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Roads closed in Toronto this weekend for street festivals

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As the weekend approaches, it's time to prepare for some major road closures across Toronto. Street festivals and a TTC subway closure on Line 1 will make travelling around the city tricky and a bit of a headache. 

If you plan on driving, here's what you need to know to get around.

Toronto Tamil Festival

The annual street festival will close Markham Rd. between McNicoll Ave. and Passmore Ave. in both directions from August 24 at 10 p.m. to August 27 at 5 a.m.

Bloorcourt Festival

The street fest will have Bloor St. West between Dufferin St. and Montrose Ave. closed in both directions on August 25 from 7 a.m. to midnight.

Dovercourt Rd. and Ossington Ave. will remain open. The 161 Rogers Rd. bus will divert both ways via Dupont St. and Ossington Ave.

Leslieville Beer Festival

Dundas St. East between Logan Ave. and Carlaw Ave. will be closed in both directions on August 25 from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. to accommodate the beer festival. 

Pedestrian Sundays

There are a number of road closures in Kensington Market from noon to 10:30 p.m. for this monthly summer event.

TTC Subway Closure

In addition to road closures there will be no subway service on Line 1 between Finch West and Lawrence West stations on August 25 and 26 due to signal upgrades.


Weekend events in Toronto August 24-26 2018

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Weekend events in Toronto have lots going on. A huge cider festival is on and there's a big block party under the Gardiner. Tamil Fest and PS Kensington are back and there's plenty of food, drinks, music and film to keep you busy.

Events you might want to check out:

Toronto Cider Festival (August 24-25 @ Sherbourne Common)
Kick back with a cold one at this festival featuring over 100 different kinds of ciders from local, regional and international cider producers.
2001: A Space Odyssey (August 24-30 @ Cinesphere)
Screening for the first time ever in IMAX is Stanley Kubrick's ground breaking and surreal 1968 sci-fi masterpiece.
Korean Harvest Festival (August 24-26 @ Mel Lastman Square)
Hangawi, also known as Korean Thanksgiving, looks to celebrate Korean culture with traditional food, music, dance, local artists and performances.
The Bentway Block Party (August 25 @ The Bentway)
The city's newest public space under the Gardiner is throwing a big end-of-summer party with games, live music, dancing and more.
Tamil Fest (August 25-26 @ Markham Road)
Now in its third year, Tamil Fest looks to celebrate Tamil culture with exhibits, traditional food, entertainment and performances.
Pedestrian Sundays (August 26 @ Kensington Market)
Kensington goes carless for a day this week to make space for food, dancing, music, makers and meditation in the street.
TAIWANfest (August 24-26 @ Harbourfront Centre)
A huge Mandarin- and English-speaking cultural event is on at the waterfront with performances, music, talks, exhibitions, and food.
Bloorcourt Festival (August 25 @ Bloor Street West)
Local Bloorcourt vendors along Bloor Street West come together for a festival of artists, musicians and crafters alongside goods, music and entertainment.
Scarborough Afro-Carib Fest (August 25-26 @ Scarborough Civic Centre)
A huge celebration of Afro-Caribean culture is going down with two days of food, performances, art, competitions and prizes.
Beer, Bourbon and BBQ Fest (August 24-26 @ Ontario Place)
There's always room for one more cookout before summer ends, and this one promises tons of food, drinks, music and country-themed activities.
Leslieville Beer Festival (August 25 @ Dundas Street East)
Dundas East shuts down for this all-day neighbourhood street party with regional brewers, community food vendors and local artisans on site.
Coconut Festival (August 25-26 @ David Pecaut Square)
All things coconut is on at this annual celebration of the versatile tropical delicacy featuring all kinds of products derived from coconuts.
Pan American Food and Music Festival (August 25-26 @ Yonge–Dundas Square)
Foods from all over the American continent is getting served up alongside activities, competitions and live performances.
Mabuhay Philippines Festival (August 25-26 @ Nathan Phillips Square)
Every kind of traditional Filipino food is up for the tasting this weekend during this big celebration of Philippino heritage and culture.
Indie Fridays (August 24 @ Yonge–Dundas Square)
Indie Friday is almost over for the season but it's not too late to catch some talented folk performing for free alongside graffiti arts and a beer garden.
Arty (August 24 @ Uniun)
Russian DJ Arty gets the party thumping with the classic Euro-trance joints, featuring big drops and soft vocal overlays you can't help but love.
Mahalia (August 24 @ The Garrison)
Still fresh in the game, English R&B singer Mahalia is making a name for herself with her soulful voice and jams you can vibe to.
Ska-Punk Showcase (August 24 @ The Horseshoe Tavern)
Remember ska? Remember punk? Remember ska-punk? Well it's alive and well in the hearts of these six bands performing the good stuff all night long.
Miguel (August 26 @ RBC Echo Beach)
R&B star Miguel has been making waves with his Ascension tour and returns to Toronto to perform alongside homegrown duo DVSN.
Movie Night in Liberty Village Park (August 24 @ Liberty Village Park)
Crawl out from your condo or head down to Liberty Village to catch a free outdoor screening of Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle.
Lost Episode Fest (August 24-26 @ Carlton Cinema)
Over 30 sci-fi, horror, indie, thriller, fantasy and animation features and shorts are on all weekend long during the 6th edition of this film festival.
Whitney (August 24-30 @ Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema)
I'm not crying, you are. Using real footage, Whitney Houston's rise to stardom and eventual downfall is captured in this all-too-real documentary.
Sorauren Park Outdoor Movie Series (August 25 @ Sorauren Avenue Park)
A pre-show pizza party is going down with prizes to boot, plus a free outdoor screening of the 2016 Ghostbusters remake.
PA Day Party (August 24 @ The Baby G)
Party like it's a PA Day to hip-hop, R&B, electro and whatever else gets your feet moving on the dance floor.
Summerdaze (August 25 @ 54 Fraser Avenue)
The last Summerdaze of the season comes to an end with a stellar lineup of underground DJs featuring Acid Pauli, Brian Cid, Hauy and Miss Melera.
Promise Cherry Beach (August 26 @ Cherry Beach)
This week's electro beach party shines, featuring Toronto's own Kenny Glasgow on decks alongside a surprise international guest DJ.
Pop-Up Arts Market (August 24 @ Ryerson Artspace at the Gladstone Hotel)
Zines, ceramics, jewellery, oh my! Find all things things and more at this arts market featuring unique, handmade pieces from local makers.
Toronto Artisan Market (August 26 @ Trinity Bellwoods)
This Sunday, Bellwoods is hosting a curated market featuring a community of local makers showing off their handmade arts and crafts.

