Splash Pad for Old East! P2Front Yard Parking. P2 Presidents Corner. P3Don’t Lead a Dog’s Life. P3Carson Community Book Club P4Thinking Local. P42011 OEV Yard Sale. P5

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BAC BBQ Wrap up. P6, P10Dolphins are Precious. P7London Activism. P7Old East Events and Dates. P8-9Quebec Street Bridge. P10Old East Entertainment. P11Block Party Report. P12

Pictures: Top Right, Community Tent at Block Party. Middle: BAC BBQ. Bottom: Block Party Stage.

OEVCA Newsletter September 2011 [2]

OEVCA NEWSSeptember 2011

SPLASH PAD FOR OLD EAST!There is a new online petition in sup-port of an Old East Splash pad.

http://www.petitiononlinecanada.com/petition/oevca-splashpad/324

A big thank you to Councillor Orser for volunteering to receive and direct letters of support for this idea. Please write in for your support of a splash pad.

Councillor Stephen OrserCity of London300 Dufferin Avenue, Room 314London  ON   N6B 1Z2

Please include in the letter your con-sent to be placed on the public agenda, your signature, and full con-tact information.

Mr. Orser has put forward this list of possible locations:

1. Queen’s Park on Dundas Street

2. Boyle Community Centre on Charlotte Street3. McMahon Park on Ade-

laide at the tracks

If you have signed other petitions for this already,

thanks, but please go ahead and sign this one.

Front Yard Parkingby Greg ThompsonPresident, OEVCA

Once again, By-law Enforcement has

been issuing tickets for “illegal” park-

ing in our front yards, an issue

which has always been

tricky for the

neighbourhood.  How do

we balance the legitimate needs of

residents for reasonable parking with

our desire to maintain our heritage

streetscapes and not have front yards

become little more than parking lots? 

Car parking was not an issue when our

houses were built 100 years or more

Cont pg 6

Get Involved - Contributions WelcomeFor those that have contributed to the newsletter on a regular basis - a huge thank you is due. The effort is very appreciated.

For those that still have yet to be heard, now is your chance. Going forward all you need to do to subscribe to our mailing list here http://eepurl.com/fzlyg

Only individuals that have subscribed to our mailing list will receive notifications and reminders of content.

But the good news is, we want to hear from you. If the story or the source is local and it matters, we want to hear your stories!

Thanks very much!Guido Mulder, Editor, OEVCA News (oevcanews [at] gmail.com)

More info at oevca.blogspot.com

OEVCA Newsletter September 2011 [3]

Presidents Cornerby Greg ThompsonPresident, OEVCAThe summer, while hot, has been relatively uneventful for me.  With both the Association and the Urban League of London, which I have

agreed to chair for the next year, on summer hiatus, I’ve been free to spend time with family and friends. 

The Block Party in July was a fantastic opportunity to chat with neighbours that I rarely see.

There have been some things that have occurred over the past few months that may require some thought when we get back to business in the fall.  The Western Fair has gone through a reorganization process and

the result, the creation of a Western Fair District, may have some impacts on our neighbourhood. 

To be honest, I don’t really understand the plan and the effects it may have on us down the road – we weren’t involved in any of the discussions – but we will take a closer look at it.

We shouldn’t forget Lorne Avenue Public School either.  As many of you know, the efforts of local resi-dents to “save the school” a few years ago was success-ful in removing it from the closure list, but the school board was quite clear at the time that the topic might come up again in the future.  It was a reprieve, not an outright victory.  We need to remain vigilant, and the fate of the school remains top-of-mind for the Associa-tion.

FOR AN EVEN BETTER OLD EAST !We support the work of the Old East Village Community Association, making our neighbourhood an even better place to live. Please enroll our household as a member for the year 2011. Our membership fee of $10 is enclosed.

Name ............................................................. E-mail address . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . .

Address ..........................................................London ON ................. Telephone (optional ) 519- .................................

☐ I am/we are willing to take on volunteer tasks Mail to OEVCA, 817 Lorne Ave., London N5W 3K9

Don’t Lead a Dog’s Life!: A Landlord/Tenant Perspective"

by Linda Wayne

Dogs are becoming a bigger issue as London grows and the rental market tightens. A Landlord cannot evict you for buying a dog after move-in, but they can refuse dogs before then. If you sign a lease prohibiting dogs then buy one, you can’t tech-nically be evicted, however you will break the good standing you have with your Landlord which can create other problems. So if you don’t care about your Landlord and sneak a dog in after signing a lease are you scot-free? Nope. Most evictions

involving dogs are for noise that ruins the reasonable enjoy-ment of the premises for other Tenants and for damages.

