The Robertson Building

Did you know that one of Canada’s most powerful women was in our midst? In fact, she is on the fourth floor in the National Aboriginal Achievement Foundation (NAAF, Suite 450) as you are reading this working to promote, support, and celebrate the achievement of Canada's Aboriginal Peoples. It is this very work that has garnered Roberta Jamieson recognition as one of Canada’s Most Powerful Women by the Women’s Executive Network (WXN).

Annually, WXN selects one hundred women who have shown leadership in their field, community service, and role model potential. The awards began as a way of recognizing the achievements of women in Canada’s leading companies but has since expanded it’s scope to recognize the work of women in businesses and organizations of all sizes.

It is generally accepted that the publishing business in Canada is tenuous at best. It sits at the crossroads of art and commerce, not finding adequate support from either the consumer or the government. Bringing an inspired piece of writing to light has tremendous rewards but the struggle to just keep the presses running is always lurking in the shadows. Cormorant Books’ (Suite 230) Publisher Marc Côté has some ideas about why Canadians, who happen to form the only currently growing market of book buyers, don’t buy more Canadian-authored and -published books. But before we get to that, let’s travel into the past briefly to have a look at where Cormorant Books came from, its "foreword" if you will.

On May 26 Eva's Initiatives (Suite 370) hosted their annual Home for Life Auction. This signature fundraising event is a key part of how Eva's generates funds to continue their work providing shelter and employment services for homeless youth. This year, the auction raised $127,000!

Eva's is dedicated to finding solutions to bridging the gap between the shelter system and self-suffciency. They focus on skills development and strategies to get young homeless people back as productive members of their communities. Their Home for Life Auction is just one of the events they host to accomplish this task - pictured here are some distinguished attendees from the Buzz Hargrove Memorial Dinner that raised a whopping 2.2 million dollars for the organization.

www.evasinitiatives.com

We do appreciate a good brush with celebrity now and again, especially when said star is working to save the planet. This January Sustainability Network (Suite 128) and Lake Ontario Waterkeeper co-hosted Guardians of the Lake: An Evening with Gord Downie and Lake Ontario Waterkeeper Mark Mattson. The event was a presentation and discussion around the organization's efforts to win back clean water and ensure lake communities have access to environmental justice.

The evening included a performance by Gord Downie, the honoured guest and lead vocalist for Canadian institution The Tragically Hip.

The Sustainability Network acts as a support system for non-profit groups and environmental organizations by providing opportunities like this for information and exposure.

The Toronto Coalition for Active Transportation (TCAT) presented the Centre for City Ecology's (Suite 400) Jane's Walk program with the inaugural Active Transportation Champion Award at this year's Bicycle Friendly Business Awards.

TCAT works to create a better city for cycling and walking and recognized the international event Jane's Walk for encouraging walkable neighbourhoods, urban literacy, and cities planned for people.

www.janeswalk.net
www.torontocat.ca

Photo caption: The Centre for City Ecology Advisory Board Member Hannah Evans accepting the Active Transportation Champion Award on behalf of Jane's Walk.

And the award goes to...the Centre for Social Innovation (Suite 120 + 400)! For six years now the Canadian Urban Institute (CUI) has presented Urban Leadership Awards to groups and individuals who work to improve the quality of life in our cities. CSI's accomplishments were recognized in the City Innovation category - very fitting indeed.

CSI joins the company of other awards recipients such as Doors Open Toronto, which celebrated its tenth anniversary this year on May 23 + 24. The Robertson Building was open for the event and welcomed visitors eager to learn more about the space and community.

Dark Horse Espresso Bar is open for business! On April 14 the cafe opened its doors to an eager community at the Robertson Building who have been waiting in anticipation to get their hands on some delectable java. On their sunny opening day, café owners Deanna Zunde and Ed Lynds were beaming as they fired up their espresso machine. They greeted tenants looking forward to not having to walk up to Dundas or down to Queen to get a coffee and a snack. Dark Horse has taken over the space on the ground floor that was previously home to the Material Matters gallery and transformed it into a cozy haven for thirsty visitors.

In this issue of the Pipeline we celebrate the Green Toronto Awards, Vital Ideas, and the Centre for Social Innovation's third birthday. We welcome the Playwrights Guild of Canada and Visual Arts Ontario. We get up close and personal with the Canadian Art Foundation and in our Green Corner we have a look at Green Living Magazine's Green Listers.

In the words of the Professional Association of Canadian Theatre’s
(PACT, Suite 210) Executive Director Lucy White, in thirty years of working
with non-profit theatres on basic issues like funding “lots has changed, and lots hasn’t changed.” One big change for PACT is that they are about to move into a new larger space at 215 Spadina, Suite 555, as they are virtually busting at the seams in their current shared space. The growth of the organization has been gradual and feels like a natural evolution, but if you had asked Lucy six years ago if they would have six people on staff she’s not sure what she would have said.

CCI - Ontario’s Arts Presenting Network (Suite 125) were paid a visit by the Minister of Culture Caroline Di Cocco and Helen Burstyn, Chair of the Ontario Trillium Foundation to launch the Municipal Cultural Planning Partnership (MCPP). Thanks to a $230,500 grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation, the program is now up and running.

The MCPP will bring together multiple groups such as culture sector organizations, municipal governments, planners, and passionate community leaders to discuss ideas for supporting and fostering vibrant, creative, and successful communities.

The launch of the program was celebrated at the Centre for Social Innovation (Suite 400) and included esteemed guests and supporters.