The image-based social discovery and curation platform Pinterest joins Microsoft, Alphabet Inc., Etsy and (maybe) Amazon this week as one of the many major American tech companies with current plans for a new office in Toronto.

Pinterest, founded in San Francisco circa 2009, announced on Tuesday that it would be opening its first-ever Canadian office in downtown Toronto on October 1.

A location for the office has yet to be revealed, but the social media company did reveal that former Facebook Canada executive Erin Elofson had been hired to run the show.

"Pinterest is already deeply embedded in our culture," said Elofson in a press release announcing the office. "Canadians love Pinterest because they want to discover and try new things. They are relentlessly seeking inspiration to enhance their own lives."

Super excited to see @Pinterest open an office in Canada! One of the best social networks for CPG and retail brands, this will further enhance Toronto's already vibrant #tech scene! #yyz🇨🇦https://t.co/WJzhVfZHSS

— Davis Riar (@DavisRiar) September 25, 2018

Indeed, Pinterest has a large and rather active user base in Canada. Monthly users total 12 million, according to the company, and that's on top of the roughly 4.5 million ideas Canadians save to Pinterest every day.

By opening an office here, Pinterest hopes to better serve local business, boost international growth and "establish our presence in Canada where national media ad spending is expected to reach $11.52 billion this year."

Yup. Like most successful Silicon Valley startups, Pinterest has its metaphorical eye on the prize ("prize" being advertising dollars.)

Another fun fact gleaned from this development? Canada's most searched-for trends on Pinterest are "Tartan plaid" and "cabbage lasagna."

What an inspired country are we.

As the weather cools off and leaves start to change, we are entering fall. Soon enough, the holiday season will be just around the corner. Before you know it, it'll be New Year's Eve.

It may be time to start planning your holiday activities now. 

One of the most popular recurring attractions is a magical light tunnel surrounded by a huge festival of lights, just outside Toronto. 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Karen Richter (@klourich) on Dec 30, 2017 at 4:05pm PST

The Gift of Lights, on the Bingemans event grounds in Kitchener-Waterloo, is returning for another year.

According to the event's website, there are now two light tunnels for visitors to explore. 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Let's Discover ON (@lets_discover_on) on Nov 30, 2017 at 6:28pm PST

The dazzling display of lights is over two kilometres long and features light tunnels that visitors can drive through for a prime holiday experience. 

The winter wonderland of lights opens November 16 and runs through to the first week of January. 

Like hotels, short term vacation rentals can vary widely in price — and it's not always the quality of a home that determines how much its owner will charge per night.

Location is king, meaning you'll pay a pretty penny to stay right in the heart of downtown Toronto. You'll pay even more to stay in a shi-shi hood filled with mansions, however, according to Luckey Homes.

The short term vacation rental management service (which basically takes over all the grunt work for Airbnb hosts) recently expanded into Toronto, bringing with it an analysis of the city.

It costs $177 per night on average, according to the service, to rent out someone's home in Toronto, which has an impressive 87 per cent occupancy rate and upwards of 720,000 bookings per year.

Perhaps most interestingly, Luckey broke down the average cost of an Airbnb rental by TTC subway station (something Torontonians seem quitekeen on).

The results suggest that Scarborough is a solid bet for travellers on a budget, while anything near St. Andrew or Summerhill stations are the worst.

Here's how much your home might go for on Aibnb if you live on a subway line:

The Ontario government is exploring new ways to rake in the cash, and a new report commissioned by Premier Doug Ford may lead to the sale of some important assets. 

A spending review released on Tuesday by cabinet minister Peter Bethlenfalvy found that the province could "monetize" Crown corporations in order to make a quick buck. 

The LCBO, Ontario Power Generation, and Ontario Lottery and Gaming could all be put up for sale in order to generate a one-time payout, if the province follows recommendations put forward in the report.

The provincial government is especially interested in making some revenue, as it has announced the budget deficit to be in excess of about $15 billion.

The report does state, however, that the long-term loss of the corporations may outweigh the short-term gain.

