Rustic-Falstaff Community Network

Neighbourhood Improvement Area:

#28 Rustic

Councillor & Ward:

Ward 5, York South-Weston

2018-2019 Priority Actions:

  • Social Development: Explored the accessibility and availability for community and social services in Rustic and the development of a resident-governed ‘Community Hub’
  • Economic Opportunities: Explored opportunities with employment service providers and local businesses to increase opportunity/access to employment or training for Rustic residents
  • Physical Surroundings: Animated neighbourhood spaces (including gardens, green space, parks) in Rustic to support community connectivity
  • Healthy Lives: Explored a ‘Mental Health & Physical Wellbeing’ plan for Rustic to address concerns identified by community stakeholders
  • Social Development:  Explored a ‘Reintegration Strategy’ for residents exiting incarceration and returning to Rustic with wraparound service coordination, employment/education readiness, and outreach

2017 Priority Actions:

  • Social Development: Held a series of discussions with residents to find ways to reduce social isolation; discussion topics included age, language and cultural factors, as well as finding solutions to bring the community together
  • Physical Surroundings: Obtained funds from the City’s Participatory Budget Pilot Project to four new light posts in Rustic Park, which provided a safe outdoor space for residents all year round
  • Economic Opportunities: Supported Smart Serve employment training for 35 youth
  • Healthy Lives: Supported more than 200 children, aged four to 13, in attending workshops related to healthy eating, understanding food sources and the Falstaff Community Garden, and the Healthy Kids Community Challenge

Neighbourhood Action Plan

Each Neighbourhood Planning Table created an Action Plan that reflected each of the Neighbourhood Improvement Areas’s (NIA) priority issues identified by residents and other stakeholders. Residents, local agencies, and other stakeholders provided input to ensure actions were prioritized according to the need of the community, and to identify the resources that were needed to complete the actions.

The Action Plan below was categorized by the five domains of wellbeing that were central to the Toronto Strong Neighbourhoods Strategy 2020 (TSNS 2020), and was tracked and updated to address changing needs.

Name and Description Lead Organization/ # of Partners # of Residents Engaged ($) Resources Required Status
Smart Serve Training: Provided employment services, support and opportunities for residents through information sharing and training Doorstep Neighbourhood Services/ 2 Partner Organizations 35 $1,000 Completed
Employment & Resources Fair: An event to increase access and information to employment opportunities for residents Learning Enrichment Foundation/ 4 Partner Organizations 100 $500 In Progress
Name and Description Lead Organization/ # of Partners # of Residents Engaged ($) Resources Required

