Little Italy, that area that is sometimes referred to as College Street West, earned its name after the many Italian immigrants who called the neighbourhood home and in spite of the wave of other immigrant populations who also took up residence there over the years.

Today, Toronto’s first Little Italy boasts night clubs and cafes, unique retail shops and small businesses. Thanks to its proximity to downtown, the neighbourhood is popular with young people also because of its vibrant nightlife and amenities.

Little Italy comprises mostly detached or semi-detached single family homes dating back to the early-1900s Edwardian period, with front porches and smaller lots.

A plaza at Grace and College features a statue of much-loved Italian son Johnny Lombardi, who established the country’s first Italian radio station there in 1966. CHIN was Canada’s first multicultural radio station and it launched from studios on the south side of College between Grace and Clinton, on the second floor of Lombardi’s supermarket at 637 College Street. The studio is now located at 622 College Street, and the section of the street has been officially nicknamed Johnny Lombardi Way by the City of Toronto.

Other neighboruhood markers include the Italian Walk of Fame on the sidewalk along College in front of the Royal Cinema. This permanent marker acknowledges the achievements and accomplishments of successful persons of Italian heritage with inductees such as Dean Martin, Phil Esposito, Bobby Curtola and Julian Fantino.

Though more Portuguese now live in Little Italy than Italians, many of whom moved northwest of the city and to areas such as Vaughan and Mississauga, the neighbourhood has long been home to a wide assortment of cultures such as African Americans, eastern European Jews, South Americans and Asians.

The first Italians, though, began trickling into the area in the mid 1850s. Toward the end of that century, many of the Italian newcomers hailed from northern Italy or Genoa and they were often craftspersons, pedlars and service tradespersons.

But prior to the influx of Italians, the area housed a good number of black families thanks to Thornton Blackburn, a fugitive black American slave who made his way to Canada in the 1830s and bought up properties that he rented out to recently arrived black slaves.  The area became known as The Ward, which was an informal colloquialism for St. John’s Ward.

The Ward would see successive waves of refugees, immigrants and persons avoiding persecution in their homelands seeking shelter within the confines of this densely populated slum. It was home to refugees who escaped the European Revolution of 1848, the Irish Potato Famine, the Underground Railroad, as well as refugees from Russia and Eastern Europe.

The Ward became the centre of the city’s significant Jewish community.  By the 1920s, as the Jews became more settled and established, they moved west to Spadina and the Kensington Market area.

While many Italians have moved out of the neighbourhood, it still maintains a distinctly Italian sense thanks to its lively trattorias, outdoor cafes and neighbourhood pizzerias. Gelato anyone?

It is the colour of a neighbourhood that gives it its sense of purpose and its ethos. Colour is a feature that lends an interesting quality to something. In neighbourhoods, it can come from its people, institutions, commerce, architecture, nature and so much more.

Does it not strike you a tad ironic that the Cedarvale neighbourhood — once home to literary heavyweight Ernest Hemingway – does not possess one single public library? Certainly, Ernie would have seen it that way. But back in the 1920s, before he gained fame as a great American novelist, he was simply a newspaperman for the Toronto Daily Star. During his time here, Hemingway lived in an apartment in Cedarvale in what was then called the Cedarvale Mansions. Located at 1597-1599 Bathurst Street, the building is known today as The Hemingway and it is now a condominium.

Book worms need not fear, though. Cedarvale residents can access libraries nearby at the Oakwood Village, the Maria A. Shchuka, the Wychwood, the St. Clair-Dufferin or the Forest Hill public libraries.

The neighbourhood’s defining feature is the Cedarvale Ravine, which cuts a wide diagonal swath through the middle of Cedarvale. The 35-acre Cedarvale Park is nestled within the ravine and offers numerous recreational opportunities. Hemingway, by the way, is said to have frequented the park’s path, which back then was used as a cattle path.

A creek once ran through the park but now is completely buried. The ravine in this tony neighbourhood was slated for the development of mansions in the 1920s and ‘30s, but the Great Depression dashed that plan. Interestingly a few decades later, in the ‘60s and ‘70s, there was support for the Spadina Expressway, a highway that would be built right through the park. But strong opposition, led by former Cedarvale resident Jane Jacobs, halted the project.

