Vert-à-Go

The Core Neighbourhood Youth Co-op will hold its annual dinner and auction on Thursday, 28 May. The fun starts at 5:30 pm with cocktails and the silent auction, supper is at 6:30 pm, and the live auction will kick off after that at 8:30pm.

The Core Neighbourhood Youth Co-op is an alternative high school program for at risk youth. Those who take part in CNYC’s programs can earn high school credits while learning life and employment skills in a compassionate environment. One of Core’s great initiatives is its urban gardening program. Here, young people learn valuable skills by studying horticulture and their environment. They take part in a variety of gardening activities centred around aquaponic and traditional greenhouses and raised bed gardening, learning composting techniques, bee keeping, canning, preserving, healthy eating, and cooking. They also manufacture some lovely furniture (including garden furniture), which is for sale, as well as rain barrels and worm composting bins. Keep your eye out for the salad and salsa containers CNYC will be putting together and selling at the Farmers’ Market next month!

Core Neighbourhood Youth Co-op dinner and auction

When: Thursday 28 May , 5:30pm-10pm

Where: Louis’ Pub, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK (Google map)

COST: $40

For more information: Call Kayla Hrynewich at (306) 665-3889 or see their web site

Photo by MikeMar

Join Ruth Eliason and her friends as they bring a little light to the Darkest Night of the Year, in support of Station 20 West. Celebrate the season with good music, good food and friends!

When: Sunday 21 December, 7:30-8:30pm

Where: Christ Church Anglican, 515 28th St W, Saskatoon (Google map)

Admission: by donation

For more information: Facebook event page, Station 20 West web site, phone 373-0292

On Saturday, 15 November, EE Burritos and Friends of Station 20 West will host the first of several fundraisers for Station 20 West–a dinner followed by dancing to live Latin music! All proceeds will benefit Station 20 West (including a 50/50 draw).

Ticket price includes entry and your meal (drinks are extra). If you are a vegetarian, please let them know when you buy your ticket. Organisers expect this fun event to sell out quickly, so get your tickets soon!

When: Saturday 15 November, 6:30-10:30pm (dinner served at 7pm)

Where: EE Burritos (corner of 22nd St W and Avenue P) (Google map)

Cost: $25, children 6 and under free (available at QUINT (2nd floor, 230 Avenue R South), Turning the Tide bookstore (525 11th Street E) and EE Burritos)

For more information: Facebook event page

In March, Station 20 West Community Enterprise Centre lost committed provincial funding of $8 million for its unique community health and social services centre. The Saskatchewan Party government’s decision sparked outrage and, since then, thousands of people from across the city have joined the Station 20 West campaign. Although construction plans have now had to be scaled back to reduce costs, the centre will still house important services that will improve the lives of those living in Saskatoon’s core neighbourhood and help revitalise the area.

Here is the latest Station 20 West update:

• The revised plan calls for a smaller two-storey building of 19,000 square feet. The estimated cost to shell in the building is $2.6 million. The food store will be responsible for its own fit-ups and the other tenants will be asked to bring their own improvements.
• The revised centre will continue to be home to a locally-owned grocery store, and a number of important health and social agencies focused on improving the lives of individuals and families in the core neighborhoods.
• Services available through Station 20 West will provide improved access to nutrition education, healthy food, youth leadership programming, outreach education and employment, and small business development services.
• The organization will take a $600,000 mortgage, and has so far received donations totaling $325,000. Station 20 West still needs to raise $1.675 million and intends to have all of the money raised by December 31, 2008. The target to start construction is the fall of 2008.

You can make a donation to the Station 20 West campaign here. And if you’re looking for a fun way to support the campaign, why not come out to McClure United Church’s Station 20 West fundraiser on Friday 26 September?

The evening will include:

• a presentation on Station 20 West
• exciting entertainment
• delicious dessert!

When: Friday 26 September 2008, 7pm-10pm

Where: McClure United Church Auditorium, 4125 Taylor Street, Saskatoon (Google map)

Cost: Adult $12, Family $30, Students $7

You can get your tickets from:

• McClure United Church office (373-1753)
• McClure Place office (955-7677)
• Joan Bell (955-2080)
• Aurelia Grimes (477-3039)
• Quint office (978-4041)

Although the Sask Party government has pulled the $8M funding that was being held in trust for the Station 20 West urban renewal project, organisers are determined that the Good Food Junction will still go ahead.

