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The East Lynn Park Farmers’ Market Is Going Online

As the lockdown continues and each month seems to bring ever more difficult news, we’re excited to share something positive: the East Lynn Park Farmers’ Market is going online to safely connect you to our farmers (and the food security they represent). The market, like all DECA initiatives, has always been about community building, so we’re equally excited to share that the market will enable you to help your local at-risk seniors every time you shop.

How Does It All Work?

The market opens THIS Friday on Open Food Network (we’re getting everything ready and we will share the link on Friday morning). You’ll be able to shop Friday until Tuesday noon, then sit back and wait for a DECA volunteer to deliver your groceries to your door on Thursday afternoon.

Opening Week Kick-Off: Suppers for Seniors!

With help from TD’s Park People grant, we’re opening this year’s market with a fundraiser to support The Neighbourhood Group’s local senior’s food bank and local Meals On Wheels services for seniors in need: Suppers for Seniors. How can you participate? Donate at our fundraising page! You can also donate in lieu of a delivery fee ($5-15 suggested) at the DECA store at the market. Looking for masks? You can also donate by picking up a beautiful adult or child-sized mask made with love by DECA volunteers using fabric generously donated by ever-awesome FabricSpark (all veggie prints, of course!). Delivery donations and mask proceeds will be collected for The Neighbourhood Group the whole market season.

Mixed Veg Mask sewn and modeled by ELP Farmers’ Market’s Rebecca!

MARKET DELIVERY BORDERS: Victoria Park to Greenwood and O’Connor to Lake Ontario

ORDERS: Fri.-Tues at 12 noon (June 12-16 for delivery on June 18)

DELIVERY: Thursday afternoon

For weekly updates on what’s happening at the market, follow DECA on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

We are entirely volunteer-run! If you would like to help out in any way, please contact us at market (at) deca.to. We’d love to have your help.

Learn more about the work The Neighbourhood Group is doing to help our community.

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Mark your calendars! Our Annual AGM is next Monday!

Come to DECA’s Annual General Meeting & Community Party! The AGM will be held at Hirut Cafe & Restaurant – 2050 Danforth Avenue on Monday, January 13th, from 7-9pm.

Eat some delicious Ethiopian Food (on us), meet your neighbors and learn about what DECA does – and how to get involved!

There will be some brief remarks followed by the Board election, and lots of time for mixing, mingling, and celebrating another year of community building in #DanforthEast!

PS – there will be a cash bar. And feel free to bring $10 to renew you annual household membership (note: this is not mandatory but appreciated!)

See you there!

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AGM Rescheduled!

*AGM Rescheduled

November and December are always busy months: year-end deadlines, planning for the year ahead, and holiday festivities and commitments of many different shapes and sizes. With that in mind, we’ve decided to reschedule our Annual General Meeting to early January – the 13th of January to be exact. Our hope is that, after the busy year-end season, more #DanforthEast neighbors will have the ability to come out and talk about our community in a positive, inclusive, and engaging way!

So mark your calendars: Monday, January 13th from 7-9pm at the ever-wonderful Hirut Cafe & Restaurant, 2050 Danforth Avenue. There will be light dinner on us, much mingling, and the board elections for the coming year.

And two more quick notes:

  • if you are a local business or are organizing an event in our community in the next month, send us a note at info@deca.to. We will do our best to spread the word!
  • our 8th Annual Festival of Lights is happening this weekend: Saturday, Nov 30th from 4-5pm in East Lynn Park. Stay tuned for another blog post in the coming days outlining all the details!

Thanks for being such an amazing community! We look forward to seeing you this weekend to light up the park, and work with you – taking your ideas and helping to bring them to life – in 2020!

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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!