So, a little while ago, The Grid, put out a call for Toronto’s most overrated and underrated neighbourhoods. I guess I was feeling a bit sassy on that particular day. I put forward a little blurb about our little pocket of the world. Well Danforth East made the short list and now it’s time for you to vote on what you think is the most over- and underrated neighourhoods in T.O. There is $1,500 on the line, so vote early, vote often and add your two cents to the East York neighbourhood page.
Mind & Body Tune-Up
Earl Haig School Council and Safety Committee will be hosting a free “Mind & Body Tune-Up: Earl Haig Healthy Living Fair” on Thursday, May 3 from 6 p.m. – 8 p.m. at 15 Earl Haig Ave. The whole community is welcome for a mix of activities and information displays on how to live a healthy life. Some of the presentations will include:
For more information, please contact Hilary Gray @ 647-401-0629
S Sense in Design
Have you noticed that cute little store on Coxwell just north of Danforth. It’s called S Sense in Design and it is hosting the art of Mafalda Silva. The exhibition will be displayed from April 26th – June 27th. S Sense in Design is at 698 Coxwell Avenue and is open Thursday and Friday, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Saturday from 11 a.m to 4 p.m.
Fuzz Box
Check out the East End Pioneer’s blog post on a new restaurant on the Danforth, The Fuzz Box (insert your own joke here). They specialize in a Nova Scotia donair. And if you don’t know what that is, then you better stop in and find out.
The Groove Bar
Speaking of restaurants, I took my little boys to the Groove Bar tonight for dinner. Yes, I took my young children to a bar for dinner. Now, before you get all righteous and judgemental on me…actually I have no good excuse, you can feel free to be righteous and judgemental. Anyway, the food was good and Mama, the owner, was perfectly delightful. We played foosball and had a great time. So there.
Logical Consequences
It probably stands to reason that following the proliferation of bakeries would come the proliferation of gyms and exercise studios. You may already know that I pump iron at Legacy Studio, and there is also now Bomb Wellness and (coming soon) Tidal CrossFit – all on Danforth west of Coxwell. For those of you with babes in arms, you may want to try out Legacy’s Mommy and Me class on Mondays at 3:30 p.m. I hear it’s great fun and a great workout. For more info, contact Andy at info(at)legacyindoorcycling.com
Art of the Danforth 2012 will be a month long festival that presents a variety of free public art displays and activities to, for and by the community of East Toronto. There will be more than 50 public and commercial venues along or within walking distance from Danforth Avenue, Greenwood to Woodbine from May 20 – June 10, 2012. The goals of Art of the Danforth are to:
• encourage foot traffic along Danforth Avenue
• increase community engagement
• showcase local artistic talent
• bring together people from various backgrounds, cultures and interests in the creation and appreciation of art.
Art of the Danforth is in the midst of recruiting volunteers to help out during the actual event. If you are interested in helping out, you can get more info and sign up at artofthedanforth.com
East Lynn Farmers Market
The East Lynn Farmers Market turns five this summer. In that time, every Thursday, we’ve brought you fresh food, kids’ games, crafts, activities, music, and five festivals over the summer, including the fabulous movie-night-in-the-park and our strawberry-square-dance. A crew of seven volunteers – six women plus one grade school girl – have miraculously managed to pull this off for five years now, and they are feeling burnt out.
We need your help!
This summer, we’d like to have someone at our DECA booth every Thursday with community volunteers each on two-hour shifts, the first from 3 to 5 pm and the second from 5 pm to 7.
Manning the booth is easy and it’s a great way to meet
your neighbours. Your jobs would include: helping set up the kids’ play area and craft table; helping farmers with odd jobs; setting up the DECA table and answering questions. If you are on the later shift, you would also serve the farmers’ their dinner (volunteer cooks arrive with meals every week), and help take down both the DECA booth and the craft/face-painting areas.
Plus, you’ll be able to play on the giant Scrabble board Farmers’ Market devotee Shelley Darling has made this winter and try on our new broccoli costume!
If you’ve always wanted to help out and never found the right window, this is your chance.
Please email Catherine Porter at Catherine_porter(at)rogers.com. Let me know which Thursday from June 7 to October 25 you’d like to cover and which slot, 3-5 pm or 5-7 pm, and I’ll pen you into our calendar.
If you’d like to join the roster of neighbourhood cooks for the market this summer, email Shelley Darling at shelleydarling@yahoo.ca.
Thanks so much. We look forward to another amazing summer at the market.