The neighbourhood is known for some of its very good schools, the Reform Jewish day school, Leo Baeck,  St. Michael’s College School, a private, all-boys’ school and Forest Hill Collegiate, whose elite reputation among Toronto high schools has led parents to get caught cheating in an effort to get their children enrolled.

Cedarvale has a vibrant Jewish population, with Jews comprising two-thirds of the neighbourhood, and is home to the Holy Blossom Temple, founded in 1856, which is the oldest synagogue in Canada. There is also Holy Blossom Temple, Beth Tzedec Synagogue, The Village Shul and Beth Sholom Congregation.

While we can’t be 100 per cent certain, it’s said Cedarvale is home to some of the country’s notables such as Loblaw grocery king Galen Weston, singer Nelly Furtado and musician Drake.

An active community that cherishes the environment, Cedarvale residents established the innovative Families in Nature program which focuses on a grassy wetland habitat found in the centre of Cedarvale Park. Aided by over 300 volunteers, the program has helped plant trees, shrubs, wildflowers, and grasses and provided education for young and old.

Thinking about ways to while away the last few days of summer? Try attending some of the varied, fun and interesting outdoor festivals the city has in store over the next week or two:

Food truck Festival – Sept. 27

Bring your appetite to Downsview Park for this event featuring 16 delicious gourmet food trucks. Included in the line-up is Busters Sea Cove, ME.N.U Food Truck, Fit to Grill and Indian fusion nosh from Tdots Naansense.

Cider Festival – Sept. 26

Looking for an interesting and new way to cap off your summer? Look no further than the Toronto Cider Festival at the Yonge-Dundas Square. The event showcases craft ciders from across the country as well as Toronto food trucks, live music, cocktail competitions, games and contests.

Word on the Street – Sept. 27

This national celebration of literacy and the written word invites you to participate in author events, presentations, workshops, and to browse a marketplace that boasts one of the best selections of Canadian books and magazines. This free festival at Harbourfront Centre has something for all ages, from children and youth to adults and seniors.

 Woofstock – Sept. 26 & 27

At Woodbine Park, this admission-free event is the largest outdoor festival for dogs and their faithful owners in all of North America. With over 200,000 attendees and 150,000 canines, expect the unexpected in addition to a slew of doggy-related vendors and activities such as stupid dog tricks, canine beauty pageants and dog races.

Canada’s Walk of Fame Festival – Sept. 25 to Oct. 1

Showcasing 100 per cent Canadian talent, this festival features free performances at Yonge-Dundas Square, the Massey Hall concert series and new musical talent at the Horseshoe Tavern. Canadians in all fields are inducted into the hall of fame thanks to this non-profit organization that seeks to pay tribute and recognize Canadian achievement.

Gentleman’s Expo – Sept. 25 to 27

This celebration of manhood at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre covers every gentlemanly pursuit from fashion, cars and alcohol to sex, entrepreneurship and gaming with more than 100,000 square feet of brands and experiences.

Small World on Common Ground – Sept. 26 & 27

A free festival featuring music and arts on the grounds of historic Fort York. Enjoy this family friendly cultural feast that also includes spoken-word artists, pow wow fit sessions, crafts and food.

Like Fred and Ethel Mertz, those madcap but lovable landlords of I Love Lucy fame, you may have dreamt of managing a property with tenants or maybe just renting out the upper or lower floor of your house or perhaps buying a condo and having someone else pay off the mortgage.

So what’s holding you back? Are you afraid you’ll get the tenant from hell? Or maybe you fear you’ll be too soft on tenants who can’t pay their rent on time. Maybe you just don’t like people well enough to want to surround yourself with virtual strangers. With interest rates as low as they are, with Toronto’s red-hot real estate market and given the numbers moving to the city each year, now might be the time to consider diving in.

We designed a very unscientific test to see if you’re cut out to manage a rental property. Give it a try:

1. Handyman is a word that: _________

A) Gets your heart pumping with happy thoughts of many visits to Home Depot.

B) Is properly used for your skills as a grass cutter, eaves-trough cleaner and window washer.

C) Gets overused. I like repairman, as in phone one.

2. You and your partner’s financial goals are: _________

A) Completely simpatico.

B) On the same page 40 per cent of the time.

C) News to me. I had no idea my partner had financial goals.