Deputy leader of the NDP-opposition, Sara Singh, says the sale of Hydro One in 2015 is an example of the negative ramifications of turning to the private sector. 

The provincial government has not yet commented on any plans to follow or reject the review's findings and reccomendations.

Wearable tech startup Thalmic Labs is taking Google Glass to the next level by bringing its own pair of holographic eyewear to Toronto. 

The same Kitchener-Waterloo startup who invented the gesture control armband Myo is apparently making moves to unveil its futuristic smart glasses under a mysterious new brand called North Inc.

The North remembers... how bad Google Glass were.

Get ready. Here comes another @Initialized company revolutionizing an industry.

ENTER: Thalmic’s secret smart glasses play https://t.co/Yhyi39aGmI via @betakit

— Alexis Ohanian Sr. 🚀 (@alexisohanian) September 22, 2018

The Thalmic-North Inc. connection, which was first reported by BetaKit last week, has since been confirmed by Alex Ohanian, who co-founded both Reddit and the Thalmic-backing VC firm Initalized Capital. 

While North's website is basically a dead end for information about the new product—it looks like your average online eyewear store—patents issued to Thalmic by the United States Patent and Trademark Office over the last few months show these glasses are going to be next level. 

An image of the holographic smart glasses from a patent issued to Thalmic on Aug. 21, 2018.

Patents for a "wearable heads-up display with integrated eye tracker and different optical power holograms" details using a"holographic optical element" to create wearable tech that, unlike current smart glasses available on the market, just look like regular glasses. 

According to the North site, you'll be able to use "your smartest pair of glasses" to text, navigate, check your calendar, and then some, all while wearing a pretty subtle pair of unisex spectacles with extra-wide arms.

According to the BetaKit report, Thalmic's devices need to be fitted to the user's face, meaning a physical retail store is bound to happen.

When exactly the glasses will be making a touchdown yet is unknown (it looks like they're still waiting for at least one patent to be issued), but North's ads running in both Toronto and New York imply both cities will be getting North Inc. store. 

Hundreds of bleary-eyed students kicked their weeks off with a bang on Monday morning when, just after 9 a.m., an acclaimed psychology professor accidentally blasted hardcore pornography in a lecture hall.

The incident in question is said to have taken place at the University of Toronto's Scarborough campus during a class called PSYA01: Introduction to Biological and Cognitive Psychology.

Video footage from the scene shows students laughing and screaming in disbelief while a projector screens what appears to be a man and woman engaged in canine-style copulation.

Prof watching poem in front of 500 kids at my school holy pic.twitter.com/SEmUmJVKIT

— Nem (@1080InstaSwap) September 24, 2018

"First psychology class... wtf... prof was watching porn before this," reads a caption on the video, which was originally posted to Snapchat.

Multiple Reddit threadssprung up on Monday afternoon and evening, though the videos attached to them have all since been deleted. Comments from some of the roughly 500 students in that fateful class, however, remain intact.

Several Redditors, as well as people on Twitter and Facebook, suggest that the professor was Dr. Steve Joordens, a well-liked instructor and award-winning scientist with his own Wikipedia page.

I have proof pic.twitter.com/HLMlr4jl5C

— zz👳🏽‍♀️ (@zshaikh20) September 25, 2018

Joordens has not publicly commented on the matter, and U of T told The Varsity that, while it is aware of the incident, it cannot discuss matters relating to personnel.

Meanwhile, a Rate My Professors page for Joordens is being spammed with (bad) jokes about the porn incident.

"His very erect foundation of knowledge and HANDS on teaching style is what gets me going," reads one. "Although his lectures get harder and harder to understand, my thick appreciation for this class will never recede to a flaccid state."

Remember the UTSC psych prof that showed porn to 500 people in his lecture? The rate my prof comments are killllinggg me 😭pic.twitter.com/3oB1ar53bH

— churail 🎃👻 (@leebee416) September 25, 2018

Jokes abound on Twitter too, where it has been suggested that the type of porn shown in class was hentai (which is just anime porn, in case you were tempted to Google.)

