neighbourhood living

Summer 2012 • Issue 2

westBloor West, The Junction, Roncesvalles, High Park, Royal York, The Kingsway, Swansea, Babypoint

C e l e b r a t I n g l o C a l p e o p l e . p r o m o t I n g l o C a l b u S I n e S S .

Neighbourhood

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www.neighbourhoodliving.com | Neighbourhood Living | 1

west

All rights reserved info. No article or ad may be duplicated without the consent of the publisher. Neighbourhood Living makes no representation or warranty, expressed or implied, as to the qualification or accreditation of those whose opinions are expressed herein, or with the respect to the accuracy of completeness of information (medical or otherwise) provided to, or published in, this magazine. The views and opinions expressed within are not necessarily those of the publisher.

Want to read Neighbourhood Living online? Visit www.neighbourhoodliving.com

Delivered to fine homes and targeted businesses in Bloor West, The Junction, Roncesvalles, High Park, Royal York, The Kingsway, Swansea and BabypointReaching 20,000 readers and growing.

ON OUR COVER:Arlene Hazzan Green of BUFCO enjoys summer gardening in the backyard.

n

Neighbourhood People2 A long journey home

n

Local Homes and Gardens4 The backyard veggie patch

takes root8 Why hire a landscape designer?

n

Local Fashion and Beauty 11 Dressers12 The Earth Collection: Simple,

elegant clothing made responsibly14 Trap Door15 Wise Daughters

n

Food and Celebration in the Neighbourhood17 A sophisticated twist on

comfort food

n

Neighbourhood Health and Lifestyle18 Neighbourhood Walking:

Sunnyside endless stroll20 Behind the counter: Patio time

2Grace and Angeline Jewelry Studio

4 BUFCO

8 Paula Deresti

A pure, fun experience!Delicious, authentic Daniel Le Chocolat Belge.

Leave a lasting, tasteful impression – and a smile – with Daniel Chocolates.

NeighbourhoodNEXT ISSUE: Fall 2012

Neighbourhood Living Magazine is now in its third exciting year. We have created over 90 campaigns for our clients with great success. For a free marketing analysis that will help you grow your business, call Greg Barsoski at 416-402-4283 or email [email protected].

Editor: Tracey Coveart

Creative: Lynne Godfroy

Graphic Designer: Pamela Hickey

Neighbourhood Promoter/ Layout Assistant: Jessica Ewert

Printer: Dollco Integrated Print Solutions, www.dollco.com

Contributing Photographers: Igor Yu, Greg Barsoski, Mark Green and Arlene Hazzan Green, Kate Dennis

Contributing Writers: Lynne Godfroy, Tracey Coveart, Paula Deresti, Mark Green and Arlene Hazzan Green, Nathalie Prezeau

Publisher: Greg Barsoski

2 | Neighbourhood Living | www.neighbourhoodliving.com

n neighbourhood people

On a sunny morning walk through the neighbourhood, there is nothing more satisfying than finding an intriguing little shop that has somehow slipped

your notice on earlier travels. Take Grace and Angeline Jewelry Studio, for example.Set back from Bloor West, on Durie Street, the studio is easy to miss, but once inside

the door, you’re guaranteed to come back. Filled with light and colour – and infused with the charm of Grace Toleque – this tiny feminine delight entices with delicate original pieces of jewelry.

Grace’s necklaces, bracelets and earrings come with a story that weaves together images of her African heritage and memories of her childhood with her mother, Angeline. This commanding woman, a Minister of Social Affairs and Women’s Rights in the Central African Republic, shared her artistic sensibility with her daughter. It was Angeline’s joy to visit the mines in her country, where she knew how to choose the very best stones and have them made into creations of her own design by master jewelers.

“Everything I know about design and jewelry I absorbed from my mother,” Grace explains. “From a very early age, I learned to appreciate the beauty of gemstones through her eyes. She taught me that custom-made work has a strong emotional value and needn’t cost a fortune.”

