Family Day Event, Sunday, Feb. 13, 2016, 12 noon – 3 p.m. at the Small Arms Building (1352 Lakeshore Road East, just east of Dixie Road)

TRCA/Sawmill Sid worksite in Lakeview. Jaan Pill photo

Click here to access the Facebook Page of the Small Arms Society >

I am pleased to share with you information about an exciting event connected with the Small Arms Building in Lakeview in Mississauga:

Family Day Event, Feb. 13, 2016

12 noon – 3 p.m.
Small Arms Building
(1352 Lakeshore Road East, just east of Dixie Road)

The event is hosted by Toronto Region Conservation Authority Tree and Wood Recovery Centre in partnership with Sawmill Sid and the Toronto Waldorf School. Demonstrations, tours and activities. Children will be invited to build and decorate wooden crayon boxes, cookies and Valentines’ Day hearts along with other activities. Guests can sample hot apple cider and roasted marshmallows.

See attached media advisory [lease see text below] with further information:

Hope you can make it!

Diane LaPointe-Kay
President, Small Arms Society

TRCA/Sawmill Sid worksite in Lakeview. Jaan Pill photo

News release regarding the event

For Immediate Release

Family Day combines Ecological Understanding, Creative Solutions and Fun

Feb. 9, 2016, Toronto, ON – The Emerald Ash Borer has devastated neighborhoods that were once bathed in the shade of stately Ash trees. But thanks to the ingenuity and creativity of a number of partners, what was once a tragedy is now a triumph. An upcoming community event is aimed at celebrating how teamwork has led to some inspiring solutions. The family day event, this Saturday, Feb. 13, will be held at the Toronto and Region Conservation’s Tree and Wood Recovery Centre at the Small Arms Building in Mississauga from 12 – 3 p.m.

TRCA/Sawmill Sid worksite in Lakeview. Jaan Pill photo

The family event, held at the newly created TRCA Tree and Wood Recovery Centre in partnership with Sawmill Sid and the Toronto Waldorf School, features opening ceremonies with Mississauga Councilor Jim Tovey, a tour of the facility, a brief talk about Ash tree recovery and wood repurposing and displays of furniture and art made from repurposed Ash lumber.

“This event is all about celebration in the face of an ecological tragedy,” Malaz Seabee said. “Instead of simply throwing up our collective hands and saying this problem was beyond our help, people have joined forces to make something wonderful happen. Now schools are using repurposed Ash wood in their woodworking classes, furniture makers can take advantage of the new live-edge furniture trend and artisans can incorporate wood that might otherwise have gone to a landfill or been used for firewood.”

TRCA/Sawmill Sid worksite in Lakeview. Jaan Pill photo

Sid Gendron of Sawmill Sid is pleased he was able to work with TRCA to establish a wood recovery location within the city. The end result is now Ash trees can be processed closer to home, cut to size for furniture makers and artisans without driving far out of the city.

“This is a perfect example of business, conservation, education and art are playing a role in dealing with a serious issue,” Gendron said. “People have been asking for something like this to be created and now it’s finally here. There’s no reason we can’t find a better solution to this problem other than chipping up Ash trees, using them for firewood, or sending them to landfill. We can lessen our carbon footprint and get creative by working together, and we’ve done just that.”

TRCA/Sawmill Sid worksite in Lakeview. Jaan Pill photo

During the event, children will be invited to build and decorate wooden crayon boxes, wooden cookies and Valentines’ Day hearts. There will be an oversized Jenga game in the courtyard as well as other activities. To add to the rustic feel of the day, guests can sample some hot apple cider and roasted marshmallows.

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For more information, please contact:

Elizabeth Oakley

Toronto and Region Conservation

(416) 274-2036

eoakley@trca.on.ca

Sheila Storey

Sawmill Sid

(705) 543-2508

sheila@sawmillsid.ca

TRCA/Sawmill Sid worksite in Lakeview. Jaan Pill photo

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Previous posts

A previous post regarding Sawmill Sid can be accessed here:

Sawmill Sid portable sawmilling project is now underway at Small Arms Building in Mississauga

Some related posts – they are related because the sight of the TRCA/Sawmill Sid worksite at the Small Arms Building prompted me to have a striking, full-colour flashback to working in the lumber industry in British Columbia forty-five years ago – are entitled:

Great Bear Lake Rainforest agreement resolves conflict over logging in Canada’s coastal rainforest

Message from Tides Canada regarding Great Bear Rainforest agreement