Type: Historical Society

Founded in 1989, this organization has sought to preserve the architectural integrity and historic character of the Cabbagetown neighbourhood in Toronto, one of the largest areas of continuous, preserved Victorian housing in North America. Following the efforts of the CPA, most of what is now Cabbagetown has been designated as an heritage conservation district in the early 2000s. This has allowed the CPA to move from being a preservation activist to an educational organization.

Programming:

Conservation/Preservation:

Architecture

Walking tours highlight the restoration of Cabbagetown homes in the style of Worker’s Cottage, Georgian, Queen Anne, Second Empire, Gothic Revival, Bay n’ Gable, Romanesque Revival, and Arts and Crafts

Public Programming:

Plaques

The Cabbagetown People Project commemorates more than fifty historical personalities and colourful characters who lived in Cabbagetown and who have contributed to Canada’s rich heritage. The project has expanded to include the many other “heroes” and their inspiring stories which are explored through an online exhibit as well as incorporated in their Program for Schools.

Tours

To facilitate self-guided walking tours by the public, the association has installed a Cabbagetown People Orientation Directory, including images, biographical text and a map of plaque locations, which is located at the northwest corner of Riverdale Park. For that purpose, a brochure exists. All this material is complemented by the www.cabbagetownpeople.ca website.  Cabbagetown People tours are also offered (with guides) free of charge to local schools.

The CPA also offers various seasonal tours (with guides) often organized in cooperation  with organizations such as Heritage Toronto, la Société d’histoire de Toronto, etc. Tours vary every year and can touch on such topic as architecture, social history, remarkable people, medical heritage, artists and writers, etc. CPA guides can also take the public through Cabbagetown’s two historical cemeteries: the Necropolis and the St. James Cemetery.

Educational Programming

Produces and provides teaching manuals (including biographies of the “heritage heroes”) for teachers to use in classroom projects and to “pre-teach” students in advance of participating in guided walking tours of Cabbagetown.

Volunteer/Internship/Placement Opportunities:

Continuously seeking volunteers for projects such as the Walking Tours, heritage and historical research, and Newsletter delivery as well as seasonal activities include staffing the Cabbagetown Festival Booth and helping out with various CPA fundraisers such at the Cabbagetown Tour of Homes or the Hidden Gardens & Secret Spaces.

Address & Contact Information:

RPO Cabbagetown
467 Parliament Street
Toronto, Ontario
M5A 3Y2

Phone:
Email: cpa@cabbagetownpa.ca
Website: http://www.cabbagetownpa.ca

Hours of Operation:

Key Words: neighbourhood, architecture, social