Architecture Groups Toronto

City Architecture: The Annex, Casa Loma and Spadina House!

**The Toronto History Walks Yearly Pass is available. Get it now for $125.00 for 1 year of unlimited tours, email** [torontohistorywalks@gmail.com](http://torontohistorywalks@gmail.com%2A%2A/) **for more information or for signing up!\*\*** \*\* **Please note: Please e-transfer the ticket amount when booking your space for this tour! You can e-transfer to the following email at:** [torontohistorywalks@gmail.com](http://torontohistorywalks@gmail.com%2A%2A/) Georgian, Gothic Revival, Bay and Gable, the list goes on and on. Toronto has many styles, and one can explore the history of Toronto simply by learning the different time periods involved. This tour explores the **architecture** of the Annex District, **Casa Loma** and its grand competitor Spadina House. These legendary landmarks on the hill overlooking the city have been focal points of Toronto history for well over a century in an area that has a vast story to tell. Just a reminder that we will be walking up to the Case Loma site and exploring the grounds and the history, we are not going inside any of the buildings. We begin this walk in front of the main doors to the Toronto Public Library Spadina Branch at 10 Spadina Road. We end at St. Clair Avenue West at the Loblaws Superstore at the St. Clair West Subway Station. Hope to see you soon. This walk is for most walking levels; however, there are steps and stairs near Casa Loma, north of Davenport. Please dress for the weather and see you there. The price of this tour is $15.00 per person! **Please note: Please e-transfer the ticket amount when booking your space for this tour! You can e-transfer to the following email at:** [torontohistorywalks@gmail.com](http://torontohistorywalks@gmail.com%2A%2A/)

An SD walk in the park

**An autumn service safari through Toronto's Vale of Avoca and Moore Park Ravine** We’ll meet at David A. Balfour Park and head through the Vale of Avoca and Moore Park Ravine. Along the way, we’ll introduce and try out a classic service design tool — the **[service safari](https://servicedesigntools.org/tools/service-safari)**[ ](https://servicedesigntools.org/tools/service-safari)— using the ravine as our real-world playground. We’ll walk, observe, and capture what we notice about how we find, navigate, and experience the place. Our timing is interesting too: The City of Toronto is [currently exploring improvements to the Vale of Avoca](https://haveyoursay.toronto.ca/vale-avoca-ravine-improvements). We’ll compare what we notice, spot patterns and see what questions and opportunities emerge. We’ll also borrow lightly from Design Council’s [Skills for Planet](https://www.designcouncil.org.uk/our-work/skills-for-planet/), widening our lens beyond our own experience to notice the environment around us. **No slides. No presentations. Just curious people, a beautiful fall walk, some service design in the wild and hopefully some good fall colours. 🍁** Bring: comfortable shoes, weather-appropriate layers + a charged phone. No service design experience required - curiosity is plenty. -- Bonus: After the walk, we’ll bring what we learn together into a short set of SDD field notes that we could share with the Vale of Avoca project team.

History of Aviation 3: The Ghost of Flight 401? (LECTURE ON THE GO)

