New Environment Program set to launch

Our new Environment Program, to be officially launched in May, is built on the belief that it is possible to preserve and strengthen our natural environment in tandem with a successful economy that allows individuals and communities to thrive. The program is committed to compiling and communicating proven examples of how environmental and economic interests can work together and translate into stronger communities. We will also be on the lookout for ideas and project outcomes that can influence policy development.

Reinventing the Future: Green Economy at Community Scale
Wednesday May 1. 5:30 to 7:00 pm. 
At this public event we hope to stir lively discussion around the meaning of prosperity and the dilemma of how to protect our natural ecosystems while also ensuring economic well-being. More details to follow.

Please welcome
Adriana Beemans

We are pleased to announce that Adriana Beemans has joined us as our Inclusive Local Economies Director. She brings extensive experience in community development, capacity building, and program innovation. Most recently she spent five years as the Director of Programs & Services at Working Women Community Centre. Adriana says, “I’m excited about ways in which the foundation works to foster collaboration, creativity and community, and am passionate about advancing practical strategies to help those players who most directly face issues of economic well-being.”

Regent Park: a story of collective impact

Regent Park’s revitalization is one of the largest urban renewal projects in the world. Yet without the perseverance of a handful of residents this project would still be, at best, only an idea. Their vision steered the collaborative efforts of individuals, government, community and service agencies, and business, which resulted in the process of massive revitalization that is transforming this neighbourhood. We are pleased to announce the publication of a new booklet which tells this amazing story in both words and pictures.

Introduction to Adaptive Change in the Arts

It’s a new era — one in which success depends on our adaptive capacity to change and our ability to be structured not for growth, but for resilience. This is one of the many ideas discussed on February 5, during a presentation and hands-on workshop hosted by Metcalf and attended by close to 100 individuals. Richard Evans, President of EmcArts and a leading provider of learning programs for arts organizations, facilitated an insightful and thought-provoking conversation.

2013 Inclusive Local Economies Guidelines

The 2013 Inclusive Local Economies Guidelines have been released and are available on our website. Please note: Letters of Interest for the Opportunities Fund will be due September 16, 2013.

Regional food distribution pilot project is launched

The Greenbelt Fund, with funding from the Metcalf, McConnell, and Friends of the Greenbelt foundations, is embarking on a pilot project to look at ways to integrate regional food hubs with mainstream foodservice distribution. The project addresses the increasing popularity and demand for locally grown and produced food. It aims to bring the efficiencies of large-scale distribution to smaller-scale businesses to help them source and distribute fresh, locally grown products.

New book tells the inside story of The Stop

Nick Saul and Andrea Curtis have authored a book that tells the extraordinary story of The Stop. The Stop: How the Fight for Good Food Transformed a Community and Inspired a Movement, covers a 14-year period during which The Stop — a long-standing Metcalf grantee —transformed from a small, urban food bank into a thriving community food centre with kitchens, farmers markets and gardens. The book will be launched March 24 at The Stop’s Green Barn.

Report calls for reforms to help the precariously employed

From our wider community, the United Way Toronto and McMaster University recently funded a study that further explores the social consequences of Canada’s polarizing income distribution. Making this issue all the more pressing is the finding that less than 60% of GTA workers have stable, secure jobs. It’s More than Poverty calls for several policy reforms to help create greater economic certainty for the precariously employed.

Chinese community engages in local conservation

The Toronto Chapter of the Chinese Canadian National Council has completed an awareness campaign around issues of environmental protection and urban ecology. Twenty-five volunteers from the community were recruited to act as environmental advocates. These ambassadors were able to reach across language (Mandarin, Cantonese, English) barriers to garner interest. Response was tremendous, resulting in well-attended workshops, field-study trips, and a community event at the Scarborough Civic Centre.

Theatres Leading Change welcomes new cohort

Operated in Toronto by TAPA, Theatres Leading Change is a think tank and laboratory dedicated to developing new approaches to creating work in a challenging economic climate. At a meeting, on March 7, it was announced that they would shortly be receiving applications for a new cohort of mid-sized theatre and dance companies. The aim is to identify and advance new approaches while focusing on ways of working that have been discovered, invented, or adapted by arts professionals.

Mowat Centre releases The Integration Agenda

Mowat NFP has released the first of a series, titled Sector Signals, which are analyses of early warning signs critical to the not-for-profit (NFP) sector. The Integration Agenda looks at the current climate of fiscal restraint and considers implications specifically for NFP organizations that provide government services.

Landmark grant for
Toronto parks

The W. Garfield Weston Foundation has committed up to $5 million over the next three years to fund innovative new park initiatives across Toronto. Working in partnership with Toronto Park People, the donation will be used to spark new thinking about parks. On March 6, Toronto Park People was also named a Tides Top 10. Congratulations to Dave Harvey, a past Metcalf Innovation Fellow and Director of Toronto Park People.

March 11, 2013

Letters of Interest, Creative Strategies Incubator

April 8, 2013

Applications, Performing Arts Internships

May 13, 2013

Applications, Renewal Program