3. Your idea of a rainy-day fund is: _________

A) Two per cent of the purchase price for maintenance and repairs plus more in reserves for unforeseen occurrences such as tenants failing to pay their rent.

B) Putting aside a few bucks for upkeep when it’s convenient for me.

C) Money you spend to lift your spirits during a downpour.

4. You see tenants as: _________

A) Valued and respected members of society just like me.

B) Good people for the most part.

C) Cash cows.

5. As a landlord, being hassled by tenants would mean: _________

A) Continually having to chase down those who didn’t pay their rent on time or having abusive renters who destroyed my property.

B) Sending out rent receipts on a regular basis.

C) Having to speak to them.

6. In conflict situations, you: _________

A) Always remain cool, calm and collected, handling each quarrel decisively with firm resolve and fairness.

B) Hesitate and change my mind several times when dealing with big issues.

C) Yell

Results:

If most of your answers were a’s, congratulations, you’ve got what it takes, you, landlord, you. Property management is right up your alley.

If you mostly answered b’s, you have some positive landlord qualities, but you might want to take a course to brush up on the rest. Workshops and courses are available. Check online in your area. You also might want to consider joining the Ontario Landlords Association, which offers discounts on credit checks plus other benefits.

If you scored mainly c’s, well, maybe you should leave your money in the bank.

As part of its ongoing series of neighbourhood walks, Freeman Real Estate is hosting a historic tour of Wychwood Park on Sunday, September 27 at 1 p.m.

As part of its ongoing series of neighbourhood walks, Freeman Real Estate is hosting a historic tour of Wychwood Park on Sunday, September 27 at 1 p.m.

Formerly known as the gated community of Bracondale Hill, Wychwood Park is a small enclave that was set up around the turn of the last century as an artists’ colony thanks to Marmaduke Matthews, an artist and aficionado of the Arts and Crafts movement. Matthews would gain prominence as an artist after painting traditional Canadian scenes that appeared in the illustrated ad work of Canadian Pacific Railway.

Matthews’ friend Alexander Jardin owned a huge block of land in the Wychwood area, which is north of Davenport Road and just west of Bathurst. Jardin sold a good chunk of that land to artists. The land was still very rural back then, when Matthews planned his pastoral community and named it after Wychwood in his native Oxfordshire.

“The area is a little enclave that is almost not part of the city,” says Marilyn Spearin, a local history buff and former school teacher who is leading the tour.

She is referring to the fact that although Wychwood was amalgamated into the city of Toronto in 1909, it remains a private community. The streets and amenities are paid for by the local residents, and the community is managed by an executive council. As one of Toronto’s more exclusive neighbourhoods, house prices easily top a million dollars.

During its start, the land was divided into irregularly shaped lots situated around a central park, pond and tennis courts designed by Toronto architect Arthur Edwin Whatmough.  Many of the homes in Wychwood were designed by Whatmough in the Arts and Crafts style.

Several well-known people have lived there, including Marshall McLuhan and Anatol Rapoport. In 1985 the area became the first residential zone in Ontario to be granted heritage status. A handful of other homes were designed by Eden Smith, a well-known architect who lived in the neighbourhood.

Wychwood is a leafy area home to ravines, old-growth trees and Taddle Creek, a six-kilometre stream that has been largely buried throughout most of the city except in a few spots including Wychwood where it is visible above ground.

The tour On September 13 will also encompass a visit to the nearby Tollkeeper’s Cottage, an historic tollgate structure discovered in the early ‘90s that now houses a museum and a gift shop. Located at Davenport and Bathurst, the cottage is also now home to a blue canoe thanks to the David Suzuki Foundation. As part of the foundation’s homegrown national parks project, the canoe is designed and planted with plants that encourage bees and butterflies. For more info visit www.tollkeeperscottage.ca.

The tour is expected to take one-and-a-half to two hours in total. Participants are asked to meet outside of the Freeman Real Estate office at 988 Bathurst Street just before 1 p.m. Rain date is set for October 4.

Cool off in One of the City’s Public Pools:

Living in the city doesn’t have to be an exercise in heat exhaustion come the summer months.  You can always make your way to your neighbourhood public pool to cool off. Here’s a look at some great community pools:

Alex Duff Memorial Pool

Located at the edge of Christie Pits Park, the pool features a 25-metre lap pool, shallow splash pool for children, warm conversation pool, a deep pool for diving with a one metre spring board and a two storey water slide. The pool has an access ramp for those who require easy access.

