TreeMobile, a volunteer fruit-planting service started by Upper Beach resident Virginie Gysel, is offering grants to community groups for free trees and shrubs. For details on the Edible Community Garden Grant, visit transitiontreemobile.org.
On Valentine’s Day, members of the East End Community Health Centre will lead a fun, food-loving trip to the Loblaw grocery store at Victoria Park and Gerrard. Free for families with children ages 8 to 12, the workshop will explore healthy eating habits. For more info, or to register, phone Olivia at 416-778-5805 ext. 208.
Line Six, a crowdfunded commuter bus service that ran a trial in Liberty Village last fall, has suspended operations after lawyers suggested it could break city transit rules. Before the suspension, a Beach express bus had been at the top of a crowd-sourced list of route suggestions on the Line Six website.
A bid to legalize the Squeeky Queen laundromat on Willow Avenue was rejected by a city planning committee on Jan. 28. Located at the rear of the Life on Queen apartment building at 2401 Queen St. E., the laundry’s public entrance violated a zoning bylaw prohibiting businesses from opening onto Willow. Life on Queen announced the closure of the laundry on Feb. 10.
Community Centre 55 is offering a series of Kidsproof Safety workshops for children aged five to 12 years old. The workshops, with instruction by Samantha Wilson, author of Safe Kids Safe Families, offer non-threatening, entertaining and memorable lessons that teach children skills for making safe choices. Topics include Never Bee Lost, Cybersafe, Stranger Smarts and Home Alone. Course fees start at $20. To register, contact Lainey Anderson at 416-691-1113 or lainey@centre55.com.
Beach poet Kateri Lanthier will join several other writers in a chocolate-infused poetry reading this Valentine’s Day. All the poets had works featured in Tightrope Books’ anthology, Best Canadian Poetry in English, 2014. The reading will begin at 2 p.m. in Ben McNally Books, located at 366 Bay Street.
The Beach Village BIA is hosting its eighth annual Family Sunday in the Beach, from noon to 4 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 15. Kew Gardens will host a lumberjack show and more. The Glisse on Ice show will take place in Kew Gardens, Ivan Forrest Gardens, at Queen and Elmer, and at Queen and Wineva. Ice sculptures will be spaced along the Queen Street strip. Ivan Forrest Gardens will host ice sculptures, a police car, and a fire truck. A vintage trolley will help families take in the fun along the length of the Beach Village, with free rides at all TTC stops from Lockwood Road to Neville Park Boulevard. For more details and the full schedule see thebeachvillage.com.
The East Toronto Neighbourhood Association, a newly-formed residents’ group in the Main and Gerrard Streets community, is celebrating Family Day, Monday, Feb. 16, with a couple of events. Beach Metro News history columnist Gene Domagala will lead a historical walk starting at the Main Street Library at noon. Walkers will stroll along residential streets and visit the commercial corner of Main and Gerrard, once the thriving Village of East Toronto. A skating party at Norwood Park will follow, beginning at 2 p.m. Hot chocolate and cookies are part of the fun. For all the details on the Family Day fun, visit east-toronto.ca.
Stargazers of all ages will want to attend Gerrard Ashdale Library’s Star Party on Tuesday, Feb. 17. University of Toronto professor Michael Reid will guide the way around the winter sky. If skies are clear, the party will move outdoors to see Jupiter and its moons. The event runs from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at 1432 Gerrard St. E. For more information call the library at 416-393-7717.
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