It’s been a busy summer at the East Lynn Farmers’ Market, and getting busier all the time! This week we welcome back Son-in-law Produce with their corn and potatoes, in addition to our usual great lineup of farmers and bakers.
We had a great response to our Case Reuse drop off last week and will continue it for the rest of the summer! You can drop your clean black plastic takeout containers off in the DECA tent. We are also taking crayons for recycling with our friends at Say it with Crayons!
A big thank you to all of our wonderful vendors, volunteers and customers for making Danforth East Thursdays so very fun.
Our community did it again! There was a great turnout of people enthusiastic to contribute thoughtful, local knowledge to the discussion around this significant project! At times almost 70 people were online for this event and 183 suggestions were tabled from both the discussion and emails!
The suggestions provided by the community overwhelmingly align with the vision of the Master Plan for the Danforth Garage. In the Final Report approved by Council it “envision(s) the creation of a vibrant multi-use community hub that would include multiple public uses, employment opportunities, residential uses, conservation and adaptive re-use of the heritage buildings.” The Mixed Use designation was approved at that time for the entire site to facilitate this vision.
The largest category included arts & cultural and community spaces. The opportunity now exists to remedy the significant space deficiencies in our neighbourhood, for everything from multi-use spaces to theatre spaces. It was said that evening “If you build it, they will come!”
The second largest category of suggestions received was for the construction of workplaces, both office space and studios, to support innovation hubs, local organizations, light industry, film, design and cultural work. The other great benefit provided by these uses, as was discussed, is that foot traffic all day long is needed for main street businesses to thrive.
The range of other suggestions for the multiple new buildings, the heritage Barns and public exterior spaces is wide and included food halls and markets, recreational spaces, children’s and senior’s programming, library programming and goals for the standards of implementation. Below you will find additional details on each category and the actual list will be posted on the DECA.to website.
DECA thanks everyone who participated in this pie-in-the-sky event! This important discussion is only just beginning!
31% Arts & Cultural and Community Spaces – Local spaces for theatre productions, rehearsals and community events of varying sizes are glaringly absent from the area. Groups in the area have long struggled to find appropriate venues to host activities and events! Event spaces as revenue generating opportunities was discussed for both interim and permanent use similar to sites such as the Wychwood Barns and the Brickworks. Support was also given for either a Transit Museum or the installation of a vintage streetcar on site as a way of creating awareness of the history of this location.
28% Workspaces – The suggestions for office space saw the need to house local organizations within the community and create social enterprise and co-working spaces. State of the art office space to accommodate innovation hubs and start up incubators, already decentralized throughout the GTA, can meet the new demands coming out of the pandemic experience for conditions such as links to outside space, high quality ventilation, on-line meeting facilities and can offer a cool heritage vibe to hang out in.
Studio spaces were seen to accommodate cultural production, design offices, light industry and small businesses within a robust vertical environment. A diversity of work places is key to a vibrant hub and workplaces actively support the local retail during the day.
10% Food & Garden – As the Barns provide weather protected spaces which may be multi-purpose in programming, it was proposed by many that a weekly farmer’s market be part of the mix. Establishing a permanent food hall was a suggestion offered by multiple people. An outdoor community garden and greenhouse would also provide vertical dwellers with food growing opportunities.
8% Library Programming – Suggestions to the library for maker spaces, a tool library as well as teaching spaces like a kitchen to teach food literacy, appear to be in line with the library’s progressive vision of it’s role in the community.
8% Recreational Uses – Without a Community Centre in the area, places to accommodate both active recreation like a multi-purpose gym, roller rink or skateboard park and quieter recreation like playing chess, yoga and tai chi, would meet the needs of everyone including young people and the senior population. A Children’s Discovery Centre was also suggested and have a larger draw than just the immediate area.
3% Housing – Suggestions for affordable housing on the site specifically noted the need for live work spaces for artists and seniors’ rental.
11% Miscellaneous Uses & Conditions – Under this category is located the many goals the community hopes are enmeshed into the vision of the project going forward: green best practices, Net Zero goal, public spaces (inside & outside) including washrooms, accessibility to all aspects of the project, a transit oriented site and overall a spirit of welcoming everyone in our diverse community.
The list of the specific suggestions is posted on the DECA.to website for review.
We look forward to continuing this discussion.
The two images shown were taken from the final public presentation for the Study and the link to the presentation is included below:
At the market on July 1, DECA will honour the grief of our Indigenous community members in the wake of the confirmation of atrocities in residential “schools” and not celebrate Canada Day. We will wear orange. Orange tshirts (pictured here) will be available for $40 (cash or credit).
