Mayor of Cabbagetown, Carl Orbach passes away

‘He was a wonderful neighbour, friend and community member.’

By Bulletin Staff —

Carl Orbach
(Photo courtesy Cabbagetown BIA)

Carl Orbach, QC, mayor of Cabbagetown, passed away on Wednesday, November 18, 2009 after a brief battle with cancer, in his 80th year.

A hallmark of Cabbagetown as he served the community for 52 years through his legal practice and his involvement in the Cabbagetown Youth Club and the local BIA. He was most proud of his work as a lawyer.

“He was a wonderful neighbour, friend and community member.” says Doug Fisher of the Cabbagetown BIA, “We’ll really miss his crazy energy, his warmth and enthusiasm for other people and his constant enjoyment of Cabbagetown.”

Carl was a founding member of the BIA, one of the group who started the annual Festival and a lifelong member of the business community. He supported the Cabbagetown Youth Centre regularly and generously. He loved the annual festival parade and came dressed as a leprechaun to lead the parade while throwing out candies to children at the curb. He did things for fun and ended up helping to turn Cabbagetown into the successful community that it is.

Carl always enjoyed himself thoroughly during the Festival Parade. For the first parade, he just gathered together a group of children and a band and marched through the neighbourhood. When a police officer stopped them and asked for their official permit, Carl pulled out a parking ticket, waved it in the air and the procession continued along. The parade continues now, 35 years later.