Toronto Environmental Alliance

TEA has been communicating with Toronto residents interested in this
issue over the past couple of weeks. Below is a letter we’ve
distributed to them:

October 27, 2008
Dear Torontonians,

For 20 years the Toronto Environmental Alliance (TEA) has been advocating for, and helping build a green Toronto.

Today, I’m asking you to help us continue this important work by
supporting Toronto Hydro’s proposal to test wind speeds in Lake
Ontario, near the Scarborough Bluffs. If Toronto is to benefit from the
renewable power revolution taking place across the planet, we at least
have to know whether Lake Ontario is a possible site for wind turbines.

To be clear, we are asking you to support Toronto Hydro testing wind
speeds, not installing wind turbines. The Toronto Hydro proposal is for
a 15 metre tall structure, 4 metres of it would be above the water, the
remainder below the water line. This structure would simply test wind
speed.

This is part of a larger effort by Toronto Hydro to determine whether
there is sufficient wind off the eastern shores of Toronto to possibly
install wind turbines in the future. Should Toronto Hydro determine
that the wind and economic potential is there, Toronto Hydro would then
develop a project proposal. This proposal would have to go through an
environmental assessment to determine whether the proposed project and
location are appropriate. The public would play a key role in this
assessment.

Some residents in the area are opposing this proposal to test the wind.
While we appreciate that some people have concerns with where the wind
turbines should be located, we strongly believe these concerns should
not stop Toronto Hydro from gaining valuable information about wind
speeds.

Put simply, we very much encourage a public discussion about whether
wind turbines should be off the shores of Toronto. But let’s have it
when we have a proposal in front of us.

To ensure Toronto Hydro gets a chance to test wind speeds, please call
or mail or fax a letter of support to: Mark Patterson, Ministry of
Natural Resources 50 Bloomington Road West Aurora, ON L4G 3G8 Phone:
905-713-7386; Fax: 905-713-7361.

If you have any questions about this issue, do not hesitate calling me
at the TEA office or email me at franz@torontoenvironment.org.

Thanks for helping us support local renewable power here in Toronto and taking a step closer to curbing climate change and smog.

All the best,

Franz Hartmann
Executive Director

Attend a public meeting on Monday, November 24th at 6:30 pm about the wind measuring device to show your support:

View Larger Map

1. Volunteer Phone Canvassers (15): My Toronto includes Windmills!
2. Volunteer Surveyors of Local Ethnic Produce

Position Type: Volunteer
Number of Positions: 15
Location: Downtown Toronto by Osgood Subway station
Duration: Multiple days available, Thursday November 13 to Thursday November 20
Application Deadline: As soon as possible

The Toronto Environmental Alliance (TEA) is seeking Volunteer Phone Canvassers.  We will be calling TEA members Thursday November 13 and Friday November 14, as well as Monday November 17 through to Thursday November 20.  Volunteers must be available between 5pm and 8:30pm on any one or more of those days.  

Canvassers will be informing TEA members about City-owned Toronto Hydro's attempts to put a wind measuring device in Lake Ontario to determine whether it makes sense to install windmills in Lake Ontario, about 2 km off shore.  We also need canvassers to help encourage our members to attend the public meeting on November 24.  For more information on the campaign, visit: www.torontoenvironment.org/windmills

Responsibilities

• Call Toronto Environmental Alliance members and discuss the plan to test wind speeds in Lake Ontario and the importance of Green Energy
• Inform members about the public meeting on November 24 and encourage them to attend

Qualifications

• Be available on one or more of the calling days: November 13-14, November 17-20
• Be available between 5pm and 8:30pm on those days
• Excellent communication skills
• Interest in, and understanding of environmental, diversity and equity issues

Volunteers will be briefed on the issue and how to make the calls.  Snacks will be provided.

Application Procedure
Please submit a brief letter of interest as soon as possible.