**The Toronto History Walks Explorer Pass is available. Get it now for $125.00 for 1 year of unlimited tours, email** **torontohistorywalks@gmail.com** **for more information or for signing up!** We have an amazing "Lecture on the Go" series for 2026. New topics and fascinating stories abound! Join us and learn about the world and keep active and warm and cool during the winter and summer months! I started this walking classroom when we were under that horrible cloud called Covid. This series was popular and helped people get back into society and life. **This is part three of the Aviation series that will debut in August 2026 with the Lecture on the disaster at Tenerife**! The "Lecture on the Go" Series is open to members who have purchased the YEARLY MEMBERSHIP PASS, it's free for those members. If you wish to attend a lecture and you are not a yearly pass member then the price **per** lecture is $20.00. In this third part of *History of Aviation: Was there really a ghost of fight 401? Lecture on the Go* series, we explore one of the most extraordinary stories in modern aviation history. A true story that morphed into a decades long investigation, and put a spotlight on the airline industry itself. The events surrounding Eastern Airlines Flight 401 is fascinating, and sounds a bit like a modern horror story, but it's true. I can't wait to find out your take on this modern ghost story. Eastern Air Lines Flight 401 is one of the most famous and influential aviation disasters in history. The flight crashed late at night on December 29, 1972, while approaching Miami, Florida, after departing from New York’s JFK Airport. The aircraft was a new Lockheed L-1011 TriStar, one of the most technologically advanced airliners of its kind. The accident happened during the final stages of landing. The crew became distracted by a malfunctioning landing gear indicator light in the cockpit. While they focused on the small bulb issue, the aircraft descended without the pilots fully realizing it. The autopilot had been unintentionally disconnected, and the plane drifted lower and lower into the dark Florida Everglades. At 11:42 p.m., Flight 401 crashed into the Everglades about 18 miles northwest of Miami Airport. The impact destroyed much of the aircraft across the swampy terrain. Of the 176 people on board, 101 died, including the captain and first officer, while 75 survived. Rescue operations were difficult because of the remote location, darkness, mud, and water. The tragedy became historically important because it demonstrated a major danger in aviation known as “crew distraction.” The aircraft itself was functioning, but the crew lost awareness of altitude while concentrating on a relatively minor problem. The crash helped push airlines and regulators toward improved cockpit procedures. Many aviation historians consider Flight 401 a turning point in how airlines train pilots. The accident also became famous in popular culture because of stories surrounding “Ghosts of Flight 401.” According to airline legends from the 1970s, some Eastern employees claimed to see apparitions of Captain Bob Loft and Flight Engineer Don Repo aboard other Eastern aircraft after parts from the crashed plane were reused. While there is no evidence supporting these claims, the stories became widely known through books, documentaries, and movies. In this lecture on the Go, Upcoming topics in the 2026 series: \*Philosophy 1: Great Minds of the Western World: Goethe to Kant! - (August 2026) \*Philosophy 2: Great Minds of the Eastern World: Chuang Tzu to Dalai Lama - (July 2026) The 1977 Disaster at Tenerife - (August 2026) Legacy of Triangle: How a New York Factory Scandal changed North America - (September 2026) History of Aviation (September 2026) History of Aviation 3: Was there a ghost of flight 401? So book your plans now! This event is for all levels and walkers, there are a few steps here and there to navigate, but mostly on one level. This event in a non-walking event. The lecture begins on the steps of Old City Hall at the northeast corner of Bay Street and Queen Street West, and has a ticket price of $20.00 per person, but **free with the yearly membership pass**. **Please note: Please e-transfer the ticket amount when booking your space for this tour! You can e-transfer to the following email at:** **torontohistorywalks@gmail.com**

Toronto Real Estate, Interior Designer, Construction & Finance Networking

***Tickets Must be purchased in advance!*** https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/toronto-real-estate-interior-designer-construction-finance-networking-tickets-2002921455992 Get ready to connect with Toronto's finest real estate, design, construction, and finance professionals at a networking event like no other! Stellar Socials by Limitless: Elite Networking for Toronto Real Estate, Interior Designer, Construction & Finance Networking Join us for an exclusive evening designed to connect ambitious professionals in law, real estate, and construction. This event is your opportunity to build valuable relationships, discover new opportunities, and take your career or business to the next level. Whether you’re seeking partnerships, fresh career insights, or simply looking to expand your professional circle, this is the perfect space to **network, collaborate, and exchange ideas**. **DRESS CODE: BUSINESS CAUSAL** ### **About Stellar Socials by Limitless** Stellar Socials is the **premier networking experience** for professionals across North America. We bring together lawyers, real estate leaders, construction innovators, entrepreneurs, and investors in a **stylish, dynamic, and welcoming environment**. Our mission is simple: foster **authentic connections** that spark collaboration, innovation, and growth. ### **Who Attends?** Expect a diverse mix of driven professionals, including: * **Legal Experts** – Attorneys, paralegals, and consultants in real estate, construction, and business law * **Real Estate Professionals** – Agents, brokers, developers, investors, and builders * **Construction Leaders** – Architects, engineers, contractors, and project managers * **Entrepreneurs & Investors** – Business owners and firms seeking partnerships * **Graduates & Job Seekers** – Ambitious professionals looking to break into the industry * **Startups & Innovators** – Companies seeking investors, talent, and collaborations * **Media & Marketing Experts** – Creators and journalists covering industry trends 📍 **Age Group:** 21–55 \| **Venue:** 21+ (Bar setting) ### **What to Expect** ✨ High-impact conversations on legal trends, real estate opportunities, and urban development ✨ Direct access to industry leaders and like-minded peers ✨ Career-boosting insights and potential collaborations ✨ A relaxed and open social atmosphere—perfect for organic connections Whether you attend solo or with friends, you’ll leave with **new contacts, fresh insights, and future opportunities**. ### ***The Stellar Socials Experience:*** Our events are curated to encourage **natural, pressure-free conversations**. With a focus on relationship-building, you’ll connect with professionals who can inspire your next move—professionally and personally. Come ready to meet, collaborate, and grow. ### Join the Community 📲 Instagram: [@stellarsocialsbylimitless](https://www.instagram.com/stellarsocialsbylimitless) 📘 Facebook: Stellar Socials by Limitless 🎥 TikTok: [@stellar.socials](https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/toronto-real-estate-interior-designer-construction-finance-networking-tickets-2002921455992?aff=oddtdtcreator&keep_tld=true) ### Notice of Photography: *Please note: Photos and videos will be taken for promotional purposes. By attending, you consent to being photographed and/or filmed. If you prefer not to appear, kindly inform an event organizer upon arrival.*

