Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Junction Farmers Market to launch new website

new site address for the Junction Farmers Market



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Breaking news: Junction Farmers Market gets city permission to use Green P lot on Pacific Ave

Just in after much diligent  work the group getting the Junction Farmers market started has received confirmation on the location.  The market has received city permission to use the Green P parking lot on Pacific Ave just south of Dundas St West on the east side.

The  twitter feed for the project  is  @junctionmarket

Update 29/02/2012 10:45pm: they will be using the east side of the lot, leaving the west side for parking.

 

 



 

Junction Farmers Market to make big update anytime now.

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From the Big Think Blog - How to Ask a Good Question at a Public Event

1. Before you ask a question, make sure it’s a question.

Do you want to share some idea you think is important or do you actually have a question for the speaker? A question is something that would be written with a question mark at the end and causes your voice to go up. If your voice doesn’t go up at the end of it it’s not a question. Repeat the words you want to say to yourself before you stand up and get in line for the mic -- if your voice doesn’t go up at the end of them you do not have a question in mind; please sit back down. Did your inner voice go up? Good, you have a question -- please proceed to step 2.

2. You have a question. But is it relevant to ask it now?

It’s great that you actually have a question to ask. That separates you from about half the people standing in front of you in line waiting for their turn at the mic. Fortunately, you now have some time to determine if this is the right time and place to ask it. Some things to take into consideration: Is this question relevant to the themes discussed at today’s event? In particular, is it essential to ask this question of this particular speaker, or is it just something you’ve been wondering about for a while? The best questions are formulated specifically for the speaker while remaining interesting to others in attendance. Ask yourself, is this question something you think other audience members would like to hear the answer to? If you do not believe that the question is particularly related to the topics covered in today’s talk and you’re not sure if other people in the audience would be interested to hear it, it’s probably best to err on the side of caution and sit back down. If after consideration you strongly believe that the question is directly relevant to today’s subject matter and that many others in the audience would be interested to hear the speaker’s response, move on to step 3.

3. You’re close to the mic. Now why do you want to ask this question?

You have an actual question that is relevant to the themes of today’s event and which you believe will be interesting to others. You are very close to asking something meaningful. Now it’s time to examine your own intentions in asking this question: Do you want to lead the speaker towards a certain answer? Put her on the spot? Show her that you disagree with something she said? And how does your intention towards the speaker relate to your larger intention towards the others in attendance? Do you want to look like you’re smarter than the speaker? Or do you want to clarify something for everyone in the room? Intention is the key to phrasing the question in the most beneficial way possible. When you know your intentions the appropriate question will become clear as well as the best way to phrase it. Do you know your intentions? If you still don’t know what you intend in asking this question it’s probably best to invent an excuse to leave the line now. If your intention in asking the question is clear -- and the question itself is becoming clearer -- stay in line and move on to step 4.



read the rest click this

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Junction early years centre

Filled to capacity often the early years centre in the Junction is so popular among families, people need to arrive bright and early for the daily activities.

As a community resource this Ontario government program really provides a needed community services.

It addition and probably much less important it brings considerable traffic and people activity to the area which really needs more foot traffic.

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Tuesday, February 28, 2012

1844 Bloor St. W. Bloor Street condo development focus meeting



 



 

Bloor Street condo development focus of meeting

Councillor Sarah Doucette is arranging a community consultation meeting to discuss the condominium development proposed for 1844 Bloor St. W. on Thursday, March 1 at Humberside Collegiate Institute's Lismar Hall from 7 to 8:30 p.m.

The purpose of the meeting is to initiate a consultation process. City of Toronto planning staff will be seeking a small group of community volunteers to participate in a design working group.

Monday, February 27, 2012

Bike superhighways just what Toronto needs and probably will never see.

[caption id="attachment_10508" align="aligncenter" width="499" caption="Blue painted area is bike superhighway for cyclists"][/caption]

 



The City of London just announced that because of the opening of two bike superhighways in July of 2010 bike traffic is up 70% on two major thoroughfares in London in the year following. Build to get people on bikes instead of in their cars laying down safe, straightforward  cycling paths from outer neighborhoods into the city. They plan to  install an easy to navigate cycling super numerical series of such super pathways.

Read more: London's Bike Superhighways Help Bike Traffic Increase by 70% | Inhabitat - Green Design Will Save the World

Read More: concerning the input of cyclists in the design of the Bike superhighways

Other cities have built such roadways for decades such that they are a normal part of the transportation choices for people in the  Netherlands - which didn't get its extensive network of separated bicycle facilities overnight—it took decades [1.source]

Another city - Portland—which may spend $600 million on bicycle infrastructure over the next 20 years, with a goal of upping the cycling rate to 25 percent of all trips by 2030—that has most energetically taken on the bicycle boulevard concept...[1.source]

And further...

