For those unfortunates of you, who couldn’t make it to last Thursday’s “Battle of the Gems,” here is a recap of the night, in photos.
Thank you to the creative, hard-working and fun group of volunteers who pulled off this wonderful event. Thank you also to the judges who gave us their valuable time. And thank you to all of you who voted, came to the party and continue to support local business.
The makeover, led by another great team of DECA volunteers, will take place in June.
Just a quick reminder that the #DanforthEast Garage Sale is set for June 13th, rain or shine. All the sign up information can be found on the DECA website, including how to be sure your address is included on the map.
We have posters ready to help advertise the event. If you can help to put some up this weekend, please contact us at deca.yard.sale@gmail.com.
Swing by the St. Brigid’s Fun Fair next Friday for food and fun! You should probably spend some time prepping your gardens this long weekend as there will be vegetables to plant, native perennials species and colourful annuals available at the flower sale.
All four DECA Gems finalists were shocked when they heard the news.
They all had the same reaction as Mary Masellis, owner of Vincenzo’s Supermarket (2406 Danforth): “Oh my God.”
She then said “Thank you, thank you,” and covered her face with her hands, giggling.
“It was surprising. When you think of an auto shop, they don’t have the reputation to be a gem in a neighborhood,” Sunny Gafur of Sunny’s Auto Clinic. “I was happy to even be nominated.”
“I didn’t think we were a hidden gem, because we’ve been around forever,” said Vito Greco, one of three generations that owns and runs Gerrard Spaghetti and Pizza (1528 Danforth). “It’s great. I love it.”
Kelly Ackerman, the owner of Face To Face Games (2077a Danforth) quickly posted the news to Facebook, “Thank you a million times over.” He was giddy and excited. He said he wanted to rush out and congratulate the other three nominees.
You, our neighbours and friends, nominated 100 businesses in our little catchment as “hidden gems.”
We whittled those down to the Final Four, using three principles: popularity among voters; the impact our #DECAgems marketing prize pack could have on the particular business; and, what this business might give back to the DECA community.
The Final Four stretch across our district. Their owners vary in age from 29 to 83. One of them has been in business on the same spot of the Danforth here for 51 years, another hasn’t reached his first anniversary here.
And their businesses couldn’t be more different: a restaurant; an auto mechanic shop; a gaming store that offers after-school programs for kids and a small Italian grocery store. What they all share is a good story, great potential and a lot of neighborhood love.
Hundreds of you have been voting in our “Battle of the Gems” poll here — telling our panel of judges which of the four you think they should pick.
On Thursday, we will take the judges on at tour of the Final Four, give them a plate of food and a glass of wine, and settle into serious lobbying and discussions.
Will you join us?
We will offer you some food, good conversation and entertaining speeches. Plus, you will get to crown DECA’s first gem. That opportunity will never come again.
Doors open at Hirut, 2050 Danforth (just west of Woodbine), on Thursday May 14 at 7 pm. Judging will start around 8 pm.
We hope to see you there.
PS. If you didn’t hear DECA’s Anita Schretlen on CBC radio’s Metro Morning being interviewed by Matt Galloway about this fabulous project, you can listen to her here. Way to go Anita!
Rain Garden Workshop – May 21
Thanks to Heather Bean for this post:
Did last summer’s torrential rains find their way into your basement or flood your street? Consider planting a rain garden: a plot of native flowers and grasses strategically placed to absorb stormwater runoff. These little gardens can suck up a surprising amount of water: up to one inch of rain on your entire property. Rain gardens are designed to drain completely, so your backyard won’t be harbouring any baby mosquitoes. They also filter water that would otherwise carry contaminants down to the lake–and into our drinking supply.
Sound pretty great? Want to learn more? On Thursday, May 21 at 7 p.m. at Kimbourne United Church, Toronto Region Conservation Authority experts are offering a workshop to discuss the latest developments in rain gardens, rain chains, rainwater storage, and permeable paving. Click here to register (the registration setup is a bit disorienting, but yes, it is free!).
Native Plant Sale at Artisans at Work – May 16 & 17
Don’t forget to vote in our #DECAgems contest! Click here for all the info, and please join us on Thursday at Hirut when we will announce the winner!!
Last night was D-ecision Day for the #DECAgems competition.
Our team of volunteers spent the night going through all your fabulous nominations and settling on the Final Four candidates.
