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From The Community Animator - Toronto East - September 2010

The East Scarborough Storefront is an exciting example of how community work is helping a neighbourhood . This past week Anne Gloger, the Storefront Director, gave us some background on ESS's involvement with the community and on their green focus:

"The East Scarborough Storefront, in true community fashion, is drawing on the skills, ideas and knowledge of local residents and agency partners to create an "eco food centre" as part of its hub expansion.

The Storefront "hub" has been facilitating the work of agencies and residents in the priority neighbourhood of Kingston Galloway Orton Park(KGO) for almost 10 years. It's real strength is listening to the community and developing structures to support their ideas. In one recent "Community Speak" ideas to turn the Storefront facility at 4040 Lawrence (formerly a police substation) into a large, accessible and green community resource centre came through loud and clear. In another, residents lead discussions on developing innovative community lead food access initatives.

It was the voices of residents at these two events that inspired the Storefront to facilitate a discussion with its partners and supporters including: Live Green Toronto, the Metcalf Foundation, Schools Without Borders, Westhill Community Service, Evergreen, archiTEXT and sustainable.TO. These discussions lead to a concept for an fabulous "eco-food" project which will create the foundation for all sorts of community based environmental and food initiatives. We look forward to future announcements of Storefront's grey-water system, resident food based-businesses and eco learning opportunities ... we're doing it all based on resident's ideas, and, of course, in true Storefront fashion, the eco-food centre is being designed by local youth."

sustainable.TO is a small band of young (and young-at-heart), sustainably-minded, architecturally-creative individuals led by Paul Dowsett - Architect, OAA, MRAIC, LEED(TM) AP.

We provide sensible, sensitive & sustainable design & construction services for residential, commercial and institutional environments.

It has been our pleasure to work with archiTEXT and the youth of East Scarborough in a mentorship capacity to help them to develop and design the alterations to their Storefront.

As we continue in this role, we are also looking forward to providing professional architectural services to the Storefront for the realization of their multi-phased revitalization projects, not least of which are the connections from garden, to kitchen, to table, and back to garden -- the eco-food project.

From Anne Gloger:

THE VISION

Residents and agencies in Kingston Galloway Orton Park (KGO) share a broad vision of creating and supporting a thriving inner suburban neighbourhood.

The KGO neighbourhood is best known for its gang violence and motel strip. The East Scarborough Storefront envisions the KGO neighbourhood instead becoming a model for how to develop and support grassroots eco-sustainability and food security in an inner suburban neighbourhood. We envision a community space that facilitates resident leadership in developing food security strategy, eco education, and economic opportunity for some of the city's most marginalized ...and we envision doing it, as we do everything in KGO, in collaboration.

THE ORGANIZATION

The East Scarborough Storefront operates under an innovative and collaborative model, known throughout Toronto and beyond for its creative and successful approach to community development in the inner suburbs. It has initiated or supported projects like the Neighbourhood Trust, Community Garden, Business Resource Centre, Community Speaks, and Community Design Initiative.

By nurturing diversity and collaboration and exploring possibilities within the community, we are a catalyst for neighbourhood renewal. Inner suburbs like KGO are an important part of our city. Though often neglected or dismissed, the inner suburbs are rich with untapped potential. For the past 10 years Storefront has facilitated the work of dozens of agencies and hundreds of residents to build on this community's remarkable strengths and to celebrate a passionate community with hopes and plans for the future.

THE PROJECT

The Eco-food Project enables Storefront to establish an eco-food hub which will rest within our already thriving service-delivery hub, and will act as a foundation and catalyst for a myriad of environmental and food-focused initiatives.

The eco-food hub is designed as a creative and practical space that acts as a nucleus for a diversity of food and "green" activity for an entire community. Through the eco-food hub, agencies and residents will share their knowledge and expertise on healthy cooking and eating, environmentally sound practices, and caring for the community. The hub will also support budding entrepreneurs as they test new ideas, cook for local groups, and gain necessary training and certification to realize their dreams.

The eco-food hub will be a place that nurtures the spirit of collaboration around food and green initiatives in an "at risk" neighbourhood. It will be a place that demonstrates the capacity of people living in poverty, people marginalized and often isolated in the inner suburbs, to be leaders in connecting to the earth, our food, and each other.

The eco-food hub is a vital component of Storefront's larger project of reclaiming an old police station and turning it into vibrant community space.

THE SPECIFICS

The core of the eco-food centre will act as a catalyst for a wide variety and diversity of programming and initiatives by a large number of groups and organizations. Specifically, we propose:

