What's New

Heads Up! The cafe will be closed Monday May 21st for Victoria day.

Many thanks to all who took a step for Fairtrade with us at the roastery this past May 5th in recognition of "Fairtrade Fortnight".  It was a great opportunity to see some new and old faces, share information, sample a nice assortment of fabulous coffees and enjoy some tasty treats! And if you missed this year's Open House, keep checking this space for when we announce a date and time for our next meet and greet. In the meantime, see below a few pics of this year's event (and to find out about others' fairtrade steps go to www.faitrade.ca/step)!

Hoorray for the Female Food Heroes in our communities! Oxfam is celebrating women in the global north and the global south who are working to build a movement for good food , "food that is grown well and shared fairly". To view the heroes who have been nomited so far, go to www.oxfam.ca/grow/female-food-heroes. Have a hero in your community? You can submit a nomination until World Food Day 2012. And many cheers to Nancy for nominating our very special hero Linda!

Holy singing beans, Batman! We're featured in a music video courtesy of Cuppa Change, www.cuppachange.com, one of our fantastic clients and community partners which has been selling AG coffee to raise monies in support of Free the Children and the Stephen Lewis Foundation (resulting in two schoolhouses in Kenya and Haiti). Listen to this catchy tune by Celia Palli and watch the video @ www.youtube.com/watch?v=eR2Roy2BlFc

So how about selling Fairtrade and organic products for a good cause? We've got custom roasted coffees, teas, and chocolate to get you started!  Many school clubs and groups use our products to fundraise for great projects. Have one in mind? Give us a call and we will be happy to help, the number is 416-534-6335.

Zoo update! Thanks to a generous foundation, the zoo has a bit of a reprieve, but donations are still needed.  You can donate directly to help support the maintenance costs. Visit www.torontoparksandtrees.org/high-park-zoo for more info.

Bean Updates!

EXTRA EXTRA!! Love our artisan and freshly roasted coffees but can't always make it to our shop? No worries, you can now get your fix online! Just click on the Shop Now! Cart icon on the top right corner of this page and you will be taken to our very own coffee web boutique. So go on, visit and shop and spread the good news, www.alternativegrounds.com/shop

Here's something comic-al about being fair: Many thanks to Tremayne for sharing a link to her very own fairtrade comic, www.thoughtseek.org/projects.html. Tremayne had the opportunity to meet producers from Cierro de Cintepec at a workshop hosted by Redcafes (Mexico). The result of this exchange is a very informative comic which aims to educate Mexican consumers about the importance of consuming and supporting locally grown fairtrade coffees. The comic is available in both Spanish and English and is FREE to download.

Another "worth sharing" link is to a study which delves in the impact of fairtrade on the lives of banana producers in the Windward Islands (West Indies), the Dominican Republic, Ecuador and Ghana. This independent study was commissioned by the Fairtrade Foundation (the UK labeling initiative of FLO) and  carried out by the Institute of Development Studies (U of Sussex).

Heard about Faitrade Proof? It is one of Coop Coffees' initiatives which addresses "transparency" in fairtrade transactions made by its members. At www.fairtradeproof.org, you can trace the beans you love from farmer to roaster (including AG), and learn about the intricate yet rewarding inner workings of fairtrade partnerships.

At the Cafe

ICE COFFEE - better known as JAVA JOY is Back!

Join us @ the cafe May 5th for a Children’s Day of  Koi Kite Making! This fun and hands-on workshop will take place between 3-6 pm. This is a PWYC event with a suggested donation of $2-5.

Live Green Members welcomed! If you are a card carrying member of the Live Green Toronto program, show your card next time you stop by the cafe for a special offer available to members only. For more info about the program and to register, visit www.livegreencard.ca/business/141

Free WIFI, yes indeed!  Our connectivity comes to us thanks in part to Wireless Toronto, a not-for-profit community group dedicated to bringing no-fee wireless access to Toronto. WT aims to build community through interesting and innovative ways. You can find out more about them at www.wirelesstoronto.ca.

Interested in making your musical debut or showcasing your talents at the cafe? Contact us at cafe@alternativegrounds.com

Have you tried our NEW Keep Cups? They're a must-have for the java warrior on the go!! These travel companions fit perfectly under our espresso machine, have a great tight lid (no spills or splashes), and are light and unbreakable. Best of all, these cups are made of safe food grade plastic and at the end of their lives, they can be recycled - so you can take out without costing the earth a whole lot. They are only $12.50 - a great gift for yourself or a special coffee addict in your life!

And how abou the Mavea water pitcher with filter? This beautiful and incredibly efficient made-in-Germany filter allows for more consistent flow and filtration and the handle sports a chip that tells you the length of time the filter has been in use, the volume filtered, the hardness of the water and the time for replacement (every 2 months). Best of all, the filters are recycled - You can bring them back to us, or go to the Maeva website and print a pre-paid shipping label. Two different sizes of pitchers and extra filters are in stock at the cafe now!  Given that coffee is 98% water, what better way to love your beans!

In our Artspace

 This month we welcome Crystal Belanger's exhibit “Highlights of Toronto”. Born and raised into an artistic family, Crystal’s present main focus is about the transformation of common objects that people have a personal attachment to, or relate to as past highlights in their lives. Of her works on display, she explains:

 “One day, while rummaging through a junk drawer my partner and I share, I realized that something should be done with the vast amount of concert tickets and pieces of paper that we held on to for so long. Instead of putting them in another enclosed and hidden area, I thought of transforming them into a space that we both love, a space where we would be constantly reminded of our positive memories and achievements.” For more info about Crystal and her work visit www.crystalgbelanger.com

Interested in displaying your work in the cafe? Contact us @ cafe@alternativegrounds.com if you wish to showcase your work on our walls.