Michal Hay
Toronto Environmental Alliance
30 Duncan Street, Suite 20, Toronto, Ontario M5V 2C3
Phone: 416 596 0660 | Fax: 416 596-0345

Email is preferred: michal@torontoenvironment.org
Please state in the email subject line: Volunteer Phone Canvass Position

Volunteer Surveyors of Local Ethnic Produce

Position Type: Volunteer
Number of Positions: 5-7
Location:  Toronto
Duration: November 17 – November 28, 2008
Application Deadline: November 13, 2008

The Toronto Environmental Alliance is seeking Volunteer Surveyors of Local Ethnic Produce.  This is a two week position, which requires volunteers to be available between 11am and 4pm weekdays. 

Greenbelting Toronto - Local Ethnic Food Guides
TEA is developing our fourth local ethnic food guide.  These guides highlight Toronto farmers' markets and food retailers selling Greenbelt-grown food that meets the needs of Toronto's diverse cultural communities.

TEA is seeking volunteers from Middle Eastern community to help with the development of our next guide.

Click here to see the South Asian and Chinese Food Guides

Responsibilities

• Conduct short surveys within grocery stores to determine if they carry local fresh food used in Middle Eastern cooking
• Identify the variety of  cultural produce grown in Ontario

Qualifications

• Familiarity with Middle eastern community
• Excellent communication skills
• Fluency in a language other than English
• Ability to work well both independently and as part of a team
• Interest in, and understanding of environmental, diversity and equity issues
• Must be available between November 17 and November 28, weekdays between 11:00am and 4:00pm

TEA will provide TTC weekly passes to those selected.

Application Procedure
Please submit a brief letter of interest and a resume by November 13, 2008 (preferably sooner) to the attention of:

Asumani Serungendo
Local Food Campaigner, Toronto Environmental Alliance
30 Duncan Street, Suite 20, Toronto, Ontario M5V 2C3
Phone: 416 596 0660 | Fax: 416 596-0345

Email is preferred: tea@torontoenvironment.org
Please state in the email subject line: Volunteer Surveyor Position

We thank all applicants for their interest, but only those selected for an interview will be contacted within 5 days of the application closing date.

Please write a letter to Ministry of Natural Resources and let them know you support Toronto Hydro’s wind measuring device

Toronto Hydro Anemometer Sample Letter:

[Date]

Mark Patterson
Ministry of Natural Resources
50 Bloomington Road West
Aurora ON L4G 3G8
FAX: (905)713-7361

Dear Mr. Patterson,

Re: Proposed Toronto Hydro Lake Ontario Anemometer

I fully support the installation of a wind testing device (anemometer) in Lake Ontario off the eastern shore of Toronto. Having the anemometer in the lake for two years will provide detailed information on lake-based wind energy potential. This is a prudent first step towards the possible installation of offshore windmills.

We need to act quickly to curb global warming and reduce smog.  I believe windmills will play an important role in dealing with these major environmental problems. That’s why Toronto Hydro must have the right to install the anemometer to determine whether the right wind conditions exist in Lake Ontario.

Without this information, Torontonians will lose the opportunity to have a full, informed discussion about the feasibility of offshore windmills.

Sincerely,

[Your Name]
[Your Address]

Map of Retailers that sell fresh South Asian produce and meat, grown on Greenbelt farms and other local farms surrounding Toronto

Explore the map to see what is in your area and click on the markers to see details. Scroll down to see a list of the retailers included in this map.


View Larger Map

List of Retailers that sell fresh South Asian produce and meat, grown on Greenbelt farms and other local farms surrounding Toronto

