Barbara Frum District Blog

Let's talk about our city and its key players

Better yet, come listen to Ed Keenan talk about the city and its key players. Ed Keenan is an eight-time National Magazine Award finalist and the Senior Editor of Toronto's weekly paper, The Grid.  As part of the Eh List Author's Series, Barbara Frum branch is excited to present:

 

Ed Keenan

"Some Great Idea"

Thursday, May 30, 2013

7:00 - 8:15 p.m.

3rd Floor Auditorium

 

Ed Keenan's book Some great idea: good neighbourhoods, crazy politics and the invention of Toronto is available through the Toronto Public library website, and also available for download in ebook format.  You can also read a review of his book from the National Post here.

In his critical examination of the 'Mega-city' and its key players, Keenan asks, among other questions: "Is a city bigger than its mayor?" Come out and join the conversation!                                             

Gardening Mastery

                                               
    

Join us at the Barbara Frum Branch

on Thursday, May 16th from 2:00-4:00 p.m.

for our Balcony and Terrace Gardening program,

presented by the Toronto Master Gardeners.

All are welcome, please call 416-395-5440 to register. 

 

Join us for a discussion of the importance and challenge of city gardens.  Presented by the Toronto Master Gardeners, topics will include repairing containers, maintenance issues and different types of containers.

Learn how to select plants such as annuals, perennials, herbs, bulbs, climbers, shrubs, trees, and roses.

 

  

What's greener than a Green Book Sale?

In honour of Earth Day, come out the Green Book Sale at Barbara Frum Branch on Thursday, April 18, 2013, from 2:00-4:00 p.m.  There will be LOTS of books and other library materials for sale at a reduced cost.  This is a great way to Reduce, Reuse and Recycle!

Also, if you have any trinkets lying around at home that you no longer want, bring it in on the day of the book sale and exchange it for something else.  After all, one person’s trash can be another person’s treasure!  Feel free to leave something behind as long as you take something else home.

Mark it in your calendar!  That’s the Green Book Sale, Thursday, April 18, 2013, from 2:00-4:00 p.m. at Barbara Frum Branch.

 

When it comes to making your life greener and your environment more eco-friendly, the possibilities are endless.  Every day can be Earth Day with a few simple changes to our habits and practices.  The TPL catalogue has many resources to help you get started.  Check out some of these titles:

 

Remake it clothes: the essential guide to resourceful fashion: with over 500 tricks, tips and inspirational designs by Henrietta Thompson, 2012

1000 ideas for creative reuse: remake, restyle, recycle, renew, by Garth Johnson.

Delicious gifts: edible creations to make and give, by Jess McCloskey

Composting inside and out: to fit your space and lifestyle, by Stephanie Davies

Junk genius: stylish ways to repurpose everyday objects, with over 80 projects and ideas, by Juliette Goggin

Gardening by cuisine: an organic-food lover's guide to sustainable living, by Patti Moreno  

 

We can all help to make the world a greener, cleaner place.  This Earth Day, how will you celebrate?

Kids Have Stress Too!

Did you know that children can suffer from stress just like adults?  We all complain of having too much stress in our lives, but we often don’t even consider the stress in our children's lives.  School and social situations can sometimes be overwhelming for children, and it is important for them to learn techniques to cope with stress.  Stress can affect a child's ability to learn, be happy, and can even negatively impact their health.  If you are interested in learning more, Barbara Frum Branch will be hosting a program entitled Kids Have Stress Too!, for parents who have children ages 4-9 years old, on Tuesday April 16. Facilitated by a Toronto Public Health Nurse, this program will cover what is "stress" for your children, how stress affects your children, and how to help your children cope with stress.  Please call 416-395-5440 to register.

For more information on kids and stress, check out some of the Toronto Public Library resources below:

       

Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot... and Dolly Beil

   Jewish people here in Toronto and all over the world are now in the midst of three very important holidays.  The first is Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, the first of the High Holy Days.  This two day celebration is believed to be the anniversary of the creation of Adam and Eve,  the first man and woman, and their first actions toward the realization of mankind’s role in God’s world*   This year, this was from sunset on September 16 to nightfall on September 18.

    This holiday is followed by Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, the holiest day of the year for Jewish people.  This holy day is traditionally observed with a 25-hour period of fasting and intensive prayer.  This year, it is from sunset September 25 to nightfall on September 26*

    From October 1 through 8, Jewish people will celebrate the holiday of Sukkot, the Feast of Tabernacles.  It is a biblically mandated festival on which Hebrews were commanded to make a pilgrimage to the Temple in Jerusalem.  "Sukkot" is the plural of "sukkah," referring to the fragile dwellings the Israelites used during their 40 years of travel in the desert after fleeing from Egypt.*

     In Toronto, we should all be familiar with the sight of Jewish people walking to or from their local synagogues during these days.

