Thank you to everyone who attended, shopped, ate and enjoyed the activities at the Grand Opening of the market last week! Every week in June we add more farmers to the mix as their produce becomes available, so be on the lookout for a few new vendors this week.
This week, Toronto Public Library are coming to the market with a 3D printing demonstration. And the Michael Garron Hospital will at the community booth sharing both health information and information on their upcoming (major) construction project.
If you are looking to get involved in the market we have two weekly volunteer gigs that we could use some help with. The DECA Booth volunteer and cooks. Check out the links provided to find out more about the roles and to sign up for a date!
The East Lynn Farmers’ Market runs every Thursday from 3-7:00 p.m. between June 1 – October 19 at East Lynn Park, located on the south side of Danforth Ave, just west of Woodbine Ave. Stay up to date by visiting the East Lynn Market Facebook page or by following us on Twitter.
For this series of blog posts marking our #DECAde, we are looking back on where DECA started, how far we’ve come and where the next 10 years might take us and our neighbourhood. We are including interviews with some of DECA’s founders and other info and tidbits from DECA’s “archives”
2014 DECA Board
Making Change
Parts 1 and 2 of series described what the neighbourhood was like 10 years ago and how a group of people came together to start DECA. This post is about what happened next. As you know, fair reader, the DECA Diaries blog was our only communication tool for many years before Facebook, Twitter and Instagram helped us expand our reach. Lovingly written by DECA’s founding Chair, Natasha Granatstein from 2008-2011 when every post was written on an actual computer (not on an iPhone like this one) and event posters were still actual pieces of paper and not JPEG files so the words that Natasha wrote had to be crafted carefully – and they were.
In the past nine years of the blog (it began as an email newsletter), we have posted 1160 times. Each post takes anywhere from 20ish minutes to a few hours of someone’s spare time, to help get the word out about our community. More than 1200 people subscribe to the blog and many more read it via Facebook and Twitter. The blog is now managed by a small team of volunteer bloggers and a volunteer editor (yours truly). Turns out, the blog is also our unofficial archive.
Here’s a look back courtesy of the blog at some of what we’ve done to change the neighbourhood over the past #DECAde.
Our weekly market posts didn’t start until a few years in, but this post was a sweet reminder of a wonderful night at the market (in its third year by 2009) where people of all ages came to square dance!
November 2009: Our first annual cocktail party (that was secretly also our AGM) at Melanie’s Bistro. No e-version of the poster back then so the blog post is our only proof!
January 2012 – blog post about Australian Marcus Westbury’s innovative “pop-up shop” model to deal with high commercial vacancy
March 7, 2012 – Marcus Westbury was in town so we hosted an event with him!
May 2012 – carrot gets a buddy: the birth of the broccoli costume!
What shows a deeper commitment to improving one’s own community than dressing as vegetables to promote our local farmers’ market during rush hour?!
Veggies promoting our Farmers’ Market
October 2012: First Pop-Up Shops
This was back when it was solely run by a team of DECA volunteers, based on the Renew Newcastle model we learned about earlier that year. Incredible!
June 2013: First #DanforthEast Yard Sale
April 2014: #DanforthEast Dreams event
We asked you what you wanted for our neighbourhood and mapped it and made a video found in this follow-up blog post. (The post also shows our first laneway revitalization effort more than three years ago!)
April 2015: DECA Gems neighbourhood competition
It was a total love-in and so many people learned of new places to shop, eat, play, get their car fixed, hem a skirt, get a haircut, buy flowers and on and on. Search the hashtag #DECAGems on our fb page or blog to look back. Anyone remember who won?
December 2015: First DECA Connects fundraiser – Sleep Out for Syrians
DECA’s social justice group launched with this fundraiser where participants slept outside (in December!) to simulate what Syrian refugees were experiencing for months in camps. The goal was $10k. In the end, we raised $28,500, helping several Syrian families come to Canada.
June 2016: First DECA Pride LGBTQ+ event
We have a thriving LGBTQ+ community in the east end but no groups or events. DECA Pride changed that!
June 2016: First Table Tennis for Tuition
To raise money to support the $2000 DECA Young Leaders Scholarship established in 2016.
This has been an amazing decade-long experiment in being positive and making changes that many people say have transformed our neighbourhood.
Want to join us?
DECA memberships are $10/household to support our community initiatives including our weekly Farmers’ Market, Diversity Scholarship, annual Arts Fair, Pumpkin Parade, Tree Lighting Festival, #DanforthEast Yard Sale, DECA Pride LGBTQ+ group and more! Sign up here.
