RedefiningTO highlights the people, projects, programs and places making a difference in Toronto and beyond. We hope that sharing these stories will inspire you to join the ranks in redefining Toronto for the better.
One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well. – Virginia Woolf
At a recent Pecha Kucha, I was fortunate to have the opportunity to meet one of the brave presenters, Len Senater, who shared the story of his unique west side restaurant The Depanneur. The Depanneur’s mission is to showcase and inspire culinary talent, to promote innovation in the food sector, and to collaborate with food entrepreneurs as well as existing social enterprises all in an effort “to expand the horizons for food in Toronto.”
The Depanneur (Quebecois for convenience store) was named not only in reference to the fact that the space used to be home to a convenience store, but also because Len believed it was fitting given his view of the food industry in Toronto as “en panne”, or rather, broken.
“There is a real formulaic approach to ‘fine’ dining in Toronto – trendy, flashy, hip, pricy, loud, meat-heavy etc… It’s conspicuous, status-forward, and for and by people with money in a way that doesn’t really interest me. There are lots of reasons for this, including high rents and bureaucratic barriers that raise the stakes so high no one wants to take any real risks. You end up with a lot of derivative, trendy, status-quo stuff, rather than more innovative and creative stuff,” he says.
RedefiningTO highlights the people, projects, programs and places making a difference in Toronto and beyond. We hope that sharing these stories will inspire you to join the ranks in redefining Toronto for the better.
We are not rich by what we possess but by what we can do without. - Immanuel Kant
Think you could live on $1.75 CDN a day for food and drink for 5 days? The Global Poverty Project is asking that very question and hoping Canadians will join the Live Below the Line fundraising campaign as it launches across the country April 29th – May 3rd to raise awareness on the issue of extreme poverty.
Live Below the Line (LBL) is a growing movement that partners with non-profits to support and fund a variety of programs and projects focused around the eradication of poverty. In 2012, the campaign attracted 15,000+ participants from the UK, Australia, New Zealand, and the US. Together they raised approximately $3.5 million for a variety of non-profits; including Malaria No More, Oxfam, and Opportunity International.
Why $1.75? You might be thinking, as I did, this is the daily amount for those who live in extreme poverty in places like Honduras, Bangladesh or Ethiopia. In Canada, it must be higher right? WRONG. In 2005, the World Bank defined the International Poverty Line as $1.25 US a day. The amount was calculated to define what extreme poverty would look like for Americans. As Erin Deviney, Campaign Manager for Live Below the Line, explains; “The $1.25 US figure is calculated using Purchasing Power Parity – which works out how much you would have to cover all living expenses, each day if you were living in extreme poverty in the United States. Converting $1.25 US to the 2005 equivalent for Canada and adjusting for inflation, living below the Extreme Poverty Line today would be the equivalent of us living on $1.75 a day.”
RedefiningTO highlights the people, projects, programs and places making a difference in Toronto and beyond. We hope that sharing these stories will inspire you to join the ranks in redefining Toronto for the better.
You are imperfect, permanently and inevitably flawed. And you are beautiful. - Amy Bloom
Right now, nearly 5% of the people in Ontario are living with an eating disorder. That’s roughly 600,000 men and women who struggle each and every day just to keep going. And the numbers don’t stop there. There are even more people right here in the GTA and beyond that struggle to perceive themselves as beautiful, valuable, or even worthy of love.
In a world where we are defined by our bodies, and are constantly told by the media, by industry, by each other, and by ourselves that we are not good enough, how do we find peace? How do we fight these endless messages that we need to look better, that we would be better if our noses were just smaller, our hair were straighter, our thighs were slimmer? By joining together and taking a stand. By telling our stories so that others can hear them and learn what it’s like to be in someone else’s body, with its own unique pressures… By going to Body Monologues.
RedefiningTO highlights the people, projects, programs and places making a difference in Toronto and beyond. We hope that sharing these stories will inspire you to join the ranks in redefining Toronto for the better.
All social change comes from the passion of individuals.
- Margaret Mead
We have all been to fundraisers, but how about a Timeraiser? Artscape Wychwood Barns was a buzz last Friday in celebration of the 10th Annual Toronto Timeraiser event. Born and bred in Toronto, Timeraiser brings artists and their work, young professionals, and community agencies together at a fun filled event to inspire volunteerism.
Instead of bidding money to win silent auction items as you would at a traditional fundraiser, Timeraiser works to encourage community engagement by calling on its participants to bid their time and talent. Participants have 12 months to complete their volunteer hours with an agency their passionate about and, if they fulfill their commitment, they are rewarded with their chosen piece of art.
Skeptical as to whether this really works? One visit to the Timeraiser website will convince you that it definitely does! Anil Patel, founder and Executive Director, and the rest of the Timeraiser team take measurement and transparency very seriously. They want their stakeholders – artists, agencies, sponsors, vendors, participants, volunteers & community – not only to understand their social impact and strategy, but also to understand the value in sharing and leveraging technology to maximize mission delivery.
RedefiningTO highlights the people, projects, programs and places making a difference in Toronto and beyond. We hope that sharing these stories will inspire you to join the ranks in redefining Toronto for the better.
Ever sought out a knitting, drawing, dance, improv, grant writing or perhaps free boating class only to be discouraged by the cost? Or perhaps you have dreamed of having a space to facilitate your own class or workshop, but found it difficult to find a space, spread the word or decide on the right price? RedefiningTO has found the place for you! Trade School Toronto has a growing network, finds free space and operates on an alternative education model where teachers offer a class and, instead of money, ask for barter items in return.
The Trade School model started in New York City in 2010 and has since expanded through the grassroots efforts of artists and community builders in 42 other locations around the world (coincidently the same as Creative Mornings). Each one is self organized, volunteer run, and depends on the generosity of other organizations to open their doors and provide a space for classes. Trade School believes that everyone has something to offer and works to create safe spaces for people and ideas.
RedefiningTO highlights the people, projects, programs and places making a difference in Toronto and beyond. We hope that sharing these stories will inspire you to join the ranks in redefining Toronto for the better.
Creative Mornings was born September 2009 in New York City in an effort to establish an inviting event driven by volunteers for people to come together, listen, share, and be inspired. Each event has a dedicated speaker selected based on their insight, experience, and commitment to creativity. The idea has spread to over 42 cities around the world and we are happy to boast that Toronto is one of them!
Behrouz Hariri, organizer for Creative Mornings Toronto, is still surprised it took so long to start a chapter in our city. Toronto is teeming with events, festivals, and awards that showcase and inspire the creative minds working across the GTA and beyond; including TIFF, Contact, Hot Docs, Luminato, Design Thinkers, Pecha Kucha and FITC to name a few. For Behrouz, “the void for a down to earth, cross-disciplined series of events was visible. After all, real inspiration often comes from people and ideas outside of our own bubbles of expertise and we are all eager to share and connect.” The vision for the Toronto Chapter is to establish Creative Mornings as “the defining community that enables Toronto to discover and share its endless creative resources. We sometimes lose sight of how much Toronto has to offer Canada and the world. Bringing this amazing potential to light is a big driving force for us,” explains Berouz.