	Al Quresh Food 1879 Lawrence Ave E Toronto, ON, Canada (416) 288-0330		Sheung Thai Supermarket 2684 Eglinton Ave E Toronto, ON, Canada (416) 269-6070		Overlea Halal Meat 45 Overlea Blvd Toronto, ON, Canada (416) 424-2034
	Arz Fine Food 1909 Lawrence Ave E Toronto, ON, Canada (416) 755-5084		Sheung Thai Supermarket 1255 Markham Rd Toronto, ON, Canada (416) 289-6137		BJ Supermarket 1449 Gerrard St E Toronto, ON, Canada (416) 469-3712
	Batala Supermarket 200 Markham Rd Toronto, ON, Canada (416) 264-311		The Natural Food Depot 2075 Lawrence Ave E Toronto, ON, Canada (416) 640-0234		Cai Yuan Supermarket 359 Broadview Ave Toronto, ON, Canada (416) 465-1886
	Bombay Bazzar 3601 Lawrence Ave E Toronto, ON, Canada (416) 431-6955		Top Food Supermarket 2715 Lawrence Ave E Toronto, ON, Canada (416) 752-3666		Dhanshiri Supermarket 2978 Danforth Ave Toronto, ON, Canada (416) 693-5990
	Bombay Bazzar 2875 Lawrence Ave E Toronto, ON, Canada (416) 264 1614		Yal Market 2499 Eglinton Ave E Toronto, ON, Canada (416) 267-5551		Fresh Express Fine Food 733 Pape Ave Toronto, ON, Canada (416) 461-3991
	Chung Hing Supermarket 17 Milliken Blvd Toronto, ON, Canada (416) 293-0188		Yousaf Halal Meat Supermarket 683 & 685 Markham Rd Toronto, ON, Canada (416) 289-3664		Fu Yao Supermarket 639-643 Gerrard St E Toronto, ON, Canada (416) 778-1920
	Eraa Supermarket 2607 Eglinton Ave E Toronto, ON, Canada (416) 269-2622		Asian Food Centre 10 Westmore Dr at Albion Rd Toronto, ON, Canada (416) 740-3262		Marhaba Supermarket 3018 Danforth Ave Toronto, ON, Canada (416) 755-2933
	Food Depot Supermarket 4466 Brimley Rd Toronto, ON, Canada (416) 321-1038		Caribbean International Food Distributors Inc. 109-127 Westmore Dr Toronto, ON, Canada (647) 430-5320		Sarker Foods 2996 Danforth Ave Toronto, ON, Canada (416) 691-4815
	Food Depot Supermarket 3331 Sheppard Ave E Toronto, ON, Canada (416) 756-1880		Jeet Food and Fashion 6620 Finch Ave W Toronto, ON, Canada (416) 748-5338		The Big Carrot 348 Danforth Ave Toronto, ON, Canada (416) 466-2129
	Fu Yao Supermarket 462 Birchmount Rd Toronto, ON, Canada (416) 690-0081		Krishna's Rice-n-Spice 2291 Kipling Ave, Unit 103 Toronto, ON, Canada (416) 745-3585		Toronto Cash & Carry 1405 Gerrard St E Toronto, ON, Canada (416) 778-8355
	Ghadir Meat Market 1821 Lawrence Ave E Toronto, ON, Canada (416) 750-7404		Sameem Halal Meat & Grocery 5010 Steeles Ave W, Unit 15 Toronto, ON, Canada (416) 740-4655		Trinity Supermarket 287 Gerrard St E Toronto, ON, Canada (416) 462-1288
	Lone Tai Supermarket 2300 Lawrence Ave E Toronto, ON, Canada (416) 285-6686		Asa Meat & West Indian Grocery 2391 Finch Ave W Toronto, ON, Canada (416) 740-3915		Vincenzo Supermarket 2406 Danforth Ave Toronto, ON, Canada (416) 422-3196
	Nasr Food 1996 Lawrence Ave E Toronto, ON, Canada (416) 757-1611		Cactus Exotic Foods 1911 Finch Ave W Toronto, ON, Canada (416) 633-2412		Essence of Life 50 Kensington Ave Toronto, ON, Canada (416) 506-0345
	Royal Kerala Foods 1738 Lawrence Ave E Toronto, ON, Canada (416) 285-6655		Oriental Food Mart 2592 Finch Ave W Toronto, ON, Canada (416) 747-8886		Kensington Fruit Market 34-36 Kensington Ave Toronto, ON, Canada (416) 593-9530
	Rubini East & West Indian Groceries 31 Tapscott Rd, B2 Toronto, ON, Canada (416) 297-5053		Iqbal Halal Foods 2 Thorncliffe Park Dr Toronto, ON, Canada (416) 467-0177		Sanko Trading Co. 730 Queen St W Toronto, ON, Canada (416) 703-4550
	Samah Supermarket 4470 Kingston Rd Toronto, ON, Canada (416) 282-9692		Mecca Halal Meat 25 Overlea Blvd Toronto, ON, Canada (416) 467-7867		Sunwah Fruit Market 229 Augusta Ave Toronto, ON, Canada (416) 979-2813

Everyone deserves to eat fresh, locally grown food and to cook with food that tastes like "home". Cooking with products from our local farmers ensures that you get the healthiest, freshest, best quality food possible, at a good price!

