Mapping

The centre of East York looks old compared to Riverdale just to the south. And not in a historic way. This neighbourhood is low-rise and lined with modest businesses on 3 main streets (Coxwell, Donlands, Pape). Food choices are rather lacklustre. Thankfully, there are a few exceptions that we'll highlight in this hike. There are also some minor architectural marvels, like a circular library and a school house modelled from the 1890s. For food, influences of Greektown stretch here with Greek bakeries, fast food, and a Macedonian restaurant. Surprises include one of the oldest Kenyan/Tanzanian-Indian restaurants in Toronto, where you can try ugali (corn meal mash) and mishkaki (meat skewers). **Highlights** 1. East York Civic Centre (depart 6:30pm) 2. S Walter Stewart library / Cosburn Park Lawn Bowling Club 3. Century School House 4. East York Collegiate Institute 5. Holy Cross Church 6. Shawarma Frenzy (depart 7:25pm) 7. California Restaurant / Phyllo Cafe / Masa Buka Greek Restaurant 8. Westwood Middle School 9. Cafe Serano 10. William Burgess Elementary School 11. RajKapuri Paan & Snacks / Simba Grill (arrive 8pm) **Neighbourhoods** East York Centre > Pape Village > Old East York **Map** [https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=131XOPvcXL3of5rwz0uEY73iqRmUgORM&usp=sharing](https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=131XOPvcXL3of5rwz0uEY73iqRmUgORM&usp=sharing) **How it works** Hike starts punctually. Late or can't do the whole route? Meet us at scheduled checkpoints. We'll browse many food places but won't linger long. See the route in advance, organize takeout, then pickup along the way. Not sure what to try? Join our omakase for $5, which gives a tiny sample from different restaurants. Payment on the day of event by cash or e-transfer to globaltorontoeats@gmail.com. No refunds after orders are placed. Details of sampled food will be uploaded after the hike. Limited cutlery provided. Highly recommended to bring cutlery and containers for omakase and bringing back leftovers. See our [About section](https://www.meetup.com/hike-to-eat/) for more info.

Join us on March 26th for an exciting **AWS User Group Toronto meetup** focused on **AI-driven development with Kiro**! The evening kicks off with a presentation and live demoes showcasing how Kiro transforms the development workflow, followed by AWS experts sharing the best practices and approaches to get most out of AI-driven development. We'll wrap up with a hands-on workshop and Q&A session — Kiro credits will be provided for participants who want to explore at their own pace. As a bonus, enjoy pizza on us and take home some exclusive Kiro-themed swag! To make the most of the workshop, please come with Kiro pre-installed on your own computer and/or AWS account ready to go. **Agenda:** 6:00-6:15: Welcome Introductions, and community update 6:15-7:00: AI-driven development with Kiro - Presentation and Demo 7:00-7:30: Lessons from field - Best practices and accelerators 7:30-8:00: Workshop set and Q&A **Details:** Address: **18 York St., 7th Floor, Toronto, ON, M5J 2T8** Date: **March 26, 2026** Time: **6:00 pm to 8:00 pm EST** **Speaker:** * **Simran Singh** \- Sr\. Solutions Architect @ AWS * **Divya Jadav** \- Solutions Architect @ AWS * **Abhijith Ramesh Chandra** \- Solutions Architect @ AWS Please plan to arrive between 05:30 PM and 06:00 PM to ensure time to check-in, before the event begins at 06:00 PM. Visitors will need to present a government-issued photo ID to verify their identity and will have their picture taken to receive a visitor badge. Please wear your badge and remember to return all visitor badges to reception at the end of the visit. Parking is available onsite. There is a parking garage located beneath the building. You can pull an access ticket at the garage entrance off 120 Bremner Boulevard or Lower Simcoe Street. If you are arriving via the Union station, the building is conveniently located next to the Union station. Please enter through the main entrance on Bremner Boulevard or via the PATH Network and proceed to the elevators.

