The Thornhill Liberal, Thursday, June 21, 2012, 16
Local group digging in for garden contest BY KIM ZARZOUR
kzarzour@yrmg.com
A local non-profit group is challenging York Region residents to get digging — and voting — for ground-breaking change. Seeds For Change is looking for voter support to help them win $15,000 and create 2,015 gardens in York Region in time for the 2015 Pan Am Games. The contest, Gardens for Good, will award three organic community gardening projects $15,000 to go toward empowering communities to make change from the ground up. Seeds For Change, a grassroots group that
fosters community gardens, hopes to inspire residents across the region to start their own food-producing garden plots, whether they are in the family’s back yard, balcony container garden, schools, fire halls, rooftop gardens, interfaith gardens or wherever there is under-utilized land. Organizer Lynne Koss hopes the initiative will help the community learn critical life skills, share and celebrate local food, reconnect to nature, enjoy outdoor activity and help the environment. The group’s 2015 challenge has been made a finalist in the Nature’s Path Organic
ON THE WEB From now until June 30, supporters can add their daily vote at http://apps.facebook.com/ gardensforgoodgrants/contests/218426/voteable_entries/51310451 Foods contest. The winning entry will have shown a passion and vision for organic urban farming and have earned the most votes on the contest Facebook site. Prizes include technical design and production mentorship, a free organic breakfast community celebration and a donation of Nature’s Path products to help fill the pantries of a local food bank.
The 2015 challenge has already begun with the first garden plot at a Thornhill child care centre, the second at a local fire hall and additional plots at a Markham group home for youth. Also planned are gardens at three York Region elementary schools, two additional community gardens and others lined up for Richmond Hill and, through York Region Food Network, 22 plots to be added to the Newmarket community garden. A similar challenge was launched by Vancouver city council in 2006 to create 2,010 new food-producing plots as a 2010 Olympics legacy. The city of London, England plans to add 2,012 new gardens in unused space across the capital for the 2012 summer Olympics.
EFFECTIVE
Thornhill Effective July 1, YRT / Viva is adjusting select bus services operating in the Town of Richmond Hill.
CORRECTION Infiniti of Willowdale 7200 Yonge Street, Thornhill
EW
On Thursday, June 14th in the Thornhill Liberal and Richmond Hill Liberal, the prices of the vehicle’s listed on page 4 of the Infiniti of Willowdale special pop-up section were incorrect. The Liberal regrets any inconvenience this may have caused.
REVISED ROUTES & SCHEDULES > Viva – blue, blue “A”, purple, pink > 1 – Highway 7 > 4 – Major Mackenzie > 23 – Thornhill Woods > 81 – Inspiration > 82 – Valleymede-Spadina > 83/83A – Trench > 84A/84C – Oak Ridges > 85/85A – Rutherford-16th Avenue > 86 – Newkirk > 87 – Langstaff-Maple > 90 – Leslie > 91/91A – Bayview > 98 – Yonge > 98E – Yonge Limited Express > 99 – Yonge
JULY 1,
2012
> 242 – North Richvale GO Shuttle > 760 – Vaughan Mills/Wonderland HIGH SCHOOL SERVICES All High School Specials (400 series) and route diversions to schools will be suspended for the summer and will resume with the start of the new school year. PUBLIC HOLIDAYS Canada Day – Sunday, July 1 (observed Monday, July 2) Civic Day – Monday, August 6 Sunday/Holiday service for all YRT/Viva services and contracted TTC routes operating in York Region.
Visit yrt.ca for complete details or call 1-866-MOVE-YRT (668-3978) to speak with a Customer Service Representative. Thanks for riding YRT /Viva!