Doughnut Economics Toronto Collective Launch Event

Introduction

This November, Doughnut Economics Collective Toronto (DECTO) hosted its launch event during #GlobalDoughnutDays as an opportunity to gather folks interested in exploring how the doughnut can be applied in Toronto and celebrate the first-ever Canadian local doughnut network.

Over 100 people attended the event at the Centre for Social Innovation, and the room was brimming with energy and excitement. The evening opened with a casual networking session -- featuring delicious vegan doughnuts and climate-themed music from artist Abby Litchfield.

Who Showed Up?

The DECTO team polled attendees as they joined, to get a better understanding of folks' sectoral backgrounds, and their level of familiarity with Doughnut Economics. 

Participants rated their doughnut economics awareness on a scale from 1-5, where 1 was no awareness, and 5 was very familiar. It was great to see folks from all levels showing up to learn and connect! 

The event also attracted participants from a wide range of sectors, with the largest groups being business professionals and freelancers.

Event Overview

As everyone settled into the space, Abby officially kicked us off with two original songs that explored feelings of love, heartbreak, and determination to create change amidst a climate crisis. These messages were especially poignant following the news of the US election which took place the day before. During the performance, participants had time to settle in, check in with their own emotions, and reflect. 

Next, Chris delivered a powerful land acknowledgment and grounded the discussion by recognizing the colonial structures within which we are organizing, working within an economy that was designed for colonial extraction. He encouraged us to consider: how can the doughnut be used as a tool of solidarity with colonized people on Turtle Island and around the globe? 

Then, Wynnie provided an overview of the doughnut framework and the larger DEAL movement worldwide, and then introduced DECTO’s mission and focus areas. We also heard about and were inspired by other Canadian advocacy and organizing efforts around the doughnut, including Nanaimo, Victoria, and Ottawa.

Panel Key Takeaways

Finally,  it was time for our incredible panel! The panel consisted of cross-sector experts that were engaged with initiatives and projects aligned with the doughnut in Toronto, and brought such impactful insights to the conversation.

• Mike Layton: Chief Sustainability Officer at York University, former Toronto City Councillor
  • Mike played the role of thoughtful moderator, and shared a wealth of experience on the role of the public sector, highlighting the importance of community, and how to bring people together around the doughnut. 
• Stefan Hostetter: Director of Community at Centre for Social Innovation 
  • Stefan shared insights on the power of community, and demonstrated the power of personal storytelling.
• Chloe Brown: Policy Analyst at the Future Skills Centre, two-time mayoral candidate
  • Chloe gave us all goosebumps with personal stories and powerful calls to action about how we can reclaim our agency as individuals to make a difference. 

• Eric Miller: Director of the Ecological Footprint Initiative at York University
  • Eric brought deep, applied knowledge of climate transformations on local and global scales, and thoughtfully explained the difference between business growth and material and energy throughput growth. 
• Jennifer Hutcheon: Vice President at Vancity Community Investment Bank (VCIB)
  • Jennifer demonstrated what it means for business to contribute meaningfully to communities.

A huge heartfelt thank you to the Toronto community for showing up for DECTO! For those interested in getting involved with the collective, please fill out this form to join our email list.