That covers landlord/tenant regulations but the City of Lon-don has additional rules. Large dogs must always be licensed with a tagged collar. On a rental property, dogs must be on a leash not longer than 2 metres unless the Landlord allows off-leash dogs on the property (this is when you want a good rela-tionship with the Landlord). Regardless of who consents, only 3 dogs per dwelling unit are permitted. The City enforces these rules with fees and by charging an Animal Control Officer to seize the dog. More information: http://www.london.ca/By-laws/PDFs/dogs.pdf

OEVCA Newsletter September 2011 [4]

Carson Community Book Club Resumesby Paul Seale

The Carson Community Book Club resumes this fall with its first meet-ing at 7 pm, October

13 at the Carson Branch Library. The first

book of the season is The 100-Mile Diet: A Year of Local Eating by Alisa Dawn Smith and J.B. MacKinnon, available at the Carson Branch anytime after September 7.

According to the library website, The 100-Mile Diet tells the “remarkable, amusing and inspiring adventures of a Canadian cou-ple who make a year-long attempt to eat foods grown and produced within a 100-mile radius of their apartment. The couple's dis-coveries sometimes shook their resolve. It would be a year without sugar, Cheerios, ol-ive oil, rice, Pizza Pops, beer, and much, much more. The 100-Mile Diet struck a deeper chord than anyone could have pre-dicted, attracting media and grassroots inter-est that spanned the globe. The 100-Mile Diet: A Year of Local Eating tells the full story, from the insights to the kitchen disas-ters, as the authors transform from megamart shoppers to self-sufficient urban pioneers. The 100-Mile Diet is a pathway home for anybody, anywhere.”

The book club will continue to meet throughout the fall at the Carson Branch at 7pm on the second Thursday of each month. No pre-registration is required. Anyone wishing to join can pick up that month’s se-lection and attend the next meeting.

GET YOUR

BOOKS HERE!

Thinking, Shopping, Eating, Entertaining Locally

by Guido MulderEditor, OEVCA Newsletter

For residents of the Old East, we are blessed now with a vibrant Sat-

urday Market, and many emerging businesses along the Dundas cor-

ridor. By patronizing these local establishments, we create many

benefits that are invisible but tangible. Let’s take a look at them.

Shopping and thinking locally has a benefit of stepping away from

the type of consumerism where we stop paying attention to where

things are coming from. International markets and trade may have

benefited all of us in many ways, but they have also eroded our

awareness of what is good, local, and just around the corner. By vot-

ing with our dollars locally whenever we can, we build strong local

economies and a strong sustainable economic model of production

and distribution.

Health is also a huge local shopping advantage. By increasing the

number of trips we take that are walking trips, we increase our activ-

ity levels and contribute to our health in a direct and sustainable way.

This contribution has the single biggest long term effect on our health

that we can make. The health Canada guidelines stipulate at least

2.5 hours of moderate physical activity every week. So make it a

brisk walk to the Market this Saturday, and you are making a solid

contribution to your health!

For many of us, shopping on the weekend is actually a time to de-

compress and relax, and say hello to our neighbours. By taking a step

back from the day to day grind, taking a long walk, doing some shop-

ping for necessities, and taking some time to chat, we provide our-

selves the opportunity to build a sense of community that is irreplace-

able.

About twenty percent of the trips we take in our personal vehicles is

for shopping purposes. By shopping locally, we can easily cut that in

half. This means less greenhouse gasses, less wear and tear on the

vehicle, less parking aggravation, less risk of vehicle accidents, less

money spent on fuel.

So, stretch your legs, and get out and see your neighbourhood.

Health and prosperity may be just around the corner!

OEVCA Newsletter September 2011 [5]

New and Old Promotion make 2011 Yard Sale biggest Yet!

The 2011 Old East Village Community Yard Sale, held July 16 this year, was the biggest neighbourhood sale yet with 102 yard sales counted.

Organizer Paul Seale credits good old-fashioned leg-work with some of the sale’s success, but says that us-ing email and social networking to promote the sale to both vendors and shoppers was helpful.

