Category: Community groups

We live in the sweetest little town in Toronto

All kinds of great things are happening in Weston even while we’re cooped up.

Old Mill GM has donated a car to Frontlines to help the local community organization “deliver breakfast, lunches, and groceries as well as pick up all times to serve the community”. The donation was accompanied by a COVID key-toss. Kudos!

In other wonderful news, World of Cake Decorating sent 338 cupcakes to West Park Healthcare’s frontline workers.

And finally, Frontlines is offering free online Zumba lessons every Monday from 2–3 pm. 

Have I mentioned lately that I love our big little town?

 

Marc Chrus has hustle

I find it hard to get my butt out of bed by 10, and I’m lucky if I can get an hour of work in before the quarantined kids get me day drinking.

I am not Marc Chrus. That guy has got hustle.

Courtesy Marc Chrus

Last week, Chrus and his team from We Haul decided to clean up the Humber Valley. Just for a lark.

In a week, they gathered up 3850 kgs of waste—about 35 cubic yards! 25,000 litres!—from the embankment near Eglinton.

Chrus  says they’d like to make the cleanup an annual event and get more volunteers (when the pandemic is over, of course).

 

 
 
 
 
 
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Happy (belated) 456th Willy.

From cathtatecards.com

April 23rd is Shakespeare’s official birthday. He was born in April 1564 and while there is uncertainty about the exact date, he definitely died on that date in 1616 and a convenient legend may have been established since April 23rd is also the feast day of St. George, patron saint of England (among other places).

Shakespeare was no stranger to pandemics and plagues. He may have written King Lear while in quarantine. Theatres were closed over a five-year period beginning in 1603 so the current pandemic, while a lot less deadly, would be familiar to him.

Here in Weston, we have an organization dedicated to bringing Shakespeare’s works to young people, Shakespeare in Action. SIA is one of the two anchor artistic organizations resident in the Weston Hub. They are currently organizing an activity open to all but aimed at people over the age of 55.

Read on below:

Did you know Shakespeare wrote his play King Lear in quarantine?  Come join Pete Smith and Shakespeare in Action in our free online drop-in story-telling workshop for folks over 55.  Tell a story. Tell your story.

Using Shakespeare’s King Lear as a springboard, you’ll receive guidance, be offered tools, and be inspired, to write, and tell compelling personal and fictional tales.

Through this story-sharing, we hope to create an ensemble and collect stories to turn into a community-based theatre production when social distancing is a thing of the past.

When:  Mondays @ 10am – 11am
Dates:  May 4th – Jun 1st, 2020 *excluding May 18th*Where: Zoom

Who: Priority for folks over 55 living in York South – Weston, but also open to anyone of any age who wants to be part of this project.

How: If you’re over 55, Email Danna at York West Active Living Centre at [email protected] or click the links below.

Why: Feeling isolated?  Want to share stories?  Come join!

Westmount Army and Navy seeks help.

Westmount Army and Navy Club.

Westmount Army and Navy Club has been around since 1938. It’s at 41 Kingdom Street off Scarlett Road just across the river in Greater Weston™. The idea of the club is to support veterans, family and friends along with the local community. They were serving the community before and after World War II and the Korean War and in 1954 the club became a refuge and coordination centre in the aftermath of Hurricane Hazel.

Nowadays, the club acts as a meeting spot for many in the community and members can enjoy a quiet drink while playing darts, cards, shuffleboard and the like. The club is occasionally rented for special events but COVID-19 has put paid to all of that.

Since closing on March 18th, revenue has stopped, vital maintenance work is ongoing and the utility bills keep coming. The club is entirely self-supporting and relies on nothing else.

The club is asking for community support through a gofundme campaign that if successful, will see them through the lockdown and help them get ready for their eventual re-opening when they can once again serve the community.

Find the gofundme link here.

UrbanArts is online and fundraising

UrbanArts has taken to Zoom with a gusto. Weston’s finest arts organization now offers 1o programs online. And if the video below is anything to go by, the production quality is a whole lot higher than I’m getting from my pre-coffee 320×160 nose cam.

 

Good content can’t be cheap, and their biggest fundraiser of the year was cancelled. UrbanArts says, that as a result, “we need to raise $10,000 by May 30th to ensure that our programs continue to meet the needs of our community once we return to normal activities.”

You can donate online through CanadaHelps.

Farmers Market to delay 2020 opening

Weston Farmers Market in August 2004 at the old John Street location. (file)

Weston’s farmers market can’t catch a break.

Run by the Weston Village Business Improvement Area, the market was supposed to open in its spanking (if constrained) new Hub location on John Street in 2018 and when the site wasn’t ready, the market was able to survive thanks to the generosity of Weston Park Baptist Church. They loaned their parking lot by the UP Express station.

The new WFM space photographed last November.

The 2019 booting out of long time trader (and actual farmer) Joe Gaeta was another setback and then as luck would have it, the following week, city inspectors withdrew the Farmers Market designation because of insufficient, er, actual farmers.

Joe Gaeta at work in August 2018. (file)

In yet another blow to the WFM, the BIA announced yesterday that the market will delay its 2020 opening until Saturday, July 4 at the earliest.

From the Facebook post announcing the delay:

“On behalf of the board of the Weston Village BIA, I regret to inform you that because of Covid19,and the city’s restrictions with respect to gatherings of 5 and over, we are delaying the opening of the 2020 market to Sat, July 4th or until restrictions are lifted by the city.

The market is a wonderful community gathering place, but, right now, the health and safety of our customers, vendors and market staff are the main priority.

Thank you for your understanding in this matter.

Stay Safe. We are all in this together!”

For extra credit; read more here.