Hey All,

Just a reminder that this coming Monday June 10th at 7 p.m. at the Daniels Spectrum the City of Toronto will be hosting a community consultation on the re-zoning and site plan amendment applications.  Please come out and ensure your voice is heard!

Launch of the Regent Park Farmers' Market

Yesterday was the launch of the Regent Park Farmers’ Market, and Regent Park Boulevard** was bustling with patrons taking in all that the vendors had to offer (see the full list at the end of this post).  The Market will be running every Wednesday, until October 30^th, from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. and will be serving locally grown foods and locally made goodies.

BBQ corn, butterfish sandwiches, samosas, smoothies, and butter tarts were just some of the food people were enjoying yesterday. Homemade breads, spices, organic herbs, and fresh root vegetables were in abundance. This market is aimed to be different from others in the city; Regent Park Farmers' Market is an affordable option where you will experience the wonderful diversity found in the community.  

Besides the delicious food and treats, the atmosphere was lovely. In many instances, people were meeting each other for the first time on the Boulevard and taking time out to engage with their neighbours. Several of the vendors were from Regent Park and provided some cultural favourites that will surely keep you coming back every week. The Market truly has something for everyone and is a lovely place to meet new people in the community.

We see a bright future for the Regent Park Farmers’ Market and hope you will support this endeavour. We will have a table there each week and hope you will stop by and say hi. For more information about the market please visit their website at www.regentparkfarmersmarket.ca.

**Regent Park Boulevard has not yet been officially named. It is the street colloquially known as "Street P Parking," running north/south on the East side of the Daniels Spectrum. Make sure to come out to the official street naming the same day as Sunday in the Park, on July 7th.

This list is of the venders at the market June 5, 2013. List will change throughout the season.

• Arman Farmers' Market (Wali) - bbq corn / coconut juice / sugar cane juice = RP local resident & hero
• Fish Shack (Ali) - cod fish & veggie fritters / fish & veggie sandwiches / homemade juices
• Hymark Farms (Zach) - beans / potatoes / other fresh produce = will also have Halal Goat at future markets
• Southern Horizon (Margaret & Rodney) - fresh greens / root vegetables
• The Food Smyth (Dave) - artisan cheeses
• Simply Buds (Maryann & Andrew) - raspberry & blueberry berliners / pecan tarts = RP local residents who cooked at Paintbox Bistro
• Exact Edge (Denzil) - knife sharpening
• Incredible Spices (Sanjiz) - all homemade spice blends / sauces / dips and samosas / mango lassi
• Red Pocket Farm (Amy) - fresh greens / root vegetables
• Wicklow Way (Greg & Elaina) - organic vegetables / flowers / honey
• De la Terre Bakery (Chad) - fresh baked assorted breads / muffins / date squares = they grow their own grain for the breads / treats
• Fathima's Tasty Treats (Fathima & Ahamed) - veggies & chicken samosas / fish balls / cupcakes = RP local residents who cooked at Paintbox Bistro
• Sally's Spring Rolls (Sally) - veggie & chicken spring rolls / chutney = RP local resident (caters many community events) = cooked at Paintbox Bistro
• Fresh City Farms (Arlene) - fresh greens / broccoli / root vegetables
• Paintbox Bistro's Boxie - coffee / fruit smoothies

New Year. New Blog. Same Direction.

Welcome everyone to our blog! We are super excited for all the new things that this New Year will bring to RPNI.  In the next few weeks we will be unveiling our new initiative and new ways for you can get involved. Until then there a few changes we want to tell you about.

New Location

Many of you know that we have recently moved to the New Daniels Spectrum building at 585 Dundas St. East. We are located on the third floor in the Centre for Social Innovation and could not be happier. We are fortunate to be surrounded by many organizations that are doing great work in Regent Park and beyond. As always we encourage you to come visit us and checkout the space and while you are here connect with our new friends.  You can find many of them on our new programs page. We look forward to your visit.

New faces

We have recently added new staff and board members to the organization.  These individuals bring with them a wealth of experience and expertise that will take RPNI into the future. Soon we will be unveiling these individuals and hope you are excited as we are.

Same Commitment

RPNI was founded  to ensure Regent Park is a healthy and vibrant community where everyone belongs, is heard and celebrated; and we stand committed to that. We are currently going through our own changes and are looking forward to show them to you, including:

• New Website
• New Blog
• Memberships (coming soon)
• Events
• More community involvement

We hope that you will all join us in our endeavour. We are here to advocate for you and need your input in everything we do.  So please, let your voices be heard. We are all in this together.

(Originally posted on January 17 By Krystle Henry)