You can't get more local than Ontario's Greenbelt. Just above Toronto, it makes sense that more and more Greenbelt farms are producing South Asian and chinese foods. These maps tells you where you can find these freshly-picked products, and many more, in your neighbourhood grocery stores, your local farmers' market and the Greenbelt farm closest to you.

The more you shop for locally-grown South Asian and Chinese food, the more our local farmers will produce, ensuring you have fresh food that tastes like home for generations to come.

View the Locally-Grown South Asian Food Guide Map online here 

Add the Locally-Grown South Asian Food Map to your Google Maps!

Date:  Wednesday, October 29th
Time:  10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Location:  College Avenue Community Centre, 3325 College Ave., Windsor.

Register now at www.torontoenvironment.org/workshops

Who is this workshop for?

• Active tenants living in apartment buildings
• Neighbourhood and community groups working with or for tenants
• People looking to find new ways to save energy in their apartment building
• Environmental organizations that want to learn about a tenant-led energy conservation model

What can you expect?
This will be a free full-day workshop hosted by the Homeless Coalition of Windsor-Essex County.  The workshop will be run by the Toronto Environmental Alliance (TEA), a Low Income Energy Network steering committee member who has on the ground experience running energy conservation programs for tenants. The workshop lays out the steps to help tenants start a custom-made energy saving program in their own apartment building.

At the workshop, you will:

• Get inspired by real-life examples of how tenants have successfully run their own energy conservation programs.
• Learn step-by-step how you could kick-start your own energy conservation program.
• Collect ideas, advice, tools, and resources to help you along the way.
• Participate in breakout sessions and activities.
• Relate what you’ve been learning to your own neighbourhood.
• Network with fellow tenant advocates and activists.

Why should you attend?

• It’s free and you’ll have a chance to talk with other tenant advocates
• You’ll feel refreshed and motivated to try out some new ways to bring tenants together and take action on an important issue.
• You’ll gain an impressive ‘tool kit’ to kick start energy conservation activities in your neighbourhood
• What you learn at the workshop can be used time and time again to take action on other neighbourhood concerns

Registration
Register quickly and easily by filling out the online form at:  www.torontoenvironment.org/workshops  

Please register by Friday, October 24th, 2008.

There is no registration fee for the conferences and lunch will be provided, but we ask that you register as soon as possible so that we can order the food.

Directions
The College Avenue Community Centre is located at 3325 College Ave.  The workshop will be held in the Gymnasium.

In keeping with the theme of the conference, if feasible, organizers would encourage the use of public transit or car pooling.

For more information (including parking and accommodation in the area) contact:
Coordinator
Low-Income Energy Network (LIEN)
c/o Advocacy Centre for Tenants Ontario (ACTO)
425 Adelaide St. West, 5th floor
Toronto, ON  M5V 3C1
Tel: 416-597-5855 ext. 5167
Toll-free: 1-866-245-4182 ext. 5167
Fax: 416-597-5821
Email: bhanjiz@lao.on.ca
Website: www.lowincomeenergy.ca

Where:  Ellwood Hall, Jim Durrell Complex, 1265 Walkley Rd., Ottawa
Date:  Thursday, October 9th, 2008
Time: 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM

Register now at www.torontoenvironment.org/workshops

Who is this workshop for?

• Active tenants living in apartment buildings
• Neighbourhood and community groups working with or for tenants
• People looking to find new ways to save energy in their apartment building
• Environmental organizations that want to learn about a tenant-led energy conservation model

What can you expect?

