Business Regulations in Toronto

I believe one of the biggest problems with the city of Toronto is the business regulations, or lack thereof. One of the most prominent traits of Toronto is it's strong cultural niches, such as the Annex, Little Italy, The Fashion District, The Gay Village, Yonge St Tourist district, etc. Each of these niches has their own codes and conventions in terms of the business regulations. The problem with this is that there is very little government control over what businesses go where. This becomes an even larger problem when the 'Big Box' stores come into the picture, and place their shops in the center of these beautifully cultured areas.
I work at a local, independently owned shop in the middle of the tourist driven fashion district on Queen St. West. While the shop I work at has been located in the same building for almost 20 years, the vast majority of other shops in the area have come and in some cases, quickly gone. I spoke to my boss about the business regulations that she follows, and what verbal agreements she has made with distribution companies in terms of which shops in the same vicinity are allowed to carry the same brands that you would find in her shop. Being the owner of an independently owned company proves to bring some serious challenges to her in terms of regulating brand distribution. Over the years she has taken on brands, and now carries over 100. She has agreements with most of the companies that she is the only shop in a particular section of Queen Street that is allowed to carry certain brands. The long and short of it, it is in no way affiliated with government and on the other hand, is a monopoly brought on by her fervor.
This situation of her owning brand rights over other smaller shops, can be compared, on a far larger scale, to big box stores coming and placing themselves in a district of independent companies, essentially driving them away. Since I have been talking about a section of Queen street between University and Spadina, I will continue to give examples relating to that area: There are many locally owned convenient stores (such as Gardenview, St. Patricks, etc) that survive because of the tourist industry. They provide things for people who are traveling through the area to shop, such as water and snacks, yet they also provide a basic grocery store for people who live close by. Living in the area as I do, I do find myself often going to these stores for things that I need to survive. These small companies, who often jack up their prices because of their locations, survive on the fact that it is a good distance to walk elsewhere to stores such as Shoppers Drug Mart, Wal-Mart or Loblaws, and the convenience of their locations forces people to shop there. The large Urban Planet found in between John and Beverly on Queen West is closing due to a lease end, and there is talk of the very large, two story space being rented to Shoppers Drug Mart. Envision a Toronto with stronger business regulations: Perhaps something like putting in a huge Shoppers drug mart in this area would not be allowed to happen. I worry for the owners of these local stores, who will undoubtedly suffer as a consequence of the arrival of this Big Box corporation.
Another example, even more painstaking, would be the proposal to put a starbucks in the center of Kensington Market. While this proposal has caused an uproar with local residents, there is little stopping starbucks from opening a location in the area. Simply put: There needs to be at least the most basic of moral codes and conventions put into place to assist in the placement of corporate stores that will prevent them from taking over the world, or simply just continuing to take over our streets.

Arepanrix H1N1 Vaccine .pdf Exposed

"If you are Canadian and you are thinking about taking the H1N1 vaccine that was approved by Health Canada, you may want to consider reading the .pdf file before you do because I don't think they did."

china's no jolly green giant

I know this is from the Sun but i found it very interesting. check it out!

http://www.torontosun.com/comment/columnists/lorrie_goldstein/2009/10/04/11284411-sun.html

Four Square

Is now in Toronto!
http://foursquare.com/
and OCAD is on the Map - both sLab and DFI are here. Watch it grow.

thefuntheory.com

see this site and the initiative - people motivated by fun. Design is the provocation.
www.thefuntheory.com
and a youtube video: funstairs

nice.

Here is an article explaining why the rape tunnel was a hoax:

http://blogs.miaminewtimes.com/riptide/2009/09/artlurker_explains_rape_tunnel.php

One of the pictures was taken directly from this website:

http://www.geversaircraft.com/wt/wt5x7.htm

Compare-

http://www.artlurker.com/2009/09/the-rape-tunnel-by-sheila-zareno/

Green transport...

