Your perfect Saturday in the ‘hood

So many options for an awesome Saturday, all of which give you a chance to engage with your neighbours.  Here is the recap:

1. Danforth East Garage Sale, 8:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. rain or shine, all over our neighbourhood

Did you hear Matt Galloway give us a shout out this morning on Metro Morning about our simultaneous yard sales taking place tomorrow?  Our sale is THAT COOL!  (Like, CBC-cool)  Over 100 households, a bunch of street sales, a rummage sale, and probably even more than what shows on our map.  Here is our post on it from yesterday in case you missed the map.

If you are hosting a garage sale, or even if you are not, please note that you can take all of your leftover stuff to Councillor Janet Davis’ environment day, and your used goods will be donated to people in need in our city.  That is awesome, right.  And it’s a nice segue to my next point.

2. Councillor Janet Davis’ Environment Day, 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m., East York Memorial Arena 888 Cosburn Avenue @ Woodbine

In addition to the stuff you know about Environment Day, did you know that you can bring lots of stuff to be donated to people who need it??  Here is the list from the City website:

Items donated to local schools for reuse

  • Art supplies (e.g. pencils, markers, crayons, etc.)
  • Buttons, keys, and collectors’ coins and stamps
  • Clipboards, corks and cork boards
  • CDs and cases
  • Children’s books
  • Costume jewelry including broken/old watches and clocks with hands
  • Dress-up clothing (e.g. costumes, prom dresses, uniforms, etc.)
  • Fabric pieces, yarn
  • 35 mm cameras and equipment

Items donated for reuse (please keep separate from others)

  • Sporting goods(e.g., skates, hockey equipment, bikes, rackets, etc.)
  • Books (excluding school/university curriculum books)
  • Medical equipment in good condition (e.g. eyeglasses, walking aids, hearing aids, etc.)
  • Small household items (e.g., dishes, ornaments, kitchen utensils, artistic drawings, games, etc.)
  • Textiles in good condition (e.g. clothing, linens, etc.)
  • Non-perishable foods will be donated to a food bank

Here is the recent invite from Councillor Davis.

Bring all the stuff you’ve stored in the basement or garage all winter. Don’t forget the batteries, paint cans, electronic equipment, re-usable goods and clothes. Replace your bins, pick up important information, and learn more about what you can do to be green. Find out about Toronto Water and TRCA projects in our neighbourhood.

Bring your friends and enjoy a BBQ, local musicians, seed planting, plant sale, face painting and crafts for kids. Thanks to our community partners EY Community Garden, EY Garden Club, Toronto Parks and Recreation, EY Skating Club and others for their contributions.

We will also be joined by terrific local groups like Local Enhancement & Appreciation of Forests (LEAF), and Women’s Healthy Environments Network (WHEN), and the Stan Wadlow Off-Leash Dog Park Association.

New this year, we have free on-site bulk paper shredding. Bring your confidential documents for a safe means of disposal.

For a full list of items you can dispose of visit:
http://www.toronto.ca/environment_days/activities.htm

As always, there will be free compost created from leaves picked up last fall. City staff will be on hand to help residents load up free compost. Be sure to bring your shovels and buckets.

Make sure you stop by my table to discuss your local concerns, share ideas or just say hello! And don’t forget to enter our draw.

If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact my office. Thanks. See you Saturday.

-Janet

So when you get your compost, what will you do with it?  Maybe plant a tree?  But how will you know how to take care of it?

3. Tree Care 101, 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m., 79 Hiawatha Road (near Coxwell and Gerrard)

Now that you’ve bought stuff at the yard sales that you will re-use, you have donated your stuff, safely disposed of your household waste, and obtained free compost, you need to go learn how to take care of our wonderful trees!! (A logical next step, no?  You can also go to this workshop before environment day.  I know, the world is your oyster.)

What exactly is this workshop all about?  How can I say it any better than our poster can?  Here it is again!

tree care 101 poster final version

Happy Weekend everyone!!