All in all, an interesting first class of the semester for students at UTSC — one that might even turn out to be psychological experiment of sorts, meant to demonstrate something about sexuality and the human mind.

Or not.

Hump Days are what you make of them and events in Toronto today include an art house film festival, good tunes, a play inspired by street artist Banksy and a lot of comedy done a few different ways. 

This apartment is in a beautifully renovated 1889 Victorian rowhouse. It's got exposed brick, wood beams and has been renovated with some snazzy modern features like the hideaway appliance walls.This is one of three units in the building. The two-bedroom, two-bathroom unit takes up the top two floors which means you have some pretty quirky ceilings.

The kitchen and living room are open plan. I love the jigsaw features, like the countertop that swivels out to make a table.

The master bedroom is a beautiful sun-filled space with exposed wood ceiling beams and a small nook perfect for a reading corner or a small desk.

The bathrooms are modern. The white square subway tiles make the windowless room look less dreary.

Specs

• Address:#UPPER- 64 Dovercourt Road
• Type: Apartment
• Rent: $4,500 / month
• Listing agent: Leonard Fridman
• Furnished? Yes
• Utilities: No
• Air conditioning? Yes
• Bedrooms: 2
• Bathrooms: 2
• Parking: 1
• Laundry? In suite
• Outdoor space? Patio
• Pet friendly? No

Good For

Going out. This place is just steps from some amazing restaurants and bars like Union, Bang Bang Ice Cream, and Bellwoods Brewery, just to name a few of my faves.  

Move On If

You want to decorate. The place comes fully furnished so you have to live with what you get. That being said, it was professionally decorated so you got it pretty good.

Luxury home sales, defined as any home over $1 million, have been on a sharp increase in Toronto over the past few months. 

A new report from Sotheby's International Realty Canada found that luxury sales increased by 19 per cent this summer compared to the same time last year. 

For homes priced over $4 million, the increase was even more staggering. Those sales grew a whopping 34 per cent year-over-year.

According to Sotheby's president and CEO Brad Henderson, the trend should continue in the months ahead. 

The federal government's tighter mortgage rules, introduced early this year, temporarily halted the increases in Toronto, as well as in other cities like Vancouver. But, the sales have picked up speed in Ontario's capital again. 

As prices skyrocket for homes in Toronto, it may begin to push some buyers out to other areas. Perhaps a change of pace is in store for those looking for something a little more affordable. 

The best grilled cheese sandwiches in Toronto are far from Wonderbread and Kraft Singles dorm room creations. Multiple kinds of ooey-gooey cheese are melted between high quality bread and set off by other classic fillings like tomato, onion, apple and ketchup. Despite their epic qualities, these sammies are often the cheapest thing on the menu.

Here are the best grilled cheese sandwiches in Toronto.
 

The American hotel conglomerate behind W, Bvlgari, the St. Regis and the Ritz Carlton is about to roll out one of its most luxurious boutique concepts to date in Toronto.

Get ready to get wowed by the 1 Hotel: A high-end luxury lodging chain that caters specifically to environmentally-conscious travellers (who have a lot of money).

Inspired by nature, the Starwood Capital Group project seeks to "bring the outdoors inside" through the use of "pure and natural elements" like organic cotton mattresses, reclaimed wood, corrugated leather headboards and living green walls.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by 1 Hotels (@1hotels) on Jun 29, 2018 at 1:07pm PDT

That's not to say the suites are rustic — not by a long shot. At the brand's three existing hotels in Brooklyn, Manhattan and South Beach, clients enjoy triple-filtered water rain showers and unlimited, complimentary Tesla rides.

They have farmers markets in the lobby. In-house SoulCycle lifestyle boutiques, digital newspapers on tablets and 55-inch LCD televisions for every room.

At the Brooklyn Bridge location, you can rent a room with its own carved stone soaking tubs and lampshades grown from mushroom mycelium.

