The Danforth East Community Association

The Danforth East Community Association (DECA) is the result of a bunch of neighbours who wanted to improve our little pocket of the city and get to know each other better. The boundaries are Coxwell to Main, Mortimer/Lumsden to the Go Train tracks south of the Danforth. We believe that engaged neighbours make for a stronger, more vibrant community.

DECA formed about a year ago and it's been a busy year. We launched a website and a newsletter to share events and concerns in our community, hosted an all-candidate's debate for the provincial election, organized a number of community parties, hosted a home safety workshop for members by the Toronto Police, ordered more than a dozen trees for the boulevard along our streets and sponsored a competition among Danforth shop owners to green their flower boxes. At the same time, we established DECA as an official entity, drafted a charter and by-laws and elected an executive committee.

What are we working on now? We are hoping to start a farmers' market in East Lynn Park (south of Danforth, west of Woodbine) this summer. We are currently in negotiations with Farmers Markets Ontario to bring local farmers, organic and conventional, to the park on Thursday evenings from 3 to 7 p.m. We think it would be a great asset to the community, bringing neighbours together one night a week to enjoy locally grown food. We hope to promote local musicians during the weekly event. The one hold-up we have to date is around -- what else? -- parking. We're hopeful we can find a solution to that ever-present problem. We're also planning an Earth Day party in East Lynn Park and organizing a tree tour around the southeastern part of the community this spring. We've also got a passionate group of people who are working to improve our commercial stretch of Danforth Avenue.

We invite anyone who lives within the boundaries to become a DECA member. By becoming a member of DECA you will have the ability to vote at DECA meetings, but also your membership will give DECA a stronger voice. For more information, check out http://www.danfortheast.ca/ or contact natasha.granatstein@gmail.com.