AWS 101 Workshop

Welcome to the event where you stop watching and start building. AWS 101 is our first hands-on workshop, you're setting up your AWS account, getting into the console, and deploying an actual website to a live server before you leave the room. Not a simulation. Not a tutorial you follow at home. Something real, running on AWS infrastructure, with a URL you can send to people. We'll walk through the core services that show up in almost every real architecture, (EC2, S3, IAM, RDS) breaking down not just what they are but why they exist and when you'd actually reach for one over another. That thinking is what separates someone who watched a YouTube video from someone who can answer an interview question. Then we put it all together. Teams of 2-3, a base project already set up, and a challenge to extend it with add-ons wire the database, upgrade the design, add a second page, set up a custom domain. First team to complete all four wins. **What to expect:** A Kahoot to kick off the hands-on section, a live guided build where everyone follows along, a team challenge with actual stakes, and a room full of people figuring things out together. **And yes — merch is dropping.** AWS SBG gear will be at this event for the first time. Winners of the challenge get first pick. Food's covered. Bring your laptop. Set up your AWS Free tier account now. **Helix Room, K Building, Newnham Campus**

The Christian Imagination and the Question of Autonomous Art

[Theopolis](https://www.theopolis.ca/) is excited to present the inaugural Gaudí Lecture, featuring renowned liturgical artist, writer, and speaker Jonathan Pageau. The notion of “art for art’s sake” continues to pervade contemporary thinking and practice in the arts. Art is understood as autonomous, liberated from its connection to worship, culture, morality, truth, or beauty, or reduced to a commodity valued primarily for its price and prestige. In either case, art risks becoming detached from the larger human story. In this lecture, Pageau will argue that the response of the Christian imagination is not simply to reunite art with religious content by depicting biblical scenes or communicating moral messages. Rather, liturgy and sacramentality must be recovered as the internal and coherent driving force of the arts themselves, shaping their forms and their application within the Body of Christ. **Please note this is a ticketed event. YOU NEED TO PURCHASE A TICKET IN ADVANCE through this link [HERE](https://www.theopolis.ca/gaudi-lecture/) to be admitted. Theopolis has generously offered a package of 10 discounted (25% off) tickets for members of the Toronto Philosophy Meetup — use the code TPM2026 at checkout to receive the discount.** ***______________________________________________*** ABOUT JONATHAN PAGEAU Jonathan Pageau is a renowned liturgical artist, writer, and public speaker whose work explores symbolism, religion, art, literature, and culture. Through his carvings, writing, lectures, and *The Symbolic World*, Pageau has helped a wide audience recover a symbolic vision of the world, one in which spiritual meaning is revealed through images, stories, rituals, and the patterns of everyday life. Drawing deeply from the Christian tradition, his work offers a compelling way of engaging many of the central questions facing contemporary culture. Theopolis is honoured to welcome Jonathan Pageau to Toronto to deliver the inaugural Gaudí Lecture. ***______________________________________________*** ABOUT THEOPOLIS Catholic art has the power to renew culture and share the faith through beauty, but in Ontario, it’s too often absent from public life. Theopolis exists to change that. We’re empowering a rising generation of Catholic artists and creating a space for encounter between the secular and sacred. We believe that art plays a vital role in shaping how we understand the world, and that beauty can serve as an avenue for the Holy Spirit — sparking an encounter with the sacred. By bringing works of Catholic art into dialogue with contemporary Canadian culture, Theopolis ensures that the Catholic imagination remains part of the public conversation, creating spaces where culture and faith meet. More info about Theopolis here: https://www.theopolis.ca/about/ ***______________________________________________*** ABOUT THE GAUDÍ LECTURE The Gaudí Lecture is an annual public lecture exploring the importance, influence, and enduring relevance of the Christian imagination. Each year, Theopolis will invite a distinguished creative figure to reflect on the role of the Christian imagination in shaping culture, artistic practice, and daily life. The lecture is named for Venerable Antoni Gaudí, whose architecture reflects an imagination formed by faith, nature, craftsmanship, and a profound sense of the sacred. His work reveals how artistic practice can become a form of contemplation and how beauty can prepare the soul for faith. Through this series, Theopolis hopes to create a lasting forum for serious and accessible public conversation, bringing artists, students, professionals, clergy, patrons, academics, and members of the wider community into a shared exploration of art, faith, and culture.

