Evergreen Blog

Fall in love at EBW

2012-02-08T15:10:01Z

Sweets for your sweetie from Toronto's Xoco Cava (Photo: Nicole Czorny)

Whether you want to entice your Valentine with a sensuous meal, take a romantic skate along our ice trail, or a picturesque walk through the Weston Family Quarry Garden, EBW is the perfect place to celebrate food, love and Valentine’s Day.

At the Evergreen Garden Market, local always tastes sweeter. For that “special someone” on your list, we recommend a few sensual and local chocolate treats from Toronto chocolatiers ChocoSol and Xoco Cava, and Olivia Chocolatiers from Montreal.

For the more daring sweet tooth, try Xoco Cava’s chocolate hearts in milk chocolate espresso bean, candied lemon and fleur de sel. For the dark chocolate lover, the sour cherry, pistachio and candied rose petal flavours are a perfect choice.

On February 11, love and food is in the air as the Farmers’ Market turns red in preparation for Valentine’s Day! Here you can learn about aphrodisiac foods that excite and entice the senses and pick up everything you’ll need to create a romantic dinner, including artisanal truffles and chocolates from our special guest vendors.

Have your picture taken from atop the Romeo and Juliet balcony, and keep an eye out for our volunteer cupids, who will be looking for the best hugs, kisses and romantic moments at the market. The winning couples will be entered into a draw for a chance to win a Burt’s Bee Spa package! And don’t forget to go on a food scavenger hunt around the market, for a chance to win two tickets to a Green Bites cooking workshop.

On Valentine’s Day, join Chef Jason Innis at his GE Café Chefs Series workshop, where you will learn to create an aphrodisiac dinner. Romance will be in the air, with lit candles and the sweet sounds of guitarist Neil Whitford serenading you in-between courses. Spots are still available, so register here!

For a slightly more traditional Valentine’s Day dinner, Chef Brad Long and his team at Café Belong have put together a special menu with three and five-course meals. For the full mouth-watering menu featuring caramelized cauliflower bisque, roast of venison, dark chocolate fondue and more, check out Café Belong’s website.

For even more romantic things to do this February, check out our What's On calendar.

EBW has your cure for the winter blues

2012-02-07T20:00:15Z

A skate in Koerner Gardens is a fun way to stay active this winter (Photos: Anthony Westenberg)

It’s a sad reality that only 12 percent of Canadian children get the recommended amount of daily physical activity. Often distracted by video games, they spend an average of 44 hours a week behind a computer screen, rather than being outside in the snow.

This article from Inside Toronto got us thinking: maybe we should rhyme off some reasons to get outside and enjoy the winter chill. So, just a few days after Toronto’s Cycling Infrastructure and Programs Unit decreed January 30 to be the coldest bike-ride of the year (and with Toronto Bixi bikes running year-round), we have a couple of activities that will make you fall in love with winter.

For diehards and polar bear swim fanatics, winter cycling might be one idea of a good time. But for the rest of us looking to stay true to our New Year’s resolutions, there are many other ways to get outdoors and get active.

Snow has been rare in Toronto so far this year, but “winter wonderland” or not, the trails surrounding EBW are great for hiking with the family or walking the dog. As Hugh MacLennan would say, there is a “cathedral hush in the forest,” with animal tracks in the snow and other clues to another world right outside our homes and offices.

And what about skating to get your heart pumping? Maybe you just need to remember your first time out on the ice—impatiently waiting for your parents to lace you up so you could get out and feel the sensation of flying.

Or be more like world figure-skating champion Patrick Chan, and make some new winter memories on our ice trail. He skated by in January for a fundraising event with Think First, a national organization dedicated to reducing brain and spinal cord injuries in Canadian youth. Watch the video below to see Patrick skating on our Ice Trail!

And thanks to the Dr. Tom Pashby Sports Safety Fund, we now have 50 new helmets to keep the kids safe and happy during our public skating hours!

For more ideas of active things to do this winter, check out our calendar of events.

Community and food security meet at BC’s Ksan House Society

2012-02-02T14:11:30Z

Over 600 pounds of produce was harvested from the Ksan Community Greenhouse.
(Photo: Ksan House Society)

Ksan House Society is a multi-faceted social service agency in Terrace, BC, and just one of the amazing projects we were able to fund in 2011 through the Walmart–Evergreen Green Grants Program.

