WHO WE ARE
Green Neighbours Network is a grassroots community network of people and groups helping to make neighbourhoods across the City of Toronto and GTA greener, healthier, and more sustainable. We recognize the urgency for global climate action, and our personal roles in it. We support initiatives that promote a fair and just transition to a low carbon future. We are proudly non-partisan and committed to collaborating with diverse groups for impactful change.
VISION
We aim for a fully sustainable city of diverse, walkable neighbourhoods enjoying equal access to abundant, ecologically-rich green spaces and the benefits of a vibrant, local, circular economy.
MISSION
We build relationships with our members by supporting, connecting and celebrating their work, both individually and through collaborative projects. We also seek alliances with other organizations merging environmental, economic and social benefits.
VALUES
In addition to embracing the values of integrity, transparency and accountability, we place a special importance on “neighbourly” values – cooperation, respect for differences, friendliness and having fun together. Thus, we aim for a consensual approach to decision making.
Find our Code of Conduct & Ethics here
The Power of the Network
Green Neighbours Network of Toronto (GNN) is a network of individuals and independent community groups working together with a common goal: to help make Toronto greener, healthier, and more sustainable. We envision a city of vibrant neighbourhoods, a city that leads in the worldwide urban movement against climate change.
As Network members, we can each do more by:
- Sharing ideas, information and resources
- Incubating and mentoring new groups
- Learning and promoting effective civic engagement
- Building relationships with diverse groups for the common benefit of all
Together we can do more to address the environmental challenges of our time. There’s lots to do! Why not sign up, join us, and get involved?
Our Team
Our History
The idea for a network connecting grassroots community green groups and like-minded residents across Toronto gained momentum in 2017, when people from about a dozen local and citywide green groups began meeting to consider how we could work together to achieve our goals more easily, effectively, and enjoyably.
We discovered that we all share a common goal: to create a city that is healthier, friendlier, and more resilient and sustainable. We wanted to achieve it by engaging with our neighbours in productive and enjoyable ways that would build community.
So we decided to do it – Green Neighbours Network launched informally on April 16 2018, and was incorporated as Green Neighbours Network of Toronto, a federal not-for-profit, in May 2020.
Recent Events and Activities
How GNN began: from dream to reality – in 5 steps
Step 1
Nov 2016 – 6 people from 3 green groups met over lunch
The dream: A network of ward-based green groups across the city
The vision:
- Neighbourhood groups will drive the Network; grassroots up
- Network is for linkage; groups will do their own thing
- Network will ask groups, what do you need? How can the Network help?
Next step: A party with an agenda.
Step 2
Jan 2017 – 16 people from 9 green groups met at a potluck party with an agenda
The agenda: Do you feel that your group, or new emerging groups, could be more successful with the support of a broader network of ward-based groups?
The answer – yes!
Step 3
May 2017 – 15 people from 12 green groups met over dinner
To consider the risks/benefits of a Network …
- Things that hinder, things that help green groups
- How can linkage with other groups help groups?
- How can we make it happen?
- A Transitional Team was formed to plan a neighbourhood green group network, and present the plan in the fall
Step 4
October 2017 – 23 people from 16 green groups met over dinner
To hear the Transitional Team present their plan for the network …
- purpose & mandate
- leadership structure & core teams
- website plan – with a map of member groups
- outreach trials – one-on-one meetings and interactive “dotmocracy” activity
- show of hands – unanimous support!
Next step – Recruit member groups, launch the network!
Step 5
STEP 5: April 2018 – 40 people from 30 green groups met over dinner
And we launched Green Neighbours Network of Toronto. From dream to reality in 5 steps! GNN was incorporated as a federal not-for-profit in May 2020.