Startup4Chinese #98｜AI 时代，我们希望孩子成长为什么样的人？

当AI可以讲题、改作文、写程序，孩子需要学习的，不只是如何使用工具，更是如何判断什么值得做、理解他人的需要，并为自己的选择负责。本场圆桌邀请张英锋与Steven Huang，从家庭教育、学校实践与未来工作出发，讨论AI学习伙伴带来的机会，以及可能被效率掩盖的成长。我们希望一起寻找更长远的教育方向：让孩子借助AI拓展能力，却不把思考、合作、同理心与创造真实价值的责任交给AI。 **分享嘉宾｜张英锋** 张英锋，QHOW Technology 创始人，长期关注 AI 如何改变学习方式、知识传播与个人发展机会。 曾从事软件开发、技术培训与团队管理，并参与指导十余所大学的CO-OP 合作。曾获知乎“2014 年度新知答主”，在科学、数学、教育、历史等领域创作 160 多篇回答和文章，累计阅读超过 3900 万，拥有 26 万关注者。 在本场圆桌中，他将围绕 AI 时代的教育机会与新的就业机会展开讨论：当每个人都能获得随时交流的 AI 学习伙伴，家庭教育与教育服务可以如何改变？当越来越多的任务可以由 AI 完成，哪些新的工作与创业机会正在出现？年轻人又该如何培养跨学科学习、人机协作与自主创造的能力，为未来打开更多可能？ **分享嘉宾｜Steven Huang** Steven Huang，韦德国际高中创始人，加拿大大西北商会副会长，有多个行业从业、创业经验。 在本场圆桌中，他将从学校一侧参与讨论：如果教育的目标不只是一份合格作业或一张成绩单，学校怎样通过项目、合作、口头解释与持续反馈，看见孩子的判断、责任和成长？怎样给不同语言与学习背景的学生恰当支持，又让这些做法在教师工作量和家校沟通中真正可行？ 我们想一起拆开的五个场景： 1\. 当 AI 可以完成任务，孩子仍要对什么负责？ 2\. 哪些成长不能被效率取代？ 3\. 有了随时交流的 AI 学习伙伴，大人应该把时间用在哪里？ 4\. 新的工作与创业机会，怎样与真实价值相连？ 5\. 我们怎样知道孩子正在成为更完整的人？ 家长、学生、教师、教育服务从业者，以及关心年轻人成长的社区成员，都可以带一个真实问题来：一次作业争执、一条说不清的 AI 使用规则、一个孩子沉迷效率却失去兴趣的时刻，或一个借助 AI 帮助了别人的小项目。你不需要先懂技术，也不需要先有答案。 这场讨论希望帮助家庭和学校建立一把更稳定的尺子。面对每一种新工具，我们都可以问：它帮助孩子成为什么样的人？它让孩子更能理解和回应真实世界，还是只让结果来得更快？孩子仍在练习哪些只有他自己才能作出的判断、关系与责任？ ▍ 关于 Startup4Chinese Startup4Chinese，成立于加拿大多伦多，致力于联结华人创业者与各个族群中的聪明才智，弘扬华人创业者的创业激情，赋予华人创业者更大力量。Startup4Chinese 主张开放心态，锐意开拓进取，注重脚踏实地，让我们一起享受创新、创业的过程。 ▍ About Startup4Chinese Started in August 2017, Startup4Chinese's mission is to INSPIRE, EMPOWER, and CONNECT entrepreneurial minds not only among Chinese but beyond. We want to inspire your passionate entrepreneurship spirit, empower your brilliant startup idea, and connect you with your future reliable partner. We value Openness. We provide Pragmatic topics. We want to help you succeed! ▍ 关于 OneHub OneHub商业咨询是一家领先的加拿大咨询公司，提供商业咨询和顾问服务，帮助中小企业增长和成功。该公司以其战略咨询方面的专业知识而闻名，包括商业计划、市场研究、财务建模和数字化转型。创始人Eddie Lee有30多年企业实务经验，他注意到创业者常常面临相同的问题。OneHub团队，就是要为为初创企业或中小型企业遇到的问题提供全面解决方案。 ▍ About OneHub OneHub Business Consulting is a leading Canadian consulting company that provides business consulting and advisory services to help small and medium-sized enterprises grow and succeed. The company is known for its expertise in strategic consulting, including business planning, market research, financial modeling, and digital transformation. Founder Eddie Lee has over 30 years of practical experience in the corporate world and noticed that entrepreneurs often face similar problems. The OneHub team aims to provide comprehensive solutions for the issues encountered by startups or small to medium-sized businesses.

