First Pedestrian Sunday of 2012 – ‘Spring! Romance’ on May 27th!!!

16 May

Our first Pedestrian Sunday community celebration is coming up soon!

The streets of Kensington Market are open to pedestrians from 12 to 7pm on May 27th.

‘Spring! Romance’ is our theme for this first of three festivals.  Featuring musical and cultural performances, a maypole, art-market, love-letter writing, street food & sidewalk sales, there are family-friendly discoveries around every corner.

See you in the streets!

2012 Event dates & themes:
May 27th Spring! Romance
July 29th Summer! Off-the-grid
September 30th Fall! Harvest.

 

 

Bellevue Square Park Revitalisation – Community Design Review Meeting

10 May

Bellevue Square Park Revitalization

The next public meeting will be held on Tuesday May 22, 7pm, St. Stephen’s Gym at 91 Bellevue Ave. with a full design being presented for feedback. Councillor Vaughan’s office have created a page on their website with links to the presentations and notes from past meetings:

http://ward20.ca/bulletins_article.php?article=178

All welcome.

BIA Board of Management Meeting: May 14th @ 10am – Agenda

8 May

Location: Centre for Social Innovation,
215 Spadina Ave. Suite 400
Alterna Boardroom
Date:       Monday May 14th, 2012
Time:       10am – 12:30pm

 

AGENDA:

1.    Call to Order by Chair

2.    Approval of Consent Agenda

3.    Declaration of Conflict of Interest

4.    Treasurer’s Report April

5.    Marketing: Presentation by FishEye

6.    Tree Stump Seating

7.    Updates: PSK, Garden Car, Mural project

8.    St. Stephen’s outdoor security

9.    Toronto Hydro / Pedestrian Lighting

10.  Budget review

11.  Other business

12.  Adjournment

Monthly BIA Board Social Starts Wednesday May 9th!

8 May

The Kensington Market BIA board of management would like to invite the businesses and residents of the neighbourhood to join us at our new monthly meet & greet social.

Starts: Wednesday, May 9th – 7:30pm to 9:30pm at Cafe Pamenar, 307 Augusta Ave.

Feel free to BYOB, socialize and share your ideas, questions or concerns with your neighbours and members of the BIA board on the second Wednesday night of the month from May to October at Cafe Pamenar.

Please call the BIA Coordinator with any questions, 416 826 2964.

StopGap: The Kensington Market Ramp Project

30 Apr

StopGap & Kensington Market BIA invite you to participate in:

The Kensington Market Ramp Project

The Ramp Project Goal

- To create awareness about barriers in our built environment that prevent people from enjoying some of the amazing buildings and businesses our city has to offer.

- To help private businesses embrace the upcoming Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act Built Environment Standard which in the near future will make it law for businesses to be barrier free.

The Ramp Project Facts

- Whether you are a parent pushing a stroller or a wheelchair user, ramps simply make life easier.

- A ramped storefront is smart for business, it allows access for everyone regardless of their ability.

The Ramp Project Tasks

- WE (StopGap) will build a lightweight nonpermanent ramp to suit your stepped storefront – for free!

- YOU will offer customers the use of your brightly coloured ramp should the need arise and they will use it at their own discretion.

For more information visit www.stopgap.ca

COMMUNITY CLEAN-UP DAY April 21st!!

20 Apr

COMMUNITY CLEAN-UP DAY

Saturday April 21st (rain date April 22nd)

Kensington Market could use some Spring Cleaning!

Have breakfast & help out this weekend.

Please join your neighbours, and fellow Torontonians, in this City-wide clean-up effort. Many hands make light work!

• At 160 Baldwin, 9am -10:30am, have a coffee and muffin,
• Get a ‘Clean-up Day Garbage Bag’ (or just use a regular plastic shopping bag and add it to a larger bag at a pick-up location)
• Meet members of your BIA and KMAC
• Mulch trees, call Canopy of Kensington for locations, 416-597-3275

4 locations for City pick-up

• 25 St. Andrew St. – Dirt yard in front of empty storefront

• Augusta & Oxford – Parking spot SW corner

• Augusta & Denison Sq – Parking spot SW corner

• 160 Baldwin – On the sidewalk.

Please note: City Garbage crews will pick up the community garbage on Sunday, April 22.

This is a joint initiative of The Kensington Market Action Committee and The Kensington Market BIA, in partnership with the City of Toronto.

