May 4 | 10 am and 1pm

RiversideTO Jane's Walk May Fourth!

RiversideTO Jane’s Walk May Fourth!

 There are over 150 Jane’s walks across Toronto. Come down to the Riverside to get a little bit of exercise and learn the history associated with where you live!

10 am Jane’s Walk – The River I step in is not the River I stand in

This walk will take us along Queen Street East over the Queen Street Bridge into the heart of Toronto’s east side. We will explore how some of the infrastructure and buildings have changed use over time, providing historical context of how the neighbourhood developed, its current state, and its future potential. Come explore the changing dynamics of Riverside!

 

 

1pm Jane’s Walk – Wild Plant Walk in Riverside with Danette Steele – the herbalist

Walk Leader: Danette Steele

Meeting Place: Meet up point: Queen & Saulter Library

The front entrance of the Queen & Saulter Library -765 Queen St. E

About This Walk
Take a walk on the wild side – hear stories and make new discoveries about the plants that grow throughout our city.
Join Danette Steele – the herbalist + city farmer – for a walk through Riverside lane-ways, parks and gardens. Identify wild and cultivated plants that can be used for food and medicine. Recipes will be shared! Learn about sustainable, safe and respectful practices for harvesting plants in the city …. And – be prepared to be surprised as you connect with the plants – and take some time to slow down and smell the Dandelions!

 

In Celebration of Earth Day – This Whole Week – Riverside Inspires Art, Community, and Spring Cleaning

The Artists’ Network Spring Pop up Show

Quince

Spring is here and so is The Artists’ Network “Spring” Pop Up Exhibition at Quince Flowers (660 Queen St. E).  Artists take an innovative approach to gallery spaces, through this collective pop-up exhibit by partnering with local businesses to showcase both their work and the local retailer. After a long cold winter “Spring” celebrates new emergence and freshness with the artists capturing this theme in their work. Also the timing of this show ties in perfectly with Mother’s Day. What could be a better accompaniment to a beautiful bouquet, than an original piece of art?

Join the Artists’ Network and Quince for the show opening on Saturday April 27th, from 3pm-5pm light refreshments and warm tea will be served – the perfect post- community clean up activity.

Joel Weeks inspired “Windfall” Art Piece  

Windfall image

One of Riverside’s public artists, Rebecca Houston’s piece “Windfall” in the Gladstone’s “Grow-Op” Exhibition (April 24 – 27, 2014), was inspired by youth from Joel Weeks Park in Riverside. Rebecca’s family has had a long history with Riverside. Her father used to be Chair of the Ralph Thornton Centre on Queen and Saulter, and in the late 1990’s was responsible for installing Riverside wayfinding markers. Rebecca is now revamping and transforming those very markers into public art.

Rebecca’s current exhibition is fitting with Earth day, and the Riverside’s sustainability focus.  Recent work in Rivertown, the community housing that surrounds Joel Weeks Park, influenced this artistic response to the complex relationship between humans and a changing urban environment. Local children looking for playthings, break the branches from saplings in a new park while old and dying trees across the city drop unwanted branches, wreaking havoc on our city infrastructure.  Windfall is an interactive sculptural plaything that reanimates Toronto’s recent bane, fallen tree branches into a kinetic prosthetic for a broken relationship between children, urban nature and outdoor play.

Riverside Community Clean up

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On April 26-27 Riverside residents and businesses come together to clean up their community.

There are 3 community groups cleaning 3 of Riverside neighbourhood parks -check out the date and location below:

Saturday April 26 -10am -12pm at 50 Mathilda – the South end of the Joel Weeks Park

The Riverside Green Initiative will clean up  Joel Weeks Park and the surrounding area on April 26 . There will be a table set up outside 50 Matilda with some drinks and snacks for volunteers as well as the supplies for the clean-up (bags and gloves).  There will be a  big group photo of our efforts.

Saturday April 26 10am -12pm at 25 Saulter St – Saulter St Parkette – Start at Ralph Thornton Center (761 Queen E) till the South end of the Joel Weeks Park. The gang at the Ralph Thornton Community Center will lead a clean up the empty lot across from the Ralph Thornton Center and the Saulter St Parkette, beginning at 10am at the RTC.