Canada’s most famous women’s hockey player now a Toronto Maple Leaf

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The Toronto Maple Leafs just announced a new marquee hire in the form of Canadian hockey legend and four-time Olympic gold medallist Hayley Wickenheiser.

One of the most celebrated female hocker players on Earth, Wickenheiser will be joining the Leafs as their new Assistant Director of Player Development.

Needless to say, the Leafs are lucky to have her, even behind the scenes.

The 40-year-old athlete announced her retirement from the game in January of 2017 after 23 years on the Canadian women's hockey team. During her career, she led Canada to 11 gold medals at Olympic and world championship games.

She racked up a total of 379 career points for Canada with 168 goals in 276 games and has been named the Olympic tournament MVP twice (once in 2002 and again in 2006).

The Leafs also announced on Twitter Thursday morning that Scott Pellerin has been elevated to the role of Senior Director of Player Development, and that Stéphane Robidas is the club's new Director of Player Development.

Drake is coming to TIFF this year

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Drake may have left Toronto fans high and dry after postponing a concert in the city this week. But, his fans can rejoice knowing that he will be making an appearance at TIFF once again. 

The In My Feelings singer will be dropping by to co-host a screening of Monsters and Men, a film showcasing the ongoing problem of police violence against communities of colour. 

As always, Drake will not be the only famous face at the annual festival. TIFF also announced their "In Conversation With..." lineup.

The program, consisting of interviews with a star by someone from the industry, will feature Maggie Gyllenhaal, Hilary Swank, and Mahershala Ali.

As TIFF approaches in just a few short weeks, the event lineup is growing more and more jam-packed. Be prepared for the upcoming street closures as fans sprawl out trying to spot the stars. 

Toronto Juggalos are angry and confused right now

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Juggalos in Toronto are even angrier clowns than usual after an Insane Clown Posse concert slated for this Saturday at Opera House was cancelled, put back on, and then cancelled again.

The situation, which hasn’t been fully explained, has left many fans who purchased tickets to the show originally furious and very confused.

When the show was first cancelled, refunds for tickets were issued. Just when many customers received notice that their money had been fully refunded, ICP made an announcement on the page for the Facebook event (now deleted) saying the show was back on for the same night it had been planned.

A slew of comments followed, from simple expressions of annoyance at having cancelled plans, picked up work shifts, or rearranged travel based on the show, to fervent Juggalo love from some exclaiming that they swiftly re-bought their tickets.

The latter are out of luck, however, as within 24 hours the event was deleted from Facebook.

They probably would have done well to confirm with Opera House, which never stated officially the event was back on, or to follow suit with ICP fans who decided they were done trying to go to the show.