That suite, the 2-bedroom "riverhouse," can be rented for around $5,000 a night. 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by 1 Hotels (@1hotels) on Jul 26, 2018 at 10:47am PDT

Starwood CEO Barry Sternlich confirmed to The Globe and Mail this week that Toronto will soon have a 1 Hotel of its own.

He didn't specify where the hotel would be — only that it would be downtown — but did say that Starwood has signed a deal to buy and convert an existing hotel in the city. The process should take about one and a half years, if all goes well.

All three of the existing 1 Hotels incorporate their surrounding elements as part of the experience. Miami, for instance, has four luxurious outdoor pools, while Brooklyn boasts floor-to-ceiling windows with unobstructed views of the Brooklyn Bridge. 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by 1 Hotels (@1hotels) on Mar 11, 2018 at 10:30am PDT

What will 1 Hotels bring of Toronto into its new boutique hotel and/or resort? Reclaimed streetcar seats? Raccoon pelt blankets? Video footage of Rob Ford's greatest hits in every room?

TIFF people might definitely pay $1,200 a night for that.

Scones in Toronto don’t just come in ho-hum cheddar or blueberry flavours, though there are great renditions of those classics readily available. Exciting artisanal varieties like coconut, Stilton walnut, Earl Grey, espresso chocolate and date pecan are what give us get up and go in this city. 

Here are my picks for the top scones in Toronto.

Kitten and the Bear

This itty bitty cafe in Parkdale does a tea service accompanying buttermilk scones baked fresh throughout the day with their signature artisanal seasonal preserves, clotted cream and your choice of 49th Parallel coffee or Sloane tea. Scones are also available to go.

Baker and Scone

The word scone is right in the name of this St. Clair West shop, so you know they’re serious about baking them. Dozens of seasonally varying flavours include uncommon options like pear hazelnut, green tea, toasted coconut, sweet pumpkin and banana bread.

School

This Liberty Village restaurant knows that fresh baked goods make the breakfast and brunch they’re known for what it is, rotating flavours like cheddar and berry white chocolate produced on site. 

Cherry Bomb

This cafe in Roncesvalles Village may be known for its croissants, but they scratch bake the most amazing scones here as well like their famous date and pecan variety.

Merseyside

Customers go crazy for the home baked scones at this cafe near Dundas West station in flavours like blueberry, cheddar red onion and apple ginger.

Sugar Loaf

The classically triangular, drizzled Earl Grey scones at this bakery cafe with locations in Riverside and Leslieville are especially coveted.

Odin

Espresso chocolate scones match the chill but vibrant energy of this Insta-worthy Corktown cafe with Scandinavian design.

Tori’s Bakeshop

While the humble scone can often be packed with allergens harmful to many, the scones at this specialty bakery with locations in the Beaches and Canary District are made with unbleached flour, unrefined cane sugar, Earth Balance and not much else so they’re safe for all to enjoy.

Sweet Bliss

Perfectly glazed wild blueberry scones should be snapped up when you can get them from this Leslieville bakery. 

Fantail

Roncesvalles Village has this spot where you can put together your own mix and match scone sampler box selecting from their daily flavours, which might include Stilton walnut or raspberry vanilla.

Toronto is lucky to have one of the best drag scenes in the world but what does it take for local queens to make it big?

In this episode of the Only in Toronto podcast, we sit down with Baby Bel Bel to get the inside scoop.

Plus, Nuit Blanche goes to Scarborough for the first time and the Toronto pizza joint that helped bring booze back to the Junction.

Background information on this episode:

• A brief history of booze in the Junction
• The top 25 exhibits to check out at Nuit Blanche Toronto 2018
• The top 7 bars for drag shows in Toronto

Articles referenced in this episode include:

• King West's Home of the Brave has closed
• Pinterest is opening its first Canadian office in Toronto
• People are loving new Toronto Raptor Kawhi Leonard's laugh
• Police rescue baby pig from Toronto highway

Places mentioned in this episode:

• Crews and Tangos
• Home of the Brave
• Vesuvio Pizzeria

Ways to subscribe to the Only in Toronto podcast:

• Apple Podcasts
• Google Play Music
• Stitcher
• Tune In
• Libsyn

You can also listen to the Only in Toronto podcast on Alexa. Just ask Alexa to play the podcast Only in Toronto.