Milestones and Activities, 2018 – 2024
April 2024-present
- “Green Hearts in Action” podcast series with interviews showcasing GNN members:
- Helen Mills, Lost Rivers, Mar 2024
- Tim Grant, Net Zero Carbon Project, Apr 2024
- Rochelle Byrne, A Greener Future, May 2024
- Dorte Windmuller, Cliffcrest Butterflyway, June 2024
- Rhonda Teitel-Payne, Toronto Urban Growers, Dec 2024
- Anna Hoad, Toronto Nature Stewards, Jan 2025
- Hosted GNN outreach tables at:
- CICS-Scarborough Seedy Saturday & Green Fair, Apr 2024
- Willowdale Environment Day & EcoFair, Apr 2024
- Beach United Church EcoFair, May 2024
- Willowdale Climate Action Circle, May 2024
- Bloor West Village “Movin N Groovin”, June 2024
- Greenest City Good Food Market, July 2024
- Willowdale Environment Day, July 2024
- Greenest City Good Food Market, July 2024
- Willowdale Climate and Health Forum, Oct 2024
- EcoFair Toronto, Nov 2024
- Awarded two Canada Summer Jobs-funded intern positions for our project “Biodiversity Counts”, June-July 2024
- Our two “Biodiversity Counts” interns worked in collaboration with five neighbourhood member groups; PHP4CA, Green13, Greenest City of West Neighbourhood House, and Friends of South Kingsway in Parkdale-High Park, and Beach United Church in Beaches-East York
- Co-hosted 2024 EcoFair Toronto with Transition Toronto, November 3 at Wychwood Barns; EcoFair attracted over 1200 attendees and showcased 60 eco-organization and business exhibitors and activities
- Were awarded “2024 Greener City Award” on Dec 4th from Toronto Environmental Alliance (TEA) for our collaborative summer survey project in 2023, in partnership with the University of Toronto Trash Team, TEA, Enviromentum, Small Change Fund, volunteers from six Green Neighbours Network member groups, and the work of four summer interns interviewing restaurant owners about their use of disposable and reusable foodware.
- Launched our first-ever online Silent Auction Fundraiser on Feb 7th to raise awareness and funds for grassroots environmental action in Toronto and the GTA.
- Hosted second annual “Green Hearts for Valentine’s Day” event to celebrate GNN volunteers, supporters, and green group leaders of GNN’s member groups and partners
- Awarded second “GNN Green Hearts Award” in February 2024 to Krissan Veerasingam for his inspiring work co-founding and fostering Scarborough Environmental Association.
- Published 4 editions of the GNN e-Newsletter
April 2023-24
- Awarded three Canada Summer Jobs-funded intern positions for our project “Reducing Litter at its Source”
- Interns worked in collaboration with six neighbourhood member groups; PHP4CA, Green13, SLNA Zero Waste Group, St Lawrence Reduces, Scarborough Environmental Association, and Scarborough Zero Waste
- Successfully added a fourth summer intern in Scarborough to the project by fundraising through the Small Change Fund’s Greener Toronto Fund
- GNN interns surveyed restaurant managers about their use of single use takeaway items with the long term goal of reducing litter at its source, project partners included Toronto Environmental Alliance, Enviromentum, UofT Trash Team, and WalkRollMap.org (June-July 2023)
- Hosted GNN outreach tables at:
- EcoFair at Beach United Church, May 2023
- Lakeshore Environmental Gardening Society (LEGS) Annual Plant Exchange and Seedy Saturday Community Event, May 2023
- Regal Heights BIA Recycling Event, June 2023
- PHP4CA and G13’s Test-Ride Electric Bicycles & Scooters, June 2023
- TO March to End Fossil Fuels, Sept 2023
- Parkdale Seedy Saturday, Mar 2024
- Organized a GNN “Plant-Pull & Picnic”, co-hosted with Cherry Beach Nature Stewards
- Recruited our first University of Toronto Geography placement student who used mapping and urban geography data to study the characteristics of areas of the city that currently lack GNN neighbourhood green groups
- Migrated GNN accounts from “Quickbooks” to “Netsuite for NonProfits”, founded a GNN finance team
- Co-hosted 2023 EcoFair Toronto with Transition Toronto, November 5th at Wychwood Barns; EcoFair attracted over 1100 attendees and showcased a record 63 eco-organizations and businesses
- Hosted first “Green Hearts for Valentine’s Day” event to celebrate GNN volunteers, supporters, and green group leaders of GNN’s member groups and partners
- Awarded first “GNN Green Hearts Award” in February 2024 to Helen Mills for her inspiring work founding and fostering Lost Rivers and Lost Rivers Walks
- Launched “Green Hearts in Action” podcast series featuring Helen Mills and Lost Rivers, Mar 2024
- Published 8 editions of the GNN e-Newsletter
April 2022-23
- Launched the “Greener Toronto Fund”, a project of the Small Change Fund, July 2022
- Hired our first “Greener Toronto Fund” intern, a young environmental champion to accelerate our progress to a more sustainable city, Aug 2022
