The East Toronto Community Coalition
Thursday, 2008 January 3, 6:30 pm
Ralph Thorton Centre

We are looking for volunteers to help with the documentary screening of Wal-Mart Nation.

Additionally, we will be finalizing a “community vision questionnaire”.

If you would like to get involved, please join us!

This is the community group that has party status at the OMB hearing representing the residents against the big box development on Eastern Ave:

East Toronto Community Coalition
Thursday, 2007 November 8, 6:30 pm
Jimmie Simpson Community Centre
(note venue change: Ralph Thorton is booked)

If you or anyone else you know is interested in the topics (see agenda below) we will be discussing, please feel free to join us.
See you there,
Kelly       Read more »

I’ve been trying to get my house in order after burning myself out on Power to Choose, but I’m pretty worn out and prone to feeling ill instead. There is also still a lot of follow-up work with Power to Choose, including fora in other locations and editing and compiling the information gathered. And soon we’re about to announce another nomination meeting.

But I wanted to let everyone know the highlights from last week. I’m going to do a special entry about the Pride Parade, which I wish I would have written about a long time ago. I also want a special entry about the Portlands Energy Centre CLC walkout. Here’s the rest of the news:     Read more »

Last night, at the Ralph Thorton Centre, a depressing but quite possibly real future was presented for our community:

• empty (more) storefronts on Danforth, Gerrard, Queen St.E.
• the vibrancy of our community hitting all new lows.
• the average wage in the retail sector falling. Local entrepreneurs of all ethnic groups forced out of business. More pressure on government for social assistance.
• growing numbers of working-poor people who can only afford to shop at Wal-Mart.
• we can’t see them but exploited children and adults, in far corners of the world, work for pennies fabricating the items for sale at “everyday low prices”. We can’t see it, but tonnes of carbon are emitted to bring these items here.
• thousands of cars, bringing their carbon and noxious emissions, to our lovely waterfront in the Portlands.

see www.waltown.com

If you dispute the above, then please explain how ‘is our community different from many hundreds of others in North America and thousands around the world?’

One answer is that together we will force politicians at all levels of government to hear our voices, to see the big picture, say “no thank you”

There is a Wal-Mart planned for the Portlands area of our riding.

United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW), Councillor Paula Fletcher and Peter Tabuns, MPP, present:

Wal-Town: The Film
Wednesday, 2007 March 14, 7 pm
Ralph Thornton Centre
765 Queen St East
(two blocks east of Broadview) Free

The director and cast will be there to discuss the effects that multinational retailers like Wal-Mart have on local communities.