Month: October 2019

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Pumpkins & Art!

10th Annual DECA Pumpkin Parade – East Lynn Park (Nov 1)

Reminder! Our 10th Annual Pumpkin Parade is happening in East Lynn Park on Nov 1st from 6-8pm. And we will offer free hot chocolate or apple cider sponsored by Gervais Rentals (owned by #DanforthEast residents!). You will need to bring your own mug or cup to partake!

Fresh Paint Art Slam (Nov 1 – 7-10pm)

This is just the coolest event, and we are so stoked that the proceeds will support the 2020 DECA Young Leader Scholarship Fund. Here’s the info:

On Friday, November 1 from 7-10pm, eight artists will enter into a live art competition and create their artistic pieces for an enthusiastic crowd of art lovers. The theme for the evening is ‘Speak Truth to Power’.

Artists will have one hour to create their pieces live and go from blank canvas to creative masterpieces.

When the hour is up and the brushes hit the floor, the audience will vote for their top two art creations. The top prize winners will receive a $100 gift card from Deserres and $50 gift card from Fresh Paint Studio.

The artwork that is created will also be auctioned off! Muskoka Brewery to provide the beer! The evening will also feature the musical vibes of DJ Marlove.

Find out more about the Art Slam here  or check out the Facebook event.

Cost: Pay what you can.

There are other pumpkin parades in the neighbourhood as well:

Stephenson Park

Felstead Park

Dentonia ParkClick here for details!

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It’s Election Day!

As your friendly neighbourhood residents’ association, we’re here to tell you just how important it is to vote.

Judging from the huge turnout for our debate last week, hopefully, this nudge isn’t needed. But here it is anyhow, along with some info we hope will help you get to the polls with ease. If all you need is the what/where, you can find it here.

Here are some additional quick links and fun facts:

  • Polls are open from 9:30am – 9:30pm.
  • If you have questions about what to bring, you can find that info here.
  • The minimum you need is your voter card and another piece of ID but you can vote if you don’t have your voter card, and you can vote if you don’t have ID.
  • This link to frequently asked questions might help.
  • Here is info about voting if you are transgender.

If you aren’t planning to vote, here is our plea to you to change your mind!

If you are not compelled by the pressing issues of the day, think about the impact of local representation.  It matters on a lot of levels, but their willingness to engage on issues that matter to our neighbourhood can make a huge difference.

Here are the lists of candidates for the two ridings that fall into DECA’s boundaries, and links where we’ve found them. (Pro tip: The candidates are probably happy help you get to your polling station if you need a ride or help.)

Beaches East York (Coxwell +east to Vic Park)

Nathaniel Erskine-Smith, Liberal Party of Canada

Sean Manners, Green Party of Canada

Deborah McKenzie, People’s Party of Canada

Mae J. Nam, NDP

Nadirah Nazeer, Conservative Party of Canada

 

Toronto Danforth (Coxwell + west to Broadview)

Elizabeth Abbott, Animal Protection Party of Canada

Ivan Byard, Communist Party of Canada

Julie Dabrusin, Liberal Party of Canada

Tara dos Remedios, People’s Party of Canada

John Kladitis,  Independent (no website found)

Min Sook Lee, NDP

Chris Tolley, Green Party of Canada

If after all of this you are still not convinced, get yourself to your poll and cast and empty ballot. It gets counted and if there’s a critical mass of people voting for nobody, hopefully that would send a message.

Don’t waste your chance to have a say. Happy voting!

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What’s happening in #DanforthEast

Get your calendars ready for all of this news!

Candidates Debate

On Tuesday, DECA hosted another successful candidates debate and it was exciting to see how well-attended it was. A big thank you to volunteer organizer, Sheri Hebdon, and to the team who put up posters, kept time, greeted people, and generally who make the debate happen. DECA is very proud to undertake this effort to help our #DanforthEast community be informed about voting options!

Candidates take questions from Moderator David Rider, Oct 15/19

Thank you to David Rider from the Toronto Star for moderating and to Hope United Church for hosting us and of course, thank you to the candidates who attended – Nathaniel Erskine-Smith (Liberal), Mae J. Nam (NDP), and Sean Manners (Green).

A reminder that the Federal election is this coming Monday, October 21 so don’t forget to vote.

Events this Weekend

Saturday

10am

Silly Goose Kids is hosting a book reading and signing with author James A. Conan and illustrator Nicolle Lalonde from 10am-noon and, after the reading, kids can help construct a mini-neighbourhood out of empty boxes, and paper towel rolls! If you have any empty cereal boxes please bring along!

1pm

Healing Collective (2005 Danforth) is hosting a Community Care Day this Saturday, October 19 from 1-4pm to celebrate their first anniversary and say thank you for the support of the community. Stop by and learn about their collective offerings, meet practitioners and learn some strategies to improve mental health and awareness. Visit their website for full list of activities.