Sweden Plans A New Superhighway For Cyclists


Those Scandinavians are so cutting edge and bike friendly. Now they’re going a step further, connecting two cities with a major artery that’s for bikes only. [2.source]


 

Chicago has a series of  protected bike lanes which probably would be a good idea for your Toronto with its car non-centrism around the rights of people moving and people driving.

 

[caption id="attachment_10504" align="aligncenter" width="469" caption="Protected bike lanes are designed with all kinds of people in mind, Chicago,  Click image to visit source of image site, livininthebikelane.blogspot.com"]Protected bike lanes are designed with all kinds of people in mind.[/caption]

 

 

Transport for London's Cycle Superhighways site click here to view.

Annette Street Choir - free vocal music program

The starting of a free children's choir program that will take place on Sundays for approximately 8 weeks, with a concert to take place at the end of our months of hard work and practice, is being organized by two local residents.

They have a blog at blog -www. Annettestreetmusic.com for more information about the program.

<a href="http://annettestreetmusic.com/"their blog


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Why does Bloor West Village attract a strong mix of speciality retailers

Bloor West Village has such a good mix mix of chain speciality shops such as those pictured above mixed with the best local retailers, why this blog really wonders.

Is it because of the Subway, or the well run local business that attracts the chain retailers that in there coming attract even more shoppers?

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Saturday, February 25, 2012

Local gallery activities, Telephone Booth Gallery

The Telephone Booth Gallery is placing an interesting show in the community in March, featuring a number of locally living Toronto artists.

Its great to see a show like this here in the Junction, common in art centric areas in a number of larger cities, guessing the Junction needed a gallery with the understanding it was needed.

 

 

Thursday, February 23, 2012

Closest kids centre at Dundas St. Up across from Shoppers Drug Mart

With the High Park Family Fun Place gone now, is the blog right that the closest alternative one is kidx360.ca.

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30 Weston Rd adverse effect on of site property meeting March 21st

A copy of the meeting notice was sent in by a blog reader, thanks.

The large construction effort needed to redevelop the o
D Canada Packers/Bunge site has caused some disturbances amount some of the residents.

Image from notice of meeting.

Will attach full text later today, when at laptop.






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Wednesday, February 22, 2012

The development signs have gone from the old gas station lot next to the liquor store at Jane St.

For years oil and gas clean up equipment worked away on this lot. Much of the pipes and extract equip. Was removed in the last few years.

The property continues to sit, fenced and disruptive to the look and feel of the block.

Now the signs offering development opportunities are gone - dies that mean newness will arrive to this lot?

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Malta bake shop jumping today - really busy inside as day has nice walking weather

A store which a whole lot of Maltese speciality foods.



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More towers going up than you have toes and fingers in the Parklawn Rd and Lakeshore Blvd. West intersection and

In an area that held the Noranda Mining headquarters 17 years ago, and a customer goods plant come great artist and eccentric business location throughout the 90s condo are pushing the sky up at an formula one rate.

Minutes walking Humber lakeshore park condo developments such as Westlake, Key West are transforming the area.



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Tuesday, February 21, 2012

The American retailer Target is coming to the Junction and is probably already targeting you

As the NW of St Clair Ave west and Keele St. / Old Weston Rd is moving to bricks, mortar, and asphalt with a lot of green, an interesting article in this weeks New York Times magazines details how the retailer Target - one of the anchor retailers at the site targets its customers for greater sales.

The article uses a example of purchasing for unborn babies -



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Monday, February 20, 2012

Evergreen brick works a most interesting day visit only 25 mins by car on a weekend morning

Familly day visit to Evergreen Brickworks highlighted the unique nature of this site. Buildings reworked as visiting centers to host a variety of events and activities.

Right now a thrilling skating rink is open (see image) with barrel fires for roasting marshmallows - skate rental.

Hiking up to the top of ridge around the old clay pit is easy even for a 3 year old.

Of interest to the eccentric maker designer type is the large amount of the brick making machines and kilns that are preserved.

The long kilns heated by burners along their length are still standing along with the feed gas piping with much of the combustion air feed ducts also.

Some of the spring meters to control the amount of the gas feed are still
In place above one of the kilns.

If you are interested in craft making trivia, the burners or the firing of the clay into bricks are about half the size of glass melter burners. In addition fire brick is used for the crown of the kilns while normal brick for the side walls. Surprising eh!

Oops caught up...
In the kilns- almost forgot to mention the exciting kids nature area (last images), kids can climb into the "tree building, the straw mud hut, the tent and see and experience so much more.


eh!

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Friday, February 17, 2012

Heavy duty gardening at Vine parkette

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How did your interest in alleys come about?

Atlantic Wire article on laneways

Excerpt.

They provide great opportunities to walk through something a little more intimately scaled. They provide a refuge from the city. They inspired me to apply for the travel scholarship.

