YongeStreet Media

Summer Company adds 100 new positions this year

www.yongestreetmedia.ca — Tue, 14 May 2013 21:00:00 PDT

Created in 2001, Summer Company is a provincial program that helps student entrepreneurs by providing financial support and mentorship to participants to create small businesses during the summer months. The goal is to help participants both with material support, by enabling them to generate income, and to endow them with essential skills they'll need as full-fledged entrepreneurs once their education is completed. This year, as part of a focus on youth employment in the 2013 budget, the Ontario government is proposing to increase the number of spots available in Summer Company by 20 per cent, going from 500 to 600 positions. The students who participate in Summer Company range in age from 15 to 29 and their businesses run a huge gamut, from artisanal food production to web development to construction services. Each participant must draw up a business plan and a cash flow forecast as part of the application process. If accepted, students then go on to learn some business basics, like how to keep books and navigate the regulations in their particular sectors. They receive coaching from local entrepreneurs as they launch their businesses, and also receive up to $3,000 in financial support--some of which is meant to help with the business itself, and some to go towards continued education once the summer is done. Applications for the 2013 edition of Summer Company will be accepted until June 3. The increased number of spots is contingent on the passage of the provincial budget; a vote on that is expected later this month. Writer: Hamutal Dotan Source: Ministry of Economic Development

Inclusive mobile technology will increase job opportunities for those with disabilities

www.yongestreetmedia.ca — Tue, 14 May 2013 21:00:00 PDT

At Komodo OpenLab, it's not just the innovations but the innovators that make the company unique. In partnership with Toronto colleges, software developer Eric Wan helped create a revolutionary product that is allowing people with disabilities--including himself--to control mobile devices through wheelchairs.

Leslieville's Florabunda wins Amex Neighbourhood Gems contest

www.yongestreetmedia.ca — Tue, 14 May 2013 21:00:00 PDT

Leslieville flower market Florabunda has won American Express's Neighbourhood Gems contest, a month long initiative designed to encourage cardholders (and Canadians) to "shop small and make a big difference."

Amex asked Marc Florabunda, who owns the shop with his wife, his thoughts on how the contest has influenced his business and community. He recognized the area's preexisting inclination to shop local and applauded the contest for making buyers more conscious.

"Shopping small is something that most residents of our Leslieville neighbourhood live and breathe every day, but the Shop Small movement has certainly helped in making even more people aware of how important it is to support the small businesses in their communities. We love that sense of community, and never want to lose that neighbourly feeling!"

Florabunda's win, which was determined via online voting, lands them a social marketing consultation with Facebook and an American Express advertorial in Toronto Life magazine. ??

Florabunda is located on 1131 Queen Street East at Caroline Avenue.

?For more information, check out Amex's Shop Small Facebook page.

Original source: Amex

Explorations: The Distillery District on a Segway

www.yongestreetmedia.ca — Tue, 14 May 2013 21:00:00 PDT

The Distillery District is one of the city's historical gems and just one of many areas gearing up for Doors Open Toronto. We explore what makes its history so rich while gliding around the neighbourhood on Segways.

U of T opens new plastics research centre

www.yongestreetmedia.ca — Tue, 14 May 2013 21:00:00 PDT

Earlier this month, the University of Toronto opened a new plastics research facility at its Mississauga campus. The Centre for Industrial Application of Microcellular Plastics (CIAMP) is dedicated to developing innovative plastic foaming technologies, with a strong focus on their commercial applications. CIAMP's director is U of T engineering professor Chul Park and foamed plastics are his area of expertise. In a statement announcing the centre's opening, he explained that the goal is to work with commercial partners to develop "lighter weight, stronger plastics that use less raw material." The centre is set up to conduct large-scale experimentation that will help researchers understand the industrial applications of the technologies they work on, which is key to bringing new materials to market effectively. Commercial uses, Park says, range from the construction and automotive industries to use in household electronics. CIAMP got off the ground with the help of $9.2 million from the Canadian Foundation for Innovation. Writer: Hamutal Dotan Source: CIAMP