Those experiences were formative for Grace, which was why it was important for her to have Angeline’s name beside hers in the name of the studio. “She shared her love of jewelry with me. So at the heart of my practice, is the pleasure of working with a client to design something that speaks to his or her esthetic, just as the jewelers used to do for my mother.”

This explains Grace’s unusual interest in modifying the ready-made pieces on display. Stones can be changed to match a favorite dress, and necklaces are happily shortened or lengthened. The idea of co-creation – and the fun behind it – is a family legacy and one that is embraced full-heartedly. So imagine carefully selected high-quality, semi-precious and precious stones, in warm and soft hues mixed with a glint of crystal;

Grace and Angeline Jewelry Studio

A Long Journey Home


silver strands that link polished stone; ropes of knotted golden wire that snare hidden jewels around the neck … and don’t be afraid to ask for a few extra links, or a few less. Or perhaps earrings to match that rope of pearls?

“The relationship between a designer and wearer is very intimate,” says Grace. “I try to create as many wonderful colour combinations as possible, but I also think of the meaning of the stones.”

The quality of the stones is very important as well. “Each stone has a different characteristic, but the quality should be superb. The beauty, the colour and the energy of the stones inspire me, but the design should be esthetically pleasing to the wearer.”

Some women, says Grace, like a memento of the birth of their child – something simple, perhaps engraved. “Every piece has a story and I find I have become a storyteller through my jewelry. One of my greatest rewards has been to have people come in as customers, share their stories as we work together, and leave as friends.”

Like many artists, there were quite a few

steps between the early days of sharing a love of gems with her mother and the opening of her own studio. Sadly, Angeline died when Grace was still young. Beading with Italian glass became a form of therapy and, later, fine jewelry became Grace’s passion. Taking courses in design, but still unconvinced of her talent, she gave her treasures away as gifts until a friend finally talked her into having her first sale. That success buoyed her spirits and she began to imagine it might be possible to turn her passion into a business.

One day, in 2009, while walking past her current location on Durie Street with her young son, she saw the tiny store and it called to her. “I said to him that if I had a space like this, I would turn it into a jewel box.”

A couple of months later, the place came up for lease. “I had no jewelry on hand and had to make it all during the month we renovated. I had no experience with business either, so whoever

bought during those first couple of weeks got a real deal,” Grace recalls. “I had no idea what I was doing. I just knew that this was going to be something special for me.”

She had no idea how special.“It is such an honour to see my mother’s name

associated with mine. She will always be my muse. My sister, Lola, has been an amazing source of inspiration and encouragement, and my son has become my hero. He’s my biggest supporter,” says Grace, and her greatest source of strength. “It certainly has been challenging, but he always tells me not to give up my dream.”

“At the heart of my practice is the pleasure of

working with a client to design something that

speaks to his or her style and aesthetic.”

Grace and Angeline Jewelery Studio256 Durie Street 416-546-5150


“There is nothing quite like experiencing the joy of

harvesting fresh food that you’ve grown yourself,

just steps away from your own kitchen.”

n home + garden


The backyard veggie patch

takes rootFive years ago, Marc Green and Arlene Hazzan Green converted

their tiny backyard in Roncesvalles Village into an edible oasis, sparking a transformation that took even them by surprise. Suddenly, friends and neighbours started dropping by for gardening tips, a share of their bounty or just to escape the hectic pace of city life. Before they knew it, Marc and Arlene were designing, installing and maintaining organic vegetable gardens in other people’s yards, and their new business – The Backyard Urban Farm Company (BUFCO) – was born.

Marc, a former TV commercial location scout, and Arlene, an Emmy Award-winning director (the couple met on a film set), says the two careers


“We couldn’t believe the

transformation: from a place where

we could barely get a patch of

grass to grow, to this flourishing

vegetable garden.”

aren’t as disparate as they might appear at first blush. “The motion picture industry gave us so much and helped us to live a pretty comfortable lifestyle. Hearing that I’m into urban agriculture might make people scratch their head. But many of the skills I learned in television are transferable.”