How do you define what makes an alley?
I think an alleyway in the American context is something specifically set aside as infrastructure. It's never meant for pedestrians, it never receives any facade remodeling. But with that infrastructure designation comes a true story about the city. It's all about function so you get to see the street at the ground plane and on the wall plane. There's a lot of rich history there, from the brick paving peeking through, to the layers of graffiti and dirt, to all kinds of electrical and gas conduits. It's really messy— there are loading docks, all the stuff you don't see on a main street.

Are alleys something different outside the U.S.? London's famous for its mews, Paris has its arcaded passages.
Yes, in Europe and elsewhere, they are just traditional forms of urbanism, meant to carry people. In Japan, they're called roji, which basically means little street. In Melbourne, they call them laneways, which to me suggests pedestrian passage. They came about organically, with people developing parcels and setting aside space for short cuts because the blocks were so deep. The laneways became capillaries while the streets and boulevards served as the arteries.

Why is it important that alleys in America be better used?
It depends on the city and the time. I don't think our population densities can afford doing that to every alley in America, but in cities that do have a strong alley collection, we should start addressing all of that space. Chicago has a program that's turning some of them into greenways. And even in Detroit, there's a beautiful alley that has transformed an entire block. It's become so successful that people are getting married there, there are parties, people are taking it back.

Is there ever a case for keeping alleys as places relegated to garbage collecting and other behind-the-scenes infrastructure?
As waste collection becomes more effective like they've done in some places with a whole underground tube system, maybe not. Maybe we'll see a proliferation of all this space becoming available. That doesn't mean it has to be turned over to pedestrians and parties, but maybe it could be used as a new kind of green infrastructure, for handling storm water, for growing things. These alleys can be turned into assets for the city. As it stands now, they present a ridiculous amount of space to be used simply for waste conveyance.

Ful article here click here

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Thursday, February 16, 2012

Business Improvement Area is looking for a new Executive Director

The decades old CPR dense on Ethel Ave

It's wondrous - walk by and touch it

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High Park Family Fun Place closes

A blog reader has written in that High Park Familly Fun Place has lost their location in the Junction at the building on the north east corner of Pacfic Ave and Dundas St West.

Original post about FFP on this blog click here

Rent arrears is the issue. Of course the building owner cannot carry a rent arrears on such a store front as the city taxes are the highest for this store frontage in the building - which would place the success of the building at risk. It is important to note this building owner has contributed more than probably any other building owner to this community though his support of community activities.

There is a rally being planned for this coming Saturday to support the Fun Place staying in the Junction and to locate a new site.

Creating such a community centric - centre rather than simply a business has been a goal of Jennifer and Pierre.

It has also been a similar goal for the owner of the building (who also owns the lot used by the community next to the building) The building owner allowed the Junction Arts Festival non profit (JFAC during the directorship of Michael Menagon and chairmanship of Bill Sandercook) to build the train station platform on the lot which is still used by the community.

As the Junction area moves towards a stronger commercial and cultural preponderance changes will occur.

We now as a community need to work to ensure both can exist, greater community commercial success and niche business that provide more than simply retail services, in fact a move to the west of Quebec Ave. for the fun place - where there is some really great space could actually help the centre as it is out of the business improvement area and the buildings are not subject to the tax levy associated with buildings within the business improvement area thus reducing there rental costs.

Note: this author has no personal or businesses relationship with the building owner, it is just important to make the facts known.

The Junction Triangle has a real good complement of Churrasqueira restaurants yea...

churrasqueira. [a portuguese word meaning “wood-char barbecue restaurant”

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Wish for 43 Junction Rd

Condos, light industrial, or retail

Would it not be great to see the old flour mill site added to in a similar way as this set of silos in Finland.



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Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Book look....Redeveloping Industrial Sites : A Guide for Architects, Planners, and Developers

The blog would like to share the existence of an immensely well written book, it which the subject manner has deep relevance to the greater Junction area.

How, why and what has happened to the GJA can be understood to a greater extent by reading this book, this author thinks.

The text image below is capture of a particularly interesting section.



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Junction Triangle light industrial studio building sets pace needed.

Needed, more buildings for light industrial and design and art studios thoughout the greater Junction Area.

To create a vibrant community there must be opportunities for healthy living, good employment, new businesses creation and involved residents.

In the piles of renewed urbanization studies that abound, a common finding is that residents then employment then new creative industrials, be they skilled and tech manufacturing or culture based services followed by general retailing are the path to a healthy growing community.

Throughout the area we need to support such building use.

The images above such a building in the Junction Triangle clearly show the building can be developed and managed well.

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Midsummer Night's Dream (1967 HIgh Park Toronto) Wessel Couzijn images

 

 

Pictured here is the completed work  Midsummer Night's Dream - by Wessel Couzijn the artist who in the late 60's produced the sculptures in the NW quad of High Park - near the nature school.

 

Following the completed work image are a few images taken during the construction of the work,

[caption id="attachment_10226" align="aligncenter" width="472" caption="image source - Outdoor Art in Toronto website click image to visit"][/caption]

 

Click on any of the gallery images to see original full size image

 

[gallery columns="2"]