1. A versatile and accessible commercial grade kitchen with capacity for a wide range of programs:
   1. Demolition of two former offices to create a large kitchen space in the eastern part of the building, right next to the community garden
   2. Stainless steel work surfaces on wheels that that they can be configured in ways that meet the needs of a wide variety of groups
   3. Dedicated workspace that is completely wheel chair accessible
   4. Commercial grade cooler
   5. Walk in freezer and pantry
   6. Gas powered professional range
   7. Appropriate commercial venting
   8. Industrial dishwashing facilities
2. 
3. Connect kitchen programs and activities to already existing infrastructure like the community garden and composting
   1. Three step composting system
   2. Composting education for Storefront's staff 35 partners and 50 in house volunteers
   3. New garden plots to grow food specifically for cooking opportunities and demonstrations
4. Create new infrastructure like rainwater management and irrigation that will link directly with activities taking place in the kitchen and the garden
   1. Cistern irrigation system
   2. Rainwater management and usage education for Storefront's staff, 35 partners and 50 in house volunteers
5. Connect indoor space with outdoor space
   1. Roll up door from kitchen onto green space
   2. Built in outdoor seating
   3. Demonstration garden
6. Mentor local youth in the architecture and design of an effective and creative eco-food centre
   1. Architects with sustainable.TO, interior designers, landscapers, garden specialists,
   2. environmentalists teaching local youth ages 10-20 the art, craft and technical aspects of eco-friendly design
7. Make the project a catalyst and template for other inner suburban neighbourhoods investing in social and physical infrastructure
   1. Documentation of the process that lead to the development and creation of local eco-food infrastructure using film and written word

CONNECTING TO BROADER INITIATIVES

One of the true successes of the Storefront model is that it attracts organizations and individuals who seek to connect movements to resolve systemic issues to meaningful on-the-ground experience. An example of this kind of connection is evident in our work with ERA Architects who were the instigators of the city-wide Tower Neighbourhood Renewal strategy. ERA considers the approach that Storefront takes in engaging residents in the development both of initiatives and capital developments to be an example of how to effectively develop Tower Neighbourhood Renewal. They are currently looking at integrating our processes into a province-wide initiative. The eco-food centre will serve as a tangible example to the province and beyond of the potential of community engagement and investment. The eco-food centre in and of itself is also designed to connect the work of KGO with broader movements. With key partners such as Schools Without Borders, Live Green Toronto and Evergreen, the intent is to bring City and Province-wide initiatives in a meaningful way to the local community.

THE KEY PLAYERS

Storefront Leaders

Anne Gloger has been with the Storefront through each stage of its development. In her role as Director, Anne has facilitated the development of the Storefront model as well as much of the collaborative neighbourhood strategies evident in KGO today. Anne's background is in community and partnership development. She has a degree in Social Development and a Business Diploma. Anne is dedicated to working collaboratively, engaging in good process, and seeing the residents and businesses of KGO thrive.

Jaime Elliott Ngugi has been working with Storefront for over four years. As Special Project Co-ordinator, Jaime's role is to ensure that projects like the eco-food centre are carried out with integrity and authentic community involvement, and in a truly collaborative spirit. Jaime is currently facilitating the architecture and youth mentorship project, as well as supporting the neighbourhood-wide Safety Initiative and the creation of a Business Resource Centre.

Architectural Partner

sustainable.TO, led by Paul Dowsett - Architect, OAA, MRAIC, LEED(TM) AP.

Agency Partners - providing leadership and connecting to broader food and environmental movements:

Seed to Table, a project of Schools Without Borders, is a youth-centered program that works to bring cooking, gardening and food education to young people. They act as a platform for addressing food security in the neighbourhood through practical, integrated approaches. These include their core programming for children and youth which explore food, growing and identity through creative and media arts; a catering social enterprise for youth seeking sustainable employment; mobile kitchens for customized community workshops; and supporting food animation throughout the community. Seed to Table is a young program that is growing with the strengths and needs of Kingston-Galloway/Orton Park. They will benefit from having an improved space for current programming, but will also expand their capacity through a long-term commitment to creating authentic space for youth leadership in the food movement.

Evergreen is a not-for-profit organization that makes cities more liveable by connecting people and nature and empowering Canadians to take a hands-on approach to their urban environments. Evergreen has been an active partner with KGO for past 3 years. They have assisted with beautification projects including R.O.S.E. garden, tree plantings at the Morningside Park and KGO Community Clean Up Days. They are also a major partner for our SUBtext festival.

Lori Metcalfe is a health promoter specializing in food security at the Scarborough Centre for Healthy Communities (formerly West Hill Community Services) and a long time member of the Storefront Steering Committee. Lori has been collaborating with residents and community partners over the past year to develop and implement a successful food strategy in south Scarborough. The local food strategy includes the development of a food hub/centre to create and coordinate effective food programming in Scarborough.

Katie Fullerton from Eco Spark (formerly Citizens' Environment Watch), is the Core Animator for the Live Green Toronto program in Scarborough. Live Green Toronto is a City of Toronto program to engage communities wishing to take action to green their neighbourhoods. The goal is to help make Toronto's air cleaner, its neighbourhoods greener, and to encourage residents to do their part in addressing climate change and its effects. The Live Green Program provides the tools, resources, information, experts and funding needed to help residents develop local green initiatives that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Documentation Partners

archiTEXT is a think tank focused on architecture and innovation that explores the intersection of architecture on all levels - from food to fashion to politics - and uses creative mechanisms. archTEXT has been working with the Storefront in exploring the intersection between architecture and poverty. In this role archiTEXT staff, and especially their principal, Zahra Ebrahim, have been chronicling what happens when you connect youth living in poverty with design professionals to expand community space in a "priority" neighbourhood. archTEXT is committed to chronicling the process of all aspects of the Storefront building expansion, including, and especially, the development of the eco-food centre.

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