"Itshouldnotbeinthecrimi­
. nal code. It should be out of the
politician's hands and not in the
courts. Every woman should have
choice," said Yvonne of Caribbean
Comer.
The women of Kensington
need publicly funded reproductive
health care services, including
abortion clinics, that acknowledge
the multilingual and multicultural
nature of this community.
Stop recriminalization of
abortion. Join the Pro-Choice
movement. Watch out for local
action and demonstrations country-wide
on February lOth: stop
the government from pushing this
bill through. For information, call
OCAC at (416) 969-8463.
Kristina M. S~ier is a member
of the Ontario Coalition
of Abortion Clinics
Above: John says he has lived most of his life at Spadina & College .
Below: Jerry and George, two of Kensington's homeless residents,
gather at the Corner Drop-in.
Homeless in
Kensington
Continued from page 2
There, trained stan can assess the
situation and if emergency care
is needed they can get them to
hospital. If the person wants to
get sober, they'll help them dry
out if they have enough beds.
Give the centre a call first before
taking someone to 501 Queen at
868-1993.
Or, you might even ask if the
person wants you to take them to
a hostel, like the one run by the
Salvation Army on College at
McCaul. Ask if they know about
the Corner Drop-In and St.
Christopher's House. Andifthey
don't need any help, that's fine
too.
These residents may not
have a home but they are still our
neighbors. The least we can do is
treat them like they belong.
·------------------·
I
I
: YOUR CHANCE TO VOTE :
I . I
I A Survey of whether or not people in Kensington I
I would like to see Sunday shopping in the area. I
I Please check the appropriate box and return to I
I
The Drum
. I
I 1. I am a:
I
1
I 0 resident 1
1 0 business 1
1 0 other 1
I
I
I 2. Should businesses stay open?
I
I Osome · · I
I Onone I
I o all I
I
I
· · I 3. Do you favour a Sunday pedestrian market? · I
I o Yes 1
1 o No 1
I
1 4. (If you own a business) I
I 0 I would stay open I
I 0 I would not stay open I
I Type of business I
I · I
I
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.
Community/ Arts
Learning with You
1. What happens to the recyling
stuff when you get· BLUE to · the
curb? Follow the truck to 392-77 42
(the Blue Box City Hall number).
Ask what's happening to the newspapers,
the different types of plast~c,
and the glass. Where does the stuff
from your street go? Tell us or draw
a map we can publish, or ... ?
2. How did your street (or building)
get its name? We'd like to be able to
say something about each of the
streets named on our map (page 6-
7). (And interesting others, of
course.)
3. Have any of you seen Journey.
fromA.M.U., the play we talk about
on this page? Review it for DRUM.
Or any other play, movie, book, concert,
etc. that you think our readers
should know about.
Drum will acknowledge all submissions
to "LEARNING WITHYOU."
And we'll publish some of them.
Please include your name and address,
and tell us what school and
year you are in.
The Journey fromA.M.U.
A Play for Children about Touching and Abuse- a Must-See for Parents, Too.
By Masha Buell
Children from Junior Kindergarten
through to grade six at several
area schools (Horizon, DAS,
ALPHA, Island, Kent, and Lord
Lansdowne have, during the
course of December seen a play
called "The Journey from
A.M.U." This is a play about
personal safety, specifically in
regard to the problem of child
sexual abuse.
On Thursday Nov 30 I attended
a parent orientation and information
evening at Lord Lansdowne
school for parents of children
about to see the play.
YOUR CHILD'S PRIMARY
EDUCATOR
The purpose of the evening was
to give parents the opportunity to
preview the play the children were
about to see, so that parents will
be able to help their young children
better understand what may
be bewildering, new, and in some
cases upsetting information: "You
are your child's primary educator,"
said speaker Gaii _Gould.
' Parents who do not see the play
may find themselves unprepared
to handle the kinds of question or
reactions that are going to be
sparked in their children by the
play. Without the opportunity the
evening gave me to ask and hear
questions about the programme, I
would not have appreciated the
opportunities this programme
offers me and my c:hild for important
communicafion and reinforcement
of things we're trying
to teach anyway.
Parcntswhodidn'tscctheshow
may well find themselves misunderstanding
some reaction of their
child to the show, or even undermining
its positive message. It's
not enough that the teachers us­
. ing the play and support material
get a workshop in how to deal
with it. Parents are the crucial
third force.