“Facebook, especially, was a great tool for explaining the value of registering your sale with the community association, more information than I can get on a flyer. And it was a fantastic way to encourage partici-pants to publicize the event to their friends, people not on my own mailing lists.”

Seale says feedback has been positive, and there was some success creating business on streets that were quiet last year. He plans to expand on those efforts next year. “One of the sellers has suggested a passport game to en-courage visits to some of the remote loca-tions. Next year, we'll offer a substantial incentive to shoppers to get to as many yard sales as possible, es-pecially those that are a bit isolated.”   

The yard sale was also helped out by its relationship with the Dundas Street Sidewalk Sale Extravaganza and, especially, by the buzz about the Old East Village Block Party, both held the same day. Though nothing is definite yet, the Block Party and Yard Sale organiz-ers intend to talk about coordinating at least those two events again.  

Anyone interested in volunteering to help with next year’s yard sale can send contact information to oldeastyardsale@gmail.com.

OEVCA Newsletter September 2011 [6]

Maago and the narrow lots sizes did not allow for private drives

between the houses.

Added to this, the city’s front yard parking regulations repre-

sent a “one size fits all” approach and do not take into ac-

count the particular needs of many neighbourhoods built

before the advent of the automobile. Further, they are very

confusing and the “legality” of many of our existing parking

arrangements depend, in large part, on when they were con-

structed: before 1973, and in continuous use, and they’re

legal; after 1973 but before some as yet undefined date in the

late ‘80s and the use may be continued; after this date and

only a front yard parking agreement or a zoning variance

(and $1,000) will bring them into compliance.

We have met with city staff about this and it is our opinion

that we have an opportunity to develop some local guide-

lines for consideration by the city.  The intent is not to open

the doors to widespread front yard parking, it’s not about

parking on grass or expanding parking for multi-family

units, but it is about allowing local residents to make sure

their existing parking arrangements are legal and, if not, to

bring them into compliance at a much lower cost.

We will be holding a public meeting on   very shortly in the

meeting rooms at the Boyle Community Centre, likely be-

ginning at 7 p.m.  Come out and let us know what you

think.

An email will be circulated shortly when the meeting

date and time has been finalized.

B.A.C. Annual BBQ Wrap UpJason Ahrens

Boyle Activity Council

The Boyle Activity Council held their annual BBQ on Saturday, June 25th and had a great day. A cloudy morning with some rain cleared off in time for the BBQ which began at 2 PM and we estimated that around 300 people attended the event. The free event had a wide variety of entertainment options, there were 3 bouncy castles, a horse pulled wagon ride around the neighborhood, a bubble station, a visit from the Fire Department, a table organized by the Boy Scouts, helium balloons from Block Parent, a Heritage Table, games from Child Reach, the Library had a station, arts and crafts table, face painting, mu-sic, a Belly dancing demonstration, a chance to check out the newly renovated building, and of course the food!

Many of the children at the event came dressed in their soccer jerseys and all soccer players in atten-dance received their medals and team pictures. Most of the players left with their faces painted, a medal around their neck and a smile on their face.

It was a great day of partnerships and the community stepping up to make this event possible, we had over 40 hours of volunteer help (probably could have used about 60 hours), we had great support from the LIHC

and the City of London. We had a great response to our soccer sponsorship requests, all 14 teams

were sponsored this season, Sno-White Produce donated some fruit for the event and this al-

lowed us to provide as much entertainment as we did. Pictures available on page 10

and at http://tinyurl.com/3f8fy7q

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From Page 2, Front Yard Parking

OEVCA Newsletter September 2011 [7]

Dolphins are Precious!Brittany M-S, OEV Resident

As a young environmen-

talist I wanted to share some

of my views.

Each year the Japanese

government puts out a kill

quota of 20,000 dolphins. On

September 1st, 26 fishermen

in a small cove in Taiji, Japan

begin their dolphin hunt with

a quota of 2,000 dolphins and

small whales. The dolphins

swimming past this cove are

chased in by boats and held

their until trainers and marine

specialists from marine parks

all around the world, come to

pick out dolphins, for captivity.

The dolphins that are not

picked are led into a small la-

goon and violently murdered.

    The meat from this

slaughter is sold to the Japa-

nese people under false names.

