Quilt Unveiling at Daniels' Paintbox Condominiums

A celebration of Regent Park’s past, present and bright future.

Recently, Regent Park took on additional stitches in its diverse urban fabric, when members of the local Regent Park Women and Families Quilting Group unveiled a “fabric narrative” quilt in The Daniels Corporation’s Paintbox Condominiums lobby. Capturing the essence of the rich past and shining new future of Regent Park this masterpiece tells the revitalization story through the eyes of its residents and is called “REGENT PARK: A LOVE POEM.” Enthusiastic residents of Paintbox Condominiums as well as members from the community attended a very special unveiling where they were WOWED by the beauty of the 90”-wide and 77”-high quilt, which combined the Mennonite quilting style typically used in Canada with the Bengali Nakshi Katha story style. The unique melding of approaches celebrates this neighbourhood’s multiculturalism. 

The Daniels Corporation commissioned the spectacular story quilt from the Regent Park Women and Families Quilting Group, which began as a social activity for Bengali women and has grown into a successful cottage business. The quilt now hangs above the concierge desk at Paintbox Condominiums in full view of residents and visitors as a source of inspiration for generations to come.

According to Daniels’ Vice President Martin Blake, “We’re proud that the quilt has a permanent home hanging in the lobby of Paintbox Condominiums. Anyone who passes through the lobby will be reminded of the transformation going on in this vital area of Toronto.”  He continued, “The women who worked on this quilt are both incredible artists as well as active members of the local business community. The stunning composition of style, colour and expression reflects the richness and diversity of the area. The passion of these women shines through.”

One of the Regent Park quilters, Sakina, expressed her pride in the quilt and her gratitude to Daniels for commissioning the piece and having faith in their artistic abilities. In the spirit of Daniels’ motto, she said, “The time has come for Regent Park residents to feel proud about living here.”

In addition to the quilt, Daniels also celebrated other artists who contributed to the art within the new condominium. Through an innovative art procurement project, artist from the Regent Park community were invited to submit visual art in a variety of mediums and sizes for permanent display within Paintbox Condominiums amenity spaces. Through this process, Daniels purchased a number of pieces which are now located within the Paintbox Café on the ground floor of this colourful new residence.  

Festivities for this well-attended event included a thrilling performance by COBA (Collective of Black Artists), which has offered dance and music training for all ages since 1995. COBA has a new permanent space on the first floor of the Regent Park Arts & Cultural Centre, which sits at the base of Paintbox Condominiums and is scheduled to open later this year. 

During the celebration, Chef Chris Klugman, whose much anticipated new eatery Paintbox Bistro will be the first restaurant to open in Regent Park, offered residents information about what they can expect in what is sure to be a popular neighbourhood gathering spot. Most of the service staff will be from the neighbourhood and have trained at George Brown Chef School, one of the top 10 culinary schools in North America.  

Over the past two decades, The Daniels Corporation has become one of Canada's preeminent builder/developers with a reputation for quality and integrity in all forms of residential construction. Named the Tarion Warranty Corporation's 2012 High-Rise Builder of the Year and the recipient of the 2012 Toronto Arts and Business Award presented by the Toronto Arts Foundation, Daniels has built more than 23,000 homes and apartments in a wide range of award-winning communities across the GTA. Among its many initiatives, Daniels was chosen to partner with Toronto Community Housing to revitalize Regent Park - 69 acres in Toronto’s Downtown East. Committed to community, Daniels continually offers innovative programs that help people achieve homeownership, champion’s neighbourhood initiatives that enhance residents’ quality of life, and supports numerous charities and non-profit organizations.

Continuing to work with local organization, Daniels has commissioned the quilting group for a future project at One Park Place, the newest addition to the Regent Park neighbourhood, One Park Place is already under construction and will go on sale later this year. Daniels’ Presentation Centre is located at 500 Dundas Street East.  For more information or to register for One Park Place, visit danielsoneparkplace.com or call 416-955-0559.