Heritage Property of Czech-Canadian Author Skvorecky

Cabbagetown: 487 Sackville St $1.239M - 3 BR - 2 WR - 14 x 116 ft. lot - SOLD

Welcome to Cabbagetown! Nestled on a quiet, tree-lined street in one of Toronto's most sought-after historic neighbourhoods, this charming Victorian end-unit townhouse offers a rare opportunity to own a true piece of the city's heritage. Set on a leafy corner lot with laneway access to a private garage. Featuring 3+1 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms, the home is highlighted by a spacious primary bedroom, large eat in kitchen, high ceilings, a sunroom and skylights. Third bedroom has a tandem room- would make a great home office or studio. Step outside to a beautifully fenced in backyard, shaded by a magnificent mature maple tree, with a walkout from the kitchen to a newer two-tiered deck-perfect for entertaining or relaxing. Tucked away on an idyllic dead-end street, it's easy to forget you're in the heart of the city, offering one of the most peaceful settings you'll find anywhere downtown. Lovingly maintained by the same family for over 50 years, this 1875 heritage home is rich in history-once the residence of Josef Skvorecky, the renowned Canadian-Czech literary giant. Perfectly located just steps to Cabbagetown's cafes, shops, and amenities, and within walking distance to Riverdale Farm, local schools and the scenic Don Valley trails. Opportunity awaits!

Nick's Notes:

The most unique and artful aspect of the sale of this heritage-designated property in Cabbagetown is the history. Sitting at the end of a row of homes built in 1875, it was the family home of a Czech-Canadian literary giant named Josef Skvorecky. Born and educated in the Czech Republic, he was a brilliant storyteller who wrote more than 40 books and is considered a Canadian author, despite the fact that he wrote mostly in Czech. Early in his life while living in the Czech Republic, he wrote several novels, two of which caught the attention of the Communist authorities and were subsequently banned. His open-ended, improvisational prose style, along with his democratic ideals, were not looked upon kindly by the ruling Communist Party of Czechoslovakia. Skvorecky was not deterred, and his continued writing is said to have helped nurture the democratic movement that culminated in the Prague Spring.

The Prague Spring was a period of mass protest in 1968 led by reformist Alexander Dubcek, who was elected First Secretary of the Communist Party and pushed for additional freedoms and fewer restrictions on media, speech, and travel. His slogan was “Socialism with a human face.” These reforms, which included the decentralization of administrative authority, ticked the Russians off something fierce. So in August of 1968, the USSR sent in about 500,000 Soviet troops to occupy the country. Shortly after, Josef Skvorecky and his wife fled to Toronto and eventually settled at 487 Sackville Street in Cabbagetown.

In the front garden of 487 Sackville Street sits a placard that reads, “Josef Skvorecky Czech-Canadian Literary Giant 1924 - 2012.” Notably absent from this placard is his wife, Zdena Salivarova, who passed away last year and was a giant in her own right. An accomplished writer, singer, and actress, she was instrumental in the publication of her husband’s work, and the work of other leading Czech writers whose writing had been outlawed. After arriving in Toronto, the couple established a publishing house that went on to publish more than 220 books by dozens of exiled and underground writers. He would find the writers, she would make sure they got published. A daughter of a Prague bookseller who was crushed successively by the Depression and then the Communists, Salivarova would print, bind, and send banned books back to their home country. They became a counterweight to Czechoslovakia’s official publishing establishment, and it’s said that she was the one who managed it all.

In Josef Skvorecky’s books, each is dedicated by name to a different woman. Odd at first, but as it turns out, each of those names is an affectionate nickname for his wife Zdena Salivarova.

In this house, there is one room that stands out from the rest. An old, intact, wood-panelled office with custom shelving. It may be a piece of literary history.

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Listed by David Anthony, Royal LePage Signature