Those who went so far as to re-buy tickets received no word about a refund, and most are left simply dealing with their credit card companies.

Insane Clown Posse are from the U.S., and have had difficulty crossing the border previously, so this could have been an aspect of the cancellation.

Toronto Juggalos will just have to take their Faygo showers somewhere else. The group announced in a Facebook post last night that they would be bringing the show to smaller cities in Southern Ontario, including Windsor and Guelph.

Sales data from Toronto homes will finally be available to everyone

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A Supreme Court of Canada decision is being hailed as a huge victory for consumers today as GTA realtors finally win the right to make home sales data public online.

Long story short: Anyone will soon be able to see how much any property has been sold for in the past — without hiring a realtor and jumping through hoops to get basic information.

Canada's Competition Bureau has been fighting for this to happen since 2011, when it challenged a Toronto Real Estate Board (TREB) policy preventing the publication of home sales data.

At the time, TREB only allowed its roughly 50,000 members to share the history of a property's sale price with clients via fax, email or by presenting it in person.

Brokerage websites were prohibited from publishing the information, regardless of whether or not it was password protected.

The competition bureau has argued that, by hoarding such information, TREB was impeding both competition and innovation in Toronto's real estate market.

TREB has countered repeatedly by saying that posting the data would violate the privacy of its clients and break copyright law.

The duelling organizations went back and forth for years, first at the Competition Tribunal and then at the Federal Court of Appeal, where TREB was told to release the home sales data publicly.

The real estate board subsequently asked the Supreme Court of Canada to hear an appeal.

On Thursday morning, the Surpreme Court basically said "nah."

Canada's highest court announced around 9:45 a.m. that it would not hear an appeal from TREB, which means that the lower court rulings stand: Toronto realtors can now publish home sales data on their websites, and Toronto residents can get a better look at what they're investing in.

Toronto cat cafe says it's going to re-open

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Toronto's most controversial cat cafe is set to reopen, as per an apology post on its Facebook page. However, it is sticking to its anti-wheelchair sentiments. 

Meow Cat Cafe temporarily ceased operations after backlash from the community over its decision to bar wheelchair users from entering. After a heated debate back and forth, the cafe shut down earlier this month.

Now, in a post to the cafe's Facebook page, it says it will reopen but is still holding strong on the anti-wheelchair rules. 

The apology post reaffirms the cafe's stance, stating that wheelchair users can choose to walk (???) or stay in one position without moving.

The post also states that the owners cannot be abelist because one of their grandmothers is in a wheelchair (again: ???). 

The full post explains that the owners are "taking steps to improve our services" so that no one will feel excluded. They do not go into detail about what, exactly, this means.

For now, it looks like the cafe is open again the public. Whether or not people will show up again is another question altogether. 

Toronto stores will be open until midnight this weekend

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Attention all night owls and people who prefer to shop under the cover of darkness: Businesses along Queen Street West will be open this Saturday night until the witching hour.

Queen Street West's Business Association is set to host its inaugural "midnight madness sale" on August 25 from 8 p.m. until 12 a.m. — the first event of its kind in Toronto's downtown core, according to the group.

"The strip will transform into a late-night buzz of shoppers and diners," reads a press release from the BIA. "Midnight Madness will be a shopping extravaganza for all: the start of an annual signature retail event on the historic Queen West strip."

Expect tax-free promotions and deep discounts of up to 50 per cent store-wide in some of the many participating locations between University Avenue and Bathurst Street.

Participating retailers include: Brimz, Scarpino, Groovy, TITIKA, EKO, Te Koop, Get Outside, MAC Queen West, New Tribe Tattoo & Piercing, Seduction, Kops Records, KARE, Original, Paranoid Print Co., Outer Layer, and City Dance Corps.

Food and drink specials will be available at participating restaurants and bars such as Smoke's PoutinerieMi TacoRivoliLa Palette, and TeaLand.    


Justin Bieber just bought a mansion with a horse track near Toronto

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Canadian pop star Justin Bieber has reportedly purchased a $5-million house on a private lake just outside of Cambridge, Ontario — roughly one hour's drive from his hometown of Stratford and 1.5 hours west of Toronto.

TMZ reports that Bieber just closed a deal for the 101-acre property on Monday, though it is not yet known when he'll move in (if he plans to move in at all).

Either way, the place is balling and has a ton of room for horses.

First, there's the 9000-square-foot house itself, complete with a private gym, heated floors, a games room, an observatory room, dressing rooms, a home theatre and a two-storey, temperature-controlled wine room.

A real estate listing for the home describes it as a "modern contemporary masterpiece" with "stacked windows throughout providing incredible natural light and lake views."