Before I disclose them, let me give you some statistics. We started this competition with nothing more than a blog post, some beautifully designed posters (thank you Heather Corbin), and a hope that our neighbours would be as keen as we were to celebrate our local businesses.
The response has been overwhelming. We’ve received more than 400 nominations in that time, for 100 businesses.
We’ve heard heart-warming, interesting and funny stories about local places that otherwise, we might not have frequented. And many of the local businesses have told us that as a result, they’ve already received new customers — because of the nominations and the campaign. All of them are touched by the attention. They feel valued. That was the real point of the #DECAgems competition. We might live in an internet world, but in the end it’s the old-fashioned word-of-mouth that draws business in this place. We are true neighborhood.
Because of the outpouring, we’ve decided to continue the spirit of this competition after it’s all over by featuring one business a month on our blog, and with neighborhood activities. We will call it the “Gem of the Month.”
However, we had to choose.
How to fish out a measly 4 from a pool of 100? We were guided by three principles: Popularity among voters; the impact our #DECAgems marketing prize could have on the particular business; and, what this business might give back to the DECA community.
We won’t chose which of the final four will be crowned the #DECAgem. That’s up to our team of celebrity judges (you can scope them out here), who will get a tour of the Final Four next week and then join us on Thursday May 14 at Hirut Restaurant to cast their votes. You are welcome too! Mark the date in your calendar and join us at 2050 Danforth (just west of Woodbine) for some food on us, neighborly chat, a glass of wine perhaps and certainly some entertainment.
Among our judges is Guinness Book record oyster shucker and restauranteur Pat McMurray and Spacing Magazine publisher Matt Blackett.
Before that, you can vote for which of the four you think deserves the prize. We’ve set up a voting page here. As it turns out, we’ve written about each of the four over the past three weeks. You can look back at their reviews.
The drum has been rolling long enough. The anticipation is killing you!
Here, with no further ado, are the Final Four, in complete random order:
1. Gerrard Spaghetti and Pizza (1528 Danforth)
2. Face to Face Games (2077a Danforth)
3. Sunny’s Auto Clinic (2404 Danforth)
4. Vincenzo’s Supermarket (2406 Danforth)
The #DECAgems competition is over. Let the Battle of the Gems begin!
It’s still not too late to get in your nomination for a #DECAGem. Today is the last day so be sure to let us know your favourite local biz and why they’re a gem, how it is hidden, and why it deserves a marketing prize pack. You can nominate it on Facebook (DanforthEastCommunityAssociation), Twitter (@decadiaries using the hashtag #DECAgems) or by e-mail at DECAgems@gmail.com.
You may have heard a little bit about the speciality Japanese ikebana flower arrangements available at NaNa Florits for just $10. Here’s a little more about this #DECAGem nominee.
What would you do with the prize package?
While they have a website, they’re looking to get some support and guidance on how to use social media for their business. Also, some photography work would be helpful.
Why Danforth East?
In 2010, Teresa, Mauro and their grown son, Sean, moved to Canada from Japan and settled at Coxwell and Gerrard. Shiro used to be in the hospitality industry in Japan while Teresa did Ikebana. They were familiar with the east end (Teresa and Mauro had lived here for from 1974-1990) and they liked the idea of having a business on the “prestigious” Danforth. Two years ago in 2013, the family officially opened their business.
So, what is Ikebana?
Ikebana is a Japanese art of flower arrangement which emphasizes a minimalist philosophy. Usually there is one main curved branch with only a few flowers used in each arrangement. All design aspects of the arrangement are purposefully designed with each colour and flower having significance in the Japanese culture. For example, they recently made an arrangement for an 80 year old that used yellow because yellow is used for those in their 80s.
What Changes have they seen in the hood?
They have noticed some stores in this stretch have closed down and are working to improve the block. They tried a sidewalk sale to get people walking their stretch of the Danforth, and they really enjoy being in the community.
Favourite Customer Story:
Apparently we in Danforth East have some explaining to do, as our friendly Nana florists report that they get a lot of orders for apologies. Some go for the $200 ‘Forgive me’ bouquets, while others order one stem each week (until forgiven?). Their favourite story is the order for 88 red roses for someone turning 88 years old.
Fun Fresh Fact:
The Maruo’s go to a flower auction every day and buy straight from the growers. This means that they are create arrangements using Ontario flowers, which last for a very long time. In facet, one customer who comes every Saturday for her standing order of a dozen roses always s remarks that her flowers from the week before haven’t died before she comes in to get her next order.
