Get to know the Danforth Mosaic BIA

BIA Meeting Information

We got a few comments on our recent Cozy Cafe post that conveyed some frustration about landlords, the BIA, and what to do about our empty storefronts.  DECA is really taking on this problem, and our February pop-ups are being announced one-by-one on our Facebook page, which is also linked to our Twitter account! (We’ll post about them here too, but all in good time.)

You may or may not know this, but for many years, DECA has worked with the Mosaic BIA.  We have consistently appointed one Board member to be the BIA liaison to attend their meetings and flow information between the BIA and our Board, just to keep apprised of what we’re all up to.

Recently, we asked ourselves why we have never used DECAdiaries to let all of you know when the BIA will be meeting. The answer?  No reason at all!  So, here are the details of their next meeting:

Monday, February 4 at 7:00 p.m.
Toronto Model Photography, 1840 Danforth Avenue
(This is the business owned by BIA Chair, Jason, where the BIA will now have their office)

There is also a new BIA-DECA sub-committee, that the BIA formed.  Our liaison, Susan, is co-chairing it and she would welcome any new members!

If you want any further information about the BIA, the BIA-DECA sub-committee, or Monday’s meeting, please email Susan by clicking here.

(Remember, we are not the BIA – so if you go to the meeting, you are not going to a DECA meeting!)

East Side Represent!

There is a certain section of DECA’s area that sometimes doesn’t get all the love it deserves. Ladies and gentlemen, I’m talking about the area known as E.O.W. – or east of Woodbine. (Okay fine, nobody calls it that, but I think it’s definitely going to catch on now that I’ve coined it.) Here is some of the exciting news from DECA’s east end…

Sandwich anyone?

We were all very sad to see the shuttering of True Brew Cafe in November, but rumour has it that a new sandwich shop is getting ready to open up in that space in the very near future. Stay tuned!

Bell’s Martial Arts

In early November, Tristan Bell opened Bell’s Martial Arts in the newly renovated building at 2200 Danforth Ave. New classes are being added all the time for children age 4 all the way up to adults, so call to find out about what classes might work for you and/or your family. The focus there is on building self-confidence, self-reliance, awareness, and strong bodies. You can contact Tristan to arrange a free trial class for you or your kids. What have you got to lose? To send an email, click here.

Bell’s Martial Arts
Monday-Friday: 4:00pm – 9:00pm
Saturday: 10:00am – 4:00pm
Sunday: closed
2200 Danforth Avenue, Toronto, ON, M4C 1K4
Bells Martial Arts

Kia Dealership

It’s really coming along, and it’s looking like it might be quite beautiful!

Danforth Village BIA

DECA is pretty connected to the Danforth Mosaic Business Improvement Area (BIA), which spans from Westlake Ave and west all the way to Jones. There is, however, a second BIA in our boundaries that goes from Westlake Ave and east all the way to Victoria Park Ave, called the Danforth Village BIA. They have an excellent website, which shows you all the businesses in that area, broken down into categories and there is even a map for ease of reference. DECA is planning to reach out to this BIA to get to know them better and see how we might be able to partner up. (And no, we’re not just cozying up to them because Target will be moving into their zone in a couple of months!)

Safe Crossing at Last

Many thanks to City Councillors Mary-Margaret McMahon and Janet Davis for extending the green lights at Woodbine and Danforth so that there is actually time to cross the street. Walking E.O.W. has never been so easy. (See? It’s catching on.)

Coming up: We’ve had some chatter on the blog about the BIA and the relationship between landlords, the city, the businesses, and our struggling storefronts. We’ll post more about that soon, along with exciting news about our ongoing Pop-up project!

Danforth Avenue – then & now

Danforth then…

Before there were subways, there were streetcars.  And before there were streetcars there were horses and buggies.  BlogTO recently put out this post with some very cool pictures of what Danforth Avenue has looked like through the years.

Danforth & East Lynn (1960)

Danforth now… 

And the Danforth continues to change today.  We’re excited to a few see new businesses moving into the area:

  • Dulux Paints (2031 Danforth), a Canadian company, will be opening it’s 7th location in our neighbourhood on January 2nd.  Besides boasting premium quality paint and terrific customer service, Dulux is known for their involvement in the Let’s Colour movement which helps neighbourhoods turn grey spaces into more lively, colourful places.   Hummm…..
  • Oaks ‘N Acorns (1856 Danforth) According to their Facebook page, Oaks ‘N Acorn is “a new Activity Studio and Stay ‘n Play Café providing a welcoming and creative hub where parents and children can participate together or individually in a diverse range of classes and workshops…” (Opening date is TBD)
  • The Pillow Shoppe (1434 Danforth) has recently opened with a vast selection of decorative pillows.  Everything from sage to army green and olive to hunter green.  (They have other colours too, but you know us, we love green.) Official grand opening weekend festivities on December 8 & 9!  They even have a selection of giftware.
  • Metropolitan College (2017 Danforth, 3rd floor) offers all sorts of English language programs and seem to have already brought a boost in foot traffic to the surrounding shops.

Another change this year was the additional of decorative lights along the Danforth –  thanks to the Danforth Mosaic BIA‘s Streetscape Committee for the shooting stars west of Westlake, and to the Danforth Village BIA for the holiday wreaths adorning street lamps east from Westlake.  We think they’re a lovely, twinkling addition to the neighbourhood.

And in other Danforth retail news, a big congratulations to Wag on the Danforth being named one of Toronto’s best pet stores from BlogTO.