Top concerts in Toronto for October 2018 will see old favourites like Justin Timberlake try something new and rising stars like Yaeji and Kali Uchis continue to shake things up. Blood Orange, Lykke Li and Mitski are coming, too, but this list includes shows that aren't sold out.

A transport truck carrying two tanks of fuel burst into flames on the 401 near Leslie Wednesday morning, halting all eastbound traffic right in the middle of rush hour. 

Toronto Police say that a fire broke out in the truck’s cab around 8:30 a.m. for reasons that are still unknown. By the time  emergency crews arrived to the scene, the cab was "fully engulfed" in flames. 

Tanker truck on fire on 401 Eastboound just before Leslie. #TrafficAlert#insane@CityNews@Z1035Torontopic.twitter.com/esrQtYjGn9

— Maja Samborski (@Maja_ski) September 26, 2018

Fortunately, Toronto firefighters extinguished the blaze before it hit the truck’s highly flammable cargo.

ROAD CLOSURE: #Hwy401 EB Collectors and Express at Leslie - all EB lanes CLOSED due to truck fire, reopening time unknown. ^lm pic.twitter.com/Oez5Kew1bP

— OPP GTA Traffic (@OPP_GTATraffic) September 26, 2018

Commuters were stuck in traffic for about an hour before police partially reopened some eastbound express and collector lanes on Highway 401 - but it could have been much, much worse. 

On Hwy 401 watching a tanker truck burn and all my fellow drivers walking around. Wish I brought a ball we could throw around. It’s going to be awhile. pic.twitter.com/yAJc6uxtwn

— Tom Vurinaris (@homeinspectGTA) September 26, 2018

Video footage shared by drivers on Twitter  shows what could have turned into an explosive situation, had firefighters not acted so fast. 

@CP24 truck fire on 401 east near 404. pic.twitter.com/8Hg2I4XfIn

— jimirazz (@jimirazz) September 26, 2018

Police say that no fuel was spilled in the incident, and, miraculously, no injuries have been reported. 

The eastbound 401 is still partially closed at Bayview while OPP officers remain on scene, so avoid the area if you’re in a hurry. 

The newest poll in Toronto's mayoral race has incumbent John Tory leading by a wide margin. 

Tory currently hangs on to a solid 63.7 per cent of support among voters who have decided, and 48.4 per cent among all voters.

His main competition, former city planner Jennifer Keesmaat, has also moved up to a more comfortable second place. She sits at 28 per cent of decided voters, and 20.3 per cent among all voters.

Sarah Climenhaga and Saron Gebresellassi, the two other candidates who have attended debates, are polling around 1 per cent each, while white supremacist fringe candidate Faith Goldy fell to a little over 1 per cent. 

Tory is currently holding more male voters, and those in Scarborough, while opponent Keesmaat is doing better with female voters and people downtown. 

Interestingly, voters polled now say transit issues are the top priority for them. This is a new change from the previously found number one priority, housing affordability. 

The news that transit is a top priority is interesting, as Mayor Tory will be skipping a debate about that very topic later tonight, opting instead to attend a fundraiser. 

We just invited @JohnTory to reconsider attending tonight's transit debate, which will be attended by 100s of #Scarborough residents. We can accommodate your participation at any time during the evening (7-9pm). #transitdebateTOpic.twitter.com/6l6zq3wwMN

— TTCriders (@ttcriders) September 26, 2018

Tonight's transit debate is the third mayoral debate to take place. The first, organized by ArtsVote, was held at the beginning of the week, followed by a Global News debate Tuesday afternoon. 

Scribd by Mainstreet Toronto

This October the Big Rock Barn Burner featuring Mt. Joy, The Darcys and Girlfriend Material is coming to Toronto. Want to attend? You're in luck. We've teamed up with Big Rock Brewery to give you a chance to win tickets along with a slew of other goodies.

Check out all the contest details here.

