After having moved back to Toronto I wanted to get involved with my community. I live in a part of Toronto called Corktown, which is an historic Old Town neighbourhood in the midst of massive changes. Corktown has immense potential and it is because of this fact that I decided to contribute my time and accept to be part of the ‘Corktown Residents and Business Association’ – (CRBA).
A little background
This neighbourhood originated in the early 1800s and was a home to many Irish emigrants from the County Cork. Across the street from me is the first Catholic parish built in Toronto in 1887 named St. Paul’s Basilica, and around the corner is the oldest church in Toronto, Little Trinity Church which was built in 1843. Since these early years this community has undergone many changes unfortunately not all for the better and with successive ‘Ward 28’ governments the whole lower east side of Toronto has been a dumping ground for the highly medicated or impoverished of Toronto. But things are hopefully changing.
And Now
At the CRBA I am tasked with membership and communication. To this end I am using my passion to help improve and promote the area as a family community and get more neighbours involved with improving our streets and homes. One of my specific responsibilities is the Corktown newsletter which I recently branded ‘The Corktowner’. The newsletter is basically an twelve page black and white document with a run of about 2500. Besides from my skill set, my reasoning to tackle this twelve page quarterly publication was to bring some professionalism and consistency to the most read voice of Corktown. My thinking is simple; more people will get involved, advertise and promote Corktown if there is a sense of maturity and pride that emanates from its image.
My aspirations are that this newsletter can act as one of the major catalysts to not just a Corktown revival but resurgence. I do enjoy this area and hope that my efforts will contribute a sense of pride and commitment that all my neighbours will act upon.