Shade the Barns

Timing update on the Shade!

Sun, 17 Jun 2012 23:17:37 -0400

With summer heat and sun upon us, there has been a lot of buzz at the park, and folks are wondering when the shade is coming.

On Thursday, June 14th, Shade the Barns met with City Councillor Joe Mihevc and City Landscape Architect Bob Duguid to review the final plans for the shade structures.

There are two identical structures, one to be installed over the sand pit, and the other will be in the south-west corner of the playground. They are beautifully designed, and will provide shade coverage in the area of about 12 x 24 feet each.

Due to the large size of the structures, excavation and preparation of the foundation at the site will be required before they are installed.

The final costs of this project are higher than expected, but Councillor Joe has assured me that the funds are there to make this happen. At the City, there are several means of procurement, which differ depending on the projected cost of the project. In this particular situation, the City estimates that the structures will be in the ground in - drum roll - September 2012.

Shade the Barns has advocated for our community, and the City has agreed to purchase and install two temporary tent canopies for the park to ensure there is respite from the sun and heat over the summer.

We know this may be frustrating for some, but we can look forward to two beautiful shade shelters for late summer/early fall, and for the many years to come. In the meantime, let’s work together to take care of the temporary canopies that will help us all get through these hot days at the Barns Park.

Several new trees will also be planted, likely the faster growing maples that you can find near the dog park. And there will be seating made from felled trees as well.

Finally, if you have purchased a paver, you will be receiving a call from one of us in the coming few weeks to confirm your engraving. The pavers will be ordered this summer, and will be installed with the shade structures.

Thanks everyone for your understanding and patience and dedication to this community!

Please give your feedback on possible shade structure designs.

Sat, 04 Feb 2012 22:20:28 -0500

Please give your feedback on possible shade structure designs.

Things are moving: Monday Feb 27th community mtg to present final plans

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 14:16:10 -0500

We recently met with the City to review the first generation plans for shade at the park, and we are so excited to share their ideas with you!

On Saturday, February 4th at the Wychwood farmers’ market we will have the work-ups available for viewing, and we need your feedback and ideas.

Please come out and have a look, and tell us what you think. Your feedback will help the City develop the final plans, which will be presented at a Community Meeting, which is scheduled for Monday, February 27th from 6:30 - 8:00 pm at the Barns.

So, come out Saturday to the market and tell us what you think - there are some surprises!

We're at $19,000 - one big push and we'll be there.

Sat, 15 Oct 2011 00:19:16 -0400

Thank you to everyone who has continued to support this project. The Fall newsletter and update has been sent out. If you’d like to receive it, please send us an email at shadethebarns@gmail.com or tell us here.

Toronto Parks and Trees Foundation will be mailing out those tax receipts at the end of this year, or early next!

Our fundraising total is at $19,000 and we need to finish the job by November when the planning at City Hall starts! Can you get one person to donate? Then we’ll get there for sure! Thank you for continuing to support this important initiative in our neighbourhood.

The link to donate is here: http://shadethebarns.tumblr.com/donatenow

We're 3/4 way there!!!

Sat, 04 Jun 2011 08:38:00 -0400

Thank you to the community for your incredible support. We’ve raised $15,000! We’re really hoping to raise the remaining funds by the end of the month so that we can have shade for next year. If you’ve been thinking of donating and haven’t had a chance to yet - now’s the time! Click here to donate now!

A big news day!

Sat, 04 Jun 2011 08:30:00 -0400

Shade the Barns was featured in the Toronto Star.

http://www.parentcentral.ca/parent/newsfeatures/article/1001651—no-shade-means-popular-park-too-hot-for-young-kids

as well as on the CBC. Thanks to everyone who continues to support this initiative!

$10,375 raised! Let's keep the momentum going!

Wed, 20 Apr 2011 11:08:59 -0400

Thank you everyone for helping us get almost halfway to our goal! Awesome stuff.

If you know some folks who are planning to support this initiative but maybe haven’t had a chance to do so yet, please ask them to do so now. The sooner we meet our goal the sooner we can get the shade. It’s easy to donate online and the amount is tax deductible. Visit here http://www.torontoparksandtrees.org/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=15

Happy Spring everyone! The Shade Ladies.

$8,100 raised. Way to go Wychwood-ers!

Mon, 04 Apr 2011 22:22:48 -0400

We love this neighbourhood. Thank you to our awesome neighbours for your incredible support in getting this project going. We are a third of the way to our goal! If you’re planning to support this project, please click here to donate now and help us reach our goal of $25,000:

http://www.torontoparksandtrees.org/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=15

Just remember to enter the amount you wish to donate in the ‘add to my basket’ field.

If you have any questions about how to donate, please contact us at shadethebarns@gmail.com and we will get back to you as quickly as possible.

$3,500 DONATED! Let's keep going!

Tue, 08 Mar 2011 23:27:25 -0500

Thank you to the community for your tremendous support in just a few very short weeks. We are well on our way to our $25,000 goal. Please help us reach our target by the end of March. Click here to donate now

http://www.torontoparksandtrees.org/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=15

Just remember to enter the amount you wish to donate in the ‘add to my basket’ field.