It is also sold to schools for

children’s lunches. Dolphin,

whale, and shark meat is high

in Mercury, a dangerous toxin.

When people consume this

kind of meat the toxin is mag-

nified. Mercury poisoning has

become more frequent in Ja-

pan and may cause symptoms

such as loss of vision, weak-

ness, respiratory failure and

even death. All the symptoms

are more prevalent in chil-

dren. Groups working against

the slaughter believe that

every person deserves to know

what they are eating and the

affects it may have.

    Many species are sub-

jected to this slaughter, most of

which are endangered or at

risk of becoming endangered.

The oceans Eco-system is ex-

tremely fragile. When one

species goes extinct it has an

extreme domino effect. This is

why on Sept. 1st, people all

around the world rallied to

protect dolphins and celebrate

those that would survive the

slaughter. The documentary

’The Cove’ was the first video

ever filmed and is what

brought attention to this hei-

nous slaughter. For more in-

formation you can go to:

www.SeaShepherd.org and

www.savejapandolphins.org.

London Activism!Jo-AnneOEV Residentalicesdiner[at]gmail.com

There is a growing activist movement among 20-45

year olds in London, Ontario, and there are several

ways you can be a part of it.

Driven largely by social media platforms such as Twitter

and Facebook, Generations X, Y and the Millenials

have come together in an unprecedented way, discuss-

ing matters of importance to them. London's younger

generations are more involved than ever, and it is result-

ing in remarkable opportunities for young, civic minded

folks living in London, Ontario.

Many initiatives have grown out of this movement, and

many ideas continue to hatch and evolve. Past projects

developed by this emerging generation of Londoners

include: Hack the Vote - A non partisan group raising

awareness among youth about the importance of vot-

ing; Bike School London – A concerned Londoner, Jody

Bailey, with one goal: “to get more bikes on the roads”;

Emerging Leaders - A group dedicated to engaging and

retaining young, talented minds to live and work in

London; Change Camp, Park(ing) Day, Car Free Festivals – all

dedicated to finding a change to the status quo, and

different ways of looking at the every day.

Information is often posted around town regarding up-

coming events, or covered in the local media. Contact

the organizers and ask how you can get involved. You

can also join the discussion and add your thoughts by

joining Twitter and searching the hashtag #LdnOnt, or

looking for events posted on Facebook.

If you are a young-minded activist, connect with your

peers from the area and share your ideas for creating a

better future for the city. Don't be afraid to engage in

the discussion and get involved in the process.

OEVCA Newsletter September 2011 [8]

Community Events:

Green Fairy Open Salon. Saturday evenings,

Starting in October. Contact Linda Wayne for more

details. EVC.

Family/All AgesFamily Story Time (drop in) Wednesdays,

Sept 21 to Dec 21, 10:30AM - 11:15AM, Stories,

rhymes, and songs for the whole family, CL.

Family Games Night: Sept 21st, Wednesdays,

6:30 pm to 8:45, BAC

Toddlers/Pre-schoolers Parent/Tot Drop in Program Sept 8- Dec 8.

Thursdays, BAC

Arts and Crafts: Sept 24th, Saturdays, 9:30 to

10:00 am, Ages 3-5, BAC

School AgeArts and Crafts: Sept 24th, Saturdays, 10:30 to

11:30 am, Ages 6-10, BAC

Youth Art Classes: Nov 26th, Saturdays, 9:00 to

11:30 am, Ages 6-10, BAC

PA Day Movie: Nov 18th, 2:30 pm - 4:30 pm.

Come in and vote from November 1st onwards for a

popular movie, CL

Adults & LearningAdult Yoga: Sept 14th, Wednesdays, Intermediate

6:30 pm to 7:30 and Beginner classes 7:45 pm to 8:45.

BAC

Hatha Yoga: Wednesdays, 9:45 am - 11:45 am,

Bring your matt, belt, equipment, and arrive 15 min-

utes early, OES

Tatting: Sept 17th, October 15th, November

19th, 2:00 pm to 3:00, Fringe Element Tatters guild

will demonstrate and teach, CL

Adult Art Classes: Nov 16th, Wednesdays, BAC.