Already providing public education, social programs, safe shelter, food and other vital resources to an underserved community, Ksan House Society recognized a need for access to affordable, fresh and healthy foods. So in 2009, the Northern Fresh Foods Project and the Ksan Community Greenhouse were born.

The Greenhouse, which includes both indoor and outdoor growing space, is located behind the Society’s emergency shelter. Day-to-day, their clients and community volunteers work alongside each other, getting their hands in the dirt and learning skills that help increase personal food security and boost employability.

The project has been such a success that just last year over 600 pounds of produce were harvested from the site! Fifty percent was sold to support Ksan programming, with the other half distributed to partner agencies that redirect it to individuals and families in need.

Old tires are repurposed as gardening beds. (Photo: Ksan House Society)

The project also actively demonstrates innovation and sustainable food growing practices, using a diverse range of recycled materials, such as the reclaimed barn wood used to build garden beds. Damaged soil bags were donated by the local Walmart store to supplement their home-made topsoil of composted leaves, grass clippings and manure. By sourcing free, local materials, the Ksan House Society’s Northern Fresh Foods Project has illustrated that almost any unused space can be turned into a thriving green garden with the helping hands of the community.

Evergreen is proud to have been able to support this project—it truly demonstrates the benefits that arise from the dedicated individuals and organizations who work tirelessly to bring community development and greening projects together for the benefit of all. Learn more about our funding and grant programs, and sign up to receive email updates here.

Evergreen volunteer blossoms as fundraising superstar!

2012-01-31T12:33:07Z

L: Mmm.. cupcakes R: Sonia slices loaf for the sale (Photos: Elena Elisseeva)

Congratulations to Sonia for planning, organizing and hosting her very first bake sale at school, where the proceeds were donated to Evergreen!

Already a stellar farmers’ market volunteer, Sonia was able to overcome the first hurdle in organizing the fundraiser by convincing her school’s principal. Determined to make her case for the event, Sonia gave a PowerPoint presentation to “pitch” her idea. When her principal said “yes,” Sonia got busy. She made posters with the help of her mom, and took them to every classroom to promote the sale. She also recruited her friends and family to make lots of treats and help on bake-sale day.

Students and teachers crowd around the table to buy home-baked treats from Sonia and her team (Photo: Elena Elisseeva)

While Sonia was nervous about how the day would go, she was surprised by the “huge crowd” of not just students, but teachers as well. They completely sold out of all the treats and even had people asking the next day for more.

“I had an amazing time organizing this,” says Sonia. “Even though there were numerous obstacles to overcome, it is an experience I will never forget.”

Sonia and her Bake Sale team (Photo: Elena Elisseeva)

Sonia, we think you are such a star and want to thank you for your efforts. It really is dedicated, young leaders like you that inspire us here at Evergreen!

If you are interested in holding a bake sale or fundraising event on behalf of Evergreen, get in touch with us. We’d love to help! Email Joanne at jadair@evergreen.ca or call her at 416-596-1495 x224

“Thank you” to our amazing volunteers in 2011!

2012-01-27T18:21:12Z

It was a jam-packed year at Evergreen—full of new and exciting programs and challenges that we couldn’t have taken on without our volunteers. Watch the video above to hear directly from some of our staff about how much the hard work and dedication of our volunteers means to us.

OTS Student Design Challenge brings new life to old tires

2012-01-25T14:39:13Z

Over a dozen submissons from across Ontario for the OTS Design Challenge were on display at EBW. (Photo: Garrick Ng)

What happens to the 12 million tires that are sold annually in Ontario after they have outlived their use? Some make it to landfills, others are dumped illegally. But now, with the help of some creative design students, a growing number are being repurposed.

Last September, Evergreen, along with the Ontario Tire Stewardship (OTS) and the Ontario Association of Landscape Architects, challenged post-secondary students in landscape architecture and related disciplines to come up with unique designs featuring used tires. The winning design would be showcased at EBW.

The competition gala was held at Evergreen Brick Works on January 19, where students from across Ontario presented their concepts to the judges, who included gardener and weatherman Frank Ferragine. Architect Ajon Moriyama gave the key-note address to the enthusiastic students.

“Each submission was really creative and enthusiastic,” said Andrew Horsman, executive director, Ontario Tire Stewardship. “Old tires need to be seen as a resource, not as landfill. This design challenge really showed how with some creativity we can tackle a wasteful problem and come up with an innovative solution.”