     But what might it have been like to have grown up in another country?  The Barbara Frum Library is very pleased to be able to present Dolly Beil, author of

“Growing up Jewish in China” on Tuesday October 2, at 7 pm.   Dolly was born in 1927 and  grew up in Tsingtao, Mukden, Harbin and Tientsin. “ She and her family lived through the Japanese occupation of China, liberation by Americans at the end of World War II, civil war between Nationalist and Communist forces, and the flight of foreign nationals from an increasingly closed society.”  **   We expect her evening with us to be full of fascinating and entertaining stories, and urge people to preregister for this event.

     Dolly and her family were among many Jewish people who lived and continue to live in China.  Here are some other suggestions for reading on this topic:

 

  


* source: Wikipedia

** source: amazon.com

 

Beating the winter blahs

Living in a city like Toronto, it would be difficult to run out of things to do, and the library has free publications available to let you know what’s happening around the City.

For children, there are great resources like “City Parent” and “The Little Paper”.   Each issue of “City Parent” lists many activities and has a section called “On the bookshelf” which features some new children’s books.  “The Little Paper” lists family friendly events and activities, outdoor activities, programs for kids, and parenting resources.

But it’s not all about kids – there’s a publication for adults, and  older adults:

 “FYI: Forever Young Information”. 

And for people of all ages, check out “What’s On” – the library publication listing programs and events at Toronto Public Library.   Find out about our Black History Month programs, Valentine’s Day programs, and  March Break programs (it’s not that far away!), author talks, book clubs, and so many more options!

For those of you ready to take a break from your New Year’s Resolution diets, remember that Winterlicious is coming up January 27 to February 9.

So, turn those Blahs into Yahs! this winter.

 

Developing Humanity through Philanthropic Donations

By now, most of us agree that human evolution is real and that change is inevitable.  What most of us may disagree about is how or by what means evolution takes place.  This is outside the purview of this article, but what is important is the question about the ways in which humanity can develop.

Here is another reality check – our livelihood is very much affected by the economy of things whether we like it or not.  For this reason, some of the wealthiest people on earth have donated millions and in some cases billions of dollars to fund programs or projects that have a special humanitarian impact.


George Soros, one of the world’s leading economic thinkers, has donated around $8 billion dollars in his life time.  His life-time accomplishments are astounding; first helping overcome communism in central Europe, later helping to eradicate ‘blood diamonds’ in troubled African societies, helping build communities in the roughest areas in Haiti and much more (order The Philanthropy of George Soros for more).  Amazingly, there are other business magnates that have donated even more than Soros including the prominent Bill Gates (Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation).  The foundation has raised a staggering $31 Billion USD. 

On the local scale and much closer to home, business magnates also support their local communities.  Although these philanthropic donations do not have global humanitarian influence, they still create a positive impact on our local communities.

What actually inspired me to write this article is the generous donation from Murray Frum and the Frum Family of $100,000 CAD issued to the Toronto Public Library Foundation for interior improvements of the Barbara Frum Library. The in-kind gift will help the library respond to the growing needs of the community. Some features that will be phased in during the next four years include two new service zones for early literacy and computer learning. 

Preparing children for reading and writing before they enter school is indeed an important part of human evolution.  Experts say the first three tender years of a child’s life sets the stage for future learning – literacy begins day one.  Providing people with information technology and teaching those that are not familiar with it, is increasingly important.  Government, business and cultural information is found extensively online and even TPL continues to augment online collections. It’s becoming necessary to effectively navigate the online-electronic landscape, and we’re excited about equipping the library with an improved facility to do so.

A special thanks to The Frum Family for their generous donation in supporting local human development!

 

Bringing Communities Together

Consider the classic tale, Across the Alley, written by award winning author Richard Michelson.  It’s a story about two boys – one Jewish, one African-American - living next door to each other.  Behind closed doors, the boys exchange talents and become interested in activities that don’t typify each race.  Through support from their families, the boys are able to continue their newfound talents and overcome barriers between both communities.

The significance of this narrative brings me to this question: how important is social cohesion to a functional society?  I’m sure we all agree that it is an essential ingredient although this is not to suggest that everyone must think, act and live uniformly – it is a simple suggestion that socializing with the ‘other’ and recognizing commonalities creates a healthy society for all.

