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DECA Bikes!

After three years of ‘hounding’ Mary Margaret McMahon and her ilk have convinced the City to install 10 new bike racks at Woodbine subway station.  This stuff doesn’t just magically happen – somebody makes it happen…and often that someone in Mary Margaret.

1st Ever DECA Bikes! Tune Up Workshop

On Saturday, March 27th from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. bring your bike to the Danforth Mennonite Church at 2174 Danforth (one block east of Woodbine on the north side) to learn how to get your bike ready for the season.  Bring your bike and pay what you can.  For more info contact Jamie Thiers 416-587-7204 after 3 p.m.  or jamiethiers@gmail.com anytime.

Bike Sauce

Give us your poor, your rusty, your jumbled mass of old bicycles….Bike Sauce will breathe new life into them.  Your donated bicycles and bike parts will be used to put more bikes on the road and help people develop bike repair skills.  Bike Sauce is an east-end volunteer-run, registered non-profit dedicated to promoting cycling in Toronto.  It has three goals:

1. To refurbish old bikes and help people learn to repair their own bikes

2. To get more people cycling

3. To advocate for better cycling in the city

Does this sound like something you want to know more about?  Something you want to help make happen?  They need volunteers of all descriptions – from bike fixers to tea-makers and cheerleaders.

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Meat, Pie, Banks and The Oasis

Vincenzo’s Supermarket

Much-loved Vincenzo’s Supermarket (near Main) recently celebrated it’s 45th anniversary. Congratulations to Vincenzo and his family for some amazing staying power.

CIBC Closing

It seems the CIBC at Danforth and Woodbine is closing.  John Schofield tells me that it is slated to close in June to relocate to a new facility on Queen East in the Beach.  Members of the public who are concerned can express their views to the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada.

Mmmm…Pie

Our friends at the Kimbourne Park United Church are selling fresh and frozen pies to raise money for kits for children taken into emergency care (PJs, teddy bears, toothbrushes etc.).  The deadline for ordering is THIS SATURDAY.  There are lots of delicious flavours and they cost $10-$14 for full size and $4-$5 for ‘minis’.  Call 416-461-7200 to order yours in time for easter!

My Urban Oasis

This is from the Business Improvement Association’s blog.  My Urban Oasis is a furnished apartment available for short-term rentals at Danforth and Woodbine above City Flowers.  I know someone who’s parents stayed there while they were visiting and they loved it!


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Danforth East Arts Fair Applications Now Up

Not to be confused with the Art of the Danforth Art Walk (April 23rd – May 2nd) the artists application for the Danforth East Arts Fair (Sep 18-19th) is ready!

The Danforth East Arts Fair will be held at East Lynn Park on September 18 and 19, 2010. This high-quality show grew from consistent demand for crafts at the Danforth East Community Association’s weekly farmers’ market.
Our inaugural arts fair, held in September 2009, attracted approximately 2,000 people per day. Artists from our own neighbourhood and from as far away as Peterborough and Sarnia shared their wares.  People were thrilled to have a new event in their community.
Join us this year: Grab an ice cream cone, a cappuccino or brunch, and then come wander through the park. Pick up some some soap, some new art, and maybe even a few Christmas presents to stash away early!

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Danforth Gem – Celena’s Bakery

By Gillian Grace

So fresh-pastry-starved was Danforth East, that I suspect we would have been grateful for any bakery. But Celena’s, which is having its grand opening this weekend, is not just any bakery — it’s a really good one. A worthy croissant can be hard to find in Toronto, but theirs is rich and buttery; the chocolate croissant (available only on weekends) is the decadent, Parisian ideal.

As any specs-wearing customer can attest, everything is made fresh daily, in house (to arrive on a Saturday morning is to experience temporary, albeit fragrant, blindness as your glasses fog up from the baking). An open plan kitchen lets you see the fresh loafs as they’re brought out from the oven. The interior is laid out for perfect sunny morning lolling, with lots of space for strollers and a wheelchair-accessible washroom.

It’s run by husband-and-wife team Celena and Richard, who met at the culinary management program at George Brown. Running a bakery of her own has been Celena’s dream since she was 16, and, when the couple started to get serious about their business plan, friends urged them to open in the neighbourhood. The two spent four months gut-renovating a former framing store, and soft-opened February 6th. Most mornings, they’re in the store kneading and mixing by 4:45 a.m.

