Community Kitchen Meeting Notes - Friday February 15, 2008

Community Kitchen: Jean, Carl, Cathy, Noni, Lin, Franz, Antoinette, Iko, Iko’s Children, Felicia, X, Dave. al&d: Scott, Nicko, Jesse, Cara, Pam T., Giampaolo, Harry, Jamie, Larry, Gene. regrets: Graham, Pam C., Luke

Part 1 Presentation of the classes ideas: Introduction: Giampaolo, Jamie, Cara, Nicko, Gene, Scott

Lin - proposal for anything attached to a bike/ease of transport
- Perrin? Park brough up as a possible new site in which something might be built
- mention of an event called Neighbour's Night Out
- street closed off to accommodate outdoor activities with 400 person turn out

Noni - some sites we have identified will not be usable
- Kodak lands
- L.E.F.
- Bala School

Group 1 – CK: Lin, Noni, Franz, al&d: Scott, Nicko, Jesse (Notes: Nicko)

-Mt Dennis is composed of many little groups who are mobile

-aspire to GREENness

-mobile thing incorporates
-desire for bus/RV/greenhouse
-bicycle – things with compartments

concern around towability? Surfaces?

WATER ISSUES – mobility of water

What is lacking from how you currently do things?
-accessibility of participants
-spaces

ideas of notice boards, cinderblock gazebo,

***SEATING AND SHADING

elements that are big plus small elements are good

-receptive to the idea of procession

PROTOTYPES: IF YOU MAKE SOMETHING AND SHOW US HOW TO DO IT OURSELVES, WE WILL CONTINUE MAKING IT

Group 2 – CK: Carl, Cathy, Jean; al&d: Cara, Pam, Gene (Notes Cara)

Greenhouse for Carl’s building on Oxford St.
One larger static greenhouse, a “lean-to”, attached to building w/ some mobile units.
Possibly some adjustable shelving for the amenities room w/ florescent lighting, building would supply the lights.


Supervised under D.M.S. Management (Stanchester Charitable Foundation) who are in full support and willing to fund this project.

Plan would be to germinate and supply plants for all 4 community gardens. --Emmit Gardens (15min walk)
Oxford (Carl’s building garden)
DeNardo (next door)
Bala School(7min walk).

Present the idea to Bala School as a garden program for kids

Pros: Youth oriented
Outreach program for “shut-ins” w/ youth involvement.
Composting program w/ worms to make soil
Permission from building management
Funding from Stanchester Charitable Foundation
Close proximity to electricity

Cons: Accessibility limited to in habitants of the building.
Program is limited to gardening


Cathy and Carl expressed that if this was not going to be our “main project” they would at least be very grateful for greenhouse drawings which they explained would be the “largest hump” in the execution of this project. They could probably get others to build it.

Cathy took a copy of Luke’s schematic greenhouse drawing to see about a building permit for such an addition.

Precedents for the project: Horticulture Society at Riverlea Greenhouse (Lawrence and Scarlett) hours 8-5 (7 days)

Group 3 - CK: Antoinette, Iko, X; al&d: Giampaolo, Harry, Jamie, Larry (notes: Larry)

- spent initial moments familiarizing with the aerial map, identifying key intersections:
- Black Creek and Eglinton
- Weston and Eglinton
- Jane and Lawrence
- Jane and Black Creek

Antoinette - began identifying other possible sites of interest:
- Municipal parking lot at Weston and Eglinton
- 14 spot parking lot
- possible location for farmer's market and/or 300 person bbq

- Humber Vocational School
- adjacent to park and couple towers (new community)
- park ties into trails

- prefers smaller mobile units possibly for: (rickshaws)
- community clean-ups
- barbecue equipment
- storage trays
- best if they can be flexible to accommodate different types of functions

- thoughts on unfolding platform:
- wishes it could accommodate storage for bbq, tables, chairs, etc.
- the larger unit could be good because it can accommodate more

- mentioned program previously unmentioned
- there is a community talent show/concert event about dancing
- revisit idea of performance?