It all changed one night in 2008, when the couple watched The End of Suburbia, a film that forecasts the demise of the landfill lifestyle and the shift to local, self-sustainable living. “The movie scared the hell out of us,” says Arlene. “We realized that if you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of the problem, so we started looking at how much we had taken out of the system and decided to make a change. We decided it was time to give something back.”

Arlene and Marc had been growing their own vegetables since the early 1990s, when they moved into an apartment in Parkdale as newlyweds. Confronted with the reality of a dysfunctional food system, the Greens resolved to take greater control of what they put on their table.

“Genetically modified organisms, pesticides, herbicides, Monsanto – it was horrifying,” Arlene recalls. “When we moved into our current home in Roncesvalles Village, I desperately wanted to grow a lot more of my own food, but we were faced with the challenge of a tiny backyard. Fortunately, I had heard a lot about the benefits of gardening in raised beds.”

A raised bed makes it possible to grow 2.5 times more vegetables than a traditional in-ground garden, as the loose soil allows plants to grow more closely together. And raised beds are easy on your body because you don’t have to bend nearly as much. “Weeding is easier, watering is easier, pest control is easier,” says Arlene. “They look beautiful, the cedar smells beautiful, and the beds last for years.”

Inspired, Marc fashioned three raised garden beds out of cedar posts in their backyard and Arlene planted them with tomatoes, peppers, peas, bush beans and a few other choice veggies.

“We couldn’t believe the transformation: from a place where we could barely get a patch of grass to grow, to this flourishing vegetable garden,” says Arlene. “It became a beautiful, lush space that we used every day, not just for growing food but for relaxing, entertaining, living. It was like we had an additional room on the back of the house that we could enjoy three quarters of the year.”

Today, BUFCO is helping people set up their own raised bed and in-ground vegetable gardens and helping them realize that growing your own food is surprisingly easy, with incredibly tasty results. “There is nothing quite like experiencing the joy of harvesting fresh food that you’ve grown yourself, just steps away from your own kitchen,” says Marc.

The couple design, install and maintain organic vegetable gardens for homes, schools and businesses in the GTA. Their clients are a diverse group, from suburban homeowners in Thornhill and Etobicoke, to heart-of-downtown urbanites; from chefs wanting fresh and unusual herbs, to schools that are developing curricula based on food access issues.

“Most of our clients want to soak up the experience of working with us in the garden,” says Arlene. “They learn how to identify weeds and tell beneficial insects from invasive pests; about companion planting, succession planting, seed saving, season extension, trellising, everything! But some just want us to do it for them. And that’s perfectly fine, too. We cater to what each individual client wants.”

When the couple started BUFCO, “we wanted to accomplish a few specific things,” says Arlene. “We wanted to help people learn how to grow their own


The Backyard Urban Farm Co. 647-290-2572 [email protected] www.bufco.ca

food. We wanted to live smaller, more locally and less wastefully. We wanted to be able to make a modest income.”

But there have been other, unexpected benefits of their new lifestyle and business – including the camaraderie of a whole new community of like-minded people. “We are absolutely amazed by how much we have discovered,” says Marc. “For all our desire to put back into the system, we’re humbled at how much the system keeps giving back to us.”

Photo credits: Marc Green, Arlene Hazzan Green


“A good designer gets into your mind and builds a relationship of trust and rapport.”

Why hire a landscape designer?


Would you build or renovate a house without a plan? Most people would answer that question with a definite ‘no.’ So why consider building an outdoor room without a plan? The answer is, you likely shouldn’t. This article provides a step by step guide to what you can expect when hiring a landscape designer to help you define your exterior living space.

