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.

Congratulations to the Riverside BIA Marketing Award Winners – Streetcar Development, Tabule, OMA, HiLo, Dimensions, Pulp Kitchen

For the past 6 weeks, the BIA has been collecting ballets from BIA members, voting on 6 different  categories for the 2014 Riverside BIA Marketing Awards.

This is truly a jury of your peers – some of the categories were close, and some were clear winners!!  Thanks to everyone who voted – either by ballot, or on-line.  The trophies were presented at the Annual Riverside Bonspiel and Marketing Awards Ceremony on March 24th at the Royal Canadian Curling Club.

Congratulations Dimensions Framing - Riverside BIA - Digital Marketing Ninja Award

Congratulations Dimensions Framing – Riverside BIA – Digital Marketing Ninja Award

 

Please join the BIA in Congratulating  the winners

Streetcar Developments – Overall Outstanding Achievement in Marketing

  • engaged great print, social media, and online marketing
  • community supporters
  • street level presence

Dimensions Custom Framing – Digitial  Marketing Ninja

  • Extremely active on Facebook and twitter
  • Host community and in-store events events, including Earth Hour’s paper making workshop
  • Effective online newsletter

Oma Chiropractic –  Do Good/Feel Good Cause Marketing

  • Done a number of great community events a number of which have worked to raise fund for Nellies Shelter for Women and Children

Tabule Middle Eastern Cuisine – Outstanding Customer Service

  • always make everyone feel welcome the second they walk in the door, and are always eager to participate in community events

Hi Lo – Shinning Riverside Star

  • This new kid on the block has already hosted the  Riverside toque launch, and is eager to be involved in more community events

Pulp Kitchen – Eye Catching Frontage

  • With their new façade improvement grant they have beautifully transformed their front window so that it opens up into a lovely summertime terrace

Thanks Again – and a big thanks to the Royal Canadian Curling Club for hosting the Ceremony….

 

Start working for next year!!

 

 

Riverside Earth Hour Environmental ArtWalk – March 29 – 4pm

What do homing pigeons, old school chairs, the patron saint of those who grow vegetables,  and used milk cartons have in common?

 They are all part of an exhibit for Riverside Earth Hour Environmental ArtWalk – March 29th 4pm – begins @macFAB Home store – 755 Queen E

 Free for all  – Click here to Register

 ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENTAL ARTWALK…

Part of the WWF Earth Hour Community celebrations in Riverside,  Queen St East will be  transformed to a Street Gallery on March 29th.  Over a dozen established artists from the Artist Network will be on display in the shops of Riverside Businesses – Featured work has an environmental theme.  A free guided tour starts at 4pm, led by  Riverside resident and in-house Art Aficionado – Lynne Patterson.  Please join the tour  to see the art!  To whet your appetite – please read the blurbs below – listing the artist, title and description!

THE ARTISTS AND THEIR WORK

 Christine Walker – Oven Bird   The city of Toronto is located on a flight path used by millions of migratory birds.  It is estimated that 1- 10 million of these birds are killed annually in Toronto due to collisions with tall buildings.  Ovenbirds are one of the species most affected by these collisions.  Although steps are slowly being taken to prevent bird-building collisions, including the use of window coatings and alternative building materials, this is a problem which requires our attention and concern.

Chris Williams – Martha – the last passenger pigeon died exactly 100 years ago.  Their range included our area.  It was thought that there were too many for them ever to be wiped out.  They have become a symbol like the Dodo.  Today many more species are threatened with extinction by our actions and over-population.

 Anjuli Solanki – Mehndi Chair Red – Part of a series that repurposes chairs that would have otherwise been thrown out.  Throughout history the chair or elevated seating has played an important role as being a position of power.  Think of a throne, a talk show host chair.  These are old school chairs, which have another special form of power associated with them – the power of knowledge.  The Mehndi (also known as hennas) designs connect my personal south Asian background and are traditionally a female art.  The Design on the chair outlines the female form, interplaying dynamics of power and femininity.

Christine Walker – Beneath the Ice – Explore the vision and perception of Seals.  They have extremely good underwater vision, but less effective near-sighted vision on land.    They see well underwater partly because of a ‘tapetum’ reflecting layer behind their retina that reflects the light back, creating twice the amount of illumination.

Kevin Christopher Turner – Fighting Fire  – The second piece in a triptic  – all with a strong Natural undertone.   The other 2 pieces have been acquired.

