We had our second OASIS design gathering on Saturday, November 17th at the Cabbagetown Youth Centre. We started the day with lunch, and a fun ice-breaking word association activity to get our minds thinking about important issues and our bodies warmed up to work. We built on the discussions from the first design meeting by splitting into small groups to share our thoughts on four specific areas: bulk buying food buying, food growing, food processing and storage, and waste and repurposing. All of the groups completed a “Flourishing Cities Design Canvas”, where we focused on both the short and long-term necessities for food security and resiliency in the community.

There were great dialogues happening that allowed for connections to be made between residents, community partners, and farming representatives that helped us generate a more specific and robust plan for OASIS. At the end of the day, everyone reported back so that all of the attendants could share what they have accomplished, and learn from the expertise of the other focus groups. Each group came up with three “Action Steps” that can be implemented right away to make inroads into achieving our goals for OASIS. The enthusiasm in the room was electric, and everyone was able to come together to collectively resolve important community issues. Thank you to everyone who was able to attend, share, listen, and help make a difference!

You can find more pictures of the event here.

Stayed tune for our third design gathering happening in early January!

Written by: Dani T.