Diamond and Schmitt architects take home three OAA Awards

www.yongestreetmedia.ca — Tue, 14 May 2013 21:00:00 PDT

Diamond and Schmitt--the architecture firm behind such diverse buildings as Toronto's Four Seasons Centre, the New Marinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg, Montreal’s La Maison Symphonique and the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs--has won three awards from the Ontario Association of Architects. "They just did a lot of great work this year," says OAA president Bill Birdsell of the firm, which won more OAA Awards than any other this year. They firm took home design awards for the Centre for Green Cities at the Evergreen Brickworks and the Ryerson Image Centre, and Jack Diamond was recognized for his lifetime's achievement. "The Evergreen Brickworks is just an amazing re-use," Birdsell says. “It hits all the good things: good design, good business, it’s sustainable, it’s very clear. It’s a legacy building, it celebrates the past. It just hits the things the profession is trying to highlight." Both Evergreen Brickworks and the Ryerson Image Centre, he says, also have "the ability to invite and engage the public." The OAA awards are decided by juries made up mostly of community members, though they include architects. Though there were awards given out to residential projects this year, it may be read as significant to some that, unlike past years, no condominium tower was recognized. Writer: Bert Archer Source: Bill Birdsell Do you know of a new building going up, a business expanding or being renovated, a park in the works or even a new house being built in the neighbourhood? Please send your development news tips to bert@yongestreetmedia.ca.

Portland comes to Toronto, but where's the fish?

www.yongestreetmedia.ca — Tue, 14 May 2013 21:00:00 PDT

The Portland Press Herald recently gave our city a visit citing this summer's must-see as the forthcoming Ripley's Aquarium, the $130 million project expected to open later this summer. When reporter Ellen Creager asked exactly when it will open, a workman joked, "Never…The outside windows won't keep out the rain, and the inside windows won't keep in the fish."

The second recommended attraction according to the Herald is the very source of this year's headline panda-monium, the May 18 launch of the Toronto Zoo's panda exhibit. Er Shun and Da Mao arrived via FedEx from China in March and will stay in Toronto for at least five years.

Before launching into a series of recommendations over the sometimes-confused St. Lawrence Market and Kensington Market, the Herald warns of the city's vapid construction. "Spindly cranes reach for the clouds as new glass skyscrapers rise. The biggest disruptions are on Front Street, which is partly closed, and at Union Station -- all part of a giant five-year renovation."

The Herald knows its stuff. "This multicultural city of 2.7 million people welcomes 2 million visitors a year from the United States," the article says before encouraging American tourists to attempt the navigation of the TTC.

"Kensington Market is a groovy neighborhood near Chinatown, northwest of Spadina and Dundas. (Both streets have streetcars, so take a chance and ride one to the market.) During the summer, some days the area becomes a pedestrian-only zone.

"One of the coolest little corners is where Kensington meets Baldwin, home of the Good Luck Shop…Across the street is Global Cheese, from which the ripe smell of Stilton drifts into the street… On the blocks nearby are wares for sale, including frilly petticoats, macramé hammocks, artisan bread, curried goat, chocolate truffles and buckets of parasols; in other words, all the necessities of life in modern Toronto."?

Read the original story here.

Original source: Portland Press Herald

Port Authority releases video highlighting airport's economic importance

www.yongestreetmedia.ca — Tue, 14 May 2013 21:00:00 PDT

Just as Billy Bishop Airport is in the news again, with a proposal from Porter to expand the island airport’s repertoire to jets, the Toronto Port Authority has released a video highlighting the airport’s economic contributions to the city. The video, which was released on Thursday, is based on an economic impact study done last October, and it’s the first new video the TPA, which runs the airport, has done in more than two years. "The impact study really is about what the airport contributes to the city and how we want to work with the city in partnership," says TPA president Geoff Wilson. "It’s a very important theme: successful cities embrace their airport infrastructure and understand its role in stabilizing and growing, in our case, the downtown core and bring prosperity in the form of business, commerce and tourism." He says this airport embrace is a form of natural civic evolution. "Great cities embrace their ports, then their railroads, then build their highway systems, and the ones that did it well prospered and had strong economies." Airports, he says, are the next historical step. According to the study, the airport creates 5,700 jobs, of which 1,700 are directly linked to airport operations, handling the 2 million passengers that came through in 2012, a figure that's expected to rise in 2013. The airport has also been calculated to add $640 million in gross domestic product, and $2 billion in total economic activity. Though Wilson did not want to comment directly on Porter's proposal, the TPA has agreed to fund the first phase of a feasibility study. Wilson would go so far as to say that if Porter's projections of increased passenger traffic are correct, it would increase the airport’s overall economic contribution to the city. Wilson says the timing of the video has nothing to do with Porter's proposal. Writer: Bert Archer Source: Geoff Wilson Do you know of a new building going up, a business expanding or being renovated, a park in the works or even a new house being built in the neighbourhood? Please send your development news tips to bert@yongestreetmedia.ca.