Volition Street Smart Tour: One Toronto Lot. Four Homes. Four OWNERS.

### **Tour a Real-World Toronto Condominiumization Project** What if, instead of building a multiplex and renting out the units, you could **build multiple homes on a single Toronto lot and sell each one individually?** That's the idea behind **condominiumization** – what we're calling the "Missing Middle 2.0" investment strategy – and for this Meetup, we're going to walk through a real project that's actually doing it. When most people hear the word "condo," they probably picture one of two things: **a box in the sky, or a unit in a large stacked townhouse development.** This is neither. What if you could create a "condo" that **looks and feels much more like a traditional home**? One with its own front door, multiple floors and the privacy and feel of a house – nestled discreetly into an established residential neighbourhood rather than looking like an obvious townhouse development? **That's what Harvie is creating.** The Harvie project started with a single-family property. Today, it's being transformed into **three townhouse-style homes plus a garden suite**, each designed to be separately titled and sold individually. Most missing-middle investment strategies (like the well-known "4+1") follow essentially the same playbook: **Buy a property. Add units. Rent them out. Hold.** Harvie asks a different question: **What if the target customer wasn't four tenants... but four HOMEOWNERS?** \*\*\* ### **A Different Kind of Missing Middle** We've spent a lot of time at Volition talking about Toronto's changing housing rules and the opportunities they create for small investors and developers. But almost all of that conversation has focused on **creating more rental housing**. Condominiumization introduces another possibility: **Creating more ownership housing.** For many aspiring homeowners, there's a gap between the two traditional choices. On one side is the **traditional house** – your own front door, multiple floors, privacy and the experience of living in an established residential neighbourhood – but increasingly at a price many aspiring homeowners simply can't afford. On the other is the more attainable **condo apartment or stacked townhouse** – which may fit the budget better, but may not deliver the kind of home or lifestyle they're actually aspiring to own. **But what if there were something in between?** A home with its own front door. Multiple floors. More privacy. A residential streetscape. A home that feels like a real home, in a real neighbourhood – but on a smaller footprint and potentially at a more attainable price point than a traditional detached or semi-detached house. **That's the homebuyer Harvie is designed for.** We're not just talking about adding density. We're talking about potentially creating **a type of ownership housing that sits between the condo apartment and the traditional Toronto house.** That's what makes this "Missing Middle 2.0" concept so interesting. \*\*\* ### **From One Single-Family Property to Four Individually Owned Homes** The concept sounds simple: **Take one Toronto residential property. Redevelop it into multiple family-sized homes. Condominiumize the property. Sell each home separately.** But here's the critical difference: **You can't simply design the same rental multiplex you would have built for four tenants and decide afterward that you're going to sell the units individually.** **The end product has to be something a homeowner actually wants to BUY.** Different customer. Different product. Different design. Different economics. That changes everything from the site you choose and the layout of the building to privacy, sound separation, construction quality, materials, finishes and how the individual homes actually function day-to-day. And rather than explain all of that with slides in a conference room: **We're taking you directly inside the Harvie project.** \*\*\* ### **What We'll Explore** Using Harvie as our real-world case study, we'll dig into the questions that actually matter if you're considering this strategy: * **How does condominiumization actually work?** How do you go from one Toronto property to multiple separately titled homes that can ultimately be sold to individual homeowners? * **What makes a property a good candidate?** We'll look at how site dimensions, neighbourhood, comparable sales, acquisition costs and the potential value of the finished homes factor into choosing the right project. * **What do you build when your customer is a HOMEOWNER instead of a tenant?** We'll explore the design decisions behind Harvie's vertical townhouse-style homes, including layouts, privacy, sound separation, utilities and the details that make a unit actually feel like a home. * **What does it take to get a project like this approved and built?** We'll unpack some of the municipal, planning, design and construction challenges encountered along the way – while seeing the actual materials, construction methods and finished product firsthand. * **Does the business model actually work?** We'll explore the economics, financing and exit strategy, and how developing homes for individual sale changes the equation compared with building and holding a conventional rental multiplex. * And perhaps most importantly, **what do you only learn by actually doing it?** We'll get into the real-world challenges, surprises and lessons from executing the strategy – including what might be done differently on the next project. \*\*\* ### **Hear Directly From the Developer Behind Harvie** Our expert guest speaker **Daniel Zimberoff** is the investor and developer behind Harvie. He'll take us through the actual project firsthand – why it was designed this way, how the strategy was executed, what happened along the way and what he's learned from bringing it to reality. Dan also runs a consulting practice **teaching other investors and developers how to execute condominiumization projects of their own.** \*\*\* ### **Come See the Real Thing** This isn't a hypothetical pro forma. It isn't a rendering. And it isn't a seminar about what *might* be possible. **We're going to walk through the real thing.** **One Toronto lot. Four homes. Four OWNERS.** \*\*\* **NOTES:** * **Dress Code:** As we will be touring a construction site, it is crucial to dress appropriately. Please wear closed-toe shoes and clothing suitable for a construction environment. * **Waiver Requirement:** To ensure everyone's safety and comply with regulations, we require that each attendee signs a waiver before entering the premises. **\*\*\*** *** **Schedule:** Saturday, October 17, 2026, 1:00-3:00 pm **Location:** 534 Harvie Ave, Toronto, ON *(Limited street parking available. A short walk from the Eglinton Crosstown LRT - Fairbank and Caledonia stations)* *** **Volition Properties:** *Make smarter real estate moves — buy, sell, or invest with confidence. Volition Properties offers tailored advice, education, and community — grounded in strategy, built on trust.* Contact us today for any questions about real estate in Toronto! 📧 info@volitionprop.com 🌐 [www.volitionprop.com](https://www.volitionprop.com "https://www.volitionprop.com") 📞 1-877-416-BRRR

