Background

Background:

At the houses located on Broadview, South of Danforth, there are three properties that belong to Loblaws. These properties have been leased out to various charitable organizations that are of service to the community. (Seeds of Hope Foundation) These spaces offer respite for people transitioning into positive life paths for themselves, are home to multiple social enterprises including an Alano Club, and printing company that seeks to involve members of the house in productive work, and provide training facilities for single mothers and their children along with other diverse families (Oasis,).

There is a further opportunity to serve the community by incubating ecologically focused programming activities in the exterior spaces in the yards of these properties.

It was for this reason that the green areas were offered to a network of progressive green enterprises (appendix) collaborating to spear-head greening projects on site, provided that they were executed in a way that both engages and inspires the local community, including the members of the houses.

These activities revolve around the a series of events that are based on the gardening calendar as well as the movement of the Sun from March 21 (Equinox) to Fall Equinox.

This acknowledges the need for human activities and calendars to be synchronized with the life giving processes of the sun above and the soil beneath our feet. (see appendix)

  • An opportunity to develop local greening capacity for home and community group replications.

  • These activities are a visible and tangible focal point for the residents in the area and would serve as an access point for dialogue and good interpersonal relations between the existing programs and the neighbours.

  • Providing an opportunity for the residents, partners and neighbours to connect and to collaborate in meaningful and productive ways.

  • Offering training and mentoring opportunities for potential skill enhancement opportunities.

  • An opportunity to collaborate with existing community greening projects in the area within a bike trailer ride (see appendix)

  • Participating in the weaving of cultural and social fabrics that help people to reconnect to their food, their neighbours and the soil in the urban context.

In sum, the site interweaves the creation of a handful of small scale greening pilot projects for sustainable local community economic development.

Furthermore, by providing concrete examples and explorations of these issues in practical terms the green oasis on Broadview project invites others to follow suit through sharing best practices workshops and through convivial gatherings.