Part #3 (Notes Pam T.)

Lin (Group 1)
- concern for “cubes” being trashed, covered in grafitti, wheels being damaged
- loves portability and multi-use – however, it would be a good idea for the structure to reside in a part of the community for a while
- there seems to be an issue with communication within the neighbourhood – suggests an L-shaped metal piece with a triangular drum that can be rotated for the display of information
- suggestion of gazebo constructed of 2 cinder blocks with an old futon bed for canopy, cinder blocks and board for table, seat made of concrete with hinge creating flip-down seat, “mushroom” tables to hang out, play chess, and eat on

Carl (Group 2)
- spoke a lot about having a greenhouse like Riverlea, at Oxford
- using Oxford as a site would include year-round security and the building’s support
- cutting and preservation of vegetables could be done in the current garden room
- Noni: this could be done at Emmett, too, which is government-owned
- Adrian: But how do you control security and other things at the Emmett site?
- Noni: How about a moveable or collapseable greenhouse?Carl: Heating, water sources, and security are all available at Oxford
- Cathy: Regarding the greenhouse, the management at DMS would be completely supportive because it has a charitable function, it is for kids, and does not vandalize the property – DMS is a property management company (residential and commercial maintenance) that has been in and out of the building for the past 20 years, they are noted for doing charitable foundations – will check with city about building permits

Larry (Group 3)
- focused largely on identifying sites where things could go, on the map, based on identification of current hubs where people congregate or hang out
- Antoinette mentioned a municipal parking lot of 14 spaces, and a 300-person barbeque being planned for the future there – Humber High School @ 100 Emmett Avenue across from tall apartments, celebration of Black History Month – school is a vocational “technical” trades school attended by kids outside of the neighbourhood
- Mobile units are favoured (rickshaws?), should be flexible and be able to carry trays, maybe platforms and seating for a community talent show


General Discussion

Adrian: Need to focus for the next two weeks on – greenhouse, something mobile, performance program, food making and distribution.
- Jean and Noni: It might be possible to have a “farmer’s market” at the parking lot, with food from the gardens – this is definitely a neighbourhood goal, and would be good for the community kitchen as well.
- the idea of “green” in the summer could be communicated through wind instruments (wind chimes?), which could provide a symbol for the neighbourhood, for “green”, and the community.

- Adrian: There’s a challenge of making something with presence, and providing opportunities for performance.
- Noni questions the size of a moveable stage, such as a large flatbed trailer, and its storage – Carl says that storage at Oxford might be possible.

Comments following presentation of the “white limo”:

- Noni: How would you get the vehicle down the street and around corners? Disassembly would be important, but likes the idea of a moving party.
- Adrian: It could have bike wheels instead of car wheels, with lighter use.
- Lynn: Maybe it’s better off to use a flatbed instead of a “stage”.
- Adrian: Suggests that the stage could essentially be a flatbed.
- Noni: Doesn’t like the stage model, because she doesn’t think it’ll get used as much. There are a lot of other performance venues, and other groups working on that as well.
- Jean: Thinks the focus should be on food and gardens.
- Noni: Wonders where a stage could be stored, and its size relative to widths of paths when it’s be moved.
- Jean: The group needs to think about priorities at the moment – performance structure might be the last point in a 5-year plan.

- Adrian: Summary of ideas include the need for a greenhouse, focusing on food instead of performance, having smaller structures instead of a larger one – the obstacle is getting things designed – symbolic objects are necessary, hence the idea of a large stage.

Other comments:

- Nicko: What about a space for people who just happen to be by ie. A place to sit – there is a question of what the group is looking for, versus what other people might use if something is simply there.

- Lynn: If units can be disassembled, they could have removable wheels with bolts to connect more permanently when they are assembled as a single unit.