Workshop 2: Bold Colour

The Future of Wellbeing: AI, Community & Social Impact

Register here: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/the-future-of-wellbeing-ai-community-social-impact-tickets-1997859089317?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAcGRvZgJleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZA85MzY2MTk3NDMzOTI0NTkAAad9JE43Cv4asJwzLwmAkV5UH94sl9eJwjPGVPLPRLCUuBLTGMNoB7aCPW61-A_aem_eqTb0M6UTv4G97JZPcFxPw **Overview** What does it mean to build AI in service of wellbeing? A one-day forum on tech, climate, mental health, community & social impact. *A Community Panel & Networking* An evening forum on what it means to build technology in service of wellbeing. As AI reshapes how we live, work, and care for one another, one question matters more than ever: what does it mean to build and adopt technology in service of holistic wellbeing — human, community, and societal — in the Canadian context? The Mindful Impact Forum brings together nonprofit leaders, founders, technologists, youth, and changemakers for a focused day of conversation and practice. We move deliberately from the human to the technical: first setting the foundation of what wellbeing truly means, then turning to how we build and adopt AI responsibly in service of it. After launching our forum series in Vancouver this past March, we're bringing it to Toronto for a single, focused edition — in partnership with Google Developer Groups and The Dais, TMU. ### **What you'll experience** * A flagship day of remarks, a keynote, and an opening panel on wellbeing * A creatively facilitated community forum — real cross-sector dialogue * A hands-on AI & technology for social impact workshop * Practical tools for leadership, resilience, and innovation you can use the next morning * A genuinely cross-sector room: founders, youth leaders, community builders, and changemakers ### **The program** Session 1 — Framing & Community Panel: What Wellbeing Means Session 2 — AI and Responsible Innovation: From Principles to Practice Session 3 — Finding our Wisdom Way Forward: Future Community Wellbeing & Leadership ## Event Details **📍 Location:** The Sandbox, TMU (341 Yonge St 3rd floor, Toronto, ON M5B 1S1) **📅 Date:** Oct 14, Wednesday 2026 **⏰ Time:** 6 PM - 9:00 PM (Door open 5:30 PM) **🎫 Ticket — FREE -$50** All proceeds support Wisdomway Impact’s mental wellbeing initiatives. Student & Youth (under 25, limited spots) FREE **Speakers** 1. **AJ Kim** is a social entrepreneur, global impact practitioner, dedicated to building spaces where inner development and collective change meet. Her work spans leadership development, youth empowerment, and community wellbeing initiatives in Asia, Africa, and Canada, grounded in field experiences, dialogue, and systems thinking. Through forums, education programs, and partnerships, she explores how mental wellbeing can become a foundation for stronger communities, sustainable leadership, and long-term social impact. 2. **Alejandro Castellanos** Toronto-based AI Systems Architect, Alejandro builds trustworthy AI technologies for community resilience, public-interest intelligence, and human-centred care. His work emphasizes evidence, human oversight, and technology that strengthens—not replaces—human judgment. 3. **Camara Chambers** (*Director of Learning and Events, The Dais at TMU)* Named one of 100 Black Women in Canada to Watch and a national leader by The Philanthropist Journal, Camara has spent her career where equity meets civic engagement — leading a national policy program for Europe's largest LGBTQ charity, and serving as Executive Director of Volunteer Toronto, Canada's largest volunteer centre. At the Dais she builds community partnerships and designs leadership programs for Canada's next generation of leaders, and she founded Let's Hike T.O., which has introduced over 1,300 people to the trails. She brings the question that keeps the whole session honest: responsible *for whom?* 4. **Carolyn Shaw** is the Co-Founder, President and Chief Creative Officer of Humanity, an independent, Black-owned and female-led agency built for changemakers. With more than 20 years of experience in marketing, branding and design, she helps purpose-driven organizations turn bold ambitions into ideas, experiences and campaigns that move people. Carolyn believes the strongest organizations are built by keeping people—their needs, dignity and lived experiences—at the centre of how we lead, communicate and create change. Her work spans health, education, culture, sustainability and the nonprofit sector, bringing strategy and creativity together to make complex issues more human and meaningful. A lifelong learner and advocate for purpose-led leadership, Carolyn is especially interested in how organizations can pursue progress without losing sight of the people that progress is meant to serve. 5. **Danielle (dane) Cadhit** is an experience designer, story weaver, facilitator, and lifelong observer of patterns. At Coralus, she crafts experiences that invite people to connect more deeply, see and do things differently, and (re)imagine new possibilities.Her curiosity tends to live in the spaces between things: between people and ideas, work and life, structure and emergence, the inner world and the communities we build around us. Lately, she has been especially interested in what happens when we stop treating ourselves like something to optimize, and instead pay more attention to the rhythms, seasons, relationships, and conditions that shape how we actually live, work, gather, and create. 