A few years ago a friend of mine returned from a trip from Holland and was sharing all their cycle stories with me. I was shocked to know how seriously cycling was taken. I discovered that Holland is pretty advanced in comparison to Toronto in terms of a cycling infrastructure. Why they even have a Cycle Parking Station. Yes, Cycle parking, like I've never seen it before at a Railway station. They also have much more designated cycle lanes, most are seperate from motorist lanes.

Here's a video to give you an idea of how many cycling commuters there are. (sorry about the music...)

Why can't Toronto do that? Well it turns out that they were planning something neat called Bixi, which is currently being used by our neighbors in Quebec. It's a bike rental system situated all over town. Of course not comparable to Holland but definitely a start. Bixi has been delayed due to the City Worker's strike which occurred over the summer, but it's a great alternative to those who don't own bikes and need to get from point A to point B. Also convenient for those experiencing transit delays; you'd have the option to cycle to your destination instead of taking a cab or waiting for a shuttle bus. Bixi stations are out of service during the harsh winter season from Nov-March, but still a great green transport alternative.

I think that if Bike lanes were barred off with road medians all over town it would make cyclists feel safe. Possibly even encourage more. A median would make it harder for cabs and reckless drivers to run cyclists off the road. Yes an expensive project, but in the long run better for the environment. As for Bixi, hopefully it will reach Toronto soon.

Here is the issue topic for next week:

The Rape Tunnel
http://www.artlurker.com/2009/09/the-rape-tunnel-by-sheila-zareno/

Ideas for Better Living

Here are some websites that may help you live a more sustainable life!

www.onebottle.ca
www.earthimprints.com
www.foodland.gov.on.ca
www.healthierchoices.ca
www.canadianliving.com/life/green_living/is_canada_eco_friendly_surprising_ways_we_areand_arent.php
www.greenontario.org
www.universalstone.com
www.sustainability.com
www.naturecleanliving.com
www.universalstone.ca

Self-Monitoring

Here is a link to the Mastery and Pleasure exercise - with explanation as to it's purpose and premise.
http://cbtexplained.com/monitor.php

Personally, I am so overwhelmed by the idea of global climate change and even more overwhelmed by the "efforts" which are being taken to solve it. Perhaps I shouldn't use quotes for efforts, however I think that there is so much to be done and everything is just a band-aid at this point. Even when I feel like I'm doing something good like using a re-usable bag, for example, I find that I consider where this bag will end up. I won't be using this bag forever, and I have five others just like it at home. It is likely that it's going to end up being thrown away. Then I think- is this material any better than plastic? Is it worse? I also think entirely too much when recycling. Is this bottle going to be recycled? If I keep the lid on (or off) will it be put into a land-fill, am I being paranoid? Probably. Anyways here is something which I found not in the least overwhelmed by and actually quite excited about.

The harnessing of wind power is nothing new, and I even remember doing a project about it when I was in grade 6. The excellent design of the wind turbines is, in my opinion, beautiful and efficient. The only "wind farm" I have ever seen is on my way up to my cottage and it is amazing to view and haunting in a way, but that is besides the point. I read in the Toronto Star that Canadian Hydro is erecting enough wind turbines off the shore of Lake Erie to power 2 million homes. It may seem like a lot of wind turbines are needed to make this possible, however the design is extremely streamline to the point where many can fit in a relatively small space.

The drawback to wind farms, I suppose, is the cost. About $665 million a year, or $13.3 billion over 20 years, will be needed for the wind farm off of Lake Erie alone. I think it is exciting that this is happening and the concept of wind power is finally coming into action. It is something that has been around for a while, as I said, and it is good to see it finally come to Canada. They mark a better future in power, to some extent, and look pretty good too!

The image and additional information can be viewed at:

http://www.thestar.com/Business/article/702344

E-waste (60 Minutes)

E-waste is the fastest growing component of the municipal waste stream worldwide. Each year in the United States 100 million cell phones are thrown out, and everyday 130,000 computers are discarded. But how are these technologies being disposed of and what’s in them?