Adult Belly Dancing: Sept 24th, Saturdays, 9:30

am to 10:30, BAC

Nia: Sept 24th, Saturdays, 10:30 am to 11:30 am,

BAC

Adults - Positive & Practical Discipline

Strategies Sept 22, 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm. Join a parent

BAC: Boyle Activity Council, www.boylecouncil.caCL: Carson Library, 465 Quebec, 519-438-4287EVC: East Village Coffeehouse, 785 Dundas, 519-438-7878. Twitter @evcoffeehouse. Newcomers welcome at all events.LIHC: London InterCommunity Health Cen-tre, 659 Dundas, 519-660-0874.LS: LifeSpin, 866 Dundas at Ontario, 519-438-8676, www.lifespin.orgOES: Old East Studios, 755 Dundas, 519-434-5499, www.oldeaststudios.caSpectrum: City of London recreational pro-grams, at Boyle except as indicated. Prices quoted are for London residents. Register at 519-661-5575, or at www.london.ca (click Spectrum Link)

WHAT’S ON IN OLD EAST: EVENTS AND DATES

OEVCA Newsletter September 2011 [9]

Educator to talk about ways to guide children aged 2.5

- 6 years through difficult

times, CL.

Internet: Getting Started September 29th, 2:30 pm - 4:30 pm, Learn about the internet, how to find and use websites, CL. Adults - Carson Com-munity Book Club: Oct 13, Nov 10, 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm. Join us for lively discus-sions about gread books. New members always wel-come, CL. Ontario Public Library Week 2011: October 20, 5:30 pm - 7:00 pm. Celebrating Ontario Public Library Week and Small Business Week, CL.Women’s Art Group: Thursdays, 10:00 am to noon, Provides a forum for women, painting, crafts, sculptures, LS.Free Store: Thursdays. 10:00 am - 2:00 pm, LS.Access to Justice: Tuesday, Sept 20th. Workshop to provide information to help you gain access to justice, LS.Energy Re-Billers: Tuesday, October 4th. Find out how to avoid and termi-nate expensive energy contracts, LS.Credit Repair: Tuesday, October 18th, LS.Pay Day Loans: Tuesday, Nov 1st. This popular topic is back, make sure to reserve your spot, LS.Evictions: Tuesday, Nov 15th. If you rent an apartment or a house you should come along to this workshop, LS.Private Career Colleges: Tuesday, Nov 29th. Information on funding, LS.

For Music MakersSouthern Ontario Ukulele

Players: 7-10 pm. All levels and all

ages are welcome. Bring your enthusiasm and your own

instrument, OES

Ruby Tuesdays: 8-10 pm. Ruby Tuesdays is a

participatory musical group. Pay-

what-you-can, OES

Southern Ontario Ukulele Play-

ers: Mondays, 7:30-10pm. All levels

and newcomers welcome. Pay-what-

you-can, OES.

Belong to Song: Thursdays, 1:00 pm

- 4:00 pm. Open to participants with

a lived experience of mental illness,

OES

Learn Tradition Irish Tunes.

Wednesday, Sept14th - Nov 30th, 6:30

pm - 7:30 pm. Call for details and

preregistration, OES

WHAT’S ON IN OLD EAST: EVENTS AND DATES

OEVCA Newsletter September 2011 [10]

Quebec Street Bridge Re-Opened

On June 24th, 2011, the Quebec street bridge was officially re-opened after undergoing exten-sive repairs. Many Government

representatives were present, in-cluding as pictured MPPs Kalil Ramal, Deb Matthews, Chris

Bentley, as well as Mayor Joe Fon-tana and Ward 4 Councillor Ste-phen Orser. Reservists and regu-

lar forces from Wolseley Barracks were also in attendance. The cost of the project was about $2 Mil-lion dollars, with the Federal, Pro-

vincial, and Local municipality each taking an equal share of the cost. The military dedications

and fine detail work present at several locations on the bridge are pictured above.