High Park

Located near the baseball diamonds, the outdoor swimming pool is open all week until Labour Day. Swim laps from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday and Thursday and 7 to 8 p.m. the rest of the week. A leisure swim is set for noon to 3:45 p.m. and 5 to 6:45 p.m. During super hot weather the pool may be open later but call first before making the trip. A wading pool is available for children under 12 from Saturday to Friday from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Trinity Community Recreation Centre

Nestled in Trinity Bellwoods Park, located West of Bathurst Street and just North of Queen Street, Trinity Community Recreation Centre offers a 25-yard, three-lane indoor pool and different swimming programs for all age groups.

Jimmie Simpson Recreation Centre

Located in the Riverside/Leslieville area, this centre has two pools, a large 25-metre pool and a smaller toddler pool. A wide range of programs are available, including leisure swimming, seniors only leisure swimming, lane swims, aqua fit programs and swim lessons.

North Toronto Memorial Community Centre

Located on Eglinton Avenue between Yonge and Avenue Road, the centre has indoor and outdoor pools, offering a large assortment of classes, including adult swim, bronze cross, and preschool swims.

Joseph J. Piccininni Community Centre

Located on St. Clair Ave. West, this pool features one of the city’s largest swimming facilities. Swimming lessons, adult lane swims, aqua fit classes, leisure swims, leadership courses, sports and female only swims are available as well as programs for preschoolers to seniors.

Mary McCormick Recreation Centre

Located at Dufferin and Dundas, the Mary McCormick indoor pool is part of a fitness centre that includes a 25-metre pool offering leisure and instructional swims. The fitness facility also includes cardio, free weights, and Nautilus equipment.

Leaside Gardens Swimming Pool – Indoor Pool

Located in the neighborhood of Leaside, this pool has a wheel chair accessible lift and elevator to the pool area and a multi-access change room. Leaside offers instructional swim lessons for all ages as well as recreation swim times.

Summer in the city means plenty of exciting festivals and events showcasing everything from athletes and jazz music to gelato, movies and dance. Here’s a look at what July has to offer:

Summerlicious

This July-long yum-fest featuring Toronto restaurants allows you to sample diverse and innovative cuisine at a fraction of the regular cost thanks to prix-fixe menus. See here for more info about participating restaurants.

Toronto Fringe Festival

Running until July 12, this event is a potpourri of odd, inspiring and poignant performances that can centre on everything from Shakespeare to Oreo cookies. This year’s line-up boasts over 60 comedy shows, 14 dance and physical theatre shows, 30 dramas, 13 musicals, 20 national and 12 international companies hailing from around the globe. For details, click here .

Toronto 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am Games

Cheer on your fave aspiring Olympian as the best athletes from 41 countries and territories compete. Tickets start at just $20. Get your tickets here.

Beaches International Jazz Festival

From July 10 to 26, groove to a kaleidoscope of cool musicians in this 27^th annual event featuring four stages of international talent. See website for more info.

Toronto Summer Music Festival

Marking its tenth year, this international classical music festival and academy brings world-renowned performing artists to Toronto for an unparalleled combination of concerts, guest lectures and master classes. See website for more information.

Scotiabank Caribbean Carnival

Three weeks of Caribbean music, cuisine, visual and performing arts and revelry are up for grabs this month at this international event, the largest cultural festival of its kind in North America. For more information, click here.

Open Roof Festival

This not for profit, outdoor music and film festival highlights independent filmmakers and artists from Canada and around the world. Profits go to Canada’s independent film production and music communities. For details, click here.

Play the Parks

From June to September the Yonge BIA is offering a free concert series and wellness program. Various downtown parks such as Trinity Park and College Park Courtyard offer an array of musical performers during various times. Click here for more.

Christie Pits Film Festival

Sundays at sunset is the date and time to take in this year’s theme of films about great villains. Enjoy classics such as Nosferatu, The Birds and There Will Be Blood. There’s nothing like an al fresco film to celebrate summer. For more information, see website.

Sunday Serenades

Running every Sunday until August 16, is big band, jazz and swing acts at Mel Lastman Square from 7:30 to 9:30 pm. For details, click here.

