100 in 1 Day Toronto

What if hundreds of people united, each taking one small action to improve their city, all on the same day? Join us June 6, 2015 to find out!

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Health in the City

Yoga, cycling, nutrition, basketball....all some of the things you can do at this year’s 100 in 1 Day Toronto on June 6th.  So get out there and get active with some of these awesome intervention ideas.

YOGA IN CHRISTIE PITS PARK - BREATHE IN STRESS, BREATHE OUT COMPASSION by Dogs of the Ganges Society

9:30 am to 1:30 pm on Saturday June 6th 2015

Dogs of the Ganges Society will be hosting free yoga classes at Christie Pits Park on June 6th.  Three sessions will be held:

9:30 - 10:30 / Instructor: Jessica Waters

11:00 - 12:00 / Instructor: Jessica Waters

12:30 - 1:30 / Instructor: Krista Marie Starr

Through yoga we're opening our hearts to compassion for all beings. Join us in inspiring compassion and celebrating our animal friends!  Friendly and calm dogs are welcome.  

A volunteer/sign at the south-east entrance of the park (Bloor W @ Christie) will point you to where we'll be in the park.

Dogs of the Ganges Society is a volunteer-run, Toronto-based not-for-profit organization dedicated to reducing the suffering of street dogs in India through education, outreach and first aid. 

These materials will be part of my intervention: Pop up canopy tent, water bowls and treats for dogs

It would be great if participants can bring with them: Yoga mat, water, friends!

HOME SOUP by Jodi Lastman

10:00 am to 2:00 pm on Saturday June 6th 2015

How do you capture the many flavours of Toronto? Make Home Soup. This urban intervention will encourage members of the public to randomly select an Ontario grown vegetable (which we'll supply) to include in a huge pot of stock. Each member of the public will also be provided a cup of stock--or Home Soup because it was created by folks who call Toronto Home. Each participant will also receive a card about the Ontario vegetable they included in the soup.These materials will be part of my intervention:

We will supply gas outdoor stove, pot, vegetables. Cups & spoons would be a great contribution to the activity.

It would be great if participants can bring with them: Bring a reusable cup and spoon!

FLOWERS FOR CURES by Lorelei Silverman and Dr. Rosalind Silverman

10:00 am to 4:00 pm on Saturday June 6th 2015

-  Students created brochures about  various disease and researched data on the diseases, flower symbol, prevention, causes, treatment, research in the field, conferences , pharma companies related to the diseases.

-  Planting of flowers in visible spaces, dissemination of seeds.

-  Education, awareness, dissemination of medical information via Facebook, Linkedin, blogs, and twitter in an international worldwide initiative; Flowers for Disease campaign.

-  Team leaders for the Flowers for Cures campaign will increase awareness, hope and fundraising for support of research and care in a specific disease

-  Talks given in GTA

-  Pictures of flowers sent in social media

These materials will be part of my intervention: seeds, gardening tools, plants, flowers, brochures.

It would be great if participants can bring with them: gardening tools

BELLS ON DANFORTH by East End Cyclists

10:30 am to 12:30 pm on Saturday June 6th 2015

The east end's annual family-friendly celebration of cycling is back for a fourth edition! Join us on Saturday, June 6, 2015 for a pedal-powered parade to celebrate cycling.

We're turning things around this year! Join us at Prince Edward Viaduct Parkette (across from Castle Frank station) starting at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, June 6 (the ride leaves the park at 11:00 a.m.). We'll be ringing our bells and riding east along The Danforth all the way to Danforth Road. Experience our neighbourhood's main street like you've never seen it before! Check out our website at bellsondanforth.ca for more information.

It would be great if participants can bring with them: all of the friends and family you can find, all of the bikes you can ride, and all of the bells you can ring.

BUILD IT UP BASKETBALL by Jason Tang

11:00 am to 5:00 pm on Saturday June 6th 2015

Build It Up Basketball is an event aimed at encouraging community members (18 years and older) to come together for a day over a few games of semi-drop-in basketball.

Participants will also have an opportunity to help teach the sport to those new to the game of basketball and provide tips throughout the day.

The main objectives of this intervention are:

-  to motivate everyone to use city basketball courts more often

-  get people to open up & connect with one another

-  get participants to challenge & build each other up, so that they can become better people.

