Clean Up! Clean Up! Everybody do their share!

The only bad thing about the melting of snow is the reveal of months worth of hidden litter. Fortunately the City of Toronto Community Clean-up Days are just around the corner. On Saturday April 18 and Sunday April 19 join your neighbours in beautifying our streets, laneways and parks.

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Various parks groups have organized clean-ups you can be a part of or feel free to grab a bag and some gloves and clean up your own street. Garbage and recycling bags are available NOW at Pizza Pizza locations throughout the city and at the East York Civic Centre.

Regardless of where you’re cleaning up, all cleaners are welcome to stop by Arthur Potts’s Constituency Office at 1821 Danforth Avenue on Saturday between 11:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. for some hot chocolate and snacks.

If you know of another clean-up happening in the DECA boundaries, let us know in the comments and we’ll include it in our reminder post next week.  And to see if there are community clean-ups organized for other parks in East Toronto that may not be in the DECA boundary, check out the City of Toronto’s sign up page.

Community Clean Up and More

There are a bunch of community clean-ups happening on Saturday including two that I know about in within the DECA zone…

Merrill Bridge Road Park 

The Merrill Dog Park Association is hosting a clean up on Saturday, April 21st between 10 am and noon. Socialize with neighbours, enjoy a warm cup of coffee and a fresh donut while tidying up the park and adjacent ravine. Don’t forget to bring your gloves and garbage bags.

Earl Beatty Community Centre

Join the Earl Beatty Community for the annual Community Clean Up Day on Saturday, April 21st from 10 a.m. to noon. Meet at the front of the school and from there teams will scour the area around the school and community centre: north to Milverton, south to Danforth, west to Coxwell, east to Glebemount and the streets in between. We also tidy the school yard, our nearest green space.

Councillor Janet Davis’  Community Environment Day – Sunday, April 29, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

At the parking lots of the East York Memorial Arena, across from the Stan Wadlow Clubhouse, 373 Cedarvale.

Re-use, recycle and safely dispose your unwanted items at Councillor Davis’ Community Environment Day. City staff will be on hand to take your recyclables and provide free compost as well as the following community groups:

  • East York Garden Club will be selling plants
  • East York Community Garden will offer seed-planting to children
  • Local Enhancement and Appreciation of Forests (LEAF)
  • Danforth East Community Association (DECA) (That’s us!)
  • Toronto Water
  • LiveGreen
  • Women’s Healthy Environments Network (WHEN)

All singers and players are welcome to a weekly music jam at Hirut restaurant at 2050 Danforth, half a block west of Woodbine. Players and listeners can drop in anytime on Saturdays between 2 and 6 p.m. Call 416- 551-7560 for more info.

National Grilled Cheese Day.

Today is an American holiday celebrating grilled cheese sandwiches. The Toronto Star featured the best five grilled cheeses in the city and one of them was right here at our very own True Brew Cafe.

“Silvia Marga, the restaurant’s chef and owner layers seven-grain bread with creamy goat cheese, sliced tomato, Costco pesto and chopped green onions before warming it in a panini press.”

And sticking with the Toronto Star, it called our little neighbourhood a real estate hot spot.

Calling All Gardeners! 

Interested in growing your own food this summer? Applications are now being accepted at a brand new community garden project at The Church of the Resurrection on Woodbine and Milverton Blvd, affectionately known as The Rez. The Rez has generously offered their prime gardening space to community members to have their own individual plot within the garden.  The Garden at the Rez committee is excited to be creating a local gathering place where people can grow food and beautifying a space that can be used for community events.   For more information about getting involved check out the www.gardenattherez.com website or email Miranda at gardenattherez@gmail.com.

Jane’s Walk

DECA’s very own amateur (but extremely interesting and knowledgeable) urbanist, Steven Wickens is leading the Other Danforth Jane’s Walk starting at 10 a.m. on May 5th at Wise Guys at 2301 Danforth. Steve has been doing these walks for the last few years and the reviews are always terrific. Here’s a taste….

For many Torontonians, the Danforth is the main street of Riverdale or a place to eat Greek food. But that image covers just a small strip of this storied street, formerly known as the Second Concession, the Danforth Plank Road and The King’s Highway No. 5. Danforth east of Pape, often referred to as the “Other Danforth,” wasn’t really developed until the 1920s, after the Bloor viaduct opened. The Other Danforth has always tended to be blue collar and gritty.  And while it has seen hard times, especially in the past four decades, the area is almost certainly about to see a wave of gentrification, investment and development.