Of the nearly dozen submissions, the winning design came from Gloria Perez and Jessica Gafic of Humber College, whose entry, “At the River Bank,” was noted for its free-flowing design and innovative use of materials, like garden mulch made from recycled tires lining the native plant beds.

“At the River Bank,” which mimics the flow of Mud Creek, will be a gateway to The Pavilions, home to our summer Farmers’ Market and many community events. Interlocking mats made with recycled tire products, will create a path around native plants, benches and play areas for children.

The winning design, "At the River Bank," features many innovative uses of old tires.

“Every proposal was inspiring,” explained David Stonehouse, general manager at Evergreen Brick Works. “We loved the winning design’s reference to the Don River, and the importance of the Don watershed in the city context—especially how it gave a nod to the citizens who have worked so hard to bring it back.”

For Evergreen’s landscape and children’s playground expert, Heidi Campbell, the OTS Student Design Competition is unique because the winner will actually see their concept become a reality.

"We are excited to have the students on site, going through the build process and seeing their work come to life," said Heidi. "These designs demonstrate how we can reuse tires that would normally go straight to landfill, and keep them for a useful purpose that will have great benefits."

Thanks to the efforts of the OTS, an organization that directs scrap tires from the landfill to recyclers who make tire-based products for a variety of applications, Evergreen is already home to many innovative designs. For example, the rubber pads that circle our Skating Trail are made from old tires, as well as the thick padding around Outward Bound’s rock climbing wall.

Construction of the winning design is set for spring of 2012, so stay tuned for updates and pictures!

Ravneet Singh: Finding Paradise

2012-01-18T11:50:24Z

Ravneet Singh, a recent high school graduate, has been a volunteer at Evergreen since September 2010, and has served as a Welcome Host, Tour Guide and as a Community Greening Volunteer Leader.

Ravneet recently participated in a digital storytelling workshop with Volunteer Toronto, where she produced the above video. Watch Ravneet’s discovery of a paradise within the city and how she uses what she has to build a better future.

Find out how you can use what YOU have to build a better future at Evergreen.

Many thanks to Volunteer Toronto for hosting intensive weekend workshops for volunteers to learn the art of digital storytelling.

Leaves fallen… but not forgotten!

2012-01-17T15:22:41Z

Garden beds at Beaverlodge School’s outdoor classroom (Photo: Beaverlodge School)

One of the best pieces of advice that we can offer to schools working on school ground greening projects is to reach out to their network of potential volunteers for help and resources.

Winnipeg’s Beaverlodge School, for example, has benefited from the volunteer services of parents and grandparents, who have worked to take care of the school’s garden through the summer months while classes are out.

Beaverlodge received funding through the Toyota Evergreen Learning Grounds program in 2009–10 for the development of the school’s outdoor classroom, which is used by their outdoor education program.

The hard work of volunteers during the summer months has contributed to the success of the outdoor classroom and has allowed teachers like Diana Juchnowski to animate the space in the fall, with activites that combine art, nature and science. She encourages learning and creativity by working with found objects and observing the natural environment as a way of developing artistic expression and a knowledge of ecology and natural processes.

One of her favourite activities is a scavenger hunt where students are divided into groups and asked to find a specific tree around the school grounds—noting the size and form of its leaves, the tree’s height and bark texture. They then report back to the group with their findings, so the students can learn how to properly identify the trees on their own.

Painting of a butterfly garden by Beaverlodge School students (Photo: Beaverlodge School)

After learning about the trees and why deciduous trees change colour in the fall and lose their leaves, students collect a few large leaves to make an art project using clay to make an impression of the leaves. The impression is then cut out and put into a bowl to dry and help give it a curved shape. The clay leaves are fired and glazed (but you can also air dry and paint the clay), and can be used as decoration, a teaching resource, or to hold various trinkets! This activity can be done with any found objects including wildflower petals, bark and shells.

Step by step instructions and photos for this activity can be found here: funart4kids.blogspot.com

Combining art, nature and science is a great way to create educational works of art year-round! For more stories on school greening projects, sign up for our Outdoor Classroom newsletter!

Eastern white cedar: a tall treasure

2012-01-16T19:52:55Z

Eastern white cedar from a distance and close-up (Photo: Bill Moses)

From the Atlantic through to Manitoba, Thuja occidentalis is a common sight, especially in cool, moist, nutrient-rich marsh and woodland sites.