So far, the whole wheat bread (baked in a tin to lend it the shape and height of a traditional sandwich loaf) is one of their more popular items, as is a roasted garlic sourdough (try it for an extra-tangy grilled cheese). Celena and Richard make all their own preserves, which they use to make the filling for their Danishes. Also much adored are their scones, which come in three kinds, blueberry-chocolate, strawberry and cheese. Place a special order for birthday cakes and larger numbers of cupcakes; individual cupcakes and smaller gâteaux are up for grabs in the fridge.

Up next? Celena’s is hoping to introduce meat and chicken pot pies, joining other savoury offerings such as a daily soup and pizza, as well as espresso, lattes and cappuccinos.

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Community Workshops

My son and I attended one of the Art of the Danforth community workshops on the weekend and it was terrific.  Led by artist, Heidi Popsil, we made silhouettes (to be part of the installation on the outside of the Coxwell library) and painted flags to be part of the ‘Tibetan prayer flag’ installation at the Big Hole at Woodbine and Danforth.  I think it will be wonderful for my son to walk along during the Art of the Danforth and see his artwork there along with all the other artists.

There are several more of the free family workshops at the Coxwell library.  Families of all kinds are welcome to attend these one-off workshops.  If you missed this one, there are five more chances to take part!  And that’s not all there are lots of community workshops happening in advance of the art walk.

Check out all of the free workshops that are available this month!

FAMILY ARTS WORKSHOPS

Folk artist Heidi Pospisil will lead families in making colorful life sized silhouettes and multi-colored flags to be strung  together in dramatic display. All workshops at Coxwell Public Library, 1675 Danforth (just east of Coxwell)  Space is limited! If interested, please sign up at the library reference desk or by calling 416-393-7783.

Wednesday, March 10 – 6pm to 8pm
Friday, March 19 – 2pm to 4pm (March break)
Saturday, March 20 – 2pm to 4pm (March break)
Wednesday, March 24 – 6pm to 8pm
Wednesday, March 31 – 6pm to 8pm

EAST DANFORTH PEOPLE AND PLACES

All workshops at LucSculpture Studio & School, 663 Greenwood, just N of Danforth)
Join multidisciplinary artist Gomo George in sifting through facts, gossip and feelings about places and people in this area.   Come prepared with your contributions to be woven into displays that explore who and what make up this strip.

Thursday March 18, 6:30 – 8:30 PM – Special focus on the Roxy / Allanby Theatre
Thursday March 25, 6:30 – 8:30 PM – Special focus on the Linnsmore & Crossroads Taverns
Sunday April 4    10 am – noon –
Thursday April 8, 6:30 – 8:30 PM
Thursday April 15, 6:30 – 8:30 PM

WHAT ABOUT ALL THOSE EMPTY STORES?

We’ve tried very hard over the past year to connect with the owners of the empty stores along the Art of the Danforth walk site.  Surprisingly, many of the owners of these stores are inaccessible, not even trying to rent out the sites.  Now, we would NEVER suggest we intrude on their private property with mounting some ghostly silhouettes on their outer windows.  That’s why we’re just going to talk about it.

Thursday March 11, 6:30-8:30 at LucSculpture Studio & School, 663 Greenwood
Wednesday April 7, 6:30-8:30 at Community Centre 55, 97 Main Street (@ Gerrard)

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The Nosh News

Read All About It

I became a ‘facebook friend’ of the True Brew Cafe (2116 Danforth)  and it’s really torture because every day I get an update of what’s in the oven and it always sounds delicious.  This was the latest one…

Carrot cake with cream cheese icing! Pecan cinnamon buns! Oatmeal chocolate chip bars! Vegetarian French Canadian Pea Soup today (contains no French Canadians). Grilled classic tuna salad sandwich or Grilled hummus, tomato and spinach sandwich.

I’m also a ‘friend’ of Relish Bar and Grill.  They don’t provide the daily dose of temptation, but they do provide updates about what’s happening.

Celena’s Bakery Grand Opening

Celena’s Bakery will be hosting the ‘official’ grand opening next weekend (March 13/14).  It’s at 2036 Danforth and it’s fabulous.  There will be lots of free samples to try so if you haven’t been, you  might want to drop by.  If you have been, you might want to drop by!

Carter’s Ice Cream …

…is back as of Easter Weekend (Good Friday is March 30th).  You know what that means?  Spring!