CITY GUIDE: TORONTO

Toronto is the largest city in Canada and one of the most multicultural cities in the world. The city has a thriving sharing economy, enabling residents to share everything from tools to backyards, board games to cars, and everything in between. This list features the companies, organizations and spaces that make Toronto a shareable city.

Check out the Toronto Sharing Map for a map view of the items below.

 CLOTHES

From designer dresses to vintage, Toronto has lots of fashion hotspots for those looking to rent, buy, sell, trade and donate clothing.

• Kind Exchange: Buy, sell, trade, and donate designer, vintage, basics & one-offs. New merch too. Cash or trade on the spot or donate to charity.
• Rent Frock Repeat: Why buy a new designer dress when you can rent one for up to 90% off the retail cost.
• Preloved: Creates one of a kind clothing from reclaimed vintage fabrics. Our passion is design and our philosophy is sustainability.
• Vintage Clothing Stores: Great example of redistributing used goods.

http://kindexchange.ca/blog/

STUFF

Why buy something expensive for a one-off job? These companies encourage swapping, sharing, renting, repairing and recycling to build human connections in the process.

• Toronto Tool Library and Makerspace: A resource sharing project that loans specialized tools to community members interested in repair, maintenance and building projects.
• Swapsity: Canada’s leading swapping community. Passionate about making barter part of people’s lifestyles, both online and offline.
• Kiinzel: A local marketplace for moms to buy, sell and swap with friends.
• Free Geek Toronto: Recycling technology while providing access to computers, the internet, education and job skills in exchange for community service.
• Toronto Public Library: A cornerstone of the local community and the world’s busiest urban library system. Now with digital innovation hubs that include 3D printers.

http://torontoist.com/2013/10/the-toronto-tool-library-nails-down-its-new-east-end-location/

FOOD

Whether it’s sharing backyards, swapping recipes or getting groceries at a local co-op, there are lots of great food sharing resources in the city.

• Cultivate TO: a non-profit organization with the goal of turning urban backyards into a sustainable source of fresh, organic food for its inhabitants.
• Not Far From the Tree: Puts Toronto’s fruit to good use by picking and sharing the bounty
• Divide and Savour: Food swap community.
• The Stop Community Food Centre: The Stop’s Yes In My Back Yard program connects people who would like to garden but don’t have the space, to people who have space in their yards they are willing to share.
• The Depanneur: A fun, informal place for people to explore and share their passion for food, The Dep is a showcase for creative culinary talent and independent food entrepreneurs in Toronto.

www.notfarfromthetree.org/about

Transportation

Local transportation systems are making it easier for Torontonians to get around the city.

• AutoShare: Toronto’s local car sharing company, since 1998.
• Bixi: A low cost public bike sharing system that features 80 stations and 1000 bikes in downtown Toronto.

https://toronto.bixi.com/

SKILLS & SERVICES

Get your tasks done by people in your community.

• LocaWoka: Creating a community to help you get your tasks done.
• Kutoto: Get your tasks done by trusted local people.

https://www.facebook.com/KutotoCanada/photos_stream

MAKERSPACES

Maker spaces are redefining the way we think of mass production, providing a space for citizens to make things themselves through hands-on learning, exploration and workshops.

• Artscape: A not-for-profit organization that makes space for creativity and transforms communities
• Hacklab: A community space with a diverse membership, including artists, computer programmers, web designers, and hardware hackers.
• Maker Kids: A non-profit workshop space where kids can learn about and do things like 3D printing, electronics, and woodworking.
• Community Bicycle Network: Bicycle workshop and event programming non-profit with a tool shop for professional and do-it-yourself bike repairs, rentals and waste-diversion.
• Bike Pirates: A DIY workspace to members of the community that supports bicycle re-use and collective decision making.

makerkids.eventbrite.ca

SOCIAL ACTIVITIES

With a focus on access over ownership and collaborative lifestyles, these spaces and services are making sharing fun again.

• Snakes and Lattes: Toronto’s Original Board Game Cafe. 2300 games and counting!
• Snakes and Lagers: A gastro-games-pub located in downtown Toronto.

http://www.snakesandlattes.com/cafe/about/

MONEY & FUNDING

These companies are providing alternatives to traditional ways of raising money and saving money.

• HiveWire: A triple bottom line enterprise leveraging the crowd to help allocate resources, build awareness & make a positive impact.
• Alterna Savings and Credit Union: Financial institution offering savings, loan and mortgage lending services; a fresh alternative to big banks.

EDUCATION

Open education platforms and p2p learning models are helping to democratize education, with the vision that anyone can be an educator or a student.

• eProf: Gives educators a turnkey solution for bringing their teaching business online.
• Trade School Toronto: A non-traditional learning environment where students barter with teachers for instruction.

https://www.facebook.com/TradeSchoolToronto/photos_stream