Rosina Shop Keeper Plaques
A commemorative way to acknowledge businesses that have been a part of the Bloorcourt Community for 25 years or more!
When Rosina Peluso opened the Mediterrania Food Store in 1967, she may have laughed at the notion that a local social history project would be named in her honour.
Rosina was loved for who she was as a matter of course: running a tab for a family in hard times, slipping extra fruit or home preserves into someone's bag, and uttering comforting words at a hard day's end — all besides the day-in day-out work of running a shop. In many ways, she exemplified thousands of immigrant shopkeepers across Toronto who were touchstones in their communities.
Everyone was saddened when Rosina passed away in the Mediterrania in 2013. She was mourned by many who further sensed time's tug with the sudden closure of several longtime Bloorcourt shops.
Yet, understanding that change is a constant, Bloorcourt BIA worked with Working Women Community Centre, Lost Time Media, the community, and area politicians with the goal of awarding long-overdue recognition to these immigrant shopkeepers and city builders. Thus was born The Rosina Shopkeeper's Project. We held two Jane's Walks. One was called Building Bloor - lead by architectural historian, Alec Keefer, and other Keeping Bloor - where shopkeepers came out of their stores and shared their memories of then and now.
Have you noticed the plaques on our tree grates that state a shop, shopkeeper's name and date of opening?
Bloorcourt installed forty-one shopkeeper identifier plaques installed on tree grates honouring local shops who had been in business for over 25 years.
We are proud that The Rosina Shopkeeper's Project won the 2015 Heritage Toronto's Community Heritage Award for its research into Bloorcourt's history.
And we are even more thrilled that we add 13 more plaques this year, for businesses that reached the 25 year mark at least, in 2019.
Rosina Project description written by Ann Ball.
Rosina was loved for who she was as a matter of course: running a tab for a family in hard times, slipping extra fruit or home preserves into someone's bag, and uttering comforting words at a hard day's end — all besides the day-in day-out work of running a shop. In many ways, she exemplified thousands of immigrant shopkeepers across Toronto who were touchstones in their communities.
Everyone was saddened when Rosina passed away in the Mediterrania in 2013. She was mourned by many who further sensed time's tug with the sudden closure of several longtime Bloorcourt shops.
Yet, understanding that change is a constant, Bloorcourt BIA worked with Working Women Community Centre, Lost Time Media, the community, and area politicians with the goal of awarding long-overdue recognition to these immigrant shopkeepers and city builders. Thus was born The Rosina Shopkeeper's Project. We held two Jane's Walks. One was called Building Bloor - lead by architectural historian, Alec Keefer, and other Keeping Bloor - where shopkeepers came out of their stores and shared their memories of then and now.
Have you noticed the plaques on our tree grates that state a shop, shopkeeper's name and date of opening?
Bloorcourt installed forty-one shopkeeper identifier plaques installed on tree grates honouring local shops who had been in business for over 25 years.
We are proud that The Rosina Shopkeeper's Project won the 2015 Heritage Toronto's Community Heritage Award for its research into Bloorcourt's history.
And we are even more thrilled that we add 13 more plaques this year, for businesses that reached the 25 year mark at least, in 2019.
Rosina Project description written by Ann Ball.
2019 Plaques
- Black Belt World at 883 Bloor St W
- CONC (Christie Ossington Neighbourhood Centre) at 854 Bloor St W
- Exclaim! Media at 849a Bloor St W
- Hair by Lina at 1001 Bloor St W
- Homelife Cimerman Real Estate Ltd Brokerage at 911 Bloor St W
- Houselink at 805 Bloor St W
- Main Drug Mart at 1110 Bloor St W
- Paradise Theatre at 1006 Bloor St W
- Pharmasave Chemists at 849 Bloor St W
- Tax Savers - have to confirm one of two addresses to have it located at
- Tino's Shoe Repair at 882 Bloor St W
- Valentino's Men's Shop at 974 Bloor St W