Kevin Christopher Turner A Mistake – Also known as accidental art – rather than throwing out a mistake, it is used to make something else.  This piece had an original intent but was repurposed and reconceptionalized into an artistic piece reusing and incorporating a Christmas Decoration.

Andrew Smith – Blue/Green Palm Leaf – Leaves are food and shelter; Leaves are shade and protection; Leaves exhale oxygen and water, Leaves are life – without leaves…..

 Dominique Prince – In an abstract way, floating in the atmosphere, a vast background where green is in abundance and then in the foreground, what could happen if we ignore or challenge the nursing role that chlorophyll plays in nature.  In the end there would be nothing left, but the last remains of the blood of living beings.

Janet f. potter – Sewing Times – Windows of Sewing Machines partial transferred onto treated Sewn Milk Carton Paper.  Janet will be exhibiting and running a workshop on how to create this Sewn Milk Carton Paper at Dimensions Framing from 4 – 6pm on March 29th – as part of the Riverside Earth Hour Celebrations.

Irja Ketola – Spring Thaw – Rushing waters breaking through patches of winter’s memories.  All the dirty little secrets soon washed away leaving, hopefully , pristine open vistas with new promises and better tomorrows.  Every spring, same thing.  But always new and exciting.  Simply Amazing.

Rana Mausher – Cherry Blossoms – Symbolizes the immense beauty of nature and life, and the transition of seasons and environments that allow the blossoms to bloom on many different trees every Spring.  “Cherry Blossoms” reflects the theme of environmental stewardship by reminding us the importance of sustaining our natural resources and the moral responsibility we have in saving trees that produce beautiful flowers and fruits for us to enjoy annually.  Mother Nature has presented us with many beautiful and natural gifts to fulfill our lives with beauty, colour and meaning – and it is up to us to embrace these gifts.

Micheline Beaulie – Sourire – The flower, a symbol of beauty is also man’s useful partner in the constant endeavor to achieve a healthy environment

Salomon Khammi  – “Nagagmi” – Part of Earth Servies, after seeing photographs of depleted and pulled waters sources that were taken from above.  These works fit with the theme of Earth Hour since it is a time for us to evaluate how our actions affect our planet.  Taking care of our water resources is imperative.  I hope my painting bring attention to this matter.

Norman Irwin – Saint Fiacre – Born in Ireland at the end of the 6th century.  St. Fiacre is most renowned as the patron saint of those who grow vegetables and medicinal plants, or gardening in general.  Fiacre is an ancient pre-Christian name from Ireland.  To celebrate the Millennium at the Irish National Study in ?County Kildare in Ireland, a garden was opened in 1999 and commemorates the Patron Saint of Gardeners – St. Fiacre.

Ruth Gillson – Paris – While travelling through Paris on foot and by public transit, seeing and photographing the remarkable sites, in celebration of the earthy texture and rustic tones of Paris’ classic iron work.

 

Free for all  – Click here to Register

 

 

Take a rest on the lights… and the mind

This Earth Hour, put your lights and your mind to rest for candlelight yoga at energyXchange ( 698 Queen St. E).

candle-light

At 8:30pm get some solace and rejuvenate with a free yoga session, with Earth Salutations: Ground, connect and step forward as we salute Mother Earth. A moving mindful practice that deepens our connection, roots our mind and nourishes our spirit as we all stand together to find balance within and around us.

We will be making an alter that represents the earth at the front of the studio. Please bring anything you would like to offer. (Acorns, dirt, and branches welcome!)

energyXchange’s entire approach is based on providing integrated, whole health services that focus on a variety of areas in order to achieve overall health and wellness.

Register HERE

Get Crafty this Earth Hour Saturday

This Earth Hour Saturday The Riverside has a day long array of sustainably inspired  events.

lanterntitl2e

 Trying to figure out what to do with all those leftover glass jars? Get crafty with the Riverside Green Initiative in a free glass lantern making workshop at Oma Chiropractic.

The Riverside Green Initiative is a neighbourhood group committed to greening the community through gardening and have been active in creating a sustainable Riverside community garden in Joel Weeks Park.

Oma Chiropractic is located at 1 Munro St and is a practice of doctors and health practitioners who take a holistic more natural approach to caring for yourself. As a clinic, Oma Chiropractic also  work to have a lowered environmental impact in their everyday parctice.

Sign up for this free activity HERE