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Two great workshops & a sample sale

Wednesday night – take your pick…improve your space or learn to wear your baby? Either way, get out and take part in these great local workshops!

On Wednesday, January 24 from 7-8:30pm, come to Fresh Paint Studio and Cafe (1849 Danforth) and join professional organizer Cherie Cox, interior designer Melissa Peretti, and mortgage broker Lisa Okun to talk about how to love your home – tips, trends and great info. $5 – includes a chance to win a raffle prize.

Buy tickets and get more info here: https://www.facebook.com/events/179268622667199??ti=ia

Or register for a Babywearing workshop at Silly Goose Kids on Wednesday, Jan 24 from 7-8:30pm! Be sure to follow them for all of their events and workshops!

Email Leigh to register by clicking here.

Also, don’t miss the Saloman Sample Sale on this weekend!

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Big changes proposed for Danforth and Coxwell

Thanks to DECA’s Visioning Committee for these important updates!

The future of the Danforth TTC Garage site at Danforth & Coxwell (south/east corner) is now being determined after years of planning and visioning by many, including DECA’s Visioning Committee.

On the 24th of January, City Council will be asked to vote on a proposal to locate the future station for the Amalgamated 54/55 Police Division at the Danforth TTC Garage site at Coxwell & Danforth.

If approved, this site will be developed to house expanded TTC uses, a police station, a library as well as other cultural and public uses, which will be determined as part of the Master Plan process.

http://app.toronto.ca/tmmis/viewAgendaItemHistory.do?item=2018.EX30.11

DECA looks forward to being part of the process, along with the Danforth Mosaic BIA and others in the community in working with the city and the police to realize this important city-building project in our neighbourhood.

Stay tuned!

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A new year, a new Board

 

Happy New Year!

At our recent Annual General Meeting, the DECA membership elected a stellar Board for 2018:
Gay Stephenson & Loreen Barbour (Co-Chairs)
Audrey Kvedaras (Vice Chair)
Anita Schretlen (Treasurer)
Nicole Bergot-Browning (Secretary)
Alison McMurray
Jennifer Scott
Amanda Olsen
Melissa Peretti
Rebecca Green
Brad Bradford
Lorraine Cheng

Here is a message from incoming co-Chairs Gay & Loreen:
One of the many things to love when you get involved in our neighbourhood is that it makes the world feel like a brighter place. Gathering with neighbours to work on local happenings or projects has a way of harnessing good energy and comes with the benefit of getting to know more of the people who live across the street, around the corner, or down the block.

In the coming year, DECA would like to build even more opportunities for us to connect with one another. We’d like to meet you! We’re will be continuing to host “meet and greets” before Board meetings, building on this initiative from the past couple of years. Half an hour before the meeting begins, come chat with us! Watch this blog and Facebook for meet and greet dates and times for the new year. (Hopefully you are reading this because you are a blog subscriber!) Better yet,  if you haven’t already, join DECA as a member. It’s only $10 per/family per year and you can do it online here.

Did you know that everything DECA does began as someone’s idea? From vision to reality with the support, energy and dedication of many others! Initiatives like the Farmers’ Market, the Danforth East Arts Fair, Pumpkin Parade, Festival of Lights, DECA Pride, Visioning Committee, DECA Connects, Business Revitalization Team, Pop-up Shops, Laneway Crawl and more- they all started as an idea in someone’s head.

So as we go forward into 2018, we look forward to meeting with you, sharing time and inspiration. Perhaps you, or one of your neighbours have the next big (or small) idea for our neighbourhood? We want to hear them all so let’s get to know one another in the new year! And don’t forget to let us know if you’re hosting an event in the ‘hood and we’ll help spread the word. We are entirely volunteer run so the easiest way to alert us is by tagging us on social media.
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More good things happening

My blogging break is hard to maintain when I see so much happening! Read to the end so that you don’t miss info about the upcoming public consultation for the Danforth Avenue planning study.

Oh, and a quick update to a previous post – DECA Connects discussion on empathy has been a postponed to the new year – stay tuned for details.

“Adopt a Family” Holiday Hamper Program

At this time of year, we always remind you to shop local and support local businesses. But we also have neighbours who are in need, and what better way to support them than through helping to fulfill their wish lists?

Three ways to help: make a cash donation, (get a tax receipt for anything over $25) volunteer during the week of Dec 17 to help pack or deliver the hampers, or “adopt” a family – get their wish list and shop for gifts for them (get a group together with friends, family or colleagues to make it easier!). Keisha, the coordinator, is aiming to “adopt” 100 local families this year. If you can help, here’s how to get in touch:

Keisha Cooke
Family Resource Coordinator
Alliance Multicultural Health and Community Services, 91 Barrington Avenue
416-698-1626, ext.  204
kcooke@accessalliance.ca
www.accessalliance.ca

Holiday in the Hood

Today from 10am-3pm! Check out Holiday in the Hood, Earl Beatty’s annual holiday craft and bake sale – this event is fun for everyone (even if you are not part of the EB community).

Little Robot Friends at Silly Goose

Come see for yourself what Little Robot Friends are all about. Sunday, December 10 from 2-5pm.

Old’s Cool Tree Lighting

December 9 from 5-8pm – check out the poster for the details of the festivities!

Planning Study Consultation, Monday Dec 11, 6:30-9:30pm

The City is holding the 4th Community Consultation Meeting on the Danforth Avenue Planning Study on Monday, December 11th at Hope United Church, 2550 Danforth Avenue, from 6:30-9:30pm.

The objective of the meeting is to review and obtain feedback from the community on the built form (building height, scale, and massing) analysis and engage in discussion about future development along our stretch of the Danforth.

DECA’s Visioning group has been working to prepare for the study for many years leading up to its launch and we continue to be a strong voice. Strong and vibrant communities have active participants. We encourage you to come out and participate and help shape the future of our neighbourhood.

For more info click here

Artisans at Work – Dec sales and events

Owner Tara Shelton has announced that she’s closing her shop at Woodbine & Danforth at the end of January. Stop on before then to pick up something lovely. Events and sales are happening too – check out the poster!

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Festival of Lights pics and thanks!

Thank you to everyone who came out to kick off the holiday season at DECA’s 6th annual Festival of Lights a few weekends ago! The forecasted rain held off, we filled two big barrels full of food and a jar full of cash for Community Centre 55‘s holiday food drive, and Santa even joined in the sing-along this year!

A huge thank you to the dozens of volunteers who work behind the scenes and at the festival to make the event happen. Thanks to The S.P.A.C.E., Pegasus Studios, Ben from Zero Gravity Circus, and The Music Project Choir for entertaining us so delightfully before we hit the lights. And a big thank you to Parks Supervisor Colette for helping get the East Lynn tree lighting display increased from two to five fabulous trees this year.

Thanks to our lead sponsors MP Nathaniel Erskine-Smith and MPP Arthur Potts, and contributing sponsors Councillor Mary Margaret McMahon, Sugar Moon, Trust Realty Group, Danforth East, BMO Bank of Montreal, Sauce on the Danforth, Celena’s Bakery, and The Danny: Danforth Mosaic BIA.

Finally, here are some pictures courtesy of Nicole Bergot-Browning and Bruce Reeve to remind you of the evening. (If anyone knows the boy who assisted in the circus act, tell them to contact volunteer@deca.to! Bruce took an amazing photo of him balancing spinning plates and a ball that his family will want to frame.)

Happy holidays, Danforth East!