The benches outside the Riverdale Hub on Gerrard Street East do not have the stingy middle “armrests” that city benches have. If you want to lay down and stretch out, you are welcome to. Just be responsible about it, please.
The little sign engages users in a light, inviting way, expecting responsible cooperation. The benches themselves are made of heavy offcuts, formerly beams inside the renovated and restored Hub space.The wood has been valued, not discarded, and has been beautifully put to use.
Respect for beauty extends to the mosaic sign, which I find very impressive. I must find out who did it. The artist hired to decorate the old building found it inspiring, too. The sign’s colours have been extended to cover the whole facade. This is how art grows.
There is something very hopeful and human about the Riverdale Hub. It exists to help women, particularly immigrant women, to find their way in new surroundings. It offers programs and it offers resources for enterprise. There is inexpensive office space, rentable on all kinds of flexible terms and supported by all kinds of modern business appliances.
One of the enterprises is a fair trade café. Warm, cozy and comfortable, it offers good coffee and baked goods while, at the same time, it offers training experience for those that staff the operation. Obviously, I like the place and recommend a visit.