Tonight marks the final home game of the season for Toronto's major league baseball team, and the end of an era for longtime manager John Gibbons.

Blue Jays brass officially announced on Wednesday that they'd be parting ways with Gibbons, who signed a two-year extension in 2017, at the end of this season.

I may not have been a fan of him at first, but I've grown to love Gibby over the years. Players and fans alike love and respect him and he will be sorely missed in Toronto #ThankYouGibby@BlueJayspic.twitter.com/N70CiA3SgS

— Kyle Marshall (@TheActualKJM) September 26, 2018

The 56-year-old former professional baseball player joined the Jays as manager in 2004, but was let go in 2008 and went to Kansas City. He was rehired to manage the Blue Jays in 2013 and has since led Toronto to the ALCS twice.

Sportsnet reported the news of Gibbons' impending departure early Wednesday morning after weeks of speculation about what's been described as "the worst kept secret in Toronto sports."

#BlueJays will announce that John Gibbons won’t be returning as manager for 2019 season today, per multiple industry sources. Announcement will be confirming what’s been known for weeks.

— Shi Davidi (@ShiDavidi) September 26, 2018

According to ESPN, he has a record of 791 games won as manager of the Blue Jays, second only to Cito Gaston.

Gibbons is known for his sense of humour and is thought to be well-liked by players. He's certainly a beloved figure among Blue Jays fans.

"John Gibbons" is the top trending topic on Twitter in Toronto right now as baseball fans express their disappointment...

There will never be anyone like John Gibbons. @BlueJays games will not be the same. Thanks for the memories especially during 2015/2016 #ThankYouGibby

— Slivoti (@SandyLivoti) September 26, 2018

And love...

Thank you, Gibby for the great years, the ‘15 and ‘16 playoff runs and for being so damn entertaining during your run as manager of the @BlueJays! Don’t ever change! @MLB#ThankYouGibby#BlueJays#JohnGibbons#GibbyTheBest#Torontopic.twitter.com/5tH65YSat8

— Mr. D on JUMP! & Fresh Radio (@MrDRadio) September 26, 2018

And well wishes for the coach.

So long Gibby. Thanks for a ton of comedic value over the years. You're a true locker room guy there's no doubt. Honestly they'll probably bring u back in a couple seasons. Recycling is the Jay's way. Lol#bluejays#ThankyouGibby

— Dean Parker (@TheOfficialPrx) September 26, 2018

The University of Toronto has just been ranked the 21st best university in the world by the Times Higher Education.  

The reputable British magazine released its 2019 World University Rankings today with its biggest list to date, ranking over 1,250 universities in 86 different countries on factors like number of students per staff member and female to male student ratio.

Up one spot from last year, U of T's reigns as the best university in Canada year after year, as does its reputation as one of the top 10 publicly funded institutions worldwide.

Times Higher Education has already ranked U of T as the most reputable school in Canada, and the school was deemed the best university in Canada by the QS World University Rankings chart earlier this year.

This year's World University Rankings has U of T sandwiched between the University of Michigan, ranked number 20, and China's Tsinghua University one spot below. 

The number one spot was taken by the University of Oxford for another year, followed by Cambridge, Standford, and MIT. 

Just months after opening its highly-anticipated location in Etobicoke, the beloved Ontario grocery chain Farm Boy is set to open yet another location in Toronto.

Plans for a new Farm Boy at 1015 Lake Shore Blvd. East have been in the works for a while now, but it looks like the new 20,038-square-foot store will officially be offering its fresh produce and organic foods to the Port Lands neighbourhood sometime this winter. 

The new store, which will have a grilling station serving fresh paninis, gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches and those famous artisanal Farm Boy sausages, will take over a Canadian Tire parking lot at the foot of Leslie Street, and is expected to create 130 new jobs. 

This follows an announcement on Monday that the Ottawa-based chain has been acquired by Empire Co. Ltd., the parent company of Sobeys. 

According to Empire, they plan on doubling up the number of Farm Boys in the city, meaning you might see even more popping up in a neighbourhood near you.