Participation in a Community-Based Research Study on Newcomers and Self-Employment

12 Apr

We received this note and thought it worth sharing with the Kensington Community.
“We are currently looking for participants to take part in approximately 1 hour interviews about the topic of self-employment for newcomers. More information is included below. 
Please circulate this email and pass this information down to the appropriate channels. We are eager to speak to newcomers who have started their own business and appreciate your assistance and cooperation with our research project. 
Thank you,
Sylvia Hoang. “

PARTICIPATION IN A COMMUNITY-BASED RESEARCH STUDY ON NEWCOMERS AND SELF-EMPLOYMENT:

 

QUALIFICATION CRITERIA:

1) Lived in Canada for 10 years or less

2) Own and operate a business in the city of Toronto

3) Started their own business in the last 5 years (since 2008)

 

PURPOSE:  Social Planning Toronto (SPT), in partnership with the Newcomer’s Women’s Services Toronto (NEW) is conducting community based research on newcomers and self-employment. The project is entitled “Economy and Resilience of Newcomers (EARN)” and is funded by the City of Toronto. Our agencies are committed to full social and economic integration of newcomers into Canadian society and this research project is one of a number of activities to address this objective. EARN will examine how newcomers in Toronto, who have set up businesses since 2008, have developed economic resiliency through self-employment and small business development. EARN will examine the barriers and challenges faced by immigrants engaged in self-employment. As well, the project will identify the resources, community supports, and strategies they have developed to overcome these difficulties. This project will enable our organizations to table your voices to policy-makers within the city of Toronto, with the aim of enhancing the outcomes for newcomers in self-employment.

 

TIME COMMITMENT: One on one interviews (with a trained interviewer) will not last more than 1-1.5 hours.

 

LOCATION: Can conduct the interview at a location that is convenient for potential participant: Either at their business location, or at Social Planning Toronto (2 Carlton Street — College Subway Station).

 

COMPENSATION: Will receive $50.00 cheque in the mail (within 2 weeks after interview). TTC tokens are available for compensation for travel.

 

PRIVACY/CONFIDENTIALITY: Your participation is vital to the success of this study. We assure you that all the information that you provide will be treated with strict confidence and your contributions will not be associated with your name or business. Participants will have the option of having their name and business listed on the report or to remain anonymous. Information collected through interviews will be aggregated to reflect broad trends and patterns gathered through this study. There is also the option of attending community forum that is planned as part of this study.

 

INTERESTED PARTICIPANTS: Please send email with the following information below to community-based researcher, Sylvia Hoang (newcomer.EARN.project@gmail.com):

 

1) Your name

2) Gender

3) Age

4) Your business name/service you offer

5) Year that you have started your own business

6) Date of arrival to Toronto

7) Number of years you have lived in Canada

8 Contact information (phone number, email) and best time to call

9) Your availability for interview before April 25th, 2012

Pedestrian Sundays – Festival Planning Meeting

12 Apr

It’s that time again, already! PSK festival planning time!!

Tuesday April 24th
6 to 7:30pm
263 Augusta Ave. at Supermarket Restaurant

As is the case every year, we welcome community members, and Kensington regulars, to join us for a planning meeting to prepare for this years festivals. What themes should we go with this year? What kind of programming should we do? Who wants to organize a vintage fashion show? What type of kid-specific games/programming should we organise? Lots of stuff to talk about!!

Pedestrian Sunday Festivals will take place on May 27th, July 29th, and September 30th this season.

All welcome!  Please contact Yvonne 416 826 2964 [coordinator at kensingtonmarketbia.ca] for more info.

Ward 20 Community Environment Day – Saturday, April 14th

10 Apr

Location: Central Tech, 725 Bathurst, enter at Borden and Harbord

Come to Ward 20′s Community Environment Day on April 14th, from 10am to 2pm at Central Technical School on Borden St. north of Harbord. Meet your neighbours, bring your unwanted items, drop off household waste, and pick up some compost while you’re there.

For more information visit www.ward20.ca or call the office of Councillor Adam Vaughan at 416-392-4044.

Job Posting: P/T Volunteer Coordinator – Pedestrian Sundays in Kensington Market

5 Apr

Now entering the 9th season of our much-loved car-free community celebration in the heart of Toronto, we are seeking additional event support for Pedestrian Sundays in Kensington. If you have a passion for public space & community-building initiatives, appreciate and understand the tremendous value of volunteers, want to gain further experience in community organizing, and have great people skills, we’d like to hear from you! There are three festival events in 2012. Time commitment is approximately 15hrs/mth.

Skills:
• Volunteer coordination experience
• Experience helping run events
• Ability to communicate effectively with a wide range of people
• Some knowledge and understanding of pedestrian priority projects and events in Toronto
• The usual: organized, reliable, committed, pleasant to work with

Requirements:
• Availability on event days – May 27th, July 29th & September 30th, 2012
• Commitment to 15hrs per month

Duties:
• Support the Event Coordinator by taking the lead on the recruitment, communications, and scheduling of new and existing volunteers in all event-related tasks & duties, including: physically opening/closing streets, helping monitor event at entry/exit points, supporting performers/participants, waste/recycling management, etc…

Other ways to get involved:
• This amazing community event relies heavily on volunteer participation and support. If you have 2.5hrs/mth to help us make this fun event even better, please get in touch!

How to Apply:
Please send your resume and a short description of your interest/qualifications as soon as possible to Yvonne Bambrick coordinator@kensingtonmarketbia.ca by no later than May 5th, 2012. We’ll be interviewing selected candidates during the week of May 7th. Start date May 11th. http://pskensington.ca

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