Sunday April 27th 9am at the Wardell/Degrassi entrance to the park beside 55 Degrassi Street. The Degrassi/Wardell/Cummings Triangle Residents Association will be cleaning Bruce Mackey Park from Dundas to Queen, as well as the south side of Queen Street.

Pop into Quince Flowers from 3-5pm to view the Artists’ Network Pop up show in Quince Flowers.

Riverside Community Clean-up – Apr 26(Joel Weeks|Saulter St) Apr 27 (Bruce MacKay)

For details and to register for April 26 and 27 Community Clean-up in Riverside   CLICK HERE

Riverside Clean-up 2014title

Please join us for the annual Riverside community cleanup on Saturday April 26 and Sunday April 27.

 

There are 3 community groups cleaning 3 of our neighbourhood parks -check out the date and location below:

 

Saturday April 26

10 am -noon at 50 Mathilda – the South end of the Joel Weeks Park

  • The Riverside Green Initiative will clean up  Joel Weeks Park and the surrounding area on April 26 . There will be a table set up outside 50 Matilda with some drinks and snacks for volunteers as well as the supplies for the clean up (bags and gloves).  There will be a  big group photo of our efforts.

Saturday April 26

10 am -noon at 25 Saulter St – Saulter St Parkette – Start at Ralph Thornton Center (761 Queen E)- the South end of the Joel Weeks Park

  • The gang at the Ralph Thornton Community Center will lead a clean up  the empty lot across from the Ralph Thornton Center and the Saulter St Parkette, beginning at 10am at the RTC.

Sunday April 27th

9:00am at the Wardell/Degrassi entrance to the park beside 55 Degrassi Street.

  • The Wardell Degrassi Cummings Triangle Residents Assoc  will be cleaning Bruce Mackey Park from Dundas to Queen, as well as the south side of Queen Street.

 

 

Thanks to everyone who joined the cleanup in past years, we hope to see you this year along with some new faces.

 

If you can’t make these or have a different area in mind –  grab your own bags, gloves, and use your brooms, rakes, etc from home to clean up in their own little pockets of the neighbourhood – including cigarette butts which are a major concern for the city

See what’s Hopp’ning in Riverside this weekend

 

Nell & Natasha Easter Party

Nell & Natasha Easter Party

 

 

Nell & Natasha along with their partner the Jimmy Simpson Rec Center host the biggest FREE Family Fun Easter party in town on Saturday from 10:30am – 12:30pm.  Bring your family to the corner of Queen & McGee for an Easter Egg Hunt, Face Painting, Treats and more.  The Nell & Natasha Team, and gang from the Jimmy Simpson Center know how to party!!

 

Then continue your Easter Hunt in Riverside and head straight to master chocolatier Ambiance Chocolat and give that special someone a hand-crafted, fresh  belgian chocolate bunny crafted  in vintage molds.

 

Hand Crafted Chocolate from Ambiance Chocolat

Hand Crafted Chocolate from Ambiance Chocolat

 

Little Peeps Fashion and Easter Fun for Children

Ambiance Easter Chocolat

Or if you prefer baked good – how about a cupcakes from Petite Sweets or Desmond & Beatrice – they have an easter special on – 6 cupcakes for $12

Easter Savings at Desmond  & Beatrice

Easter Savings at Desmond & Beatrice

And..pick up a hostess gift of world famous mouth-watering easter shortbread Mary Macleod Shortbread.

Mary Macleod Shortbread

Mary Macleod Shortbread

Looking for a British flare – then Chocolates and treats from Empire the Collection are a must. While you are there, don’t forget a card from Keep me Posted.

Thornton Egg from Empire by Bullet

Thornton Egg from Empire the Collection

Of course, Easter wouldn’t be complete without a new frock, hat or shoes…Bergstrom’s Original has all your fashion needs.

Easter Bonnet, Hat and Shoes from Bergstrom Originals

Easter Bonnet, Hat and Shoes from Bergstrom Originals

Or Little Peeps for your Little Peep from Little Peeps – great fashion and easter goodies with a European Fashion flair

Little Peeps Fashion and Easter Fun for Children

Little Peeps Fashion and Easter Fun for Children

 

Cooking up a holiday meal? Then pick up some locally grown meats from Butchers of Distinction (you may have  pre-ordered a fresh turkey or lamb) – they are open Friday, Saturday and Sunday of the Easter Long Weekend for all your needs.  Stop in to Olive & Olives for ingredients and recipes for a tasty appetizer and salad. They have some great Easter Specials

easteroo

Don’t forget your hot cross buns from St. John’s Bakery.

