Beyond Acquara

Outside of Children's Storefront on Bathurst.

When I spent three weeks in Toronto in Spring, despite my being busy with that whole, oh, conceiving a child while on birth control thing, one of my biggest challenges was to keep the kids and I busy during the many days that Big N was at work. I was in a new town and only had myself and public transportation at my disposal, and I have to say, we did very well finding fun things to do.

A reader of this blog (and I’m sorry, I can’t figure out how to look up who) suggested that I take the kids to someplace called “The Children’s Storefront,” that was just a few subway stops and about a ten minute walk from N’s house. This was one of the first places I ventured off to with the kids on the subway by ourselves. I was nervous because even though I looked it up on the internet, I didn’t quite get what this place was. It was a government-funded early childhood center funded by the Ministry of Children and Youth Services. It said it provided resources and information to families with children under six. Okay. So I’m thinking of this in an Americanized way, and I think that it is some kind of place for low-income, high-risk families where you have to apply for services and go through a bunch of bureaucratic hoops and then you get some kind of counselor that tells you what other services you qualify for while doing little developmental assessments on your kids. (Kind of like the Healthy Start program I was used to.)

But I read this article and decided to give it a go and just show up and see what is there,  not knowing whether I, as essentially a tourist from the States would even be allowed in the building. When I entered the building, which was a large multi-level playroom with a kitchen in the back with fresh coffee smells and a crockpot full of soup, I held the kids hands tightly and would not let them go running off into the fun. I awkwardly explained to the woman who seemed to work there that I was from the states visiting my fiancé and was just looking for places for the kids to go to keep us occupied that were low-cost. She invited all of us in and said we could come there any time for free, make ourselves at home, did I want some coffee or soup?

I was all, “Free? Really? You know I am not a resident of Toronto? Are you just being extra nice to me?” I was sort of dumbfounded by this whole notion. But she reassured me that the Children’s Storefront was for everyone with small children, it didn’t matter where you came from or how much money you had or what you needed…an hour of playtime or intense services for mom’s in crisis, they would try to help you out. I filled out no paperwork, gave no address or information about myself (officially, I did tell her our names, but that was it.) Not even a donation box was to be found. She went over some simple rules of play and introduced me to some other mothers. The kids ran off and did their thing while I horrified the moms with my stories of U.S. health insurance premiums and lack of health care, and they told me of different resources available in the Toronto area for moms and kids. I was loaded up with suggestions of other places to take my kids for free or low-cost, and she helped me navigate a better transit route back home.  On a subsequent visit, when Little A had a potty accident after we’d been there just five minutes and I thought we would have to go home because I stupidly forgot to bring extra clothing for him, she pulled out a huge garbage bag of clothes and let us dig in, sending us home in them and told us not to worry about returning them since we were leaving the area soon. (A still has these beloved Halloween socks from there. He was so happy to wear them on Halloween and remembered where they came from.)

It was just the coolest vibe ever. So Canadian. I even thought that if I was able to get permanent residency in Canada and get out from under the health insurance hell-hole I’m currently in and go back to work full-time, I’d totally love to work in a place like this or start something of my own like it. At the very least, I knew that when I got back to Toronto (sooner or later…) I already had some connections to build on and would not be so alone in a new city. I was so looking forward to going back there again.

I was very sad to learn that over the weekend there was a fire and the place burnt down. Everything was lost and the building is totaled. It was such a neat old building, too. So colorful. And a neighborhood landmark that had been hosting families for a couple of generations. Parents were there who had spent time there as children, and now it’s gone.

Luckily, it seems that the storefront touched others as much as it did me, and it is not a building but a community. There are already efforts to find a new location and rebuild underway.  There is a Facebook page called “The Children’s Storefront Needs a New Home” where organizing efforts are taking place, and a fund for donations set up:

Our Charitable Donation account is up and running at TD Canada Trust. The Transit # is 13602 and the Account # is 5206664. (The Children’s Storefront.com)

I know that this cause is far removed from most of my readers, but I thought the least I could do is make a small donation myself and to spread the word to anyone else that is interested.

Here are some pictures of my guys at the Children’s Storefront last Spring:

Little N beelined to the trains. The staff member who was so helpful looks on.

A and N discover that Toronto has toys, too.

I don't know if you can see, but there is a comfy kitchen in the back.

New friends.

Colorful and Cheery with lots of artwork and wall murals, I hope they can replace this atmosphere.