Sandwich Ladies
When we designed our new menu, we had many things to consider. We wanted our food to uphold our mandate of "local, affordable, and body-loving" and we wanted plenty of options for both vegans and vegetarians. We wanted to prioritize local and organic food and make the most of the bounty from our rooftop garden. We wanted to showcase local suppliers and support those with responsible business practices. And, finally, we wanted our menu to reflect our connection with the Riverdale Immigrant Women's Centre.
The Riverdale Immigrant Women's Centre
The Riverdale Immigrant Women's Centre (RIWC) has provided essential services to marginalized women since 1982. Using a holistic and integrated service model that addresses the social, cultural and political realities of minority communities, RIWC delivers support services such as settlement, anti-violence, and pre-employment development. They renovated the Riverdale Hub in 2010 and turned it into a hive of social innovation, of which the social gardener cafe is a proud part. By acting as a social enterprise, the social gardener is accountable to the board of the non-profit and supports the programs run by the RIWC, both financially and by providing training and experience to women seeking jobs in the service and hospitality industry.
To symbolize this connection, we named our three new sandwiches after three incredible Canadian women who have made significant contributions to our country. Choosing only three was a nearly impossible task, but we hope our final selection represents a diversity of perspectives. We hope to draw attention to these women and their incredible commitment to improving the world around them.
Susan Aglukark
Susan Aglukark is a singer/songwriter known for being Artic Canada's first Inuk Juno award winner. She has won 3 Junos and was named an officer of the Order of Canada in 2005. She is a founder of the Artic Rose Project and chaired the Arctic Children and Youth Foundation, two non-profits focused on improving the lives of children in Nunavut. In 2014, she raised over $4,000 and sent more than 1,000 pounds of food to Nunavut during the winter holidays.
June Callwood
June Callwood was a Canadian journalist and social activist.
She worked for The Globe and Mail and wrote pieces for Maclean's and hosted several TV shows. All of her work reflected her strong commitment to social justice, especially for women and youth, and she founded or co-founded more than 50 social action organizations. These include Casey House, a hospice specializing in HIV/AIDS, PEN Canada, which campaigns on behalf of writers persecuted for exercising their right to freedom of expression, Canadian Civil Liberties Association, and Feminists Against Censorship. June Callwood passed away in April 2007. June Callwood Way, a street named after her, is in the Queen East area.
Dr. Roberta Bondar
Dr. Roberta Bondar is Canada's first female astronaut and the first neurologist in
space. After her voyage on the NASA Space Shuttle "Discovery," she lead a team of NASA researchers for more than a decade investigating the body's ability to recover after being in space. She is also an accomplished photographer and author of several books. Now in her seventies, she remains on the scientific staff at Sunnybrook Hospital, continues to be active in research and education, and works to build a culture of curiosity, creativity and critical thinking around the natural environment through The Roberta Bondar Foundation.