6. **Hilary Van Welter** is CEO (Chief Exploration Officer) at Ascentia, Coralus Transformation Architect, and Associate Steward at Bounce Beyond. She has spent a lifetime exploring how life, people, organizations, communities and nature flourish, evolve and bring new possibilities into being. Her perspective has been shaped by decades of looking at these questions from many angles, across government, business, social innovation, community and systems transformation. Her work lives at the intersection of strategy, imagination and living systems, with a particular curiosity about the relationships and conditions that reimagine even the term wellbeing beyond the individual into community and society. She brings the wisdom of a long trajectory, a deep trust in life’s intelligence, and an ability to sense patterns and possibilities while they are still emerging. 7. **Jake Hirsch-Allen** (*Director of Partnerships, The Dais at TMU)* Jake works at the intersection of inclusive technology, ethical data, and responsible AI. He built public-private partnerships in workforce development and higher education at LinkedIn, co-founded Lighthouse Labs, and advises impact investors, public-sector leaders, and startups on responsible tech and AI governance. A former intellectual property and international criminal lawyer who clerked at the Supreme Court of Israel, he can speak to the ethics, the policy, and the build of AI all at once — and here, he opens the questions the demos will have to answer. 8. **Katie Choi (she/her)** is the Lead of Community Education at HF Care and a registered social worker with experience supporting diverse communities across the mental health, developmental services, and settlement sectors. Drawing on both her professional background and her lived experience as an immigrant and the daughter of immigrant parents, Katie is passionate about exploring how culture, migration, and family dynamics shape holistic wellness. Through her work, she supports front-line workers in building culturally responsive, trauma-informed, and strengths-based approaches to service delivery. 9. **Kritima Kukreja** Technology professional and mobile developer, Founder of Synk Tech AI. Specialized in creating smart agents, chatbots and automations that scales for the client’s needs. A former experienced developer in well-known companies such as IBM, MicroSoft, Bank of America, and Google. Kritima builds user-focused digital experiences and explores the intersection of AI, mobile technology, and emerging digital tools. She is also an active member of Toronto’s tech community, supporting and mentoring fellow builders. 10. **Swelen Andari** is the Director of Strategy, Climate Resilience & Youth Mental Health at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH). She leads a research and systems change initiative to address climate distress, climate action, and active hope for youth. Swelen leads the CAMH Mental Health & Climate Response Initiative, an organization-wide effort addressing climate-related mental health impacts. Trained as a Creative Arts Therapist and with a background in systems thinking, and implementation science, she has over a decade of experience in system-level initiatives to improve access, service design, prevention, and youth leadership in Ontario’s child/youth mental health system. For several years, Swelen was involved in local and national climate justice organizing, including collaborating with Climate Justice Toronto, supporting the 350’s Our Time Campaign, and co-designing a social movement organization committed to advancing equitable climate solution, good work and dignity for all. ## Organizer & Sponsors **Wisdomway Impact** connects mental wellbeing with community, social, and environmental resilience. We support leadership programs, community wellbeing strategies, and cross-sector impact projects that strengthen trust and collective care. We believe community wellbeing begins with inner wellbeing. Your ticket directly supports ongoing community initiatives and leadership development programs. **The Dais, Toronto Metropolitan University** is a public policy and leadership think tank, working at the intersection of technology, education and democracy to build shared prosperity and citizenship for Canada. With over 20 research reports exploring how AI is reshaping work, public policy, education and the nonprofit sector, the Dais has helped organizations build the knowledge and practical skills needed to adopt AI responsibly and effectively through the RAISE initiative which saw 550+ nonprofit professionals across Canada access practical training on AI governance and adoption. **GDG Toronto** is a chapter of Google Developer Groups, a global network of local, community-run developer groups. We bring people together around Google technologies through talks, hands-on workshops, and hackathons to be the technology literacy bridge for our community.

