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Happening this week! Harvestfest celebrations, free trees, a walking tour and community building TED talks

Lots to enjoy in the hood this week! From our Harvestfest party on Thursday with Tree For Me pick-up to Saturday’s walking tour and TED like talks “Yes, in my community!”.

Harvestfest 10th anniversary party!

We’re throwing a party and you’re invited! Our amazing Harvestfest 10th anniversary party is happening this Thursday at East Lynn Park. Come down and groove to the live music: Dan the Music Man 4:15-5:00pm and Tim Bovaconti and The Enablers 5:30-7:30pm.  And surprise! We have beer, wine, cider and fresh juice available to wash down your farm-fresh goodies. For the kids, we have a hoop zone with Hoopersonic from 3:30-5:30pm, art activities with Fresh Paint from 4:30-6:30pm, Yoga Storytime with Appleseed Yoga at 5:30pm, and face painting from 4:00-6:30pm.

Anyone who ordered a tree from Tree For Me will be able to pick it up in the wading pool. (If you didn’t order one, a limited number may be available for walk-ups.)

At 7:30pm our Harvestfest after-party begins with a reprise of last year’s Tragically Hip singalong in the park. You may want to bring a chair/blanket, instrument and candle along. Come raise your voices with some neighbours – we love singing together.

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Yes, in my Community! Walking tour and guest speakers

Join us on Saturday, Sept 29th for a community walking tour highlighting East Lynn Park, sites of the DECA Pop-Up Shop initiative, the old Crossroads building, and a rare tour inside the Danforth TTC Garage site! Meet at 3pm at the entrance to East Lynn Park.

After the tour, at 4:15pm, join us on 2nd floor of Danforth Coxwell Library for TED style talks from guest speakers who will share their expertise and experiences in community building. Questions and a discussion will follow. Read all about the speakers and event details in our blog post here. The event is also featured on Facebook.

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Yes in my community! Join the tour and community building discussions on Saturday Sept. 29th

You are in for a treat when you say “Yes!” to this event. DECA is thrilled to partner with The Toronto Public Library Danforth Coxwell Branch to host an event in the series “On Civil Society” about community building!

On Saturday, September 29th, 2018 at 3:00pm join us for a walking tour from East Lynn Park to the Danforth Coxwell Library. Pssst… our walking tour includes a rare peek inside the Danforth TTC Garage! If you are curious about this site, here’s your chance to see a bit more.

Then at 4:15pm meet us at the library for refreshments and TED like talks and discussions.

“TED” Talk Participants:

Gill Penalosa, 8 80 Cities

Gill is incredibly passionate about transforming cities into places for all people. He has inspired and advised decision makers and communities in more than 300 different cities around the world on how to create vibrant cities and healthy communities for everyone, regardless of age, gender, or socio-economic status. His focus is on the design and use of parks and streets as great public places, as well as sustainable mobility. His call to action is to move ‘from talking to doing’.

Michelle Senayah, The Laneway Project

Michelle is an urban designer who is passionate about the public realm and what happens in it. She works collaboratively with designers and planners, community members, municipal staff, students and politicians to plan, design and implement projects and policies that redefine how we think about and use our public space.

Matthew Browning, ARUP

Matthew is a senior transportation consultant with a civil engineering background, and leads Arup’s Transportation Master Planning work in Canada. He most often seeks out projects where he can promote sustainable modes of transportation such as transit, walking and cycling and has led the development of numerous master plans and street reconfigurations across Canada, the US, the UK and the Middle East. Working alongside architects, designers, stakeholders, municipalities and members of the community, Matthew finds ways to overcome ingrained thinking about traffic engineering and build cities for people, not cars.

Billy Dertilis, Red Rocket Coffee & Danforth Mosaic BIA Chairperson

Billy is a business strategist looking to share his skills and knowledge and contribute to the neighbourhood he grew up in. The son of a Danforth shopkeeper, some of his earliest memories are of his father’s shop and the sense of connection that grew out of a strong and vibrant retail strip. As BIA chair, Billy is a tireless advocate for deeper ties between the business community and neighbouring residents. 