Toronto is the world’s cosmopolitan capital: difference exists here in every way thinkable.   With all the great progress this city has made to overcome these differences, social bridges that connect different groups still need to be made.  Everyone living, working, schooling or playing in Toronto’s diverse communities should feel a sense of belonging – an almost indescribable feeling that “yes, I am part of something.”

I am absolutely sure that all of us want that something to be the best that it possibly can.  Sure, it doesn’t happen overnight, but if efforts were made from all angles, change is possible.

So how can you get involved?

There are some wonderful community events and fairs organized by the Lawrence Heights Inter-Organization Network, LHION for short.  There are so many ways to participate – as a resident, community agency or business.  

Sunday October 23, from 1-5 PM – LHION, The Neptune Renewal Group, the City of Toronto, and Toronto Community Housing are organizing the One Community Festival - an ingenious event bringing together the communities of Lawrence Heights, Lotherton, Neptune and Lawrence Manor/Baycrest.  Download OneCommunityFestival_Proposal flyer for more.

Wednesday October 19^th from 1-4 PM – Participate in the Lawrence Heights Community Awareness Fair.  Information booths and workshops will address the needs of building community in Lawrence Heights.  Download LH Community Awareness Fair_Flyer for more details.

 

Eglinton-Lawrence - are you ready to vote?

There’s a provincial election coming up on Thursday, October 6. With all the candidates making grand promises, and some slinging mud at their opponents, how do you know how to cast your vote?

Many people will vote the way they’ve always voted – sticking to their party of choice through thick and thin. Others will read the newspapers and magazine articles and watch the debates on television to see and hear what the candidates are saying. You don’t need to subscribe to every newspaper and magazine, though – you can visit your local library and read ours! We also have computers with internet access, so you can check out websites and find out what newspapers, television and radio stations are saying, along with candidates websites and comments from people who just want to express their opinions.

However you choose, be sure to go out and vote!

Advance polls are only open until September 30 at 8 pm. If you’re not on the List of Electors, add your name to the list by Wednesday, October 5 (10 am to 8 pm) at the Electoral District Returning Office at 3101 Bathurst St, Ste 100.
Remember to take your voters card and identification to prove your address when you go to vote!

For more information go to: www.electionsontario.on.ca

Here’s who running in Eglinton-Lawrence:

Mike Colle (Liberal)
Rocco Rossi (Progressive Conservative)
Gerti Dervishi (NDP)
Josh Rachlis (Green Party)
Michael Bone (Freedom Party)

Engage in Culture, Learn a New Art

Why is art often associated with passion?  I’m sure most of us have heard the old phrase “passion for art” but what does it really mean?  Is it true? Why is it still relevant?   For someone that studied outside the realm of fine arts, the answer to these questions did not come naturally to me but I did have a moment of realization as I overheard a conversation with OCAD students at St. Patrick’s Station in Toronto’s bustling core.

I was drawn by the excitement and pride they had as they spoke to each other about the synthesis of their work.  “I tried to show my perspective” said one of the students to the other.  At that instant I had a euphoric moment – the value of art is in the passion to express oneself to the world in a meaningful way.  It really is the foundation of any art project and the reason why so many of us produce art for a living, for school credits or as a hobby.

I took my newfound knowledge, and sought out validation from the wise and feisty Seniors Group that meets at the Lawrence Heights Recreation Centre for an arts-and-crafts drop-in every Tuesday morning.  To my surprise, the seniors were only in partial agreement.  It is true that some use arts & crafts for self-expression, au contraire, others use it as a productive pastime or to simply “keep their hands busy.”

Whether you’re an arts & crafts hobbyist, truly passionate about the practice or you want to get others involved, be part of the Culture Days movement.  Culture Days is a pan-Canadian effort to encourage all Canadians to engage in the arts.  The Barbara Frum Library is a participating venue, offering residents an opportunity to learn a new art.

On Saturday October 1, 2011 from 1-4 PM [Room B] - An invitation to enter the fascinating world of tapestry weaving by learning in an unusual way.  Get hands on experience and lessons from an experienced tapestry artist, Juana Sleizer. 

     

On Saturday October 1, 2011 from 2-4 PM [Room A] - See how to choose from different stones, get a feel for the tools of the stone sculptors' trade, see stones in various stages of creation and view some finished stone sculptures courtesy of Echo Sculpture Studio.

   


Help make Canada a culturally vibrant place, Download Culture Days at BF flyer, and share it with your community!