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Fairlawn in the News
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Moving into 40 Oaks, Regent Park
Jan 30, 2012 - Residents are moving into new, affordable
housing at 40 Oak Street. It's part of the revitalization that's
underway at Regent Park. CBC Radio spoke with Debra Dineen, Executive
Director of the Christian Resource Centre about their involvement in
helping people move in.
Listen  (runs
5:36) |
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"Words to
brand by"
by Christopher White in the October 2011
United Church Observer.
Our congregation is in the early stages of
a branding process. In the beginning, I thought that it was just about a
logo and a mission statement. But it’s much more than that. It’s about
our essential identity as a community of faith and how we deliver that
throughout every sector and moment of the church experience — from when
you first walk in the door, through to worship and even governance. It’s
about understanding, telling and integrating our story.
Read the full article:
http://www.ucobserver.org/columns/2011/10/my_view_oct2011/ |
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Congratulations to The Rev!
We’ve had word from David Wilson, editor
of The Observer that our own minister, Christopher White, has won
a First Place Award from the Canadian Church Press for his
Observer article on his 2009 illness. This is a particular honour as
it was a joint decision of the Canadian and American Church press! If
you missed the article, you can
read it here: "Change of
Heart". |
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CBC interview with Fairlawn's Jannie Mills on affordable housing, Dec.
31, 2010 Jannie Mills was interviewed on CBC radio
on Metro Morning and spoke eloquently about the need for poverty
reduction and affordable housing. She discussed the church's involvement
with CRC (the Toronto Christian Resource Centre in Regent Park) and 40
Oaks.
The merger of St. James Bond United Church with Fairlawn, and the subsequent
sale of the property of St. James Bond, provided the $2.4 million used for four
affordable housing projects in Toronto, including 40 Oaks.
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Demolition begins at CRC |
Rebuilding affordable housing at Regent Park |
Scouts Canada Award
Congratulations to Tom Clarke who is being honoured by Scouts Canada
on April 21, 2009 in recognition of his ongoing "Service to Scouting" for the
past fifty years. Tom will receive an award at Scouting's Adult Recognition
Ceremony at the Ontario Science Centre. This award is in addition to the Medal
of Merit awarded previously.
United Church Observer recognizes Robert Fraser Burke
source:
http://www.ucobserver.org/ Dec. 2008, p. 10 (reprinted with
permission; photo by Jill Kitchener)
Toronto Council
approves toxic chemicals bylaw
'Right-to-know' rule will force 7,000 businesses to
disclose their emissions of 25 listed substances.
This is a bylaw that Carol Coiffe worked on for over
10 years.
http://www.thestar.com/article/548136
Churches seeking to live more responsibly
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~ from Insight, The Toronto Conference insert to The United
Church Observer, March/April 2008 (reprinted with permission) by Vivian Harrower
Fairlawn Avenue United Church in North Toronto
is one of a growing number of Christian congregations and, indeed, various faith
groups, who are part of the Greening Sacred Spaces coalition. GSS is a program
of the larger organization, Faith and the Common Good.
Tom Cullen, coordinator of Fairlawn Avenue United Church's Green Team, says the
church is in the process of deciding on a geothermal heating and cooling system,
which could reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 80 tons a year by drawing
heat from deep in the earth. Such a system would cost "significantly more" than
a regular boiler to install, so task groups are working on both funding and the
technical side.
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Fairlawn did an energy audit in March 2006, with GSS covering some of the
cost. In the winter of 2006/2007, the Green Team distributed a checklist for homes, showing how
much energy could be saved by such simple measures as changing to energy-saving
light bulbs. Over 60 households participated, and the results were collected and
reported to GSS.
Fairlawn has concentrated on greenhouse gas reduction, but lots of things
fall under that, says Cullen. They ran a 'lunch and learn' program which
included viewing Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth. At the fourth session,
members brainstormed ideas and later the team developed six focus areas:
property improvements, waste reduction, local foods, gardening, transportation,
activism & communications. All the groups met their initial goals, which were
small, achievable steps. The gardening group held a one-day event, putting down
woodchips in the church's flowerbeds to reduce water use. The communications
team developed a 'green' logo, a web site and eco-tips for distribution. The
'Light Brigade' changed to energy efficient lightbulbs. The waste diversion team
did a garbage audit and developed a new recycling program, "Put waste in its
place".
What connection does Cullen see between environmental concern and his faith?
"For me, it's a moral issue ... looking after creation. Social justice is at the
forefront at Fairlawn. We have contributed to affordable housing. I view habitat
destruction and environmental refugees as social justice issues. I was at a talk
about reef destruction. (He's a scuba diver.) Some of the wonders I've been able
to see won't be there for my son.
It's all about how to live
responsibly in the world."
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