Cabbagetown Preservation Association
The Cabbagetown Preservation Association (CPA) was founded in the late 1980s by a group of citizens concerned about developments taking place in the neighbourhood. The CPA was formally incorporated in 1989 with the goal of helping to preserve the architectural integrity and historic character of Cabbagetown. Initially, its focus was advocacy for the preservation of this historic district and the board was activist in style. It was closely involved in saving several buildings, such as the Amelia St. cottages at the top of Metcalfe, 5 Rose Avenue, and the mansions of Carlton Street. The CPA was also instrumental in the creation of the heritage conservation districts (HCDs) in the early 2000s which gave the City of Toronto power and responsibility over heritage conservation. The Cabbagetown Heritage Conservation District Committee is an offshoot of the CPA and works with the City to identify and support heritage conservation issues linked to the HCD designation.
These changes in the heritage landscape allowed the CPA to expand its mandate and to focus on other aspects of heritage conservation. The CPA developed, and is now running, several educational programs that aim at interpreting and understanding Cabbagetown’s heritage - architecture, people, streetscapes and landmarks, including two heritage cemeteries and a turn of the 20th century farm.1 Several local organisations now focus on Cabbagetown - you'll find a list on our Contact Us page. The CPA has adopted a principle of collaborative advocacy which expresses our desire to partner with other organisations whenever appropriate thereby building a community network. More information on our activities can be found in the Events, Awards and Heritage sections of the site.
Read our latest Constitution which was approved by the Association at the Annual General Meeting, May 31, 2021.
Meet our Current Board of Directors, Past Chairs & Presidents of the CPA
The Cabbagetown Preservation Association is a registered charity # 850536160 RR0001. We are a member of the Ontario Historical Society, the Toronto Historical Association, the Architectural Conservancy Ontario and the National Trust for Canada.
The 2022-2023 CPA AGM was held on May 30, 2023
at the Meeting House at Riverdale Farm
Documents from the meeting:
Minutes of the 2021-2022 AGM (draft)
1 An attempt to close the Riverdale Farm by the City as a budgetary measure met strong resistance from a local Cabbagetown group who successfully worked with the City to save the farm. The farm is now managed by the Riverdale Farm Stewardship Group, which was officially appointed by the City in March 2013. Riverdale Farm is operated by City of Toronto Parks, Forestry and Recreation.
DISCLAIMER: AN IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT IMAGES USED ON THE SITE
We have done our best to identify the original images shown on this site, and those we use in our educational programs, and to
credit the source. If there are any queries or concerns, please contact the CPA immediately.