Moderated by: Mary Vallis, Professor of Journalism at Centennial College, former DECA Board Member & Founder of the DECA Arts Fair

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Itinerary:

3:00PM: Meet at the entrance to East Lynn Park. This is a community tour highlighting East Lynn Park, sites of the DECA Pop-Up Shop initiative, the old Crossroads building, and the Danforth TTC Garage site (which is slated for redevelopment with Toronto Police Services).

The final stop on the tour is the Danforth TTC Garage – we’ll take you inside for a rare look around!

4:00 PM: Tour will head to Danforth Coxwell branch of the Toronto Public Library for light refreshments.

4:15 PM: All are welcome to join us on 2nd floor of Danforth Coxwell Library for TED style talks with guest speakers with questions/discussion to follow.

You are welcome to share the event on Facebook and help us spread the word! https://www.facebook.com/events/273495250153006/

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Arts Fair By the Numbers & Organizers Wanted

A big thank you to everyone who came out and helped make this weekend’s arts fair in East Lynn Park a huge success! The 10th anniversary edition of the Danforth East Arts Fair, #DECAF18 (we sneak a silent “c” in the hashtag for “community”), by the numbers:

Now, We Need Your Help

If you love the arts fair and like to organize, we really want to hear from you to help us next year! Our organizers have put in many, many hours and it’s time for new folks to help out if we want to keep the fair going to year 11. Send us an email at deca.arts @ gmail.com to learn more.

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Jeremy & Jenn rocking #DECAF18
DECAF18 Kids Tent
Pegasus Studios hosting free kids crafts at #DECAF18
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Arts Fair this weekend! #decaf18

#DECAF18 says THANK YOU!

Danforth East Community Arts Fair is this weekend, September 15-16, in East Lynn Park!

As we look forward to the excitement of #DECAF18, join us in thanking the amazing people who make it happen. First up, our wonderful community sponsors!

 Juliette Fergus of Trust Realty Group is back again this year! She regularly partners with local artists to fill empty walls in her listings with vibrant artwork that is also for sale, bringing art to local families and bringing opportunities to artists. “It’s a match made in heaven,” says Juliette!

  Your favourite local mortgage agent Lisa Okun of Mortgage Alliance Performance Group is a long-time community member and fair attendee, who you’ll often find teaming up with other neighborhood businesses like Fresh Paint Studio + Café to bring you local workshops on home decorating and organizing.

desktopfpSpeaking of Fresh Paint Studio + Café, this local fixture is made up of a team of friendly, professional artists and art lovers whom we are proud to thank for their continued sponsorship of DECAF for yet another year!

Also back again to support our arts fair this year is DeSerres — a family-owned art and craft supply business with the motto: “Because life is a canvas.” Indeed!! Come to #DECAF18 to fill your canvas with dazzle and delight! Visit DeSerres at 1556 Danforth Ave (at Coxwell).

We are excited to welcome the support this year of Member of Parliament for Beaches-East York Nathaniel (Nate) Erskine-Smith. Nate was raised in Beaches-East York, lives and works in this community, and we are so happy he is joining us in making this year’s Danforth East Community Arts Fair a success.

And a HUGE shout out to the tireless work of our volunteers! THANK YOU!! There are still a few volunteer slots left so click here to sign up if you want to spend time in a beautiful atmosphere with awesome people surrounded by art while giving back to your community – you’re one click away.

To help you plan your DECAF visit, here is the schedule of kids events, music performances, and demonstrations. We can’t wait to see everyone out there supporting our incredible artists on Saturday and Sunday! Follow us on social media before and during the fair on Facebook and Instagram.

 

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The Market This Week: Our Spud Star Gary

One of our longest serving and most committed farmers, Gary Godelie, recently shared his potato expertise with the Toronto Star.  Have a read for tips on how to pick quality potatoes and best prepare based on the type.