### **“Conscious Living”** **An Experiential Community Program for Embodied Consciousness** **Ongoing until April 30, 2026** (except for March Break) **Thursdays, 7:30 PM (in person)** **Facilitator:** Sophia Barna, M.Ed., M.S.W. **Location: Toronto Theosophical Society,** 792 Glencairn Ave., Toronto, ON **(Basement Room)** “Conscious Living” is a weekly experiential program that bridges the study of consciousness with the practical realities of everyday life. Rooted in the *Map of Consciousness* developed by David R. Hawkins and *A Course in Miracles (ACIM)*, this program invites participants to move beyond theory into lived, embodied awareness. Together, we explore what it means to live “in the world, but not of it” — grounded, present, and engaged, while rooted in higher awareness. The Map of Consciousness serves as our reference point. Each meeting focuses on a specific state of consciousness, blending study and practice so participants not only understand these states intellectually, but also learn to embody and live them in daily life. In addition to the Map of Consciousness, A Course in Miracles (ACIM) provides a complementary framework for the program. ACIM offers practical spiritual principles for transforming perception, cultivating forgiveness, and recognizing the inner guidance of love and truth. Its teachings emphasize the shift from fear to love, the release of judgment, and the practice of conscious choice in every moment. Our gatherings are grounded in the states of Love, Joy, and Gratitude, corresponding to the elevated energy field of 540 on the Map of Consciousness. From this frequency of openness and lightness, we come together to uplift, inspire, and grow in awareness — individually and collectively. ### **✨A Potluck for the Body, Heart, Mind & Soul🌈** Each session is designed as a holistic experience — nourishing all dimensions of being: * **🪷 Food for the Soul:** Guided meditation, self-reflection, and self-inquiry * **🧠 Food for the Mind:** Lectures, presentations, and meaningful group discussions * **✨ Food for the Body:** Embodied practices (movement and dance meditations), singing, chanting, and sharing bread together (please bring a food offering for sharing) * **💗 Food for the Heart:** Love-centered connecting and sharing ### **🌸What to Expect** Together, we will explore different states of consciousness through: * Lectures and presentations * Guided meditation * Self-reflection * Group discussions * Movement and dance meditation * Singing and chanting * Sharing bread together in community ### **🌸What to Bring** 1. Coloured clothes — each week a specific colour (ROGVAIV rainbow sequence: Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet). *This is an encouraged part of the experience, not mandatory.* 2. Silk or large dancing scarf/veil 3. Notebook, journal, or paper with pens, crayons, markers 4. Simple, healthy food offering to share 5. Your highest vibrational presence in love, joy, and gratitude This is a space where learning becomes lived experience — where insight meets embodiment. *To uphold universal brotherhood without distinction and freedom of thought, all elements of the evening are invitational. Participants may opt out of any component and still be welcome, as long as we engage with one another respectfully.* *This is a participatory series with optional components. In keeping with TTS values, you are welcome to opt in or opt out of any element, and the central expectation is mutual respect.* ### **Reference Texts** 1. Hawkins, D. R. (2012). Letting Go: The Pathway of Surrender. Carlsbad, CA: Hay House. 2. Foundation for Inner Peace. (1976). A Course in Miracles. Mill Valley, CA: Foundation for Inner Peace. 3. Barna, S. (2025). Flying Home: Soul Stories for the Little One Within. Toronto: LightPath Publishing. **Registration:** TTS Study Groups, ts.study.to@gmail.com Registration **optional** (for updates and materials). Walk-ins welcome. ### **About the Facilitator:** **Sophia Barna** is an educator and facilitator with a long-standing interest in the relationship between inner life and everyday life: how spiritual principles become livable, embodied realities rather than abstract ideas. Her work bridges consciousness research, reflective inquiry, and practical methods for self-observation and inner transformation. Her background includes graduate training in education and social work, and advanced professional training in EMDR. In “Conscious Living,” she draws on the Map of Consciousness (as developed by David R. Hawkins) and the spiritual psychology of A Course in Miracles, inviting participants to explore themes such as presence, perception, forgiveness, and the cultivation of love, joy, and gratitude through shared practice and dialogue. Her facilitation style is heart-centered, clear, and experiential, with space for participants to learn through reflection, discussion, and embodied exercises. ***Important distinction:*** While Sophia’s clinical experience, education, and skills shape how she holds the space and communicates, this series does not constitute EMDR therapy, psychotherapy or a clinical solution for mental or emotional problems. It is a group experience offered in the spirit of service and public learning, and it should not replace care from a licensed provider in a private and confidential therapeutic relationship.