It’s that time again when you realize how short years really are and you desperately need an idea for a birthday party. Never fear! Our little neighborhood hosts a large variety of creative and exciting birthday party options for kids. Whether you are hosting a large or small group, young or old kids, a theme or standard party, you can find what you need in the ‘hood.
If you want to host a birthday party, but don’t have room for a crowd, you might want to try one of the multi-purpose rooms at the Main Community Centre or rent out The Nooks Community Room for a few hours. Not quite in the DECA boundaries, but close enough to be in the ‘hood, you can rent space at the Kaza Family Centre, a meeting room overlooking the ice at Ted Reeves Community Arena, or the lounge and auditorium at Stan Wadlow Clubhouse.
Last but not least, don’t forget about our beautiful parks! East Lynn Park, Stephenson Park, Gledhill Park, and Oakcrest Parkette all have picnic tables for parties, and Stephenson Park even has a fire pit! You can apply for a permit here, but don’t forget, balloons aren’t allowed in the park.
Last week’s happy reunion of neighbours and farmers is set to amp up this week with a fun line-up for our Grand Opening!
We’ve got Hoopersonic on site with all the hula hooping fun, the Guthrie School of Dance will perform highland dancing, and Face to Face Games has fun new games to try. We are also welcoming back the Toronto Tool Library Kids Program, who will be making “spin art” with the kids. And face painters will be there as well. Nana Jokura ND of Accept Wellness will be kicking off the Wellness Booth this year offering free Tongue & Pulse Diagnosis starting at 4:30 p.m.
While the market runs 3-7:00 p.m., most of the festivities start at 4:00 p.m. so you’ll have time to do your shopping before hopping into your hula hoop or kicking up your kilt!
The East Lynn Farmers’ Market runs every Thursday from 3-7:00 p.m. between June 1 – October 19 at East Lynn Park, located on the south side of Danforth Ave, just west of Woodbine Ave. Stay up to date by visiting the East Lynn Market Facebook page or by following us on Twitter.
By phone. Touch Tone Registration (TTR) is available at 416-338-0000. Operator Assisted Registration is available at 416-338-4386.
In-person at select locations. A list of these locations is available here, by calling 311 or by speaking to staff at a City community recreation centre.
**Remember you need a family number and client numbers for each child ahead of time! Use the above contact info to find out more**
Shoppers: The above link will also take you to our map so that you can plan out your yard sale route and sidewalk sale shopping! The BIA has events and activities planned along the Danforth so be sure to check it out.
Danforth Village Festival
Free fun at Main & Danforth on June 10 from noon-6pm! Art activities for all adults & kids, live music and more!
Farmers’ Markets are Here!
Picnic blankets, warm summer evenings, and tasty things to buy.
See you there!
East Lynn Park Farmers’ Market Thursdays, 3 – 7 PM
June 1 to October 19
1949 Danforth Ave.
East York Farmers’ Market Tuesdays, 8 AM – 2 PM
May 16 to October 24
East York Civic Centre
850 Coxwell Ave.
The installation of cycle tracks and bicycle lanes on Woodbine Avenue is expected to take place in late June or July 2017. It is expected to take approximately two weeks to be completed. A construction notice will be issued two weeks before installation work begins.
You can visit here for more information
or contact Maogosha Pyjor with questions
Join in for the opening of the Kiwanis Pool
& NEW SLIDE!
Help kick off the summer outdoor pool season.
Enjoy family fun, cake and ribbon cutting!
A free, family friendly event will have something for everyone!
Exciting and eclectic music and dance performances
Hands on art activities & a community arts fair
The East End Cultural Hotspot Launch Event
Saturday, June 17th
East York Civic Centre
Visit www.toronto.ca/culturalhotspot for more information and you’ll even see some DECA events listed!
Canada Day in East York is looking for sponsors and volunteers
Amazing fireworks| A performance stage with all-day programming | New activities for kids and adults | Canada Day Parade
Under the tents and throughout the park, the East York Canada Day Committee is working hard to provide a full array of information tables, vendors and food!
You can be a part of this celebration too.
Tables and sponsorships are still available. Volunteers welcome. If you are interested in getting involved, contact:
It’s that time again when you realize how short years really are and you desperately need an idea for a birthday party. Never fear! Our little neighborhood hosts a large variety of creative and exciting birthday party options for kids. Whether you are hosting a large or small group, young or old kids, a theme or standard party, you can find what you need in the ‘hood.
for a few hours. Not quite in the DECA boundaries, but close enough to be in the ‘hood, you can rent space at the 
The ball pit and bouncy castle at 