The initial meeting or consultation is extremely revealing for both parties. This is when a good designer gets into your mind and builds a relationship of trust and rapport. At this time, your needs, wants and tastes are unearthed for the designer – and often for you as well. Questionnaires can assist with this process, and photo books are invaluable if you aren’t sure what you like. The more definite you can be, the more successful the outcome.

Next is the garden survey, in which you will make decisions about space planning, views, tree removal, privacy and plantings based on observations of sun exposure and existing aspects of the property. This site evaluation will inform the completed design. The designer leaves your home laden with information that he or she will bring together in the form of a drawn plan, possibly broken down into sections and elevations.

When you are happy with the plan, you have a number of options. If you contract for design/ build services, the designer will see the process through from planning to implementation. He or she will bring in contractors as required, but the designer

Paula Deresti Landscape Design416-270-0534www.pauladeresti.com

“A good designer gets into your mind and builds a relationship of trust and rapport.”

BEFORE

will supervise the project. You can also choose to put the work out to tender and select your own contractor, while still engaging the supervisory services of the designer. Or you can pay the designer for his or her work and manage – or even carry out – the installation yourself.

A word of caution: When the designer has little or no involvement in the construction and planting phases of your landscape project, the job may not run as smoothly as you had hoped and the chances of an undesirable outcome are potentially greater.

So go ahead. Call a designer! Take advantage of the training, skills and expertise these professionals will bring to your outdoor space. Allow their artistry, construction experience and knowledge of horticulture and biodiversity enhance your backyard and turn it into an oasis you will never want to leave.


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How did you come to open a shop like Dressers?I took over the store when my son was young. I wasn’t a business person at first, but it’s been fun and it’s certainly grown!

Do you have a surprise you’d like to share with people?People seem to be surprised to hear that we’ve been here for 25 years.

How have you managed to stay relevant?I keep my eyes open for unique gifts and accessories. If I begin to see them everywhere, I stop carrying them.

Where do most of your products come from?I source Canadian clothing lines like Point Zero and others, and have hats from BigitUpHats – a local designer on Spadina.

What do you like to do when you have some downtime?Cycle to the lake or around the park…. Have a glass of wine with friends.

Dressers— ON RONCESvALLES —

Mary Ellen • Dressers Clothing and Gifts • 307 Roncesvalles Avenue • 416-531-7356


Nancy Bagworth, a Junction resident, opened her clothing boutique, The Earth Collection, on Dundas West a year ago. Its clean façade and cool interior bring an upscale look to this trendy part of town – a growing hub of fashion, interior design shops and galleries.

If you are not familiar with The Earth Collection label, be prepared for a European aesthetic that emphasizes simple lines and high quality fabrics. All items are made from 100 per cent natural fibres - organic cotton, linen, silk or bamboo - and their softness is hard to resist. It’s a delight to pull out any piece and know it will fit like a second skin.

Gone are the days when we had to compromise style to find something natural, breathable and produced according to green standards. The Earth Collection label guarantees that products are made in a socially responsible manner, using manufacturing practices that have a minimal impact on the environment. Best, Nancy chooses uncomplicated and elegant designs that, with a quick change of accessories, easily transfer from shopping to work to a night out for dinner.

She’s succeeded in finding dresses, skirts and tops with subtle detailing in a range of this season’s hottest colours - yellow, pink

and orange (in addition to classic neutrals) - that make each piece notable. And she only selects styles that flatter.

“You won’t find a size 0 here, but you will find everything from S to XXL,” Nancy says. “There is nothing too tight and there are lots of choices that nicely disguise areas we’d prefer to hide.”

As a boutique owner with a corporate past, Nancy is completely attuned to a woman’s desire to have a put-together look ... and she understands this can be hard to achieve when you’ve got so much to do and so little time. This is one of the reasons she chooses designs that have ‘good-to-go-anywhere’ appeal. She’s also made accessorizing easy, incorporating bold, decorative necklaces and scarves into her collection that give pieces a lift and take an outfit effortlessly from casual to elegant. Her eye for detail and genuine appreciation of colour make her a fabulous consultant when it comes to the simple things that add a touch of sophistication.

