Big Brothers Big Sisters of Toronto

G.O.T.S.

Do you want to have FUN and make the most of your summer?
If you answered yes, then G.O.T.S. (Get Off The Street) program is for you! And best of all it's...FREE!

What can you look forward to at G.O.T.S.?

Swimming
Sports
Movies
Art
Leadership Programs
Various Outings
And make new friends along the way!

Who can attend?

G.O.T.S. is dedicated to youth between the ages of 7 to 12

When and where?

G.O.T.S. begins on Wednesday July 2nd 2008 and runs Monday to Friday from 10:00 am until 4:00 pm.
They are located at:
Sir Sanford Flemming Academy: 50 Ameer Avenue, North York, ON
St. Rose of Lima Catholic School: 3220 Lawrence Ave. East

Don't forget to bring your lunch!

For more information please contact Uri or Lindsey @ (416) 495-8832, ext. 227

July 30 - 31

Wednesday, July 30

10 a.m.–5 p.m.: Summer Programming at Fort York National Historic Site

1:30 p.m.: Little Red Theatre’s The Ugly Duckling

Thursday, July 31

7–9 p.m.: Concerts in the Park in Richmond Hill

Ongoing

(April 19 to September 28 - Tuesday to Sunday, Noon to 5 pm)
Anne of Green Gables: A Canadian Icon at 100
An Exhibit, Spadina Museum: Historic House & Gardens
This is a new exhibit celebrating Lucy Maude Montgomery's Canadian classic, curated by Irene Gammel at the Modern Literature and Culture Research Center at Ryerson University. This exhibit presents the surprising and diverse inspirations that gave birth to the big-eyed, freckle-faced iconic redhead known around the world, Anne of Green Gables. Included with regular admission (Adults $5.66*, Seniors & Youths $4.72*, Children $3.77* (*plus GST)). 285 Spadina Road. Contact: (416) 392-6910 or www.toronto.ca/museums.

(May 16 until September 12)
Fast Forward: Through a Child’s Eyes, Whitchurch Stouffville Museum
Children growing up in the 1800s would have had a very different childhood experience from young people today. This exhibit will help us to understand these “miniature adults” and the influences that helped shape their lives. Details will be revealed through the eyes of our narrator Annie as she describes her family & home life, school, community, social activities and quiet times, things that might worry her, & what she envisions for her future. 14732 Woodbine Avenue. Contact: 905-727-8954/ 1-888-290-0337 or www.townofws.com/museum.

National Film Board, Animation Workshop Weekends
(Can’t Sit Still, Saturdays 10:30 am - Noon, Open House Animation Workshops, Saturdays and Sundays 1 pm -3pm; Pre-Registration is required & an Adult/Guardian must be present)
Can’t Sit Still - A movie and animations workshop for 3-5 year-olds. Kids watch NFB animated movies and then enjoy the hands-on fun in the workshop. $5/Child. Open House Animation Workshop - Animation workshops for children ages 6-13. Explore the history and technology of animation and create your own animation with professional tools and techniques. Bring along a VHS tape to take home your animated movie. A different theme each week. $5/Child. Contact: (416) 973-3012

Clay Pit Drop-In, Gardiner Museum
(Sundays, 1 pm – 3 pm & Fridays, 6 pm to 8 pm)
Clay, glazes and kilns are made available. Limited space. $10 or $8 Members/Seniors/Students, $5 Kids under 12, $3 extra for firing. Contact: (416) 586-8080 or www.gardinermuseum.on.ca.

NFB Mediatheque: Open House Animation Workshops: Sat. and Sun. 1–3 p.m. Ages 6–13. Animation workshops for older children with a different theme each week. Explore the history and technology of animation and make a new animated creation every week using professional tools and techniques. Attention animators: bring a VHS tape and you can take home your movie. Cost: C, $5. An adult, at no extra charge, must accompany children. 150 John St. (at Richmond St.). Call (416) 973-3012 or visit nfb.ca/mediatheque for information and reservations.

Spadina Historic House and Gardens:The interior holds a collection of local and imported furniture and art. The decor reflects the Toronto art scene of the late-19th and early-20th centuries and the Victorian, Edwardian and Art Nouveau styles that were popular in the day. The six-acre historic garden is home to more than 300 varieties of flowers and vegetables. A, $6; S/Y, $5; C, $4. 285 Spadina Rd., next door to Casa Loma. Call (416) 392-6910 or email toronto.ca

Scarborough Historical Museum: Experience early life in rural Scarborough. Enjoy a visit to an oasis of the past nestled in beautiful Thomson Memorial Park. 1007 Brimley Rd., just north of Lawrence in Thomson Memorial Park. Hours: Wednesday to Sunday: 12–5 p.m. Call (416) 338-8807 or email toronto.ca