Hot Cross Buns from St. John's Bakery

Hot Cross Buns from St. John’s Bakery

Broadview Bakery and Deli will have a wide assortment of baked goods, meats, cheeses and salads for any last minute needs.

 

Or….leave the cooking, cleaning and serving to us.  Enjoy an Easter brunch from Prohibition Gastrohouse – where kids under 10 always eat free when accompanied by an adult.  Tabule Middle Eastern Cuisine is open for lunch and Dinner Saturday – Monday.  If you need a shot of caffeine to keep you moving, Dark Horse Espresso Bar and Cafe has promised to be open and usual.

 

Don’t forget – you can work off the chocolate with a spin class from Quad East – who has classes all weekend long.

 

See below for a peek at business hours at some of the Riverside Businesses this weekend.

 

Riverside Businesses

Easter Hours Good Friday April 18 – Monday Apr 21, 2014

Businesses

Good Friday

Sat Apr 19

Easter Sunday

Easter Monday

 Tabule Middle Eastern Cuisine  Closed  Open for lunch and dinner   Open for lunch and dinner   Open for lunch and dinner

Broadview Bakery

8-6

8-7

9-5

9-5

Butchers of Distinction

10am – 7pm

10am – 7pm

10am – 5pm

Closed

Common Sort

11-7

11-7

Closed

11-7

Coyote Willie

Closed

Closed

Closed

Open as Usual

Darkhorse

Open as Usual

Open as Usual

Open as usual

Open as usual

Empire by Bullet

11-6

10-6

12-5

12-5

Keep me Posted

11-6

10-6

12-5

12-5

MacFAB

Closed

10-6

12-5

10-6

Mary MacLeod

Closed

10-5

10-5

10-6

Mustard Seed

Closed

10-3pm drop in

Closed

closed

Olive & Olives

Closed

10-6

11-5

11-5

OMA Chiropractis

Closed

Open as Usual

Closed

Open as Usual

Petite & Sweet BAKES

11am – 4pm

10am – 6pm as usual

Closed

Closes (as usual)

Phil’z

Closed

11-5

12-5

11-6

Prohibition Gastrohouse

Open

Open as usual

Open

Open at 10 for Brunch – kids 10 and under eat free with an adult

Riverside BIA

Closed

Closed

Closed

Closed

Ralph Thornton Center

Closed

Open as Usual

Open as Usual

Closed

Switchback Cyclery

Closed

Open as Usual

Open as Usual

ToCA

Open as Usual

Open as Usual

Closed

Open as Usual

Quad Fitness

9:45 and 12:15 class

Regular classes

Regular classes

9:45 and noon

 

Hoppy Easter everyone!!

Earth Hour in Riverside – Recap

Last Saturday we celebrated WWF’s Earth Hour in Riverside with environmental themed activities from local businesses leading up to the lights off moment.  There were performances from the Etobicoke School of the Arts GLO show choir and  the Lucas Stagg Band. And wow was it a beautiful community celebration.

Riverside community really rallied behind this.  Thank-you so much for your interest and participation is this global initiative to help our planet

Please  enjoy the video below with photos from the many activities throughout the day including:

  • Lantern Making Workshop from Riverside Green Initiative at OMA Chiropractic
  • Milk Carton Paper Making workshop with mixed media artist janet f potter at Dimensions Custom Framing
  • Environmental themed street-level artwalk starting at macFAB featuring Artist Network Artists
  • Yoga by Candlelight at energyXchange
  • Earth Hour Concert  main stage outside the Ralph Thornton Community Center with special guest David Miller, President and CEO of WWF-Canada.

Action on climate change doesn’t stop just because Earth Hour is over.  Like you, we are committed to continuous improvement.

Riverside’s next event is the Community Clean-up on April 26th and 27th– as part of the annual City of Toronto community clean-up.  Local community groups and residents will be pitching in to help with the our neighbourhhood Spring Clean up
Please click here for more details and to see how you can help out your hood!
Riverside Community Cleanup

And keep in touch with WWF!

 

Visit wwf.ca/enewsletter and sign up for WWF-Canada’s monthly e-newsletter to get the latest stories and updates on critical conversation work taking place across the country.

Thanks for everything – please stay in touch.