Jane & Finch Community and Pan Am Meeting – September 23, 2014
1. Introductions
2. JF-ECI update
3. Pan-Am Update:
 Patience Adamu, Pan Am Sports Organization, “Organizing Committee for the TO2015 Pan
Am – Parapan Am Games”
 Presentation
 Pan Am: July 10-26, 2015
 41 countries
 2 venues @Rexall and CIBC Athletic Stadium, tennis and track
 Parapan Am: August 7-15, 2015
 28 countries
 1 venue – Opening Ceremonies?
 City of Toronto Track and Field Centre – there will be renovations for a training site
 Local Host Committee –
 Patience has community ‘gatekeepers’ into the Jane-Finch community.
 Empower local leaders
 Looking for community organizations and residents to e members
 Interested parties: City of Toronto, York University, Seneca, Pioneer Village, etc.
 Since March 2014, Patience has been meeting with and soliciting interest from local
leaders.
 Tickets are on sale on a request basis until January 2015 when people can start buying
them outright.
 $20 and up; seniors and kids discount; OSAP benefits for student volunteers.
 Youth Summit – March 21, 22, 2015
 12 community partnerships (1 with Carl James, Centre for Community & Education)
 Different funding opportunities: Government of Canada “Community Celebration Fund”;
City of Toronto “Game On Toronto”-mid October deadline (i.e. project can be a camp with
a sports focus); and Community Festival and Events (deadline November 17); S.E.E.D.S. All
info online.
4. Plans, Ideas?
a) (JF-ECI): marathon; golf tournament; Caribana-type celebration
b) (Downsview Centre): playingforkeeps.ca
c) (Barry --?): Black Creek Micro-Finance: vendors, food and crafts
d) Just BGRAPHIC: community festival “Unglugged”; flag football, bike ride; ultimate Frisbee
e) Yvette: PATH – (Pan Am rep): Urban Arts got funding to paint along the Pan Am pathway
f) (Ignite) partnerships include: 106 in York; Art Gallery of York University; Arts for Children
and Youth; Urban Arts; Just BGRAPHIC
g) (Winston): Pavilion – Cultural Festival
h) (name?): is tabling representation of Native/Indigenous community, called 8th Fire. All
peoples of the world come together and light the fire to show solidarity with Indigenous
peoples.
i) (Rep from Caribana – name?): Children’s Festival, 2nd week in July
j) Toronto Public Library: received 2 grants for 4 sites (2 in Black Creek area). Economic
opportunities, Community market pop-ups.
k) Jane Finch Unity BBQ (Andrea): want a JF Unity Jump-up. Maybe partner with Caribana.
l) (Barry) – another festival (like the one featured in the ‘Experience Black Creek’ magazine
last weekend?)
5. Opportunities/ What’s needed:
 Break the silos
 Collective voice, fully inclusive of community
 (Colin) – 1 committee to gather all events and filter to Patience
 (Yvette) – need to define outcomes. Will this be a legacy or one-time event type of thing?
 Unifying event, grassroots involvement (Andrea)
 (Tiffany) – TDSB trustee – help change the negative perceptions. Showcase Jane and Finch
in a positive light to media.
 (Winston): Building community Capacity blueprint. Set up a steering committee. Can
expand on his already existing one.
 (Barry): get on board with Jane and Finch Concerned Citizens and Economic Health. It’s got
to be local (not McDonald’s).
 (Yvette): YU has no control over Pan Am geographical location re catering/vendors.
 (Patience): has to go through Pan Am procurement, MERCs (?) website, get registered on
the system, which makes it easier to procure from local vendors. Highly unlikely it will
exclusively be local vendors.
 (Lorna): we need to know how to get on the system and what the deadlines are.
 (Just BGRAPHIC)- the mall owner will support us, and we must stay business-focused.
 (Orville): after Games, what next? Perhaps proceeds should go to Youth Centre Training
and Economic/Community Development.
 (Wally): JF-ECI should strike committee with different foci i.e. food and sit down with
Patience, and feed it back to the community.
 (Carl Wilson, Caribbean Commerce Magazine): should have local media there to document
local stuff.
 (Yvette): summer job opportunities; what can YU be doing in the community to help
skill=build towards summer job opportunities for non-York students, etc.
 (?name): we have to have a base
6. Priorities
 Pan Am absolutely wants to support a host committee
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How can we leverage Pan Am (i.e. use the logo—not if you’re not intrinsically linked;
also be cautious around marketing. Think about the sustainability. Funding may
complicate things. We don’t want to fight each other for funding.
(Yvette): need to move beyond endorsing vision. Need concrete representatives (from
YU and other stakeholders) and concrete action.
(Lorna): JF-ECI will be our coordinating body and everyone here has to commit. Where
does your passion lie?
The Blueprint names 3 foci: Economics, Athletics, Culture.
(Just BGRAPHIC): we need a budget
(Patience): Funding opps at Pan Am are project-based.
(Suzanne, City of Toronto, GAME ON): City is also project-based funding, but can build
into capacity-building when completing the proposal. More strength in partnerships.
(Yvette): we may need to fundraise, or provide in-kind supports, cash, etc.
(Lorna): challenge all JF-ECI’s stakeholders to come up with money.
(Pan Am rep): funds are not coming through Pan Am because it’s a non-profit
organization
(Winston): cap the committee at 9 perhaps
7. Next meeting is September 30, 2015 from 10-12 at TD-CEC. We will be breaking out into the 3
specific groups.