cibjunction

The Junction Summer Solstice Walk

Thanks to everyone who attended our Lantern Walk on Saturday. We figure about 40 to 50 people showed up! Though it was generally enjoyed by most, we learned some important lessons for next year’s walk. This is what came out of our Communities in Bloom Committee post-mortem:

-Do two walks: one shorter one for kids earlier, and then a dusk one for adults
-Mark the route with chalk, or balloons, or lanterns.
-Have more music with more instruments spread out among the procession and/or musicians playing at different points of the route.
-Be clearer about the time and route. Maybe pass out maps
-CiB reps should be strategically placed throughout the procession to keep it moving in the right direction.
-Have an indoor venue for more complex lantern-making on the weekends preceding.
-WALK SLOWER!
-Have something at the end to look forward to.

Any further feedback would be appreciated. Thanks to all for coming out!

Some images of the walk this year

scroll down for all the info

Lantern making workshop

June 14 1pm

Location: The Junction Train Station (Dundas/Pacific)

The walk

Saturday, June 21st 7:30 PM meet

The Junction Communities in Bloom Committee is organizing its 2008 event for Saturday, June 21st. Everyone from the neighbourhood will be getting together in Vine Park to participate in the Junction Summer Solstice Walk, celebrating community and the winding ways of the neighbourhood. We will precede the 21st with two lantern-making sessions on Saturday June 7th and 14th, making lanterns out of cans, sticks and tissue paper (bring your own or use ours). Then, on the Solstice, when the sun has set, we will walk en masse down Route Bloom, through our interesting alleys, lively side streets and main drag, during which we are encouraging businesses and homes to turn off their lights. This event is meant to celebrate the unique geography of our neighbourhood, remind us of the conservation message that Earth Hour intended to stick with us, and epitomize the Junction mix of grit and community. This event is also part of the Communities in Bloom national initiative. Come join us, because the more people that participate, the more light we will shed.

Email junctioncib@rogers.com for more info.

Participate in the
Junction Summer
Solstice Walk,
celebrating community
and the winding ways
of the neighborhood.

Update Saturday June 7th 2008

Today’s lantern making was swell, with people making over 20 lanterns today.
There will be another lantern making session next Saturday, or you can make your own at home and come for the walk at 7:3pm on the 21st. Plan to come for the walk - imagine a procession of lanterns walking through the streets - waving in the air- the murmurs of joy from the adults and shouts of wonder from the children.
All the while enveloped with the glow of the all the tea lights.

Communities in Bloom is an international, not-for-profit organization that encourages friendly competition between communities to enhance community pride and beauty by highlighting focus in 8 categories: Tidiness, Environmental Awareness, Community Involvement, Heritage Conservation, Urban Forest Management, Landscaped Areas, Floral Displays and Turf and Ground Covers.

Our Lantern Walk is submitted on behalf of the Junction to CiB's new Community Corner program, which judges projects that focus on one or two of these criteria.

Please let us know if you have a project in the Junction that may satisfy one or all of the criteria and we will add it to a list we will submit to Toronto's organizing committee for CiB, to help them in their bid to win the large prize.

Online poster

Background information can be read by viewing the following post over at the junctioneer blog

Route map soon

Want to have input into the route email us

junctioncib@rogers.com