Events Guide: stuff swap, earth day workshops, art installation, and more

WHAT: Community Environment Days
WHEN: April 19 and 20, 10 am – 2 pm
WHERE: Wabash Ave. (April 19, street closure) and High Park (April 20, Grenadier Restaurant)

How many times have you heard that one person’s trash is another person’s treasure? It’s a familiar saying, and for good reason: it’s true! Bring your unwanted and unused “stuff” to your local Community Environment Day, hosted by your city councillor, and transform your trash into treasure.

Click here for more information and a schedule.

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WHAT: Earth Day Workshops
WHEN: April 19, 10 am ­­— 12 pm
WHERE: Edwards Gardens (777 Lawrence Ave. East)

Celebrate Earth Day at the Toronto Botanical Garden with Friends of the Don East (FODE). The Toronto Botanical Garden will be leading workshops, talks, and kids programs. FODE will be there to lead a walk through the natural areas of Edwards Gardens and to discuss the issues facing the City’s creeks in general and Wilket Creek in particular.

Click here for more information.

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WHAT: No. 9 Presents the Installation BGL: Project for the Don River
WHEN: April 19th, 1 pm — 5 pm
WHERE: Lower Don River (by the old Eastern Ave. Bridge)

No. 9 Contemporary Art & the Environment is proud to present the installation BGL: Project for the Don River. Join No.9 at the edge of the Lower Don to celebrate the opening of a major new commission by acclaimed Quebec City collective BGL. A riverside tent just south of the installation will have refreshments and music, and BGL will speak about their work at 2 pm.

Visit www.no9.ca for more information.

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WHAT: Reclaim Earth Day: U-Turn on Climate Change
WHEN: April 20, 12 pm to 4 pm
WHERE: Starts at Yonge & Dundas Square, followed by a parade and street festival on John St.

Streets are for People!, in cahoots with the Toronto Climate Coalition, invites you to celebrate Earth Day in the streets. The festivities will start with a rally at 12 pm in Yonge & Dundas Square, and a performance by The New Kings. From there, we’ll parade south on Yonge St. and then west along Queen St. to John St., which will be closed to traffic and open to pedestrians from Queen St. to Richmond St. from 2 pm — 4 pm. The street festival will feature enviro-themed theatre, music, clowns, puppets, and community debates.

Visit www.streetsareforpeople.org for more information.

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WHAT: Earth Day Petition Car Delivery
WHEN: April 22, 12:30 pm — 4 pm
WHERE: Starts at Bellevue Square Park in Kensington Market, followed by a parade and rally at Queen’s Park

Help Streets are for People! deliver the Petition Car — loaded with over 4,000 signatures, and a paper petition to accompany it — to Queen’s Park. We will meet at 12:30 pm at Bellevue Square Park, in Kensington Market, for a classic Streets are for People!-style parade. The parade to Queen’s Park will leave at 1 pm — bring instruments, costumes, and banners!

The petition will be presented to the Ontario Legislative Assembly by MPP Rosario Marchese at 3 pm. To sign the petition click here.

Visit www.streetsareforpeople.org for more information.

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WHAT: No. 9 and BGL Launch Art Project for Earth Day
WHEN: April 22, 3:30 pm — 5:30 pm
WHERE: Lower Don River (by the old Eastern Ave. Bridge)

No. 9 Contemporary Art and the Environment has commissioned the acclaimed art collective BGL to create an art installation on the Lower Don, the most altered part of this urban river. Inspired by this installation, No. 9 is hosting an Earth Day Event on the banks of the Lower Don, by the old Eastern Avenue bridge. The event integrates environmental issues, art, and social history.

Visit www.no9.ca for information and directions to the art project.

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WHAT: House Party 1988: A Night of Pure 80’s Pop in Support of Non-Profit Housing
WHEN: April 24, 6:30 pm — 9:30 pm
WHERE: Shamba Foundation (48 Yonge St., Suite 1200)

Houses Opening Today Toronto (HOTT) and the SHAMBA foundation present: House Party 1988, a night of pure 80’s pop in support of non-profit housing. All proceeds will go to the construction of the Darrell Project; a new, eight-unit, alternative housing development that will provide housing for up to 24 adults and children who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. Guests will also enjoy a live performance by 80’s acoustic cover band B.A. Baracus, host bar, and hors d’oeurves. Tickets are $75 each, or $140 for two.

Visit www.hott.ca/houseparty for ticket information.

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WHAT: Trees Across Toronto: City of Toronto Spring Planting
WHEN: April 26, 10 am — 12 pm
WHERE: Colonel Sam Smith Park, Earl Bales Park, Eglinton Flats, McCowan Park, Sun Valley — Lower Don Valley

Each year the City of Toronto holds Trees Across Toronto, a city-wide tree planting event. Last year alone, volunteers succeeded in planting over 19 000 trees in Toronto parks. To participate, just show up at one of the many 2008 planting sites to learn how to plant a tree and help Toronto grow it’s Urban Forest.

Click here for more information.

The Events Guide is a regular feature on Spacing Toronto. To submit a listing, email eventsguide@spacing.ca. Please note that, due to demand, we cannot guarantee publication of your listing.

Photo courtesy of mbtrama