The riches of Runnymede
You might be hard pressed to find maps of these neighbourhoods woven into pillowcases or on tote bags in boutique shops. They might not be on Vogue magazine’s “coolest” neighbourhood lists. At least not yet. These are some of Toronto and the GTA’s most underrated blocks, where homes still sell for less than $1 million, where tourists don’t always wander, but where Torontonians can find plenty to satiate their inner urban explorer. This week: Runnymede Where: The core of this neighbourhood is between Jane St. to the west and Runnymede Rd. to the east, while the north and south boundaries are not as well defined. The southern boundary can be as low as Bloor St. W. By other measures, Runnymede begins one kilometre north at Annette St. The northern boundary is typically along the railway tracks at Dundas St. W., but can go as far as Alliance Ave. and Black Creek, which is sometimes considered the Rockcliffe-Smythe neighbourhood. When: The name Runnymede is derived from the Anglo-Saxon words “runieg” (regular meeting) and “mede” (meadow), according to Marc Shell’s historical geography book Islandology, referring to the original Runnymede: the water-meadow where the Magna Carta was signed in 13th century England. The Toronto neighbourhood takes its name from landowner John Scarlett, who named his house Runnymede when it was built in 1838 at present day Dundas St. W. and Runnymede Rd. A large swath of land was subdivided and purchased by a Marcus Rossin in 1856 and dubbed
“Runnymede Estate,” but it wasn’t until the early 1900s when most homes were built.
The Bloor West Village Business Improvement Area was the first BIA in the city and became a model for BIA’s around the world. It started in 1970 in response to the loss of revenue to shopping malls and fears the extended subway (stretched to Islington in 1968) would mean even fewer pedestrian customers walking sidewalks. The Bloor merchants’ push to improve the strip, which included string lights and flower pots, led to the inclusion of the BIA section of the Municipal Act. Today there are more than 80 BIAs in the city. What: The Bloor West Village shopping district, which is so well defined that it is often considered its own neighbourhood, is the main drag in Runnymede. The community’s distinct baby-blue firehall, Fire Station 424, which has stood for 91 years on Runnymede Rd., was shuttered in 2014 after budget cuts under former mayor Rob Ford. It reopened in 2016 primarily for safety education.
The area high school, Runnymede Collegiate Institute, opened in1927, the same year as the fire hall and the Runnymede Theatre, which closed to some community uproar in 1999. The theatre is now a Shoppers Drug Mart, though much of its historic flare has been maintained inside and out. The Runnymede Library, opened in 1929, still stands and maintains ornately carved stone totem poles outlining the door frame. Who: Notable graduates and faculty of Runnymede Collegiate Institute include news anchor Dwight Drummond, Rookie Blue actress Charlotte Sullivan, Canadian NHL star P.K. Subban’s father Karl Subban who worked as vice-principle of an adult night school program, and 1989 Stanley Cupwinning Calgary Flames captain Jim Peplinski.
And here’s the why of visiting Runnymede to eat, drink, pamper and find a little bit of whimsy. Eat Mad Mexican 405 Jane St. madmexican.ca Before Mad Mexican became one of the most recognizable Toronto brands for salsa and guacamole, founder Jose Hadad lived in a school bus on a farm near Collingwood, Ont. The bus was retrofitted for apprenticeship lodging for German-Canadian celebrity chef Michael Stadtländer’s Eigensinn Farm in Singhampton. The Mexico City-born Hadad marinated his business ambitions while helping to create Stadtländer’s “Heaven on Earth” farm-to-table fine din- ing experience.
Hadad brought that desire for fresh ingredients back to the city and began selling burritos, soups, guacamole and salsa at St. Lawrence Market on Saturdays.
Today he has a large production space in Scarborough making six varieties of salsas and dips, and a flagship taco house on Jane St. where he serves dishes like Oaxaca stuffed poblano peppers known as “chile relleno” and a corn tortilla pie called a “pastel azteca” layered with eggplant, beans, salsa and jalapenos.
The Toronto brand features images of Mexican revolutionaries, which Hadad says represents the original mission of his business: “We’re carrying on the revolution of making fresh food.”
Though producers and consumers have come a long way over the last 12 years, when he began making Mad Mexican products, Hadad was frustrated by the preservatives in food and the lack of fresh options.