Metrolinx listens to community, reverts to old plan

www.yongestreetmedia.ca — Tue, 14 May 2013 21:00:00 PDT

You may wonder, reading about all the public consultations covered in this space week after week, what it’s all for. On Friday, we found out. Metrolinx, which has been holding consultations on its LRT line, announced Friday that it was changing gears based entirely on the public’s reaction to its revised Eglinton-Scarborough Crosstown line plan. After initially proposing to include stations at Leslie and Laird, Metrolinx proposed beginning to tunnel at Brentcliffe Road and ending at Don Mills Road, a plan that would have eliminated those two stops. "Metrolinx had identified some potential issues with the Brentcliffe Road launch site," says Metrolinx’s director of community relaitons and communications Jamie Robinson. "It investigated different options and engaged the community, including convening three public meeting. We believed that our proposals would result in significant improvements to construction staging, schedule and traffic impacts. However, in discussions with the local community and with local community organizations it was clear that there was a strong preference for a stop at Leslie Street and for a station at Laird." Asked if there were other reasons, perhaps economic, to revert back to the original scheme, Robinson says that "There’s no economic advantage either way," and that the decision was made entirely as the result of the public's expressed preference. The Eglinton-Crosstown LRT will run from Black Creek to Kennedy station and is expected to be completed by 2020. Writer: Bert Archer Source: Jamie Robinson Do you know of a new building going up, a business expanding or being renovated, a park in the works or even a new house being built in the neighbourhood? Please send your development news tips to bert@yongestreetmedia.ca.

St. Clair West's greatest success stories come from within the community

www.yongestreetmedia.ca — Tue, 14 May 2013 21:00:00 PDT

From old to new, St. Clair West is a neighbourhood in transition. While the right-of-way streetcar plan continues to divide the area, businesses are growing and the streets are becoming more beautiful. The common thread? The community itself.

We're taking a break

www.yongestreetmedia.ca — Tue, 14 May 2013 21:00:00 PDT

Yonge Street is taking a break, but we'll return to our regularly scheduled programming on May 29. In the meantime, we've rounded up some of our favourite local stories to encourage you to get outdoors and explore the city.

New Centennial College program to prepare musicians for jobs in music industry

www.yongestreetmedia.ca — Tue, 14 May 2013 21:00:00 PDT

A new Centennial College program will help talented Toronto musicians leverage their skills to find jobs in the music industry. The college is launching the new program, Music Industry Arts and Performance (MIAP), to fill what they see as a gap in traditional music education. MIAP program director and faculty member, Jesse Feyen, explains that the program is an opportunity to educate musicians in the many ways they can use their skills to create a long-lasting career. "There are very few resources out there geared to helping musicians take control of their own careers and find a sustainable role in the music industry." says Feyen, himself a 15-year veteran of the Canadian music scene and a PhD in ethnomusicology. MIAP differs from other music programs in that it’s not so much focused on training students in a particular genre of music (e.g. classical, jazz) as it is about helping prepare already trained or accomplished musicians for number of music-related careers. Once accepted, students will receive mentorship and private lessons from a professional musician while simultaneously learning about other music cultures and the music industry. In the third year of the program, students will choose between two streams: music creation and business, and music creation and technology. The program will be topped-off with a six-week work placement to give students real-world experience in a field of their choosing. MIAP will prepare graduates to work in a range of music related fields, including studio sound engineering, music management, and music marketing. "No other music program offers the same blend of performance, creative, contextual, business and technology courses," says Feyen. MIAP is a three year diploma program commencing this fall at Centennial's center for Creative Communications in East York. Centennial is currently accepting applications. Writer: Katia Snukal Source: Jess Feyen, MIAP Director, Centennial College

Daily Bread Food Bank and Scotts Canada handout 2,000 lettuce growing kits

www.yongestreetmedia.ca — Tue, 14 May 2013 21:00:00 PDT

Food Banks across Toronto have this week distributed 2,000 lettuce growing kits to households across the city. The kits come courtesy of Scotts Canada, a lawn care company and subsidiary of the Scotts Miracle-Gro Company. Scotts donated the boxes directly to Daily Bread, the largest distributor to food banks and other hunger relief agencies in the GTA (Daily Bread has more than 170 member agencies). "Scotts Canada had been partnering up with the Mississauga Food Bank for a number of years and they got in touch us with a few months ago and wanted to know if this was something we'd be interested in," says Gail Nyberg, executive director of the Daily Bread Food Bank. "And we said, 'yes absolutely,' it's got a number of benefits." The lettuce kits, Nyberg explains, not only allow people to grow their own food and put more fresh produce on the table, but they also provide a great opportunity for teaching children about the fruits and vegetables they eat. "Kids who grow up in urban settings often think that fruits and vegetables come from No Frills, from the supermarket," says Nyberg. "So I think these kits are a really good way to help kids understand where vegetables actually come from, that they grow." The kits allow households without access to a garden or backyard to grow their own produce. All they need is a balcony or a windowsill. "It’s a fun project to do," says Nyberg. "You can begin to see lettuce within a week. It’s the gift that keeps on giving." Writer: Katia Snukal Source: Gail Nyberg, Executive Director, Daily Bread Food Bank

Two young Torontonians win World Literacy Canada writing awards

www.yongestreetmedia.ca — Tue, 14 May 2013 21:00:00 PDT

World Literacy Canada has announced the winners of its Write for a Better World contest and two young Torontonians are among the recipients.