In market news, our capacity has increased and we will not have long lineups to get in. We have a new vendor joining us this week, Fisher’s Field garlic. This week only, Dundas Park Kitchen and the Back 40 Flowers will be absent.
Farmers’ Markets Ontario continues to look for more farmers. If you know of any farmers looking for a great Thursday market, have them contact our market manager, Yuri, at yuri.mymarket@gmail.com
DECA is so excited to welcome back the East Lynn Park Farmers’ Market this Thursday, June 3 in the park! We have a total of 10 vendors, some old favourites and some welcome newcomers, selling veggies, fruit, bread, pastries, wine and beer!
To keep everyone safe and distanced, we will be setting up in a large area on the west side of the path, allowing in 24 customers at a time. Please bring your mask, your cloth bags, and your smile!
“Shop for your Neighbour” Initiative Last year, due to restrictions, East Lynn Farmers’ Market ran a volunteer driven, delivery model.This model was a big success and highlighted the fact that many of our neighbours would like to shop at the market but aren’t physically able to make it to the park each week.With the market back in the park this year, DECA wanted to create a way for those shopping in person to connect with those who need someone to shop for them. Starting next week – Visit East Lynn Park Farmers’ Market on Facebook every Monday where the “Shop for your Neighbour” Post will offer a space for those offering and needing help to post and connect with their neighbours each week!
“What’s In Season” Newsletter and Kids’ Activity
In an effort to promote our local business neighbours and share a take-home kids’ activity, we will be handing out a weekly newsletter featuring coupons from local businesses, market news, and a colouring sheet or other activity for the kiddos! If you are a local business, please email green@deca.to to find out more!
(*South of Danforth avenue) Today DECA will hold a grass roots visioning exercise with the community at the launch of the second master planning phase of the SoDa Barns project at the TTC site at Danforth & Coxwell, to bring local knowledge to the discussion of programming both for long term and for interim uses.
We obviously have no official role at this time in this process, but as residents we understand our community and this is very much a community building exercise! Join us and tell us your ideas for programming for the site and the SoDa Barns!
Councillor Bradford and people from the stakeholders for the site and the various city departments will attend our meeting in a listening capacity. This meeting is for the community to speak and to help compile a list of services, programs and spaces which would create a vibrant community hub! This large project has the potential of having a dynamic impact on not only the immediate area but on the east end of the city! Under the continued leadership of CreateTO and DTAH Architects, public consultations will be part of the process for the second master planning stage of this project, aided by knowledgeable staff and consultants. We look forward to hearing when.
The Danforth East Community Association (DECA) invites you to join us on Tuesday May 18th at 7:30 pm online for “Re-Imagine the Danforth: The SoDa Barns”. This grassroots visioning exercise for our community will generate a list of program suggestions for the buildings and spaces on the SoDa Barns site. This local knowledge will contribute to the creative discussion on this development and articulate a vision for our community!
Following on from the successful DECA event “Imagine the Danforth” in 2014, we seek to again bring to the table a discussion of the significant economic, cultural and community deficits in our neighbourhood.
As this development project enters the second phase under the continued leadership of CreateTO and DTAH Architects, we are inspired to re-visit the heritage of the Barns buildings on the site.
The original building was constructed as a streetcar maintenance building in 1915. The skylights from this original structure remain today and it is the second oldest building in this part of Toronto. The building was expanded to become the main carhouse in 1921. (Wychwood Barns was built at this time) These vast, industrial structures have proved resilient since that time as they have adapted to the changes in their use. Today we again re-imagine their role in our community.
The Masterplan approved by City Council in 2019 provides the structure for future development plans. The locations of interior and exterior public spaces and buildings for the three main site tenants, the Toronto Public Library expanded Coxwell Branch, The TPS Divisions 54 & 55 and Housing Now, as well as locations for additional new buildings, are mapped out in the Masterplan. The massing of these structures was also illustrated as part of the planning, as shown in the diagram below.
DECA Visioning began the exercise of compiling suggestions for program uses on the site. Some suggestions on the list are as follows:
– office space
– a space/ stage for community meetings and live theatre performances & rehearsals
– programmable public-event space both inside and outside, for the community and revenue-generating events
– arts & culture incubator
– light industry (jewelry, art production, food, fashion…)
– community centre
– skating rink
– startup incubator and innovation hub
– community gardens
This event’s contributions will be distributed to those involved in this development. If you cannot attend, please email your suggestions to visioning@deca.to until May 25th 2021. Further information for participation in this event will be posted closer to the date.