ALARMINGLY FEW THERE
So it was alarming to me that
there were only fifty or so people
there-maybe twenty or thirty
parents of a thousand children.
II ALL MIXED UP"
"The Journey From A.M.U."
(which stands for All Mixed Up)
is a little bit like St. Exupery's
"The Little Prince". A child, in
this play a little girl, from another
planet comes to earth and as we
follow her adventures here we
learn about ourselves and the
world around us through her eyes.
In this case her experiences arc
all in the pursuit of understanding
about touching: the whole spectrum
of human physical contactgentle,
rough, welcome and
unwelcome. On her planet, people
got all mixed up and stopped
touching each other altogether.
Nobody wa-; brave enough to talk
about it, and so they forgot how to
touch at all.
BRAVE ENOUGH TO TALK
ABOUT IT
Since this article is not intended
to be a theatre review I will only
say that this is a gentle, musical
play, with positive messages about
the need for appropriate human
contact, the importance of trusting
your own feelings, and the
right of every person big and small
to say "NO!" to unwelcome touching
from anyone.
The play has the potential to do
much good. It rs brave work,
competently performed by a professional
company. It is sufficiently
entertaining to hold the
attention of the older children for
all of its 53 minutes, It allows for
some audience participation
which will relieve the inevitable
restlessness of some of the youngest.
CATALYST FOR LEARNING
But parcnl'> who can possibly
arrange to do so would be well
advised to obtain permission to
view the play with their children.
Or request that a copy of the script
be made available for parents to
read if they arc not able to attend
the play.
This is not a piece of "educational
kids' theatre" intended to
teach a complete lesson and give
the teachers a break. It provides
gateways to a lifelong learning
process that cannot be navigated
by a child without the interest,
support, and guidance of family
members. If your child has already
seen the play, and you are
uncertain about how to approach
the subjcet, seck thcadviccofthe
teacher.
GAIN AND LOSS
There is a great deal to be gained
here, for both you and your child.
Without your participation, however,
there is possibly even more
to be lost.
Journey from AMU has played
to over 170,000 school children
since it was first produced.
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10
By Masha Buell
You are at home looking after a
baby or pre-schooler (yours or
someone else's). There arc times
when you wish there was somebody
else around; somewhere to
go and play so your own place
will stay tidy; someone for your
child to play with.
As the weather gets cold opportunities
to socialize may seem
limited. But we are fortunate -
there are a wide variety of good
programmes available in this area.
Most arc free, or require a nominal
registration fee
MONDAYS: Cecil Street
Community Centre (look at the
map on page 7) has a parent-child
drop-in at their Toy Library from
IO:OOamuntil noon.JointhcToy
Library ($3.00 membership fee)
if you like, and borrow something
"new"toplaywith. Enjoyasnack,
or coffee, and visit with other
adults and little people. Monday
evening from 6:30-8:30pm the
Cecil Street Community Centre
Toy Library is open again, as part
oftheCommunity Drop-In Night.
You can watch a free movie, play
ping-pong, billiards or cards,
while your little children play with
toys, all in one big auditorium.
TUESDAYS: You can go to
Kensington Community School's
Parenting Centre from 9:30 -
12:30. It's situated in a big wellequipped
room on the 2nd floor.
Your child will enjoy all the toys,
craft activities, sand and water
tables, bikes, songs, stories, and a
snack. You can relax and sip a
cup of fresh coffee, play with
your child(rcn), qnjoy the company
of other adults, and share
ideas. It's located on the south
side of College Street, next to the
Firchall (see map, pages 6-7).
Scadding Court Community
Centre (corner of Bathurst and
Dundas) offers pre-school gym
and a music group. You participate
with your pre-schooler (ages
2-5). Gym is from 10:30-11 :30am
and the music group is 2~3 0-
3:30pm. For further information
about this and other pre-school
programmes at Scadding Court
call Linda Lutes at 363-5392.
University Settlement House
10:30-11:30 am offers Arts and
Crafts. 23 Grange Road, across
the park behind the Art Gallery.
Call598-3444 for more info. University
Settlement House isn't on
our map, but it's a short walk if
the weather isn't too bad.
They also offer Tumbling
(Gym) for4-5 yrolds, 2-2:45 pm.
WEDNESDAYS: Kensington
Community School Parenting
Centre is open from 9:30-3:30.