Upcoming DECA Events

DECA Public Board Meeting (Tuesday)

Next Tuesday, October 22 from 7-9pm we are hosting a Public Board Meeting at the Workaround (2080 Danforth Ave) and would be thrilled to meet you there.  Our secret plan is to woo you in with how fun and full of energy we are, and in return, maybe you’ll decide to volunteer with us or bring your idea to the table? See? Win-win. Voting isn’t the only way to make a difference – we can tell you for sure that contributing to the community in a positive way can really soothe the worries of the world and give us a sense that we are doing something.

Seriously though, there is no pressure to do anything – we are just happy to meet you and for you to learn more about our 100% volunteer-run efforts.

Get in touch with us through our social media or by email for more info, but it’s also ok to surprise us on Tuesday.

10th Annual DECA Pumpkin Parade – East Lynn Park (Nov 1)

Reminder! Our 10th Annual Pumpkin Parade is happening in East Lynn Park on Nov 1st from 6-8pm. And we will offer free Coffee or Apple Cider sponsored by Gervais Rentals (owned by #DanforthEast residents!). Please bring a reusable mug or cup to partake!

Fresh Paint Art Slam (Nov 1 – 7pm)

This is just the coolest event, and we are so stoked that the proceeds will support the 2020 DECA Young Leader Scholarship Fund. Here’s the info:

On Friday, November 1 from 7-10pm, eight artists will enter into a live art competition and create their artistic pieces for an enthusiastic crowd of art lovers. The theme for the evening is ‘Speak Truth to Power’.

Artists will have one hour to create their pieces live and go from blank canvas to creative masterpieces.

When the hour is up and the brushes hit the floor, the audience will vote for their top two art creations. The top prize winners will receive a $100 gift card from Deserres and $50 gift card from Fresh Paint Studio.

The artwork that is created will also be auctioned off! Muskoka Brewery to provide the beer! The evening will also feature the musical vibes of DJ Marlove.

Find out more about the Art Slam here  or check out the Facebook event.

 

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The Market This Week: Last Market of the Season!

       

This week is our last market of the season – the last chance to stock up on all the fall harvest produce. A huge THANK YOU to all of our faithful farmers and local food vendors who showed up each week rain or shine! 

Check out what’s on at the East Lynn Farmers’ Market this Thursday, October 17th, 3-7pm. 

    • Kids Tent:
      • We’re PlayPass, a new website that helps parents discover, book, and save money on local kid activities! We’ve partnered with over 25 local children’s activity providers in the East End (Create Art Studio, Fresh Paint, Little Robot Friends to name a few near East Lynn Park) who list their activities on our platform for parents to book.  https://instagram.com/playpassca.
    • Chateau des Charmes will be offering wine tastings
    • Live Music By – Billy Zee

 

This Week’s Scheduled Vendors

SUN-RAY ORCHARDS  

5th TOWN CHEESE 

THE POP STAND 

MAD MEXICAN 

BOLO SOUP 

CEDAR HEDGE FARM

DUNDAS PARK KITCHEN

SHARMAN’S PROPER PIES

The East Lynn Farmers’ Market runs every Thursday from 3:00-7:00 p.m. between June 6 – October 17 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. 

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New biz alert: lost + found

Last week DECA Diaries got an exclusive preview of lost + found (ahem, we spied an open door and invited ourselves in). We’ve been counting down the days until opening day ever since.

lost + found, 2005 Danforth Ave.

Thankfully the wait is over! lost + found opened its doors Oct. 3 in the space at the front of The Healing Collective at 2005 Danforth, between East Lynn and Moberly. Here are some reasons why you should check them out this weekend and see why they’re “first aid for the modern soul.”

Sweet notes for the kiddos’ (or perhaps your own) lunch bag.

The lovely spot is full of stuff that can contribute to wellness in ways you might expect, such as their curated selection of self help books. But there’s also a great selection of things that might not immediately come to mind when you think “mental wellness.” Maybe it’s a piece of bling that sparks some joy, or some fun notes for your kids’ lunches to remind them you think they’re awesome. One of the four co-owners, Sarah explains that lost + found is all about “redefining what it means to be mentally well.” And their philosophy, based on three pillars of self-care, connection, and community, is evident all around the store.

Alexie (left) and Sarah (right), two of the lost + found’s four owners.

Sarah shares that between the four co-founders, Janice, Shannon, Alexie, and herself, there’s a quite a bit of experience navigating mental well-being. The group met from their shared experience of losing their partners at a young age. They’ve road tested many of the products themselves.

Getting back to that third pillar of wellness–community–they also plan to host workshops and be a Danforth East hub, promoting wellness through learning and social connection. Welcome to the hood, lost + found!

Hours: Tues, Wed 11-6 pm, Thurs-Fri 11-8 pm, Sat 11-6 pm, Sun 12-5 pm, closed Mon.