Renew Newcastle

This Wednesday, DECA is getting together with the newly-formed Gerrard East Community Organization (GECO) to eat, drink and be inspired. We’re hosting a chat with Marcus Westbury of Renew Newcastle. Marcus led the revitalization of a down and out commercial strip in Newcastle, Australia with innovative and creative ideas. He’s going to tell us how he did it and what we can learn from him.

Wednesday, March 7, 7 – 9 p.m.
Naval Club of Canada
1910 Gerrard Street East (just west of Woodbine)

Admission: Pay what you can (cash bar)

Can’t make it?  We’re going to experiment and webcast the event at Vokle.com. I’ll send out the link through the blog and I’ll also try to set it up on the blog at decadiaries.wordpress.com.  Stay tuned.

One more thing? Here is a cool little map of Toronto residents’ associations produced by The Grid’s David Topping.

 

What Has DECA Done For Me Lately?

Volunteering with DECA is more than just fancy parties, expensive wines and hobnobbing with the rich and famous.  We actually do stuff too.  Like this….

DECA Kids Gear & Clothing Sale

We’ve had lots of interest in this sale so we’ve confirmed Sunday, March 25th from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Kimbourne Park United Church at 200 Wolverleigh Blvd., just north of the Danforth, east of Coxwell. The cost per table is $20.

If you’ve got a basement full of outgrown clothes, maternity pants and perfectly good toys that your children no longer touch, get on board and clear some of that stuff out. For $20, you can secure a table at our event and sell your spring and summer goods to other parents in need. It’ll be a fun day for everyone. We’ll have crafts and other activities on tap for the kids while you sell or shop. We’ll also be offering a “spit and polish” service — clean up those new toys, tighten the screws and install new batteries (if required) right on site, before you take them home.

Your selling fee will help cover our organizing costs (space rental and posters). Any money left over will be donated to DECA’s latest worthy project — some community gardens at Main and Stephenson. And if it helps you out, we’ll haul anything left over down to a donation centre at the end of the day.

To snag a table, send us an email at deca.arts@gmail.com and do it before March 1st!

Renew Newcastle

You already know that DECA’s Business Revitalization Team has been working with local businesses to improve our commercial strip of the Danforth. And you may have read our own Catherine Porter’s columns in the Toronto Star about empty storefronts. Now the BRT is teaming up with a residents’ association around Gerrard Street (Gerrard East Community Organization) to present an evening with Marcus Westbury. Westbury led an ambitious experiment in Newcastle, Australia to fill up empty storefronts – first temporarily with artists, non-profits and small businesses and then with full fledged businesses. What can we learn from his experience?

Join us on Wednesday, March 7th from 7-9 p.m. at the Naval Club (1910 Gerrard Street East – just west of Woodbine) to find out.  We’ll have a bit of food on hand, drinks will be available (for purchase) and we hope inspiration will flow freely.  It’s pay what you can, just to help us cover the cost of the space.

And you know we’ll make it a good time. We’re just that sort.

Newcastle poster (See the poster here)

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