InLibertyVillage.com Launch Party

   This April came the official launch of InLibertyVillage.com, the foremost site for community building in Liberty Village.  The event was hosted at Oro Cucina, a local café and restaurant, featuring the work of resident artist Michael Golland and the culinary delights of Nick Delia, an artist in his own right.

    InLibertyVillage.com is a site that promotes artists and businesses of Liberty Village, banding together the residents and workers in the area.  The site allows anyone interested in the Village to see what it has to offer – be it local places to grab a bite or a pint, media firms, art galleries or any of the other abundant businesses that fill converted factory buildings, studios and lofts.  Not just for advertising to the rest of Toronto, it promotes participation within the community as well with an events page.  More importantly, it encourages businesses to take notice of one another.

    And so came the launch party for InLibertyVillage.com at Oro Cucina on April 24.  It truly was a special event as old friends got together and new connections were made amongst delicious food.  Michael Golland, a dynamic and well-known personality in the Village, showcased his paintings and gave a passionate speech about the promotion and preservation of the community, much to the delight of the audience.  There was even a Samba performance to shake things up.

   One of the main highlights of the night, however, was the venue of the party and the sumptuous food served up by Nick Delia.

    The very first wood burning pizza chef in Toronto, Nick has been in the business for over 25 years opening up in Liberty Village three years ago with co-owner Paul Aiello.  Coming from an Italian family, it’s not hard to understand Nick’s passion for food and pizza especially.  His godparents owned a chain of pizzerias in the sixties and seventies and eventually Nick started working there part-time, falling in love with spinning pizzas.  He went on to George Brown for Culinary Arts, worked in Yorkville for about ten years, has had three successful restaurants to date and has now brought his talent to Liberty Village.

     Chatting with Nick on Oro’s patio, enjoying a warm spring afternoon, he gave some insight about the event and the progression of Liberty Village.  It is “the hottest spot right now.  It’s growing – It’s looking like it’s going to become like a Soho of New York in Toronto,” says Nick when asked about why Liberty Village is the place to have a business these days.  Although young and still in a three to five year development, there’s still a mix of “lots of good people”.

    One of the main things we discussed regarding the development of the community was the lack of visible retail in the area.  If businesses like gourmet food, fish and butcher shops as well as something akin to the St. Lawrence Market start up, more of a walking community will be created.  Once people aren’t confined to a one-stop trip in their car and have more of an opportunity to shop and browse, the community will really start to develop.

    Business is still looking bright for Oro Cucina, though.  The summer brings full time hours, from 7am to 10pm seven days a week, and an inviting patio.  The nearby Toronto FC games don’t hurt either; Oro benefits from the sheer volume of fans looking for a place to convene.  Of course, more events are always welcome in Nick’s eyes, especially promotion within Liberty Village.

    Talking with Nick, you get a feeling of the type of people that are making Liberty Village an exciting place to be; they are dynamic and vibrant personalities that are passionate about helping the community grow.  As residence to businesses like Oro and passionate artists like Michael Golland, Liberty Village will continue to be one of the hot spots in Toronto showcasing some of the best and brightest talent in the city.