Cecil Street Community Centre
Toy Library is open from 10:00-
11:30am. LullabyandGoodnight
at Sanderson Library (corner
Bathurst and Dundas) presents
quiet songs, stories and games for
3-5yr olds and their families at
7:00pm.
Beverly School, in cooperation
with University Settlement House
offer a preschool swim 2:30-3:30
pm.
THURSDAYS: Kensington
Community School Parenting
Centre is open from 9:30-3:30.
Scadding Court Community
Centre pre-school gym is from
10:30-11 :30and there's Parent and
Tot swimming in a heated pool
from 2:45-3:15.
University Settlement House
offers "Settlement Surprise Drop­
Off' for children 4-5 yrs. 2-3 pm.
FRIDAYS: University Scttlemnt
House offers Music and
Movement 10-11 am.
Toronto Public Library, Boys
and Girls Branch has a Preschool
Story Hour from 10:30-11:30am.
Stories, songs, crafts, and films
forchildren3-5 yrs.40St.George,
just north of College St.393-7746.
SATURDAYS: Scadding
Court Community Centre Parent
and Tot Swim 11:00-12:00.
SUNDAYS: Scadding Court
Community Centre's Parent and
Tot Swim is from1A5-2:30 pm.
MONDAY TO FRIDAY:
Scadding Court Community
Centre offers short-term daycare
at a nominal charge for parents
who are experiencing a crisis or
emergency, who arc unemployed
and have to look for work, or just
plain need a break and have no
regular child-care options. You
do have to make a reservation.
For more information about this,
~
or any of the children's programmes
at Scadding Court, call Linda
Lutes at 363-5392.
One of the things that happens
-when you go to these parent/child
programmes is you meet lots of
other people who arc caring for
chi ldrcn. Sometimes you are able
to find new friends. You might be
able to share your child-care responsibilities
with someone who
you meet at a parent-child programme!
(It's also a lot or fun!)
FAMILY DAY CARE SERVICES
A United Way Agency
We need loving and reliable people to provide daycarc in
their homes in some downtown areas.
We offer training courses, ongoing support from an experienced
field worker, equipment, educational toys, and books.
We prefer houses with fe nced backyards but will consider
apartments that are spacious and well maintained.
For information about rewarding work in childcarc while
staying in your own home, please call Doreen 922-9556.

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.
DATES
TO
WATCH
* Friday and Saturday nights at
the Greeks (Special Coffee Cafe)
AI Cromwell plays blues.
* Monday and Tuesday nights
at the Greeks (Special Coffee
Cafe) AI Cromwell hosts an op0n
stage.
* Tuesday December 12 at the
Siboney (977-7336): Steven C &
the Red Rockets
* Wednesday December 13 ,at
the Siboney: O.K. Lorenzo
*Thursday December 14 at the
Siboney: Breeding Ground
*Thursday December 14atSanderson
Library Chinese film for
adults "Love on the Big Country"
6:30pm
* Friday December 15 at Last
Temptation (for info. about event

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.
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What's Wrong with
This Picture?
II il
This year's
Neighbourhood
Yellow
12
~~·-··~ ...
~ HAIIOOOOST
§ Lilt/ :
e Italy ~
DUNDAS 5T. W.
~
-
Chinlllown
QUEENST. w
Queen Street W-.t S
KING ST. w. I ~
Pages. Do they
know·something we don't?
F-QONT ST
CN TO'MR •
Free DRUM gift subscription (value $18.00) to all DRUM readers
who spot the mistake. (See page 7 for subscription information).
Buy your Kensington Carnival
T-Shirt Today!!!!
To surchase one for yourself
an that special person
on your C~ristmas list,
call 967-6253.
FREE
If you live, work or study
on our map (see page 6-7)
YOU CAN ADVERTISE
HERE FREE
25 word max. (5 lines)
" .
~~
CLASSIFICATIONS
00 For rent and sale
01 Yard Sale
02 Child care
03 Help wanted
04 Help at hand
05 Swap Column
06 Personal
07 Lost and found
·­·-
·-.•·­·- •
Now you're
just steps away .
[[J
---------
00 For rent and sale
APARTMENT for rent at College
and Spadina. 2 bedroom.
Available immediately. Phone
593-9750
TOSHIBA MICROWAVE,
FOR SALK Late model, well
maintained, excellent condition.
$100. Phone 979-7254
ATTENTION HEALTH
CARl