Tom the backroads traveller hosts this weekly meme.
Timeless Thursdays is hosted by Stevenson Que
Click here for a history of Toronto lane naming and a list of other lanes. That post is a work in progress, and gets updated frequently.
Part of our outing last week click here for an amazing mural we also found.
This lane is called Milky Way, once upon a time this alley led to a dairy. Story has it that milk was often spilt along the way.
I am trying to find out the name of the dairy and its history. I may need to go to the reference library when we are out of lockdown.
Lost Toronto has a brief reference to Parkdale Dairy, Harris and Sons.
Paying homage to its background, a horse, wagon wheel and an overturned milk can.
This mural (and hostel???) are new to me.
"Last night they were here..."
An old Elicser.
A patch of back-alley land has undergone a decade-long transformation from an underutilized privately-owned plot to a thriving community garden that produces over one thousand pounds of fresh vegetables each year.
“The Milky Way garden is a pretty unusual community garden, because it’s on private land,” explains Joshua Barndt, Development Coordinator of the Parkdale Neighbourhood Land Trust. The plot’s owner, a local filmmaker, was unable to acquire the permits needed to build housing on the plot, and it went unused. About ten years ago, Tish Carnat, an ESL teacher at the Parkdale Library, had a conversation with her students about the costs of vegetables. The students, mostly refugees from India and Tibet, said produce available in stores was “quite unaffordable,” says Barndt. “But they had quite a bit of experience with growing food.” Carnat approached the owner of the plot, and a community garden was seeded.
For the past decade, the library’s ESL students have worked about 40% of the lot, growing vegetables in raised bed. “The class gardens every Monday morning from nine to noon” says Barndt. “Throughout the week, the students who are interested are going there on their own time and taking care of the site.”
Love the Milky Way -idea.
ReplyDeleteAnd all the murals, such a treat - there is always hope.
Especially with students like that.
...what a fabulous tour this has been and to think that I found the Milky Way! This highlights the value of neighborhoods. Thanks Jackie for sharing.
ReplyDeleteAmazing murals!
ReplyDeleteGreat to hear of the ESL students getting that garden going...and I loved all the murals. These were some of the first old ones that have faded away that I've seen.
ReplyDeleteSpectacular place. It lives, apparently
ReplyDeleteLove the street art - marvelous!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing at https://image-in-ing.blogspot.com/2021/04/cape-hatteras-lighthouse.html
I love the Elmo!
ReplyDeleteWonderful murals and I love your header!
ReplyDeleteQuite an eclectic area.
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad more community is getting into gardening. Fresh veggie and fruit is hard to come by for some people.
ReplyDeleteCoffee is on and stay safe
Great graffiti art!
ReplyDeleteLove the murals and the community garden.
ReplyDeleteI noticed on your neighborhoods and lanes name page you mention Cabbagetown. I used to live in a neighborhood named Cabbagetown in Atlanta in the US. I think you would like Atlanta's Cabbagetown. The neighborhood is an old textile mill neighborhood (now gentrified). The community is bordered on its northern edge by a large wall - maybe 30 feet high in some places. It used to be an eyesore and a place for graffiti until an organization called Forward Warrior started painting murals on it. Now once (maybe twice) a year artists are invited to repaint and add murals - it is quite an event.
That's a ton of cool looking murals, I like the milky way name.
ReplyDeleteWow, that is a fabulous place you found with such imaginative artwork. It make me smile to know that someone donated their land to the kids for veggies.
ReplyDeleteThanks for being a part of 'My Corner of the World' this week!
Wonderful murals and a fabulous community garden!
ReplyDelete