TMZ describes the property as "a skosh smaller than the size of Vatican City" and notes that it comes with four bedrooms, six bathrooms, a garage and a boathouse.

bieber mansion toronto

Bieber's new home is described as an architectural masterpiece, while the property itself is said to be private, spacious and serene. Image via Rego Realty.

"Hike, swim, go horseback riding – or simply sit back and enjoy breathtaking sunsets over the lake," reads the listing for 6620 Concession 1 Road.

"With this estate, its 9,000+ square foot dream home, 101 acres and equestrian facility (leased out and generating significant monthly income), you get the best of all worlds."

Bieber has a private horse track now, did I mention that?

bieber mansion toronto

Look, Justin, everything the light touches is your kingdom. Image via Rego Realty.

Does Bieber plan to move here with his new fiancée, Hailey Baldwin, and enjoy the simple, wealthy country life? Maybe. Or maybe it's just a cottage for his mom. Who knows?

We can, at the very least, hope that Bieber starts riding horses on Instagram at some point, because it was super fun when he did that with skateboards. 

Check out a 3D tour of the property right here, if you'd like to see where Justin Bieber might someday sleep, eat, play video games and pee.

This is how many people have bought the $100 gold burger at the CNE

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Not all that glitters is gold, but in the case of this sensational food item at the CNE, maybe it is; a $100 burger covered in gold leaf is being sold, created by Bacon Nation.

It’s hard to say which is more insane, the gold leaf covering the burger’s bun or the $100 price tag. Sticker shock didn’t deter some CNE visitors willing to shell out, though. So far 44 people have bought the full price $100 Gold Burger.

They’ve sold over 500 of the smaller $24.95 24K Slider version of the burger, however. Fourty-four people buying the $100 version already amount to $4400, but add $12,475 on top of that for the sliders and you have yourself a decent chunk of change.

That’s almost 600 people who have crossed the CNE picket line for a taste of the monstrosity. The irony of selling something so ludicrous for such a high price during a worker lock out hasn’t escaped notice, though.

The burger is one of the most expensive food items ever for sale at the CNE, but although the gold has a priceless look to it, the precious metal has no effect on the taste.

Are 540 burgers and sliders worth the over $15,000 they’ve raked in during the few weeks the CNE’s been open? The only way to really know is to take inventory yourself and see if your bank account (and your morals) could take the hit.

Ontario government staff told not to mention climate change on social media

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An email sent to Ontario Parks earlier this month suggests that Premier Doug Ford and his PC party have banned the mention of anything related to climate change on the government agency's social media channels. 

A photo of the email in question was shared with us this week by an Ontario Parks employee who wishes to remain anonymous.

The employee says that the original message came through last Saturday. It appears to have been sent by Ontario Parks Social Media Coordinator Anne MacLachlan to staffers at the agency's Peterborough headquarters.

climate change email ontario

An email in which Parks Ontario staffers are advised not to mention climate change in social media content. Image via anonymous source.

"Hi all," it reads. "Per Premier's Office direction, we are not allowed to mention climate change in social media content at this time."

"Please ensure any staff with access to a park social media account, as well as park superintendents, are aware of this direction," the email continues. "We will let you know about any change in direction on this."

McLachlan has not yet responded to multiple requests for comment or to verify the email, nor has Ontario's Minister of Environment, Conservation and Parks, Rod Phillips.

Laryssa Waler-Hetmanczuk, Executive Director of Communications for the Premier's Office, said that she has never given direction not to mention climate change in social media posts.

"I'm responsible for communications, including social media, for the Premier's Office," she said in response to questions about the Ontario Parks email. "I'm not sure who said this or why, but it's categorically untrue."

When asked if she thought the email was fake, she said "I don't quite know why they said this. I’ve never interacted with Ontario Parks directly."

A search of public tweets from the official Ontario Parks account shows no recent mentions of the term "climate change" — which is kind of weird for an agency dedicated to conservation.

The last tweet on this subject was sent out April 6 and reads "Researchers believe the shrinking gray jay population is due to #climatechange."

A verified Twitter account for Ontario's Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks similarly stopped tweeting about climate change on May 8.

Searching the Ontario Parks website for "climate change" pulls up about 850 different pieces of content, however, and the government's own website maintains a climate change section that says "we are committed to developing a new plan to address climate change in fall 2018."

The official Ontario Government Twitter account also addressed the issue on July 18 by replying to a question about climate change with "Hi there, Ontario is committed to developing a new plan to address climate change going forward."

That account hasn't tweeted anything else about the pressing environmental issue since May 4. Premier Doug Ford's account contains no tweets mentioning climate change, ever.