With Nancy’s flair for fashion and her uncompromising requisite for comfort and quality, it’s no surprise Earth Collection customers keep coming back for more. And she never tires of their most frequent compliment: “I love the dress I bought here. I wear it all the time and it still looks great!”

The Earth Collection

Simple, elegant clothing made responsibly

The Earth Collection is a great find at 3072 Dundas Street West in The Junction (at Quebec Avenue) on the north side.

This summer, the store is open Wednesday to Sunday. Call 416-767-3072 for hours or email: [email protected].

n fashion + beauty


“Nancy chooses uncomplicated and elegant designs that, with a quick change of accessories, easily transfers from shopping

to work to a night out for dinner.”

Robert and Chris Lundy • Shakey’s • 2255 Bloor Street West • 416-767-0608 • www.shakeys.ca



Who inspired you to start your business?Wise Daughters is a tribute to my mother and all the talented women in my family who came before us.

What’s the concept behind Wise Daughters?It’s a place where everybody is to feel welcome and become inspired to try their hand at something creative.

What workshops draw the best response?Interestingly, the classics are enjoying a Renaissance: knitting, embroidering, crochet and sewing. Young people are really embracing the DIY movement.

What makes your business unique?Wise Daughters carries work by about 75 wildly talented artists, all from southern Ontario. I also carry work that supports valuable charitable programs.

People may be surprised to learn that......Wise Daughters feels like a collective, but it’s actually a sole proprietorship. It’s my pride and joy!

Wise Daughters— IN THE JUNCTION —

Mary Breen • Wise Daughters Craft Market • 3079B Dundas Street West • www.wisedaughters.com


All inquiries are confidential. Not intended to solicit properties now listed for sale or under Agency Agreement or contract.

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Shakey’s has a long and storied history with Toronto’s Leaf Nation, but the

Bloor West Village eatery is not your typical sports bar. While restaurateurs Rob and Chris Lundy pay homage to former owner, Leaf enforcer Mike ‘Shakey’ Walton, with abundant memorabilia and six televisions that broadcast all their loyal patrons’ favourite games, the brothers have brought a new level of sophistication to their popular establishment.

A complete renovation in 2010 made the bar attractive to women, couples, parents and kids, and a small, made-to-order menu offers customers of all ages and appetites homemade, healthy pub food. “I’m applying the cooking-to-order technique of higher end restaurants to a pub,” says Chris, the executive chef. “Our customers love burgers and wings, but we elevate things by using organic beef and hormone- and antibiotic-free chicken. And we don’t throw everything in a deep fryer.”

Daily ‘comfort’ specials are made from scratch – mac and cheese, shepherd’s pie, meatloaf – and Chris’ vinaigrette Caesar salad with parmesan almond crumble and his dairy free vegan soups are practically legendary. And all the ingredients are bought within walking distance. The fish comes from Snappers; the beef from Rowefarms; the meats from Astra Deli; the bread from Cobbs; and

the veggies are purchased at neighbourhood markets. “I use local merchants to create my food,” says Chris. “I buy their products and they come here to eat. It’s created a great sense of community.”

So have Shakey’s spectacular gastro events: Buck-a-Shuck Oyster Night on the first Wednesday of every month, Customer Appreciation Night four times a year and the Dinner of the Month Club. The latter is a new at Shakey’s and seats are reserved on a first-come, first-served basis via sign-up sheet at the bar. The inaugural event, held in May, offered a five course meal for 12 guests. Each course was paired with a barley beverage from the Premium Beer Company. Dishes like Oyster Bisque, Pig Feet Fritters, Lobster Four-Ways, Braised Beef Cheek were matched with Sam Adams, Cracked Canoe, Magners Irish Cider and a chocolate stout. Upcoming dinner themes include seafood in July, organ meat and bacon – dates, dishes and beverages to be announced. The price and number of guests attending varies according to the meal being served.