Community Clean Up

Join the Earl Beatty Community for the annual Community Clean Up Day on Saturday, April 21st from 10 a.m. to noon. Meet at the front of the school and from there teams will scour the area around the school and community centre: north to Milverton, south to Danforth, west to Coxwell, east to Glebemount and the streets in between. We also tidy the school yard, our nearest green space.

The city suggests bringing small bags from home to participate, but rakes, brooms and dustpans are helpful and wearing garden gloves is suggested. Hope to see you there. And if you have another local clean up to mention, post it here on the blog or send it to me and I will.

Send Us Your Bell Boxes!

Or at least the pictures of your Bell Box.  Do you know of a Bell electrical box that could use some art? We’re trying (trying!) to see if we can’t get some art on to these boxes.  It would make them less likely to be vandalized and more likely to be pretty.  First, we need your help to send in a picture of your box and its location. They should be in this neighbourhood, but they don’t necessarily have to be within our formal boundaries.  So send  your pics to natasha.granatstein(at)gmail.com.  Thanks!

Green Is The New Black

Community Clean Up Days

T’is the season for community clean ups.  Me and my brood will be at Earl Beatty.  Where will you be?  (A tidbit from me to you: for my son’s last birthday I bought a few long-handled grabbers at Dollarama that would be ideal for picking up litter if you’d rather not bend up and down endlessly.  The young children found them a little difficult to squeeze -though very appealing- but an older child or adult wouldn’t have any trouble.)

You can usually bring your own gloves (though there are usually some available too).  Bags are supplied.  And – in my experience there are usually some treats for your labour.

Saturday, April 24th

Earl Beatty and surrounding streets- 10 a.m. @ the school (Sponsored by the eco-team, the Earl Beatty Community Centre and the school.)

Danforth Avenue – 10 a.m. @ the Coxwell Parkette at Danforth and Coxwell (Sponosred by the Danforth Mosaic BIA)

Taylor Creek – 11 a.m. @ end of Rexleigh Dr.(sponsored by the Taylor Creek Green Group)

Stan Wadlow Skate Park – 1 p.m. @ skate park (sponsored by Team East York Skateboarders)

Keystone Keeners – The neighbours living on Keystone Ave. are hosting their annual Rally in the Alley to clean up the alley and generally have an excuse for a party.  Guess what?  You could do that too.

Ecoartvan

Every Saturday in April and May the Ecoartvan will be visiting libraries all over town to offer a free hands-on art and environment education program.  The van will be at the S. Walter Steward Library on Saturday, April 24th from 1 – 4 p.m. (170 Memorial Park Ave. – just north of East York Civic Centre).

Topham 10

The Topham Park EcoTeam is trying to get solar panels installed on 10 homes in Ward 31 (north of Danforth).  With a LiveGreen Toronto grant of $50,000, they can offer about $4,500/home to help reduce the costs.  So far they only have two homes and are looking for eight more.  Contact Neil Rankin to learn more at tophampark@ourpower.ca

DECA Bikes!

Who knew there were so many avid cyclists in the neighoburhood?   Saturday, March 27th was our first ever DECA Bikes Tune-Up workshop. Cyclists learned the tricks of the trade for tuning up their bikes, met with other cyclists, and were treated to bicycle shaped cookies and juice all for the low fee of paying what you can.

We knew it was going to be a great day when there was a queue at 11 am!  THANKS to all our dynamite DECA Bikes members for helping out.

Next Tune Up workshop is Saturday, May 1st 11 am – 4 pm. Contact Jamie Thiers jamiethiers@gmail.com for more information or to join DECA BIKES.

Reskilling – Soap Making

The Reskilling workshops DECA & ETCAG (East Toronto Climate Action Group) have been offering since last July have been going gangbusters!

We had to run four soap making classes to meet the demand of keen, sudsy soap makers.  Thanks to the fabulous Amanda Montgomery (Simply by Amanda) and her protégé Jazzy Joanna for all their knowledge.  Look for their products at Better Bulk.

Stay tuned for a beeswax candle making class and a bread making class.