An evergreen tree averaging 12 metres tall, this member of the redwood family is important for people and animals alike. It’s used by snowshoe hares, porcupines, red squirrels, birds and insects, providing valuable habitat, especially in harsh winters.

It’s also valuable as a decay-resistant timber for canoes, posts and more. In the 16th century, French explorer Jacques Cartier dubbed the cedar “arborvitae,” meaning tree of life, after learning from Canada’s First Nations how to use the foliage to treat scurvy (vitamin C deficiency).

Learn more about eastern white cedar and other native trees on our Native Plant Database.

Who revived the electric car?

2012-01-13T19:42:32Z

The Better Place Demonstration Centre at EBW (Photo: Better Place)

With an estimated 750 million cars on the road today accounting for roughly 20 percent of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions and 50 percent of its oil consumption, it’s clear that we must move toward clean, sustainable forms of transportation… and fast!

Founded in 2007, Better Place is striving to accelerate that transition by creating a transportation system that is optimized for electric vehicles—and that will minimize environmental impact substantially.

With its Canadian headquarters right here at EBW, Better Place is an apt choice for launching the Profiles of Innovation, a showcase of organizations and individuals at the forefront of the green economy, and a signature initiative from our Centre for Green Cities program. Watch the video below for more.

In March 2011, Better Place introduced an electric vehicle (EV) charging and demonstration project here, which offers an interactive way to inform the public about these cars. Open six days a week, visitors can test drive EVs, explore their interactive displays or speak with staff to learn more about their unique network and technology.

Worldwide, the company is revolutionizing the industry by promoting new technology for longer-lasting batteries, and introducing Battery Switch Stations that make electric cars more attractive in terms of convenience and affordability.

The inability to switch a battery quickly and conveniently has always been a limitation for mass adoption of electric cars. But at a Battery Switch Station, drivers can have their battery switched automatically in less time than it takes to fill up a tank of gas—they simply pull up, replace with a fully charged battery, and continue on their trip. Making electric cars just as affordable as gas-powered cars, the battery-switch innovation reduces cost, risk and worries for drivers.

With a new demonstration centre recently opened in China, Better Place is expanding the electric-car market to new heights—adding to its growing network worldwide.

Stay tuned for more profiles, as we continue to feature the environmental innovators leading the way to a sustainable future.

There’s no work like cob work

2012-01-11T19:10:47Z

Chimney Court's new Cob Cottage is close to completion (Photo:Yuliya Tsoy)

“All hands in the dirt” isn’t just a saying at Evergreen––sometimes we literally get dirty. And we’ve been doing just that in Chimney Court since the end of September.

Our senior designer for Learning Grounds, Heidi Campbell, along with Parklane, winners of the Canada Blooms 2010 SEED award, have been working together with a team of volunteers to make our dreams of a Cob Cottage in Chimney Court come true.

Cob (a mixture of clay, sand, straw and water mashed with hands and/or feet) is found across the globe and has been a favoured building material since prehistoric times. An inexpensive building alternative, cob structures are also fireproof and can withstand very harsh elements.

Mixing the cob concoction is a messy job! (Photo:Yuliya Tsoy)

The Park Lane team was excited to execute their first real cob structure, and hoped to have it up and finished before any signs of snow. Our team was a great mix of experienced builders and volunteer recruits, who were eager to learn and try a new medium.

The cottage grew by inches and feet over the weeks (despite cold weather, and some very rainy days) through a series of build sessions involving volunteers, visiting students from the community and even a little help from the public on the weekends!

Volunteers mix clay, sand, straw and water with their feet and hands (Photo:Yuliya Tsoy)

We’re nearing completion, with a sealant around the outside, insertion of the glass mosaics, and the green roof to top it all off coming this spring.

The Cob Cottage is an engaging and exciting structure that will be home to many visiting schools, outdoor programs and camp participants at Evergreen Brick Works. Come on down to Play in Chimney Court on Saturdays from 10am to 4pm and check it out!

Christmas Bird Count at EBW

2012-01-10T15:19:14Z

Volunteers look to the skies for birds at EBW (Photo: Stuart McPherson)

By Stuart McPherson, Stewardship Coordinator, Evergreen Brick Works

On December 18, we added another (century old!) first to a year of firsts by joining in the 111-year-old tradition of the Christmas Bird Count.