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Metrolinx and the Community Advisory Committee members will be on hand in the DECA tent to answer questions about increased rail service and what that means for the community living in close proximity to the tracks. Learn more about noise and vibration mitigation, construction issues and environmental impact of this multi phased project.  

East End Family Wellness will be in our Community Wellness tent. Located at 1250 Woodbine Ave, this clinic offers chiropractic, massage therapy, holistic nutrition and naturopathic care. From newborns to grandparents, they will provide you with knowledge, resources, and a variety of services that allow your family to grow and thrive. Be sure to check out their calendar of events showing their afterschool kids yoga classes, sleep training workshops, infant massage and much more!  Also take a peek at their gift basket giveaway, be sure to fill out a ballot!  Find them on Facebook and www.eastendfamilywellness.com

 In the kids tent, we are welcoming back Create Art Studio for some fun activities.

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The trees are coming! The trees are coming!

Thanks to DECA’s amazing Tree for Me team for this post!

In an effort to increase tree cover in our neighbourhood, DECA is partnering with Tree for Me to give out free trees to Toronto residents. Together we are hosting two events on September 27th and 29th at East Lynn Park! To get your free tree, simply head over to treeforme.ca and register for one of the DECA events. Each household is eligible to receive up to two free trees per season. Pick up the trees at the event and learn how to plant and take care of them. The trees will be a mini size and easy to carry home.

Please register by September 24 to reserve your tree. Walk-ups will also be welcome at the event for whatever tree is available.

Why plant more trees?

There are many great reasons for planting more trees but chief among them are the environmental benefits. By taking in carbon dioxide and turning it into oxygen, trees help to remove harmful fossil fuel emissions from our atmosphere. Below ground, tree roots prevent soil erosion by keeping the soil from being washed away. Tree roots also absorb and retain water and boost the water-holding capacity of the surround soil, which can help reduce flooding, especially in urban environments.

DECAxTreeForMe event posterLess well known are the public health benefits of trees. A 2014 study found that in one year alone, trees prevented 850 human deaths and 670,000 cases of acute respiratory symptoms in the US. The researchers attributed this to the 17 tonnes of air pollution that trees removed from the air by trapping dust, pollen and other pollutants. Other studies have shown that just looking at trees can help people lower their heart rates, reduce stress and even recover faster from surgery.

With all of these environmental and public health benefits, why aren’t we planting more trees? That’s where Tree for Me comes in. Tree for Me is a community-based partnership to help Toronto residents get free trees for their front and backyards. As part of the Every Tree Counts campaign sponsored by the City of Toronto and Toronto Parks and Tree Foundation, Tree for Me aims to boost the city’s tree cover to 40%

How it works

Step 1: Register for your free trees at www.treeforme.ca. Take a look online to choose your trees. They’ll be in mini size and easy to pick up.

Step 2: Come to the one of our events for your free trees and tree care workshop.

When: Thursday, September 27 from 3 pm – 7 pm
                                       and
Saturday, September 29 from 10 am – 12 pm (workshop and tree pickup)

Where: It all happens at East Lynn Park, our workshop and tree pickup location!

For those with mobility issues, the City can come to your home on October 25th or 27th and plant your tree for you. If you live in a condo or cannot plant a tree in your backyard, we recommend the Serviceberry tree – they’re great on balconies or in planters. If the tree gets too big, you can always donate it back to the program!

Tip: Before you register, take Tree for Me’s short quiz to determine which tree you is right for you. The quiz will ask you a series of questions about where the tree will be planted (soil quality, amount of sunlight, etc…) and your goals for planting the tree (conserve energy, privacy, etc…). These questions will help match you with the best tree to suit your home’s environment and needs. All the trees provided through Tree for Me are native species to the area.

If you have questions about the event, please email info@deca.to or visit us at the Farmer’s Market on Thursdays. A tree for you, benefits for all!