Lauren Beauparlant, 12, wrote about a dream she had in which she was enjoying a beautiful, diverse space only to wake up and realize there was trash everywhere, people were fighting and the animals were gone. She got a garbage bag and began cleaning up, encouraging other kids to join her.

"Maybe if we all do this, that beautiful place I saw can become a reality. We can have a beautiful, peaceful, and happy world," she writes. "It starts with each of us and doesn’t have to be a dream."

Abby Loewen, 13, writes about a trip to Peru. "As I look around I am consumed by anything and everything that surrounds me. Astonishing mountains with ancient Incan stairs are testing the limits of the horizon while the hot dry sun of Lima shines down on me. Everything about here seems impossible for Canada, but Peru seems to test the limits," she writes.

?She talks about the people she meets. "They don’t get to choose their life, but they are not angered or even bitter to those with a better life, just simply smile to make them feel special." And of the impact they leave on her, " I wish to never forget these miraculous people, the way that they treat others or the way that they have a past that the world stops and is perplexed by. I wish that they could get their voice out, to be heard."

?The annual contest is a nation-wide bilingual writing contest open to students in grades 5-8. Its goal is to inspire Canadian youth to think about and become active global citizens. This year's them encourage youth to put themselves in someone else's shoes. More than 1,300 short stories were received.

Entries were reviewed and award-winning teenage-lit author Eric Walters, whose published works include The Taming, Hunter, and We All Fall Down, handpicked winners.

Both Toronto authors are published alongside the remaining eight winners from across the country in a collectable World Literacy Canada magazine.

Read their full stories here.

Original source: World Literacy Canada

Green roofs sprout up in Toronto in record numbers

www.yongestreetmedia.ca — Tue, 14 May 2013 21:00:00 PDT

The Daily Commercial News (DCN) has gathered the results of the Annual Green Roof Industry Survey and it's good news for Toronto. The city has, "experienced a 33 per cent growth in the installation of green roofs across the city," the article says.

The Toronto Metropolitan Region installed 338,310 square feet of green roofs in 2012, more than 100,000 more than the previous year. Toronto has more green roofs than anywhere else in Canada, but fourth overall in North America, falling behind Washington, Chicago and New York City.

"Through the Green Roof Bylaw, the City of Toronto has required over 250 development applications to include green roofs, totalling 170,000 square metres of new green roof in Toronto,” Jane Welsh, project manager of environmental planning with the City of Toronto, says in the article.

Read the full story here.

Original source: Daily Commercial News

Who's hiring in Toronto? Manifesto, The Stop, Aga Khan Museum, and more

www.yongestreetmedia.ca — Tue, 14 May 2013 21:00:00 PDT

The most interesting of the opportunities we've seen this week: Manifesto is a non-profit dedicated to helping empower youth through the arts. It also organizes the annual Manifesto Festival in Yonge-Dundas Square. The founding director is moving into a new role as the chair of the organization's board, and Manifesto is looking for a new full-time executive director. Also in the cultural sector, Toronto is getting a new museum next year that is dedicated to Islamic civilizations. The Aga Khan Museum is now seeking a graphic designer to help shape their visual identity, including everything from exhibition materials to retail branding. Sex-positive shop Good for Her is looking for a new full-time manager to oversee their store, as well as handle some marketing and event production. In the world of sustainable food, The Stop is a leading non-profit that focuses on issues of food security, running everything from nutrition classes to community gardens. They are looking for a new manager of their Green Barn site at the Artscape Wychwood Barns, to oversee their programs there. Evergreen also works in this area of sustainability, with a particular focus on the role of the environment in cities. That organization is on the hunt for a manager of community food programs, to work at the Brick Works and across the GTA. The High Park Nature Centre has our pick for internship of the week: they are looking for three nature lovers to teach at their summer camp. Applicants must be post-secondary students in environmental science or educational programs. And in off-beat opportunities, the Toronto Public Library is now accepting applications for an entrepreneur-in-residence. It's a six-week mentorship position, and it comes with a modest honorarium. Finally, in the business sector, the Ontario Securities Commission is hiring a digital communications specialist to maintain its website. They are looking for a combination of technical web design as well as writing skills. And mDialog, which provides digital video services, is looking for a business analyst with at least five years of experience. Are you hiring or do you know of an innovative job opportunity in Toronto? Email Hamutal Dotan, Yonge Street's innovation and jobs editor, to let her know.