Dulux Paints (2031 Danforth)
The Pillow Shoppe (1434 Danforth)
Oaks ‘N Acorns (1856 Danforth)
Lighting installed by the Mosaic BIA

 

DECA 101, Cocktail Party Invite, and Seniors Consultation Tomorrow!

Are you a long-time DECA Diaries subscriber who knows all about DECA but can’t figure out what the BIA is?  Did your spouse sign you up for this blog and you don’t know what DECA is or what it even stands for?  Perhaps you have just joined and are keen to learn more?  Regardless of the reason for your thirst for DECA knowledge, we are here to quench that thirst.

Here are some answers to some of the most common questions we hear, and some details about this year’s AGM/Cocktail Party.

What is DECA?

The Danforth East Community Association (DECA) is a residents’ association that was formed in 2007 by a group of people who were looking to focus on building something, as oppose to fighting something.  DECA’s goal is to make our neighbourhood a more vibrant, walkable and safe place.

What are our boundaries?

Our boundaries are Monarch Park Ave. in the west to Main St., Mortimer/Lumsden in the north, to the Go Train tracks south of Danforth.

Why do we need paying members?

To give us clout and legitimacy, and also to raise revenue. The $10 contributions allow us to put on so many events and activities each year.  Stay tuned for more info about membership renewals.

What does DECA do?

Business Revitalization Team (did you like the pop-up shops the past couple of weekends?), East Lynn Farmers’ Market, Danforth East Arts Fair, safety walks, political debates, and more recently, the kids stuff sale and pub crawls.

What’s the difference between DECA and the BIA?

The short answer is that DECA represents the residents of the neighbourhood, and the BIA represents the business owners.

The Business Improvement Area (BIA) is run by a voluntary board of property owners and tenants, with an aim to stimulate business in the area.  BIAs are regulated by the City, and are funded partially by the City, and partially by levies paid by each business.

On the other hand, DECA is funded entirely by membership fees and fundraising, and we get no funding from the City.

We are fortunate in our area that our BIA, the Danforth Mosaic BIA, is currently very supportive of DECA and both groups are working to foster a good working relationship, which is good because it makes sense to keep good lines of communication open.

What does our BIA do?

The Danforth Mosaic BIA  was established in 2008 and covers a larger stretch of the Danforth than DECA’s borders cover, from Jones to Westlake.  There are actually 400 shops in this BIA – one of the geographically larger BIAs in the city.  The BIA puts on some events, and they pay for the flowers that are put in along the stretch each spring, which we at DECA know is something that many residents really appreciate and enjoy.

When is your Annual General Meeting (a.k.a. the neighbourhood cocktail party)?

If you want to learn more about DECA or just have a drink and tappas with your neighbours, mark November 12th in your calendar.  We’ll be hosting the 4th annual DECA AGM & Cocktail Party  – this year at a new location – Relish Bar & Grill.

If you want to get more involved, this is your time to speak up!  If you are interested in becoming a Board Member of DECA or want to volunteer in other ways, please let us know ahead of time by emailing here.

And if you want to stay in touch in other ways, follow us on  facebook or twitter, or our website.

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And one more thing that DECA does is keep you all updated about neighbourhood news and events – like posting this invitation from Councillor Janet Davis about a Senior’s Strategy Consultation taking place tomorrow, October 29, from 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.:

Danforth Mosaic BIA

Two of our DECA exec members attended the Danforth Mosaic Business Improvement Association Annual General Meeting a few weeks ago. They sent along these thoughts…

It was a real eye-opener. Although the BIA covers 500 businesses, fewer than 15 business owners were there. The new chair said the last year had been a total failure: bad flowers, lame festivals and a broken board that started with 20 members and ended with 10 (including 4 city councillors). He begged business owners to join him on the board.

Here’s what was eye-opening: the BIA has a budget of $200,000 — 100 times what DECA runs on. And, two business owners who were there, added $46,000 to the budget for flowers and a full-time coordinator, just like that. The point: The BIA has the funds to make real change on the Danforth. We should support it.

How?

Go into your favourite stores on the Danforth and ask the owners if they’ve considered joining the BIA board. Push them to — it requires only one night a month and the results could be phenomenal.

We’ve already talked to Roger at Plank Road Market and Tammy at Carter’s (who was there). Who will you talk to?

Planning For THE Plan And Other Fun Things To Do This Week

Wednesday, September 21st

The City of Toronto is beginning a review of its official plan that will focus on how and where Toronto will grow.  Stage 1 of public consultations are this fall and include an open house at the East York Civic Centre on Wednesday September 21 between 3 p.m. and 9 p.m.  You can drop in at any point to see displays and share insights with city staff.  A presentation and facilitated discussion will occur at 4 p.m. and again at 7:30 p.m.

You can visit toronto.ca/opreview to watch videos, take a short survey, submit comments, sign-up for e-dates and learn more about consultation events.

Thursday, September 22nd

Woodgreen Community Services is having its 2011 annual general meeting and keynote address.

Reception 5:30 p.m. followed by meeting at 6:30 p.m. and keynote speaker, Camille Orridge, CEO Toronto Central Local Health Integration Network at 7 p.m. Riverdale Collegiate, 1094 Gerrard St. E.

Now – September 30th 

The Danforth Mosaic Business Improvement Association is hosting ‘Dine Around The Danforth’. Participating restaurants from Jones to Westlake are offering specials and live entertainment until the end of September. Visit the site for information on what special specials are being offered up.

Oct 1st

Drop in and have coffee and a chat with City Councillor, Mary-Margaret McMahon (south of the Danforth, east of Coxwell) from 9 – 11 a.m. at Cozy Cafe (2075 Danforth at Woodbine).