Don River Trails - A home for the homeless

I just had a colleague of mine in my office, and we were both chatting about a shared passion for trail riding. Yup - hopping onto a pretty darn cool 2-wheel, human powered trail/mountain bike and tearing the terrain up!

He mentioned that one of Toronto's neatest spots would be the Don River trails - an urban oasis for hikers and mountain bikers. What he also mentioned is that, if you go at certain times of the day - dusk, really - you will see that the Don River trails also host some of Toronto's homeless.

These people live under the bridges, on the trails, by the river. Some take their daily baths in the river, some start fires and cook what they found (or fished) during the day. And, though to us, it sounds like a summertime camping perfect picture, it is not for these people... it is their life.

It reminded me that, the summer is an easy time for us to help out... We may feel - perhaps - more guilty or more touched by the plight of the homeless in the winter. Of course, the cold - the biting Canadian cold - will do that to your psyche. But, in the summer - we have a bigger window for opportunity.

When I was lifeguarding (years ago), one of the important things to remember about triage was that you should help those people who had injuries which were quick to resolve so that you could make the biggest impact in the shortest amount of time.

So, in the summer... since you're likely to be out on these trails (or any trails) anyways, why not pack an extra sandwich, or loaf of bread? I still firmly believe that the solution to homelessness and poverty overall is to provide education and hope - but, it's hard to learn on an empty stomach, and harder to have the will to learn when you're daily fight is to get food.

So, if you're on the Don River trails this summer... can you make a difference?

Global high tech treasure hunt

I thought I would introduce you to one of my new (well, almost new: been at it about 3 months now) favourite pastimes: Geocaching.

According to Geocaching.com:

“Geocaching is a high-tech treasure hunting game played throughout the world by adventure seekers equipped with GPS devices. The basic idea it to locate hidden containers, called geocaches, outdoors and then share your experiences online. Geocaching is enjoyed by people of all age groups, with a strong sense of community and support for the environment.”

If you have a GPS unit and if you enjoy the outdoors – this can add a little twist to your hikes. It’s also an amazing game to encourage the kids to get out of the house. Some people say their kids even feel like they’re playing video games!

Basically, you can participate at Geocaching.com (there are other sites, but this is the most comprehensive) by creating a free profile. Once you have your free membership (no catch, honest), you can find Geocaches located near you, or on your route to wherever you plan to hike or travel. The fun part: the directions to the cache are given only in longitude and latitude. Once you get to the coordinates, you usually need to look a little since the cache is hidden, often in clever ways. And, you should also note that a second of longitude or latitude could be approximately 15m in distance (see Greaterskies).

In short: geocaching gets you out, adds a twist to your hike, takes you to some pretty cool historical or geographical locations, shares great stories with a world-wide community and teaches some pretty neat stuff!

Some of our highlights include:

• Discovering one of Toronto’s oldest cemeteries between the 427 & 401: GCH6KC,


• Finding a travelbug from the Czech Republic, right here in Canada, and


• Hiding our very own cache for other’s to find in Lex’s favourite dog park! (FYI: Lex is our 2 year-old super pup; cross Shepherd/Rottie.)

If you join the game, we’re the Lemonheads… feel free to find us at Geocaching.com.

The Lemontree branches out

First and foremost, I want to wish all the “Mommy Lemonheads” out there a very happy Mother’s Day. I know a few expecting moms and one, in particular, who just had her 2nd baby this weekend – and, I wish each of them all the serenity this day encompasses.

Secondly, I thought I’d take this day to announce that: the Lemontree is no longer a one-trick pony. Without a doubt, the focus on philanthropy will always remain on the cause of poverty across North America. And, without a doubt, my firm belief remains that a critical key to the solution is access to education – and therefore, opportunity & hope. However…

When I started this blog, right from the first post, I mentioned how remiss I would be if I did not get a chance to engage in this amazing opportunity of creating dialogue (if not world-wide, at least) nation-wide, and hopefully continent-wide. What I’ve also come to realize in the past few months is that a blog, like all other online communications media, demand a good dose of spontaneity – to allow others to access instant thoughts and opinions. I’ve found myself looking for stories on the blog’s core topic; which unto itself is not a bad thing, but then really removes the “spontaneity”. Therefore…

From today onwards, the Lemontree is branching out. By nature, I will always be sure to highlight issues and victories as I see them in the realm of poverty across North America. I invite you to share them with me and together, we can bring important issues to the forefront. But, the Lemontree will branch out to also talk about a multitude of activities and issues – always striving to “make lemonade”.