Observability is supposed to help us understand our systems but for many teams it has quietly become one of the most expensive and least flexible parts of the stack. Plenty of organizations take polished SaaS platforms like Datadog to get real value quickly early on, only to hit the same wall later: runaway costs, pricing tied to architectural decisions, and vendor lock-in so strong it makes Rogers and Bell both blush. In this talk, I’ll walk through a real-world case study of a JVM-based production system that migrated away from a Datadog-centric observability setup to an open-source, OpenTelemetry-based platform. We’ll dig into the why behind the move, the architectural decisions that mattered, the mistakes along the way, and how the team ended up with pragmatic visibility into latency, errors, and resource usage at a fraction of the cost. The second half of the talk is practical and forward-looking. I’ll show how OpenTelemetry unlocks real choice by acting as a neutral data plane for your telemetry. From there, we’ll look at modern, off-the-shelf observability backends you can plug in within minutes without rewriting applications or installing new agents. Want to dual-write, swap vendors, or route data somewhere new? This is how you do it without a big-bang rewrite or another long-term commitment with a new vendor. This session is for engineers and CEOs who are feeling the observability cost squeeze, want leverage back from vendors, and are looking for realistic ways to modernize monitoring without lighting their entire stack on fire each time they decide to change their tools of choice. **About the venue** Free Times Cafe has bistro-style seating and a full food and drink menu. Please consider helping to support the venue by planning to have supper during the talk. **Speaker Bio** Alexei Zenin is a Platform Engineering Consultant based out of Toronto, Canada. Over the course of his career he has worked across the Healthcare, Marketing, Video Games, and Banking industries. He loves to tackle hard problems in the distributed systems space with a focus on scaling platforms both from a technical and process perspective. He is a strong advocate for highly maintainable and well tested code while at the same time pragmatically delivering value to the end user. He has contributed to the broader tech community, namely to Confluent’s blogs on Apache Kafka, spoken at Current 2022 in Austin, Texas, and spoken at XP Game Summit 2025 in Toronto, Canada. During his 5 years at Uken Games he contributed to several games like Who Wants to Be a Millionaire and Jeopardy. One title of note he saw from inception to completion was a game for Tim Hortons built right into the official app, Tim’s Word Challenge. Millions of Canadians have played it along with their morning coffee. He also got to work with Netflix on several unannounced games during his time at the studio. Currently, Alexei is working with various clients, both large and small to modernize and streamline their platforms with the most appropriate tools and practices. Outside of his professional life, he gives back to his community by volunteering at UofT. He also enjoys paddleboarding and attending live rock concerts to reset after long coding sessions.

March 26th for the OpenClaw Meetup. Fraternal Order of Eagles - 17 Elm St, Toronto, ON M5G 1H1 [https://maps.app.goo.gl/tKyQGWh6pqSu5KTi8?g_st=ic](https://maps.app.goo.gl/tKyQGWh6pqSu5KTi8?g_st=ic) from 5-8p More information to come.. speakers, guests, talks..etc

Let’s do some coding together at a cafe! No more working alone in the weekend. Here, we write code together. And I mean together together. Not occupying-the-same-space-but-separate together. Here’s how it works: Jennifer brings her mobile app project, tells everyone that it is like Pinterest for recipes and she’d like to work on the nav bar. Paul and Chloe think Jennifer's project is fascinating, and they join the group. They gather around Jennifer’s laptop and work on the nav bar for 2 hours. Jennifer is the one typing out the code while Paul and Chloe research, brainstorm, and offer suggestions. If you’re feeling stuck on your own project or need a motivation boost, bring it to mob programming! Want to learn by watching how others code and solve problems? Join someone else’s project at this event! Oh and we love your half-done projects that you are a bit embarrassed to share. Absolutely bring those to the event! **Discord**: We use Discord to share screen & code snippets during the event. Also feel free to share your projects here before the event! https://discord.gg/yvAGbh4PpD **Event policy**: * We have 0 tolerance for harassment. * We don’t allow the projects that are not meant to be shared in public such as school assignments, interview tasks, or trade secrets. * The goal is to write code. We discourage you from pitching business ideas here, doing code reviews, or spending the whole event on planning what to do. * Please buy a drink, and tip the barista well.

We are back after a well needed break. This time we are staying in the city for another cafe hopping event. Lets meet outside Queen’s park subway and venture into different directions of downtown and maybe Yorkville. Detailed map itinerary to follow closer to the date. I will let cafes know that we are coming but some cafes can be small or have no washrooms so please plan accordingly and drink responsibly. Haha. Its $2 event to cover the Meetup fee. You can pay using this link: https://buy.stripe.com/bJe00j7KXf3if8caTsdZ605 Thanks and see you all.