His desire to make fresh food came out of that discontent, hence the company name: “It was about being mad about what people were eating and what people were supporting at the supermarkets,” he says. “Back then it was definitely a revolution. We were going outside the pack.” Drink The Cat Pub & Eatery 3513 Dundas St. W. thecatpub.com
While the trendiest pubs can be found east in the burgeoning Junction neighbourhood, the Cat Pub & Eatery owner Angelo Chomatas sometimes considers his bar a kind of “gateway” to that neighbourhood, near the intersection of Dundas St. W. and St. Clair Ave. W. in the northern section of Runnymede.
The restaurant, previously a Texas Pit and most recently the Black Cat Pub, wasn’t always so welcoming, he said. “When it was the Black Cat, there were a lot of fights here and stuff. It wasn’t really family-friendly,” he said. But when Chomatas called to wish a former owner happy birthday, he thought to ask if he would consider selling the bar.
That’s when the ball got rolling, he recalled, and a new era of the pub began. When it reopened four years ago, Chomatas had two silent partners (he’s now sole owner). One suggest- ed he keep the recognizable “cat” in the name and branding.
They still have raucous karaoke nights, playfully advertised on Facebook with video of an elderly man dancing along a sidewalk, and rocking live bands in the evening like the James Green Electric and the Junction City All-Stars, but the rebrand and new ownership has helped encourage a more family-friendly environment, says Chomatas. It’s still the beer (over 12 draft taps and a collection of canned craft beers) and his employees, though, that keep the pub full and lively.
“It’s the staff that make the place,” said Chomatas. “They make all the people who come in — whether they’ve known them for 10 years or one day — they make them feel at home as soon as they walk in.” Pamper Diaper-eez 501 Runnymede Rd. diaper-eez.com
After more than two decades on the Bloor West Village strip, Diaper-eez founder Susan Tomaszewski was forced out after arent hike. She amicably parted ways with staff, some of whom retired or had babies, and now operates the cloth diaper business in a store less than half the size near Annette St. The move was a sign of changing times in the Bloor shopping district, which had been evolving for some time, she said. Big box stores are moving in, replacing smaller shops.
“There were so many independent retailers on the street and that made it really fun,” she said of the earlier years. But Diaper-eez has found a new life in a part of the community that is more like a neighbourhood than a shopping mall. Some customers are happier with the new store, she said.
“People now will come out of their way. They don’t go down to Bloor West Village anymore because it’s changed so much,” she said.
Her industry has changed quite a bit too. In the earlier days of Diaper-eez, she was one of few cloth diaper options in the city. Environmental movements of the early ’90s brought the diaper industry back to the pre-disposable days. But the industry has ebbed and flowed just as the misconceptions about cloth diapers have come in waves.
“People have this misconception that it’s a lot of work,” said Tomaszewski. It’s a bigger initial investment financially, but is ultimately more comfortable for the baby and is actually simple to clean.
Today, there are more cloth diapers on the market than ever. “Moms and dads are building businesses out of their homes,” she said. It’s affected her own business, but Diapereez still brings Tomaszewski plenty of joy that she hopes she can continue to share with Toronto parents.
“Shop your neighbourhood,” she said, “because if you don’t, we won’t be here anymore.” Whimsy Roach Tackle Folk Art Gallery 355 Jane St. roachtackle.ca
Before he opened his gallery on Jane St., Kevin Roach started making fish carvings as a side gig. His intention was to make enough money in order to leave his job working in nursing home kitchens and spend more time writing short stories.
“It was to free up time to write, which backfired because I haven’t written anything since,” he joked.
“Sometimes a big part of writing is avoiding writing.”
The art quickly consumed his time as he learned what he was capable of. Plus, the work was selling. He eventually purchased the storefront on Jane St., which has been his studio space for nearly 20 years. He is one of the longest-term owners in the Jane St. area.
Roach still makes plenty of fishy, cottage country-inspired folk art, but his style has evolved into more urban-focused fare, he said.
He often works with found objects to create “steampunk” metallic assemblages. One recent piece was a small mounted boat made with parts from two antique typewriters, a pump organ, a piano, a game of Twister, rivets from a pair of Levi’s jeans, a sewing machine and an old crate.
Roach rediscovers his original passion for writing when he comes up with narrative sketches for his creations. In a series of 50 fish carvings this year called “In Praise of Smaller Fish,” he wrote a small fictional description printed on vintage invoice paper to accompany each fish.