Saturday Shenanigans: Family Fun at the Bata Shoe Museum: For children age 3 to 9. With a different theme every month, Saturday Shenanigans is offered from 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.; Drop in at Bata Shoe Museum 327 Bloor Street West (at St. George) Included in Museum admission. For info visit www.batashoemuseum.ca

Gardiner Museum: Free Fridays. Every Friday from 4–9 p.m. and all day on the first Friday of every month (10 a.m.–9 p.m.). Visit the Gardiner Museum with your friends for ongoing programming and activities. 111 Queen’s Park (at Museum Subway). Call (416) 586-8080 or visit gardinermuseum.com

Colborne Lodge: Open year-round. This rare Regency-style picturesque villa is a graceful monument to the Howards who founded Toronto’s best-known park. It contains many original family artifacts, including some of their watercolours of early Toronto. Set in beautiful High Park, families can tour Colborne Lodge, view the recreated heritage gardens and visit other nearby attractions in the park, such as the High Park Zoo, Grenadier Pond, Hillside Gardens and the Jamie Bell Adventure Playground. Hours of operation vary. A, $4; S/S, $2.75; C, $2.50. South end of High Park, Colborne Lodge Dr. Limited free parking. Call (416) 392-6916 or email toronto.ca

The Textile Museum of Canada: See more than 12,000 objects from more than 200 countries and regions. Permanent collection includes traditional fabrics, garments, carpets and related artifacts, such as beadwork and basketry. The permanent hands-on gallery, fibrespace, is a place where guests can touch and explore the properties of cloth and see the endless possibilities of pattern and decoration. In fibrespace visitors will discover fibre, discover colour, discover textiles and discover meaning. Open seven days a week. Steps from the St. Patrick subway station. 55 Centre Ave. Call (416) 599-5321 or visit textilemuseum.ca

Top 10 Things to Do for Free or Very Little

1. The Beaches
http://www.the-beaches.com/
The Beaches area is fun for walking along the board walk, cycling and sunbathing near the waters of Lake Ontario. The nearby commercial area is home to interesting shops for window shopping as well as cafes and restaurants.

2. Allan Gardens
Allan Gardens, Toronto, Ontario
The lovely Victorian style greenhouses of this conservatory house a unique botanical garden, free to the public. The conservatory provides a warm and beautiful reprieve from the winter cold or a peaceful escape from the bustle of the city at any time of year.

4. Chinatown
Chinatown, Toronto, Ontario
The colors, sounds and movement of this vibrant area of town make it excellent for window shopping and exploring, or meeting new people.

5. Kensington Market
Kensington Market and Spadina Avenue, Toronto, Ontario
With its colorful corner fruit stands, many thrift stores and pubs, Kensington Market is a meeting place for some of Toronto’s most interesting people. Each month the neighborhood blocks off the narrow streets for a Sunday afternoon festival celebrating the diversity of the area with drums, dances and music.

6. Riverdale Farm
Riverdale Farm, Toronto, Ontario
Located in the midst of Toronto’s Cabbagetown in the downtown area, this 7.5 acre farm has wooded paths, flowered vegetable gardens and a number of animals, including cows, horses, donkey, sheep, goats, pigs, chickens, turkeys, ducks, geese and rabbits, which you can view for free in the barns or outdoor paddocks.

7. Don Valley
http://www.toronto.ca/parks/brochures/walks/DW_DonValley.pdf
The ten kilometers of biking trails along the Don Valley are great for experts and beginners alike. The stretch of ravine between the Don Valley Brickworks up to Thornhill Park boasts some challenging trails, with exciting descents and climbs as well as some North Shore elements built in.

8. Wednesday nights at the Art Gallery of Ontario
Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto, Ontario
Housing over 36,000 works of art in its collection, the AGO is an excellent gallery worth visiting. You can do so for free every Wednesday evening between six and nine o’clock pm, when the museum drops its admission fee for the night.

9. St. Lawrence Market and Market Gallery
St Lawrence Market, Toronto, Ontario
Now a bustling marketplace filled with vendors of delectable foods, the Victorian building that hosts the St. Lawrence Market was once home to Toronto’s City Hall. It is a great place to wander and visit, or just sit and watch people interact. The gallery on the second floor, in what once was the council chamber. Now that space hosts periodically changing exhibits of paintings, artifacts and furnishings that display the history and culture of the area. Admission to the market and the gallery are free.

10. Toronto Islands
Toronto Island Park, Toronto, Ontario
The trails, picnic areas and beaches of the Toronto Islands make them an ideal place to spend an afternoon. You may want to investigate the mysterious and perhaps macabre history of the Gibraltar Point Lighthouse, or enjoy the sun on the clothing-optional beach on the west side of Hanlan’s Point. There are a number of baseball diamonds, volleyball courts and wading pools to enjoy as well.