🍪👑 **ULTIMATE COOKIE CRAWL: TORONTO’S SWEETEST SHOWDOWN** 👑🍪 We’re Finding the Best Cookie in the City. For Research. Obviously. I’ve done the hard work (you’re welcome) and curated some of the top cookie spots and bakeries in Toronto so we can settle the ultimate question: Who makes the best cookie in the city? Is it gooey and underbaked? Crisp and golden? Thick and dramatic? Stuffed, dipped, or classic chocolate chip perfection? Join me for a sugar-fueled city walk as we explore some of Toronto’s most talked-about cookie destinations. And no — you don’t have to love cookies to join. You don’t even have to order one. You can simply come for the walk, the social energy, and the joy of watching the rest of us debate texture like it’s a competitive sport. 👉 **Don’t forget to join our WhatsApp group** – [CLICK HERE!](https://chat.whatsapp.com/H59mSCbsAi018gYANrKAnc?mode=ac_t) \*\*\* 🍪 The Cookie Lineup Here’s where we’re heading: • **Bakery Pompette** (Meetup Spot) • **The Night Baker** • **Andrea’s Cookies** • **Dear Grain** • **Midnight Cookie** • **Crumbl Cookies** • **The Well** – including Big Fat Cookies Yes. We’re committed. Lunch will be at the food court at The Well — because after multiple cookie stops, you may decide you need something… not round and sweet. \*\*\* 🚶‍♂️ The Walk This will likely be a 2-hour walk (possibly longer depending on lines and cookie enthusiasm levels). We’ll move at a steady pace, but please be comfortable walking and standing in line. You’re always welcome to leave at any time if you need to peel off early. This is part food crawl, part city walk, part social adventure. \*\*\* 💰 Important Notes Members are responsible for purchasing their own cookies. Many cookies are large — sharing is encouraged! Split with a new friend. Build community through butter and sugar. Bring cash, as some spots may prefer it. \*\*\* 🧢 Meetup Details 📍 Meetup Location: Outside The Night Baker 🫎 I’ll be wearing my Moose Hat ⏰ Meetup Time: 1:00 PM ❗ I will only wait 5 minutes End Point: The Well \*\*\* 👟 What to Bring • Water • Good walking shoes • Weather-appropriate clothing • Possibly a snack (if you want something non-sweet along the way) Comfort is key — this is a marathon, not a sprint. \*\*\* 🎟️ **Meetup Fee:** $5 cash in person **or** e-transfer to 📧 \*\*[mathewmaclean@hotmail.com**](http://mathewmaclean@hotmail.com%2A%2A/) This fee helps support the group and allows us to keep hosting events like this. Thank you for supporting community! 💖 \*\*\* 🌈 Who Is This For? This group is open to anyone who wants to be social and make friends — whether single or not. We also host: 🎬 Movies 🚶 Walks & hikes 🎭 Arts & culture outings 🍽️ Restaurant socials But today? Today is about cookies. \*\*\* ⚠️ A Gentle Reminder Sometimes life happens and plans may shift — please keep an eye out for updates. \*\*\* 👤 Organizer: Mathew Questions? Post on the event wall or email 📧 [torontomoviesandoutings@hotmail.com](mailto:torontomoviesandoutings@hotmail.com) Come for the cookies. Stay for the debates. Leave with a favourite — and possibly crumbs in your pocket. Toronto has opinions about everything. Let’s see who earns the cookie crown. 🍪✨

***PLEASE READ ENTIRELY----IMPORTANT ---*** **This event is for those players that know the rules of pickleball and can keep up with a more aggressive game.** To jump in: **1**. If you have not done so already, complete the waiver, complete once, covers you for all our events, here is the link: [CLICK HERE](https://forms.gle/JQrg6v2hAphJZXAb9) **2.** Please NOTE that you must send event payment right after you RSVP to an event. If payment is not received, you will be removed from attending. To avoid this, send @ $20-40 that I keep in a 'funds account' for you and will deduct from it each time you RSVP. Once you get below $20 I will send you an email. If you know you will be attending multiple events, send the total of the event fees, most players will send $100-$200 to cover RSVP'd events. 3\. E\-transfer event fee to\-\-\>wgtapickleball@gmail\.com In the memo section of e-transfer include your first, last name and what payment is for... EG: Tom Cruise - Ham Wed Oct 01, 2025, 6:30pm EG: Tom Cruise - $20 EG: Tom Cruise - $100 - Monday events 4\. Minimum 48hrs notice to cancel your RSVP\, otherwise you will be charged\. 5\. No refunds\. If an event gets canceled your funds can be used for a future event\. 6\. For more information about our club\, check out our [WEBSITE](https://wgtapbclub.com/) ***Email or txt me if you have any questions or issues:*** *-->[wgtapickleball@gmail.com](mailto:wgtapickleball@gmail.com) or text me at-->>289.434.1922* **I will have some paddles, but best to bring your own.** **BRING WATER.** **Balls, music, fun & laughs provided.** **Stretch before you play.** See you on the court! Rose.

