Meet Grant Maltman, the curator of Banting House and one of the Old East Village BIA’s Associate Members! Located at 442 Adelaide Street North, Banting House almost needs no introduction. It’s the “Birthplace of Insulin”; a national historic site chronicling the life of Sir Frederick Banting and his major contribution to science that saved countless lives. Maltman has been the curator of Banting House for more than 30 years, but he says time hasn’t taken away any job satisfac

Meet John Kudelka, one of the co-owners of Junction Climbing Centre and one of the Old East Village BIA’s Neighbourhood Partners! Located at 1030 Elias Street, this is a full service climbing gym, featuring top rope climbs, auto belays, lead climbs, bouldering, and a fitness centre! With a background in climbing and outdoor recreation, Kudelka saw that London was lacking in a proper climbing gym “Growing up in London, there's a strong perception that if it's in London, the ve

Meet Hutton House and the PATCH! Hutton House is a non-profit that supports adults with disabilities through programming that develops valuable skills, and they’re one of the Old East Village BIA’s Associate Partners! Hutton House began life in 1952 as the Association for Handicapped Adults, and over the past 70 years has been providing a safe and comfortable environment where people can learn and achieve whatever goal they set their mind to. The PATCH was started as a subset

Meet LIFE*SPIN, a non-profit organization focused on helping low-income families throughout the year and one of the Old East Village BIA’s Associate Partners! LIFE*SPIN started out in 1989 as a group of sole-support mothers trying to do what they could to help alleviate poverty within the community. “They found pooling resources really helped each other get ahead,” says Meagen Ciufo, co-executive director of LIFE*SPIN. “One person had a car, they could car share. One person h

Meet Tristan Squire-Smith & Johnny Hewerdine, the co-owner’s of Coldwell Banker Beaver Realty! Located at 992 Dundas Street, this brokerage wants to lighten up the world of real estate. Both have worked at real estate brokerages in the past, but found the culture norm a bit too "stifling.” So, Squire-Smith and Hewerdine opened their own brokerage in June of 2023. “We don't want to be like them, and it made it very difficult for us to operate. So having our own brokerage now,

Would you kill for respect? For money? For glory? In the right hands, a creative idea can be all three, and in Deathtrap that’s worth dying for. The Palace’s latest production, directed by James Patterson, is packed with nail-biting combat, shocking twists, and memorable performances. Catch it before it closes on Dec. 7 ! Sydney (David Lamari) and Clifford (Marc Motiejunas) eye up the competition. Photo by Ross Davidson. Sydney Bruhl (David Lamari), a once-famed playwright o

After decades of artistic creation, Dave Semple is finally putting it all on one stage. “This has been 40 years in the making, really," he says. "Now I’m putting it all together, all of the things that I do, as opposed to just one at a time." Blending his many roles as a singer-songwriter, poet, actor, director, and guitar crafter, Dave stages an uplifting and experimental show at the Palace Theatre on Nov. 6. Songs & Stories with Dave Semple , a one-night-only event in Pr

Meet Vince Ianni, the president and general manager for Tony’s Pizza! Located at 980 Dundas Street, this family-owned business has been serving up classic Italian food for over 60 years. With a focus on good food at reasonable prices, Tony has become an Old East Village staple. “Really, it is about personal experience for our customers,” Ianni says. “Our customers, especially our long term customers, they actually end up becoming friends.” Tony’s was opened by Ianni’s father,

Give yourself over to absolute pleasure! The Rocky Horror Show , presented by Infuse Productions and the Palace Theatre, is unabashedly queer and packed with audience participation. After playing to sold-out crowds in its first week, tickets are limited for the remaining shows of this cult classic. Get yours  before it closes on Nov. 2! Dr. Frank-N-Furter (Shaidon Woods) surrounded by an ensemble of Phantoms. Photo by Ross Davidson. As a storm rages, straightlaced sweethearts

These days, with growing economic pressures both at home and on the national scale, shopping locally is more important than ever. Right in the heart of Old East Village, the Market at Western Fair District puts a focus on connecting with its community. “77% of everything you can get here is made right here in the Market and the balance is all locally sourced,” says Carole Sceli, the Business Development Manager at the Market. “It has over 100 permanent and pop-up shops, all l

Extra, extra, read all about it! The Front Page: SCOOPED  makes headlines as it opens the Palace Theatre’s 2025-2026 season. Directed by...

Meet Hali Gallerno, the owner and Interior Designer at Black Mountain Design Group! Located at 660 Dundas Street, this is a one-stop shop for all things interior design. The husband and wife combo have been in the business of renovation and interior design for more than 20 years, but their retail space has been open in Old East Village for three years. “My husband takes care of the renovation side of our company, and then I'm the interior designer, so I do all the design work

Meet Caileigh Robson, the Community Manager at Old East Village’s Libro Credit Union! Located at 874 Dundas Street, this community minded...

Meet Graham Stuart, the President of McHardy Vacuum! Located at 1004 Dundas Street, this family business has been supplying London with...

Meet Renee Kaplansky & Theo Agathos, the owners of Renee’s Sandwich Shop. Located at 1018 Dundas Street, this sandwich shop is bringing...

Meet Jameson Shaw, the owner and one of the barbers at Holy Ghost Co. Located in the heart of Old East Village at 724 Dundas, this combo...

Meet Rob Hanson, one of the co-owners of Habitus Furniture, Lighting and Home Decor! Located in the heart of Old East Village at 762...

Meet Kriss Portillo, the owner and one of the tattoo artists at Victory Tattoo! Located right at the entrance to Old East Village at 634...

Tara Davies (left) and Robin Henry (right) are two of the folks behind Honey Dip Bar, located right above Dough EV. Meet Robin Henry, the...

A country manor, a ghastly murder, and a mess of mysteries! Murdered to Death turns an Agatha Christie-esque crime on its head, and...