		Things To Do			History Board of Directors BBBS Alumni Annual Report Resources Things To Do
		G.O.T.S. Do you want to have FUN and make the most of your summer? If you answered yes, then G.O.T.S. (Get Off The Street) program is for you! And best of all it's...FREE! What can you look forward to at G.O.T.S.? Swimming Sports Movies Art Leadership Programs Various Outings And make new friends along the way! Who can attend? G.O.T.S. is dedicated to youth between the ages of 7 to 12 When and where? G.O.T.S. begins on Wednesday July 2nd 2008 and runs Monday to Friday from 10:00 am until 4:00 pm. They are located at: Sir Sanford Flemming Academy: 50 Ameer Avenue, North York, ON St. Rose of Lima Catholic School: 3220 Lawrence Ave. East Don't forget to bring your lunch! For more information please contact Uri or Lindsey @ (416) 495-8832, ext. 227 July 30 - 31 Wednesday, July 30 10 a.m.–5 p.m.: Summer Programming at Fort York National Historic Site 1:30 p.m.: Little Red Theatre’s The Ugly Duckling Thursday, July 31 7–9 p.m.: Concerts in the Park in Richmond Hill Ongoing (April 19 to September 28 - Tuesday to Sunday, Noon to 5 pm) Anne of Green Gables: A Canadian Icon at 100 An Exhibit, Spadina Museum: Historic House & Gardens This is a new exhibit celebrating Lucy Maude Montgomery's Canadian classic, curated by Irene Gammel at the Modern Literature and Culture Research Center at Ryerson University. This exhibit presents the surprising and diverse inspirations that gave birth to the big-eyed, freckle-faced iconic redhead known around the world, Anne of Green Gables. Included with regular admission (Adults $5.66, Seniors & Youths $4.72, Children $3.77* (plus GST)). 285 Spadina Road. Contact: (416) 392-6910 or www.toronto.ca/museums. (May 16 until September 12) Fast Forward: Through a Child’s Eyes, Whitchurch Stouffville Museum Children growing up in the 1800s would have had a very different childhood experience from young people today. This exhibit will help us to understand these “miniature adults” and the influences that helped shape their lives. Details will be revealed through the eyes of our narrator Annie as she describes her family & home life, school, community, social activities and quiet times, things that might worry her, & what she envisions for her future. 14732 Woodbine Avenue. Contact: 905-727-8954/ 1-888-290-0337 or www.townofws.com/museum. National Film Board, Animation Workshop Weekends* (Can’t Sit Still, Saturdays 10:30 am - Noon, Open House Animation Workshops, Saturdays and Sundays 1 pm -3pm; Pre-Registration is required & an Adult/Guardian must be present) Can’t Sit Still - A movie and animations workshop for 3-5 year-olds. Kids watch NFB animated movies and then enjoy the hands-on fun in the workshop. $5/Child. Open House Animation Workshop - Animation workshops for children ages 6-13. Explore the history and technology of animation and create your own animation with professional tools and techniques. Bring along a VHS tape to take home your animated movie. A different theme each week. $5/Child. Contact: (416) 973-3012 Clay Pit Drop-In, Gardiner Museum (Sundays, 1 pm – 3 pm & Fridays, 6 pm to 8 pm) Clay, glazes and kilns are made available. Limited space. $10 or $8 Members/Seniors/Students, $5 Kids under 12, $3 extra for firing. Contact: (416) 586-8080 or www.gardinermuseum.on.ca. NFB Mediatheque: Open House Animation Workshops: Sat. and Sun. 1–3 p.m. Ages 6–13. Animation workshops for older children with a different theme each week. Explore the history and technology of animation and make a new animated creation every week using professional tools and techniques. Attention animators: bring a VHS tape and you can take home your movie. Cost: C, $5. An adult, at no extra charge, must accompany children. 150 John St. (at Richmond St.). Call (416) 973-3012 or visit nfb.ca/mediatheque for information and reservations. Spadina Historic House and Gardens:The interior holds a collection of local and imported furniture and art. The decor reflects the Toronto art scene of the late-19th and early-20th centuries and the Victorian, Edwardian and Art Nouveau styles that were popular in the day. The six-acre historic garden is home to more than 300 varieties of flowers and vegetables. A, $6; S/Y, $5; C, $4. 285 Spadina Rd., next door to Casa Loma. Call (416) 392-6910 or email toronto.ca Scarborough Historical Museum: Experience early life in rural Scarborough. Enjoy a visit to an oasis of the past nestled in beautiful Thomson Memorial Park. 1007 Brimley Rd., just north of Lawrence in Thomson Memorial Park. Hours: Wednesday to Sunday: 12–5 p.m. Call (416) 338-8807 or email toronto.ca Saturday Shenanigans: Family Fun at the Bata Shoe Museum: For children age 3 to 9. With a different theme every month, Saturday Shenanigans is offered from 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.; Drop in at Bata Shoe Museum 327 Bloor Street West (at St. George) Included in Museum admission. For info visit www.batashoemuseum.ca Gardiner Museum: Free Fridays. Every Friday from 4–9 p.m. and all day on the first Friday of every month (10 a.m.