Boyle BBQ Pictures*

*Reprinted permission Jason Ahrens, BAC

OEVCA Newsletter September 2011 [11]

OLD EAST ENTERTAINMENT!MUSICSeptember 24, The C.C. Ryder Blues Band: Five-Year Celebration. LCMTSeptember 24. rock singer songwriter Peter Elkas. AHSeptember 25, afternoon, Carl’s Kitchen Party – bluegrass, country, folk and blues with Carl Goodman and company. AHSeptember 25, Sunfest presents Brazilian sensation Luise Maita. AHSeptember 28, Mirabai Ceiba Sacred Chant, “original songs in Spanish and Eng-lish as well as newly arranged chants from different traditions of the world and Gurmukhi Mantras.” AHOctober 1, Una Noche de Clásicos, Gerry Rozo and Sergio Villarreal and guests perform “the best of Latin American romantic classics of yesterday, with a modern twist from today.” AHOctober 2, afternoon, Music Balm, a free Culture Days concert by people with lived experience of mental illness. AHOctober 4, Twisted Rockstars presents singer-songwriter (and actor and author) Ian Thomas with special guest Bridge. AHOctober 7, hit-making vocalist Suzie McNeil in a breast cancer benefit, proceeds to

OneRun. AHOctober 8, Chris Murphy Band, two-time Richardson award winner in the blues category Chris Murphy is joined by Lance Anderson on piano and or-

gan, ted Leonard on guitar, Ryan Spong on bass and Tim Tyler on drums. AHOctober 11, A Concert for Carolinian Canada – world-folk songwriter Jarmo Jalava and his international ensemble, a fund-raiser for the Carolinian Can-

ada Coalition . AHOctober 13, Ohbijou, part of its release tour for Metal Meets, with guest Julie Doiron. AHOctober 14 and 15, matinee as well as evening performance October 14, Jukebox Classics, hit songs from the 50s and 60s by the Satiniques. LCMTOctober 16, Jason Collet, “to many indie-rock fans . . . the wise, big-brother character in Broken Social Scene.” AHOctober 21, The Arrogant Worms, “comedy trio that parodies many musical genres, well-known for their humorous on-stage banter in addition to their

music.” AHOctober 23, The Once and Laura Smith, an East Coast double-bill presented by Acoustic Muse Concerts. AHOctober 25, singer-songwriter Jill Barber. AHOctober 26, Dan Mangan in support of his Oh Fortune release, ‘exploring folk music’s boundaries.” AHOctober 30, afternoon, Earth Dance, London Concert Band (www.londonconcertband.ca). AHNovember 1, singer-songwriter Sarah Slean in support of her Land & Sea release. AHNovember 2, Find the Others a music and visual project by Andy Sheppardwith special guest Kevin Fox. AHNovember 3, singer-songwriter Emm Gryner. AHNovember 4, Sunfest presents the Hendrik Meurkens Group, Brazillian samba jazz. AHNovember 10, folk icon Valdy. AHNovember 12, Marc Jordan Trio. AHNovember 17, singer-songwriter Matthew Barber. AHNovember 18, Sunfest presents flamenco guitar virtuoso Jan Martin. AHNovember 19, jazz vocalist Diana Panton. AHNovember 23, Timber Timbre. AHNovember 24, John McDermitt, one of PBS’s original Irish Tenors. AHNovember 25, “First Lady of the Guitar” Liona Boyd. AHNovember 26, Juno-nominated guitarist Pavlo. AHDecember 8, Frost & Fire: A Seasonal Celtic Celegration with Rant Maggie Rant.

AH

THEATRE September 17, matinee and evening, [title of show], “a love letter to the musical

theatre.” PTSeptember 23-24, 28-30, October 1, matinee September 25, Over the River and

Through the Woods, a family-friendly play about family. PTOctober 12-16, matinee October 16, Tuesdays with Morrie reunites a dying pro-

fessor with a former student for “their final ‘class’: lessons on how to live. Full of wit, humour and heartwarming moments.” PT

November 11-12, 16-19, matinee November 13, Diary of Anne Frank, “a new adaptation for a new generation.” PT

December 3 and 4, The Nutcracker, the Dance Steps company’s production of the classic seasonal Tchaikovsky ballet. PT

December 9-11, 14-17, matinees as well as evening performances De-cember 10, 11 and 17. White Christmas, the seasonal staple adapted from the 1954 movie that introduced “Count Your Blessings (Instead of Sheep)” as well as the title song. Matinees December 10, 11 and 17. PT

COMEDYSeptember 22, Jim Jeffries Comedy Night. 8 pm LCMT

FILMSeptember 23, The National Parks Project, a collection of 13 short films

showcasing the beauty and diversity of Canada’s national parks. AH

AH: Aeolian Hall, 795 Dundas, www.aeolianhall.ca, 519-672-7950. Times are doors open times. Tickets for most events avail-able at Grooves and the Village Idiot as well as online and at the box office.LCMT: London City Music Theatre, Western Fair, www.londoncitymusictheatre.com, 519-432-0888: Film Times at 1:00 PM, Show Times at 8:00 PMPT: Palace Theatre, 712 Dundas, www.palacetheatre.ca, 519-432-1029*Performances are evenings except as indicated