These materials will be part of my intervention: Basketballs, Pylons/spot markers, team sign-up sheets, sidewalk chalk/pens/markers, benches/chairs, water bottles, and a scoreboard

It would be great if participants can bring with them: Basketballs, white & non-white shirts (to help distinguish teammates), water bottles, sunblock, and a good attitude :)!

CHILDREN MASSAGE PARENTS by Tanya Pillay

2:00 pm to 3:00 pm on Saturday June 6th 2015

I will be teaching children aged 7-17 how to use their body weight to massage family and friends without getting tired. Key components are body weight/gravity and learning communication skills to ensure that all parties feel comfortable. I hope that participants leave feeling motivated to give and receive touch in empowering, compassionate ways.

These materials will be part of my intervention: I will bring a stool, spare blanket, spare yoga mat, and a 1-page, double-sided handout listing the basic techniques.

It would be great if participants can bring with them: 2 yoga mats or 1 blanket personal drinking water personal sun protection comfortable clothing with no sharp parts or thick seams no wrist/arm/neck jewelry Each parent-child pair will need 1-2 yoga mats or a large blanket. Ideally you will have a surface area that is about the size of a double bed. Please bring your own water to drink as well.

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Nature in the City

Following on our profiles of some of this year’s interventions, today’s theme is NATURE...and it seems to be something Toronto is ALL OVER!!!  There are so many great intervention ideas related to parks, the environment, animals, so it’s going to be a fantastic day to get outside and appreciate what this great city has to offer.

Here’s just a few interventions to check out on June 6th.

WTRAILPATH/GOT MILKWEED? PLANTING DAY by David Suzuki Foundation/Homegrown National Park Project

9:00 am to 3:00 pm on Saturday June 6th 2015

All are welcome to celebrate the West Toronto Railpath Park, learn about the diverse plants that grow along the path and to plant milkweed- the main food source of the Monarch butterfly in association with the David Suzuki Foundation/Homegrown National Park Project 'Got Milkweed' Campaign. All we need are your hands to plant milkweed in a pre-chosen site near the Ernest  Ave. Railpath access. Explore the entire phase 1 stage of this unique linear park and learn more about the plans for the phase 2 Railpath extension.

These materials will be part of my intervention: Plants

It would be great if participants can bring with them: Gloves

RAIN GARDENS OF DANFORTH EAST VILLAGE-EAST YORK by Marc Yamaguchi, Aidan Nolan, Alex Rochon-Terry, Alexander Garcia Muradov, Kara Garcia, and Ting Wang

9:00 am to 12:00 pm on Saturday June 6th 2015

A rain garden installation demonstration will be conducted from the front lot of my house on Saturday, June 6, 2015.  A contingent of Homegrown National park Rangers will lay down perimeter of pollinator friendly native plans as well as apply the river rock that leads to the downsprout disconnect.  A master gardener will be on hand to explain the process and benefits of this intervention all the while a videographer will film the event.  The edited version will be uploaded for free access to DIY rain garden replication.

These materials will be part of my intervention: mature native plants, river rock, bio-retention mix (soil), planting tools, local business donations (beverage couples, fruit baskets, nut free ice-pops), OnlCall brochures, HNPR signage and buttons, TRCA handouts, hand-sanitizer, etc.

It would be great if participants can bring with them: Sunblock lotion/ weather appropriate clothing, cameras, notepads and/ or memo device, and questions! (guests will largely be spectators encouraged to interact with Rangers and the MG so they may learn what most interests them)

DESIGNING THE PANORAMA COMMUNITY GARDEN by Tania Fernandes, Eleanor Jimenez, and Jim Graham

10:00 am to 4:00 pm on Saturday June 6th 2015

We are re-designing the Panorama Community Garden to include 60 new plots for area residents, a Children's Garden area, raised beds and pollinator sections.

We are hoping to create a new green space for residents and the community-at-large to enjoy!

These materials will be part of my intervention:Lumber, soil, plants, mulch, pots.It would be great if participants can bring with them:Garden tools and Energy!!!