If you have any questions about how to donate, please contact us at shadethebarns@gmail.com and we will get back to you as quickly as possible.

DONATE ONLINE NOW!

Thu, 03 Mar 2011 20:37:00 -0500

We are able to accept online donations through the Toronto Trees and Parks Foundation.

Click here:

http://www.torontoparksandtrees.org/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=15

You will need to scroll down the page and select what you would like to donate. PLEASE ENSURE YOU SPECIFY THE CORRECT AMOUNT in the “add to my basket” field.

If you are unsure what you would like engraved on your block, please just leave the engraving field blank and we will contact you at a later date.

If you have any questions on how to donate or are having any difficulty donating, please contact us at shadethebarns@gmail.com and we will be happy to help you.

Thank you for your support!

A video from our fundraising launch at the Stone Soup Supper....

Thu, 24 Feb 2011 13:47:33 -0500

A video from our fundraising launch at the Stone Soup Supper. Jen Goldberg (from our fundraising committee) explains the goal of Shade the Barns and how this project came to be.

All the details you're looking for!

Sun, 20 Feb 2011 13:00:56 -0500

Thanks everyone for the great support. Full details on who we are, what we do, why we’re shading the barns and more, can all be found on our newly updated About Us page http://shadethebarns.tumblr.com/aboutus

Please check it out and email us at shadethebarns@gmail.com with any questions.

The pictures above show the general vicinity of the shade...

Thu, 17 Feb 2011 21:43:00 -0500

The pictures above show the general vicinity of the shade structures, but the final location will be decided after further input from the community when the working design is brought to a public meeting.

We love the enthusiasm! Please email us!

Wed, 16 Feb 2011 14:35:02 -0500

Thanks to everyone who has already been in contact with us. We love your support! Please email us at shadethebarns@gmail.com to be added to our email list, if you’re interested in volunteering and/or if you have any thoughts/ideas about the Shade that you’d like to contribute.

Please don’t forget to visit us at the Stone Soup Supper this coming Sunday night at the Barns where we will have a table and some awesome posters courtesy of Gregory Elliott!

Inspiration from the community

Mon, 14 Feb 2011 22:17:00 -0500

Thanks Nadine for sharing this great idea with us! We will definitely be looking into this as we go through the formal design process with the city. Keep the ideas coming! In the meantime, please come to our table at the Stone Soup Summer on Feb 20th at the Barns, and every Saturday at the Farmer’s market (starting Feb 26th).

(Here is Nadine’s post to us):

My husband and I saw these really great umbrella-like structures in Cairo, Egypt, used to shade the gathering square outside Al-Hussein mosque, one of the most visited mosques in the city. Check out the images linked below from Flickr. The first image shows the ‘umbrellas’ open, and the second shows them closed:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/areza/2518582423/in/photostream/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/8773698@N03/5248534064/

Good luck with the cause. I know my family and friends would appreciate it in the summer.

Nadine El-Gazzar

Fundraising drive to launch Sunday, February 20 at the Stone Soup Supper at the Barns

Mon, 14 Feb 2011 19:56:01 -0500

Thanks everyone for your continued support. We will be formally launching our fundraising campaign this coming Sunday at the Stone Soup Supper at the Barns. The volunteers are working hard to finalize the details around the fundraising and look forward to sharing this with you then.

If you’d like to attend the Stone Soup Supper, more info can be found here.

http://www.wychwoodbarnscommunity.ca/dcmain.aspx?p=0&i=2272&skin=79&tID=205

Please come by our table to show your support for Shade the Barns!

Our Facebook page - join now

Tue, 08 Feb 2011 09:38:00 -0500

Our Facebook page - join now:

We have a Facebook page. Please join us (and share with your friends and neighbours) to be kept abreast of our planning and fundraising efforts for the shade structures.

Councillor Joe Mihevc's site

Tue, 08 Feb 2011 00:45:00 -0500

Councillor Joe Mihevc's site:

Councillor Joe Mihevc’s office has been extremely supportive in helping us navigate the complexities of bringing shade to the park.

Wychwood Barns Community Association

Tue, 08 Feb 2011 00:43:00 -0500

Wychwood Barns Community Association:

The Wychwood Barns Community Association is the independent, not-for-profit community organisation formed in 2008 to manage the Community Gallery and community use of the Covered Street Barn in the Artscape Wychwood Barns complex. Activities of the association include facilitating community use of the complex, programming community events, and managing the Community Gallery.

The vision of the Wychood Barns Community Association is to make the Artscape Wychwood Barns a year-round hub of activity that engages the many communities who are committed to our shared values and priorities.

We're on our way!

Tue, 08 Feb 2011 00:04:00 -0500

After several meetings, the Shady Ladies are on their way to raising funds to shade the Wychwood Barns Park. Summer 2011 here we come! (And this time, we say no to the heatstroke!)