Old East Village Newsis published by the Old East Village Community

Association

&

President: Greg Thompson

oevcapresident[at]gmail.com

Vice-president: Frank Filice

Treasurer: Jacalyn Grabowski

Secretary: Cathy Stecko

oevcasecretary[at]gmail.com

Past President: Annecke Somann

Directors-at-large: Ken Da Silva, Steve Duncan,

Greg Mathison, Philip Shantz, Peter Strack

OEVCA Newsletter September 2011 [12]

Old East Village Rocks!***Block Party Report***Michael Courey, OEV Resident

On July 16th this summer the Old East Village Block Party took place on the block of Lorne Avenue between English and Ontario. On the same day there was also a

neighbourhood yard sale in the morning and a street sale on the Old East Dundas strip. The streets were certainly popping

that day. The Block Party included per-formances from neighbourhood musicians, displays by neighbourhood artists, chil-

dren’s games, displays by neighbourhood organizations, and a tasty BBQ by food supplied from neighbourhood businesses. At the Block Party between 1500 – 2000

people showed up to discover what OEV is all about.

The Block Party had two main objectives. The first was that we wanted to provide an opportunity for neighbours to get to know

each other and build personal relation-ships. Reports that I have heard from peo-ple include that the Block Party will be a great memory for their children. That

people spoke to neighbours that they had been meaning to talk to for some time. And some have said that it made them feel

proud of the neighbourhood. I believe that this goal was achieved and I hope that more social neighbourhood activities will

happen in the future. I believe that Old East Village is unique because of the kinds of people that live here. People that wave to their neighbour, people that try to be

helpful to each other and people that want to care for each other. It is my hope that OEV will be a community that encourages

neighbourly care.

The Second goal was to raise people’s

awareness about the arts and cultural as-pects as well as the community organiza-

tions and businesses that are in OEV. Each of these parts of OEV make it a neigh-bourhood that has a distinct character. The musical and artistic side brings out the part

of the neighbourhood that searches for beauty and is open to diversity. The com-munity organizations that are present in

OEV reflect the deep commitment of many neighbourhood residents to improve the world and their immediate surround-

ings. And the neighbourhood businesses are an opportunity to support local busi-nesses, an important part of building a strong community and arguably also for a

strong economy.

Many hands went into organizing the

event and a big thanks is put out to you. The day of the event went off without a hitch with people pitching into help many

thanks to all those who randomly help with the set-up and tear-down. Also much grati-tude is given to all of the musicians, artists, community organizations, and businesses

who shared their time and talents with the neighbourhood. We are also grateful to the City of London, SPARKS!! Strengthening

Neighbourhoods Matching Fund, and Car Free Festival’s for their financial contribu-tions to help make the Block Party as inclu-

sive as possible. It is encouraging to know that the City of London cares about mak-ing its neighbourhoods better through so-cial engagement.

There is talk of a possible Harvest Party in Memorial Park this Fall. The best way to

keep updated is to join the Block Party facebook page @ facebook.com/ OEVblockparty. If you would like to get involved in further planning of social

events or have ideas you can contacts us at oevblockparty@gmail.com.

Working together to make our neighbour-hood a better place, Block Party Organiz-ing Team.

Below is a list of the musicians, artists and organizations that took part in the Block Party:

Musicians: Booths

Hoodoo 2Jim McDonaldSaby SirensMary's BoysNoise LevelUkelletesAskherCoal Shed WilliesBackline Revival

•London Food Co-op•Operation Chicken•Neighbourhood Watch•Old East Village Heritage•Wishing Wall•EOA Apparel•OEV Business Im-provement Area

Food Donations:•A Taste of Hungry – Western Fair Market•Uncle Dads Pizza – Western Fair Market•Canada Comfort Food – Western Fair Market•MoMo’s at the Market – Western Fair MarketPrinting:•The Data Group of CompaniesFinancial and Technical Support:•Car Free Festival•City of London•SPARKS! Strengthening Neighbourhood Matching Fund•Urban League of London•Old East Village Community Association