RPTV WEEKLY NEWS (EP-61) St James Town Fest; Daniels Spectrum's future; Artscape Receivership Update

By Fred Alvarado. Fred is a community journalist with FOCUS MEDIA ARTS CENTRE.

RPTV Weekly News Show Episode 61 (Sep 6th to Sept 18th).

In this weekly news show hosted by RPTV reporters Fred Alvarado, Kedar Ahmed, Gabriel Meissner and Jabin Haque, we present news that impacts on Toronto's Regent Park and the surrounding areas.

Episode 61 features segments on:

• Artscape provides update on receivership process to tenants and owners (01:46 min);
• Heela Omarkhail Vice President of Social Impact at Daniels Corporation speaks on what lies ahead for Daniels Spectrum as Artscape enters receivership (03:28 min);
• Denise Soueidan-O'Leary shares her insights on future of Daniels Spectrum Building after Artscape becomes insolvent (08:45 min);
• The Cabbagetown Festival is back with its biggest street festival to date (16:44 min);
• St James Town Festival 2023 gathers residents and friends to celebrate togetherness and diversity (26:55 min);
• Neighbourhood Legal Services celebrates 50th anniversary in Regent Park (37:57 min);
• Regent Park community-based dance studio Citadel + Compagnie lunches Citadel Live 23.24 (45:19 min);
• Regent Park United Soccer offers free program for children in the neighbourhood despite lack of funding (49:43 min);
• Woman dead after daylight stabbing in Cabbagetown on Sep 9. (58:36 min);
• Events and Jobs in Regent Park (59:14 min).

This week’s lead story:
St James Town community celebrates annual festival of togetherness and diversity.

The St James Town Festival is a multicultural celebration that showcases St James Town's rich and diverse community while helping residents connect and engage with one another and with the neighborhood.

On September 9th, St James Town community gathered to commemorate its annual festival at St. James Avenue and Wellesley St. East from 2 to 7pm. The event featured live performances by local talent, local food vendors, interactive information booths, and a range of activities for children, youth, adults and seniors.

The festival provides fun and enjoyment for young and old, fosters a greater sense of belonging, and allows residents to discover what services are offered around them. It also gives the community a chance to meet local political representatives, businesses and service providers. Over the years, the St. James Town Festival has consistently been a vital meeting place and hub for the community.

City Councillor for Ward-13 Chris Moise, Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow, and MPP for Toronto Centre Kristyn Wong Tam were among the political representatives who joined this amazing community event.

“St James Town is a wonderful community. I’m so happy that we have the festival back! It was great last year. It is bigger this year. Everyone is here. Everyone is having a great time. The food, the entertainment, the kids, everything is wonderful about it and I’m so happy to be here. We need to have community events like this on the ground so we can come together and share each other’s time and experience the beauty of St James Town”, said Chris Moise to RPTV News.