There are a bunch of community clean-ups happening on Saturday including two that I know about in within the DECA zone…
Merrill Bridge Road Park
The Merrill Dog Park Association is hosting a clean up on Saturday, April 21st between 10 am and noon. Socialize with neighbours, enjoy a warm cup of coffee and a fresh donut while tidying up the park and adjacent ravine. Don’t forget to bring your gloves and garbage bags.
Earl Beatty Community Centre
Join the Earl Beatty Community for the annual Community Clean Up Day on Saturday, April 21st from 10 a.m. to noon. Meet at the front of the school and from there teams will scour the area around the school and community centre: north to Milverton, south to Danforth, west to Coxwell, east to Glebemount and the streets in between. We also tidy the school yard, our nearest green space.
Councillor Janet Davis’ Community Environment Day – Sunday, April 29, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
At the parking lots of the East York Memorial Arena, across from the Stan Wadlow Clubhouse, 373 Cedarvale.
Re-use, recycle and safely dispose your unwanted items at Councillor Davis’ Community Environment Day. City staff will be on hand to take your recyclables and provide free compost as well as the following community groups:
All singers and players are welcome to a weekly music jam at Hirut restaurant at 2050 Danforth, half a block west of Woodbine. Players and listeners can drop in anytime on Saturdays between 2 and 6 p.m. Call 416- 551-7560 for more info.
National Grilled Cheese Day.
Today is an American holiday celebrating grilled cheese sandwiches. The Toronto Star featured the best five grilled cheeses in the city and one of them was right here at our very own True Brew Cafe.
“Silvia Marga, the restaurant’s chef and owner layers seven-grain bread with creamy goat cheese, sliced tomato, Costco pesto and chopped green onions before warming it in a panini press.”
And sticking with the Toronto Star, it called our little neighbourhood a real estate hot spot.
Calling All Gardeners!
Interested in growing your own food this summer? Applications are now being accepted at a brand new community garden project at The Church of the Resurrection on Woodbine and Milverton Blvd, affectionately known as The Rez. The Rez has generously offered their prime gardening space to community members to have their own individual plot within the garden. The Garden at the Rez committee is excited to be creating a local gathering place where people can grow food and beautifying a space that can be used for community events. For more information about getting involved check out the www.gardenattherez.com website or email Miranda at gardenattherez@gmail.com.
Jane’s Walk
DECA’s very own amateur (but extremely interesting and knowledgeable) urbanist, Steven Wickens is leading the Other Danforth Jane’s Walk starting at 10 a.m. on May 5th at Wise Guys at 2301 Danforth. Steve has been doing these walks for the last few years and the reviews are always terrific. Here’s a taste….
For many Torontonians, the Danforth is the main street of Riverdale or a place to eat Greek food. But that image covers just a small strip of this storied street, formerly known as the Second Concession, the Danforth Plank Road and The King’s Highway No. 5. Danforth east of Pape, often referred to as the “Other Danforth,” wasn’t really developed until the 1920s, after the Bloor viaduct opened. The Other Danforth has always tended to be blue collar and gritty. And while it has seen hard times, especially in the past four decades, the area is almost certainly about to see a wave of gentrification, investment and development.
Community Clean Up
Join the Earl Beatty Community for the annual Community Clean Up Day on Saturday, April 21st from 10 a.m. to noon. Meet at the front of the school and from there teams will scour the area around the school and community centre: north to Milverton, south to Danforth, west to Coxwell, east to Glebemount and the streets in between. We also tidy the school yard, our nearest green space.
The city suggests bringing small bags from home to participate, but rakes, brooms and dustpans are helpful and wearing garden gloves is suggested. Hope to see you there. And if you have another local clean up to mention, post it here on the blog or send it to me and I will.
Send Us Your Bell Boxes!
Or at least the pictures of your Bell Box. Do you know of a Bell electrical box that could use some art? We’re trying (trying!) to see if we can’t get some art on to these boxes. It would make them less likely to be vandalized and more likely to be pretty. First, we need your help to send in a picture of your box and its location. They should be in this neighbourhood, but they don’t necessarily have to be within our formal boundaries. So send your pics to natasha.granatstein(at)gmail.com. Thanks!
Citywide parks consultations were conducted last year and recreation programs are slated to be studied next. DECA wants to foster discussion of how it might affect and benefit parks users in our community, beginning with Monarch Park and its most immediate neighbours.
Please bring your views to our consultation session:
Thursday, April 12, 2012, 6:30-8:30 p.m. at Monarch Park Collegiate auditorium
Give some thought to the following questions:
If you have questions, further feedback or concerns, email us atparks.deca@gmail.com