Computers especially contain certain chemicals such as “Lead, cadmium, mercury, chromium, polyvinyl chlorides. All of these materials have known toxicological effects that range from brain damage to kidney disease to mutations & cancers". Supposedly this waste should be broken down and all the heavy metals to be disposed of properly. The rest can be recycled.

A story from 60 Minutes informed the world about an illegal waste trade happening between the United States and China. The wasteland is pilled with the burning remains of some of the most expensive, sophisticated stuff that we consumers crave. And it’s all thanks to the mentality that newer is better. Out with the old and in with the newer and faster.

Hundreds of people lined up at a recycling event in Denver to properly dispose of there electronics. Executive Recycling, of Englewood Colo. (who had a contract with Denver and three other western states) posted on their website that the waste would be recycled properly, right here in the U.S. – not simply dumped on somebody else.” Secretly it was being shipped out overseas, where it’s then broken down for the precious metals inside.

Despite the lovely promise left by Executive Recycling, shipping containers were found leaving its Colorado yard. 60 Minutes was curios and wrote down the container number, and followed it to Tacoma, Wash., where it was then loaded on a ship and sent 7,459 across the Pacific ocean to Victoria Harbour, Hong Kong. It was discovered that the container was filled with monitors, extremely hazardous due to the several pounds of lead that make up the picture tube and illegal to ship overseas against U.S Law. It was later discovered that the container from Denver was just one of thousands on an underground, illegal smuggling route on route to the Far East.

This is a story about recycling - about how your best intentions to be green can be channeled into an underground sewer that flows from the United States and into the wasteland.

Why are we so obsessed with newer & faster technologies that are tagged with expensive prices? Why do we crave more and more, when in reality the technology we have now regarding cell phones and computers is (in my view) perfectly fine? I mean how did we ever survive before? And is there anything wrong with the way we are living now? Seriously does having a 3G cell phone or the newest edition of a Mac when last years model works perfectly really important? Or is this just me…?

Molo Design + 15 Below Project should collaborate

The other day a friend was pitching a project regarding creating modular room dividers for small spaces to a potential client. Molo Design came up in the conversation. After perusing through their website I quickly discovered that they were an organization which initially started to build modular material for small spaces like Soft Rooms for the homeless. I thought it was a great idea. According to the website Molo is currently researching the most appropriate materials to build their Soft Rooms, so as it stands it seems to be a work in progress.

Then a thought came to me...wouldn't it be great if Molo + 15 Below Project and perhaps a 3rd organization like the United Way collaborated and developed an environmentally conscious program to get the homeless off the streets and re-integrated into society again?

Aside from the Soft Room, Molo offers other neat modular products like the urchin soft light or the soft wall.

In this changing economic world, where sustainability is an ever growing issue, I find that North Americans are often over looking parts of the big picture such as clothing and food for third world countries. While aiming to fund issues like this was all the rage pre Al Gores 'inconvenient Truth", now we are much more focused on the Earth and it's well being. Sure, priority states that this is our number one issue, but what about all of those people who can't afford to eat? What about the children who live off of mud pies? We need to stop and look at the world around us, and perhaps first take action to save what we have now, before we try to save what we may (or may not) have, in the future.

Shoes produce a huge amount of waste. 98% of all the shoes ever made are not recyclable in any way. Yet each American buys several new pairs of shoes a year. Thousands upon thousands of people in third world countries go from year to year without any shoes what so ever. Why shoes? What is so important about the rubber and leather on you wear on your feet? Well think about going one day without shoes. Think about walking to school, work, or in the subway. Think about walking on Queen or Yonge Street without shoes on. Now think about being in the wild of Africa. Don't you think you'd want a pair of shoes? Maybe even a few different pairs, for different terrain?

