ACADEMY OF LIONS GENERAL STORE 64 Ossington, 416-538-4967, academyoflions.com
Pairing cross-fit trainers with local design aficionados in one space might not seem like the most obvious retail mashup, but it works in the Academy of Lions General Store.
Created in collaboration with Dufferin Grove-based collective Tinsel and Sawdust (tinselandsawdust.com) as a kind of multi-purpose community centre, the Ossington address combines a café outfitted with for-sale furniture by Toronto makers like Nico Soule, Karcass and C.R. Fieldhouse and a boutique selling exercise and vintage game gear including New Balance sneakers and retro croquet sets. There’s also a two-storey workout area in the back where young and old, fit and could-be-fitter alike gather to hang off gymnastic rings and lift mammoth tires.
The design buys rotate in and out of the space in four-month cycles and are all available by special order, with relatively quick turnaround.
Academy of Lions General Store picks: Fugitive Glue’s Bomba stool made from reclaimed propane tanks wouldn’t look out of place hoisted over someone’s head in a cross-fit class, $700 the multicoloured croquet set is $60 the Academy of Lions Foundation works with homeless and at-risk youth on projects like creating its in-house collection of T-shirts and tanks, $25 each.
Look for: A naturopathic and holistic health clinic opening on the building’s third floor in September.
Hours: Monday to Friday 6 am to 9 pm, Saturday and Sunday 9 am to 5 pm.
