Why losing Mirvish Village is like losing a piece of Toronto

A tree-lined side street so unique to Toronto that it became known as a village will empty out next month withlong-term tenants bemoaning a loss of an important part of the city's history.

Mirvish Village, the stretch of Markham Streetlocated in the shadow of the iconic Honest Ed's building, has been hometo art studios and one-of-a-kind shops tucked into brightly painted century homes for decades.But by the end of January, approximately 70 tenants including those who haveworked on the block since the1970s will be evicted.

"The magic of walking a few meters fromBloorwhere the car traffic is heavy and noisy and finding a village, it was only a block long but it really was a village," saidDarrelDorsk, one of the residents who has received an eviction notice.

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Dorsk, who opened his Green Iguana Glassworks shop in 1978 and will be moving it to a new location, said the street's appeal is that time has not changed it. Until now.

"I have mixed feelings about it obviously," he said, surrounded by packing boxes years worth of work and clutter.

Darrel Dorsk explains how he started off on Markham Street

8 years ago

Duration 1:04

Darrel Dorsk explains how he started off on Markham Street

Community relationships before business

Mirvish Village is part of the 1.8 hectare parcel of land atBathurst and Bloor Streets that Westbank Development Corporation bought from the Mirvish family in 2013.

Westbankplans to build a new rentaland retail project in the area inan effort to "breathe new life into this unique neighbourhood." Those plans, however, have not been approved by the cityand may not be until the spring.

Westbank spokesperson Anne O'Hagan said the plan is to preserve many of the heritagehouses on Markham Street, while interspersing townhouses and slim towers that could be up to 29 storeys tall.

At Suspect Video, a VHS and DVD rental storewhere the door jangles open with surprising frequency, owner Louis Cerizcalls the plans another cookie-cutter development project.

"I think Toronto is losing something really unique and replacing it with something shiny and glossy which is what Toronto seems to do these days," Cerizsaid.

He said Mirvish Village is about as neighbourly as it comes in a big city. It just doesn't have the same "psychology" as other parts of Toronto, he said, echoing a sentiment also shared by Dorsk.

"I have a lot of customers who have been coming in for 25 years,so I've seen their kids grow up," Cerizsaid from behind the cash register of his store, which will soon shift online.

He notes that relationships with people often came before business on the street, an aspect he believes is the cornerstone of the community's strength.

Cheap rent was key

Westbank is hoping a mixed-use design for the neighbourhood, if approved, will create community with apark on the west side of Markham Street as well asartist studios and pop-up store spaces.

But many question whetherthe space will be affordable for younger generations once encouraged to move to the area by the Mirvishfamily, who set rents far below market value in order to attract creative entrepreneurs.

"I'd be very surprised if the rent comes close to what we pay here," Jane Irwin said, crediting part of her success as an artist to being able to stay for 25 years in Mirvish Village studio.

Tenants paid $150 per month in the 70s,with some still paying $1,500 today to rent a house.

"I looked around briefly, knowing we were going have to move, and there's nothing comparable," Irwin said.

While she says she feels lucky to have been the beneficiary of the Mirvish family, especially Anne Mirvish who also had an art studio on the street, Irwin is closing up her shop and fears for the future.

"I can't begrudge that things are changing, but I feel badly for younger people starting out and the rents they'll have to pay in Toronto."

New 'Village'needs approval

Tenants' leases expire on Jan.31, but city officials saythe future of Mirvish Village likely won't be finalized until the spring of 2017.

A spokesperson inCoun. Mike Layton's office said city planners have sent developers back to the drawing board three times to make revisions, based in part on public consultation.

The size of the proposed park, currently set to be 900 square metresaccording to Westbank, as well as the density andheight of the proposed condo buildings remain outstanding issues.