The Christmas Bird Count dates back to 1900, but the history that links people, birds and Christmas goes back even further. Throughout the 19th century, the “Christmas Side Hunt” was a popular holiday outing which saw people head out, enjoy nature, and kill as many birds as possible on Christmas Day.

In 1900, American ornithologist Frank Chapman suggested the novel alternative to hunting the birds—counting! While not immediately popular (the 1900 Christmas Bird Census had 27 participants in 25 locations from Canada and the United States), each year the number of participants and locations increased. In 2000, over 52,000 counters participated in more than 1,800 locations. Evergreen Brick Works and a team of five volunteers joined the efforts for 2011 to record bird activity around the site and in the Weston Family Quarry Garden Park.

Volunteers learn from naturalist Ian Shanahan about the winter habits of birds
(Photo: Stuart McPherson)

In Canada, the count is organized by Bird Studies Canada and our team was one of many that took on the challenge of covering the City of Toronto.

So what did we see? Not as much as we hoped—13 species and 106 individuals—but it was rather cold. Here’s the complete tally:

27 – Canada Geese
1 – Red-tailed Hawk
13 – Gulls
1 – American Crow
4 – Black-capped Chickadees
1 – Red-breasted Nuthatch
14 – American Robins
1 – Northern Cardinal
7 – American Tree Sparrows
1 – Dark-Eyed Junco
1 – Purple Finch
10 – American Gold Finch
25 – House Sparrows

You can start preparing for next year's count by attending the winter Bird Monitoring Workshop on January 21 from 9:30–10:30am. It’s free for everyone—just be sure to dress for the weather. For details or to sign up, contact Stuart McPherson at smcpherson@evergreen.ca.

Winter Food Fun!

2012-01-09T14:28:50Z

Chopping apples for a salad. (Photo: Helen Beynon)

A perfect time of year to take our programming indoors, November and December in BC were full of delicious food workshops, presented in partnership with the TD FEF Community Fund.

Mount Pleasant Neighbourhood House in East Vancouver worked with us to present two winter food workshops for local community members. First, Leanna Killoran from UBC showed us how to can and preserve our summer and fall harvests—apple jelly and pickled carrots were on the menu for the evening. Everyone there was excited to learn how simple canning could be! The workshop inspired a number of the participants to buy their own canning kits and make healthy Christmas gifts for their loved ones.

Participants getting the squash ready for a delicious salad. (Photo: Helen Beynon)

Our second workshop was run by Erin Bett, former Community Development Assistant at Evergreen BC. Erin shared her nutritional expertise with us, leading a hands-on workshop on healthy local eating during winter months. Participants got to try locally-sourced kale and apple salad, roasted squash and kale salad, beetroot pesto, apple cider, apricot chutney, butternut squash and apple soup.

We were also thrilled to be able to run two gardening workshops in preparation for the spring growing season. Members of the City Hall Community Garden and other local community gardens and food networks attended to brush up on their gardening knowledge. Grant Watson presented a workshop on garden planning and preparation, while Arzeena Hamir of the Richmond Food Security Society spoke with participants about organic pest management.

Thank you so much to everyone who came out to the workshops and participated so enthusiastically!

Going “locally global” in the kitchen

2012-01-06T20:28:56Z

José Hadad carefully ices a churro at EBW during the 2011 Day of the Dead Festival (Photo: Bill Wilson)

As we gear up for our next GE Café Chefs Series workshop, we asked Mary Luz Mejia to offer some perspective on the "authenticity" of global food in a local context. In this article, she turns to Toronto's top food enthusiasts for their thoughts.

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By: Mary Luz Mejia

On January 10, the GE Café Chefs Series will take on a Mexican theme with Locally Global. The workshop will be sliced, diced and julienned by José Hadad, the Mexico City-born chef and proprietor of Frida Restaurant and Wine Bar (arguably Toronto’s best Mexican restaurant) and yours truly—a Colombian-born food and travel writer and magazine associate editor with a passion for Latin American cuisine.

Hadad endeavours to recreate here in Toronto the flavours he grew up with in Mexico, which invariably leads to the pesky question of “authenticity.” It’s a landmine of a term that makes some roll their eyes and others pound their fists in frustration. I decided to gauge the cultural and culinary thermometer on this by asking chefs, academics and home cooks about what it means to prepare dishes from abroad here in Canada, and what authenticity means to them.