The Good Food Junction Co-Operative at Avenue K and 20th Street will be a neighbourhood store owned and run by local people. It will provide a full range of groceries, including fresh produce, meats, and dairy, as well as frozen foods, canned, bottled and bagged goods, health and beauty items, and household cleaning supplies. Core neighbourhood residents have been without a local grocery store for nearly a decade.

Station 20 West organisers are petitioning the city (who graciously sold the land for $1 on the condition that the project be completed within a specific time frame) for time so that the architects can redraw plans for a smaller building that would house the grocery store. They are also looking for help from the Saskatoon community to get the store up and running.

Dear Friends,

Thank you for showing your recent support at the Station 20 West rally on April 5th. We have been overwhelmed by the support of the citizens from all over Saskatoon.

We are in the process of starting a major capital campaign to raise funds for Station 20 West. If you are interested in continuing to support our project, there are several ways you can help.

We are currently working on a fundraising poster to be distributed across the city, which will be ready on Wednesday April 23rd. We would appreciate your time to hang as many as you can. Even hanging 5 posters would be a major contribution. These posters can also be picked up at Quint Development Corporation, 207-203 Avenue R South, or we can arrange to get them to you. Please let us know if you are willing to help with the posters.

On April 28th, we will be meeting with the executive committee of Saskatoon City Council to ask for an extension on the land contract. Please show your councilor your support for this project by emailing City Council, or by mail:

Saskatoon City Council
City Clerks Office
2nd Floor, City Hall
222 3rd Avenue North
Saskatoon, Sask. S7K 0J5
Fax (306) 975-2784

If you would like to get more involved with Station 20 West, we can use volunteers. Please let us know of your availability. We are hoping to have one event every week that will bring us public attention for our fundraising campaign. Please contact us and let us know if you have any great ideas for these events.

Click here if you wish to make a tax-free donation to Station 20 West.

You can find contact details for your Saskatoon city councillor here.

I was out yesterday morning on a community walk, along with an estimated 2000-2500 other people, to show support for Station 20 West. The $11.5m community development project plans to include a co-operative grocery store, dental and medical clinics, and a wide range of other nutrition, health and employment services (joining 50 affordable housing units and a public library already planned for the site).

A couple weeks ago, the project had its funding pulled by the new provincial government. It has turned out to be an incredibly unpopular decision, and one which organisers and supporters hope will still be overturned.

Here’s why Station 20 West is desperately needed.

You can make a tax-deductible donation to the project online or by phone. And to show your disapproval at the funding cut, write to Brad Wall or phone his office on (306) 778-2429. They count every single letter and phone call, so it is really important to let them know your opinion! You can also get a sample letter to print and sign here.

Here’s the letter I sent:

27 March 2008

Honourable Brad Wall
Premier of Saskatchewan
Room 203
Legislative Building
Regina, SK S4S OB3

Dear Mr Wall:

I wish to express my grave concern over the withdrawal of funding for the Station 20 West project in Saskatoon. In addition to providing desperately needed affordable housing units and a library, this development plans to provide local medical, dental, and mental health services, as well as job training and other support for the most vulnerable members of our city. I am sure you read last year’s Canadian Journal of Public Health article outlining how people living in Saskatoon’s core neighbourhood have a vastly increased risk for a wide range of health issues, including an infant mortality rate 5.5 times higher than the rest of the city. I hope you agree that these programs (which have received the enthusiastic support of the University of Saskatchewan dentistry and medical colleges) would do a huge amount to help disadvantaged children, youth, and adults to live healthier, and therefore happier and more productive lives.

Station 20 West would also provide a good-quality local grocery store-something which residents of Saskatoon’s core neighbourhoods have lacked for close to a decade. With diabetes, obesity, and other nutrition-related health problems skyrocketing, the people of this area urgently need closer access to decent-quality food. Because so many of them do not have access to a vehicle (less than a third of the city average in Pleasant Hill, for example) and are living on a very limited income (half or much less than half of the city average), it is not only impractical to travel to another grocery store miles away-it can be a serious hardship. Giant Tiger may sell a small quantity of food items, but I wouldn’t want to feed my children solely on its groceries for a month, let alone for years on end. And it is self-evident that the main grocery store chains have no interest in running a store in the area, instead choosing to put image and profits ahead of the needs of the customers who supported them for so many years.

At a time when the province’s coffers are bulging and when people in Saskatoon’s core neighbourhoods are so obviously in need, denying money for this project is baffling. I urge you to meet with the Station 20 West organisers so you can see and hear firsthand how beneficial this project is. As a taxpayer and voter, I strongly ask you to release the funding so it can quickly be brought to fruition.

Yours sincerely,

Susan Pederson-Bradbury