“I want to give people a taste of what I can do,” say Chris, who studied at studied at the Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts in Vancouver and cooked at top restaurants across Canada before bringing his skills to Shakey’s two years ago. “But mostly, I want to offer our customers an amazing meal at an affordable price.”

“I want to

offer our

customers

an amazing

meal at an

affordable

price.”

Robert and Chris Lundy • Shakey’s2255 Bloor Street West • 416-767-0608 • www.shakeys.ca

A sophisticated twist on comfort food food + celebration n


Just before you reach the pavilion is the huge Gus Ryder Outdoor Pool (6). As you stroll along the long turquoise rectangle of this outdoor swimming hole, the largest in Toronto, chances are you’ll see the kite surfers’ wings above the treeline to your left (8).

I’m always warmed by the sight of the great waterfront patio at Sunnyside Café (10), the restaurant attached to the Sunnyside Pavilion (7). It’s the best spot to enjoy the sun while sipping a drink (maybe on your way back from your stroll!) and to do some swan watching. Make sure you have a look at the courtyard. It’s lovely, with flowers and a classic fountain. A few years ago, I attended a public event at the pavilion and got to admire the wonderful view from the second level of the building. I hope they do that again sometime soon. It’s a real treat.

Humber Bay Arch Bridge (2) is about one km west of the pavilion, with Sir Casimir Gzowski Park in between. This little park includes a small wading pool and a cool playground (9). The impressive pedestrian bridge is 139 m long and runs over the mouth of the Humber River. Look care-fully and you’ll notice 20 turtles and four snakes carved into its structure. Gaze down from the east section of the bridge and you’ll see a soothing labyrinth drawn on a secluded patch of asphalt by the lake. With a bit of luck, you might even catch a wedding party … I did the last time I visited!

It is a five km walk from the Easy Restau-rant to this bridge and back. If you extend your walk by an extra two km, you will reach a lovely gazebo at the end of Humber Bay Promenade. Along the way, you’ll pass the pretty Butterfly Habitat, the lovely Eden Trattoria, with its waterfront patio, and Humber Bay Park East. But that’s a whole different stroll!

Nothing tops off a great breakfast with friends than an equally great walk to continue the conversation and to burn off some calories! A visit to the Easy Restaurant (1) - - with its popular all-day breakfast (lunch and dinner are available, too) -- is a wonderful way to boost your energy before launching into this stroll. The laidback eatery at 1645 Queen West (at Roncesvalles Avenue) offers a vast menu with something for every appetite.

Just west of the Easy and to your left, you’ll find Beaty Boulevard Park and access to the pedestrian bridge. (You might have to look a few blocks north of Queen Street to find street parking that will allow you to leave your vehicle for more than one hour.)

Check out the view of the lake from this bridge. Doesn’t it feel like you’re stand-ing at the edge of the ocean? It’s easy to forget that this beautiful body of water is good old Lake Ontario and that you’re facing Niagara-on-the-Lake, some 50 km straight ahead.

Kids will be thrilled to watch the cars flying by on the Gardiner Expressway under-neath the overpass. Then, they’ll want to play in the Budapest Park (3) playground, a few minutes to the right on the other side of the bridge. That’s where you’ll find the dinosaurs that have been a fixture in this park for years. There must be thousands of family albums out there that boast pictures of kids on the back of one of these prehis-toric beasts! Budapest Park also features the perfect wading pool in the shade of some lovely tall trees (4).

Across the waterfront trail is a cute little beach (5) that is usually less frequented than the more popular Sunnyside Beach located further west, near the Sunnyside Pavilion.

When we visit another city, we think nothing of walking for hours to feel its vibe. But we hardly ever take the time to explore our own city ... and we should. Toronto is wonderful place to discover, with its natural beauty and urban features mingling almost seamlessly. A great example of this effortless integration of the city’s organic and manmade environments is Parkdale’s pedestrian bridge, which links one of Toronto’s funkiest areas to Sunnyside Boardwalk and a terrific beach walk along the glittering waterfront.