I will start sharing on all sorts of topics: fun, funny, and inspiring (to me). I hope that the continuation (and slight twist) of the Lemontree will continue to interest you… This shift may cause more frequent blogging. :-)

For the record, it appears we have a consistent average of over 200 readers. Perhaps with the expansion of subjects, we can reach higher?

Thanks to all the Lemonhead readers, and looking forward to a great warmer season of blogging with you.

Lemontree links: Clarifying poverty definitions

“Like slavery and apartheid, poverty is not natural. It is man-made and it can be overcome and eradicated by the actions of human beings.”

Nelson Mandela

It was brought to my attention that, what one person may consider poverty may be a fairly good living to someone else... and vice versa. Homelessness, for example, can be considered strictly by what it says “home-less” as in without a home, without a roof; living on the streets or in a shelter. But, there are many who are considered “hidden homeless” – those couch surfers (who are not couch surfing by choice) or those who sleep in their cars and shower at the Y. So – what is “homelessness” to you?

To help you, Lemonhead friends, here are a couple of Websites that can help us understand. If we understand and internalize our definitions, we will be able to focus our actions to make a real difference!

Previously known as the National Anti-poverty Organization,

Canada without poverty has a goal: to eradicate poverty from Canada by 2020. Their Websites helps shed some definitions around what poverty really means. South of the 49th (parallel), a fantastic blog: Poverty in America provides some clarity in definition and food for thought on actions and questions to ask.

For me – poverty starts from the notion that opportunity has been removed from a person’s realm of possibility. If someone has lost their hope, or their ability to see opportunity; or – if someone truly doesn’t have plausible opportunity, then this is poverty. Let’s be clear: I am referring here to the opportunity of accessing a better life, not buying a bigger boat!

I would like to make it my goal to help people restore the ability to see opportunity. It’s there, it needs to be seen, and then – opportunity needs to be seized.

Spritzer: Share your passion!

So, as is usual when I am looking for a specific highlight for the Lemontree, I tend to do a little research. I completely realize that, on some level, the notion of research for a blog defeats the spontaneity of the tool, but I like to back up my opinions... Today is no different! In keeping with my previous post on the Olympics, and my desire to showcase Vancouver – and the Tale of Two Cities – I chose to take a look through the various events going on in Vancouver. My goal was to highlight events specifically focused on raising awareness around the issue of, of course, poverty. Now – hold the phone!

Feel free to use my

Google Search: Summer events, Vancouver, BC. Over 28 million results... Crazy! So, I started looking through them: arts, sports, music, charities, environmental issues – you name it, there’s an event for it. I suppose that’s not really a surprise – apparently, every day is a day for something. (Apparently today, May 1, is May Day – celebrating the “real labour day” in many parts of the world.) But, back to the events... here’s what got me thinking. None of them (well, maybe some) are incredibly expensive to get into, and many are free!

I started thinking about various previous posts. I believe, and it has been demonstrated, that when you find your passion – you learn about it, and learn how to apply it, you have a chance to make a difference in your own life, and maybe even in someone else’s. Yes; this blog is about poverty, and shedding some light on it. It’s also about sharing my views on how we can try and stop the bleeding, particularly in North America. We live in a place so rich in opportunity; built on the notion of “dreams”, “free society” and “opportunity”. Do I sound like a broken record yet? Share it!! I believe we need to provide everyone with equal opportunity to explore what they are passionate about and give them hope & a chance to develop that passion into something they can make a living out of.

So, this summer – let’s call this a Spritzer of hope... If you are going to a festival, event or other shindig. If you cross paths with someone less fortunate than you who might demonstrate some sort of interest in whatever “thing” you are going to see/watch/do. Maybe, just maybe, there’s some way you can share the opportunity, share a little hope...