ASK NOT WHAT YOUR URBAN FORST CAN DO FOR YOU by Cabbagetown ReLEAF, James Steenberg, and Rui Felix

12:00 pm to 2:00 pm on Saturday June 6th 2015

While the urban forest has received a rise in popularity and there is a greater awareness of the benefits it provides us all, the urban forest remains incredibly vulnerable and will likely suffer if left on it’s own.  Varying approaches to management are required, including citizen and community engagement. Join us in exploring the wide spectrum of the urban forest, as we wind through some of Cabbagetown’s quiet residential streets and parks, through Riverdale Farm and the Toronto Necropolis and along the edge of the Lower Don Valley.   As we discuss the different challenges the urban forest faces, we will also highlight its beauty and complexity.  We will point out various ways to get involved in the management of this resource, and provide the opportunity to sign up for the programs discussed.  From backyard to ravine there is a role for all of us to play.   With the tremendous diversity of trees and the mature urban canopy of the Cabbagetown neighbourhood this tour promises to be an informative and entertaining walk.

These materials will be part of my intervention: Trees, lots of great wonderful trees!

It would be great if participants can bring with them: Comfortable walking gear, camera, questions and a general enthusiasm for our urban forest.

We’re still getting new interventions rolling in daily, so make sure to check back to 100 in 1 Day Toronto to see all the fun things happening on June 6th!

[100in1dayto]

Creativity in the City

We’re 75% there, Toronto!!  With less than 2 weeks until June 6th, we thought we’d highlight some of this years interventions based on some favourite themes, starting with CREATIVITY :)

We know Toronto is full of creative people and these interventions are dying to have you come out and share that artistic spirit!

GIVE-TAKE-AND-MAKE ART GALLERY IN THE PARK by Connie Tsang

11:00 am to 4:00 pm on Saturday June 6th 2015

Art gallery comes to the public space, where anyone in the community can bring, take, or create 2D-art to display in our pop-up interactive exhibit in the park.

It would be great if participants can bring with them: signed, existing art of your own that you don't mind giving away -- photographs, paintings, or even doodles.

Bring additional art supplies if you'd like to create something on the spot -- limited supplies will be also available on site.

ARCHITECTURE DAY by Maha Munaf: 

10:00 am to 2:00 pm on Saturday June 6th 2015

Bring people together & inspire the community about the importance of Architecture. Get both kids & adults alike a chance to design & build their dream home & dream up their ideal city in a fun & engaging atmosphere using our favorite building blocks like Lego & recycled materials.

These materials will be part of my intervention: Lego, building blocks, recycled material

NORTHVIEW GARDEN’S “POLLINATION STATION” by North York Arts:

10:30 am to 12:30 pm on Saturday June 6th 2015

Parents and children,  join us in outdoor activities like craft-making and "find the pollinator" in the Northview Garden's "Pollination Station" as we learn about the need for garden pollinators, such as bees and butterflies, in green spaces! This event is offered by Unison Health and Community Service’s Northview Garden, in partnership with North York Arts and DiscoverAbility.

These materials will be part of my intervention: felt finger puppets stickers glue basic gardening supplies educational material on bees and butterflies and how to help

FANTASTIC FERAL BENCHES by Josh Allen:

11:00 am to 12:00 pm on Saturday June 6th 2015

There are not enough places to people-watch for free. This open source idea is for all - join in by making your own fantastic painted  bench or picnic table. Release it into the wild (ie. a neglected space). Enjoy using it, watching people, or watching people use it!

These materials will be part of my intervention: 1) Picnic table. You can get picnic table kits, for example: http://www.rona.ca/en/picnic-table-p0237004 http://www.homedepot.ca/product/picnic-table/862470 2) Primer. 3) Exterior Paint. 4) Friends/Neighbours. Each can take a section and paint a design. 5) Let it dry overnight. 6) Put it together and release it to the wild!

It would be great if participants can bring with them: Encouraging you to make your own :)

PORTRAITS BY KIDS by the Parent Council of Givins Shaw Public School

11:00 am to 6:00 pm on Saturday June 6th 2015

Get your portrait drawn or painted by amazing artists, all under 12! You may get it done by the next Picasso, so hold on to it afterwards! Organized by the Parent council of Givins Shaw Public School as part of the East Kids Zone at Dundas West Fest on June 6, 2015.