The summer schedule for leisure swim at Gus Ryder Public Outdoor Pool is gener-ally 10 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Thanks to a few reserved lanes for lap swimmers, adults can enjoy this vast pool at any time while kids play safely in the shallow end.

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4

5

6

9

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NEIGHBOURHOODWalking

Sunnyside Endless Strollby Nathalie Prezeau

Nathalie Prezeau has played the tourist in and around the city since she moved to Toronto from Montreal 20 years ago. This article is a short adaptation of The Sunnyside Endless Stroll, one of 28 walks described in the author’s new guide, Toronto Urban Strolls ... for girlfriends (sold locally at Chocolate by Wickerhead, 2375 Queen East). She’s also the author of Toronto Fun Places ... for families, now in its 5th edition. Both guides are sold in major bookstores and online at www.torontourbanstrolls.com.

2

3

10

The best public parking lot in the area is accessible from the entrance located just east of Ellis Avenue, driving eastbound on Lakeshore Boulevard West. If you’re driving westbound on the Lakeshore, keep to your left past Colborne Lodge Drive and take the little road to your left, just before Ellis Avenue. It leads directly into the parking lot.


Behind the Counter salutes ‘patio time,’ where face-to-face conversation provides the opportunity to hang out. Turn off your cell phone and tune into the conversation at your table. Forget about your ‘do’ list and delight in the moment. Enjoy the chance to renew acquaintances and deepen friendships. Sit back and take a refreshing sip from the well of companionship. Great patio time can be timeless.

Behind The Counter

Loons Restaurant and Pub416 Roncesvalles Avenue 416-535-8561

Sunnyside Pavilion1755 Lakeshore Boulevard West 416-531-2233

Axis Gallery and Grill3048 Dundas Street West 647-800-8821

The Kennedy2199 Bloor St. W. 416-769-3888


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n June 30 to October 13JUNCTION FARMERS’ MARKET8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The Junction Farmers’ Market in the Green P Lot at 385 Pacific Avenue (Medland entrance) provides local, sustainably produced fresh fruits, veggies, meats and prepared foods in ways that build community, support local farmers and businesses, and promote access to healthy food for all. No resellers! Three Urban Farmers! Come meet your neighbours and the people who grow your food. Interested in volunteering or becoming a community partner? Contact us [email protected], call 647-270-7903 or visit www.JunctionMarket.ca.

n July 6 to July 22SUMMERLICIOUS12 p.m. to 12 a.m. daily. More than 180 of Toronto’s top restaurants will tantalize the taste buds with exclusive three-course prix fixe menus. Enjoy lunch menus from $15 to $25 or dinner menus from $25 to $45. This year, more than 20 new restaurants will be participating in Toronto’s favourite food festival. 416-395-7318; www.toronto.ca/special_events/summerlicious

n July 14

BLOOR WEST VILLAGE JULY STREET FESTIVALFree entertainment, petting zoo, pony rides, kiddy car rides and more! At the Bandstand, take in the Baby Contest, ethnic dances, stage shows, lucky draws. Enjoy a traditional street dance with a live band in the [email protected]

n July 15

GAZA CHARITY 5K RUN AND 1K WALK9 a.m. to 1 p.m.Come out to High Park and enjoy the 4th annual running/walking race organized by the Run for Palestine (RfP) club. RfP organizes running and walking events in the GTA and all proceeds are donated to the charity organization Medical Aid for Palestine (www.mapcan.org). MAP is active in humanitarian projects in Palestine such as children medical aid, supporting needy families for medical aid, and building children playgrounds in elementary schools.Location:High Park, Toronto. 905-962-9070; www.runforpalestine.com

UPCOmiNg EVENTs

neighbourhood living - west - summer 2012

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