In 2006, Blake Mycoskie, an American traveling throughout Europe, found himself befriending children, many of whom did not have shoes on their feet. This inspired him to create 'Tom Shoes', a company whose slogan states that for every pair purchased, one pair would be sent to children in third world countries. That first year, he brought back over 10,000 shoes for children.

You may be wondering, 'Why shoes?'. Shoes are an essential article of clothing for these children. In order for them to gather the appropriate amounts of food and water for their families, they must travel many miles by foot to collect these things. This leaves their feet susceptible to cuts, which in the wilderness could lead to infection. Simply by wearing shoes, this drastically reduces the risk of contracting any illness through cuts on the feet.

You don't have to volunteer your time, or drop large sums of money to help struggling people. You don't have to fly to Africa to help build houses and libraries. It can be as simple as buying yourself a pair of shoes. But aim to help people with every action you make, with sustainability, with thought.

Design for Climate Change: Future of Famine

15 Below Project

http://15belowproject.org/

The 15 below project is an ongoing project that was started by the Taxi Design agency in Toronto and addresses an issue that is extremely evident in our city. Homelessness. The creative team there, along with a fashion designer who graduated from Ryerson teamed up to create a water proof jacket that has pockets lining all of the inside so that the homeless are able to fill the pockets with any kind of paper because it acts as a very strong insulator for heat.

The design team also took in to account the practicality of the jacket and how one would actually go about using it. When the jacket is not in use, the wearer is able to fold it up into a small back pack because of the attached straps on the back, or it can also double as a pillow when the jacket itself is not needed. Because there obviously is a cost to the production of these jackets, all employees at the company sacrificed their bonuses last year so that they could manufacture 3000 jackets that were handed out to homeless both in Canada and the U.S.

If you go to the site listed above, there is all kinds of information regarding the actual product itself.

I feel this product is such a well thought out, well executed design just because of the dire need for a product like this one. This is one of the few examples I can think of off the top of my head where the worlds of advertising, fashion, sustainable design and social justice have come together into such a strong, rewarding outcome that has been able to help so many people who are hardly ever offered help on our streets.

The Story of Stuff.

- M JO

Change or trend and grocery bags?

The notoriety of Al Gore's AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH both reached and compelled several industries and the general public to take action and do their part in the fight against global warming. I'm optimistic and hopeful that this momentum will be kept up but at the same time I'm a cynic. Now I'm not a cynic because I want sustainable practices to fail, but old habits die hard and it seems all too common and apart of human nature to...well...relapse. I wonder if the attention paid to sustainability is merely a trendy thing to do, like wearing yoga gear when you're not going to the gym, I mean by wearing them does give the impression that you're athletic or health conscious.

I noticed a problem with the design of those little eco bags that you pay a dollar for at grocery store. I know people who buy multiple amounts of eco grocery bags religiously with the best intentions to reduce their carbon footprint but somehow, those bags are never taken with them everywhere they go and 5-25 cents gets shelled out for a plastic bag. Someone beat me to the redesign, there is a new environmentally friendly compact bag out called Envirosax, great form and function. This bag is lightweight and can fit in your backpocket! Perhaps it's the solution to the cumbersome recyclable grocery bag problem which is possibly left at home because it doesn't collapse well and takes up alot of space in a purse, backpack or laptop bag? So, my point is that the current eco grocery bag is a great concept but could be a better design. If it wasn't so cumbersome I think that more people would be carrying it around with them. I love the Envirosax because it can fit in my wallet and that way I never forget it at home because I carry my wallet everywhere I go.

It is apparent that only time will tell whether people are seriously committed to "change" or to trend. Hopefully designers will remain conscious to the issue of climate change and will continue to contribute designs that might slow down this process and leave even less of a carbon footprint. And hopefully society will continue to make environmentally conscious decisions.

Welcome!

Dear All, welcome to the Think Tank Awareness blog. You are invited to use this space as a discussion area. Post opinions, insights, source materials and references. Above all, engage! And have fun.