- Partnered with WalkRollMap.org to bring their crowd-sourced mapping tool to Toronto neighbourhoods to improve sidewalk safety and promote active transportation, May – Nov 2022
- Awarded four Canada Summer Jobs projects in collaboration with five neighbourhood member groups: Pocket Change, PHP4CA, Green13, Harbord Village Net Zero Committee, and Etobicoke Climate Action, Apr 2022
- With this funding, GNN hired eight Canada Summer Jobs interns for our project “Reducing Gas at Home and on the Move” to survey people in four neighbourhoods, June-Aug, 2022
- Hosted GNN outreach tables at:
- Green11 at “Bike with Mike” May 2022
- Climatefast at St Matthew’s United Church, Doors Open Toronto, May 2022
- PHP4CA and Green13 at “Test-ride electric bicycles and scooters” event, June 2022
- Etobicoke Climate Action at the Long Branch Tree Fest, September 2022
- Outreach presentation for MP Majid Jowhari’s Environment Council of Richmond Hill, November 2022
- Recruited our first York University placement students to support the activities of two member groups
- Co-hosted 2022 EcoFair Toronto with Transition Toronto, November 2022, at Artscape Wychwood Barns with 1022 attendees showcasing 44 eco-organizations and businesses
- Submitted applications in three Toronto ridings for 2023 Canada Summer Jobs Interns to survey restaurants about their use of single use takeaway items, Jan 2023
- Published 8 editions of the GNN e-Newsletter
April 2021-22
- Organized and hosted Annual General Meeting & online GNN Member Celebration event, May 2021
- Launched member group renewal drive, with 98% renewing their membership
- Co-hosted EcoFair Toronto with Transition Toronto, 4-day online event plus in-life bike tour, Nov 4-7 2021, 426 attendees and 24 participating eco-exhibitors
- Awarded three Canada Summer Jobs interns to work on social media, the new GNN website, and to upgrade the GNN database with integrations and automations, Aug 2021 to Jan 2022
- Founded GNN’s Political Engagement Team, Jan 2022
- Launched new logo and new GNN website gnntoronto.ca, spring 2022
- Began manual for GNN “Standard Operating Procedures”, 2022
- Applied for nine Canada Summer Jobs interns in Jan 2022 in 4 grant applications submitted in collaboration with five neighbourhood groups; Pocket Change, PHP4CA, Green13, Harbord Village Net Zero Committee, and Etobicoke Climate Action
- Published 8 editions of the GNN e-Newsletter
April 2020-21
- Incorporated federally as a not-for-profit, May 2020
- Participated in the “Community Sewing Face Mask Project” organized by TNO – The Neighbourhood Organization, Mar – Dec 2020
- Organized GNN Mix’n Mingle online event, Aug 2020
- Hosted an outreach table with Etobicoke Climate Action in-life at Long Branch Tree Fest, Sept 2020
- Awarded first Canada Summer Jobs project; GNN intern created 28 EcoFair exhibitor and 3 GNN member group videos, and surveyed GNN’s 41 member groups to evaluate GNN’s performance and future plans, Sept 2020-Jan 2021
- Co-hosted EcoFair Toronto with Transition Toronto, 16 online events involving over 1000 attendees and 76 environmental organizations and eco-businesses, Oct 15 – Nov 8, 2020
- Piloted $1000 micro-grant program; supported ten GNN member groups using a donation from Vancity Community Investment Bank, Dec 2020 – Mar 2021
- Founded GNN’s Retrofits Team; community groups and individuals learned, discussed, helped develop and promote projects, and worked together to reduce carbon emissions in their homes and neighbourhoods, 13 meetings Feb – Dec 2021
- Applied for three Canada Summer Jobs interns to help GNN with communications and database development in Jan 2022
- Published 8 editions of the GNN e-Newsletter
April 2019-20
- First birthday after launch, held Spring Party to celebrate, June 2019
- Hosted Volunteer Coordinator training workshop, June 2019
- Promoted participation of GNN members in GreenPAC’s 100Debates for the Environment, Aug-Sep 2019
- Launched Climate Crafts outreach activity
- Hosted GNN outreach tables at:
- TRCA Humber by Canoe, Sept 2019
- Long Branch Tree Fest, Sept 2019
- Salmon Festival at Highland Creek, Oct 2019
- EcoFair at the Barns, Nov 2019
- Created GNN’s bylaws, recruited first Board of Directors, Jan-Mar 2020
- Published 12 editions of the GNN e-Newsletter
April 2018-19
- Internal Launch of Green Neighbours Network, April 2018
- Founded GNN’s Zero Waste Team, April 2018
- Published first issue of GNN Newsletter, Oct 2018
- Hosted GNN outreach tables at:
- EcoFair at the Barns, Nov 2018
- Scarborough Seedy Saturday and Green Fair, March 2019
- GNN partnered with Climatefast and Toronto Green Community on a Low Carbon Neighbourhood grant funded by The Atmospheric Fund (TAF) called “Our Community Futures – Sustainable Neighbourhoods grant” to promote environmental engagement in Scarborough and Etobicoke, Jan-June 2019