This is what Toronto's newest boutique hotel will look like

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A 24-room boutique hotel is about to open up in the Annex this fall, and with it comes a mini food hall—they're all the rage these days—and collaborations with a number of local brands. 

Set to open officially on Sept. 27, The Annex Hotel channels its best New York vibes with a pared-down, urban-traveller ambiance that capitalizes on the hottest food trends that Toronto has to offer. annex hotel toronto

The Annex Hotel is a new boutique hotel in the Annex offering 24 rooms. 

It's been well over a year since the landlord began construction on the 100-year-old building at 296 Brunswick, which once housed The Green Room, Tilt Arcade Bar, and 15 longtime low-income residents.

Despite a highly-publicized legal fallout with the arcade bar, and the process of what owners describe as relocating nearly all the residents to alternative housing, the hotel has moved forward at full speed with its transformation of the aging building into a modern lodging. 

annex hotel toronto

Wall art gives each room a homey feel. 

Once it opens, you can expect an establishment that eschews all the standard accoutrements of luxury hotel stays. The Annex has opted out of providing features as common as room service, TVs, phones, a parking lot, elevator, gym, or even a front desk. 

annex hotel toronto

Two of the hotels three floors will offer rooms that will range from $200 to $300. 

Instead, it hopes to win guests over with super fast WiFi, allowing for functions like online check-in and text communications with staff, along with homey-yet-swanky rooms equipped with iPads. 

annex hotel toronto

The under construction first floor of the hotel will be the Lobby Bar, where all three meals of the day will be served.

The 6000-square-foot first floor of the hotel will be home to The Lobby Bar, offering three meals throughout the day including breakfast by the Parkdale bakery The Tempered Room.

The Lobby will also feature a curved marble bar serving natural, organic wines from a list curated by Ben Dalton of Kensington's Grey Gardens

annex hotel toronto

Rooms here have lots of natural light and design elements from local artists.

The second and third floors will hold 12 naturally-lit rooms each, with four sizes of rooms that range as small as 200 square-feet (starting at around $200) to the 330-square-foot extra large rooms ($300).

annex hotel toronto

Rooms facing west get a great view of the parking lot mural by local artists Elicser. 

Nearly everything design-wise is the result of a local collaboration—though my favourite (albeit unintentional) collab is the view of the parking lot mural by Elicser, if you happen to score a room facing west. 

annex hotel toronto

Bedding comes from local company Merchant Sons. 

Mattresses come from the same supplier that decks out the Ritz-Carlton, and bedding comes by way of Merchant Sons. Wall art is commissioned work by a handful of Canadian artists. 

annex hotel toronto

Sinks are located within the room, apart from the shower and toilet. 

The majority of rooms (save for the extra large one) have a sink placed outside the tiled 'wet rooms' where shower and toilet share the same space. 

annex hotel toronto

Some rooms face directly into neighbouring properties. 

The overall vibe is minimal and admittedly cozy, despite the fact some rooms face directly into the balconies of neighbouring residences (a big downside for guests and even moreso for homeowners).

annex hotel toronto

Every room comes equipped with a record player and vinyls from Sonic Boom. 

If you haven't scored the greatest view, you can opt to entertain yourself with the record player that accompanies each room (joining a list of happenin' American hotels to do so) along with a collection of vinyl courtesy of Sonic Boom.  

annex hotel toronto

Showers and toilets are combined in areas called 'wet rooms'. 

Back downstairs, a communal garden is set to open next spring, and on the other side of the public living room space will be one of the hotel's most anticipated features: The Annex Commons, a food hall which will be even larger than the Lobby.annex hotel toronto

The hotel features work from local artists and partnerships with recognizable brands. 

Still under construction, it might give The Annex Food Hall—which will be opening up around the same time just ten minutes away—a run for its money, with a liquor license and two permanent vendors that are sure to draw out-of-towners and locals alike after it opens at 5 p.m. 

annex hotel toronto

Mattresses come from the same mattress providers as the Ritz-Carlton. 

Tacos and a ceviche bar will come by way of local fave Seven Lives, and Big Trouble Pizza will be slinging their increasingly popular gourmet slices. There'll be a third rotating vendor as well. 

annex hotel toronto

The Annex Hotel is reliant on WiFi and text messages for communications between guests and staff. 

While The Annex Hotel runs a risk of being solely reliant on WiFi and texts (apparently Luddites aren't welcome here) it's definitely a hotel of the future without being overly streamlined—autonomous A.I.-style. 

Focusing on recognizable brand partnerships and reliance on some local commodities, the boutique hotel is positioning itself as the forerunner for a Toronto staycation, or at the very least, a night out. 

annex hotel toronto

People are loving and hating the Little Italy movie shot in Toronto

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A movie about the romance between two star-crossed pizza makers on College Street premiered last night at the Scotiabank Theatre in Toronto, and it was... definitely a movie.