These materials will be part of my intervention: Tent, chairs, table, paint, colouring pencils, Paper

COLLAGE PARTY:

11:00 am to 6:00 pm on Saturday June 6th 2015

Toronto's beloved print antiquarian shop Monkey's Paw digs deep into its dusty basement and brings up into the fresh air stacks of unique, vintage print magazines and other materials, sets them out on a table full of glue and scissors and let's you go crazy!

These materials will be part of my intervention: print materials, glue, scissors., table.

This is only a sample, so make sure to check out the full intervention page to plan your arts and crafts day on June 6th!!

[100in1dayto]

Would you like $10,000 to improve Toronto?

Then now’s your chance!  But you need to act quickly, as they deadline is coming up quick on Monday May 25th at 10 pm.  Check out 100 in 1 Day for more information and the application form. The Award is open to organizations, non-profits and charitable groups that are registered participants in 100 in 1 Day Toronto 2015.

For some inspiration, here are the 100 in 1 Day Toronto Interventions that won last year’s awards.

Black Creek Community Farm - Grow your Medicine

Black Creek Community Farm is Toronto’s largest urban farm (located on Jane Street, just south of Steeles). It opened in spring of 2013, and has built partnerships with 10 Toronto-based organizations to work on the farm and deliver programming in the neighbourhood, such as Everdale, Afri-Can Food Basket, York University Environmental Studies Program, Jane and Finch Community and Family Centre.

The People’s Queen Street

The People’s Queen Street is a collaborative project started by two small socially-engaged groups working out of the Centre for Social Innovation. The goal of the project is to improve Queen Street, and make it a more holistic public space, and active transportation, public transit, and cycling corridor.

The STEPS Initiative - Pop-Up ARTivations

The STEPS (Sustainable Thinking and Expression on Public Space) Initiative is a grassroots collective that, since 2009, has been working with Torontonians to creatively transform public spaces in their communities. Led by young artists, the group provides a platform for citizens to lead initiatives that validate their personal experiences, their community’s cultures and histories, and their concern for environmental issues, all while transforming their local environment.

(All photos from Toronto Foundation)

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Get inspired at a 100 in 1 Day Workshop!

The lead up to 100 in 1 Day on June 6th is in full swing, and to help everyone get inspired and motivated, we have plenty of workshops to take part in!  Not sure what happens in these workshops, or why they’re useful?  Well, here’s the behind the scenes of last night’s workshop at MaRS Discovery District!

To get the ball rolling, and get everyone comfortable, we started off with a quick meet and greet, giving participants the chance to introduce themselves and talk about some of their ideas for 100 in 1 Day. Then, dividing into smaller groups of 4-5, we shared what we loved about Toronto, what we thought the city is missing and what our hopes and dreams were for its transformation.

We then get into the fun bit, as everyone shares their ideas in the smaller groups, and provide feedback and support to the other members.  It’s always an enlivening and inspiring discussion, with a huge range of possible interventions on the table. 1oo in 1 Day workshop facilitators assist in fleshing out ideas, and brainstorming logistics for turning them into action.  We talk about locations, materials, scale, audience, outreach and more.

Whether you have an intervention idea, or are still brainstorming, the workshops are a great opportunity to share your thoughts on transforming Toronto for the better, hear about other people’s experiences, and meet others hoping to make our city a better place to live! So, sign up for a workshop and spend a little time thinking about what small action you’d take to make a BIG change!!!

Our next workshops are:

Thursday April 9th at Black Creek Library 

Wednesday April 15th at CSI, Regent Park

Thursday April 16th at Mount Dennis Library

Words & Photo credit: Nicky Bruun-Meyer

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What’s 100 in 1 Day all about?

Still unsure of what 100 in 1 Day is all about or what an urban intervention might look like? Check out this amazing little video to find out more.

Capturing a slice of the fun, city-wide events that took place last year, this is your chance to hear more about the impact these small changes can have in transforming this great city of ours!

So, what would you change?

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Hey Toronto, it’s submission time!

Get those creative juices flowing and start submitting your 100 in 1 Day intervention ideas.  We want to hear about all those amazing community, environmental, social, playful, and educational ways you want to improve our city.

