Mapping Music in Kensington Market

Toronto has seen a disappearance of many of its music venues in the last decade, accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic. This walk will move from venue to venue - both active and defunct - around Kensington Market, once an affordable haven for artists and musicians of Toronto and beyond.

Led by indie music scene veterans Jonny Dovercourt (author of Any Night of the Week and director of Wavelength Music) and Eugene Slonimerov (Urban Researcher and member of the Kensington Market Community Land Trust’s People’s Map project), we will explore some of the landmarks and stories of their better days and demise.

Starting at Sneaky Dee's, then moving to the Silver Dollar Room, passing by former homes of local musicians, El Mocambo, The Boat and other venues as well as other important gathering places, the walk will conclude at KMCLT's building, itself once home to the underground Club 56, still an affordable home to its long-term tenants from the music scene.

KMCLT’s volunteer-led People’s map project helps us understand Kensington Market’s past and plan for its future. Join us as we explore one layer of the map: learn about gentrification, displacement and mutual aid through the lens of Toronto’s music history.

Details: Walk leaders will be waving a KMCLT sign.