Called Little Italy, the film is set in Toronto's neighbourhood of the same name.

It's a rom-com starring Emma Roberts and Hayden Christensen, as well as Danny Aiello, Andrea Martin and Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman Jane Seymour.

The flick's cover art went viral on Twitter earlier this year for looking like it's from 2005.

The "Romeo and Juliet of pizza" plot also struck many online as dated, but to be fair, I think that's what the filmmakers were going for?

Director Donald Petrie is, after all, the man behind Miss Congeniality, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days and the Lindsay Lohan classicJust My Luck.

Most of the locals tweeting about it right now have yet to actually see the movie, but they have lots of opinions about its existence and format.

Those who attended the premier were psyched to meet actor Emma Roberts — niece of the OG romantic comedy lead Julia Roberts.

They were also stoked for Hayden Christensen, a Canadian actor who was in two Star Wars movies and dated Summer from The O.C.for about a decade.

Jaleel White — aka Steve Urkel — was there, too!

Toronto City Councillor Norm Kelly was one of many other celebrities to walk the red carpet.

Love or hate the film, it did have some pretty cool experiential marketing setups in the days leading up to its world premier in Toronto.

Who doesn't love free pizza, right?

In the words of my favourite Italian-American-Japanese video game character, "Mamma mia!"

10 things to do in Toronto today

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Cider, beer, bourbon and lots of it are all part of events in Toronto today. The Korean Harvest Festival looks to celebrate Korean Thanksgiving while HAL and the gang take the round screen for the first ever showing of 2001: A Space Odyssey in IMAX.

Events you might want to check out:

Indie Fridays (August 24 @ Yonge–Dundas Square)
Indie Fridays are almost over for the season but it's not too late to catch some talented folk performing for free alongside graffiti arts and a beer garden.
Movie Night in Liberty Village Park (August 24 @ Liberty Village Park)
Head down to Liberty Village to catch a free outdoor screening of Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle.
Mahalia (August 24 @ The Garrison)
Still fresh in the game, English R&B singer Mahalia is making a name for herself with her soulful voice and jams you can vibe to.
Pop-Up Arts Market (August 24 @ Ryerson Artspace at the Gladstone Hotel)
Zines, ceramics, jewellery, oh my! Find all the things and more at this arts market featuring unique, handmade pieces from local makers.
Ska-Punk Showcase (August 24 @ The Horseshoe Tavern)
Remember ska? Remember punk? Remember ska-punk? Well it's alive and well in the hearts of these six bands performing the good stuff all night long.
Toronto Cider Festival (August 24-25 @ Sherbourne Common)
Kick back with a cold one at this festival featuring over 100 different kinds of ciders from local, regional and international cider producers.
Korean Harvest Festival (August 24-26 @ Mel Lastman Square)
Hangawi, also known as Korean Thanksgiving, looks to celebrate Korean culture with traditional food, music, dance, local artists and performances.
Beer, Bourbon and BBQ Fest (August 24-26 @ Ontario Place)
There's always room for one more cookout before summer ends, and this one promises tons of food, drinks, music and country-themed activities.
Whitney (August 24-30 @ Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema)
I'm not crying; you're crying. Using real footage, Whitney Houston's rise to stardom and eventual downfall is captured in this all-too-real doc.
2001: A Space Odyssey at the Cinesphere (August 24-30 @ Cinesphere)
Kick back with a cold one at this festival featuring over 100 different kinds of ciders from local, regional and international cider producers.

Sold! Retro Toronto bungalow goes for $275K under asking

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This Toronto house looks like it’s straight out of the 60’s or 70’s. The wood panelled ceilings and walls, added to the colourful bathroom fixtures, make me nostalgic for my grandparents home. But, despite the dated interior, this home managed to fetch a whopping $3.5 million.

34 green valley road torontoThe open-concept, raised bungalow has four bedrooms and a nanny suite with a private entrance. The sky lights and large windows mean the whole house is filled with sunlight.

34 green valley road torontoThe main floor has the living, dining, kitchen and two bedrooms. While it might be a bit retro, I do really like the vaulted wood panelled ceilings in the living and dining rooms. They give a cabin vibe to the place.  

34 green valley road torontoThe kitchen is large enough to have eat-in space. It also has enough room for two fridges and two dishwashers, so it’s definitely built for massive dinner parties.

34 green valley road torontoThe master bedroom is spacious and has a pink six piece en suite bathroom.

