West End Food Coop – Sheryl Kirby

Occupy Toronto squatters get kicked out of the basement of St. Patrick Market, but vow to find another place to squat where they can distribute food to the poor. Oh goody, I’m sure the poor people are looking forward to that. [Toronto Star]

This is a new marketing strategy in the food world that I suspect will become a trend – distract them with an ingredient. As in, talk about the honey in the honey-glazed ham, as opposed to the ham and how it was raised. Just one a of a few scary tactics coming out of Sara Lee. [Mother Jones]

The world’s most influential chefs for the past 15 years. No Canadians, sorry. [Epicurious]

Follow that coffee. Traces of caffeine found in Montreal’s storm drains apparently mean that they city’s sewage system has a leak. Since only humans consume caffeine (and then piss it out), finding it in places where sewage isn’t supposed to be signifies a problem. [National Post]

Continue reading “Lucky Dip – Tuesday, November 29th, 2011”

There was a piece in the Post a few weeks back about the condo development going in on the south-west corner of Queen and Dufferin. It was lots of the usual fluff about shops and restaurants, plus some whacked out idea about how the park across the street where the skateboarders hang out is being turned into a cinema. The most amusing part of the story though was what it didn’t include; like the fact that the train route to the airport (with all those additions diesel trains) runs about 50 meters from what would be the building’s front door. Or that the next door neighbour to the west is a huge community health centre with a meth clinic.

The Parkdale Community Health Centre is a large building with a small park adjacent to it. It serves the community well with a number of programs for lower income people (no health card is needed to obtain the free services offered) and they have everything from primary care doctors to chiropodists and nutritionists to mental health workers. Being such a community hub, it would make a perfect place for some food-related services. Especially because the 7,000 square foot basement space has been sitting empty since the building was erected a few years back.

Which is why it was so awesome to hear that the Westend Food Co-op has partnered with the PCHC to install their food store in the lower level by the end of the year.

Continue reading “Parkdale is Set to Get a Food Co-op”