Status
Food Initiatives Coordination: Hosted workshops for children on exploring the world around them, eliminating poverty and making healthy food decisions Doorstep Neighbourhood Services/ 15 Partner Organizations 55 $5,400 Completed
Urban Harvest Pilot: Assessment of surplus fruits and vegetables grown by local homeowners Social Development, Finance, & Administration – City of Toronto/ 3 Community Partners 225 $580 Completed
Food Resources Fair: Host Food Security Market Fair to help residents know about food-resources available to them North York Harvest Food Bank/ 2 Partner Organizations 100 $500 Planned
Urban Farming Workshop: Hosted Urban farming workshop series to build skills regarding urban farming and vertical gardening Black Farmers Gardner’s Collective 50 $300 In Progress
Horticulture Therapy Workshop: Information shared with local residents on the benefits and practice of Horticulture Therapy Humber River Hospital 50 $300 Planned
Name and Description Lead Organization/ # of Partners # of Residents Engaged ($) Resources Required Status
Maple Leaf Park Shade Structure: Installation of a shade structure to encourage resident use of Maple Leaf Park Parks, Forestry & Recreation – City of Toronto 74 $75,000 Completed
Rustic Park Lighting Improvement: Increase lighting in Rustic Park Parks, Forestry & Recreation – City of Toronto 74 $75,000 Completed
Water Bottle Filling Stations in Community Spaces: Installation of water bottle filling stations at Maple Leaf Park, Rustic Park and Falstaff Community Centre Parks, Forestry & Recreation – City of Toronto 52 $20,000 Completed
Movie Wall in Maple Leaf Park: Provision of an inflatable move wall, projector and sound equipment for community use in Maple Leaf Park Parks, Forestry & Recreation – City of Toronto 52 $35,000 Completed
Lighting in Maple Leaf Park: Improved lighting in Maple Leaf Park to encourage community use of space Parks, Forestry & Recreation – City of Toronto 52 $75,000 In Progress
Ping Pong Tables in Rustic Park: Installation of ping pong tables in Rustic Park to encourage residents use of the park Parks, Forestry & Recreation – City of Toronto 52 $10,000 Completed
Gazebo In Rustic Park: Installation of a gazebo in Rustic Park to provide shelter to residents using the park Parks, Forestry & Recreation – City of Toronto 52 $75,000 Completed
Chess Tables In Rustic Park: Installation of chess tables in Rustic Park to encourage resident use of the park Parks, Forestry & Recreation – City of Toronto 52 $20,000 Completed
Maple Leaf Park Exercise Park: Installation of Exercise Park In Maple Leaf Park to encourage resident use of the park and exercise Parks, Forestry & Recreation – City of Toronto 53 $75,000 In Progress
Lights Around Maple Leaf Park Reservoir: Installation of Lights around Maple Leaf Park Reservoir to encourage resident use of the park Parks, Forestry & Recreation – City of Toronto 53 $50,000 In Progress
Pathway around Maple Leaf Park Reservoir: Installation of Pathway In Maple Leaf Park to encourage resident use of the park Parks, Forestry & Recreation – City of Toronto 53 $100,000 Completed
Maple Leaf Park Chess Tables: Installation of Chess Tables In Maple Leaf Park to encourage resident use of the park Parks, Forestry & Recreation – City of Toronto 53 $20,000 In Progress
Let’s Talk, Community Planning Event: Community forum to gather resident priorities for the neighbourhood Rustic Community Network 50 $475 Completed
Name and Description Lead Organization/ # of Partners # of Residents Engaged ($) Resources Required Status
Autumnfest 2017: Community event for residents and local business and service providers to connect Rustic Community Network/ 6 Partner Organizations 300 $1,000 Completed
Rustic Neighbourhood Improvement Area Music Festival In Maple Leaf Park: Community festival bringing together residents and local service providers Resident-Led/ 5 Partner Organizations 100 $3,000 Completed
Autumn Fest 2018: Community festival bringing together residents and local service providers Resident-Led/ 7 Partner Organizations 100 $3,000 Completed
Youth Programs and Activities Falstaff Junior Youth Council/ 1 Partner Organizations 20 $1,000 In Progress
School’s Out: End of School Event Community BBQ & Talent Show Resident-Led/ 1 Partner Organization 250 $1,000 In Progress
Sewing Group: Create a safe social space for women to connect through sewing Falstaff Women’s Group/ 1 Partner Organization 15 $1,000 In Progress
Enough Is Enough: Youth Award ceremony highlighting achievements in the community, including a solutions focused panel discussion on community issues Develop-Me Youth Centre/ 8 Partner Organizations 50 $1,000 In Progress
Movies In The Park: An event that bring together the residents from across the neighbourhood Resident-Led/ 5 Partner Organizations 500 $1,000 In Progress
Summerfest 2017: Community event for residents and local business and service providers to connect Parks, Forestry, and Recreation – City of Toronto, Toronto Community Housing Corporation/ 4 Partner Organizations 200 $2,000 Completed
Back to School Event: Falstaff Back to School Event Parks, Forestry, and Recreation – City of Toronto/ 3 Partner Organizations 100 $1,500 Completed
Rustic Summer Movie Nights: Summer movie nights at Falstaff Community Centre Social Development Finance & Administration – City of Toronto/ 3 Partner Organizations 30 $700 Completed
Summerfest 2018: Community event for residents and local business and service providers to connect Parks, Forestry, and Recreation – City of Toronto/ 3 Partner Organizations 225 $2,000 Completed
Falstaff Community Hub:  Community Hub at 20-40 Falstaff Ave. increasing social services accessibility Social Development Finance & Administration – City of Toronto/ 9 Partner Organizations 700 $300 Completed
Rustic Community Network Website: Information sharing, outreach, services navigation, and communication of network activity UrbanArts/ 9 Partner Organizations 50 $1,500 In Progress
STEM Career Workshop: Informational workshop on Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics(STEM) careers and educational requirements University of Toronto/ 2 Partner Organizations 100 $0 In Progress
Community Festival 2019: An event to foster community connectivity in Rustic. Resident-Led/ 10 Partner Organizations 300 $3,000 In Progress
Name and Description Lead Organization/ # of Partners # of Residents Engaged ($) Resources Required Status
Rustic Community Network Safety Network: Safety Sub-Committee developed to address preventative and responsive actions for neighbourhood safety Social Development, Finance & Administration – City of Toronto/ 10 Partner Organizations 50 $200 Completed
Falstaff Safety Audit: Safety Audit conducted by trained residents identifying and documenting their neighbourhood METRAC/ 10 Partner Organizations 50 $400 In Progress
Safety Survey: Engage residents on safety concerns in their neighbourhood and potential learning opportunities Social Development Finance & Administration – City of Toronto/ 2 Partner Organizations 100 $300 In Progress
Falstaff Lighting & Camera Audit: Lighting and camera review of 20, 30, 40 and 50 Falstaff Ave. to identify blind spots, dark spots, broken cameras, and camera quality Toronto Community Housing Corporation/ 2 Partner Organizations 0 $0 In Progress