A vibrant, family-friendly area
Toronto’s vibrant Greektown neighbourhood is best known by locals for its bustling patios, a massive summer food festival and dogs and strollers clogging sidewalks. It features spectacular views of the Toronto skyline, was famously home to late Tragically Hip frontman Gord Downie, and was referenced in the Barenaked Ladies song, The Old Apartment.
On Sunday, it became globally known for a shooting that killed two and injured 13 others. Authorities said the suspected gunman fled the area on foot and was later found dead with a gunshot wound.
The horrific eruption of violence took place in an area known for family—friendly bars, restaurants and businesses, Howard Lichtman, a spokesman for the upcoming Taste of the Danforth festival, said Monday.
Its mix of ice cream shops, parks, cafés, and burger joints has made it much more than just a hub for the city’s Greek immigrants who originally gave the stretch its name decades ago, he says of the area, a haven for gyros, tzatziki and souvlaki, but also sushi and Ethiopian injera and kitfo.
Even those who have never visited will likely recognize the impressive views it offers of downtown Toronto, with films including the 2013 romantic comedy The F Word showcasing a majestic skyline shot from the neighbourhood’s western boundary, next to the Don River.
Famous Canadians with strong ties to the area include Blue Rodeo, whose studio The Woodshed is within blocks of the shooting, and former Barenaked Ladies singer Steven Page, who on Monday tweeted a line from his ode to a former residence.
The crooner said he had lived in the area for 25 years, and it’s where his kids live today: “What an awful, violent year for Toronto,” he said on his verified account @stevenpage.
Former Montreal mainstay Jay Baruchel also tweeted his sorrow from @BaruchelNDG, noting he moved to Toronto’s east end a few years ago: “I truly love it here. What happened on the Danforth last night was ugly, opportunistic barbarism.”
Montreal band Arcade Fire, who played a show in the west end Monday night, added they were “sending all our love to those affected.”
And the Winnipeg-born star and writer of My Big Fat Greek Wedding chimed in with her support for the area: “My heart is with all in Toronto’s Greektown,” Nia Vardalos said from her verified account, @NiaVardalos. “I hope the streets are packed tonight in defiance of fear and in solidarity of family and love.”
Tributes also poured in from singer Jann Arden, comic Gerry Dee, former Suits star Patrick J. Adams and interior designers and TV personalities Colin McAllister and Justin Ryan.
The colourful neighbourhood offers a unique mix of old and new, says Lichtman, noting the area has evolved dramatically as young professionals snapped up houses in leafy side streets.
Markers of its Greek identity include an Alexander the Great statue and square, St. Irene Greek Orthodox Church, and cultural associations.
One of its best known cultural hubs is the Danforth Music Hall, previously a silent film venue and later a Greek language theatre. Now, it hosts an array of stars both emerging and established — Justin Bieber played an acoustic set there in 2015, and Daniel Caesar held a five-show run at the venue late last year. Meanwhile, film shoots there have included the period musical Chicago and the New York-set disco drama 54, according to the local business association.
Lichtman says the Danforth strip has always been considered safe and welcoming. He says the annual Taste of the Danforth typically draws 1.6 million people and runs Aug. 10 to 12 this year. “You walk in the street and people nod and smile, that’s the kind of neighbourhood that it is.”
Resident Valia Tseliou, who works at a nearby Greek radio station, described it as “like a small village for us,” while longtime resident Tina Papachristos says she feels sorry for relatives of the dead and injured.
“I was up until about 5 o’clock in the morning, just devastated,” says Papachristos.
George Vergados doesn’t live in the area, but like many mornings over the past 45 years, he headed to the fountain in the Alexander the Great Parkette on Monday.
He said the landmark is a gathering spot for residents and non-residents alike. “They all meet there, get together and have a coffee and just talk about old times and things that are happening. I guess now they’ll be talking about this tragedy.”