–9 p.m.). Visit the Gardiner Museum with your friends for ongoing programming and activities. 111 Queen’s Park (at Museum Subway). Call (416) 586-8080 or visit gardinermuseum.com Colborne Lodge: Open year-round. This rare Regency-style picturesque villa is a graceful monument to the Howards who founded Toronto’s best-known park. It contains many original family artifacts, including some of their watercolours of early Toronto. Set in beautiful High Park, families can tour Colborne Lodge, view the recreated heritage gardens and visit other nearby attractions in the park, such as the High Park Zoo, Grenadier Pond, Hillside Gardens and the Jamie Bell Adventure Playground. Hours of operation vary. A, $4; S/S, $2.75; C, $2.50. South end of High Park, Colborne Lodge Dr. Limited free parking. Call (416) 392-6916 or email toronto.ca The Textile Museum of Canada: See more than 12,000 objects from more than 200 countries and regions. Permanent collection includes traditional fabrics, garments, carpets and related artifacts, such as beadwork and basketry. The permanent hands-on gallery, fibrespace, is a place where guests can touch and explore the properties of cloth and see the endless possibilities of pattern and decoration. In fibrespace visitors will discover fibre, discover colour, discover textiles and discover meaning. Open seven days a week. Steps from the St. Patrick subway station. 55 Centre Ave. Call (416) 599-5321 or visit textilemuseum.ca Top 10 Things to Do for Free or Very Little 1. The Beaches http://www.the-beaches.com/ The Beaches area is fun for walking along the board walk, cycling and sunbathing near the waters of Lake Ontario. The nearby commercial area is home to interesting shops for window shopping as well as cafes and restaurants. 2. Allan Gardens Allan Gardens, Toronto, Ontario The lovely Victorian style greenhouses of this conservatory house a unique botanical garden, free to the public. The conservatory provides a warm and beautiful reprieve from the winter cold or a peaceful escape from the bustle of the city at any time of year. 4. Chinatown Chinatown, Toronto, Ontario The colors, sounds and movement of this vibrant area of town make it excellent for window shopping and exploring, or meeting new people. 5. Kensington Market Kensington Market and Spadina Avenue, Toronto, Ontario With its colorful corner fruit stands, many thrift stores and pubs, Kensington Market is a meeting place for some of Toronto’s most interesting people. Each month the neighborhood blocks off the narrow streets for a Sunday afternoon festival celebrating the diversity of the area with drums, dances and music. 6. Riverdale Farm Riverdale Farm, Toronto, Ontario Located in the midst of Toronto’s Cabbagetown in the downtown area, this 7.5 acre farm has wooded paths, flowered vegetable gardens and a number of animals, including cows, horses, donkey, sheep, goats, pigs, chickens, turkeys, ducks, geese and rabbits, which you can view for free in the barns or outdoor paddocks. 7. Don Valley http://www.toronto.ca/parks/brochures/walks/DW_DonValley.pdf The ten kilometers of biking trails along the Don Valley are great for experts and beginners alike. The stretch of ravine between the Don Valley Brickworks up to Thornhill Park boasts some challenging trails, with exciting descents and climbs as well as some North Shore elements built in. 8. Wednesday nights at the Art Gallery of Ontario Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto, Ontario Housing over 36,000 works of art in its collection, the AGO is an excellent gallery worth visiting. You can do so for free every Wednesday evening between six and nine o’clock pm, when the museum drops its admission fee for the night. 9. St. Lawrence Market and Market Gallery St Lawrence Market, Toronto, Ontario Now a bustling marketplace filled with vendors of delectable foods, the Victorian building that hosts the St. Lawrence Market was once home to Toronto’s City Hall. It is a great place to wander and visit, or just sit and watch people interact. The gallery on the second floor, in what once was the council chamber. Now that space hosts periodically changing exhibits of paintings, artifacts and furnishings that display the history and culture of the area. Admission to the market and the gallery are free. 10. Toronto Islands Toronto Island Park, Toronto, Ontario The trails, picnic areas and beaches of the Toronto Islands make them an ideal place to spend an afternoon. You may want to investigate the mysterious and perhaps macabre history of the Gibraltar Point Lighthouse, or enjoy the sun on the clothing-optional beach on the west side of Hanlan’s Point. There are a number of baseball diamonds, volleyball courts and wading pools to enjoy as well.