This will be a free full-day workshop run by the Toronto Environmental
Alliance (TEA), a Low Income Energy Network steering committee member,
and hosted by the Nepean Rideau Osgoode Community Resource Centre
(NROCRC). The workshop lays out the steps to help tenants start a
custom-made energy saving program in their own apartment building.

At the workshop, you will:

• Get inspired by real-life examples of how tenants have successfully run their own energy conservation programs.
• Learn step-by-step how you could kick-start your own energy conservation program.
• Collect ideas, advice, tools, and resources to help you along the way.
• Participate in breakout sessions and activities.
• Relate what you’ve been learning to your own neighbourhood.
• Network with fellow tenant advocates and activists.

Why should you attend?

• It’s free and you’ll have a chance to talk with other tenant advocates
• You’ll feel refreshed and motivated to try out some new ways to bring tenants together and take action on an important issue.
• You’ll gain an impressive ‘tool kit’ to kick start energy conservation activities in your neighbourhood
• What you learn at the workshop can be used time and time again to take action on other neighbourhood concerns

Registration
Register quickly and easily by filling out the online form at:  www.torontoenvironment.org/workshops 

Please register by Monday, October 6th, 2008.

There is no registration fee for the conferences and lunch will be provided, but we ask that you register as soon as possible so that we can order the food.

Directions
The Jim Durrell Complex is located at 1265 Walkley Road.  The nearest major intersection is Bank Street and Walkley Road.  The workshop will be held in Ellwood Hall, which is located on the main floor.

In keeping with the theme of the conference, if feasible, organizers would encourage the use of public transit or car pooling. There is free parking available and there are a number of bus transit routes that stop at this location.  Please visit the OC Transpo website for more information.

For more information (including parking and accommodation in the area) contact:
Coordinator
Low-Income Energy Network (LIEN)
c/o Advocacy Centre for Tenants Ontario (ACTO)
425 Adelaide St. West, 5th floor
Toronto, ON  M5V 3C1
Tel: 416-597-5855 ext. 5167
Toll-free: 1-866-245-4182 ext. 5167
Fax: 416-597-5821
Email: bhanjiz@lao.on.ca
Website: www.lowincomeenergy.ca

Then, we want to hear from you. Send us a short, “first person” testimonial (200 words maximum). Your name can be kept anonymous if requested.

This booklet of personal experiences will be distributed to City Councillors in November.

We are weeks away from the vote – let’s put real faces and real people to this issue to ensure our Councillors make the right choice for our health and the environment.

Please share with us.

Send stories to Lina Cino, Toxics Campaigner lina@torontoenvironment.org, 416-596-0660.

Or simply filly in the form below!

On October 30th City Council unanimously adopted a local food procurement policy and implementation plan. Council adopted TEA’s suggested amendment and agreed to develop a plan to achieve an aggressive 50% local food purchasing target as soon as possible!  This means it is now the policy of the City to progressively increase the percentage of local food it buys for its daycares, shelters and seniors’ homes.

This is a huge step forward for the environment, for the Greenbelt and for Ontario’s farmers. This victory would not have been possible without the clear message sent by more than 2,000 Torontonians who signed our petition and postcards telling Councillors to Avoid Jet-Lagged Food and Buy Local First! Thanks to all of you for help with this important victory!

Here’s why this policy matters:

1. Local food doesn’t travel nearly as far as imports which dramatically reduce greenhouse gas and smog emissions from transportation.

2. Local food is fresher and tastes better because it’s harvested when it’s ripe rather than when it needs to be shipped.

3. Buying local food supports our farming neighbours; providing a market for their products helps the regional economy by keeping our dollars at home.

4. Strong local farms help preserve precious agricultural land in the Greenbelt and surrounding areas which we will increasingly rely on as the global food crisis deepens.

5. It will fulfill a key commitment made in the City’s unanimously adopted smog and climate change plan.

Such a simple action has so many benefits. In contrast, not buying local harms us by increasing our vulnerabity to: global warming, high energy costs, and heightened food insecurity as farmers in southern Ontario sell their land because they can’t make a living.

Check out what TEA and Torontonians did to ensure this policy was adopted and with an aggressive 50% local food purchasing target.