Vivian Khouw, a food anthropology professor at York University (and excellent home cook) has a unique take on what authenticity means. “We tend to view the world as right or wrong, black or white, authentic or inauthentic,” she says. “People ‘know’ that sweet and sour chicken balls aren't authentic. But it begs the question of why they need to make the determination and why they feel they're the right people to make it. A lot of it can be linked to our need to find a sense of place and establish where we belong. The line between ‘us’ and ‘them’ can often be found in the food we eat because it fosters a sense of collectivity.”

I can see Khouw’s point. I might even be accused of drawing that “us” and “them” line in the pantry as well. For example, I get itchy when menus boasting “authentic Mexican” cuisine feature fajitas and nachos—both of which are Tex-Mex specialties. Does that make me a food snob? Possibly. But I’ve been to Mexico, taken cooking classes there and spent a great deal of time with local chefs and home cooks in their kitchens. I’ve also taken the time to read about culture and food in the country.

It’s this type of hands-on, in-depth knowledge that Toronto-based Belgian Chef Bruno Elsier believes is essential to truly understanding a cuisine. “You don't have to be Belgian to cook Belgian food,” he says. “But you have to use the original recipe as well as original ingredients. Having travelled or stayed in the country of origin will help you establish the right tastes and flavours. Even teaming up with a chef originally from the country is a really good idea.”

The original recipe might call for ingredients not available here. What then? Does that mean the recipe or dish will be less authentic? Substituting key ingredients simply not grown or available here, in Elsier’s opinion, renders the dish a “fusion” of two cultures, which is fine with him—it’s just not the exact replica of what a cook might have been trying to achieve.

Restaurateur, writer and cook Sang Kim looks to the Korean fascination with the chili as key to his argument on the topic of authenticity: “The chili originated in the Valleys of Mexico and Guatemala and plays a significant role in Korean cuisine, lending it the most characteristic aspect of its high-voltage cooking. …Is Korean cuisine that uses Mexican chilies, therefore, inauthentic?”

For Kim, it doesn’t really matter and we shouldn’t even care to answer. “It tastes great when done well and not always in Korea,” he says. “Like most people, I will choose cultivated deliciousness over authenticity any meal of the day.”

Kim’s opinion is shared by many in Toronto. This is a city that embraces local, white fish tacos with blueberry sauce after all—a true celebration of locally global. “It's okay to change/substitute ingredients when authentic ones are not available or costly,” writes food blogger Peter Minaki. “Many immigrant populations have survived by being pragmatic with their cuisines.”

This is very true. When I was a kid growing up in Hamilton in the 1970s, it was off to the only Jamaican grocery store in town for ripe plantains, cassava and other Colombian staples that my Dad desperately sought. What he couldn’t find, he’d substitute with an ingredient from another country or from his own yard. No fresh cilantro? He grew it in our front garden and, voilà, the fresh herb and coriander seeds made it into the family soup pot.

I think Khouw says it best when it comes to the evolution of cuisines: “Foods/dishes have never remained static over time. Without change and movement, some of the greatest dishes in the world might never have been created. Innovation and creativity are inherent in the act of cooking.”

And so it is with Chef Hadad’s cooking. He uses locally grown produce, meat and dairy in the preparation of his complex dishes. What he can’t get here, he buys from abroad. The good news is that as immigrant communities grow, savvy farmers and producers, such as Zephyr Organics and Vicki’s Veggies, are starting to offer a more diverse array of produce every year. If that supports the local economy and tastes uniquely delicious, then so be it.

Food enthusiast Mary Luz Mejia has produced hundreds of food articles, culinary profiles, food celebrity interviews and cultural explorations into the foods we eat and why we love them.

Edward Keenan: “How the 905 stole our urbanist mojo”

2012-01-06T15:35:06Z

This week’s cover story in The Grid, “How the 905 stole our urbanist mojo,” covers topics close to our hearts—(sub)urban development and transportation—exactly what MOVE: The Transportation Expo is all about and an important part of our vision for greener cities.

In the article, author Edward Keenan sits down with Markham mayor Frank Scarpitti to discuss the future of development in his suburban city, which borders Toronto's northeast end. It's a future that embraces urban concepts such as public transit, pedestian- and cycle-friendly infrastructure and mixed-use building, while Toronto's mayor, Rob Ford, champions the car and other so-called suburban values.

You can read the full article on TheGridTO.com