Community Meeting – all the links you need

A huge thank you to everyone who came out Friday night to Mischief Makers for our first Produce Bag Sewing Bee for the East Lynn Farmers’ Market. We had a full house and a productive and fun night.

Earlier this week, we had  a great turnout for DECA’s Community Potluck and Board Meeting at the Danforth Mennonite Church on Tuesday, May 12. Neighbours gathered to gnosh, mingle, and learn about several local initiatives shaping our community. Five local candidates for City Councillor also attended to show their support: James Dann, Natalie Johnson, Adam Smith, Austin Vieira, and Jeff Wahl. 

Neighbours for a Noise-Smart Railway shared updates on their efforts to hold Metrolinx accountable as the agency appears to quietly omit the required noise and vibration mitigation measures from an expansion project that will permanently increase vibration by a factor of 7. ‘Neighbours for a Noise-Smart Railway’ wants Metrolinx to deliver on the protections required by the plan, as promised. https://noisesmartrailway.com/

Local resident Dan Balcaban presented his proposal for Safer Access to Danforth GO when entering the station from the Northwest side. Creating a direct walkway from Stephenson Ave. to the station platform would prevent commuters from having to dash across busy Main St. to catch their train. A community petition is currently active — you can add your voice here:   openpetition.org/!rxldt

Lastly, local resident Rafael Pascual-Leone shared updates on Oakcrest Orchard, a community stewardship initiative transforming a long-neglected patch of land at Woodbine & Oakcrest into a flourishing community orchard. Today, more than 20 varieties of fruit trees, shrubs, and vines are growing there. Pascual-Leone has gathered letters of support from many local organizations, and is advocating for formal City recognition and support for the project as a long-term investment in food resilience, social infrastructure, and community wellbeing. 

Pastor Peter Neimeyer of the Danforth Mennonite Church also encouraged neighbours to explore the many community activities hosted in the space. 

And don’t forget — DECA is always looking for volunteers! You can get involved with the East Lynn Farmers’ Market (every Thursday beginning June 4), the annual Yard Sale on June 13, or the Art Fair taking place September 19–20.  If you would like to volunteer for the yard sale, email Alex and Alida at yardsale@deca.to. If you want to volunteer with the market, sign up here:

Market Volunteer Signup

We are still taking signups for the yard sale! You can find all the links here: https://deca.to/yardsale/

 

 

Join us Tuesday Night for the Community Potluck and Board Meeting

DECA Community Potluck and Board Meeting

Join us on Tuesday, May 12th at 7pm at the Danforth Mennonite Church to find out more about community initiatives that DECA and other organizations are involved in. This will be a good opportunity to see where you can get involved in your neighbourhood! Bring a snack to share if you can. Register here.

Our tentative agenda:

7-730: snacks and mingling
730-830: meeting as follows:
1. Land acknowledgment
2. DECA welcome and introductions (5 min)
3. Yard sale info and volunteer opportunities (5 min)
4. Market overview and planning (10 min)
5. Arts Fair update (5 min)
6. Local change making initiatives (3 min each, 10-15 min total)
*Oakcrest Orchard (Rafael Pascual-Leone)
*Neighbours for a Noise-Smart Railway (Tarun George)
*Stephenson Ave-> GO-Station link (Dan Balcaban)
*Community Programs @ Danforth Mennonite Church ( Pieter Niemeyer)
7. General discussion

Produce Bag Sewing Bee and Market Discussion

Join market folks at Mischief Makers on Friday, May 15th at 7pm to sew produce bags with us!

We will be upcycling fabrics into simple bags that our farmers can hand out to reduce plastic waste. Everyone is welcome, regardless of sewing experience. We look forward to chatting about the market over busy hands and tasty snacks! Register here.

Opening Day of the East Lynn Park Farmers’ Market

We kick off our 19th market on Thursday, June 4 this year. We’ve got lots of great vendors, popups, community contributors, musicians and kids’ activities lined up for the season. You can find us every Thursday, 3-7pm. Watch for community events like the pollinator giveaway on June 18 or the Pride celebration on June 25!

Danforth East Yard Sale

It’s back! Our annual yard sale is Saturday, June 13. Go to the signup and map on our website at www.deca.to. We will also be hosting the Multiseller Sale and the Clothing/Item Drive at Kimbourne United Church again this year.