Events.. out & about!

Big congrats to local poet (and well rounded person) Sheila Stewart on the publication of her 2nd book of poetry "The Shape of a Throat" (Signature Editions). Join her Sunday May 6th 2pm @ the Magpie ( 831 Dundas St. W. at Manning) for the book launch.

Attention all green thumbs and plant whisperers: It's the Parkdale Hort Society's Plant Fair! Get your green fix Saturday May 12 between 10:30am-1:30pm @ Parkdale School & Community Centre (75 Lansdowne @ Seaforth, one block north of Queen W). For details visit www.parkdaletorontohort.com or click on the posted image of fair's flyer (see left).

Mark your calendars: Bike to Work Day is back Monday May 28 to help kick off Bike Month! Look for details at www.toronto.ca/cycling/index.htm.

Plus a FREE screening at the NFB of the Clean Bin Project, a thoughtful doc that explores the large-scale impacts of our “throw-away society.” May 2 at 7 pm, 150 John Street.

Sustainable Food Urgent Action! Our friends at Zatoun have shared a link to an online action in support of Palestinian olive farmers who are facing the uprooting of 2000 trees in the West Bank. The 3-15 year old trees are the primary source of income for the people of Deir Istya and have a capacity for production of about 5,000 kg olives. There is a protest camp made up of local farmers accompanied by international and Israeli activists. You can sign a petition in support of their courageous efforts at www.change.org/petitions/stop-uprooting-palestinian-trees

And have you checked out Beit Zatoun's impressive calendar of events? Go to www.beitzatoun.org/cms/events.aspx for a list of upcoming music concerts, art exhibits, puppet-making workshops and informative talks.

The campaign against the Refugee Exclusion Act, Bill C-31, is still continuing. You can put pressure on the federal government to withdraw this damaging piece of legislation by asking your local MP for support, simply visit Amnesty International Canada's website and take action, www.amnesty.ca/iwriteforjustice/take_action.php?actionid=843

Reminder!! The Sorauren Farmers Market! Every Monday between 3-7 pm.

In the spotlight!     

This month we wanted to bring to your attention the new kid on the block: Sunny Joe's Cafe! Just opened for business this March at 250 Sorauren Ave, Sunny Joe's is a great addition to the neighbourhood providing a cool and welcoming space to ponder and wonder over a great cup of joe. Make sure to drop by and say hi to owner and aspiring barista/coffee afficionado Peter. And if you are in need of an AG fix, they brew our beloved Buenavista and use the Queen E as the house espresso blend. Yippie!

Take note, their hours of operation are: Monday to Friday 7:30 to 5:30, Saturday 8:30 to 6 and Sunday 9 to 6 with extended hours for special events.

Educate/Advocate!

How about joining the movement to get this city of ours certified as a Fairtrade Town? join the discussion and campaign at www.fairtradetoronto.ca.

Fairtrade keeners, do you read Coop Coffee's monthly newsletter? It's a great resource containing fantastic articles, links and updates (ie. Equal Exchange's piece by  Phyllis Robinson on Transfair USA's name change to "Fair Trade USA” featuring clever illustratins like the one on the right).

Fairtrade headline! Today, with TransFair USA leaving the FLO system and launching its own version of "Fair Trade for All" – we see a lot of jostling for position on who has the ultimate "authority" to dictate the future path of fair trade and to re-write the standards. There is still a lot of dust left to settle. Yet we can already categorically reject the theory promoted by "Fair Trade for All" that by working with large scale plantations and with trans-national corporations – the volume of transactions will trickle down and translate into greater economic impact for marginalized farmers and farm workers.. Read the rest on Cooperative Coffees Position on Fairtrade here.

We highly recommend subscribing to the  Fair World Project's newsletter at www.fairworldproject.org. This publication provides great info on a broad spectrum of fairtrade enterprises as well as intelligent commentary on some of the latest issues brewing in the fairtrade world.

Interested in learning more about Fairtrade, Organics and Social Justice? Make sure to check our Resources page for more info and great links!

Remember, if you want to become better acquainted with our fairtrade pricing policy, check out the Fairtrade section of this website. We are always on the look-out for great ideas - things that partner well with us and what we are trying to accomplish through Alternative Grounds. So feel free to drop us a line and share suggestions with our staff.

Also, check out our Greenstuff section for tips and suggestions to help us soften our collective and individual carbon footprint! In this section you'll find neat and fun ideas for the use and re-use of our burlap/jute bags, paper bags, etc.  And we bet your compost could use a little of our coffee chaff to lighten its load!! If you are indeed interested, give Linda a call at 416-534-6335

More Good Stuff!!

For those of you who don't know, the folks at Lemon and Allspice who make our yummy gingerbread and chocolate chip cookies (yes they use real butter) also do catering. The company which is run by and for folks with developmental dissabilities, does a mean lunch! For the scoop, contact info@commongroundco-op.ca or 416-686-1906

If you have been to the cafe recently, you will have noticed a few changes, not least of which includes our new menu of vegan soups. These come to us from Sunny of Vegan Delights. A well-known caterer, you can now find some of his creations at the cafe. Watch for new menu items. You can check out his website at www.vegandelights.ca.or www.sunnyvegan.com

We're Passionate About Fairtrade and Love to Share Our Passion! Over the years we have gathered a good collection of articles, books and videos about different aspects of Fairtrade and coffee. These are available for your perusal at the cafe or on loan. We're also available to do slide shows and presentations. So give us a call at 416-534-6335.

And thanks to...

Gerry for bringing a quotation from the late Tommy Douglas to our attention:  

"Courage, my friends. It is not too late to build a better world."  

Words to live by!!