34 green valley road torontoI’d be tempted to keep the Pepto-Bismol coloured fixtures just because they’re kinda trending again and it’s hard to find intact mid-century bathrooms.   

34 green valley road torontoDownstairs there’s a large rec room, games room, a sauna and a built-in wet bar. There’s also the other spacious bedrooms.

34 green valley road torontoBoth the living room and the basement walk out into the backyard that has a big wood deck and a sprawling lawn. There hasn’t been much done in the way of landscaping ,but it has tons of potential.

34 green valley road torontoThe Essentials
  • Address: 34 Green Valley Rd.
  • Type: House
  • Bedrooms: 3+2
  • Bathrooms: 4
  • Size: 75 x 273 feet
  • Realtor: Sage Real Estate
  • Hit the market at: $3,775,000
  • Sold for: $3,500,000
34 green valley road torontoWhy it sold for what it did?

This place most likely sold for the land, not the actual house. It’s a stunning property that backs on to a ravine and you’re right next to the Rosedale Golf Club.  

34 green valley road torontoWas it worth it?

They say in real estate it’s location, location, location. Sure, the house is a complete gut job, but it's is sitting on some pretty prime land and for that it’s worth the $3.5 million.34 green valley road toronto


This Toronto park is a camping paradise

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When people think of glamping (the combination of glamour and camping), the starry skies of cottage country might come to mind.

But, many Torontonians are unaware that they can experience all the amenities of camping right inside our own city, which makes the Rouge National Urban Park one of Toronto's best kept secrets. 

The rich assortment of natural, cultural, and agricultural landscapes  that cover the areas of Rouge National Urban Park makes it one of the most biodiverse parks in Canada.

With the massive Carolinian ecosystems, unspoiled beaches, endless hiking trails, and some of the region's largest marshes, this sprawling urban park has a little bit of everything. 

This park is so new that Parks Canada is still in the process of establishing its boundaries.

Once finalized, Rouge National Urban Park will be one of the largest and best protected urban parks of its kind in the world — covering parts of Toronto, Markham, Pickering and Uxbridge. In total, the entire park will be 23 times larger than Central Park in New York City!

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Rouge National Urban Park is also the home of Toronto's only camp site: the Glen Rouge Campground. Recently, Parks Canada introduced the ultra modern oTENTik lodgings that are unique to Canada's National Parks.

These half cabin/half tent hybrids offer all the charm of sleeping out under the stars, without any of the stress or hassle of classic camping. 

The oTENTik lodgings offer nature lovers the ultimate experience of the comfort of a home, with the experience of the great outdoors - all while at the edge of the city. Nestled on the banks of the Rouge River, these fully-equipped tents come with an already-made campsite.

Each lodge includes three comfortable beds, lighting, can accommodate up to 6 people, and are only $120/night. Just bring your own sleeping bag!

To keep up to date with all things Rouge National Urban Park, there's a  free app, designed by the students of the University of Toronto, that will keep you informed about news stories (like the recent baby turtle release inside the park) maps, alerts and events. 

This is what the new Toronto ward map looks like

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With the municipal election just around the corner, it's time to brush up on your ward and its candidates. While most of us already know which ward we live in under the 47-councillor system, the new cuts to council may have changed where your vote is going. 

toronto ward map

The City of Toronto ward map in detail. Image via the City of Toronto.

Matched directly with the provincial ridings, the new Toronto ward map has only 25 districts, opposed to the 47 planned in the city's four-year study. 

However, stay tuned, as the city just voted to take the province to court over the cuts, meaning there's a chance Toronto may return to the 47-ward model. 

Full views of both the 25-ward map and the 47-ward map are available on the city website. They also include profiles and candidate information, so you can get acquainted before voting day comes. 

Toronto Food Events: Cider Festival, Hispanic Fiesta, Top Shuck, Caskapalooza

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Lovers of food events can rejoice in Toronto this week. Brews a-plenty are on tap in Leslieville and at the Cider Festival while a big barbecue is happening at Ontario Place. Ever been to a low country boil? This might be the week you go to one. Cheers!