🌆🚶‍♂️ THE PATH WALK & LUNCH ADVENTURE 🚶‍♂️🌆 Toronto’s Underground City… Let’s Go Get Lost (On Purpose) Did you know Toronto has an entire second city beneath the city? Welcome to **PATH (Toronto)** — a 30-kilometre maze of tunnels, walkways, food courts, shops, office towers, and hidden corners connecting more than 70 buildings in the downtown core. It’s climate-controlled. It’s slightly confusing. It’s uniquely Toronto. And we’re going to explore it together — above ground first, then descending into the urban underworld like the confident city adventurers we are. [NOW Magazine piece](https://web.archive.org/web/20220429041937/https://nowtoronto.com/lifestyle/health/toronto-walk-exploring-the-path-in-winter) about the PATH awhile back. 👉 **Don’t forget to join our WhatsApp group** – [CLICK HERE!](https://chat.whatsapp.com/H59mSCbsAi018gYANrKAnc?mode=ac_t) \*\*\* 🗺️ The Plan We’ll begin at Wellesley Station and start by walking west. Then we’ll head south and eventually make our grand entrance into the PATH system. From there, we’ll continue indoors, weaving our way south through the network — past office towers, hidden corridors, and pockets of unexpected energy — all the way down to **Union Station**. At Union, we’ll head into the food court to grab lunch, sit down, and actually socialize (because that’s the point, right?). Expect lots of conversation, a little “Wait… where are we?” and a whole lot of discovering how this city secretly works. It’s part walking tour, part social hang, part urban exploration. \*\*\* 🌧️ Rain or Shine (Mostly Shine Because… Indoors) T his walk goes ahead rain or shine. The beauty of the PATH? We’ll be indoors for large portions of the route. That said, we’ll start above ground — so dress appropriately. It may be wise to bring a backpack or bag for your coat once we’re inside. You don’t want to be carrying it dramatically over your arm like you’re in a soap opera. \*\*\* 🐾 Important Notes Dogs are not allowed in the PATH system. Service animals are of course welcome. \*\*\* 🧢 Meetup Details 📍 Meetup Spot: Main entrance of Wellesley Station (near the bank of PRESTO machines) 🫎 I’ll be wearing my Moose Hat ⏰ Start time as listed — please arrive on time We’ll begin promptly so we can stay on route. \*\*\* 🎟️ **Meetup Fee:** $5 cash in person **or** e-transfer to 📧 \*\*[mathewmaclean@hotmail.com**](http://mathewmaclean@hotmail.com%2A%2A/) This fee helps support the group and allows us to keep hosting events like this. Thank you for supporting community! 💖 \*\*\* 🌈 Who Is This For? This group is open to anyone who wants to be social and make friends — whether single or not. We also host: 🎬 Movies 🚶 Walks & hikes 🎭 Arts & culture outings 🍽️ Restaurant meetups There’s always something happening. And remember — you can just show up on the day if you’re unsure about your schedule. \*\*\* ⚠️ A Gentle Reminder Sometimes life throws curveballs and events may need to be canceled — please keep an eye on updates. \*\*\* 👤 Organizer: Mathew Questions? Post on the event wall or email 📧 [torontomoviesandoutings@hotmail.com](mailto:torontomoviesandoutings@hotmail.com) Come for the tunnels. Stay for the laughs. Leave knowing a secret shortcut through downtown that most people still pretend to understand. Toronto has layers. Let’s go explore one of them. 🏙️✨

13.7 km walk from Lawrence Station to Broadview 1 PM Meet at Lawrence station. 1 PM to 2 PM Eat at Good Bite Restaurant, 2463 Yonge St, Toronto, ON M4P 2H6, +1416 483 8432 2 PM to 6 PM walk south along the Don Trail to Broadview station. Route Map With GPX Available for Download: https://www.komoot.com/tour/2775897331

Join us for a flat 2.6 mile hike along the Alum Creek Trail from the rear parking lot of the Easton Hilton Garden Inn to the Strawberry Farms Park and back. This scenic trail along Alum Creek is a gem. Come and hike it with us!

**Improving Office in Franklinton** Physical location: Improving Office 330 Rush Alley Suite #150 Columbus, OH 43215 Schedule: 6:00 p.m.: Socialize, eat, and drink. Improving will be providing pizza and beverages. 6:30 to 8:00 pm. Main meeting and presentation(s). Topic: Type Annotations with John Cassidy We meet on the last Monday of each Month. Presentations are given by members and friends of this group. If you would like to do a presentation (small or large) on a python topic, please contact Central OH Python at centralohpython@gmail.com

Our monthly PHP meetup. A virtual shindig courtesy of Zoom. Check back here for the details around 6:15 pm

Let’s meet and wander the galleries and enjoy a spring evening out downtown! Meeting place and approx route, tba. *Fearure photo by Chalk Goblin