By Giovanna Mackinlay –
Toronto may be getting colder, but the Downtown East community feels warmer than ever. Soon the Eaton Centre will be packed, and holiday traffic will test everyone’s patience, but in this neighbourhood, people are gathering, connecting, and celebrating the things that matter most.
There is no shortage of messaging in the media about holiday burnout, yet much of the real pleasure of this season comes from what’s already here. The beautiful red brick buildings of Corktown against the snow, the opening of the Regent Park ice rink, free Friday night jazz at the St. Lawrence Winter Market, and a delicious, velvety cup of drinking chocolate at Soma in the Distillery Winter Village – countless simple pleasures may be enjoyed.
Our neighbourhood is special, and some of the best moments occur in the places we return to during the holidays. Nothing excites me more than when my partner suggests we ditch our cooking plans and opt for dinner at the House on Parliament (more lovingly called The Hop).
It’s a natural gathering place for locals on a snowy night, open 365 days of the year. You can settle in with a pint in the beautiful Victorian house and catch the Leafs game. Toronto’s major league hockey team may be infamously unreliable, but the staff at the HOP are always welcoming, and the chicken club sandwich is always delicious.
That feeling of togetherness extends well beyond the pub door. This winter brings three new babies into our group of friends. At a recent gathering we gifted our favourite children’s books and wrote messages inside for the kids who will one day read them. We also did this for another friend’s baby shower in November.
Instead of expensive toys, some families would rather build libraries of loving messages. It was a nice reminder that the traditions we pass on and the meaningful sentiments we share carry us through the chaos of the season.
Even the simplest errands feel different at this time of year. A quick detour for shortbread at Roselle ends in a catch-up with a neighbour in the lineup whom I haven’t seen since summer. A friendly chat with Joe at Moss Park Espresso on my way to get groceries somehow ends in a scoop of gelato on a freezing day, because it’s just that delicious! Maybe my excuse is I’m stopping so often for something sweet that I’m bound to enjoy myself…but all these places, people and rituals are what make the Downtown East feel like home in winter.
The east end is by no means a fairy tale place, but in the rush and a frenzy of December, I think the neighbourhood knows that this time of year should be felt slowly. It’s felt in familiar pubs, in the milestones experienced by friends and family, and in the simple charms of a Christmas light-lined street.
Substantial snow may have yet to fall on the city, but I’m looking forward to seeing kids barreling down a snowy hill at Riverdale Park in toboggans backed by a glowing Toronto skyline.