To get started, create an account and start telling us about your idea.  You can save and edit your form before you submit and have until June 1st at 10:00 pm.

If you’re needing guidance, some teammates, or just want to brainstorm ideas, sign up for one of our fun and interactive workshops.

To get you inspired, here are some great urban intervention ideas from around the globe:

Neighbourhood Remarks: an interactive way for citizens to communicate their frustrations, delights, and nostalgia for their communities.

(Photo: Njoki Gitahi)

The Dance-O-Mat: a playful way to bring people together and revitalise underused parts of the city (a project by Gap Filler).

(Video: Jacob Stanley)

Bench Bombing: shows that improving our public spaces can be as easy as providing a place to rest our weary feet (a project by Public Workshop).

(Photo: Public Workshop)

Delirious Frites: a fun, interactive way to brighten up a dark alley in Quebec City (project by Les Astronautes).

(Photo: Robin Dupuis)

Good luck and we can’t wait to see what everyone comes up with for June 6th!

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100In1Day Toronto generated amazing ideas in 2014. If you missed it, there were actually 174 urban interventions that took place across the city. We can’t wait to see what will go down on June 7, 2015!

We want to help YOU realize your idea for an urban intervention - whether it will take place curb side or city wide. 

We have a series of open workshops coming up and we welcome you to join the fun. Check HERE to find one near you or email us at [email protected] to let us know how you want to participate.

Photo credits: Aurelia Dalinda, Sammy Tangir, topaddler

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Interested in participating in 100In1Day and thinking... what kind of awesome interventions can we do in Toronto? Well, The Street Plans Collaborative has some great ideas they have put together under the banner of "Tactical Urbanism," an approach that features the following 5 characteristics:

A deliberate, phased approach to instigating change;

The offering of local solutions for local planning challenges;

Short-term commitment and realistic expectations;

Low-risks, with a possibly a high reward; and

The development of social capital between citizens and the building of organizational capacity between public-private institutions, non-profits, and their constituents.

The Tactical Urbanism project is an ongoing body of work that aims to document and share tactics from around the world. 

We recommend checking out the link to see what other people are doing to improve their communities, as well as engage strangers and neighbours. We hope you see an opportunity to apply or reimagine one of the ideas for 100In1Day Toronto.

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The Countdown Is On!

Mark your calendar! 100In1Day is returning to Toronto on Saturday June 6th.

The first round of volunteers have come together, workshop dates are filling the calendar, conversations across the city and social media are brewing, and citizens are bringing forward their ideas for urban interventions. We want to hear yours!

100In1Day is a city wide and citizen led initiative. We know there are great ideas out there and we hope you are ready to help ideate, collaborate, and co-create interventions that can come to life on Saturday June 6th. What dreams do you have for your community?

Looking at how 100In1Day has evolved in other cities – from Bogota to Santiago – it is clear that these interventions have the potential to increase engagement around urban and social issues, inspire ideas, and motivate leaders to consider new approaches to old problems. Participating is also a lot of FUN!

Interventions can be small or sophisticated – whether you want to say hello and high five people in your neighbourhood or coordinate a flashmob at Yonge and Dundas Square. The 100In1Day event will be a unique opportunity for us to connect with neighbours and strangers alike – in a lobby, on a street, in a park, on the TTC or wherever you want to gather.

Eager to Engage?

Do you belong to a club, group, network, or organization that you think might be interested in supporting an intervention in your community? We want to hear from you!

Email [email protected]

Attend a workshop to develop your own idea or help someone else turn their idea into an intervention

March 18 from 6:00pm - 8:00pm at MaRS Discovery District - 101 College St.: REGISTER NOW

March 25 from 6:00pm - 8:00pm at Evergreen Brick Works - 550 Bayview Ave.: REGISTER NOW

March 31 from 6:00pm - 8:00pm at Bloor Gladstone Library - 1101 Bloor St. W. : REGISTER NOW

April 7 from 6:00pm - 8:00pm at York Woods Library, 1785 Finch Ave. W. : REGISTER NOW

Find more HERE

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter at @100In1dayTO or #100In1Day to see the conversations and Instagram @100In1dayTO

Let’s turn our ideas into action on Saturday June 6th.

author: Shauna Trainor