Tree Care 101 – Saturday June 1

Who is speaking for the trees in your neighbourhood?

YOU ARE!

Come learn everything you need to know to be a bona fide tree-hugger, this Saturday, June 1, 2013 from 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. @ 79 Hiawatha Road, near Coxwell and Gerrard.

tree care 101 poster final version

Don’t procrastinate!

Hailstorms on Mother’s Day?  Snow in mid-May? Frost warnings right after everyone planted their flowers? (Score 1 for the procrastinators!) If this retro weather has got you down, here is some neighbourhood news to pick you up.

Let’s get down to business.  First off, thanks to Som Seif for the great talk about getting started on investing – those of us who put learning ahead of hockey last night are sure glad we did.  We left feeling empowered and ready to take charge of our financial futures, which is not too shabby for a Monday!  Thanks also to Lazy Daisy’s Cafe for hosting us.

Since I’m procrastinating doing a family budget, let’s catch you up on some of the events and news from the neighbourhood…

Community Environment Days – May 16 and June 1

  • Councillor McMahon’s – May 16 @ Ted Reeve Arena from 4:00 -8:00 p.m., 175 Main St. (enter off Ted Reeve Dr., north of Gerrard St.)
  • Councillor Davis’ – June 1 @ East York Memorial Arena Parking Lot, 888 Cosburn Avenue from 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

From Councillor McMahon:

Join Councillor McMahon and the City of Toronto for Ward 32’s Enviro Day & Festival!  After dropping off your items for recycling and donation, stop by one of the tables for information on various environmental initiatives.  Stay to have a BBQ’d hot dog/veggie dog and listen to live music, and of course, don’t forget your compost!

Read here for more information about Community Environment Days.

From Councillor Davis:

The weather is finally getting warmer and it is time for our annual Environment Day.  This year, Environment Day in Ward 31 will be held on Saturday June 1, 2013, at the East York Memorial Arena Parking Lot, at 888 Cosburn Avenue.  And once again, it is rain or shine!

  • Pick up a new Backyard Composter, Green Bin, Kitchen Container or Free Compost.
  • Drop off unused Computer Equipment, Cellphones, TV’s, radios, VCRs, paint, batteries, medication, propane tanks, or fluorescent bulbs.
  • Donate school art supplies such as buttons, keys, stamps, cork, cd’s, books, jewelry, fabric or cameras
  • Donate supplies for reuse including sporting goods, textbooks, glasses, hearing aids, dishes, ornaments, kitchen utensils, clothes, linens and even food.

Come learn chat with local community and environment groups. Enjoy children’s crafts and entertainment. Help keep our communities clean and green.

DECA’s Danforth East Arts Fair Application Deadline

The Danforth East Arts Fair(one of DECA’s hallmark events!) is only a few months away and the application deadline is coming up on May 31, 2013. Get your applications in!  Visit the website at: www.deca-arts.ca for more information.

Tree Care 101 (June 1, 2013)

Thanks to our friends and neighbours at the Beach Hill Neighbourhood Association for co-organizing this wonderful event with DECA’s tree group!

Learn to care for your trees, including how to mulch!  Saturday, June 1, 2013 from 11:30 a.m.- 1:00 p.m., Neighbourhood Unitarian Universalist Congregation, Wright Room, 79 Hiawatha Road (three short blocks west of Coxwell Ave., south of Gerrard Ave. E.).

Delivered by your LEAF tree expert

  • Learn to care for your trees, the basics: mulching & watering
  • Presentation and opportunity for supervised hands-on practice with a tree!

Held in conjunction with:

Film Screening @ Coxwell Library (June 5, 2013)

We assume that this is free.  We’ll let you know if we’re wrong about that.

Life As We Know It for DanCox copy 5

Colour Creative Summer Camps

“Like” them on Facebook for all the info!

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Did you know that you can call 311 to get an extra green bin for free, or to change the size of your garbage and recycling bins?  The smaller your garbage bin, the less you pay on your bill!