Yard Sale signups are here! And a few reminders for you

Ready to sign up for the Danforth East Yard Sale? Get yourself on the map!

Register or view the map here.


Have you registered yet for the DECA Community Potluck and Board Meeting?

Join us on Tuesday, May 12th at 7pm at the Danforth Mennonite Church to find out more about community initiatives that DECA and other organizations are involved in. This will be a good opportunity to see where you can get involved in your neighbourhood! Bring a snack to share if you can. 

Register here for the potluck meeting.

Produce Bag Sewing Bee and Market Discussion

Join market folks at Mischief Makers on Friday, May 15th at 7pm to sew produce bags with us!

We will be upcycling fabrics into simple bags that our farmers can hand out to reduce plastic waste. Everyone is welcome, regardless of sewing experience. We look forward to chatting about the market over busy hands and tasty snacks!

Register here for the Sewing Bee.

Calendar Update: ALL the community things with DECA!

As May approaches, DECA has fully sprung into action and planned a ton of great community events. Here are the highlights:

Arts Fair Applications

The deadline for applications to the Arts’ Fair is April 30. Toronto-based artists can apply to be a part of the fair via our website. The fair is on September 19th and 20th in East Lynn Park.

DECA Community Potluck and Board Meeting

Join us on Tuesday, May 12th at 7pm at the Danforth Mennonite Church to find out more about community initiatives that DECA and other organizations are involved in. This will be a good opportunity to see where you can get involved in your neighbourhood! Bring a snack to share if you can. Register here.

Produce Bag Sewing Bee and Market Discussion

Join market folks at Mischief Makers on Friday, May 15th at 7pm to sew produce bags with us!

We will be upcycling fabrics into simple bags that our farmers can hand out to reduce plastic waste. Everyone is welcome, regardless of sewing experience. We look forward to chatting about the market over busy hands and tasty snacks! Register here.

Opening Day of the East Lynn Park Farmers’ Market

We kick off our 19th market on Thursday, June 4 this year. We’ve got lots of great vendors, popups, community contributors, musicians and kids’ activities lined up for the season. You can find us every Thursday, 3-7pm. Watch for community events like the pollinator giveaway on June 18 or the Pride celebration on June 25!

Danforth East Yard Sale

It’s back! Our annual yard sale is Saturday, June 13. Watch for the signup and map on our website at www.deca.to. We will also be hosting the Multiseller Sale and the Clothing/Item Drive at Kimbourne United Church again this year.

The 3Rs for Monday: Renew, RSVP, Reassemble!

Our Annual General Meeting for all members is this Monday, February 23 at 6pm at Hirut Restaurant.

Renew

If you’re getting this email, chances are you are already a member, but it’s possible you need to renew. Our membership is pay-what-you-can and can be completed here: https://deca.to/become-a-member/

RSVP

If we are going to have Hirut and Tibebe make enough vegetarian buffet, we need to know numbers! Please let us know you’re coming here:

RSVP form

Reassemble at Hirut!

Or rejoice in the company of interesting neighbours? Rediscover your love of the East end? Renew your commitment to community building? Whatever your reason, make sure to join us to reflect on the year behind and make big plans for what we can accomplish in the coming months.

Join us for DECA’s 2026 AGM!

Become a Member

Board Member Applications due today! and rsvp for agm!

Interested in joining us on the DECA Board? Here’s what you need to know:

DECA’s Guiding Principles
DECA will organize itself around the following guiding principles — namely, that DECA:
● is non-partisan;
● is respectful and inclusive of our diverse communities and recognizes this
requires ongoing effort, dialogue and assessment;
● actively works to foster a sense of community through local events and activities;
● partners with and supports local businesses and organizations;
● makes efforts to meaningfully participate in planning that affects our community;
and,
● encourages a vibrant neighbourhood that values inclusivity, diversity, and
environmental responsibility, recognizing we are settlers on the land DECA
operates on.

Board Elections take place at DECA”s Annual General Meeting,  on Monday, February 23, 2026.

Fill out this application to be a board member: 2026 DECA Board Member Application

This application must be completed and returned to DECA via email to info@deca.to by today, February 9, 2026.

 

Join us for DECA’s 2026 AGM!

Click here to RSVP to the Annual General Meeting. We would love to see you!

Coming soon!
  • Arts Fair Applications go live – Feb 15