Our History
Take a look at our roots.
Cabbagetown is a vibrant community with a rich history.
In the 1840s, the neighbourhood became home to the many Irish immigrants fleeing famine in Ireland, and the area earned its name for the cabbages and other vegetables that the poor residents would grow in their front yards.
Cabbagetown has changed much since then, and has embraced the term that was once used derisively as a reminder of our immigrant roots.
The Cabbagetown BIA first formed in 1982 primarily to put on the Cabbagetown Festival. Our mandate has expanded considerably in the past 35+ years, as we put on a variety of events, and invest in the development of our streetscapes and public realm.
Land Acknowledgement
We acknowledge that the area we refer to as Cabbagetown today lies on the traditional territory of many nations, including the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee, and the Wendat peoples. We also acknowledge that this land is covered by Treaty No. 13 with the Mississaugas of the Credit.
We recognize that indigenous peoples inhabited these lands long before colonization and little of this history is known, told, or honoured. We are committed to learning more and bringing light to the past and present contributions and the connections indigenous peoples have to this land.