December 17th Christmas Carols at RSGC

One of the most lovely things about the Holiday season is Christmas carols. Not the tinny, Hallmark-y ones piped into every store from November 15th until December 25th.
No, I mean ones that are being sung live, preferably outside, or in a lovely indoor space.
If you feel the same way, you may want to mosey over to Royal St. George's College on Monday at 7 pm for an Evening of Carols.
Admission is free and wine and cheese will be served.
Cheers,
Vanessa

Knights' Fayre At Royal St. George's College

Royal St. George's private school at Howland and Barton is celebrating and inviting the neighbourhood to join the party. Here's the scoop:
"Knights’ Fayre Community Celebration

Mark your calendar now for the Knights’ Fayre family BBQ and community celebration on Sunday, October 28. This is the new date for the event originally scheduled for Sunday, September 30.

Commemorate the opening of our brand new facility on this fun-filled day of celebration. Boys, alumni, faculty, staff and their families and our Annex neighbours are invited to the Dedication Ceremony and the Ceremonial Puck Drop to kick off the first-ever student vs. staff ball hockey game on the brand new Gage Love Tarmac.

From 10:30am – 2:00pm, there will be fun activities for all ages: Zorb balls; face painting; tattoos, jousting and a bouncy castle, to name a few! And come with an appetite – there will be plenty of food, snacks and drinks.

Also on October 28, RSGC is hosting another community event for the Daily Bread Food Bank. Families with young children are invited to head to the fourth annual "Click or Treat" Halloween Pumpkin Patch. Tynan Studios will take a photo of your little one in the "Pumpkin Patch". For every bag of food you bring you will receive a 4x6 print. 

Don’t miss out on the fun! Dress appropriately – fun will be had regardless of the weather!"
Cheers,
Vanessa

Royal St. George's Construction Update and Public Meeting

In case you missed it, neighbourhood private school Royal St. George's issued a community update about its construction plans.
There is a meeting Feb. 16th devoted to the same re: the Howland-Ave. school. Here are the details:

"COMMUNITY INFORMATION MEETING

Toronto City Councillor Adam Vaughan, Ward 20, Trinity/Spadina, invites you to learn more about the construction plans at Royal St. George’s College

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

7 pm

Location: Walmer Road Baptist Church, 188 Lowther Ave.

Meeting agenda items will include:

1. Interim relocation of portable classrooms;

2. Construction timetable and information, including policies regarding possible interruptions of services, road and sidewalk cleaning, etc.;

3. Construction traffic routing through neighbourhood streets, and staging; and

4. Structures and timetables for community liaison.

For more information:

Tel. 416-533-9481 ext. 230"

Cheers,
Vanessa

Royal St. George's Construction -- Feb. 16th Public Meeting

Royal St. George's College in the western end of The Annex is undergoing construction, as many of us know.

The construction has been going on for what seems like a long time, but I live within spitting distance of the school and it doesn't really register as an annoyance, truthfully. Mind you, I don't drive and so I don't notice if there's any traffic diversion. Also, I tend to consider renovation/construction an inevitability of urban living. Be as NIMBY as you want to be, but it's a reality.
But I digress... there will be a public meeting Feb. 16th arranged through Councillor Adam Vaughan's office to update interested neighbours about the school's latest construction plans. More details will follow and if you'd like to learn about the agenda for that meeting and construction details as they arise, sign up for the school's construction notification group.

Just drop an email to neighbourinfo@rsgc.on.ca and put Annex Neighbour in the subject line.

Cheers,

Vanessa

Christmas Carol Concerts

The chilly weather is helping me to deal with the yearly early onslaught of Christmas mania.

Personally, I don't get that tingly feeling until a) there's white stuff on the ground, preferably having fallen in big, fat fluffy flakes b) there's a live tree in my living room, c) there are hand-baked cookies in tins in my kitchen and d) I've listened to Nat King Cole sing The Christmas Song.
It's a given, of course, that I've shared all of the above with my family, including torturing their acoustic sensibilities by singing along to said Christmas Song.

Singing Christmas carols strikes me as one of the least co-opted of Christmas traditions, which must be why my favourite annual party is a caroling one and why I'm mournful that every year I have a conflict with the neighbourhood caroling tradition.

If you feel the same way, two upcoming events might interest you.

On Wed., Dec. 1 from 10:30 a.m. to 11:15 a.m., the Palmerston Public Library is hosting a free Jingle Bell Time: Christmas Sing-a-long.

And on Mon., Dec. 13th, Royal St. George's College is hosting a Neighbourhood Carol Service at Walmer Road Baptist Church. It begins at 7 pm and everyone is welcome.

Happy singing,

Vanessa

Mistletoe Market At Royal St. George's Tuesday

Every year, private school Royal St. George's College hosts a Mistletoe Market Holiday Sale. This year it's on Tues., Nov. 23rd from 10 am to 6 pm.
Admission is free and 40 vendors are featured.

The school is on Howland Ave., just north of Barton St., so nestled right in our neighbourhood. And the setting for the sale inside the school is much lovelier than any shopping mall.

Cheers,
Vanessa

Fire At Royal St. George's

I hear that there was a fire in the Royal St. George's chapel last night. It's near me, but any sirens were drowned out by the raucous party across the street.

I'm hoping the report that I heard, which is that damage is minimal, is correct.

I can't find anything online about it.

Vanessa

A Freudian Slip of the Jung Fringe Play at Royal St. George's

I heard a recommendation for this production, A Freudian Slip of the Jung, which is playing in our area at Royal St. George's College.

Part of the Toronto Fringe Festival, it's only onstage until July 10.

Enjoy!
Vanessa

Royal St. George's Open House re: Construction Plans TONIGHT

This rolled in to my inbox yesterday, so I apologize for the late notice. Usually I receive a flyer at my door about these kinds of meetings, or I hear from the local councillor, but this one seemed to pop out of nowhere, seemingly for "environmental" reasons. And I quote:

"RSGC is hosting an open house for neighbours on Wed. June 9th at 7PM in Ketchum hall to apprise them of our summer 2011 construction plans.
In the interests of the environment, may I prevail upon you to notify our neighbours of this event electronically? Full details are posted on our events page at www.rsgc.on.ca. The plans and the construction management plan are available on the web site also under "about us" then "campus" tabs."

Vanessa

Coffee For A Cause

A flyer landed on my porch today with a lovely message: buy your coffee at certain neighbourhood establishments tomorrow (Thursday) and support the rebuilding of the St. Vincent's Centre for Handicapped Children in Haiti.

The students of Royal St. George's College at Howland and Barton are organizing the effort.

Participating coffee shops include:

Aroma, Albany & Bloor

Insomnia, on the south side of Bloor just east of Bathurst (after 11 am)

Second Cup at Lippincott and Bloor

Starbucks at Albany and Bloor

Future Bakery, Brunswick and Bloor

Just mention Royal St. George's when you purchase your java.

Cheers,

Vanessa