Events you might want to check out:

Market Battles (August 24 @ St. Lawrence Market)
Market merchants face off in the battle of lifetime to find out who will be crowned the skewer and who will be the skewed.
Food Truck'N Friday (August 24 @ Parking lot at Bloor Street West and Resurrection Road)
A new lineup of food trucks arrives this week to serve up a variety of goodies, Expect Feed the 6, El Callejon del Taco, Curbside Dogs and many more.
Toronto Cider Festival (August 24-25 @ Sherbourne Common)
Kick back with a cold one at this festival featuring over 100 different kinds of ciders from local, regional and international cider producers.
Beer, Bourbon and BBQ Fest (August 24-26 @ Ontario Place)
There's always room for one more cookout before summer ends, and this one promises tons of food, drinks, music and country-themed activities.
Leslieville Beer Festival (August 25 @ Dundas Street East)
Dundas East shuts down for this all-day neighbourhood street party with regional brewers, community food vendors and local artisans on site.
Pan American Food and Music Festival (August 25-26 @ Yonge–Dundas Square)
Foods from all over the American continent is getting served up alongside activities, competitions and live performances.
Sunday Pig Roast (August 26 @ Earlscourt BBQ)
The pig came home to roost during this ol' fashion Sunday barbecue with drinks, sides and all-you-can-eat pig throughout the day.
Top Shuck (August 27 @ Pure Spirits Oyster House)
Shuckers gonna shuck at this big oyster jam with a shucking showdown, drinks and some of the best seafood in town.
Caskapalooza (August 29 @ Craft Beer Market Toronto)
Casks galore are on at the first annual cask festival with over twenty unique casks from local breweries and proceeds going to charity.
Feastbound (August 30 @ Eastbound Brewing Company)
End the summer with a low country boil; a communal dining party with long tables piled high with seafood served up alongside beer and lots of sides.
Hispanic Fiesta (August 31 - September 3 @ Mel Lastman Square)
Celebrate all things Latin American at this big festival featuring traditional food from twenty different Spanish speaking countries.
Burgers + Beers (September 9 @ 86 Miller Street)
Is there anything better than a sweaty, cheese-smothered burger? How about an all-you-can-eat burgers and $4 beer party? It's lit!
Junction Craft Brewing Makers Market (September 16 @ Junction Craft Brewing)
Explore the many tastes Ontario has to offers during this big makers market with a special spotlight on regional brewers.
Pancakes and Booze Art Show (September 26 @ The Opera House Grill)
Art, body painting, music, booze and a whole lotta pancakes are on at this big party featuring signature cocktails and unlimited fluff cakes.

Drake wants to own the Toronto Raptors

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Now that he's completely dominated the worlds of music, fashion and film, Canadian teen-soap-opera-actor-turned-international-rap-superstar Drake has his sights set on sports.

Sports ownership, that is. At 5-foot-11.75, it's unlikely we'll see the Toronto-born recording artist on an NBA team anytime soon. We might see him buy one, though.

Or maybe he's joking with this "future owner" of the Toronto Raptors Instagram post, I don't know.

Either way, it's worth exploring.

future owner

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Drake has always been into sports — like,wayyy into sports— but he didn't always have the kind of cash flow needed buy an entire basketball team. Not even a Canadian one.

Might he now? It's hard to say.

Forbes estimates Drake's net worth at around $100 million as of 2018, making him the fourth-wealthiest hip hop artist on earth (tied with Eminem) after Jay-Z, Diddy and Dr. Dre.

Not bad for a 31-year-old from Toronto, but every team in the NBA is now reportedly worth more than $1 billion.

"Owner" is a relative term, however. Most teams are owned by multiple stakeholders who hold different percentages of shares.

Jay-Z, for instance, owned less than 2 per cent of the Brooklyn Nets before he sold most of his stake in 2013, but the prevailing theory among fans was that he alone owned the team (which was great for business, notes the New York Times.)

The NBA's Board of Governors passed a rule in 2015 mandating that all teams have 25 or fewer individual owners, and that every owner have at least 1 per cent of the franchise.

The Toronto Raptors are currently owned only by Larry Tanenbaum's Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment. Maybe Drake, who already serves as global ambassador for the Toronto Raptors, plans on buying some shares from MLSE?

Whether that's soon, in the distant future, or never remains to be seen — but the artist's friends and fans are loving the idea.

"That shit would be so raw please do it," commented Chicago's Chance The Rapper on Drake's Instagram post Thursday night.

"I got a GM," wrote American businessman (and LeBron James' best friend) Maverick Carter. "Let's get it!!!"

Toronto falls in ranking of world's most reputable cities

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Toronto's status as a reputable city seems to be dropping, at least since last year. While 2017 saw the city at 10th, we fell to 13th for 2018. 

The rankings are determined based on a city's environmental appeal and beauty, effective government, social policies, infrastructure, economic status, and financial stability, among other factors. 

REPUTATION INSTITUTE

Image via Reputation Institute. 

Montreal took Toronto's old 10th place spot this year, while Vancouver landed at a comfortable 16th. Considering that 56 cities are considered for the list, these spots aren't too shabby. 

The rankings are put together by the Reputation Institute's RepTrak series. 

Sydney, Australia had taken the top place for three years in a row, but finally fell to second this year, losing its #1 spot to Tokyo, Japan. 

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