Food Styling Workshop: an Immersive Food Photography Experience

IMPORTANT: YOU MUST ALSO REGISTER AT THIS LINK: [https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/henrys-church-sony-food-photography-workshop-food-styling-fundamentals-tickets-2002955832814?aff=oddtdtcreator](https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/www.eventbrite.ca/e/henrys-church-sony-food-photography-workshop-food-styling-fundamentals-tickets-2002955832814?aff=oddtdtcreator__;!!O7_YSHcmd9jp3hj_4dEAcyQ!zzE6xi2zlA67MElcbYe2Kjo4mk81FPArAbm9kftkK7e9rvKGDeIr-D3FPwpghSSE5-hZkQtc8ePumRXEz5J92A3uDkf3kpE$) **Sony Food Photography Workshop - Food Styling Fundamentals: Isaac Tang** Discover how thoughtful food styling can bring your photography and video to life. Join chef and food photographer **Isaac Tang** for a beginner’s introduction to food photography class exploring how food composition and settings can elevate the look of food. Through practical examples and live styling demonstrations, Isaac will share techniques for creating appetizing food scenes. Styling for photography and video: Explore how to prepare and arrange food for still images and moving shots. **Working with lighting:** Understand how light direction, softness, and shadows shape the appearance of food. **Creating a cohesive scene:** Bring together plates, props, backgrounds, and food placement to create a moment . **Live styling demonstrations:** Follow Isaac’s process as he builds and refines setups, explaining the choices behind the looks. Ideal for beginners, content creators, and photographers looking to learn more about food. Sony Specialist will be on hand for live demonstration and for you see some of the latest Sony cameras. Remember to register here: https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/www.eventbrite.ca/e/henrys-church-sony-food-photography-workshop-food-styling-fundamentals-tickets-2002955832814?aff=oddtdtcreator__;!!O7_YSHcmd9jp3hj_4dEAcyQ!zzE6xi2zlA67MElcbYe2Kjo4mk81FPArAbm9kftkK7e9rvKGDeIr-D3FPwpghSSE5-hZkQtc8ePumRXEz5J92A3uDkf3kpE$

Creative Code Toronto work session

Join us for a Toronto meetup of creative coders! Instead of our usual show-and-tell, this will be a **work session!** If you're looking for some motivation to tinker on a creative project, now's your chance! **What is creative code?** *Creative coding* refers to anything with an artistic component that uses code as a medium. We welcome artists who use code (for visuals, audio, poetry, or whatever else), designers, animators, toolmakers, researchers, or just enjoyers and people looking to learn more! **Location:** Impact Kitchen on Queens Quay (88 Queens Quay W, Toronto, ON M5J 0B6) **Join our discord** if you want to talk to everyone before/after the event, or have any suggestions for things you'd like to see or do! [https://discord.gg/ux9txXPsdJ](https://discord.gg/ux9txXPsdJ)