BrazilFest

To experience the rhythms, sights, sounds and delicious aromas of Brazil be sure to check out this 12^th annual event on July 19 at Earlscourt Park. Go to website for more.

Pan American Food Festival

if you enjoy the culture and flavours of the Americas – North, South, Central and the Caribbean – this one’s for you. The free event takes place from July 30 to August 3 at Daniels Spectrum in Regent Park. See Pan American Food Festival for info.

It’s real dance performed by residents in open spaces to audiences that number as many as 400. In its fourth year, Porch View Dances returns to Seaton Village this summer offering spectators a rare and delightful celebration of the neighbourhood and engaging “real people in real time in real spaces.”

Freeman Real Estate is proud to be a gold sponsor of Porch View Dances, the brainchild of Karen and Allen Kaeja, owners and operators of Kaeja d’Dance, a 25-year-old contemporary dance company that performs, tours and teaches.

“Events like Porch View Dances are unique and uplifting,” says Elden Freeman, president of Freeman Real Estate. “Not only does it serve to edify the residents of our neighbourhood but it inspires and promotes community engagement.”

Kaeja d’Dance has always been interested in community engagement and promoting people’s interest in the world of dance and it capability to tell a story. The concept for Porch View came about during a meeting in which the dance studio director wondered what it would be like if the neighbour she could see out her window in Seaton Village danced down the street to tell a story.

“The first Porch View Dance simply blew up,” says Shana Hillman, general manager at Kaeja d’Dance. “We thought there might be 30 or 40 people and we got 400 people each night. We also got a lot of press and it’s become so big and crazy.”

The event pairs professional choreographers with families and they create a dance and the audience is led through the neighbourhood with a guide, who shares anecdotes and tales about the area. Performances always conclude in Vermont Square Park, where the audience is led in an inclusive Flock Landing finale that looks like tai chi set to music.

The event has garnered so much attention that organizers now need to apply for a parade permit since spectators are coming from all over the city to see it, says Hillman.

Porch View Dances this year will involve three families. Performances run from August 19 to 23.

“The feedback we’re hearing from our families is that with everyone being so busy it’s a pleasure to have dedicated time with other family members to create something,” says Hillman. “A family last year was having a difficult time with their 13-year-old daughter and after being involved in Porch View Dances she’s taken on more of a leadership role and has a newfound sense of confidence.”

Porch View Dances has won a number of awards and recently received a grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation, allowing the dance company to spend the next three years taking Porch View Dances to three other communities around the province. Organizers are heading to Ottawa’s Westboro neighbourhood this month to mount a Porch View Dances as part of the Canada Dance Festival June 11-13.

“This has been a game-changer for us,” says Hillman. “Exposing the public to ‘dance by accident’, inspired us to increase our footprints in communities where the creation is shared with the participants and the audience is essential to the experience.”

Kaeja d’Dance hopes to help blur the line between art and the public by going beyond exposing new audiences to dance by involving all ages and abilities as performers to make for a more dynamic and vibrant city, while building people’s curiosity and trust in an experiential and meaningful way, to be engaged with the arts.

Click here to see some homes for sale in this area!

Get your party hats on this Saturday as Dundas West rolls out the red carpet for a celebration of arts, community and all that is local.

Whether young or old, into sports or fashion, fitness or music, the Dundas West Fest is a fun family friendly event that takes place on June 6 and spans about 12 city blocks from Landsdowne to Ossington. Sponsored by the Dundas West BIA and the Little Portugal BIA, expect to find good eats and treats, lively music, and a whole host of vendors selling arts and crafts and loads more.

The festival will include more than 40 patios, six areas for buskers, three main stages and shopping to your heart’s content with over 200 different vendors. Foodies will delight as the festival features options for every taste and budget.

To make organization a little simpler, the festival is divvied up into zones, from 1 to 4. Naturally, with an event such as this entertainment of all kinds abounds.

Look for a free African drumming workshop in Zone 1 starting at 10 am at the West Stage. There is plenty of kiddy fun here with full-fledged all-kid bands to acapella groups, singer-songwriters and even some theatre and dance. But by late afternoon the West Stage bursts into adulthood with performances by the legendary local rocker and MP Andrew Cash, traditional Angolan dancers, the Cohen Hammond Trio and the Helder Pereira Band.

Hear readings by Portuguese-Canadian writers featuring the likes of Aida Jordao, Irene Marques, Antonio Marques, Emanuel Melo and Humberto da Silva.

Watch great local art and photography at the Through the Looking Glass exhibit at Rose Will Studio and Gallery.

In Zone 2, from Brock to Dufferin, join in the afternoon laugh party featuring great neighbourhood comedians Helder Brum, Rhiannon Archer, Mike Rita, Brian Ward and host Nick Flanagan.

Feel like getting a workout in? Zone 3 has just the thing. A free outdoor yoga class at 10 am at Studio Blue, 1457 Dundas St West.

Between Dufferin and Dovercourt is where you’ll find some of Toronto’s most popular busker acts. Check out the event’s Busker Zones at Coolmine, Lisgar and at Federal Streets, including Madame Bella Muerte, Lucy Loop, Mighty Mike and more.

In Zone 4, which runs between Dovercourt and Ossington, hear live music all day at the Lakeview Avenue Stage in the Beer Store parking lot. Beginning at 12:30 p.m. with the Tavares Quintet, followed by Good Enough Live Karaoke, synth rock from LIPS,  rockabilly maestros the Royal Crowns, Neon Wave,  then Good Enough Live Karaoke again, Mexican Slang,  Blonde Elvis and finishing with DIY favourites Choir! Choir! Choir! at 8:30 p.m.

If the past is your thing, you’re sure to enjoy the Portuguese Canadian History Project exhibit, The Portuguese in Canada: 1953 – 2013. IC Savings also features community favourites Clay & Paper Theatre and renowned local artist Viktor Mitic.

Between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. the West House will feature a seniors’ dance group, a life-sized scrabble game, musical performances by the West House Music School and more.

If ever there was a city designed for aligning its collective sensibilities, building a sense of community, and articulating its likes and dislikes, Toronto would clearly be at the top of the list.

With dozens of residents associations and neighbourhood groups, Torontonians, it seems, have lots to say. Originally established in 1957, the ABC Residents’ Association, which serves those living in the Yorkville/North Midtown area between Yonge and Avenue Road, is committed to being actively involved in municipal issues. But even older is the South Rosedale Residents’ Association, which was formed in 1931.

Throw a stone in and around the Freeman neighbourhood and you’re sure to hit a good number of community/neighbourhood groups. The Seaton Village Residents’ Association was formed to improve living conditions and to promote and express the interests of residents through municipal representation.

The Christie Pits Residents’ Association began in 2006. The Palmerston Area Residents’ Association is dedicated to preserving the distinctive character of its neighbourhood. The Annex Residents’ Association is a volunteer organization with roots dating back over 80 years.

Toronto journalist David Topping keeps track of the city’s residents’ groups at http://bit.ly/1csQRdy. His list numbers 167 neighbourhood groups, while a Toronto Star story from last September cited 500 such groups as being registered with the city.

But if these groups don’t tickle you, think about starting your own. Think your neighbourhood falls victim to too much crime? Perhaps a crime prevention group is in order. Want to ensure your community’s elderly are safe and cared for? There’s an idea that could spawn a group of caring residents.

Essentially a neighbourhood group speaks up about issues of concern to those living in the community. Its goals should be realistic and achievable, no pie-in-the sky notions as that may tend to discourage pragmatists and can take too long to accomplish.

Neighbourhood groups can be about:

• crime prevention and community safety ideas
• neighbourhood clean-ups or other improvement projects
• parks and playgrounds
• social and recreational activities and special events
• traffic
• volunteer activities
• zoning and development issues

A neighbourhood association should have some structure to ensure that things get done. A more formal group could include a board of directors with members who are elected at an annual general meeting. Typically, board meetings take place monthly and a board follows written bylaws to guide its operations.

Whether you adopt a formal or informal group, here are a few tips and suggestions to help you along the way:

• Consider inviting a community police officer to your first meeting if your group is being established to address a specific problem.
• Try to include all age groups within your community. Each has its set of particular strengths.
• Establish clear and simple communication channels, invite feedback and encourage attendance and participation at meetings.
• Remember that not everyone is comfortable speaking out or talking in public. Offer other ways to get feedback such as suggestion boxes, confidential voicemail line, email address, social media platforms or one-on-one conversations.
• Make sure that everyone feels involved and that the whole community is represented, not just the opinions of those who sit on the board.